Year: 1877

Sights, Scenes and Smells i'm a Chinese


Seaport.


from the ST. Louis Christian Advocated


Our good ship weighed anchor at
daylight on Tuesday, December II, and
sailed out of the beautiful harbor of
Nagasaki. We expected to have left at
midnight, but could only have done so,
on account of the extreme darkness Of
the night, at great risk to the junks and
other boats on the coast. We kept in
sight of land until late in the afternoon,
when beautiful Japan faded from our
gaze, perhaps forever We were on the
Yellow Sea, and in full expectation of
rough weather. In fact, so usual is it
to have rough passage that the stew
ard had the table racks put on on gen.
eral principles. But save during the
first night, when for an hour the sea was
rather high, and several waves broke
clear over the ship, we had a smooth
and delightful passage. On the after
noon of the second day the freight clerk
rushed into the social hall and an
nounced "the famous and immortal
Saddles" went out on deck to get
fine view of the Saddle Islands, some
80 miles from Shanghai. One was
shaped quite like saddle. That night
we anchored at the light-ship, some 45
miles from Shanghai. Early on the
morning of December IA we were mov-
ing across the mouth of the Yang-tse,
her waters for all the world like those
of the Missouri, and coloring the sea for
miles around with the sediment of mud
brought down from the valley through
which the river cuts its way. The land
which first appeared was a low strip
along the horizon, unrelieved save by
an occasional house or clump of trees.
We shortly turned up the mouth of the
Woosung River, and, crossing the bar,
were only II miles from Shanghai.
The Chinese village of Woosung, best
known as the terminus of the only rail-
way in the Empire, little line of IL
miles, lay off to our right. All about
US were Chinese men-of-war, junks and
other boats, all of which had large eyes
painted on their prows to enable them
to see.


AS we passed up the river we could
see very distinctly mounds and vaults,
which reminded us that China was one
vast graveyard. Still we we're hardly
prepared to see not less than half mil
lion of them within few days. The
fact is, the population of China find the
dead a great burden. They can not, as
in Japan, use the most undesirable
spots as places of burial, for all plots
of ground are fit for cultivation, and
yet, perhaps, one-third of every field is
taken up by graves. 1t would be worse
yet were it not that these mounds arc
all leveled with change in the ruling
dynasty, and $50 years ago, with the
coming in of the Tartars, the whole
country took new start and was made
one vast level. These mounds are usu
ally round, and yet are often long and
rise to peak in three Or more points
The taller the mounds the greater tht
social consideration of the dead. Many
collins were simply placed in bricl
vaults above the ground, others cover
ed with straw mating, and in single
hour we have seen no less than20 lyins
on the ground and wholly uncovered
by any thing. Usually in such case
the coffin has been placed there by per
mission, until another place could b.
chosen for burial purposes, but it /
never removed, and many of those W


saw have been there for years. Som


are the coffins of children. A mor'
usual way of disposing of infants is il
what are called the baby towers, O


which we saw several, where in smal


hole in brick tower IL feet high tn


dead bodies of children are thrust


wrapped in some coarse cloth. Thi


would be done until the tower was fill


ed, when they would build another.


After lunch we all started to atten


services at the chapel in the heart {
the walled city of Shanghai. Herea


ter "wen will stand for more than on


person. The perpendicular pronou


s'I'' is ample to designate either Bisho
or corresponding editor, and "we
must embrace both in the future. A


experience in a Chinese city is needle


to remind every individual of the uttt


insignifcance of one person in tn
, world. Even the editorial 'we" mu
needs give way before the pressure


several hundred thousand Chinese jos
, ling you in the eager endeavor


keep soul and body together. Viii
, the rest of the company walked, | co
, cluded to try a chair, and thus avo
any ill consequences that might con
f from undue exertion after slightfev


for day or two on board ship. Accor
a ingly l took my place in Brother Lar
f buth's chair, which was fastened {


two poles, with cross pieces at the end
t and the whole was Immediately lifted
/ the shoulders of two coolies, who trott
. off slowly to the north gate of the cit
t The walled city is over four miles al