Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-02-03
The Cruise Around the World.
Continued from 1st page

OF house boats, on which the natives
live all their lives, with all they pos
sess, even to the chickens. The boats
ranges in size from Is to 30 feet long
and from six to ten feet wide. All the
vessels in the harbor were lit up as
we'll as tho whole city, which is at
least two miles wide at the base and
extends up a high bill. It made very
beautiful sight. We arose early on
the morning of the oath and took
river boats for ninety mile ride to
Canton, up the Pearl River. We
reached Canton about noon and all
took chairs with three Coolies to each
chair for It tr.p around the city. We
found the streets about ak iaet wide
with many angles and SO packed with
natives that our Coolies could scarcely
get through We were divided off in
bunches of from 10 to II, with native
guide to each bunch, and policemen
were sent out in every direction. We
experienced no trouble and all went
well with us Everyone seemed to
mind their own affairs We stopped
at several places Of interest among
them the FloWary Pagoda, about 800
feet high, and tho nrisou, where there
were many awaiting to receive punish
ment for different crimes. Some were
to have thoir heads cut off and it does
not take much of n crime to have
Chinaman loose his head. We did not
visit the execution ground but were
told by the others who did go that
there were seven bodies on the groun d
with their heads cut off. One woman
who poisoned her whole family was
strangled to death and then had her
head cut off. We visited the old city
wall and sported around on its top.
We saw many Of The women with
small feet wearing shoes about four or
five inches long. We rode around for
about five hours through those throngs
and did not see drunken man or any
trouble of any kind, in population of
about three or four million, with two
hundred thousand living in boats on
the river. We found all the streets
paved with long fiat stones, not a par
ticle of mud anywhere, that | saw.
The shops are all open in front, no
windows, but think they allIhad gra-
ting doors to close up at night, for
when we would stop at place to do
shopping they were all anxious to see
the Americans. We visited the temple
of the five hundred gods, every one
with different expression, one would
not think that there could be so many
different expressions in the human
face. We saw the wonderful water
clock, invented hundreds of years ago.
After pleasant trip of six hours down
the river, we climb up the sides of the
Cleveland and disappear to our differ
ent rooms for bit of sleep.
December 25, 1909.
This morning we have to ourselves
to go and do as we please, so while
some are sleeping others are shopping
and looking around the town. In the
afternoon we took cars for the Peak,
some 1000 or more feet high. Part of
the trip is made in the cars and the
balance of the way on chairs. We find
it very interesting and get fine view
of all the surrounding country. On
the 26th we did not go ashore but con-
tented ourselves in watching the peo-
pie in their house-boats, as they swarm
around the ship ready to pick up any
thing that is cast overheard. We saw
them cook their breakfast, wash the
dishes and then wash the babies and
tuck them in their beds to sleep and
then attend to the other duties that be-
long to housewife and all the work
being done on boat eight feet wide
and twenty or twenty-five feet long.
The waves are rocking them all the
time, but they do not seem to mind
that any more than a fly does the
shaking of leaf on tree. At about
II a. M, we pull up anchor and slip
out of the harbor and are now on our
way to Nagasaki, Japan; with the
weather quite cold and all have put on
heavy clothes. They tell us we will
find snow in Japan. Good bye for this
time.
Yours Respectfully,
Mr.. and MRS. GEO. ]. LABAR.