The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22

airy Mr.. Meyer and his seven men pro-
ceeded on foot and his baggage was
packed on five small Manchurian
ponies. In this manner he traversed
lSoV miles, for the greater part
through a wild and unknown noun
famous country, to Vladivostok. His
little company left Mukden early in
June and arrived at Vladicostok early
in September, having walked, on an
average 20 miles day for 90 days.
FROM Antung they followed the noun
tam ehaln northeastWard, crossing the
many streams and rivers that rise in
these mountains and flow west and north
into the Yalu river. Rickety bridges
spanned some of these streams but it
was necessary for the travellers, at most
of them,. to strip and wade. This pro
eeedlng, in country 5000 or 600O feet
above the sea, where the water was fee
cold, did not add to the comfort of travel
Then, too, the inns were miserable"
said Mr. Meyer, filthy beyond descrlp-
ton and swarming with vermin. In
these places 1 put saucers filed with
kerosene under the four legs of my bed
to keep off the attacks from the floor
and hung q mosquito net over me as a
protection from the vermin that fell from
the ceiling Every one slept on the
ground-there was no floor This in
cluded the horses, for, although they
were wild, fractions beasts they were
brought into the inns at night and fed
on cooked foods, either boiled potatoes.
boiled soy beans or boiled straw To
add to the other discomforts the inns
were often full of smoke. There was a
fire at one end of the building from
which the smoke escaped in f1ues built
along the ground under the beds to keep
them warm. The flues however, were
generally SO badly made that they leak
ed, and the smoke poured out through
the cracks and filled the room and this
is equivalent to saying the house, for
there were, as rule, no partitions. and
when there were any they were not as
high as a mans head. In the Corean
inns the flues were under ground and
therefore. did not leak in the same man
ner but this advantage was more than
offset by the lack of beds which pro-
hibted the use Of any kerosene defense
None of these stopping places was sup
piled with tables. chairs or lamps"
Ate Oats for Fourteen Days.
In one district In the mountains the
party could find no food, and they had
to live on boiled oats for IA days, which
was rather slim diet for men who were
making 20 miles day on foot in rough
country.
The mountainous district of northern
Corea is rather poor in vegetation, al
though fairly well forested. In spite of
this, however, the trip of the agricultural
expert was productive. He found va
rieties of wheat and sugar can that
thrive In fairly cold climate and at an
altitude of 5000 feet. Back in the Lao
yang district In Manchuria, before he
crossed the line into Corea, he secured
cuttings or seeds of many fine fruits,
among them the fragrant water pear
mentioned by Sir Alexander Harris in his
book "Manchuria." There, too, he found
alfalfa growing wild on the city wall,
where, In the times of Russia's domi-
nance in that country, the cattle were al
lowed to Craze.
After spending two or three months in
Vladivestok preparing his cuttings and
seeds and putting his notes in order, Mr.
Meyer took the train for Khabarovsk, the
northernmost point of the Russian rail-
ways In Manchuria. 1t was also his
most northerly point, and promised to be
the end of his journey. as a startling
adventure threatened to cut short his ex-
istence.
II was returning" he says, from the
restaurant where I had my supper. The
night was dark, and was suddenly grab
bed from behind by pair of powerful
hands, which frightened upon my wind
pipe, and soon brought me to the verge
of strangulation. AT the same time two
tall men faced me and proceeded to pum-
mel me with their fists over the head.
recognized them as belonging to a tribe
of the Caucasus, members of which are to
be found in all parts of the Russian en-
pire, and who are of most murderous
character. Just as was nearly uncon-
scious / found strength and presence of
mind sufficient to draw my dagger from
my belt and thrust it into the abdominal
region of one of the men who were be-
laboring me with their fists-fortunately,
they used no other weapon. With a fear
full cry the man let go and the others
made a precipitate retreat. The follow
ing morning I heard that the dead body
of man, with a knife wound In his alb
domen, had been found a few hundred
feet from the place where had been as
saulted. I did not go to see the body,
and / do not know whether the dead
man was connected with my unpleasant
adventure or not
Weather Is Cold.
In Khabarovsk 1t is often 45 degrees be-
low zero, yet the very severity of the
climate proved, in sense, an advan-
tage. Grains that would grow there
would be hardy enough for the coolest
parts of this country and Canada. and
Mr. Meyer collected many specimens of
wheat and barley to send back. He also
secured some ornamental spruce fir, and
pine, and found varieties of pears and
plums that survived the hard winter OF
that country. He returned by railway to
Vladivostok and went to Hargin then
to Krin.
While in the last-named place he was
obliged to show his passports IL times.
He had heard that there was a variety
of peach that grew in Kirin in spite of
the severity of the climate After some
investigation he discovered that 1t was
cultivated by Buddhist priest In the
garden of the temple. The priest was
willing for him to make cuttings from
the tree for a consideration of 81 and a
promise not to tell what he had done IN
the neighborhood. All through this coun-
try he found that the priests are the
best gardeners. and that the temple gar
dens contained fruits and vegetables finer
than those to be had outside. In Kirin
there was also a variety of upland rice
be grown, it is said, even in Canada,
Travelling in the interior of China the
explorer found to be comparatively in
expensive, $40 a day paying for horses,
men, lodging and food for Mr.. Meyer
and his party The food especially is
cheap, three eggs and a paper of salt.
for instance, cost the equivalent of
cent.
Stricken With Disease.
Mr. Meyer proceeded in the spring of
the district, between Hangchau and the
quaint old city of Ningpo. getting sam
pies of bamboo. While in this vicinity he
a 10