The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-04-18


and across the river Canton Christial
College which is one Of the best Of th
Oriental Colleges and very well adapt
ed TO the needs Of the people II serves
The boat which took us from Hon,
, Kong to Singapore was as much wors'
than the one which took US to Honi
Kong as one could imagine. Singapor
lies less than two degrees from tn
equator, is one Of the finest cities W
have seen, another example of Englisl
rule. II has modern hotels, churches
schools, roads, pavements, sidewalks
parks, theatres, wharfs, stores, bridge.
and splendid water system. Every
thing modern except clothes. 1t look
ed a little strange to sec native bust
ness men enjoying the cool of thu
evening perched high on the seat Of
their rickshaw, drawn by cooley in
livery, with nothing on except loin
cloth, cigar and cane.
But here, where we learned that
there had not been a sailing for Ran
goon for two months and no prospect
for one for weeks to come, our real ex-
periences began. We took passage on
small Chinese boat, the Pen Seng,
for Penange. II was so bad that it
made our previous boat look like a
palace. But before we reached Burma
we were to long even for the Pen Seng.
We sailed from Pennage on anoth00
Chinese boat, the Omapere, or bet =
as we shall always remember her
"The Old Mop Rag" She was loaded
with Coolies and "nupee" (decayed
shrimp, the great food Of Burma).
The smells, you could cut them with
a knife. The mate told us before we
started that the smell of nupee turned
white paint yellow in one voyage.
There was much to think about, the
ship might sink, the food be poisoned,
the smells might explode, to have
struck a match in that atmosphere
would have been to court disaster.
There were thirteen Of us, eight ladies
and five men. We had seven cots, the
rest of us slept in chairs, on the table
or deck or elsewhere. Mrs. Bartlett
had cot most of the time. l wrapped
my coat around my shoes for a pillow
and slept in various places. We had a
little section of deck about the size of
a postage stamp: here we ate, slept
and lived for over a week. The engine
was underneath US and it pumped up
our share of the smells hot, while the
poor coolies in the rear had to take
theirs cold. The first night on the
boat / never will forget. We had the
worst storm of the whole trip. How
the old sea did rip and tear around
The sea kicked, we kicked but still the
boat pitched. Some of the party who
had boasted of not having had sick
day since they left San Francisco,
broke all records The dinner was the
most lively we had had. Most of US
took turns between the table and the
rail. | asked one man if he would
like the butter. mo" said he, "it
comes up easily enough without being
creased" Oh, that dinner, the fish
swan right off the platter in the
grease. The fire had gone out and
everything would have been cold ex-
cept for the sagacity Of the cook: he
simply poured the whole pepper box
into the food and thus served it hot
Before dinner was over three ladies
were on the one cot which was set up
and five more were trying to get on.
We men were too sick to set up the
other cots. tried several times to
get over where Mrs. Bartlett was to
see if she had place to lie down, but
every time there would be an avail
anche or an earthquake or volcano
)r something Of that sort. At last !
fell back in the chair in a sort of
'tupor from which | wakened in the
The captain had come down
and set up the cots for the ladies.
We landed at Moulmein, Burma on
December 10, being the first mission
lry party to land there for over fifty
,ears. A journey by rail brought US
o Rangoon two days later.