Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-09-04
TRIP TO THE Orient
Clarence e. Edwords Touring the
Eastern Countries.
HE is OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP
:. PEAR IN THE RECORDER.
Soochow, China, March %, 1908
Soochow is noted for it's beauty and
for it's many wonderful and pecu-
liar temples, and for its variety OF
tea houses and singing girls. There
is little or no opposition to the
presence of foreigners here as this
is an open port and does much
J trading with the outside world. |
!, have just returned from hunting
expedition up the river in our house
Iboat, and find so much of interest
that / shall not devote space to the
city. We left early in the morning,
passing through the filthy canals to
the clear waters of the river. Every
where are evidences of the coming
of the reform movement, which has
for it's object the awakening OF Chi
ma to the advantages of modern
civilization, but the country through
which we were passing soon chang
ed and we found nothing but an
cient people and their ancient ways.
Passing along we came upon an
individual fairly out of antiquity,
and as he like ourselves was a
hunter, we invited him aboard in
order to get closer acquainted with
him. He offered to sell us a duck,
a hare and hen pheasant. One
of our party asked him if there
was plenty of duck about and he
replied that the market was full OF
/ them in Soochow. He wanted to
exchange his game for powder
We did not want his game but by
giving him little powder we in
duced him to show us his gun, and
to explain the use of it, and also
how he worked his different plans
of catching ducks. He came along
side in a fantan, about the size OF
an ordinary row boat, the central
portion being rooted over with
straw mating. In this limited
space he dwelt with a wife, two
children, dog and cat.
He produced the most primitive
fowling piece I have ever seen. |
tried hard to purchase it from him,
but although / offered him enough
to buy fine breech loader, he
would not sell. TWAS home made,
the barrel being forged out OF
wrought iron, and was about four
feet long. A pistol grip shaped
piece of pine served for the stock,
and the firing apparatus was like
those on the old muskets used in
| the time of Oliver Cromwell. The
hammer and pan were evidently
the work of some village black
smith, and both were covered with
rust and were uncouth in the ex-
IRENE. We asked him to show us
how he used the gun He did so
by holding the gun against the
right elbow, inserting the lighted
end of small rope which he car
ried coiled about his right arm, in
the groove in the hammer, and TAX
ing aim, not from the shoulder but
from the elbow, he pressed the
, trigger The sound was like thai
of ripping cloth, but the gun car
, ried we'll and the shot punched II
, the water we'll together.
He explained to us the methods
of takeng duck and other aquatic
{ birds, which although fraught with
, exposure and great hardship arr
sure of success. One means is tc
n cover the head with rushes and en-
i ter the water near VIII ere flock /:
, feeding. The rest is easy provld
ed one does not mind cold batf
j with the mercury well down. The
/ Ihunter selects the latest ane
plumpest bird and grasps its feet
, under the water, draws it under
4 and fastens it to his belt, and so or
;. until the entire flock is captured
Another scheme, and one Chat in
involves quite as much exposure, il
for the hunter to rest his gun on .
A PAYING INVESTMENT