The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-22
A CHINESE HOUSEBOAT.
Sailing the Waterways of the Celes-
tiaI Empire

The good ship Doris is moOred at the
jetty and all is shipshape on board. 1
and my friends are waiting for the
owner who completes the party. Soon
this last is seen hurrying along the
bund, gesticulating wildly, and we fear
some terrible unforeseen calamity has
taken place. 1t appears that the cook
that one Of the party was going to
bring with him has just lost his
father and must, therefore, go to
Ningpo for the funeral This miShap
does not detain us long, for I caH to
mind certain small pastry cook
shop where L have many a time found
excellent cakes for my tea fights, and
thither / make my way forthwith. The
genial Italian proprietor has no cook
just now, and advises me to approach
the famous Portuguese caterer over
the way, who, he says. is sure to have
one. Mr.. Pereira has the very man
want, a French cook, who from the
rather exOrbitant price demanded must
be possessed of exceptional talent I
confess that the idea of a French cook
being in the employ of a Portuguese
cOnfectiOner in China is a little Surpris-
ing, but. seeing that time is the first
consideration and that he is now on
his way to the boat, l feel that my
mission is accomplished. When I re-
Join my companions 1 find my man in
stalled. He is native of Saigon, and
a more Misunderstanding scoundrel 1
have seldom seen. With some remarks
from me on the vagueness of confec-
TONERS and a few sailing directions
from Macklin in fluent ''pidgin" Eng
lish, we slowly glide through the mass
of native craft into midstream.
BY the savory fumes that arise from
the galley we gather that my protege
is on his mettle and in pleasant antici-
patton lean more supine in our long
chairs and lazily watch the Chinese
gunboats, with their grotesquely dec
GRATED hulls, and the junks, with their
large painted eyes, without which ad
minicle no Chinaman would set sail
no got eye, no can see; no can see,
no can walkee." Soon our white-robed
boy announces that dinner is ready,
and We descend to the saloon to find
dinner not to be surpassed by any
hotel in the far east It is worthy of
note that whereas in England the
meals on boating excursions are some
what of an al fresCo nature, in China
they are served and cooked in as ele-
CANT a manner as on shore, and your
Chinaman knows how to cook. Dinner
finished, we resume our chairs on the
hurricane deck, light our Manilas and,
20 the accompaniment of the shouting
of the crew, talk desultory of the far
eastern question, of the chances of
Sharkey, the broker, being blackballed
for the Thespian club; of the coming
race meeting and all the various topics
which go to make life at an outport
These subjects being thrashed cut to
our satisfaction, and the attention of
the mosquitoes becoming too marked,
we repair to our hunks to enjoy the
sleep which we have so richly deserv-
ed. The next morning am awakened
by the others, who want me to join
them in a bath, but I have bathed be-
fore in Chinese creeks and prefer to
have a quiet bath on board, so, with
out more ado, they plunge over the
side into the unknown, to emerge not
claner, perhaps, but unscathed.
Our way now lies between the banks
.f 81 IL ~r.s41
which the whole country Is intersected.
We pass several villages, whose in
habitants for the most part gaze at US
with that stolid air of indifference pc
culiar to the Oriental Some. indeed,
are truculently inclined, and we are
here OBLIGED to avoid the missiles, con-
sisting of stones. mud and offal, with
which we are greeted. We notice the