Catoctin clarion., 1917-11-01
News From The Orient.
China Navigation Company's
S. S. Tungting for Hankow,
August 81, 1917.

0s
August 81, 1917.
Dear Mother
If had the gift of description
I'd show you that travel in China is more
exciting, more exasperating and ridicul-
ously funny, than any movie show ever
attempted.
Two weeks ago we booked on the
steamer from Kinkiang to Yochow and
for express and baggage, coolies from
Kuling to Kinkiang. On Wednesday
night l stayed with B. M, language
school girl bound for Changsha, as it was
nearer the starting point. After an early
breakfast yesterday we went to the
estate office only to find that the sudden
exodus of many people from Kuling had
taken $50 coolies to carry their belong
ings, and it also being feast day beside,
coolies were as precious as silver is at
present. Before we left we saw them
take BIS baggage and they promised to
send out to Heykes valley at once for
mine. So off we started down the mount
ain, some times running down the rough
stone steps, as it was too much trouble
to hold back. We stopped at all the five
or six tea houses, chatted while. at
every place was catechised as to why we
walked, several times coolies on the up
ward trip with empty chairs tried to per-
suade US to ride the rest of the way, and
SO laughing over the funny comments we
heard and singing when we thought the
Chinese out of hearing distance, we
reached the foot of the mountain.
We had been told that it would never
do to walk the ten miles across the plains
to Kinkiang, 80 we took the automobile,
only to find that the water was 30 high
the car could only 90 about tWo-thirds
the way and the rest of the way we went
in sampans, changing only twice. We
reached the Kuling rest house at Kin
kiang about noon and found that our
boat was not expected until nine at night.
The prospect of staying at the rest house
was none too pleasant, for the name is
| the direct antithesis Of the nature of the
place. Old queaky floors, musty walls,
dark, low ceilnged rooms, their only
furniture bare tables and chairs, flies
and mosquitoes by the score, such is the
rest house. We had some lunch and then
went TO the S. S. Office to see if our
berths had besa reSeryed as promised.
We were told the boat was not expected
until ten, that it would be in port at
least three hours unloading cargo, that
the steamer was "full up" and they
would only take us on board on condition
that we would not grumble about the ac-
commodations. The fact that we had
already made reservations and deposited
money made no difference to the COM
pany. The agent said there was not the
slightest chance of our catching the Fri
day evening boat from Hankow, which
| would mean that we would either have
| to leave on Japanese steamer on Sun
day morning or wait till Tuesday night,
and as school begins on Wednesday we
would be late. There was one alterna-
tive, to forfeit our tickets and take the
japanese boat leaving Kinkiang at five
and would reach Hankow in time for the
boat we were booked on. But to forfeit
that IS. 90 was two much for my disposi-
ton and pocketbook.
Consequently we DECIDED to wait for
the Tungting and if we missed our boat
at Hankow and had to lay over several
days we'd make up the financial loss by
travelling Chinese" not pleasant, but
lots of fun and cheap.
As the hours passed away and my bag
gage failed to appear, | became more
and more respondent, and the heat didn't
serve to improve my frame of mind.
When things began to prove too much
for me at the rest house, we started out
for stroll around the city. Such treat
as this was. Kinkiang is quite a china
producing city and the display in the
shops was wonderful For several squares
along the Chinese end of the Bund there
was nothing but china shops, and in and
out of these we wandered, seeing such
beautiful things that we felt like Alice
in Wonderland. The part that Impress
ed me 30 much was the realization that
it was all done by hand, and in many of
the shops where we stopped to watch
them painting the china. they were as
pleased as little children when we admir-
ed their work.
In curio shop we had laughable ex-
perence. There was vase carved out
of bamboo joint. very artistic piece
of work. We asked the old man the
price and he said six dollars. Then we
asked him if he had any smaller ones,
whereupon he stepped outside the door,
called in a young man, who, seeing the
vase in our hands, too quick to hear the
question we wanted to ask, said three
dollars. This amused me so much said
to B. just look at the old man, he hasn't
any face Left at all, when to my mortifi-
cation Chinese gentleman who had en-
tered the shop went off into fit of
laughter. He had heard my remarks.
and understanding English very well,
was greatly amused. Having "lost face"
myself we left the store as soon as pos
sible.
Going back to the rest house we wei
coined our baggage about dark. So pay
ing all transfer charges, and with the
assurance that our baggage would be put
on the boat, we went to the Bund hoping