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AROUND  THE  WORLD 


WITH   THE  BLUE   JACKETS 


OR 


HOW    WE    DISPLAYED 


THE    AMERICAN    FLAG    IN    FOREIGN    WATERS 


BY 

LIEUTENANT    HENRY    E.    RHOADES 

Engineer  Corps  U.  S.  N 


BOSTON 
D    LOTHROP    COMPANY 

WASHINGTON    STREET  OPPOSITE    BRO.MFIELD 


Copyright,  1890, 

BY 

D.  LoTHROP  Company. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 
CHAPTER  I. 

From  New  York  to  Rio       9 

CHAPTER  11. 
From  Rio  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 26 

CHAPTER  III. 
From  Simon's  Town  to  the  Comoro  Islands 42 

CHAPTER  IV. 
From  the  Comoro  Islands  to  Bombay 50 

CHAPTER  V. 
From  Bombay  to  Singapore 71 

CHAPTER  VI. 
From  Singapore  to  Foo-Chow 85 

CHAPTER  VII. 
At  Shanghai 102 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
From  Shanghai  to  Hiogo 124 

CHAPTER  IX. 
In  Japan 138 

CHAPTER  X. 
Doings  and  Customs  in  Japan 157 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Transferred 168 

CHAPTER  XII. 
In  the  Land  of  the  Incas 185 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIIl. 
Lima 201 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Around  the  Horn       218 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Homeward  Bound 232 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
To  THE  North  for  Rescue 247 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Icebergs  and  Esquimaux 261 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
On  to  Upernavik 275 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Good-bye  to  the  Pole 289 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 
The  Iroquois  weathen'ug  a  storm  in  the  Japan  Seas       .        .         .    Frontispiece. 

On  the  Spar-Deck 12 

Listening  to  the  Articles  of  War =        .        .        .  15 

At  Guadeloupe 18 

"  Ceara  does  not  present  an  Imposing  Appearance  " 22 

A  belle  of  Ceara 25 

The  Officers  before  King  Neptune 28 

Outer  Harbor  of  Eio  de  Janeiro 31 

Rio  de  Janeiro 35 

Table  Mountain 37 

Ostriches 39 

Among  the  Comoros 47 

In  Prince  Abdallali's  Palace 51 

Our  Guide  to  Aden 57 

An  Aden  Mendicant GO 

Tlie  Sultan's  Harem 01 

Dancing  Girls  of  Muscat G5 

Inhabitants  of  the  Island  of  Salsette,  near  Bonbay 67 

A  Parsee  ISIerchant 68 

Hindoo  Women  of  Bombay  in  Ceremonial  Dress 73 

The  Lions'  Cave  on  the  Island  of  Elephanta 75 

In  tlie  Cavern  of  Siva 77 

Singapore 79 

Hashish  Smokers 81 

Chinese  Junk 90 

A  Chinese  Pagoda 93 

Diagram  of  Gambling  Table 95 

Sedan-chair •        .        .        .  96 

A  Chinese  Theater 99 

A  Chinese  Hair-dresser 102 

Chinese  Mourners 105 

Chinese  at  dinner 110 

A  Chinese  Holiday 113 

A  Cliinese  Wedding 115 

Coast  of  Formosa 122 

Natives  of  Formosa 125 

Home  Scene  in  Japan ...  129 

A  .Japanese  Garden 131 

A  Japanese  Street  Scene 135 

A  Japanese  Family 138 

Tlie  Last  of  tlie  Tycoons 141 


ILLUSTKATIONS. 


The  Empress  of  Japan 

A  Jinrikisha 

Interior  of  a  Japanese  Temple 

A  Sliop  on  Curio  Street    . 

Statue  of  Dia-Bootz 

Tattooing 

Fusi-Yama 

A  Japanese  Feast-clay 

In  a  Gale   .... 

Xot  a  Pacific 

Bird's-eye  View  of  San  Francisco 

■Woodward's  Garden,  Sau  Francisco 

Scene  in  Panama 

To  receive  the  Consul 

An  Inca  Ruin 

A  Peruvian  "  Palace  " 

Interior  of  Cathedral  at  Lima 

A  Liman  Lady 

The  Picadores  . 

"Ease  Her  ofl",  Blocl 

Threshing  in  Chili 

Heaving  the  Log 

Santiago    . 

In  Smyth's  Channel 

Penguins    . 

Natives  of  Terra  del 

At  Mess     . 

Lieutenant  Henry  E. 

G.  W.  De  Long. 

Charles  W.  Chipp 

The  Juniata  in  an  Ice  Floe 

Village  of  Fiskenaes 

An  Esquimau    . 

A  Sledge  Journey 

In  the  Crow's  Nest 

Upernavik 

George  "W.  Melville 

Prospecting 

St.  John's 


linger ! " 


Fuego 


Rhoades 


142 
145 
147 
148 
151 
157 
1(10 
103 
168 
171 
174 
177 
181 
187 
llJl 
194 
198 
201 
205 
211 
215 
218 
221 
224 
227 
234 
241 
24(1 
250 
251 
255 
259 
261 
265 


282 
285 
293 


AROUND  THE  WORLD  WITH 
THE  BLUE  JACKETS 


CHAPTER   I. 


FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO. 


THE  grand  old  sloop  of  war  Iro- 
quois swung  at  her  dock  in 
the  Brooklyn  navy-yard  awaiting  the 
signal  that  should  start  her  upon 
her  trip  around  the  world. 
Our  nominal  destination 
was  the  East  Indies,  but 
our  commander  was  at 
liberty  to  use  his  own 
discretion  as  to  the  places 
to  be  visited. 
\  The  mission  of  the  Iroquois 
was  peculiar.  The  Great 
Rebellion  was  over.  The  Repub- 
lic of  the  United  States  I JBHB  of  America  had  not  gone  down  in 
shipwreck.  It  was  V^^PSf  ready  to  take  to  itself  new  life  and 
strength.  To  carry  the  \^^M  flag  into  the  by-places  of  the 
world,  to  emphasize  the  fact,  alike  to  civilized  and  barbarous  folk, 
that  the  United  States  "  still  lived,"  and  that  the  American  Navy 
was  still  afloat  and  alert  —  this  was,  in  a  general  way,  the  reason 
for  our  cruise.     Incidentally  we  were  ourselves  to  observe  and 

9 


10  FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO. 

study  the  habits  and  life  of  the  different  peoples  to  whom  we 
should  go,  and  add  our  investigations  to  the  records  already 
in  the  possession  of  the  Government. 

Such  an  expedition  partook  largely  of  the  nature  of  an 
excursion.  Applications  for  service  were  numerous,  and  the 
influence  of  the  "  powers  that  be  "  was  sought  by  many  officers 
to  enable  them  to  be  detailed  to  the  Iroquois. 

Our  twenty-four  officers,  our  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
sailors  and  marines  all  looked  forward  to  the  trip  with  eagerness^ 
and  there  was  less  of  the  conventional  grumbling  that  is  the 
accompaniment  of  every  voyage  —  unless  it  was  at  the  delay  in 
starting. 

Tiresome  business,  this  of  the  navy  ?  you  ask.  Well  —  no  ! 
and  yes  !  The  bitter  experiences  are  the  long  three-years'  separa- 
tions from  loved  ones  at  home,  the  weary  waiting  for  news  from 
them,  and  for  the  often  delayed  orders  to  return  after  the  term  of 
the  cruise  has  expired.  Each  officer  is  supposed  to  be  entitled 
to  a  certain  amount  of  sea-service,  and  a  corresponding  amount 
of  shore-service.  Too  often,  however,  favoritism  has  interfered 
and  permitted  certain  officers  seven  and  eight  years  of  service  at 
home,  while  others  less  fortunate  have  been  compelled  to  spend 
more  than  their  rightful  share  at  sea. 

Many  people  are  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  when  an 
officer  goes  to  sea  his  family  is  not  permitted  to  accompany 
him  upon  his  ship.  The  Navy  Department,  indeed,  long  ago  dis- 
covered that  a  naval  officer's  wife  has  not  the  faculty  of  preserv- 
ing discipline  on  board  ship.  It  is  for  this  and  kindred  reasons 
that  the  Government  has  frequently  found  itself  forced  to  forbid 
the  wives  of  naval  officers  from  following  their  husbands. 

But  all  is  not  bitter  in  this  life  at  sea.     There  is  a  charm  in 


RBC 
NdJ 


FEOM    XEW    YORK    TO    RIO.  11 

the  frequent  changes  that  are  part  of  an  extended  cruise.  At 
every  port  the  "  best  people  "  have  a  ready  welcome  for  a  naval 
officer  of  the  United  States;  his  uniform,  so  long  as  he  respects 
it,  gives  him  entrance  to  any  society.  There  is  plenty  of  study 
and  routine  work  to  occupy  the  time  on  long  cruises,  for  before 
each  promotion  the  officer  must  pass  a  rigid  examination  upon 
every  subject  pertaining  to  his  profession.  This  may  be  the 
designing:  and  buildins;  of  a  vessel,  the  construction  of  her 
machinery,  the  making  of  her  guns,  rigging  or  sails.  In  fact  every 
branch  in  the  science  and  practice  of  the  naval  service,  including 
navigation  and  preparations  for  battle,  must  be  familiar  to 
the  naval  officer.  A  man  devoted  to  his  profession  loves  the  sea 
and  loves  to  be  upon  it. 

Have  vou  never  been  aboard  a  man-of-war  ?  Then  come  with 
me  aboard  the  Iroquois,  as  she  lies  here  ready  for  sea.  Here  she 
is :  a  long,  graceful  ship  with  fine  model ;  her  tall,  raking  masts 
seeming  almost  to  penetrate  the  clouds ;  the  yards  crossed  in 
symmetrical  perfection  ;  the  halliards,  sheets,  braces,  lifts,  clew- 
lines and  every  other  bit  of  the  rope-rigging  hauled  taut  and  the 
spare  ends  neatly  coiled  on  the  deck  ;  the  sails  tightly  and  deftly- 
rolled  with  the  shapely  bunt  in  the  jaw  at  the  mast ;  the  guns 
with  their  big  nmzzles  closed  by  tompions  poking  their  heads  out 
of  the  port-holes,  and  the  guns  themselves  shining  with  the 
burnishing  given  them  by  the  use  of  a  cork  steeped  in  lamp- 
black and  bees-wax ;  the  decks  so  white  from  holy-stoning  as 
to  be  clean  enough  to  eat  from,  and  an  officer  in  blue  and  gilt 
at  the  gangway  to  greet  you. 

Once  upon  deck  you  are  interested,  at  once,  in  the  attractive- 
looking  sailors,  or  "  blue  jackets  "  as  they  are  aptly  termed.  Their 
large-legged  trousers,  their  baggy-looking   shirts  trimmed  with 


12 


FROM    NEW    YORK   TO    RIO. 


white  braid,  and  their  peakless,  flat-topped  caps  make  them  in 
appearance  the  very  pink  of  neatness.     When  the  ship  is  under 

way  those  not 
on  watch  are  sit- 
ting about  the 
deck  mending 
their  clothing, 
braiding  knife 
'y>%,  lanyards,  or  do- 
i'^.Oj  ing  some  fancy 
'^'iP'  embroidery —  for 
"  ^  which  all  well- 
'  disciplined  navy 
sailors  are  noted 
I  —  or  are  taking 
a  nap.  Those  on 
watch  are  per- 
;i^  forming  the  reg- 
ular dutieSjStand- 
V  ing  by  the  braces, 
sheets  or  tacks, 
or  at  the  wheel. 
They  may  be  at 
drill  with  small 
arms,  great  guns 
or  broad.swords, 
for  a  navy  ship's 
crew  is  a  well-regulated  family,  and  can  handle  a  gun  as  well 
as  they  can  the  capstan  bars  or  marline-spikes.  They  are  not 
sailors  alone,  they  are  soldiers  also,  and  do  soldiers'  duty  when 


ON   THK   SPAR-DKCK. 


FROM    NE^Y    YORK    TO    RIO.  13 

called  upon.  On  the  berth-deck  below  yon  will  find  hooks 
screwed  into  the  beams  at  short  intervals,  and  each  numbered ; 
and  from  these  are  suspended  the  hammocks  at  night.  Along 
on  either  side  of  the  ship  are  big  sea  chests,  one  for  each  sailor's 
mess  (there  are  about  a  dozen  men  in  each  mess).  In  these 
sea-chests  are  brightly-polished  tin  plates  and  pans  and  kettles, 
sugar,  pepper,  biscuit,  flour  and  salt ;  above  them  hang  the 
"diddy"  boxes  or  bags  in  which  the  sailors  keep  thread  and 
needles,  pieces  of  cloth,  comb  and  brushes,  blacking,  writing 
materials  and  the  pictures  of  sweethearts  and  wives,  children 
or  favorite  heroes. 

Returning  to  the  deck  and  going  aft  we  descend  a  gangway 
ladder  into  the  ''country";  the  space  just  outside  of  the  officers' 
quarters  or  wardroom.  Passing  inside  we  observe  a  long  table, 
and  beyond  it  a  pantry  filled  with  white  dishes,  glistening  glass 
and  bright  silver  ware.  On  either  side  of  this  wardroom  are 
the  officers'  state-rooms  ;  a  single  occupant  to  each. 

It  may  be  wondered  how  a  man  can  live  in  so  limited  a  space 
with  so  much  magnificence  (for  here  he  keeps  his  seven  uniforms) 
and  have  everything  neat  and  orderly.  The  sea  air  is  apt  to  ruin 
the  brave  finery,  but  the  officers  have  learned  that  if  they  must 
clothe  and  support  themselves  from  the  meager  pay  the  Govern- 
ment allows  them  they  must  study  a  close  economy.  On  the 
walls  of  each  room  are  little  bits  of  art,  in  the  way  of  etchings 
or  small  paintings ;  attractive  hangings  decorate  the  latticed 
doors,  and  indeed  a  spirited  rivalry  exists  as  to  the  respective 
beauty  of  these  little  rooms. 

It  is  sometimes  far  from  pleasant  after  expending  much  time 
and  taste  in  fitting  up  one's  room  to  be  obliged  to  give  it  up  after 
a  short  occupancy  only,  and  to  take  the  next  room  aft,  simply 


14  FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO. 

because  another  officer  happening  to  outrank  you  by  a  few  num- 
bers, is  ordered  on  board.  Yet  this  is  one  of  the  exigencies  of 
the  Service.  By  reguhition,  rank  is  respected  in  the  occupation  of 
rooms,  in  going  aboard  and  in  leaving  the  ship,  and  in  matters 
of  ceremony.  If  perchance  you  should  be  the  junior  of  all  the 
others,  and  there  were  not  rooms  enough,  you  must  put  up  with 
sleeping  in  a  hammock.  The  officer  must  not  only  furnish  his 
own  uniforms,  gold  lace,  buttons  and  all,  he  must  also  provide 
his  own  table.  For  this  reason  the  officers  club  together,  have 
their  own  larder,  and  have  their  meals  served  in  what  is  known 
respectively  as  the  wardroom  mess,  the  steerage  or  midshipman's 
mess,  and  the  warrant  officers'  mess. 

The  captain  dines  in  his  solitary  apartment  —  the  cabin,  aft 
on  the  spar-deck.  Once  in  a  while,  at  sea,  he  will  invite  two  or 
three  of  the  officers  to  dine  with  him,  and  afterwards  to  enjoy  a 
sociable  game  at  cards.  When  in  port  he  will  sometimes  have 
some  friends  on  shore  to  dine  with  him.  It  often  happens  when 
■meeting  a  vessel  belonging  to  the  navy  of  another  nation  that 
official  courtesies  are  exchanged  at  dinner  with  the  officers,  and, 
although  these  courtesies  are  requisite,  unlike  foreign  navies,  our 
officers  must  bear  the  expense  of  both  food  and  wines. 

Each  Sunday  there  is  a  muster  of  officers  and  crew  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  religious  services  are  held.  On  ships  where 
there  is  no  chaplain,  an  officer  is  selected  to  read  the  Episcopal 
service.  On  the  first  of  every  month  there  is  a  general  muster, 
when  the  officers  and  crew  listen  to  the  reading  of  the  articles  of 
war.     There  is  little  "  loafing  "  on  board  ship,  even  during  peace. 

At  last  the  signal  was  given.  The  anchor  was  weighed  and 
catted,  engines  were  started  and  the  Iroquois  sailed  down  the 


FROM    NEW    YORK   TO    RIO. 


15 


beautiful  harbor  of  New  York,  and  was  off  for  her  cruise  round 
the  world. 

Passing  outside  of  Sandy  Hook  we  soon  lost  sight  of  those 
two  beacon  lights  on  the  Highlands  of  Navesink,  always  so  wel- 


MSk% 


LISTENING   TO   THE    ARTICLES    OF    WAR. 


come  to  inward  bound  vessels.  Fires  were  now  hauled  and  the 
Iroquois  was  put  under  full  sail. 

This  was  in  accordance  with  the  orders  of  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment. Soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  it  was  ordered 
that  all  steam  vessels  of  the  navy  when  off  on  a  voyage  should, 
except  in  cases  of  emergency,  proceed  under  sail. 

The  engines  had  not  been  stopped  many  hours  when  we  en- 
countered tempestuous  weather,  which  continued,  almost  without 
interruption,  for  twenty  days.     The  wind  blew  a  hurricane.     It 


16  FROM    NP:W    YORK    TO    RIO. 

howled  and  shrieked  through  our  rigging  ;  hatches  were  battened 
down ;  coils  of  ropes  were  flung  down  ;  clew-lines,  reef-tackles 
and  buntlines  were  manned  ;  halyards  were  let  go  with  a  run ; 
orders  were  bawled  out  by  strong  lungs,  and  carried  out  by  the 
piping  of  the  boatswain's  whistle.  The  confusion  was  increased 
by  the  taking  in  of  all  upper  sails,  sending  the  royal  and  top- 
gallant-yards to  the  deck,  and  housing  the  topgallant-masts. 

Life-lines  were  strung  fore  and  aft.  The  winds  came  with  a 
rush,  filling  the  lower  sails  and  keeling  the  ship-channels  under. 
It  needed  genuine  nautical  toes  to  keep  a  grip  of  the  deck.  The 
continual  hissing  of  the  seething  waters,  and  at  brief  intervals 
the  smash  of  some  great  volume  of  green  sea  as  it  broke  aboard 
added  alike  grandeur  and  danger  to  the  scene,  while  there  was 
also  the  continual  jar  of  the  ship  and  the  creaking  and  groaning 
of  timber  and  panels  strained  in  their  strong  fastenings  by  the 
enormous  leverage  aloft,  and  the  heaving  of  the  ship. 

Our  good  old  ship,  however,  belied  the  stories  of  the  weak- 
ness of  the  American  Navy.  She  bowled  along  under  close- 
reefed  topsails  and  storm  staysails  ;  the  sea  followed  after  us  in 
bold,  jagged  cliffs  of  surge  and  foam,  and  towering  walls  of  green- 
ridged  waves  lashed  themselves  into  seething  froth  as  if  snarling 
and  struo-o-lins  to  overtake  us.  Now  our  bows  would  swoop  down 
to  the  base  of  a  glittering  green  arch  roiling  along  ahead  of  the 
vessel,  then  down  would  fall  the  stern  as  the  surging  sea  ran 
under  and  past  her,  while  the  bows  would  go  soaring  upward 
with  a  noble  and  majestic  motion.  The  plunging  ship,  the  daz- 
zling masses  of  foam,  and  the  whistling,  screaming  wind  were 
the  continual  features  of  our  trip  until  we  reached  the  island 
of  Guadeloupe.  Life  below  decks  was  far  from  agreeable,  and  not 
a  few  of  our  mess  wished  they  had  resigned  before  starting  on 


FROM    XEW    YORK    TO    RIO.  17 

such  a  cruise.  But  aside  from  the  general  discomforts  and  irreg- 
uhirity  of  meals,  and  the  loss  of  one  man  who  was  washed  over- 
board, we  had  nothing  of  daily  interest  to  record  in  our  diaries 
other  than  —  "  same  as  yesterday." 

At  last  we  sighted  land,  and  on  February  21  we  anchored  in 
the  harbor  of  Pointe-a-Pitre.  Pointe-a-Pitre  is  the  principal 
town  of  that  island  of  the  Antilles  in  the  West  Indies,  known 
as  Guadeloupe.  It  belongs  to  France.  It  is  an  island  of  some 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres,  and  with  its  neighboring 
small  islands  forms  a  separate  colonial  government.  Guadeloupe 
was  one  of  the  personal  discoveries  of  Columbus  in  1493,  but 
has  been  a  French  possession  since  1635,  with  the  exception  of 
four  or  five  years  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  wlien 
it  was  under  British  control.  The  colony  to-day  has  a  population 
of  one  hundred  and  fortv-five  thousand. 

During  the  ten  days  of  our  stay  at  Pointe-a-Pitre  we  were 
feted  at  cafes  and  entertained  at  cock-fights  by  the  French  officials. 
On  the  mornino;  after  our  arrival  a  few  of  us,  bv  invitation  of 
the  Prefect,  breakfasted  with  him  at  the  Cafe  Frangais.  There 
were  twenty-eight  at  the  table,  and  the  first  course  was  served  at 
ten  o'clock.  One  course  followed  another,  and  it  was  not  until 
ten  minutes  after  midnight  —  fourteen  hours  after  sitting  down — - 
that  we  arose  to  bid  each  other  "  Good  night!  "  Thus  our  first 
holiday — Washington's  Birthdny  —  was  passed  much  more 
pleasantly  than  one  could  have  expected  upon  an  island  where 
the  day  is  seldom  thought  of.  Other  breakfasts  and  dinners 
were  arranged  for  our  entertainment  during  our  stay  at  this  port. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  dwell  upon  the  sport  of  cock-fight- 
ing. It  is  a  cruel  amusement,  but  it  is  the  holiday  and  Sunday 
pastime  at  Pointe-a-Pitre.     At  the  urgent  request  of  a  prominent 


18 


FROM    XEW    YORK   TO    RIO. 


citizen  1  was  prevailed  upon  to  witness  a  i^eleas  de  cjallos. 
This  is  what  we  know  in  English  as  that  hrutal  encounter  a  cock- 
fight.     Bills,  with  illustrations  suggestive  of  such  an  erent,  were 

liberally  posted  about  the  streets,  and  as  there 
must  always  be  a  "first  experience,"  I  went 
to  see  the  great  battle.  It  was  a  panorama 
of  tropical  life.  Crowds  were  moving  toward 
•fe\^  the  suburb  along  an  avenue  shaded  by  the 
stately  cottonwood-trees.  From  this  grove- 
like avenue  a  sudden  turn  brou^'ht  us  to  an 
unattractive  collection  of  buildings,  and  here 
from  various  directions  came  the  galleros  or 
cock-fighters,  each  carrying  a  game-cock 
which  had  attached  to  one  of  its  legs  a 
string;  and  a   small  bit   of    wood. 


[.f^ffMHi 


i"  0 


iil 


'"'. 


N! 


^s^l 


„, — 


effl 


n,'/' 


^..' 


AT    GUADELOUPE. 


Entering;  an  adobe  buildinji:,  the  interior 
of  which  formed  an  amphitheater,  I  found 
hundreds  already  gathered  there  —  a  motley 
crowd  —  all  interested  in  the  approaching 
event.  Earnest  discussions  in  both  French 
and  Spanish  were  in  progress,  and  a  bedlam 
indeed  it  was,  shrouded  in  clouds  of  tobacco 
^j  smoke,  dense  enough  to  smother  any  one  but 
a  West  Indian. 

Passing  through  a  narrow  passage  we 
entered  the  amphitheater,  where  the  contests 
were  to  occur.  Ranged  around  close  to  the 
sides  of  the  amphitheater  were  scores  of 
coops,  each  with  its  game-cock  crowdng 
lu.stily;    as  if  it  had  just  won  a  battle,  wdth 


FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    KIO.  19 

no  expenditure  of  physical  force.  The  galleros  flocked  in  with 
their  birds,  waiting  for  some  one  of  the  sporting  fraternity  to 
offer  to  purchase  after  he  had  made  his  expert  examination.  In 
the  center  of  the  amphitheater  was  a  circular  space,  perhaps 
twenty  feet  in  diameter,  and  surrounded  by  a  fence  three  feet 
high.  This  was  the  cock-pit,  and  its  dirt  bottom  was  as  smooth 
as  a  pavement. 

In  the  pit  stood  the  manager,  a  dignified,  handsomely  dressed 
Guiuleloupian.  The  audience  occupied  the  seats  that  rose  around 
the  pit  as  in  a  circus.  Every  man  was  a  study.  The  audience 
was  of  all  classes.  Here  you  might  see  dandified-looking  fellows, 
in  tight-fitting  trousers  and  handsomely  embroidered  jackets,  and 
by  their  sides,  perhaps,  a  veritable  tramp  —  a  fellow  with  a  dirty 
complexion,  unkempt  hair  standing  on  end,  and  with  a  not  over- 
supply  of  clothing  on  his  body.  In  close  proximit}^  to  the  tramp 
might  be  two  jaunty  and  handsomely-dressed  young  women, 
wearing  a  fair  amount  of  rich  jewelry,  and  between  their  thumb 
and  first  two  fingers,  or  clasped  in  silver  holders,  sweet-scented 
cigarettes.  As  they  conversed,  now  languidly  or  now  with 
spirit,  the  smoke  from  their  cigarettes  curled  lazily  about  their 
heads.  At  their  sides  sat  the  humble  daughter  of  a  servant  or  a 
laborer,  in  rags,  perhaps,  but  just  as  earnest  a  spectator  as  her 
neighbors,  as  were  also  her  father  and  mother  who  accompanied 
her.     Here  truly  were  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 

While  I  looked  about  me,  studying  the  faces  and  dress  of 
these  people,  the  birds  were  being  made  ready  for  the  fight,  and 
I  dropped  into  a  "  reserved  "  seat.  A  fjallero,  looking  more  like 
the  respectable  father  of  a  family  than  a  cruel  sportsman,  had  a 
sharpening  stone,  and  was  hard  at  work  sharpening  the  spur  for 
his  pet. 


20  FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    lUO. 

When  fniislied,  this  spur  is  like  a  delicate  razor-blade  sharpened 
on  the  outer  edge  and  curving  the  reverse  of  a  sickle  ;  so  that 
when  the  bird  jumps  up  and  strikes  it  will  cut  rather  than  pene- 
trate, as  does  an  ordinary  spur.  Only  one  spur  is  used,  and  when 
the  sharpening  is  done  the  spur  is  bound  to  the  right  leg.  The 
comb  and  wattle  are  trimmed  close,  to  prevent  the  adversary 
from  catchinii:  hold  ;  and  the  tail  and  other  Ion";  feathers  are  cut 
short. 

The  two  birds  selected  for  the  fight  are  now  carried  into  the 
pit,  where  the  birds  are  weighed.  Each  of  the  gaUeros  then 
takes  his  bird  to  opposite  sides  of  the  pit.  Filling  their  mouths 
with  cold  water  they  spray  it  over  the  birds  as  a  Chinese  laundry- 
man  sprinkles  a  shirt.  At  a  signal  from  the  manager  the  birds 
are  held  beak  to  beak  until  they  snap  and  bite  at  each  other 
with  considerable  ferocity.  Then  comes  a  second  signal,  and 
now  the  birds  are  dropped  to  the  ground.  They  look  about,  pass 
by  each  other,  and  then  turn  with  a  rush  and  close  in  fight. 
One  springs  up,  bringing  its  spur  over  the  other's  head,  but  too 
high  ;  and  as  it  reaches  the  ground  its  adversary  dashes  at  it, 
sending  a  spur  into  its  eye.  A  deafening  shout  ascends  from 
the  backers  of  the  successful  bird,  while  a  dismal  silence  hangs 
over  the  friends  of  the  other.  The  fight  grows  more  exciting. 
The  dandified-looking  spectator  jumps  to  his  feet,  waves  his 
sombrero  over  his  head  and  offers  odds  on  the  first  bird  ;  and  one 
of  the  brilliantly-dressed  young  women  shakes  her  bracelet  in 
response  to  the  wager. 

The  battle  is  continued.  The  cocks  leap  and  lunge  at  each 
other  with  their  spurs ;  the  spectators  become  wild  with  excite- 
ment ;  strange  words  of  pleasure  or  disappointment  are  shouted  ; 
the  gall er OS  leap  around  the  ring,  each  following  his  bird  and 


FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO.  21 

yelling  to  encourage  it,  not,  however,  being  permitted  to  touch  it. 
In  five  minutes  streams  of  blood  are  coursing  down  the  necks  of 
the  birds  and  almost  blinding;  them.  Still  the\-  fio-ht,  until  a  luno-e 
from  one  lays  its  antagonist  on  the  ground.  There,  as  it  lies  on 
its  side,  it  continues  to  plunge  and  fight,  until  at  a  signal  the 
gaUeros  seize  the  birds  and  take  them  to  their  respective  corners. 
Each  man  takes  his  bird,  cleans  out  its  mouth,  breathes  into  its 
nostrils  and  again  sprays  it  with  cold  water,  when  the  birds  are 
once  more  set  to  the  battle. 

Thev  cut  and  slash  at  each  other  ten  minutes  lono;er,  when 
the  bird  that  but  a  few  moments  before  lay  on  its  side  makes  a 
desperate  dash,  sending  the  spur  clear  into  its  opponent's  head. 
The  multitude  is  in  an  uproar,  and  the  bird  last  wounded  rolls 
over  on  the  ground  —  dead.  The  victor,  weak  and  shaky,  tries 
to  crow,  and  then  amid  the  most  intense  excitement  and  a  con- 
fused jabbering  of  voices,  it,  too,  sinks  to  the  ground,  dead,  like 
its  vanquished  antagonist.  This  brutal  sport  is  not  a  spectacle  cal- 
culated either  to  refine  or  improve  humanity  ;  even  as  a  sport  in 
its  lightest  and  least  objectionable  form,  it  is  simple  and  absolute 
cruelty.  But  it  is  the  favorite  diversion  of  these  excitable  and 
light-minded  islanders. 

On  the  following  day  we  left  Pointe-a-Pitre,  and  after  being 
sixteen  days  at  sea,  with  nothing  to  relieve  the  monotony  other 
than  one  of  the  heavy  storms  that  so  often  sweej)  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  we  anchored  at  Ceara,  Brazil. 

V/e  were  glad  to  get  to  Ceara.  The  place  is  neither  command- 
ing nor  attractive,  but  —  "any  port  in  a  storm!"  We  appre- 
ciated Ivingi:  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  rather  than  rolling;  and 
tossing  at  sea  ;  we  appreciated  our  new-found  ability  of  sitting 
at  meals    with    some  chance    of    getting  food  into  our  mouths, 


22 


FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO. 


ratlier  tlian  the  certainty  of  spilling  it  clown  our  necks  or  into 
our  laps. 

From  our  anchorage,  a  mile  off"  shore  —  for  there  are  no 
wharves  to  moor  to  —  Ceara  does  not  present  an  imposing  appear- 
ance. The  town  is  the  capital  of  the  province  of  the  same  name 
—  one  of  the  northernmost  divisions  of  the  present  Republic  of 
Brazil,  and  has  a  population  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  thou- 
sand. The  greater  part  of  the  town  is  not  visible  from  the 
point  of  anchorage,  but  still,  to  one  not  thoroughly  accustomed 


"CKAKA    DUES    NOT    l^RESENT   AN    IMPOSING    APPEARANCE. 

to  tropical  scenery,  it  has  a  romantic  and  novel  air.  Low,  square- 
looking  houses,  with  red-tiled  roofs,  all  joined  together  and 
forming  a  sort  of  unbroken  wall ;  two  square  towers  with  black 
corners  at  the  top  ;  two  unfinished  spires,  the  tips  only  to  be 
seen  ;  a  low  yellow  building  with  a  heavy  brick  wall  of  the 
same  interesting  color  —  this  was  Cerea  as  seen  by  us  from  the 
harbor.  And  mingled  with,  and  surrounding  all,  are  trees  —  not 
very  tall,  but  with  that  luxuriance  of  foliage  only  produced  by  a 


FROM    NEAV    YORK    TO    RIO.  23 

tropical  sun  —  these  were  mostly  the  cocoanut  palms.  On  one 
side  rises  a  hirge  bare  sand  hill,  its  base  flanked  with  low  bushes 
and  trees.  It  looked  for  all  the  world  like  a  bald  head  with  a 
ring;  of  hair  around  it. 

There  are  no  piers,  nor  even  a  mole  on  the  water-front  of  the 
bay,  hence  the  first  care  upon  going  ashore  is  to  avoid  being 
capsized  in  the  surf.  The  craft  used  by  the  native  watermen  is 
called  ii  jimghada,  and  is  safer  than  a  ship's  boat ;  it  is  superior 
to  it  for  landing,  and  should  be  employed  in  preference.  The 
juncjhada  is  simply  a  raft  formed  of  the  cabbage  palm-tree,  the 
loo-s  beino-  lashed  tos^ether  and  fitted  with  a  mast  and  a  large  tri- 
angular  sail.  These  rude  rafts  sail  well  and  swiftly,  and  are  just 
the  thin"-  for  landing  on  a  beach  in  the  surf.  Riding  in  on  the 
crest  of  a  toppling  wave  we  were  driven  high  and  dry  on  the 
beach,  and  sprang  quickly  to  earth  before  the  following  wave 
could  overtake  us. 

The  center  of  the  town  was  reached  by  a  walk  of  a  mile 
through  the  hot  sand.  It  took  us  past  miserable  huts  made  of 
wattles,  and  plastered  with  clay — the '•  palatial "  residences  of 
the  colored  population  —  and  brought  us  in  front  of  the  square- 
tow^ered  cathedral  that  formed  the  most  prominent  object  in  the 
town.  I  attempted  to  enter,  but  finding  the  entrance  closed,  I 
continued  on  to  the  Hotel  de  France. 

The  hotel  at  Ceara  is  an  ''  elegant  mansion  "  —  at  least  it  was 
so  advertised.  On  one  side  of  the  narrow  main  entrance  was  a 
billiard  room,  with  a  single  French  carom  table  ;  on  the  other  side 
was  a  small  and  dirty  salle  a  manger,  while  dead  ahead  I  Ijlundered 
into  a  large  room  —  kitchen,  bedroom,  and  everything  else  besides ! 
I  did  not  prolong  my  stay,  but  sallied  forth  in  quest  of  a  som- 
brero, as  my  navy  cap  gave  me  nc  protection  from  the  hot  sun. 


24  FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    KIO. 

Being  hatted,  I  started  siglit-seeing.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
the  Catheth^nl  came  first.  It  M'as  the  biggest  thing  to  see,  and 
wherever  we  might  be,  we  always  made  it  a  rule  to  commence 
at  the  top,  working  down  gradually  to  huts  and  hovels.  The  en- 
trance was  now  open,  and  1  found  myself  in  a  small  hall  with 
galleries  similar  to  those  in  a  theater.  The  grand  altar  faced  the 
doorway,  and  on  either  side  of  the  entrance  there  were  shrines, 
the  patron  saints  of  which  were  represented  by  two  doll-like 
figures  not  more  than  three  feet  high.  One  was  dressed  in 
womanly  garments  of  red  and  blue,  such  as  the  Virgin  Mary  is 
pictured  as  wearing ;  the  other  was  adorned  in  the  Eastern  style, 
with  the  air  of  some  unfortunate  princess  in  the  Arabian  Nights. 
She  was  altogether  a  rather  mysterious-looking  person. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  the  fortress.  Here  we  saw  nothino; 
worthy  of  note  aside  from  superanuated  guns,  dirty  stone  walls, 
and  still  more  dirty  soldiers.  We  had  learned  to  mouth  and 
mumble  enouo;h  Portuo-uese  to  make  the  muchaclios  understand 
what  we  wanted  to  eat  upon  arrival  at  the  Hotel  de  Nacoes. 

After  an  comida  (dinner)  we  sauntered  out  to  the  jail,  and 
were  accosted  at  the  great  gateway  by  the  formidable-looking 
sentries.  '•  Podamos  entrar  ?  "  we  demanded.  "  Si,  senor  !  " 
we  were  answered,  and  in  we  went.  One  corridor  crossed 
another,  and  on  either  side  were  cells  containinsr  from  eiii-ht  to  a 
dozen  men  each  ;  one  contained  four  women.  The  male  pris- 
oners were  employed  in  making  shoes,  straw  hats,  and  —  them- 
selves comfortable  ;  the  women  and  children  on  the  outside  of 
the  gratings,  were  relatives  of  the  prisoners  on  a  social  visit. 
Upstairs  were  several  lofts  with  a  few  individuals  therein. 
A  very  polite  corporal,  sergeant,  or  Lord  High  Chamberlain  for 
aught  we  knew,  was  inclined  to  be  friendly,  and  insisted  that  we 


>■^.l|-^Vi:,;;H':■•|,. 

...     IV    ill  '.111 


A    FELLK   OF   CEARA. 


FROM    NEW    YORK    TO    RIO.  25 

should  examine  every  nook  and  cranny,  while  all  the  time  he 
poured  into  our  ears  his  babbling  jargon  of  l)ad  Portuguese, 
verv  few  words  of  which  we  understood. 

AYe  remained  at  this  port  five  days,  and  after  visiting  the 
cemetery,  a  sandy,  solitary  place  quite  filled  with  graves  —  among 
which  were  those  of  two  of  the  "  sailors  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Mohican  " 
—  we  spent  most  of  the  time  in  social  enjoyment.  I  formed  many 
pleasant  acquaintances,  two  of  them  being  especially  agreeable. 
These  were  the  lovely  seiioritas,  Juanita  and  Emilia ;  charming 
young  ladies  with  Castilian  features  and  sparkling  black  eyes, 
raven  hair  and  olive  complexion.  One  must  meet  these  statu- 
esque figures  in  society,  and  at  their  homes  in  evening  dress,  to 
judge  justly  of  their  far-famed  beauty,  and  yet  I  thought  them 
beautiful  even  in  ordinary  house  or  street  dress.  I  found  that 
with  my  letters  of  introduction  I  was  received  with  cordial  hos- 
pitality in  the  few  homes  I  was  privileged  to  visit ;  but  American 
naval  officers  are  especially  welcome,  and  the  belles  of  Ceara  are 
as  strongly  attracted  by  the  glitter  of  brass  buttons  and  gold 
lace  as  are  their  sisters  in  the  United  States.  Thev  chat  with 
you  in  their  rich  musical  Spanish  or  Portuguese,  perform  bril- 
liantly upon  the  piano,  dance  well,  and  are  delighted  with  a 
tete-a-t'ete. 

At  last  —  all  too  soon,  it  seemed  to  me  —  we  had  to  take  our 
departure  from  Ceara.  We  took  away  pleasant  memories  and 
photographs  of  some  of  the  belles ;  and  we  left  behind  little  bits 
of  our  hearts.  Sailors  always  do.  Our  next  port  of  destination 
was  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  seat  of  government  of  what  was  then 
the  Empire  of  Brazil.  Fourteen  days  after  leaving  Ceara  the 
Iroquois  was  making  her  way  into  that  grand  and  spacious  old 
harbor  known  to  all  who  cruise  the  Southern  Seas. 


CHAPTER  11. 


FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 


E 


XCEPT  to  the  uninitiated,  "cros- 
sing the  line"  is  a  racy  if  rude  ex- 
perience. On  a  hot  March  forenoon 
during  our  voyage  from  Ceara  to  Rio 
we  crossed  the  equator.  And  here  we 
met  King  Neptune.  Only  those  who 
have  actually  experienced  the  "  line 
baptism,"  as  the  sailor's  first  intro- 
duction to  King  Neptune  and  his 
bouncing  wife  Amphitrite  is  called, 
can  appreciate  just  what  this  first 
crossing  of  the  equator  means.  The 
reception  is  a  rude  farce  practiced 
upon  all  persons  who  for  the  first 
time  cross  the  equatorial  line,  and 
thus  come  within  the  sacred  dominions 
of  King  Neptune.  One  may  only  escape  the  rough  initiation  by 
a  money  tribute. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  on  the  March  morning  aforesaid  a  harsh 
voice,  which  seemed  to  come  from  the  depths  of  the  sea,  bawled 
through  a  speaking  trumpet,  "  Ship  ahoy  !  "  The  officer  of  the 
deck  (who  had,  like  myself,  tw^ice  crossed  the  equator)  responded 
"  Aye,  aye,  sir!  "  and  those  below  rushed  on  deck  in  the  expect- 

26 


FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  27 

ation  that  a  ship  had  been  spoken.  Then  came  the  second  hail  : 
"  What  ship  is  that  ?  Where  do  you  hail  from  ?  "  Our  name, 
nationality  and  destination  being  given,  King  Neptune  and  his 
queenly  consort  Amphitrite  ^vere  observed  coming  over  the  star- 
board gangway.  They  were  followed  by  a  motley  crowd  of 
courtiers  armed  with  stuffed  clubs,  immense  razors  made  of  sheet- 
iron,  a  bucket  of  lather  into  which  were  thrust  a  large  white-wash 
brush,  and  a  piece  of  board  sharpened  and  toothed  like  a  comb. 

The  kingly  mantle  of  the  "  god  of  the  sea  "  was  an  old  tar- 
paulin ;  his  legs  were  encased  in  great  water  boots  ;  on  his  head 
gleamed  a  yellow-painted  crown,  and  his  long  hair  and  "  massy 
beard"  had  the  suspicious  appearance  of  manilla  hemp.  His 
marine  Majesty  was  as  hideous  looking  a  creature  as  one  would 
care  to  see.  In  one  hand  he  carried  a  huge  telescope,  and  in 
the  other  a  sextant.  Neptune  and  his  retinue  at  once  took 
charge  of  the  ship,  and  summoned  all  of  the  officers  before  him 
for  muster.  Tliose  who  could  not  furnish  satisfactorv  evidence 
that  they  had  crossed  the  line  before,  were  taken  into  custody  by 
the  king's  body-guards.  Neptune  then  elevated  his  sextant  for 
an  observation,  and  after  chalking  out  his  problem  on  the  deck 
declared  the  latitude  to  be  nought,  and  the  ship  on  the  line. 

Many  dodges  to  escape  tribute  were  resorted  to  by  the  un- 
initiated, but  the  secretaries  of  the  water-god,  with  huge  pen- 
cils, would  scrawl  something  on  the  open  books  and  drawl  out, 
"  The  lie  is  recorded."  Those  who  unhesitatinulv  paid  the  trib- 
ute  in  money  or  in  ''  grog,"  escaped  the  rough  initiation.  There 
were,  however,  three  on  board  who  were  determined  to  resist  this 
enforced  tribute.  They  were  therefore  taken  in  hand.  The  first 
victim,  tightly  blindfolded,  was  conducted  before  '•  Neptune 
Rex,"  who  seated  in  state  upon  his  throne,  directed    that    the 


28 


FROM  1:10  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 


usual  questions  be  put.  A  spy-glass  was  tlieu  handed  to  the 
initiate,  and  as  he  elevated  it  he  Scaw  a  sharp  line  made  by  a 
piece  of  thread  stretched  across  the  lens.  When  asked  if  he 
saw  the  line,  he  attempted  to  answer,  but  as  his  mouth  opened 
to    reply   it    was   stopped  with    a    douse   of    lather.     The    next 

question  was  followed  by  the 
thrust  of  a  tooth  brush,  dipped 
in  a  black  mixtnre,  which  the 
sufferer  was  informed  was  a 
new  kind  of  dentifrice.  Then 
the  sheet-iron  razor  was  drawn 
roughly  across  his  face,  and 
the  initiate  was  informed  that 
he  was  at  liberty  to  enter  the 
realms  of  Neptune.  As  he 
rose  to  his  feet  he  received 
a  push  and  at  once  fell  into 
a  great  tub  of  water.  This 
was  the  "  line  baptism."  So, 
one  after  the  other,  the  three 
recalcitrant  ones  passed 
through  the  ordeal,  when  Nep- 
tune and  his  courtiers  fell  into 
line  and  disappeared  over  the 
side.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  actors  in  this  "  sea-masque  " 
were  members  of  the  crew  of  the  Iroquois. 

We  were  now  in  what  the  sailors  call  "  the  doldrums,"  drifting 
along  under  a  frying  snn,  upon  an  ocean  of  molten  brass.  The 
occasional  draught  of  air  that  touched  us  now  and  then  expired 
in  its  efforts  to  reach  us.     A  week  of  this  is  horribly  monotonous. 


THE  OFFICERS   BEFORE   KING   NEPTUNE. 


FROM    EIO    TO    THE    CAPE    OF    GOOD    HOPE.  29 

Hour  after  hour,  day  after  day,  one  beholds  always  the  same 
placid  sea,  the  same  unrufHed  swell,  the  same  cloudless  sun 
tlashhig  at  mid-day.  The  heat  fell  straight  upon  our  heads  ;  our 
eyes  were  made  sore  with  its  fiercely-burning  reflection  from  the 
water  ;  the  tar  oozed  from  the  deck  seams.  Added  to  this  never- 
varying  monotony  of  the  equator  came  the  constant  hauling 
of  braces  and  of  tacks,  and  the  almost  continuous  shifting 
about  of  the  sails  m  order  to  catch  everv  breath  of  air,  the 
officer  of  the  deck  testing  its  direction  by  the  wetting  of  the  ends 
of  his  fingers. 

Tiring  of  the  doldrums  after  seventy-two  hours'  acquaintance 
with  them,  fires  were  made  under  the  boilers,  the  propeller  was 
lowered  in  its  place,  and  we  steamed  along  till  we  ran  into  the 
"  trades."  Then  we  again  hauled  our  fires,  and  on  the  tenth  of 
April  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

No  town  was  to  be  seen  at  the  entrance  of  this  most  beautiful, 
most  secure  and  most  spacious  bay  in  the  world.  A  range  of 
granite  mountains  encircles  the  harbor.  At  the  left  of  the 
entrance  rises  the  peak  so  often  described  by  travelers.  It  is 
higher  than  its  neighbors,  and  of  that  peculiar  conical_  form 
which  gives  it  the  name  of  ''Sugar  Loaf."  I  must  confess  to  a 
slight  feeling  of  disappointment  with  regard  to  the  height  of  this 
famous  hill ;  but,  as  with  Niagara  Falls,  time  changed  this  feel- 
ing to  one  of  Avonder  and  admiration.  It  was  truly  a  strange 
freak  of  Dame  Nature  to  place  such  an  immense  block  of  granite, 
so  like  a  grim  sentinel,  just  at  the  harbor's  mouth.  All  round 
the  bay  the  blue  waters  are  girdled  with  mountams  and  lofty 
hills  in  every  variety  of  picturesque  and  fantastic  outline.  The 
most  attractive  of  these  is  "  Lord  Hood's  Nose."  Curious  as  to 
the  cause  of  this  title,  I  found,  by  looking  at  the  peak  horizon- 


30  FROM  KIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

tally,  that  the  outline  of  the  top  was  a  capital  representation  of 
the  profile  of  some  such  aristocratic  old  English  nohle  as  one 
sees  in  portraits  of  the  British  peerage. 

Steaming:  alon"'  we  came  at  last  to  the  entrance  of  tlie  harbor. 
It  is  onlv  seventeen  hundred  yards  wide,  and  to  me  it  seemed 
to  bear  about  the  same  proportion  to  the  circular  harbor  within 
as  the  entrance  to  the. ring  of  a  circus  bears  to  the  entire  tent. 

The  harbor  contains  fifty  square  miles  of  anchorage,  is 
flanked  by  beautiful  hills  and  dotted  with  many  islands.  Its 
entrance  is  protected  by  a  number  of  formidable-looking  fort- 
resses. The  city  stands  on  the  west  shore  of  the  bay,  about 
four  miles  from  its  mouth.  As  we  came  to  anchor  the  main 
part  of  the  city  lay  on  our  left,  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  The 
most  notable  peak,  old  Corcovada,  towered  above  the  clouds ; 
while  many,  fully  as  high,  are  clustered  around  it. 

The  old  town,  nearest  the  bay,  is  laid  out  in  squares  ;  the 
streets,  crossing  at  right  angles,  are  narrow,  but  paved  and 
flao-o-ed ;  and  the  white-walled  houses  with  roofed  vermilion  tiles 
are  comraonlv  two  stories  hio-h.  The  new  town  is  built  to  the 
west,  and  the  two  districts  are  separated  by  the  Campo  de  Santa 
Anna.  This  is  an  immense  park  or  square,  on  different  parts  of 
which  stand  an  extensive  garrison,  the  town  hall,  the  National 
Museum,  the  palace  of  the  Senate,  the  foreign  office,  and  other 
prominent  buildings. 

The  square  gray  towers  of  the  mosque-like  cathedrals,  an  old 
convent  on  a  hill,  the  custom  house  near  the  water's  edge  and  a 
cluster  of  the  w^orld's  shipping,  make  up  the  main  town.  On  the 
side  toward  '*  Suu'ar  Loaf  "  stands  the  town  of  Bota  Foljo.  to 
which  old-fashioned  stages  make  frequent  trips.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bav  is  the  villas-e  called   Porto   Grande,  to  which  a 


FR0:M    RIO    TO    THE    CAPE    OF    GOOD    HOFE, 


31 


couple  of  old-fashioned  ferry-boats  run  on  irregular  trips.  Great 
municipal  improvements  have  been  made  in  recent  years  ;  the 
streets  though  narrow  are  as  well-paved  as  are  those  in  man}-  of 
our  own  towns,  and    the    city  is  abundantly  lighted  with  gas. 


OUTER    HARUOR    OF    RIO    DE   JANEIRO. 


From  our  anchorage,  the  great  circle  of  regular  gas-lights 
around  the  water-front  reminds  one  of  a  vast  torch-light  proces- 
sion, with  the  deputations  from  the  several  wards  filing  in  to 
join  the  main  body.  The  water-front  has  also  commodious 
wharves  and  quays  built  along  its  edge,  and  this  capital  city  of 
what  is  now  the  Brazilian  Republic,  has  about  fifty  chapels  and 
churches,  costly  and  imposing  structures  with  rich  internal 
decorations.     There  are  also  numerous  hotels  and  cafes. 


32  FKOM    lilO    TO    THE    CAPE    OF    GOOD    HOPE. 

Fronting  the  landing  is  the  Ro3"al  Palace,  from  which,  in 
1880.  the  Imperial  f;imily  was  expelled.  At  the  time  of  our  visit 
the  Empire  was  undisturbed  and  royalty  was  almost  democratic. 
The  old  Emperor,  Dom  Pedro  II.,  seemed  to  care  nothing  for 
splendor.  He  usually  rode  in  an  ordinary  black  coach,  drawn 
by  six  mules.  Twelve  negro  cavalrymen  followed  after,  their 
discipline  not  too  strict  to  prevent  them  from  smoking  cigarettes 
as  they  escorted  his  Brazilian  Majesty.  The  coachmen  and  foot- 
men seemed  almost  shabby  in  worn  suits  and  silver  lace.  The 
Emperor  w^ore  the  plainest  of  black  clothes,  and  was  very  cour- 
teous to  all  wdio  approached  him.  He  had  aged  rapidly  since  his 
visit  to  the  United  States,  at  the  time  of  the  Centennial  Exposi- 
tion in  1876.  To  me  he  appeared  to  show  a  great  increase  of 
agre  since  the  dav  wlien  I  first  saw  him  in  1863.  On  a  vovaEre 
during  that  year  to  San  Francisco  by  the  way  of  the  "  Horn  " 
and  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  on  the  new  Pacific  Mail  Steamship 
Golden  City,  we  stopped  at  Rio  Janeiro,  and  both  the  Emperor 
and  the  Empress  visited  the  steamer.  Apparent!}'  not  afraid  of 
soiling  either  their  persons  or  their  clothes,  they  visited  every 
part  of  the  vessel  from  the  keelson  to  the  hurricane  deck. 

After  makinu:  a  vast  collection  of  the  brilliant  Brazilian 
beetles  and  srortreous  feather  flowers,  for  which  Rio  is  noted,  the 
Iroquois,  on  April  25,  bade  farewell  to  the  Western  world  and 
sailed  to  the  southwest,  bound  for  Simon's  Town,  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

The  details  of  an  ocean  voyage  are  generally  monotonous. 
There  would  have  been  wdth  us  little  to  vary  this  monotony  on 
the  stretch  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  had 
it  not  been  for  one  or  two  experiences  of  bad  weather.  With 
the  wind  fair  and  steady,  an  ocean  voyage  on  a  steamer  or  a 


FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  33 


sailing  vessel  presents  an  almost  daily  succession  of  the  same 
scenes.  The  broad  ocean  stretches  away  on  either  hand  like  a 
level  waste ;  the  sky  is  clothed  in  the  apparently  endless  sun- 
shine of  the  tropics.  The  lazy,  even  motion  of  the  goodly  ship; 
the  mechanical  movements  of  the  sailors;  the  regular  reliefs  of 
the  officers  ;  the  daily  quarters  ;  the  morning  drills  at  the  great 
guns  or  with  broadswords,  and  the  evening  parades ;  the  appear- 
ance of  a  sea-bird  or  two,  mostly  Mother  Carey's  chickens  ;  a 
■group  of  tumbling  porpoises,  or  a  cluster  of  flying  fishes  —  these 
are  the  features  of  a  tranquil  voyage,  so  far  as  they  attract  the 
attention  of  an  ordinary  observer. 

To  one  of  speculative  mind  or  with  a  lively  imagination  an 
ocean  voyage  always  affords  ample  food  for  thought.  For  such 
an  one  the  wonders  of  the  deep  and  of  the  sky  may  well  attract, 
interest  and  absorb.  To  such,  the  shifting  colors  of  the  sea,  and 
its  varying  expanse  —  now  ribbed  with  waves  like  the  dimples  of 
a  pool,  now  heaving  into  long  rolling  ridges  of  dark  green,  cres- 
ted with  snowy  foam  ;  the  phosphorescent  wake  of  the  ship  on 
a  moonlight  night ;  the  white  silvery  sails  bellied  out  smoothly 
with  the  wind  ;  the  soft  sigh  of  the  gentle  breeze  ;  the  dull  roar 
of  the  distant  gale  —  all  these  are  matters  of  intense  pleasure. 

But  one  day  the  wind  rose  quite  suddenly.  It  came  in  such 
violent  and  uncertain  gusts,  that  it  was  not  many  hours  before 
it  settled  into  a  steady  gale  and  we  were  running  under  a  close- 
reefed  foresail  and  a  storm  staysail.  Tarpaulins  were  brought 
out  to  batten  down  the  hatches ,  life-lines  were  stretched  ;  the 
seas  rose  in  their  might,  sweeping  with  such  great  force  along  the 
deck  that  even  the  u'uns  had  to  be  secured  with  extra  tacklino;s. 
The  orders  of  the  officers  could  hardly  be  heard  above  the  shriek- 
ing  and   howling  winds ;  the   heavy   black,   low-hanging   clouds 


o 


4  FIIOM    KIO    TO    THE    CAPE    OF    (iOOD    HOPE. 


seeniecl  to  vie  with  one  another  in  their  swift  transit  above  us ; 
the  ship  rolled  and  pitched,  now  seemingly  going  upward  with 
her  bows  as  if  she  would  pierce  the  heavens,  the  next  instant 
plunging  down  into  the  deep  abyss,  w^ith  an  immense  seething 
sea  rolling  up  ahead  of  her  as  if  challenging  our  power  to  battle 
with  it.  Then  she  would  roll — oh!  how  she  would  roll.  The 
tliird-i*ate  navy  vessels  have  a  well-earned  reputation  in  that  line, 
and  the  Iroquois  w^as  no  exception.  The  wardroom  furniture, 
or  whatever  else  might  not  be  secured  to  the  deck,  went  rolling 
and  tumbling  about.  To  sleep,  or  even  to  lie  in  one's  berth  at 
such  a  time,  was  almost  out  of  the  question,  and  the  only  safety 
from  beino;  unceremoniouslv  thrown  from  the  berths  and  landed 
in  a  heap  on  the  floor  of  the  room,  was  to  strap  one's  self 
in.  During  such  times  our  regular  daily  bill  of  fare  was  sadly 
interrupted.  A  dinner  w^as  what  the  insurance  companies  would 
call  an  extra-hazardous  risk.  Soup  was  dispensed  with.  So,  in 
fact,  were  the  other  courses,  and  our  meals  were  mainly  of  bread 
and  coffee,  sardines  or  canned  meats. 

The  wind  weirdlv  whistling;  throug:h  the  rig;u;ino;  •  the  creak- 
ing  and  groaning  of  the  strained  ship's  timbers ;  the  roaring  of 
the  commands  of  the  officers  ;  the  running  about  on  deck  of 
heavy-booted  men  ;  the  ringing  of  the  bell  at  each  half-hour, 
the  number  of  strokes  noting  the  time ;  the  rattling  of  chains 
and  ropes  as  the  sails  were  shortened  or  reefed  ;  the  sudden 
loud  report  as  again  and  again  a  sail  was  rent  in  ribbons  ;  the 
rush  of  a  heavy  sea  sweeping  a  boat  from  the  davits,  were  the 
chief  elements  in  the  savage  and  exciting  experience  of  a  storm 
on  the  ocean.  It  made  us  almost  wish  that  Diaz,  the  Portuo-uese 
navigator,  who  attempted  to  precede  Columbus  in  his  discovery 
of  America,  had  never  discovered  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 


iplilf 


I  I .  IIIIIIIIIPI. 


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'A, !  i:. .1  jlI  :.!ij.,.  t'.'jjJA'i •JMmh  In.'  mil,;  i>ni  i  .  i .ijilj 


FROM    lilO    TO    THE    CAPE    OF    GOOD    HOPE. 


37 


At  last,  after  thirty-two  da3's  at  sea,  the  cheering  hail  "  Land, 
ho !  "  came  from  aloft.  '•  Where  away  ?  "  shouted  the  officer 
of  the  deck.  '■  One  point  on  the  port  bow  !  "  came  the  reply 
from  the  masthead  lookout.  An  hour  later  the  outlines  of  old 
Stormberg,  one  of  the  peaks  near  the  Cape,  with  its  top  nine 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  were  plainly  traced.  Intending  to 
neglect  Cape  Town  and  go  on  the  east  side,  to  Simon's  Bay,  for 
harbor,  repairs  and  fresh  provisions,  our  course  was  changed  to 


TABLE    MOUNTAIN. 


the  southward.  At  sundown  we  sighted  Lion's  Head,  one  of 
the  mountains  that  flank  Cape  Town,  the  capital  of  Cape  Colony, 
and,  behind,  one  could  make  out  the  great  precipices  of  Table 
Mountain. 

On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-seventh  of  May  we  anchored 
in  Simon'sBay,  opposite  the  settlement  known  as  Simon's  Town. 
We  remained  here  about  a  week.  During  our  stay  dinners  and 
receptions  were  given  to  the  officers  ;  horseback  rides  to  the 
vineyards  were  taken ;  we  played  billiards,  called  at  the  clubs, 
at  which  every  hospitality  was  extended  us,  and  carried  on  the 
usual  innocent  flirtations.     The  town  is  inhabited  by  an  assem- 


38  FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  UOPE. 

blage  of  varied  races,  the  English  and  KalHrs  predoniinatiiio". 
There  are  also  a  few  Mozanibi(|iiers  and  Hottentots,  besides  a 
number  of  half-castes.  Wool  appears  to  be  the  staple  joroduct 
of  the  colony,  although  ostrich  farming  and  grape  culture  are 
extensively  carried  on.  The  place,  except  when  an  English, 
French  or  American  war-vessel  visits  it,  is  dull  and  lifeless. 
Then,  however,  everyone  awakens  from  the  usual  lethargy,  and 
entertainments  are  at  once  improvised,  so  that  Cape  Town  may 
not  be  the  only  attraction.  A  more  sociable  people  can  hardly 
be  found  than  the  good  folk  at  Simon's  Town  and  naval  officers 
find  welcome  in  every  home.  We  had  been  here  only  forty-eight 
hours  when  the  flagship  of  the  Asiatic  British  Squadron  stopped 
on  her  way  to  England.  The  old  English  admiral  was  a  jolly 
fellow,  and  we  met  him  at  dinner  on  his  vessel,  on  our  vessel,  and 
on  shore.  He  always  had  a  good  surfeit  of  fresh  stories  at  com- 
mand, and  would  entertain  his  company  for  hours,  keepmg  them 
roaring;  with  lau2;hter. 

I  remember  well  how  the  old  officer  gave  us  our  first  impres- 
sions of  Japan  and  the  life  and  habits  of  its  people.  iVs  we  were 
to  spend  a  year  among  the  islands,  we  were  much  interested  in 
learnins:  somethinsr  beforehand.  He  treated  of  the  islanders 
generally,  but  dwelt  seriously  upon  their  mode  of  dress  and  their 
festival  customs.  He  warned  us  not  to  he  over-fastidious ;  that 
we  would  no  doubt  have  our  ideas  of  morals  encroached  upon  and 
perhaps  be  disgusted,  but  we  would  become  so  accustomed  to 
these  native  peculiarities  in  a  week's  time  that  we  would  not  even 
notice  them.     His  predictions  proved  true. 

One  most  agreeable  diversion  at  Simon's  Town  was  our  daily 
ride  to  the  numerous  vineyards  situated  about  fifteen  miles  in  the 
interior.     Here  we  would  sample  the  various  native  wines  and 


FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 


39 


invariably  pronounce  them  '^  good."  I  have  not  yet  seen 
anv  of  our  testimonials  in  print ;  but  as  we  were  novices  rather 
than  connoisseurs,  our  opinions  would  scarcely  prove  of  mercan- 
tile value. 

Before  leaving  the  Cape  Colony  I  had,  through  the  courtesy 
of  the  English  proprietor,  the  privilege  of  visiting  an  ostrich 
ranch.  I  was  furnished  with  a  guide,  or  rather  "  we  "  were,  for 
there  were  a  half-dozen  of  us  in  the  party.  Our  guide  was  par- 
ticularly watchful  to  see  that  no  inquisitive  American  helped 
himself  to  plumes  from  the  seventy  birds  of  the  ranch.  Stop- 
ping in  front  of  a  pen  I  made  bold  to  ask  the  guide  where  the 

birds  roosted  ?  I  also  inquired  how  it  was  that 
the  birds  did  not  run  their  heads  into  the  sand 
when  they  appeared  so  afraid  of  us?  My  guide 
enlightened  me  by  cynically  inquiring  whether 
I  liad  studied  the  characteristics  of  the  ostrich 
beyond  the  common  -  school  primer.  I  was 
forced  to  admit  that  I  had  not.  He  then  in- 
formed me  that  a  tame  adult  ostrich  is  not 
only  afraid  of  nothing,  but  that  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  go  into  its  pen. 

His    assurance    would    have    been    sufficient, 
but  to  still  further  convince  me  he  sprang  into  a 

pen  in  which  there 
was  a  large  male 
bird.  It  was  at 
least  eight  fe  et 
high,  and  as  it  ap- 
proached the  guide 
it  looked  at  his 


OSTRICHES. 


40  FROM  KIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

hetad  as  if  to  lincl  the  most  presenUible  spot  to  peck ;  then,  brac- 
ing back,  it  pitched  forward,  then  back  again  and  forward  on 
its  knees.  Tlien  the  big  bird  lifted  its  wings,  threw  its  neck  back 
and  gave  several  severe  thrusts  of  its  head  upon  either  side  of  its 
back.  The  guide  had  with  him  a  pole,  crotched  at  the  end. 
This  was  used  not  to  anger  the  ostrich,  but  to  place  against  the 
bird's  neck  if  it  should  show  fight.  As  the  bird  kicks  forward 
this  crotched  pole  pins  and  overpowers  it.  The  legs  of  the  ostrich 
are  enormously  powerful,  and  the  two  toes  armed  with  formidable 
claws  look  treacherous  indeed.  Each  bird  eats  about  forty  pounds 
of  grass  a  day,  ni  addition  to  corn,  vegetables  and  pulverized 
shells. 

The  male  birds  are  distinguishable  by  their  black  plumage 
and  white  tail  and  wing  feathers,  the  females  by  their  brownish 
gray  color,  and  smaller  stature.  The  nest  of  the  hen-bird  is 
made  in  the  ground,  where  she  lays  from  twelve  to  fifteen  eggs 
weighing  four  or  five  pounds  each.  If  the  eggs  are  taken  away 
from  the  hen  she  will  sometimes  lay  thirty  (a  suggestion  that 
may  be  of  value  to  those  interested  in  incubators).  The  birds 
while  sittino;  take  turns  on  the  nest,  the  female  bird  sitting:  from 
sunrise  till  sunset,  and  the  male  bird  from  sunset  to  sunrise.  It 
takes  forty-two  days  to  hatch  out  the  eggs,  and  the  chicks  are 
brooded  from  four  to  six  weeks  by  the  old  hen.  An  ordinary 
hen  ostrich  will  produce  three  broods  a  year.  They  begin  to 
lay  eggs  when  about  four  years  old,  but,  like  wine,  they  improve 
with  ao-e. 

The  ostrich  is  plucked  of  its  plumage  about  once  every  seven 
months.  Each  bird,  irrespective  of  sex,  produces  two  dozen 
living  white  plumes.  The  incentive  for  ostrich  farming  in  South 
Africa  is  that,  as  an  article  of  export,  ostrich  plumes  rank  next 


FROM  RIO  TO  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  41 

to  the  diamond,  and  the  business  has  assumed  immense  propor- 
tions. It  is  estimated  that  in  the  Cape  Colony  alone  ten  million 
pounds  are  invested  in  the  ostrich  business.  So  jealous  are  the 
South  Africans  of  such  other  sections  as  have  endeavored  to  de- 
velop the  business  that  an  immense  export  duty  has  been  placed 
both  on  the  birds  and  their  eggs. 


CHAPTER  III. 


FROM    SIMON  S    TOWN    TO    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS. 


T  was  on  the  third  of  June  that  the  boats- 
wahi's  whistle  shrilled  on  deck,  and  his  sten- 
torian tones  commanded  :  "All  hands  up  anchor 
—  ahoy  !  "  When  the  fluke  of  the  anchor 
showed  above  the  water,  the  ship's  nose  was 
pointed  seaward.  Then,  with  a  pnrting  salute 
from  the  guns  of  the  fort,  amid  the  dipping 
of  colors,  and  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs,  we 
steamed  out  of  the  harbor  and  headed  up  the 
Mozambique  Channel. 

Five  days  later  we  anchored  in  the  quiet 
and  roomy  harbor  of  St.  Augustine,  Madagas- 
car. Here  we  spent  three  days  of  varied 
experience. 

Our  pilot  was  a  character  in  himself.  He 
met  us  about  a  mile  outside  the  harbor,  and 
we  enffag-ed  his  services  for  twelve  silver  half-dollars.  Before 
long  we  discovered  that  our  pilot  was  a  prince  in  disguise.  He 
was  none  other  than  Prince  George,  a  son  of  King  William,  the 
executive  of  this  part  of  Madagascar.  The  prince's  only  insignia 
of  rank  was  a  round,  flat  piece  of  ivory,  about  two  inches  in 
diameter,  fastened  upon  his  forehead.  His  body  was  entirely 
naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  loin-cloth  made  of  cheap  calico, 

42 


FEOM  Simon's  town  to  the  Comoro  islands.  43 

and  a  short  skirt  of  white  muslin.  He  wore  several  rings  on  his 
fingers ;  home-made  affairs  hammered  out  from  pieces  of  silver 
coin  obtained  from  the  whalers  who  sometimes  stop  here  for 
chickens  and  yams.  His  hair  was  gathered  up  in  about  twenty 
small  knobs,  each  besmeared  with  a  white  grease. 

The  settlement  is  one  of  the  largest  native  habitations  on 
the  island.  It  has  a  population  of  perhaps  two  hundred,  housed 
in  small  nmd-huts,  not  more  than  three  feet  in  height,  and 
rounded  up  from  the  sides,  having  as  entrance-way  an  opening 
only  large  enough  to  crawl  through.  In  each  of  these  huts 
live  a  man,  his  wife,  and  perhaps  two  or  three  children. 

Hardly  had  we  cast  anchor  before  a  number  of  the  officers, 
myself  included,  obtained  permission  to  go  on  shore  to  "  see  the 
sights."  We  saw  them,  but,  at  one  time,  had  "  grave  "  appre- 
hensions. Our  Colt's  revolvers,  which  we  were  thoughtful 
enough  to  strap  around  our  waists,  overcame  the  prejudice  of 
the  natives,  and  spared  the  Government's  pension  fund  from 
encroachment  by  our  heirs,  executors  and  assigns. 

We  wandered  back  from  the  coast,  but  had  not  gone  more 
than  a  half  a  mile  when  about  thirty  naked  natives,  armed  with 
long  spears,  suddenly  emerged  from  the  bush  and  surrounded 
us.  They  began  to  mumble  an  unintelligible  jargon,  and  we  re- 
verted to  our  youthful  days  and  tried  to  recall  the  prayers  we  had 
been  tausrht  before  we  received  our  first  lesson  at  hazins;  at  the 
Naval  Academy.  We  concluded  that  they  were  expressing  their 
thanks  to  their  god  —  whoever  he  might  be  —  that  they  were  so 
soon  to  have  a  delicious  feast,  although  none  of  us  were  fat  enough 
to  kill.  We  tried  to  make  them  understand  this  at  first,  but  as 
their  manner  and  movements  grew  more  menacing,  we  concluded 
that  valor  was  the  better  part  of  discretion,  and  drew  out  our 


44  FROM    SIMOX'S    TOWX    TO    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS. 

big  navy  revolvers.  The  result  was  a  great  reassurance  to  us, 
and  I  became  convinced  that  there  was  at  least  one  people  on 
the  earth  who  could  be  made  to  quail  before  the  American  Navy. 

We  tired  a  few  shots  from  our  revolvers  into  the  air,  where- 
upon our  black,  unclothed,  grease-besmeared  and  cannibalistic 
friends  fell  back  and  permitted  us  to  pass  on  unmolested.  But 
curiosity,  with  us,  was  now  at  an  end.  We  had  no  craving- 
desire  for  a  further  survev  of  the  interior  of  the  island,  and  we 
speedily  returned  to  the  settlement  to  observe  and  be  observed. 
The  natives,  men,  women  and  children  alike,  were  inclined  to 
be  familiar,  but  as,  in  Madagascar,  familiarity  would  breed  — 
vermin  — we  kept  them  at  a  favorable  distance. 

The  village  consists  of  about  forty  huts,  of  a  half-globe  shape 
six  feet  in  diameter,  and  made  of  thatch.  The  entrance  is 
through  a  small  hole,  rendering  it  necessary  to  crawl  inside  in 
a  horizontal  position.  In  this  hut  the  entire  family  eat,  drink 
and  sleep.  The  only  furniture  of  the  mansion  seemed  to  be  the 
bare  ground,  and  a  rude  shelter  between  the  inmates  and  the 
hot  tropical  sun  and  the  rains.  The  food  of  the  villagers  is  prin- 
cipally buffalo  meat,  chickens,  Indian  corn  and  sweet  potatoes. 

With  a  few  pieces  of  silver  we  could  buy  the  entire  settle- 
ment, including  the  women  and  children  ;  but  gold  is  looked 
upon  as  base  metal  of  no  more  value  than  brass  would  be,  and 
as  they  have  no  use  for  money,  excepting  to  hammer  it  into 
trinkets  and  ornaments,  the  silver  is  used  for  this  purpose.  We 
laid  in  a  good  stock  of  provisions  at  the  following  prices  :  a 
buffalo  carcass  for  eight  half-dollar  pieces ;  a  sheep  for  two  yards 
of  calico:  four  dozen  chickens  for  eight  silver  half-dollars; 
twenty-five  ears  of  green  corn  and  two  bushels  of  sweet  potatoes 
for  a  plug  of  tobacco,  worth  eighty-three  cents. 


FROM  Simon's  town  to  the  Comoro  islands.  45 

On  tlie  following  day  we  were  visited  by  tli9  royal  family, 
King  William,  Prince  George  and  several  chiefs.  Each  native 
carried  a  spear,  each  wore  upon  his  forehead  a  circular  piece  of 
ivory,  and  the  royal  robes  of  office  were  similar  to  the  costume 
of  Prince  George  already  described.  They  sat  about  on  the 
deck^  on  the  captain's  table  or  berth,  and  upon  other  places  con- 
venient for  them  —  excepting  on  the  big  guns  —  and  rested  per- 
fectly content,  all  the  time  carrying  on,  between  themselves,  a 
conversation  in  an  unintelligible  gibberish.  The  royal  visitors 
would  have  remained  longer  than  was  agreeable  had  we  not 
impressed  upon  them  the  impropriety  of  stopping  away  from 
their  wives  and  families  after  starlight. 

But  daylight,  the  next  morning,  witnessed  the  advanced  guard 
of  the  village  coming  to  pay  the  ship  a  visit.  They  clambered  on 
board  and  wandered  about  the  ship  below  and  above,  without  so 
much  as  asking  "  by  your  leave."  After  exchanging  quarters 
and  half-dollars,  and  old  files  for  some  of  their  spears,  and  not 
desiring  to  barter  for  any  of  their  vermin,  we  cordially  invited 
them  to  leave.  But  they  hesitated.  Observing  that  the  entire 
village  had  embarked  in  their  outrig^o-ers,  and  were  intending;  to 
visit  us,  we  concluded  it  a  good  time  to  have  a  little  target  prac- 
tice with  the  great  guns,  utilizing  a  huge  bowlder  on  the  beach 
as  a  target.  The  second  shot  had  not  been  fired  before  the 
natives  scrambled  into  their  boats  and  pulled  toward  the  shore, 
evidently  believing  that  we  intended  to  destroy  their  village. 
Ceasing  our  firing  we  observed  the  village  again  afloat  and  com- 
ing toward  us.  Then  we  resumed  our  target  practice,  and  the 
natives,  seeing  with  what  facility  we  shattered  our  natural  target, 
went  ashcre  again.  This  time  they  ran  back  into  the  country 
and  we  were  troubled  no  more. 


4G  FituM  Simon's  town  to  the  comoko  islands. 

« 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  13  we  weighed  anchor  and  set 
sail,  laying  our  course  up  the  Mozambique  Channel.  Eleven 
days  later  we  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Moosamoodoo,  Island  of 
Johanna.  Tliis  is  one  of  the  Comoro  Islands,  of  which  there 
are  foui*,  of  volcanic  origin,  and  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Mozam- 
bique Channel  between  the  northern  end  of  Madagascar  and  the 
African  coast.  The  four  islands  are,  the  Angaziya  or  Great 
Comoro,  Arijonan  or  Johanna,  Mayotta  and  Mohilla.  They  are 
mountainous,  the  highest  peak  rising  above  six  thousand  feet. 
The  inhabitants,  about  eighty  thousand,  are  principally  Moham- 
medans, but  fetichism  or  the  worship  of  supposed  magical 
powers  prevails  to  some  extent. 

Mavotta  was  ceded  to  France  in  1842.  The  other  islands 
belong  to  Arabia.  The  people  of  Johanna  find  their  principal 
employment  in  connection  with  ships  calling  for  provisions. 
The  trade  of  Comoro  and  Mohilla  is  of  the  same  character,  but 
the  islands  are  not  now  so  much  frequented  for  the  purpose  of 
victualing  as  was  the  case  in  former  years. 

When  within  two  miles  of  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of 
Moosamoodoo,  a  boat  came  alongside  with  some  of  the  principal 
men  of  the  island  —  one  of  them  a  pilot.  This  boat,  we  learned, 
was  formerly  the  fourth  cutter  of  the  Rebel  privateer  Alabama, 
a  notable  "  destroyer  of  the  seas  "  which  had  touched  at  these 
islands  in  February,  1864.  The  costume  of  the  men  of  Moosa- 
moodoo was  decidedly  attractive.  It  consisted  of  white  robes 
w^ith  loose  jackets,  and  a  silken  girdle  about  the  waist,  each 
supporting  a  cimeter,  the  scabbards  and  handles  elaborately 
finished  with  gold  and  silver  in  the  etruscan  work  peculiar  to  the 
Arabs.  These  cimeters  are  purchased  at  Muscat,  and  cost  from 
one  hundred  to  five  hundred  rupees  each  (fifty  dollars  to  two 


FROM    SIMON  S    TOWN    TO    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS. 


47 


liimdred  and  fifty  dollars  each).     Our  visitors'  feet  were  incased 

in  sandals,  and  large  white  turbans  adorned  their  heads.     Many 

of  them  spoke  English  with  fluency,  and  French  as  well.     Within 

half  an  hour  after  dropping  our  a^nchor  our  decks  swarmed  with 


AMONG   THE   COMOROS. 


the  natives,  but  there  was  not  that  objection  to  their  presence 
that  we  found  with  the  Madagascans. 

Upon  o-oino:  on  deck  the  next  mornino-  T  was  struck  with  the 
soft  picturesque  beauty  of  the  hills  aa  they  lay  in  the  morning 
sun  which  lighted  up  their  tops  and  sides,  and  threw  the  ravines 
and  valleys  into  shades  of  night.  I  was  lulled  by  the  roar  of 
the  surf  upon  the  rough  beach.  It  was  delightful  to  sniff  the 
fragrance  of  the  land  as  it  came  to  us  upon  the  dew-laden  wings 


48  FROM  Simon's  town  to  the  comoeo  islands. 

of  the  softest  breezes.  After  lunch  1  \isited  the  town,  which, 
from  our  anchorage,  made  so  picturesque  a  pictui'e,  with  its  tall 
minaret,  its  two  forts  —  one  perched  on  a  hill  commanding  the 
town,  and  the  other  upon  the  beach  among  the  stone-houses. 
But  the  illusion  was  rudely  dispelled  upon  reaching  the  shore. 
We  landed  upon  a  beach  of  rocks  and  shells,  and  through  a  con- 
siderable surf  even  in  the  calmest  of  weather.  Along  the  shore 
was  strewn  the  washed  clothes  of  the  officers  and  crew  ;  and  a 
set  of  vagabond-looking  natives  of  all  colors,  save  that  of  the 
Caucasian,  were  lounging  about,  looking  curiously  on. 

The  town  we  found  dilapidated  and  squalid  to  the  last  de- 
gree ;  the  houses  of  rough  stone,  cemented  and  thatched  ;  the 
streets  not  more  than  five  feet  wide,  and  horribly  crooked.  The 
town  is  also  inclosed  by  a  stone  wall,  of  perhaps  twenty  feet  in 
height.  At  each  corner  of  the  inclosure  a  gateway  scarcely- 
wide  enough  for  two  persons  to  pass  at  the  same  time,  furnishes 
an  entrance  to  the  town.  This  wall  was  built  as  a  sort  of  de- 
fense against  the  pirates,  who,  some  years  ago,  were  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  the  island  and  plundering  the  people  of  everything, 
even  to  their  slaves.  Slaver}'  is  carried  on  to  a  large  extent  on 
the  islands  ;  and  the  Sultan  of  Johanna  owns  seven  hundred, 
whom  he  keeps  principally  to  till  his  lands  on  the  east  side  of 
the  island.  The  other  Arabs  own  plantations  and  slaves,  but 
not  to  the  same  extent  as  the  sultan.  The  people  here  com- 
plained greatly  of  the  oppressions  practiced  upon  them  by  the 
English  who,  they  assert,  "  are  strong  enough  to  interfere  in 
everybody's  business,  and  to  threaten  us  with  the  exercise  of 
their  power  if  we  bring  over  any  more  slaves  from  the  main." 
The  slaves  would  gladly  go  to  the  island,  as  their  native  chiefs 
are  continually  making  war  and  enslaving  one  another. 


FROM    SIMOX'S    TOWN    TO    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS.  49 

The  inhabitants  of  the  island,  in  great  part  a  mixture  of 
Arabs  and  negroes,  are  intelligent  and  sprightly.  They  purchase 
many  cotton  goods  from  the  American  whalers,  but  their  oppor- 
tunities were  disastrously  interrupted  during  our  Civil  War, 
as  Captain  Semmes  and  his  murderous  crew  of  the  Alabama, 
captured  and  burned  all  American  vessels  coming  in  their  way. 

The  highest  parts  of  Johanna  are  densely  wooded,  and  the 
mountainous  sides  are  so  steep  in  some  places  that  the  tops  of 
some  of  the  trees  touch  the  trunks  and  roots  of  others.  The 
language,  a  peculiar  Arabic  dialect  of  the  island,  is  very  soft 
and  pleasing  to  the  ear. 

One  of  our  few  places  of  visit  was  the  home  of  Prince  Abdal- 
lah,  and  I  was  struck  with  its  novelty,  as  well  as  with  the  ex- 
treme beauty  of  face  and  physical  build  of  this  pure  and  full- 
blooded  Arab.  He  was  a  tall,  soldierly-looking  fellow,  w^ith 
square  shoulders,  broad  hips,  well-pro]3ortioned  limbs,  olive  com- 
plexion, finely-cut  features,  black  eyes,  black  hair  and  a  shining 
black  heavy  moustache.  I  was  also  surprised  with  the  beauty 
of  one  of  his  three  w^ives,  who  I  chanced  accidentally  to  see  with 
her  mask  raised.  The  walls  of  his  princely  home  were  filled  with 
a  number  of  small  niches,  receptacles  for  coffee  cups,  ornaments, 
and  everything  imaginable.  A  number  of  couches  were  ranged 
around  the  room,  and  the  floors  were  covered  with  rich  and 
heavy  Turkish  carpets  and  rugs. 

I  afterwards  visited  the  homes  of  two  other  minor  princes,  in 
which  I  found  everything  half-way  clean,  w^tli  an  attempt  at 
tawdry  finery.  A  black  houri  was  set  to  fan  me,  and  a  crowd 
of  half-dirty  children  gathered  around  us,  but  no  representative 
of  the  full-grown  fairer  sex.  The  ^vomen  of  this  country  are 
kept    perfectly   secluded    from    all    men,   except    their    fathers. 


50  FKUM  .Simon's  town  to  tiik  comoko  islands. 

brothers  or  liusbaiuls,  until  they  become  old  and  homely ;  and 
if  a  girl  or  women  ha.s  occasion  to  go  on  the  street,  it  must  be 
with  her  face  behind  a  tricornered  mask,  with  her  eyes  peeping 
over  the  top  of  it. 

We  were  always  served  with  refreshments  upon  each  visit  — 
confections  and  rose  syrup,  the  strongest  drink  used  on  the  island. 
No  wine,  malt  or  distilled  liquors  are  allowed  to  be  used  under 
a  severe  penalty;  fifty  lashes  on  the  bare  soles  of  the  feet  must 
pay  for  each  offense,  or  the  culprit  must  sit  in  the  stocks  under 
the  broiling  hot  sun  for  four  or  five  weeks.  After  refreshments 
w^e  walked  into  the  prince's  garden,  a  beautiful  wilderness  of 
betel  and  cocoanuts,  mandarin  orange  and  mango-trees,  with 
heterogeneous  patches  of  rice,  sweet  potatoes  and  beans,  and  here 
and  there  a  cotton-plant.  Slave  huts  dotted  the  garden,  and 
walls  of  loose  stones  ran  along  crooked  lanes  and  by-ways.  As 
we  walked  along,  after  leaving  the  garden,  some  of  the  people 
were  seen  at  prayer,  and  others  were  j^reparing  their  evening 
meal.  People  met  us  with  kindly  greetings,  and  the  Cadi,  a 
venerable-looking  old  man,  stopped  to  w^ish  me  a  safe  return  to 
my  home.  From  the  parapet  of  the  fort  I  enjoyed  an  excellent 
view  of  the  towai.  A  short  distance  away  was  the  mosque,  to 
•  which  I  paid  a  visit,  being  careful  before  entering  to  remove  my 
shoes,  as  did  the  natives. 

After  extending:  our  stroll  a  little  further  we  made  our  way 
to  the  beach  and  returned  to  the  vessel  to  lunch.  On  the  beach 
we  encountered  tiie  Johanna  army  —  a  company  of  about  forty 
soldiers  being  drilled  in  the  manual  of  arms  by  their  command- 
ant. Their  movements  were  as  awkward  as  the  soldiers  wdiom 
I  have  seen  in  Hayti,  and  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  But  their 
dress  was  a  feature  :  white   trousers,  red  coats  and  red  caps  — 


FROM    SIMON  S    TOWX    TO    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS. 


51 


condemned  uniforms  purchased  from  the  English  soldiers. 
Scarcely  any  of  them  had  a  button  on  their  coats,  and,  having 
no  means  of  sewing,  they  were  fastened  together  with  strings. 
The  soldiers  were  the  blackest  of  slaves,  and  the  most  miserable- 
looking  set  of  beings  one  could  expect  to  see.     After  lunch  our 


IN  PKINCE  ABDALLAH  S  PALACE. 


commander,  with  a  few  of  tlie  officers,  went  ashore.  They  were 
received  in  regal  style  by  the  "  army,"  detailed  on  this  day  as 
the  bodv-cfuard  of  the  sultan.  We  were  escorted  to  the  resi- 
dence  of  Prince  Abdallah,  a  band  of  music  preceding  us.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  di'ums  and  a  clarionet,  each  musician  playing  inde- 
'    pendently  of  the  other,  and  much  resembled  the  music  of  two  tin 


52  FK03I    Sl.MOX's    TOWN'    TO    THE    COMOIIO    ISLANDS. 


pans  and  a  fisli-honi.  On  Friday,  Avliich,  by  tho  way,  is  the 
Mobanimedan  Sabbath,  though  not  kept  so  rigidly  as  our  Puri- 
tan Sabbath,  we  were  visited  by  several  princes  —  cousins-ger- 
nian  of  the  sultan — one  of  them  being  the  commander-in-chief 
of  the  army. 

The  next  day  the  princes  and  other  chief  noblemen  visited 
us  in  force.  The  high  priest  was  also  Avith  them.  He  was  a  fine- 
looking  personage,  an  Arab  hy  descent,  with  a  well-developed 
forehead,  and  an  easy,  gentlemanly  bearing.  He  wore  a  hand- 
some gold  and  silver  mounted  cimeter  at  his  side,  and  was  evi- 
dently held  in  high  esteem  by  his  people.  After  the  usual  ex- 
change of  courtesies  our  visitors  returned  to  their  palaces.  In 
the  afternoon  the  captain  and  a  few  other  officers  paid  an  official 
visit  to  the  sultan.  Our  reception  on  shore  was  similar  to  that 
of  the  day  previous,  with  the  exception  that  the  captain  was 
given  the  position  of  state  in  a  palanquin  —  a  silk  upholstered 
chair,  fastened  on  two  bars  and  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  a 
dozen  slaves.  Arrived  at  the  palace  the  sultan  and  his  staft 
received  us  in  official  robes,  and  conducted  us  to  the  reception 
parlor,  which  was  gorgeously  furnished.  We  drank  one  another's 
health  over  a  glass  of  sherbet,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Pj-esident 
of  the  United  States,  and  after  an  hour's  informal  chat  took 
our  leave. 

On  Sunday  the  Prime  Minister  paid  an  official  visit  to  the 
ship  to  announce  that  the  sultan  would  pay  his  respects  to  the 
officers  on  Monday.  Promptly  at  noon  on  the  day  following 
Sultan  Abdallah,  with  his  princes  and  staff,  came  off  to  the  ;  hip. 
He  was  preceded  by  a  boat  in  which  was  that  irrepressible  band 
still  hard  at  its  alleged  music,  and  reminding  me  very  forcibly  of 
what  a  home  for  foundlings  might  be  on  a  Christmas  morning 


FROM  Simon's  town  to  the  Comoro  islands.  53 

after  clriims  and  trumpets  had  been  liberally  distriljuted  among 
its  small  inmates. 

In  the  full-dress  uniform  of  the  Navy,  we  received  our  royal 
visitors  and  greeted  them  with  the  firing  of  a  salute  of  twenty- 
one  guns.  The  sultan  expressed  a  very  favorable  opinion  of 
the  vessel,  and  seemed  to  be  specially  interested  with  the  en- 
gineer's department.  His  Highness  was  a  fine-looking,  well- 
formed  person,  apparently  about  forty  years  of  age.  He  had  a 
moderate  harem  of  four  wives.  This  is  not  an  over-supply,  ex- 
cept when  provisions  are  expensive.  But  then  food  is  nearly  as 
cheap  here  as  in  Madagascar.  Perhaps  the  sultan  would  not 
object  to  a  dozen  wives,  if  the  Arabic  law  did  not  hmit  him  to 
four.  The  sultan  is  well-educated,  and  writes  and  speaks  English 
and  French  fluently.  One  of  the  laws  of  the  island,  which  might 
operate  well  in  onr  own  country,  provides  that  a  person  found 
guilty  of  petty  larceny  shall,  for  the  first  offense,  have  one  of  his 
hands  cut  off  ;  for  the  second  offense  he  loses  the  other  hand. 
It  may  be  well  to  note  that  few  persons  have  lost  a  hand,  and 
there  are  none  who  have  had  both  hands  cut  off'. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


FEOM    THE    COMOEO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 


^N    the   morning  of    the  thirtieth  of 
July  we  sailed  out  of  the  harbor  of 
Moosamoodoo ;  and  if  our  personal  com- 
fort had  been  a  consideration  above  the 
interests  of  the  Government,  our  sliip's 
nose  would  have  been  pointed  to  the  south- 
ward rather  than  toward  the  equator. 
■^j  Our  next  stopping  jDlace  was  to  be  Aden, 

fj^jf     the  Arabian  seaport  at  the  mouth  of  the  Red 
ir       Sea,  and  the  westward  key  to  the  East  Indies. 
-^  From   the   Comoro- Islands  to  the  Seychelles,, 

the  change  in  temperature  was  very  agreeable,  and 
the  nights  were  cooled  by  a  delightful  breeze.  The 
third  day  out  we  had  a  terrific  gale.  The  seas  rose  in  their 
might,  sweeping  over  the  decks  with  great  force  and  carrying 
before  them  ever3'thing  that  could  be  loosened.  With  hatches 
battened  down,  ship-life  became  frightfully  uncomfortable.  But 
then  the  experience  was  no  worse  than  it  had  been  a  score 
of  times. 

On  Augi;ust  9  we  rounded  the  island  of  Soootra  and  entered 
the  Arabian  Gulf.  The  next  day  ou"  ship's  carpenter  Gerry  died, 
a  victim  to  patent  medicines.     We  tried  to  keep  his  body  till  we 

54 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLAXDS    TO    BOMBAY.  55 

should  reach  Aden,  and  give  him  a  Christian  burial  on  shore;  but 
decomposition  set  in  a  few  hours  after  his  death,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  bury  him  at  sea.  The  body  was  sewed  in  canvas, 
and  weighted  with  a  couple  of  hundred  pounds  of  iron.  It 
was  borne  by  the  sailors  to  the  port  gangway ;  the  officers  and 
crew  were  piped  to  the  gangway ;  the  engines  were  stopped,  and 
after  reading  the  service  for  the  "  burial  of  the  dead,"  the  body 
was  slid  from  a  plank  into  the  sea,  and  the  ship  proceeded  upon 
her  journey.  It  was  the  first  death  that  had  occurred  on  board 
since  we  left  New  York,  and  was  our  only  loss  of  life  on  the 
voyage,  with  the  exception  of  the  sailor  who  had  been  washed 
overboard  during  the  storm  in  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

Twelve  days  after  leaving  the  island  of  Johanna  we  dropped 
anchor  off  Steamer  Point,  Aden  being  about  four  miles  distant. 
There  are  few  white  people  in  this  city,  which  is  called  by  the 
native  Arabs  Aden,  or  Eden  (Paradise),  because  of  its  fine  climate 
and  its  once  celebrated  commerce.  The  city  has  a  population  of 
about  ten  thousand.  One  tenth  of  this  number  are  of  that  branch 
of  the  Persians  known  as  Parsees,  differing  from  the  Persians  only 
in  their  religion.  The  rest  of  the  people  are  English,  Arabs  and 
Jews.  No  sooner  had  our  anchor  touched  the  bottom  than  the 
latter  swarmed  about  us.  They  were  burdened  with  ostrich  feath- 
ers, lion  and  leopard  skins,  attar  of  roses,  and  other  articles  of 
barter,  any  of  which  could  be  purchased  at  one  tenth  of  the  original 
price  asked.  The  current  money  is  the  "  rupee  "  and  the  "  anna  "  ; 
the  former  a  silver  coin  of  the  value  of  forty-five  cents  United 
States  money,  the  latter  worth  about  three  cents,  and  minted  by 
the  East  Indies  Company. 

Several  of  us  took  an  early  opportunity  to  visit  the  city 
of  Aden.     Hiring  camels  we  were  soon  speeding  our  way  along 


56  FROM    TTTE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 

the  roud.  This  camel-riding  was,  to  us,  a  novel  mode  of  transporta- 
tion. The  gaunt  angularity  and  uncouth  appearance  of  the  beast 
added  to  the  novelty  ;  and  its  noiseless  movement  over  the 
sand  has  appropriately  given  it  the  name  of  the  '•  Ship  of  the 
Desert."  The  amble  of  the  camel,  wliich  is  a  curious  amalgama- 
tion of  a  simultaneous  rolling  and  pitching,  has  its  advantages. 
The  rider  may  sit  sideways,  backwards,  or  in  the  orthodox  fashion, 
with  his  feet  in  or  out  of  the  stirrups;  he  may  let  his  legs  dan- 
gle carelessly,  or  sit  cross-legged  after  the  manner  of  Turks  and 
tailors,  without  fear  of  his  equanimity  being  disturbed  by  the 
stumbling,  kicking,  shying,  or  bolting,  for  the  camel  is  a  sure- 
footed animal. 

The  riding-gear  consists  of  a  large  double  pad  of  goat's  hair 
cloth,  stuffed  with  grass  or  straw,  and  thrown  over  the  back 
of  the  beast.  A  wooden  frame-work  of  sticks,  with  a  pair  of 
conical  pommels  four  feet  high,  is  placed  on  the  pad,  and  this 
is  covered  with  carpets  and  cushions.  Upon  this  superstruc- 
ture the  traveler  is  perched.  The  harness  is  completed  by  a 
twisted  bridle  of  goat's  and  camel's  hair  fastened  over  the  animal's 
nose.  The  camel  has  some  of  the  obstinate  traits  of  a  mule,  and 
will  oppose  you  until  jou  prove  yourself  the  master ;  it  will  lie 
down  if  it  thinks  it  has  too  much  upon  its  back,  and  until  some  of 
the  load  is  removed,  will  refuse  to  rise,  even  though  you  should 
beat  it  to  death.  When  its  burden  is  lightened  the  camel  will 
trudge  along  merrily  —  if  a  beast  with  so  sullen  a  heart  can  ever 
be  called  merry.  Treat  the  camel  kindly,  pat  it  on  the  shoulder, 
speak  to  it  gently,  or  sing  to  it  a  song,  and  it  will  turn  its  head 
toward  you  with  a  pleasant  twinkle  of  the  eye,  as  if  to  express 
thanks. 

The  pace  in  camel-riding  is  steady  and  uniform,  but  slow  ; 


OUR   GUIDE   TO   ADEN. 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY.  59 

yet  the  long  strides  take  one  over  the  ground  almost  as  fast  as 
would  a  trotting  pony.  To  mount,  to  ride  and  to  dismount 
are  all  awkward  proceedings.  That  you  may  mount,  the  camel 
kneels  and  you  straddle  its  back,  or  rather  jump  into  the  saddle ; 
then,  as  the  beast  rises,  you  have  a  feeling  of  light-headedness, 
occasioned  by  the  rapidity  of  the  action  and  the  distance  covered. 
To  dismount,  the  beast  again  prostrates  himself.  Persons  who 
have  never  used  this  method  of  transportation  can  know  little 
about  the  sensation  of  those  who  take  passage  by  camel.  You 
soon  realize  that  it  is  possible  to  become  seasick  on  dry  land,  and 
you  get  down  from  the  hump  with  as  much  gratitude  as  comes 
to  a  seasick  man  when  at  last  he  lands  in  New  York  from  a 
pitching  ocean  steamer. 

The  changes  of  scenery  on  the  journey  to  Aden  were  magnifi- 
cent. The  fortifications  commanding  the  harbor  are  some  of  the 
best  and  most  formidable  I  have  ever  seen.  Midway  between 
Steamer  Point  and  the  city  there  has  been  hewn  from  the  solid 
rock  a  magnificent  system  of  cisterns  for  collecting  the  rain- 
water from  the  surrounding;  circle  of  hills.  These  cisterns  range 
from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  are  each  about 
thirty  feet  square  and  fifty  feet  deep.  Their  total  capacity  is  about 
thirty  millions  of  gallons.  The  builders  of  these  massive  cisterns 
are  unknown,  but  it  is  presumed  that  they  were  constructed  several 
hundred  vears  ago. 

This  is  the  most  remarkable  country  that  T  ever  saw  for  rain 
—  or  rather  the  scarcity  of  rain.  Most  of  the  water  used  for 
drinking  and  cooking  is  condensed  from  the  sea  water.  I  am  told 
that  it  has  not  really  rained  more  than  once  in  the  past  five  or 
six  vears ;  although  once  in  four  or  five  months  there  is  a  light 
shower. 


GO 


'i:OM    THE    COMOIM)    ISLANDS    TO    UOMBAY. 


Aden  is  a  dilapidated-looking  town,  but  it  has  become  more 
important  since  the  completion  of  the  Suez  Canal.  The  houses 
are  built  of  stone  and  cement ;  they  are  about  twenty  feet  high, 

and  are  perfectly  smooth  on  the  out- 
side. It  is  a  thriving  place,  and  most 
of  the  business  is  monopolized  by  the 
Parsees.  A  single  visit  is  sufhcient 
for  pleasure,  for  at  every  step  }ou  meet 
a  dozen  or  more  curb-stone  peddlers 
who  thrust  their  wares  into  your  face 
and  almost  force  you  to  buy.  We  re- 
mained here  five  days,  to  coal  and 
make  a  few  repairs,  then  took  our  de- 
parture for  Muscat. 

We  were  ten  days  at  sea  between 
Aden  and  Muscat.  The  long  passage 
was  due  to  the  light  breezes  which 
barely  gave  our  vessel  steerage-way 
under  sail.  But  our  three  days'  visit 
to  this  important  capital  of  'Oman  in 
Arabia  and  its  center  of  tr;i.de,  were 
profitably  spent.  Muscat,  or  more  pro- 
perly Maskat,  is  a  large  town,  situated 
on  the  Gulf  of  'Oman,  and  in  the  gorge 
of  an  extensive  pass  which  cleaves  the 
dark  mountain  walls  behind  the  city 
and  widens  as  it  advances  into  the 
interior.  From  our  anchorage  the  city 
presents  a  fine  view.  But,  after  landing,  the  illusion  is  dispelled. 
It  consists  of  narrow,  crowded  and  filthy  streets  ;  wretched  huts, 


AN    ADEN    MENDICANT. 


ix\ww'T^'twim 


z 

< 

-1 
3 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY.  61 

intermingled  witli  mean  and  squalid  houses  ;  and  filthy  bazaars,  the 
proprietors  of  which  are  money  brokers,  vegetable,  cotton  and 
silk  goods  dealers,  and  an  indolent,  filthy  and  corrupt  class  of 
Persians  cand  Arabs.  The  palace  of  the  Sultan,  Synnd  Sileni, 
the  Governor's  house  and  some  other  buildings,  are  good  and  sub- 
stantial, and  stand  on  the  beach.  The  population  of  Muscat,  and 
of  the  adjoining  town  of  Matrah,  which  is  simply  a  large  collec- 
tion of  huts,  about  two  miles  distant,  is  estimated  at  about  seventy 
thousand  ;  it  consists  of  a  mixed  race  of  Turks,  Persians,  Arabs, 
Syrians,  Kurds,  Afghans,  Belochees,  Indians  and  others.  They 
are  chiefly  engaged  in  commercial  and  maritime  pursuits.  The 
principal  body  of  merchants  are  the  Banians,  who  almost  exclu- 
sively monopolize  the  pearl  trade  of  the  Persian  Gulf.  They  also 
deal  very  heavily  in  attar  of  roses,  which  can  be  purchased  for 
six  rupees  (three  dollars)  a  bottle.  Each  bottle  contains  about 
a  hvuidred  drops,  or  a  little  more  than  a  teaspoonful  of  the  pre- 
cious liquid.  One  needs  to  be  shrewd,  however,  or  he  will  be 
imposed  upon  with  an  adulterated  article. 

The  most  common  language  you  hear  is  the  Hindoostanee. 
Our  official  visit  to  the  sultan  was  made  on  the  day  after  our 
arrival,  and  we  were  handsomely  entertained  with  sherbet,  coffee, 
dates  and  confections.  The  residence  of  the  sultan,  like  all  Turk- 
ish houses,  was  divided  into  two  distinct  parts  ;  the  selamlik  for 
the  men,  and  the  haremlik  for  the  women.  The  latter  had  as  many 
separate  suites  of  apartments  as  there  are  women.  A  Turk  who 
has  but  one  wife  —  there  are  few  who  do  not  have  more  — 
may  require  a  large  haremlik,  if  his  mother  and  sisters  live  with 
him  ;  for  each  must  have  her  private  suite  of  rooms  and  servants 
for  her  separate  use.  No  crowding  nor  mixing  of  domestics  is 
permitted   in  a  well-ordered   establishment   in  Muscat;   so  that, 


G2  FROM    THE    rOMOKO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 

should  there  be  four  wives,  they  need  never  see  one  another 
unless  they  please.  The  first  wife,  who  takes  precedence  over 
all  others  while  she  lives,  is  called  the  "  hanura."  She  has  a 
right  to  the  best  rooms,  and  to  a  fixed  portion  of  her  husband's 
income,  which  he  must  not  reduce  to  minister  to  the  caprice  of 
the  younger  spouses.  These  points  are,  as  a  rule,  settled  through 
the  ••  ulemas,"  or  priests,  before  the  marriage ;  therefore  a 
lianum's  jointure  is  as  safe  as  is  that  of  a  French  woman  who  has 
her  marriage  contract  drawni  up  by  a  notary. 

Monogamy  has  become  more  and  more  the  rule  among  the 
Turks  of  the  higher  class,  in  recent  years ;  and  even  among  those 
who  have  two  or  three  wives,  the  hanum  has  gradually  come  to  be 
regarded  as  having  the  same  rank  as  the  mistress  of  the  Christian 
home.  She  visits  and  entertains  the  hanums  of  other  gentlemen, 
but  keeps  aloof  from  wives  of  the  second  and  other  degrees. 
These  are  not  equals  in  her  sight,  being  generally  women  of  a 
lower  social  status,  who  have  not  brought  any  dower  to  their  hus- 
bands. Time  was  when  a  pacha  w^ould  take  four  wives  of  equal 
degree ;  that  is,  daughters  of  other  pachas,  or  of  the  sultan,  and 
all  richly  portioned  ;  but  manners  and  custom  have  changed  in 
this  respect,  at  least  in  the  European  part  of  Turkey.  It  must 
not  be  supposed,  however,  that  a  hanum  cherishes  any  jealous 
hatred  of  her  fellow-wives.  She  is  content  with  the  largest 
share  of  her  husband's  respect,  without  demanding  his  exclusive 
devotion.  Her  philosophy  sometimes  goes  to  the  length  of  choos- 
ing from  among  her  '•  odaliks,"  or  companions,  one  whom  she 
deems  meet  to  be  his  morganatic  spouse,  and  she  will  do  this  the 
more  readily  if  she  has  taken  a  fancy  to  the  girl,  and  is  un- 
willinci-  to  see  her  leave  the  house.  In  some  houses,  not  of  the 
hicrhest   class,  the  four  wives  are   as  friendly  as  it  is  possible  for 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY.  63 

women  to  be  under  the  same  roof,  though  each  may  have  a  differ- 
ent set  of  out-door  friends  whom  she  will  not  introduce  to  the 
others.  In  any  case,  the  supremacy  of  the  hanum  is  always  ac- 
knowledged, and  the  others  will  not  intrude  into  her  presence  un- 
less invited. 

So  long  as  strange  women  are  in  the  house,  the  huslDand  is 
excluded  from  the  harem.  The  guests,  at  a  reception,  begin  to 
arrive  toward  six  o'clock,  accompanied  by  their  maid-servants, 
and  negroes  carrying  lanterns.  The  reception  rooms  are  bril- 
liantly lighted  with  tinted  wax  candles,  and  scented  with  fragrant 
pastilles.  There  is  no  handshaking  or  kissing  between  the  hos- 
tess and  her  guests  ;  but  each  lady,  as  she  enters,  lifts  her  hand 
gracefully  to  her  heart,  her  lips,  and  her  brow,  as  much  as  to  say  : 
"  I  am  devoted  to  you  with  heart,  mouth  and  mind."  Refresh- 
ments are  soon  brought  in,  and  the  women  compliment  one  an- 
other on  their  respective  dresses.  After  coffee,  sweetmeats  and 
cigarettes  are  discussed,  and  dancing  girls  are  introduced ;  at 
this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  the  elderly  women  generally  sit  down 
to  cards  or  some  other  game.  In  some  houses,  where  Christian 
manners  have  penetrated,  a  lady  pianist  rattles  off  waltzes  and 
operatic  airs  to  the  company.  But  this  does  not  exclude  the  per- 
formances of  the  dancing  girls,  whose  gyrations  and  fantastic 
music  with  tambourines  and  castanets  are  much  appreciated. 
After  several  hours  of  uninterrupted  pleasure,  the  lady  of  the  house 
gives  the  signal  for  guests  to  retire  by  clapping  her  hands  and 
ordering  cake.  At  once  the  maids  hurry  to  fetch  the  delicacy, 
and  soon  a  very  aromatic  and  spongy  pudding  is  produced  ;  after 
disposing  of  this  the  guests  wasli  their  fingers  and  mouths 
with  rose-water  contained  in  silver  basins,  and  the  party  is  at 
an  end. 


G4  FROM    THE    C()MOi;0    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 

On  tlie  morning  of  the  twenty-ninth  of  Augnst,  the  day  on 
which  we  left  Muscat,  I  liad  the  good  fortune  to  influence  our 
guide  —  softening  the  palm  of  his  hand  with  five  rupees  —  to 
break  the  laws  of  his  land  by  permitting  ys  to  look  upon  the 
faces  of  some  of  his  beautiful  countrywomen.  AVe  followed  him 
to  the  suburbs  of  the  town  —  outside  of  the  wall;  then  takin^: 
us  to  a  vacant  house,  he  bade  us  remain  cjuiet.  In  a  little 
while  he  i-eturned,  with  his  wife,  sister,  or  cousin,  I  do  not  know 
which.  She  removed  her  mask,  and  there  before  us  stood  a 
blushing  and  splendid  beaut}'.  She  had  large  black  eyes,  a  broad 
low  forehead,  full  red  lips,  delicately  red-tinted  cheeks,  and 
a  statuescjue  form.  She  was  a  perfect  type  of  a  Circassian 
W(unan.  An  artist  would  have  gone  into  ecstasies  over  her 
beautiful  arms  and  rounded  shoulders.  She  had  small  feet  and 
beautiful  hands.  Her  feet  were  shod  in  loose  sandals,  with  soft 
covers  and  flexible  soles.  Her  hair  was  bhtck,  and  worn  long;, 
and  slie  had  expressive  blue  eyes.  And  her  costume  was  as 
picturesque  as  her  form  was  fair.  It  consisted  of  loose  silk 
pantaloons  reachinu'  onlv  to  the  knee,  and  finelv-wroiight  stock- 
ings ;  with  an  upper  garment  which  was  a  close-fitting  sleeveless 
vest,  cut  away  in  front  and  but  slightly  open  at  the  neck. 

Having  encroached  thus  far  upon  the  sacred  customs  of  Mus- 
cat, we  again  "  insulted  "  our  guide  with  more  rupees,  and  he  pro- 
duced a  company  of  dancing  girls.  In  the  poorest  and  shabbiest 
huts  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town  the  dancing  trirls  have  their 
homes.  We  found  them  different  from  the  neighbors  of  their 
sex,  in  this — their  faces  were  not  covered.  But  they  were 
beautiful  in  feature,  in  form,  in  complexion,  and  in  the  flashing 
ixlances  of  their  eves.  Their  dresses  Avere  of  a  light  rose  color, 
or  a  delicate  yellow,  while  others  were  of  a  soft  blue  of  the  thin- 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 


65 


nest  gauze.  Their  foreheads  were  covered  with  jewels  of  Turkish 
gold  and  silver  coin,  and  suspended  in  strings  one  below  another. 
They  Wcre  stockmgless,  but  wore  red  morocco  shoes,  stiff  and 
hard. 

Their  belts  were   strung  with  trinkets,  such  as  small  silver 
tmugles.  or  little  bells,  and  they  all  had  metallic  cymbals  on  each 


1 :-  ::r^ 


DANCING   GIRLS  OB"  MUSCAT. 


hand.  The  music  began,  the  shoes  were  suddenly  stripped  off, 
and  tlie  dancing  commenced.  Their  hips  rose  in  unison  with  the 
music ;  their  bodies  swung  either  way ;  their  toes  were  cramped 
into  the  sand,  and  their  countenances  assumed  a  peculiar 
earnestness  of  expression  ;  their  fervor  increased ;  their  features 
became  impassioned  ;  the   cymbals  clicked   with   greater  intent, 


66  Fi;OM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 

and  thus  they  passed  from  one  degree  of  excitement  to  another, 
till  they  became  exhausted  with  the  intense  action  of  every 
muscle  of  their  forms.  And  these  senseless  contortions  of  the 
nuiscles  of  thoir  bodies  were  called  dancing.  There  was  little 
of  the  "  poetry  of  motion  "  about  it. 

A  few  hours  later  we  were  leaving  the  quiet  and  sultry 
harbor  of  Muscat  on  our  eight  hundred  and  fiftj^  miles  run 
to  Bombay.  The  nights  at  sea  were  beautiful  in  the  bright 
moonlight,  and  as  balmy  as  September  at  home.  The  change  in 
temperature,  from  that  at  Muscat,  was  very  agreeable,  and  the 
nights  were  delightfidly  cooled  by  a  splendid  breeze,  so  that 
our  sleep  was  restful.  Seven  days  at  sea  brought  us  to  anchor 
in  the  harbor  of  Bombay. 

This  is  called  the  grandest  city  of  the  East  Indies,  but  —  I 
forbear !  It  is  usuall}^  the  first  or  the  last  city  of  India  visited 
by  the  tourist.  If  he  comes  from  Europe  by  way  of  the  Suez 
Canal  he  generally  lands  at  Bombay  and  proceeds  overland 
across  India ;  if  he  comes  from  America  by  way  of  Japan  and 
China,  he  may  land  at  Calcutta  and  proceed  to  Bombay  overland, 
Bombay  and  Calcutta  are  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  India. 
Bombay  has  a  convenient  and  pretty  harbor,  with  plenty  of 
anchoring  ground  ;  and  it  and  Calcutta  are  rivals  for  superiority, 
their  claims  being  hotly  contested  by  their  respective  partisans. 
As  to  which  is  the  finer  I  will  not  attempt  to  decide.  On  land- 
ing, we  were  greeted  by  large  numbers  of  Hindoos,  Sepoy 
soldiers,  women,  palanquin  carriers,  buggy  drivers  and  cats. 
Escaping  from  these,  we  went  up  through  the  long  narrow 
streets  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  The  natives  who  greeted  us  on 
the  quay  had  been  waiting  our  coming  on  shore,  with  their 
minds  prepared  to  fleece  the  cargo  of  new  victims.     They  came 


INHABITANTS   OF   THE    ISLAND   OF   SALSETTE,    NEAR    BOMBAY. 


FEOM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY.  67 

upon  us  like  hungry  wolves,  and  shouted  at  us  in  all  sorts  of 
dialects.  They  pulled  our  clothes,  crowded  us  in  one  direction 
and  pushed  us  in  another;  one  urged  us  to  ride  in  his  carriage  — 
a  vehicle  much  resembling  a  country  doctor's  gig  —  and  another 
pulled  us  towards  his  palanquin.  While,  last  but  not  least,  there 
was  the  ever-present  ludicrous  and  alarmingly  persistent  guide  yell- 
ing over  our  shoulders  that  he  would  show  us  all  the  si^dits  and 
describe  them  to  us,  if  we  would  onl}-  come  his  way,  and  all  for 
a  rupee.  But  ^ve  were  determined,  on  this  first  day,  to  see  the 
city  on  our  own  hook. 

Bombay  is  divided  into  two  halves,  or  rather  quarters  ;  one 
the  foreign  quarter,  and  the  other  the  native  quarter.  The  for- 
eign portion  of  Bombay  is  not  attractive,  for  the  public  and 
private  buildings  are  inferior  in  architectural  effect.  The  for- 
eign quarter  is  designated  as  "  The  Fort."  but  the  fort  disap- 
peared years  ago  to  make  room  for  Imilding  purposes.  The 
buildings  are  closely  crowded  and  the  streets  are  narrow  and 
dingy. 

.  The  Esplanade,  as  the  redeemed  ground  is  called,  contains 
some  fine  buildings.  European  faces  are  few  and  far  between  ; 
the  shops  are  native,  and  the  crowd  pushing  through  the  streets 
is  as  un-English  as  possible.  Of  the  eight  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants  of  Bombay  only  about  ten  thousand  are  Europeans. 
But  here  are  Asiatics  of  every  class ;  Parsees  with  their  flowing 
frocks  and  miter-looking  hats ;  Hindoos,  with  turbans  of 
various  shapes  and  colors,  some  fitting  close  to  the  skulls,  and 
others  spreading  like  mushrooms;  Moslems,  with  close  caps,  or 
with  turbans  differing  from  all  others  ;  and  coolies  of  the  lower 
caste,  or  no  caste  at  all,  quite  uncovered  as  to  the  head,  or  sporting 
only  a  thinly-wound  dirty  piece  of  cloth.     The  women  pass  you 


68 


FKO.M    THE    {  O.MOI£0    IbLAXlJ.S    TO    BOMBAY. 


with  heads  wholly  or  partially  covered,  and  some  expose  their 
faces  completely  to  the  gaze  of  the  stranger  without  fear  and 
without  reproach.     All  have  "  rings  on  their  fingers  and  rings  on 

their  toes,  "  and 
many  of  them  have 
their  ankles  and 
wrists  thickly 
hooped  with  bands 
of  silver  or  bone. 
A  profusion  of  jew- 
elry is  also  suspen- 
ded from  noses  and 
enrs.  Some  are  not 
content  with  pierc- 
ing the  lobes  of 
their  ears,  after  our 
civilized,  fashion, 
but  perforate  their 
entire  circumfer- 
ence to  obtain 
points  of  support 
for  jewelry.  But 
this  fashion  is  not 
solely  confined  to 
the  native  women, 
for  many  of  the 
men  of  Bombay  are  just  as  barbarous  in  their  tastes. 

The  native  town  of  Bombay  has  many  large  houses,  with 
successions  of  balconies  and  windows,  suggestive  of  palaces.  In 
the  narrow  and  open-fronted  shops  you  see,  as  everywhere  in  tlie 


A    PARSEE    MERCHANT. 


FROM    THE    COMORO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY.  69 

East,  the  merchants  squatted  among  their  wares,  and  in  a  space 
so  confined  tliat  it  is  not  necessary  to  rise  to  reach  any  article 
on  sale.  Workmen  of  various  branches  are  observed  to  be  busy  ; 
copper,  silver  and  goldsmiths  abound,  as  well  as  tailors,  shoe- 
makers, barbers,  etc.  Everywhere  is  seen  the  miter-like  hat, 
and  the  long,  parson-like  coat  of  the  Parsee,  and  everywhere  we 
find  the  wearer  thereof  engaged  in  business.  The  Parsees  really 
control  a  monopoly  of  the  shop-trade. 

They  are  an  attractive-looking  people  and  possess  a  shrewd- 
ness of  no  common  order;  they  have  all  the  Israelitish  keenness 
for  mercantile  pursuits,  and  are  not  inaptly  called  the  "  Jews 
of  Western  India."  As  their  name,  "  Parsis"  or  "  Parsee,"  would 
indicate,  their  origin  is  Persian.  They  came  into  India  several 
centuries  ago,  being  the  remnant  of  the  old-time  Fire-worshipers 
who  with  their  priests,  or  magi,  emigrated  from  Persia  after  its 
conquest  by  the  followers  of  Mohammed.  Bombay  seems  to  be 
their  chief  abiding  place,  and  it  to-day  gives  a  livelihood  to  about 
eighty  thousand  of  them.  Some  of  them  possess  enormous 
wealth,  and  several  of  the  hospitals  and  other  institutions  here 
owe  their  origin  to  Parsees. 

Bombay  will  have  occasion  to  long  revere  the  name  of  Sir 
Janssetjee  Jedeebhoy,  a  Parsee,  who  before  his  death  on  April  15, 
18-59,  contributed  upwards  of  one  million  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars  towards  the  founding,  endowment  and  support 
of  institutions  of  a  purely  benevolent  character. 

The  Parsees  are  loyal  to  their  ancient  faith  and  are  still  wor- 
shipers of  fire  as  the  symbol  of  Divinity.  When  they  came  from 
Persia  they  brought  the  sacred  embers  with  them.  These  fires 
have  ever  since  been  kept  burning  perpetually  on  their  altars. 
They  worship  the  sun  as  the  great  representative  of  the  Divine 


70  VllOM    TUE    CUMUUO    ISLANDS    TO    BOMBAY. 

Power,  and  at  sunrise,  every  morning,  they  may  be  observed  at 
the  water's  edge  with  heads  and  hands  reverently  uplifted  towards 
the  rising  sun.  As  they  rigidly  refrain  from  using  fire  for  any 
ignoble  purpose,  it  is  not  deemed  courteous  nor  polite  to  offer 
them  a  cigar  ;  yet  they  do  not  take  offense  if  a  stranger  smokes 
in  their  presence. 

The  disposition  of  the  dead  is  neither  by  incineration  or 
burial ;  but  the  bodies  are  left  exposed  to  the  sun  until  the  vult- 
ures have  cleared  all  the  flesh  from  them,  when  the  bones  are 
swept  into  a  deep  pit.  The  principal  place  for  exposing  the 
bodies  is  upon  the  highest  point  of  Malabar  Hill  just  outside  the 
city.  Here  are  the  famous  burial  structures  known  as  the  dakh- 
mas  or  "  Towers  of  Silence."  Strangers  are  rarely  admitted  to  the 
inclosure,  and  no  Parsee,  except  the  few  employed  about  the  place, 
may  enter  the  tower.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  high  wall  ;  the 
yard  is  perhaps  two  acres  in  extent,  and  near  the  entrance  is  a 
buildino;  in  which  is  an  altar  with  the  sacred  fire.  This  is  also  the 
sagii  or  temple  where  people  come  to  pray,  and  here  the  priests 
change  their  apparel  after  their  services  are  over.  The  towers 
are  nine  in  number,  of  plastered  masonry,  not  over  twenty-five 
feet  high  and  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter.  In  the  side  of  each 
tower  is  a  double  iron  door,  where  the  bearers  enter  with  the 
bodies  ;  but  through  this  door  no  Christian,  no  Hindoo,  nor  even  a 
Parsee,  save  the  priests  and  attendants,  is  permitted  to  look. 
Two  of  these  towers  are  unconsecrated ;  one  of  them  being  set  apart 
for  the  bodies  of  murderers,  and  the  other  for  suicides.  Vult- 
ures may  be  seen  at  any  time  hovering  about  the  tops  of  the 
towers,  evidently  waiting  eagerly  for  the  coming  of  a  fresh 
corpse  ',  and  an  hour  after  the  body  has  been  placed  within  the 
tower,  nothing  but  bones  remains. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 


FROM  the  deck  of  our  ship  Ave  obtained 
the  finest  possible  view  of  Bombay. 
The  picturesque  hills  were  bathed  in  a 
blue  haze,  and  ships  of  every  clime  were 
ridino;  at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  An 
American  man-of-war  so  seldom  visits 
Bombay  that  ours  was  an  object  of  great 
interest  during  the  few  days  of  our  stay  ; 
our  decks  and  cabins  swarmed  continually 
with  the  officials  and  natives,  the  mer- 
chants and  the  laborers  from  the  town. 

To  us  the  shore  offered  the  srreatest 
attraction,  and  we  never  missed  an  op- 
portunity of  visiting  it  ;  often  taking 
long  rides  into  the  country  in  one  of  the 
cheap  and  numerous  buggies,  and  some- 
times in  one  of  those  novel  native  conveyances,  the  palanquin. 

If  one  wants  to  enjoy  a  slow  tour  through  the  streets,  with- 
out stopping  at  the  shops,  he  would  better  take  a  palanquin,  a 
comfortable  little  box  in  which  the  rider  may  recline  or  sit  erect. 
The  palanquin  of  Bombay  is  so  constructed  that  it  may  be 
opened  or  shut  at  pleasure  ;  its  interior  being  provided  with  a 
cocoa  mattress  upholstered  in  leather,  and  so   elevated    at  one 

71 


72  FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 

end  that  the  occupant  may  recline  in  a  half-sitting  posture. 
Poles  extend  out  from  either  end  and  rest  on  the  shoulders  of 
the  palanquin-1)earers.  It  is  a  comfortable  though  slow  mode 
of  travel  in  2^. 

I  have  given  a  considerable  space  to  the  Parsees,  but  there 
are  also  to  be  seen  in  the  heterogeneous  crowds  in  the  Bombay 
streets,  the  tall  and  martial  Rajpoots  ;  the  swaggering  Mussul- 
man, in  his  green  turban  ;  the  sleek  Marwarees  or  Jodhpureans 
with  tight-fitting,  parti-colored  turbans  of  red  and  yellow ;  the 
pig-tailed  Chinaman,  and  —  beggars  of  every  description.  It 
is  said  that  among;  the  Parsees  such  a  thinsj  as  a  beD:2;ar  is  un- 
known  but  a  visitor  to  the  East  Indies,  coming  in  contact  with 
the  filthy,  vermin-covered  mendicants  that  are  to  be  encountered 
at  every  footstej^,  would  be  apt  to  have  his  sentiment  of  charity 
seriously  encroached  upon.  I  was  much  attracted  by  the  Hindoo 
women  who,  when  young,  are  delicate  and  beautiful,  so  far  as  one 
may  reconcile  beauty  with  the  olive  complexion.  They  are  of 
almost  perfect  proportion  ;  their  limbs  are  small,  their  features 
soft  and  regular,  and  their  eyes  black  and  languishing ;  but  the 
bloom  of  beauty  soon  decays,  and  age  makes  rapid  progress  before 
they  have  seen  thirty  years.  This  may  be  attributed  to  the 
climate  and  the  customs  of  the  country. 

No  women  can  be  more  attentive  to  cleanliness  than  the 
Hindoos.  They  employ  every  method  to  render  their  persons 
delicate,  soft,  and  attractive;  their  dress  is  peculiarly  becoming. 
It  consists  of  a  long  piece  of  silk  or  cotton  tied  around  the  waist, 
and  hanging  in  a  graceful  manner  to  the  feet.  It  is  afterward 
brought  over  the  body  in  negligee  folds,  and  under  this,  covering 
the  front  of  the  body,  is  a  short  waistcoat  of  satin.  Their  long 
black  hair  is  adorned  with  jewels  and  wreaths  of  flowers ;  their 


FllOM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 


73 


ears  are  bored  and  loaded  with  pearls ;  a  variety  of  gold  chains, 
strings  of  pearls  and  precious  stones  fall  in  clusters  from  the 
neck,  and  the   arms   are  loaded  with   bracelets   from   the  wrist 


W^ 


^^'^■ 


HINDOO    WUMEX    Ol"    BOMBAY    I.\    CEREMOXIAL    DRESS. 

to  the  elbow.  Many  of  them  also  wear  gold  and  silver  bands 
or  chains  round  the  ankles,  and  an  abundance  of  rings  on 
their  fingers  and  toes.  Among  the  adornments  of  the  fingers 
may  frequently  be  seen  a  small  circular  mirror.     The  richer  the 


/4  FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINCiAPORE. 

dress  the  less  becoming  is  it.  A  Hindoo  woman  of  distinction 
always  seems  to  be  overloaded  with  finery  ;  while  the  village 
girls,  witli  fewer  ornaments,  but  in  the  same  elegant  drapery,  are 
more  captivating.  There  are  very  few  women,  however,  even  of 
the  lowest  families,  who  at  their  marriage  have  not  some  jewels. 

The  visitor  should  not  leave  Bombay  without  inspecting  the 
interesting  Caves  of  Elephanta.  These,  tradition  asserts,  were 
once  the  secret  halls  where  assembled  the  ancient  Freemasons. 
The  island  is  about  a  mile  from  the  main  land ;  it  is  formed  of 
two  bold  mountains  covered  with  trees  and  brushwood,  and  a 
small  stretch  of  rice-fields  cultivated  by  a  few  Hindoo  farmers. 
Near  the  landing-place  is  a  portion  of  the  figure  of  an  elephant. 
It  was  once  of  life  size,  shaped  out  of  solid  rock,  and  gave  the 
name  to  the  island.  It  has  nearly  crumbled  to  pieces  by  the 
action  of  the .  weather.  Ascending  the  mountain  by  a  narrow 
path  that  winds  among  rocks  and  trees  and  underbrush,  we 
arrive  at  the  excavation  which  has  Ions;  excited  the  attention  of 
the  curious  and  afforded  ample  scope  for  the  discussion  of  anti- 
quaries. The  principal  temple  and  adjoining  apartments  are 
two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  broad. 

Wherever  the  observer  casts  his  eye  he  is  attracted  by  the 
numerous  and  rich  decorations.  He  is  also  constantly  reminded 
that  he  is  in  a  trreat  cave.  He  l)eholds  four  rows  of  massive 
columns  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  —  uniform  in  their  order,  and 
placed  at  regular  distances  so  as  to  form  three  magnificent 
avenues  leading  from  the  principal  entrance  1o  the  grand  idol 
which  terminates  the  middle  vista.  The  central  image  is  com- 
posed of  three  colossal  heads  reaching  nearly  from  the  floor  to 
the  roof  — a  height  of  fifteen  feet.     It  represents  the  triad  deity 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE.  75 


in  the  Hindoo  mythology  —  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva,  in  the 
character  of  Creator,  Preserver  and  Destroyer.*  The  middle  face 
(that  of  Brahma)  displays  regular  features,  and  a  mild  and  serene 
character.  The  towering  head-dress  is  much  ornamented,  as  are 
those  on  either  side  which  appear  in  profile,  lofty  and  richly 
adorned  with  jewels.  The  countenance  of  Vishnu  has  the  same 
mild  aspect  as  Brahma  ;  while  the  visage  of  Siva  is  altogether 
different —  severity  and  revenge,  characteristics  of  his  destroying 
attributes,  being  strongly  depicted.  One  of  the  hands  of  Siva 
encircles  a  large  cobra  de  capello  ;  while  the  other  contains  fruits, 
flowers  and  blessings  of  mankind.  The  lotus  and  pomegranate 
are  also  easily  distinguished. 

On  either  side  of  the  Elephanta  triad  is  a  gigantic  figure  lean- 
ing on  a  dwarf,  an  object  frequently  introduced  in  these  excava- 
tions. The  giants  guard  the  triple  deity  and  separate  it  from  a 
large  recess  filled  with  a  variety  of  figures  —  male  and  female, 
in  different  attitudes.  They  are  in  tolerable  proportion,  but  ex- 
press no  particular  character  of  countenance.  One  conspicuous 
figure,  is  like  the  Amazon,  single-breasted ;  the  rest,  whether 
intended  for  goddesses  or  mortals,  are  generally  adorned  like 
the  modern  Hindoo  women,  with  bracelets  and  rings  for  the 
ankles ;  but  the  men  have  bracelets  only.  The  intervening 
space  between  the  large  figures  is  occupied  by  small  aerial 
figures  hovering  about  them  in  infinite  variety.  The  sides  of 
the  temple  are  adorned  with  similar  compositions  placed  at 
regular  distances ;  they  terminate  the  avenues  formed  by  the 
colonnades  so  that,  except  at  a  near  approach,  only  one  group 
is  seen  at  a  time.     The  regularity  and  proportions  of  the  whole 


*Tliis  rcmiirknl)lc'  bust  i«  now  supposed  to  be  a  triform  representation  of  Siva  alone,   and  not  of  bis 
associates  in  the  Hindoo  trinity. 


70 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 


are  remarkably  striking.  The  figures  are  generally  in  grace- 
ful attitudes,  but  those  of  herculean  stature  indicate  no  muscu- 
lar streno:tli. 

From  the  right  and  left  avenues  of  the  principal  temple,  are 
passages  to  smaller  excavations  on  each  side  ;  that  on  the  right 


IN    THE    CAVERN  UF    SIVA. 


is  much  decayed  and  not  enough  of  the  sculpture  remains  to 
trace  out  the  original  figures.  A  pool  of  water  penetrates  from 
it  into  a  dark  cavern  far  under  the  rock.  A  small  temple  on  the 
left  contains  two  baths,  one   of  them   elesj-antlv  finished.     The 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE.  77 

front  is  open  and  supported  by  pillars  of  a  different  order  from 
those  in  the  large  temple ;  the  sides  are  adorned  with  sculpture ; 
the  roof  and  cornice  are  painted  in  mosaic  pattern,  some  of  the 
colors  being  still  bright.  The  opposite  bath,  of  the  same  propor- 
tions, is  less  ornamented.  Between  these  two  baths  is  a  room 
detached  from  the  rock.  It  contains  a  colossal  representation  of 
the  Ungula.  Several  small  caves  also  branch  out  from  the  great 
excavation. 

Elephanta  Cave  is  a  work  which  would  be  admired  by  the 
curious,  had  it  been  raised  from  a  foundation  like  other  remark- 
able structures.  But  when  we  consider  that  it  was  tunnelled 
mch  by  inch  into  the  solid  rock,  and  with  tools  evidently  not 
used  in  similar  works  in  modern  times,  we  cannot  but  be  aston- 
ished at  the  conception  and  completion  of  so  vast  an  undertak- 
ing. I  am,  of  course,  no  advocate  of  Hindooism,  but  I  confess 
that  a  visit  to  these  excavations  filled  my  mind  with  awe,  even 
though  I  was  surrounded  by  idols.  There  are  other  great  caves 
aside  from  Elephanta,  in  the  vicinity  of  Bombay,  but  want  of 
time  alone  prevented  me  from  visiting  them. 

In  direct  contrast  to  this  awe-filled  experience  was  an  amusing 
spectacle  which  occurred  on  the  seventh  of  September,  during 
our  Indian  visit,  and  which  I  had  the  privilege  of  observing. 
This  was  the  burial  of  the  gods  or  idols  of  one  of  the  many 
castes  of  Hindoos.  It  is  of  yearly  occurrence,  and  I  went  to  a 
quiet  side  of  the  harbor  to  witness  this  part  of  a  strange  relig- 
ious ceremony.  The  idols  are  made  of  plaster,  some  of  them 
small,  others  of  almost  life-size;  some  of  them  plainly  habited, 
others  richly  and  gayly  adorned.  Some  were  brought  down  in 
palanquins  and  others  in  sedan-chairs,  but  always  preceded  by  a 
procession  of  from  twenty  to  two  hundred  persons,  most  of  whom 


78  FllOM    nOMUAY    TO    :>lNGAl'OKE. 

were  opium  drunk  and  danced  along  the  streets  keeping  unsteady 
time  to  the  beating  of  drums.  Arriving  at  the  beach  a  peculiar 
ceremony  was  performed.  It  was,  I  learned,  a  burial  service, 
and  consisted  of  dancing  and  a  monotonous  singing.  This  over 
one  of  the  celebrants,  with  an  idol  perched  upon  his  head,  waded 
out  till  the  water  reached  his  chin  and  then  dived  down  to  bury 
the  idol  in  the  mud.  This  is  done  to  dispose  of  the  sin-inoculated 
idols,  which  have  become  corrupted  with  the  wicked  things  un- 
burdened to  them  at  the  confessional.  During  the  two  hours  I 
stood  witnessing  this  strange  and  3'et  laughal^ly  impressive  cere- 
mony,  no  less  than  a  hundred  idols  were  drowned  and  buried  in 
the  mud.  A  stranger  would  have  wondered  if  it  was  an  insane 
asylum  delivery,  and  yet  I  should  have  been  sorely  displeased  to 
have  missed  the  sight. 

AVe  bade  good-by  to  Bombay  on  the  seventeenth  of  Septem- 
ber, and  put  to  sea.  Our  next  port  was  to  be  Singapore,  in  the 
Straits  of  Malacca. 

A  remarkable  and  interesting  incident  occurred  the  night  after 
we  entered  the  Straits.  The  island  of  Sumatra  was  in  sight. 
Our  vessel  lay  in  a  dead  calm,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  an 
"  Irish  hurricane  "  — the  only  wind  being  up  and  down  with  the 
mast,  and  the  sails  hanging  fiat  and  flapping  back  and  forth  with 
the  motion  of  the  vessel  in  the  swell.  It  was  about  midnight 
when  the  messenger  was  sent  bv  the  ofhcer-of-the-deck  to  arouse 
all  of  the  officers  and  the  creAv's  watch  below.  Hurrying  on 
deck  we  observed  that  the  sea  was  peculiarly  white,  and  we 
seemed  to  be  sailing  in  an  ocean  of  milk.  It  aroused  all  of  our 
sailor-superstition  ;  but  after  rubbing  our  eyes  until  they  were 
fully  opened  and  freshening  up  our  faculties  we  realized  that  the 
phenomena,  one  of  rare  occurrence,  was  due  to  innumerable  ani- 


U3 
Oi 

O 

< 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SIXGAPOHE.  79 

iiialcula?.  Our  commander,  who  later  became  Rear-Aclmiral  Eavl 
Eiiij-lisli,  remarked  that  he  had  witnessed  a  simiLar  occurrence  m 
the  Indian  Ocean  about  twenty-five  years  before. 

On  the  third  of  October  we  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Sinsfa- 
pore.  No  sooner  was  the  anchor  down  tlian  a  hundred  jabbering 
natives  sprang  on  board,  chimbering  up  from  the  small  boats  in 
which  thev  had  come  out  from  the  shore.  We  seemed  to  have 
dropped  into  Bedlam.  They  all  talked  at  once  in  their  strange 
dialects,  gesticulated  to  each  other  and  to  us,  and  everything 
was  in  confusion.  Some  were  hotel  proprietors,  and  some  were 
beggars ;  some  were  bird-sellers  and  some  were  Singapore  gentle- 
men and  merchants ;  some  were  laundrymen  and  some  were 
thieves.  The  hotel  proprietors,  with  cards  in  their  hands,  were 
recommendino'  to  us  their  various  inns ;  the  beo;g:ars  suns;  in  our 
ears  "  backsheesh  !  backsheesh  !  "  The  laundrymen  tried  to  con- 
vince us  that  our  clothes  would  be  nicely  done  up  and  without 
the  use  of  stones  and  clubs  to  pound  the  dirt  out,  but  we  well 
knew  from  experience  how  much  dependence  we  could  give  to 
these  people.  The  thieves  were  on  the  alert  to  steal  anything 
from  a  hundred-pound  solid  shot  to  a  gold  watch. 

Singapore,  like  Hong  Kong,  is  an  English  port ;  and,  like 
Hong  Kong,  it  has  a  large  population  of  Chinese.  They  are 
found  in  all  occupations,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest.  Some 
of  them  are  "  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water,"  while 
others  are  merchants  doing  an  extensive  business,  even  to  owning 
and  managing  steam  vessels.  The  hotels  are  provided  with 
Chinese  and  Malay  servants,  and  are  infested  with  Chinese  ped- 
dlers, who  bring  to  you  Chinese  and  Japanese  goods  and  curios, 
and  above  all  handsomely  mounted  birds  of  paradise  and  tiger 
claws.     The  Bengalee  and  other  natives  of  India  are  encrasfed  in 


8U  FiiOM    UOMIJAV    TO    blNCiAroKE. 

tnides  similar  to  those  of  the  Chinese;  uiul  one  must  be  careful 
not  to  coniinc  himself  to  the  one-price  system,  for  you  may  pur- 
chase anything  at  one  fifth  of  the  original  price  demanded  or  less. 
They  have  equally  as  weak  consciences  as  the  Jews  1  found  at 
Aden,  or  even  those  on  Chatham  and  Division  Streets  in  New 
York.  I  obtained  some  handsome  birds  of  paradise  and  some 
tiger  claws,  both  mounted  and  unmounted. 

At  Singapore  will  be  found  Indians  (the  Marhatti  Hindoo) 
with  the  turbans  and  bright-colored  sarongs ;  Parsees  with  that 
tall,  tapering,  queer-looking  indescribable  hat  of  theirs  very- 
much  like  ca  stove-pipe  ;  Chinese  workmen  stripped  to  the  waist, 
and  wearing  naught  on  their  heads  but  the  classic  queue ;  Malay 
workmen,  bare  as  to  body  and  lower  limbs,  their  entire  garment 
consisting  of  a  loin  cloth  and  a  huge  turban,  and  their  skins  a 
finely  polished  black. 

Singapore  has  quite  an  extensive  business.  It  is  the  pur- 
chasing point  for  Siam  and  Borneo,  and  in  a  great  measure  for 
Java  and  Sumatra.  There  are  two  larije  gardens  here,  both  of 
them  well  worth  a  visit.  The  luxuriance  of  tropical  growth  is 
grand  in  itself,  and  one  sees  new  and  curious  trees  that  would 
require  considerable  space  for  a  worthy  description.  In  each 
garden  one  may  see  the  ourang-outang  of  the  largest  growth  ;  the 
ostrich,  the  elephant,  the  lion,  the  camel,  and  many  other  species 
of  the  animal  kingdom  peculiar  to  the  torrid  zones ;  but  the  one 
thing  above  all  others  of  rare  beauty  is  the  male  bird  of  paradise. 
The  males  alone,  like  the  peacock,  are  the  birds  of  splendid 
plumage ;  not  only  are  they  characterized  by  great  brilliancy 
of  tints,  but  they  have  a  glossy,  velvety  appearance,  a  metallic 
luster  and  a  singularly  beautiful  play  of  colors.  Tufts  of 
feathers  growing  from  the  shoulders  extend  far  beyond  the  body 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 


81 


and  to  the  tip  of  the  tail  and  are  of  great  vakie  as  plumes  for 
ladies'  hats. 

There  are  pretty  drives  around  and  over  the  Malay  Peninsula, 
and  to  meet  a  tiger  now  and  then  in  a  portion  of  a  jungle  nearest 
the  main  land  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence.     The  main  land 


HASHISH    SMOKERS. 


is  infested  with  tigers,  and  they  occasionally  swim  across  the  chan- 
nel in  search  of  prey.  As  tigers  only  attack  persons  on  foot  I  was 
especially  careful  to  ride  on  all  of  my  excursions  and  to  select 
only  the  fleetest-footed  horses.  The  statistics  of  the  Chinese  and 
natives  eaten  annually  by  tigers  are  not  carefully  kept,  but  they 
?.re  unhappily  large. 


82  FKUM    BOMBAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 

"  So  you  never  have  smoked  hashish  ? "  said  a  friend  to  me 
one  day  at  Singapore,  and  added,  "  Well,  you've  missed  one  of 
the  greatest  treats  of  your  life.  But  just  come  with  me  and  Til 
give  you  a  taste  of  the  drug  which,  for  at  least  twenty  centuries, 
has  caused  happiness  and  misery  to  millions  of  our  fellow-beings." 
My  friend  had  spent  thirt}"  years  in  the  East,  hence  I  readily 
placed  myself  under  his  guidance.  Hashish  (pronounced  has- 
heesh) is  the  Oriental  name  for  the  plant  we  term  Indian  hemp, 
and  its  use  is  said  to  cause  real  happiness,  and  by  no  means  the 
sensual  enjoyment  that  might  be  supposed.  The  hashish-eater  is 
as  happy  as  is  one  who  hears  pleasant  news  or  is  intoxicated 
with  success. 

I  followed  my  guide  to  a  native  house,  and  passing  through  a 
dark  hall  we  came  to  a  door  and  gave  a  light  tap.  It  was  opened 
at  once  by  a  black  houri  who  bade  us  enter.  It  was  difficult  to 
discern  anvthino-.  as  everv  avenue  of  li^j-ht  seemed  to  be  barricaded. 
The  floor  was  carpeted  with  thick  Chinese  matting,  and  on  the 
walls  were  a  number  of  cheap  pictures.  Against  the  walls  were 
four  long  bunks  with  matting  bottoms.  A  half-dozen  benches,  a 
table  and  two  low  ottomans  made  up  the  rest  of  the  furniture. 
The  bunks  were  occupied  by  either  men  or  women  in  a  semi-stupid 
or  dozing  state. 

A  new  customer  had  just  preceded  our  entrance,  and  as  the 
proprietor  brought  him  in  a  ''lay-out"  I  thought  I  would  get  my 
experience  from  observation.  The  lay-out  was  a  Turkish  narghil, 
a  small  brazier  full  of  incandescent  charcoal,  and  a  porcelain  jar. 
The  narghil  was  different  in  some  respects  from  the  one  used  for 
smoking  tobacco.  It  was,  like  the  latter,  a  handsome  glass  globe 
half-filled  with  perfumed  Water  and  provided  with  two  glass  tubes, 
one  going  almost  to  the  bottom  of  the  glol^e  and  terminating  in  a 


FROM    BOMBAY    TO    .SIXGAPOKE.  83 

metal  bowl ;  the  other  just  penetrating  the  cork  top  of  the 
globe  and  connected  to  a  long  rubber  tube  the  end  of  which  was 
an  amber  mouth-piece.  The  metal  bowl  was  about  the  shape  and 
size  of  a  hen's  egg,  inside  of  which,  a  little  space  apart,  were  two 
pieces  of  grating. 

The  proprietor,  with  a  pair  of  small  tongs,  placed  some  small 
live  coals  on  the  upper  grate,  and  then  with  a  thin  knife  took 
from  the  porcelain  jar  a  piece  of  hashish  and  placed  it  on  the 
coals.  The  drug  w^as  a  thick  paste  of  a  dark  greenish-black  hue  ; 
its  odor  was  penetrating,  but  thin.  The  moment  the  paste 
touched  the  hot  coals  it  began  to  smoke  and  burn.  A  perforated 
cap  was  then  put  on  the  metal  bowl,  and  the  tube  and  mouth- 
piece handed  to  the  stranger,  wdio  very  considerately  gave  me 
the  preference.  A  few  deep  inhalations  filled  my  throat  and 
lungs  with  the  vapor,  the  effect  of  which  does  not  begin  to  com- 
pare with  that  of  opium.  It  seemed  soothing  and  narcotic  in 
character ;  it  produced  a  pleasant  sensation  in  the  wind  pas- 
sages, and,  unlike  tobacco-smoke,  caused  no  desire  to  cough.  In 
ten  minutes  the  first  charge  of  hashish  had  burned  out  and  was 
renewed. 

My  first  symptoms  were  an  increased  action  of  the  heart  and 
a  sensation  of  pleasurable  warmth.  These  w^ere  followed  and 
supplanted  by  a  mental  exaltation,  and  a  feeling  akin  to  pain.  It 
seemed  as  if  some  enemy  were  trying  to  compress  my  skull. 
This  was  followed  by  an  illumination  of  the  brain  or  mind,  and 
a  fading  of  everything  without.  Then  came  a  profound  sleep, 
from  which  I  soon  awakened  wdth  sensations  of  nausea  and 
headache.     It  was  my  first  and  last  experience. 

There  are  several  preparations  of  hashish,  both  as  a  medicine 
and  an  indulu'ent.  and    there  are   four  wavs  of  usins  it.     The 


84  FlIUM    BOMliAY    TO    SINGAPORE. 

French  cat  the  extract  or  paste,  a  shigle  dose  being  a  pill  as  large 
as  a  tive-cent  silver  piece.  The  Moors  and  Persians  dissolve  it 
in  a  strong  aromatic  fluid  and  drink  the  concoction.  You  may 
buy  the  leaves  and  smoke  them  in  a  pipe,  or  roll  them  into  a 
cigarette.  Or  you  can  smoke  the  paste  in  a  narghil.  The  trou- 
ble with  eatino'  or  drinkin"-  the  drno-  is,  that  it  causes  a  disease 
of  the  stomach,  and  eventually  a  painful  dyspepsia.  If  you 
smoke  the  leaves  you  irritate  the  lungs  and  throat  with  the 
vapor  of  the  wood-fiber.  With  the  narghil  the  stomach  and  lungs 
are  not  affected,  and  the  narcotic  effect  comes  on  in  a  few  min- 
utes. It  may  be  nnhealthful,  but  it  is  not  as  injurious  as  is 
opium  or  morphine. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


FROM     SIXGAPORE     TO     FOO-CIIOW. 


A' 


FTER  a  stay  of  eleven 
clays  at  Singapore,  we 
steamed  out  of  the  harbor, 
and  in  a  few  hours  left  the 
Straits  of  Malacca  behind 
us.  Crossing  the  Gulf  of 
Siam,  we  had  the  island  of 
Borneo  on  our  right ;  this 
remained  in  siirht  for  a  con- 
siderable  distance,  and  then 
we  entered  the  China  Sea. 

Our  experience  of  the 
cyclones  of  the  North  Atlan- 
tic, and  the  pamperos  off  the 
River  Plate,  did  not  permit 
us  to  look  forward  with 
pleasurable  anticipations  at 
the  possibility  of  encounter- 
ing, in  these  waters,  one  of  those  destrojang  tempests  known 
as  the  ••  typhoon."  Our  fears  and  superstitions,  however,  were 
unnecessary,  for  we  had  the  finest  of  weather,  and  ten  days  at 
sea  brouofht  us  in  sicrht  of  the  island  of  Luzon,  one  of  the  largest 

85 


86  FROM    SINGAPORE    TO    FOO-CIIOW. 

of  the  Philippines;  before  the  night  of  the  tenth  clay  had  closed 
in  we  were  swinging  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  uf  Manihi. 

It  was  Sunday  when  we  arrived,  but  tliat  did  not  keep  us 
from  desiring  to  go  on  shore,  and  before  long  a  half-dozen  of  us 
were  walking  along  the  esplanade.  About  the  first  thing  to  at- 
tract our  attention  was  a  I'lila  de  (jallos  (cock-fight),  and  we 
stopped  to  see  it,  only  to  soon  become  disgusted.  We  had  al- 
ready been  present  at  just  such  a  brutal  exhibition  on  the  other 
side  of  the  globe,  and  had  no  desire  for  a  repetition.  Imagine 
an  amphitheater  with  four  or  five  hundred  Spaniards,  and  "  mes- 
tizos "  or  natives,  each  one  crowding  and  pushing  and  yelling  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  and  reaching  over  the  heads  of  one  another 
handing  i\\Q\v  centavos  (pennies)  and  reals  (shillings)  to  the  book- 
makers to  wager  upon  the  fowl  selected  to  win  ;  a  circular  space 
in  which  were  two  men,  each  with  a  sharply  spurred  game-cock 
in  his  hands  and  each  one  holdinsr  his  bird  fast  until  the  master 
of  ceremonies  should  give  the  signal  for  the  fight  to  begin.  The 
confusion,  the  Babel  of  tongues,  and  the  intense  excitement,  espe- 
cially of  those  spectators  who  had  wagered  their  few  pennies  on 
the  result,  suggested  the  possibility  of  personal  conflicts  ;  but 
hardly  a  moment  passes  before  one  of  the  birds  is  seen  to  stag- 
ger, bleeding  freely  from  a  chance  wound  given  it  by  the  other 
bird;  then  the  fight  is  ended,  only  to  be  succeeded  by  another 
equally  blood-curdling  contest  between  two  fresh  fowls. 

On  the  following  day  we  again  visited  the  shore  to  ''  take  in 
the  whole  town."  For  this  purpose  we  hired  a  barouche  for  the 
whole  day  at  an  expense  of  "  dos  pesos' — two  dollars. 

Passing  over  the  bridge  that  separates  the  old  settlement 
from  the  new,  Ave  rode  for  a  mile  along  one  of  the  pleasantest 
drives  I  have  ever  seen.     This  broua:ht  us  to  the  walled  town 


FROM    SINGAPORE    TO    FOO-CHOW.  87 

which  we  entered  through  the  "  Puerto  de  Ysabel  Segunda,"  or 
Gate  of  Isabel  the  Second.  Ridmg  through  the  streets  of  the 
old  city  we  met  on  every  side,  ruins  of  old  cathedrals,  convents, 
barracks,  and  other  buildings,  the  result  of  the  great  earthquakes 
of  1863.  Convulsions  of  the  earth  have  been  frequent  here,  but 
seldom  so  disastrous  as  in  1863.  Only  one  of  the  old  cathedrals 
escaped  the  destructive  upheaval. 

We  met  on  our  drive  uiany  handsome  private  carriages,  hlled 
with  the  fair  sex  looking  as  bright,  fresh  and  cheerful  as  the 
flowers  of  May  ;  and  with  that  beauty  of  feature  and  complexion 
which  is  only  to  be  found  among  the  Castilian  race. 

The  native  population  of  the  island  live  in  houses  walled  with 
bamboo  rods,  and  roofed  with  palm  leaves.  These  native  dwell- 
ings, usually  encircled  by  banana  plantations,  are  raised  on  poles 
and  stand  some  four  feet  above  the  ground,  after  the  manner  of 
the  prehistoric  buildiugs  of  the  lacustrine  epoch.  The  entrance 
is  reached  by  a  kind  of  ladder,  and  underneath  the  building  is 
the  storehouse  for  the  farming  implements.  Here,  too,  is  the 
refuge  for  the  pigs  and  poultry.  As  a  rule,  these  habitations 
have  a  small  ante-chamber  —  two  rooms  and  a  kitchen  —  sepa- 
rated from  the  main  house,  but  reached  by  a  bamboo  bridge.  One 
of  these  chambers  is  the  eating-room,  the  other  serves  as  a  sitting- 
room  by  day  and  a  dormitory  at  night.  In  eyery  home  you  hnd 
plenty  of  cigars  and  cigarettes ;  curved,  finely  tempered  knives, 
called  bolos ;  wicker-baskets  and  a  few  religious  books,  and  betel 
boxes.  No  house,  no  individual,  indeed,  seems  to  be  complete 
without  this  betel  box. 

The  betel,  or  Penang  nut,  is  really  a  native  of  the  Malay  Pe- 
ninsula, but  it  may  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  East  Indies.  It 
is  about  the  size  of  an  Enolish  walnut.     It  is  an  astrinsfent ;  but 


/ 


88  FI.'OM    SIXCAPOKE    TO    FOO-(IK)V.'. 

with  the  leaf  of  the  betel  pepper  it  becomes  a  narcotic  stimulant. 
It  causes  a  ijiddiness  to  those  not  accustomed  to  its  use. 

The  betel  nut  seeins  as  essential  to  the  Malays,  whether  in 
their  own  peninsula  or  in  the  Philippines,  as  is  tobacco  to  a  New 
York  bootblack,  or  as  is  opium  to  the  confirmed  Chinese  opium- 
smoker.  It  is  a  revolting  habit  to  a  fastidious  person,  for 
if  a  man  or  woman  speaks  to  3'ou  while  chewing  his  or  her 
"quid"  of  betel,  the  mouth  looks  as  if  it  was  full  of  blood. 
The  betel  nut  is  the  fruit  of  the  Areca  or  betel  palm.  The  nuts 
oTow  in  clusters,  but  the  tree  does  not  beo:in  to  bear  till  it  is  six 
years  old.  Each  nut  is  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  nutmeg  and 
is  covered  with  a  fibrous  yellow  husk.  The  fruit  is  gathered,  be- 
fore it  is  quite  ripe,  in  the  early  fall  and  deprived  of  its  husks. 
The  nut  is  then  boiled  in  Avater.  cut  into  slices  and  dried  in  the 
sun,  assuming  a  black  or  dark  brown  color.  The  betel-chewer 
takes  a  leaf  of  the  betel-pepper,  spreads  upon  it  a  paste  of  lime 
or  spices,  and  rolls  it  about  a  piece  of  the  nut.  When  thrust 
into  the  mouth  the  chewer  begins  to  work  his  jaws  and  to  spit. 

The  custom  of  chewing  it  has  become  so  general  with  the 
natives,  not  only  in  the  Philippines  but  also  in  Java,  Sumatra  and 
other  places  in  the  East  Indies,  as  to  be  considered  a  part  of  eti- 
cj[uette  —  men.  women  and  children  indulging  in  it  from  morning 
till  night.  So  widespread  indeed  is  the  betel  habit  in  the  East 
that  it  is  estimated  that  one  tenth  of  the  human  familv  indulge 
m  betel  chewino-.  It  g-ives  a  reddish  color  to  the  saliva,  so  that 
the  lips  and  teeth  seem  to  be  covered  with  blood.  By  its  habitual 
use  the  lips  and  teeth  become  blackened  as  with  a  dye  and  the 
teeth  are  loosened . 

The  Tatralas  and  Biscavers  are  the  most  numerous  anion  a; 
Manila's  population,  wliile  the  Mestizos  form  the  influential  part 


FROM    SINGAPORE    TO    FOO-CHOW.  89 

and  by  their  activity  engross  the  greatest  share  of  the  trade.  The 
Mestizos  are  mostly  of  Chinese  fathers  and  native  niotliers,  but 
possess  more  the  characteristics  of  the  Spanish  than  the  Chinese. 

Tlie  principal  industries  depended  upon  here  are  coffee-grow- 
ing, cigar-making  and  the  manufacture  of  peha  cloth  from  tlie 
fibres  of  the  leaves  of  the  pine-apple  plant.  This  cloth  is  of 
different  textures,  some  of  it  being  as  fine  as  silk  while  some  is 
as  coarse  as  horse-hair  cloth.  It  is  all  of  it  verv  strono;  and  the 
better  arrades  far  excel  the  finest  lawns  in  texture.  Thousands  of 
women  are  employed  in  the  factories  and  it  is  interesting  to 
watch  them  in  their  embroidery  work  on  the  better  trrades  of  the 
peila  cloth,  especially  in  the  working  of  fine  handkerchiefs,  some 
of  which  are  here  worth  as  much  as  one  hundred  dollars  each. 

The  cigar-making  industry  is  also  c[uite  extensive,  and  the 
Manila  cigars  and  cheroots  are  famous.  Indeed  the  majority  of 
smokers  prefer  them  to  the  Havana  product.  Theii"  manufacture 
is  under  the  charge  of  an  administration  whose  headquarters  are 
at  Manila,  and  it  is  estimated  that  twenty  thousand  persons  are 
employed  in  this  branch  of  manufacture.  The  annual  output  is 
full}'  one  hundred  millions.  The  best  brand,  the  Imperials,  may 
be  purchased  here  at  less  than  forty  dollars  a  thousand.  Nearly 
92,000,000  pounds  of  Manila  hemp  and  more  than  280,000.000 
pounds  of  sugar  are  annually  shipped  from  the  port  of  Manila. 

From  Manila  we  sailed  for  our  first  port  in  China,  the  land  of 
the  almond-eyed,  pig-tailed,  opium  smoker  and  fan-tan  player. 
On  the  third  day  after  leaving  our  Spanish  friends  we  sighted 
the  lofty  peak  of  Victoria  Hill  that  rises  1825  feet  above  the 
mao-nificent  harbor  of  Houl;:  Kone.  Its  summit  was  nearly 
hidden  by  the  clouds  ;  but,  with  our  strong  marine-glasses  we 
could  see  Sedan-chairs  ascendino;  or  descending'  with  visitors  on 


90 


KKOM    HINGAPOPvE    TO    FOO-CHOW. 


the  main  road.  No  sooner  was  the  anchor  down  in  Hong  Kong 
harbor  tlian  the  ship  was  surrounded  by  sampans.  This  is  the 
Chine.^^e  errand  boat.  It  is  iVoni  twelve  to  hfteen  feet  in  lenutli, 
and  is  so  constructed  as  to  provide  habitation  for  an  entire  family. 
As  the  sampans  pulled  alongside  us  there  sprang  from  them  on 


CHINESE    JUNK. 


board  the  Iroquois,  washerwomen,  compradors  (runners  for  ship- 
chandlers),  tradesmen  and  boatmen  all  clamoring  for  our  pat- 
ron a  o-e. 

From  our  deck  we  obtained  a  grand  panoramic  view  of  Hong 
Kontr,  a  citv  which  is  under  the  o;overnment  of  the  British 
authorities.  Its  name  properly  rendered  is  Hiang-Kiang  "  the 
place  of  sweet  streams."  The  harbor  and  island  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  Gibraltar.  The  city  itself  has  little  about  it  to  sug- 
gest a  port  in  China  ;  in  fact  but  for  its  inhabitants  it  would  an- 
swer as  well  for  any  city  in  Europe  of  similar  size.     Its  resem- 


FKOM    SINGAPORE    TO    FOO-CHOW.  91 

blance  to  Gibraltar  disappeared  upon  going  ashore,  for  we  found 
the  streets  much  wider  and  the  houses  more  uniformly  built.  The 
principal  thoroughfare  is  called  Queen's  Road.  It  is  lined  on 
both  sides  with  fine  warehouses,  banking  institutions,  a  hotel,  and 
other  public  buildings.  A  little  back  of  the  Queen's  Road,  is  the 
native  quarter  where  are  huddled  together  the  Chinese  residents. 
The  first  thing  to  attract  our  attention  was  the  Chinese  women, 
dressed  in  their  baggy  trousers  and  sacks,  their  feet  encased  in 
diminutive  sandals,  and  their  black  glossy  hair  combed  up  in  a 
novel  manner  and  stiffened  with  pomade  into  a  semblance  of 
a  cock's  comb. 

The  Chinese  coolies  are  seen  trotting  along  the  street  with  a 
wooden  yoke  over  their  shoulders.  From  each  end  of  this  yoke 
is  suspended  a  sling,  one  holding  a  case  or  basket  of  merchandise, 
and  the  other  a  big  stone,  perhaps  as  a  balance  to  the  other 
burden.  Chinese  tradespeople  passed  us,  their  silken  skull-caps 
handsomely  embroidered  or  their  silk  pajamas  fastened  together 
with  gold  buttons,  in  strong  contrast  to  their  more  cheaply 
costumed  pig-tail  brethren.  From  these  would  come  a  courteous 
recog-nition  or  the  salute:  '"Chin-chin?"  which  has  a  similar 
meanino:  to  our  trreeting-  of  •'  How  are  you  ? "  After  a  brief 
stop  at  the  hotel  —  thorougijly  American  in  every  respect  —  we 
continued  our  sigrht-seeino-.  Sedan  -  chairs  were  everywhere 
rang;ed  along  the  curb,  the  carriers  readv  to  take  us  from  one 
end  of  the  town  to  the  other  for  a  few  "  cash."  But  this  was 
our  first  day  on  shore  and  we  preferred  to  walk.  A  few  steps 
from  the  hotel  we  heard  the  jingling  of  silver ;  turning  our 
heads,  we  observed  a  Chinaman  sitting  beside  a  large  basket 
filled  with  "  trade,"  or  Mexican  dollars,  and  he  is  testing  them  to 
learn  whether  any  of  them  are  -  chop  "  —  that  is  light  weight  — 


92  FROM    SINGAPORE    TO    FOO-CIIOW. 

or  have  not  the  true  ring  to  tlieni.  This  is  the  bank  and 
'•.luhn'"  (as  all  Chinamen  are  called)  taking  up  a  handful  of 
dollars  passes  them  one  at  a  time  from  one  hand  into  the  other 
and  readily  detects  the  false  ring.  In  fact  none  are  so  expert 
as  the  Chinese  in  testins:  coins.  The  Chinese  are  famous  for 
"  chopping  "  silver  dollars,  a  system  of  fraud  largely  practiced  by 
inserting  alloy  in  the  place  of  silver  extracted  ;  this,  while  it 
does  not  alter  the  appearance  or  weight  of  the  coin  perceptibly, 
cannot  be  detected  except  by  an  ear  most  susceptible  to  sound. 

The  Chinese  shops  next  attracted  our  attention  ;  here  were 
found  articles  of  vertic  of  every  class  of  Oriental  design  — carved 
work  in  ivory  and  sandal-wood ;  jewelry,  silks,  satins,  crepe, 
China  ware  of  native  pattern,  and  many  other  things  too 
numerous  to  mention  ;  the}^  were  cheap,  too,  if  one  was  but 
shrewd  enough  to  avoid  being  swindled.  The  principal  mode 
of  conveyance,  the  Sedan-chair,  is  made  of  bamboo.  It  is  borne 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  Chinamen  and  is  a  comfortable  and 
sleepy  vehicle  to  ride  in.  The  rapidity  with  which  these  coolie 
carriers  get  over  the  ground  is  something  surprising,  and  they 
seem  to  be  able  to  travel  the  entire  day  without  becoming 
exhausted. 

From  the  curio  shops  we  went  to  a  gambling-house  to  see 
the  National  game,  fan-tan,  or  "  yet,  yee,  sam,  see  "  (one.  two, 
three,  four),  played.  To  the  novice,  fan-tan  is  to  all  appearances 
a  game  in  which  there  can  be  no  cheating  ;  but  a  better  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Chinese  and  their  delicacy  of  touch  convinced  me 
that  the  dealers  can  tell  to  a  "  cash  "  (the  small  brass  money 
used)  the  exact  number  they  pick  up  in  their  double-hand,  thus 
making  cheating  not  only  possible,  but  actual.  The  gambling 
room  was  on  the  main  floor  ;    in  the  center  was  a  table  about  six 


A    CHINESE    I'AUUDA. 


FROM    SINGAPOEE    TO    FOO-CHOW. 


95 


feet  square,  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  chattering  Chinamen,  each 
with  his  string;  of  cash,  and  some  with  silver  coin.  I  have  never 
seen  o'reater  excitement  around  the  u-amblinu-  tables  in  San 
Francisco  even.  Above  the  table  is  a  gallery  where  the 
'•  foreigners,"  Americans,  English,  Germans  and  others,  congre- 
gate, their  wagers  being  lowered  in  a  small  basket  to  the  table 
below.  On  the  table  is  traced  a  small  square  with,  the  first  four 
numerals  on  the  sides,  as  in  this  diao^ram : 


The  dealer  sits  at  one  end  of  the  table  ;  he  holds  in  one  hand 
a  long  pointer  and  has  at  his  left  a  pile  of  cash,  with  holes  in  the 
center.  Before  the  bets  are  made  he  takes  a  double  handful  of 
the  cash  which  he  places  immediately  in  front  of  him,  covering 
the  pile  with  a  large  bowl.  The  bets  having  been  made  the 
bowl  is  taken  off,  and  with  the  pointer  the  dealer  counts  off  the 
cash,  four  at  a  time,  until  all  are  counted  off  except  the  last  lot, 
when,  if  one,  two,  three,  or  four,  remains,  that  number  wins. 
Bets  may  be  made  on  either  of  the  four  sides  as  the  gamblers 
select,  or  upon  two  numbers  by  placing  the  bet  on  either  of  the 
four  corners.  Winning  on  a  single  number  gives  the  winner 
four  times  the  amount  bet,  minus  seven  per  cent,  for  the  dealer ; 
and  winning  on    either    of    the  corners  (two  numbers,  or  two 


m 


FKUM    5-l^UArOlJE    TO    FUU-tJlOW. 


^■1 


~^ 


clumces  of  winning)  gives  to  the  winner  twice  the  amount  of  the 
bet.  minus  seven  per  cent. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  Chinese  is  that  they  can  make  them- 
selves  imdei'stuod  in  almost  any  European  tongue   in  less  than 

one  third  the  time  re- 

<^^s______ quired  ])y  the  average 

American  or  European 
to  make  himself  under- 
stood in  Chinese.  They 
readily  acquire  a  smat- 
tering of  our  language, 
or  "  pigeon  English," 
hut  it  is  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  that 
we  learn  anything  of 
theirs.  Trade  is  cren- 
erally  conducted  by 
middle-men  or  "  com- 
pradores."  If  a  foreign 
merchant  wishes  to 
make  purchases  of  any 
of  the  native  products 
he  must  do  so  throuo;h 
the  compradore.  If 
he  wishes  to  sell  aiiy- 
thinof  of  foreio^n  manufacture  it  must  be  done  throucrh  the  same 
channel.  The  compradore  employs  all  the  servants  about  the 
house  ;  he  fixes  their  salaries  and  is  responsible  for  their  honesty  ; 
he  even  keeps  the  bank  account  and  superintends  the  shipping  of 
goods.     Though  a  servant  only,  he  is  practically  the  head  or  the 


SEDAN-CHAIR. 


FKOM    SIJ^GAPOKE    TO    FOO-CHOW.  97 

manager  of  the  house  ;  and  he  is  invariably  a  shrewd,  clear- 
headed fellow,  who  watches  his  master's  interests  —  and  his  own 
—  with  a  careful  eye.  "  John  Compradore  "  is  an  indispensable 
necessary. 

The  Chinese  guilds  and  trade  combinations  surpass  any  of 
European  or  American  origin.  The  Chinese,  as  a  people,  are  self- 
sufhcient,  bigoted,  supercilious,  jealous,  and  seem  likely  to  remain 
so  for  all  time.  No  people,  it  has  been  said,  has  ever  been 
found  who  did  not  profess  some  kind  of  religion.  The  Chinese 
have  their  deities,  but  it  would  be  more  difficult  than  most  peo- 
ple imagine  to  say  in  just  what  their  religion  consists.  The 
teachings  of  Confucius  form  the  basis  of  their  national  juris- 
prudence ;  but  it  can  hardly  be  called  a  religion  since  it  does  not 
inculcate  the  worship  of  any  god.  Buddhism  is  evidently  the 
religion  of  the  masses  in  the  interior  provinces  ;  but  the  generally 
low  character  of  its  priesthood,  and  the  dilapidated  condition  of 
its  temples  —  as  I  later  observed  in  my  visits  to  Amoy  and 
Foo-chow  —  tell  an  impressive  story  of  the  growing  indifference 
of  the  educated  and  influential  masses.  The  Mahometans  are 
much  less  numerous  in  some  sections  of  the  Empire,  but,  pos- 
sibly, are  a  more  intelligent  and  better  class  of  people.  The 
Mandarins,  or  the  government  officials,  are  Confucians.  In  a 
qualified  sense,  most  Chinamen  may  properly  be  classed  as 
Spiritualists. 

All  over  China,  more  even  than  in  Hong  Kong,  one  sees  pago- 
das or  temples  of  worship,  octagonal  in  shape  and  of  enormous 
height :  and,  upon  inquiry  as  to  their  origin  and  title,  one  is  told 
that  the  first  is  unknown,  and  that  the  second  has  reference  to 
"  Fantr-Shin."  the  Q;od  of  wind  and  water. 

Leaving  the  "  English  city  of  China,"  as  Hong  Kong  is  called, 


98  Fiioyi    telNGAPOliE    TO    FOO-tllOW. 

our  next  stop  enabled  us  to  view  the  very  extreme  of  Chinese 
life.  This  was  Foo-Chow  —  or  Fuh-Chow-Foo  (Hai)pY  City),  the 
capital  of  the  province  of  Fiih-Keen.  It  is  linely  situated  on 
the  River  Min,  aljout  thirty-five  miles  from  the  sea,  and  is  in- 
closed by  a  great  Avail  six  miles  in  circumference,  it  is  about  thirty 
feet  high  and  twelve  feet  thick.  The  Iroquois  went  within  seven 
miles  of  the  city,  and  from  there  we  took  our  steam  launch  to 
the  capital.  The  river  was  crowded  with  junks,  some  of  them 
used  as  lighters  for  transporting  merchandise  down  the  river  to 
the  ocean  vessels  ;  and  some  of  them  having  a  m}' sterious  appear- 
ance suggestive  of  pirates.  There  are  very  few  foreigners^  in 
Foo-Chow,  but  our  one  day's  visit  was  intensely  interesting.  The 
residence  of  the  consul  was  an  old  Buddhist  monastery  in  the 
foreio-n  reservation  on  the  rig;ht  bank  of  the  river.  To  u'et  into 
the  native  cit}*  we  cross  a  bridge  of  forty  arches  spanning  the 
river,  and  then  pass  through  one  of  the  seven  gateways  of  the 
great  wall. 

At  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night  the  narrow  streets  swarm 
with  Chinese.  Each  house  seems  packed  with  them ;  each  store 
and  cellar  are  alive.  There  are  bazaars  where  are  exhibited  and 
sold  lacquer  and  ivory  work  the  finest  that  can  be  found  in 
China.  Here,  too,  are  groceries,  opium  joints,  gambling  houses, 
restaurants,  barber-shops,  and  silk  and  crepe  shops.  Beggars 
and  peddlers  meet  one  at  almost  ever}^  step  ;  the}^  were  about 
the  first  we  had  met  in  China.  Ol^servinsf  a  crowd  throno;ing; 
into  one  particular  buildiug  we  joined  it.  We  entered  through 
a  long;  hall  whose  walls  were  covered  with  shelves  and  cases 
filled  with  fish,  fruit  and  tobacco.  Doors  half-open  disclosed 
bunks  filled  with  drowsy  men,  and  a  gambling  den  upon  whose 
central  table  a   score  of  Orientals  were  tempting  fortune.     On 


FROM    SINGAPOEE    TO    FOO-CHOW. 


99 


the  next  floor  a  restaurant  and  kitchen  were  in  full  blast,  the 
tables  filled  with  patrons,  while  cooks  and  waiters  were  hurrying 
to  and  fro.  The  next  floor  was  an  orchestra  hall,  decorated 
with  scarlet  banners,  joss-sticks,   lanterns,  gongs,   cymbals   and 


A    CHi^'iibi;    THKAXiiK.. 


screens.  Lovers  of  Chinese  harmony  (?)  crowded  the  room. 
The  musicians  sat  in  a  circle.  One  had  an  instrument  that 
seemed  a  compromise  between  a  piccolo  and  a  bag-pipe ;  another 
held  a  small  banjo-like  instrument,  and  still  another  had  a  larger 
one  ;    three  of  the  musicians  plaj^ed  upon  nameless  instruments, 


lOU  FK03I    SlNGAPOllE    TO    FOO-CIIOW. 

\vliicli  seemed  a  mysterious  compound  of  dry  wood  and  sheep- 
skin, out  of  which  unearthly  nuisic  was  evolved  by  drumsticks  ; 
another  was  beating  on  a  metal  gong  suspended  from  the  ceiling, 
and  the  last  man  of  the  "  band  "  was  clanging  two  brass  cymbals 
fullv  tliree  feet  in  diameter. 

These  musicians  manage  to  extract  more  noise  out  of  their 
wood  and  metal  than  could  a  good-sized  "  Calatliumpian  band."  At 
first  all  is  crash,  clash, bang!  cluck-a-luck,  cluck-a-luck  !  and  you 
want  to  go  home.  After  a'  time  you  become  accustomed  to  the 
din  and  conclude  to  sit  it  out.  The  programme  is  long  and 
diversified  —  a  national  air,  a  love  song,  a  symphony,  etcr,  etc. 
Wagner  and  Strauss  are  outdone.  The  National  air  represented 
the  Chinese  army  in  full  retreat  and  the  enemy  after  them  —  a 
sort  of  Turkish,  or  rather  Chinese  patrol,  and  we  were  happy 
enough  when  the  music  died  away  in  the  distance.  The  enemy 
evidently  got  the  best  of  it. 

Eeturning  to  the  ship  we  could  not  help  giving  a  shudder  as 
we  passed  those  mysterious-looking  war-junks.  Of  all  the  dan- 
gers that  beset  the  mariner  on  the  Chinese  coast,  be  it  from 
storm  or  fire,  or  the  hidden  reef,  none  have  such  terrors  for 
vessels  trading  on  the  Pacific  as  do  these  pirate  shijDs  that  infest 
the  Eastern  seas.  An  attack  by  these  pirates  is  conducted  with 
such  cunning,  treachery  and  skill,  that,  if  successful,  it  leaves 
the  affair  to  those  who  watch  and  wait  for  a  ship  that  never 
returns  to  the  port  a  mystery  far  harder  to  bear  than  would  be  a 
known  misfortune. 

The  quaint  junks  that  leave  the  Chinese  ports  at  nightfall 
are,  to  all  appearances,  the  peaceful  traders  they  profess  to  be  ; 
but  let  an  unprotected  vessel  come  in  view  and  at  once  the  scene 
chano;es  as  if  bv  mao;ic.     Deck-loads  of  merchandise  are  thrown 


FROM    SINGAPOEE    TO    FOO-CHOW.  101 

into  the  holds ;  cannon  bristle  in  their  places ;  the  crews  are 
marvellously  reinforced  by  men  who  have  been  hidden  below ; 
and  the  former  lazy  coaster  glides  swiftly  along,  propelled  not 
only  by  its  sails,  but  by  long  and  powerful  sweeps.  The  doomed 
vessel  is  quickly  surrounded  by  the  pirates,  and  a  cannonade  soon 
brings  her  masts  and  yards  crashing  to  the  deck.  Her  crew  may 
defend  themselves  as  they  can,  but  they  are  outnumbered  fifty  to 
one.  The  pirates  close  in  upon  the  defenseless  vessel ;  they 
throw  rockets  and  "  jingals  "  that  leave  an  unquenchable  fire  and 
a  stupefying  odor  wherever  they  fall ;  the  defense  grows  more 
feeble,  and  now,  running  alongside,  the  pirates  board  and  slay 
all  of  those  who  may  have  survived.  After  the  slaughter,  the 
plunderers  transfer  the  cargo,  bore  a  hole  below  the  water-line 
of  their  captive  and  leave  her  to  sink.  Then  the  pirates  repair 
the  damages  which  their  own  vessel  may  have  sustained,  stow 
the  guns  below,  divide  the  booty  and  disperse.  If  these  pirates 
should  by  chance  be  caught  they  are  promptly  punished  with 
death ;  knowing  this  they  yet  brave  the  penalty  and  instances 
are  not  unfrequent  where  no  chance  of  escape  being  left  to  them 
the  baffled  pirates  have  committed  suicide  rather  than  suffer  the 
inevitable  penalty  of  an  ignominious  death. 


CHx\PTER   VII. 


AT    SHANGHAI. 


F 


7R0M  the  mouth  of  the 
Mill  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Woosung  River,  which  is 
only  about  twelve  miles  from 
Shanghai,  is  a  run  of  but 
three  clays  under  sail  and 
steam.  Anchoring  off  the 
American  concession,  or  set- 
tlement, at  Shanghai  on  Sun- 
day night  we  went  at  once 
on  shore  finding  only  the 
bars,  the  billiard-rooms  and 
the  churches  open,  and  all 
fairly  well  patronized. 

As  I  had  not  been  inside 
of  an  American  church  or  chapel  in  many  months,  I  availed 
myself  of  the  opportunity  to  attend  church  once  again  and  after 
services  returned  to  the  ship. 

The  following  day  gave  us  a  better  opportunity  for  a  pano- 
ramic view  of  one  of  the  foremost  emporiums  of  commerce  in  the 
East.  Thirty  years  ago  Shanghai  was  a  third-rate  Chin(ise  town  ; 
to-day  its  great  shipyards,  mercantile  houses  and  other  imposing 
buildino;s  show  what  a  benefit  foreigners  have  been  to  China. 

102 


AT    SHAXGHAI.  103 

Shanghai  proper,  or  rather  the  native  town,  is  a  city  inclosed 
by  a  great  stone  wall  three  miles  and  a  half  in  circuit  and  pierced 
with  seven  gates.  It  is  inhabited  strictly  by  natives.  In  general 
appearance  and  in  its  population  it  does  not  differ  from  Foo- 
Chow,  as  described  in  a  previous  chapter.  Below  the  city  on 
the  river  is  the  distinctive  territory  of  the  foreigners  —  the 
Americans,  French  and  English.  Each  of  these  nations  has  con- 
cessions of  its  own,  each  is  separated  from  the  other  by  a  canal 
or  creek,  spanned  with  bridges.  Opposite  the  English  settle- 
ment, the  largest  of  the  three  concessions,  the  river  makes  a 
wide  bend,  and  a  picturesque  view  is  presented  as  one  approaches 
the  city  by  water.  The  river  is  thronged  v/ith  great  homely 
junks  lashed  side  by  side.  The  American  concession  is  the  scene 
of  greatest  activity,  inasmuch  as  its  river  front  is  one  long  line 
of  docks  where  the  shipping  discharges  its  cargoes.  Here,  too 
may  be  found  a  dry-dock,  machine  shop  and  foundry  run  by 
American  interests. 

The  English  concession  is  the  place  of  residence  of  nearly  all 
the  foreign  merchants ;  here  are  built  the  large  and  imposing 
honf/s,  or  warehouses,  the  churches,  hotels,  etc.  Its  picturesque 
appearance  is  greatly  enhanced  by  a  large  garden  along  the  front. 
The  French  concession  is  of  less  importance.  We  found  there  in 
one  of  the  large  buildings  a  large  American  billiard  parlor,  and 
over  it  we  learned  that  an  American  lodge  of  Free  Masons  meets 
workino;  under  a  Massachusetts  charter.  The  steamboats  which 
traverse  the  river,  like  those  running  from  Hong  Kong  to  Canton 
and  Macao,  are  similar  to  those  running  on  the  Hudson  River  and 
Lono-  Island  Sound ;  most  of  them  indeed  were  built  in  the 
United  States.  Were  it  not  for  the  numerous  junks  and  for  the 
adjoining  China-town  one  might  imagine  this  an  American  port. 


104  AT    SHANGHAI. 

One  peculiar  superstition  among  the  Chinese  is  that  of  paint- 
ing an  eye  on  the  l)ows  of  the  junks  and  small  boats,  and  on  the 
paddle-boxes  of  their  steamers.  They  reason  that  '•  no  eye  have 
got,  no  can  see."  So  deep  rooted  is  this  superstition  that  the}' 
^villnot  travel  by  water  in  any  conveyance  which  is  without  this 
talisman  for  fear  that  the  vessel  would  come  to  o-rief. 

The  native'town  is  squalid  and  dirty  ;  it  has  low  brick  build- 
ings, narrow  streets,  and  is  crowded  with  dirty,  repulsive-looking 
Chinese.  At  the  main  entrance  a  large  and  hideous-looking  idol 
greets  the  visitor,  but  I  soon  left  it  behind  me  and  emerged  into 
civilization  again.  I  enjoyed  a  two-wheeled  perambulator  resemb- 
ling the  jin-rick-i-sha  of  Japan  ;  it  has  two  shafts  and  is  drawn  by 
a  Chinaman.  I  directed  my  man-horse  to  take  me  to  Sikaway, 
where  are  the  Chinese  cemeteries  a  centurv  old.  It  is  a  vast 
plain  covered  with  small  mounds.  One  of  the  mounds,  the  grave 
of  a  mandarin,  was  surmounted  by  a  life-size  statue  of  two 
horses.  A  little  distance  bevond  were  two  small  baskets  fastened 
at  the  tops  of  two  poles  planted  in  the  earth.  My  curiosity  was 
awakened  and  I  examined  the  baskets  only  to  find  in  each  the 
head  of  a  Chinaman  who  had  been  decapitated  on  the  very  spot 
where  each  had  committed  a  murder,  this  sentence  being  in  accor- 
dance with  the  old  feudal  law.  The  baskets  had  been  hano^ino' 
thus  for  two  years  or  more. 

A  Celestial's  funeral  is  as  interesting  as  it  is  curious.  It  is  the 
custom  in  China  when  a  native  is  about  to  die,  for  the  eldest  son 
to  remove  the  body  from  the  bed  to  the  floor  of  the  principal 
room  in  the  house,  placing  the  feet  of  the  dying  toward  the  door. 
A  piece  of  money  is  placed  within  the  mouth  in  order  that  he  may 
have  the  wherewithal  to  pay  his  fare  to  the  next  world.  In  cer- 
tain cases  a  hole  is  made  in  the  roof  to  facilitate  the  exit  of  the 


z 

D 
O 


Z 

s 


I 


AT    SHANGHAI.  107 

spirit  as  it  leaves  the  body,  under  the  supposition  that  some  means 
of  exit  is  needed.  At  the  same  time  priests  and  women,  hired 
as  mourners,  are  sent  for ;  and  upon  their  arrival  a  table  is  spread 
with  meats,  fruits,  lighted  candles  and  joss-sticks  for  the  delecta- 
tion of  the  soul  of  the  deceased.  Superstition  is  a  strong  ele- 
ment in  the  Chinese  character,  and  it  leads  to  the  belief  that  each 
person  is  possessed  with  seven  animal  senses  that  die  with  him  ; 
also  that  he  has  three  souls  —  one  of  which  enters  Elysium  and 
receives  judgment,  another  abides  with  the  tablet  and  the  third 
dwells  in  the  tomb. 

The  wailing  and  weeping  by  the  mourning  women  is  relieved 
at  intervals  by  the  intoned  prayers  of  the  priests,  or  the  discord- 
ant "  tom-tomming  "  of  the  drummers,  who  have  also  been  called 
to  assist  at  the  ceremonies.  The  women  weep  and  lament  with 
an  energy  and  direfulness  which,  if  genuine,  would  be  commend- 
able. The  priest  usually  directs  these  lamentations  and  emotional 
demonstrations,  much  as  the  leader  of  a  band  would  conduct  his 
musicians.  Now  and  then  the  wails  may  become  irremilar,  but 
they  are  relieved  by  a  few  nasal  notes  from  the  priest  and  a 
drumming  of  the  "  tom-toms."  It  would  be  uncharitable,  how- 
ever, to  assert  that  the  grief  of  the  nearest  relatives  is  not 
genuine. 

The  first  ceremony  after  death  is  the  washing  of  the  body 
with  purchased  water  that  has  been  blessed ;  then  the  deceased 
is  dressed  in  his  best  clothes,  a  fan  is  placed  in  his  hand,  a  hat 
put  on  his  head  and  shoes  on  his  feet.  Here,  again,  superstition 
asserts  itself  in  the  peculiarities  concerning  dress,  the  belief  being 
that  the  "  dear  departed  "  will  wear  these  habiliments  in  Elysium, 
and  it  is  desired  that  be  should  appear  in  the  next  world  as  a 
respectable  and  superior  member  of  society.     It  is  also  expected 


108  AT    SIIAXGnAI. 

that  he  will  need  money  in  the  next  world  and,  at  intervals  dur- 
ing the  ceremonies,  gilt  and  silvered  paper  in  the  shape  of  coins, 
etc.,  is  burned  in  the  belief  that  it  will  accompany  the  soul  and 
be  converted  into  '•  cash."  Clothes,  furniture,  horses,  Sedan- 
chairs,  etc.,  made  of  paper,  are  burned  in  the  belief  that  in  the 
next  world  they  will  be  converted  into  similar  necessaries  on  the 
same  principle  —  for  the  benefit  of  the  dead. 

When  it  is  desired  to  transport  a  body  from  one  part  of 
China  to  another,  it  is  not  permitted  to  carry  the  corpse  through 
any  walled  town ;  nor  across  any  landing  place,  or  through  any 
gateway  which  can  be  construed  in  any  way  as  part  of  the  terri- 
tory or  right  of  way  belonging  to  the  Emperor.  "Spare  no  ex- 
pense "  is  the  motto  of  all  Celestial  funerals,  in  the  matter  of  coffins 
and  other  funeral  habiliments,  and  a  dutiful  son  will  see  that  the 
parents  are  provided  with  these  melancholy  receptacles,  some- 
times, many  years  before  their  death.  The  coffins  are  heavy, 
unwieldy  things,  and  are  not  even  provided  with  the  handsome 
silver  handles  and  screws  familiar  to  us.  They  are  made  of 
heavy  boards  four  or  five  inches  in  thickness,  rounded  at  the 
outer  joints,  and  appear  invariably  to  take  the  form  of  the  pol- 
ished trunk  of  a  tree.  The  inside  is  lined  with  cement,  the 
joints  are  carefully  sealed  with  a  similar  substance,  but  a  hole 
is  invariably  drilled  through  the  lid  over  the  face  of  the  body  to 
facilitate  the  entrance  and  departure  of  the  spirit. 

Preceding-  the  coffin,  as  it  is  carried  from  the  house  of  death, 
are  elaborately  trimmed  Sedan-chairs,  each  containing  meats, 
fruits  and  confections,  and  usually  two  roasted  pigs.  Banners 
wave  above  it.  Altar  pieces  emblazoned  with  the  name  and 
age  of  the  dead  person,  the  tablet,  photograph  and  other  of  his 
belonpings,  are  also  carried  in  the  procession.     Arriving  at  the 


AT    SHANGHAI.  109 

burial-place  the  body  is  deposited  in  the  earth  with  elaborate 
ceremonies.  The  burial-places  are  generally  selected  by  necro- 
mancers, and  if  the  family  be  rich  the  selection  is  made  without 
regard  to  difhcully  or  expense.  One  of  the  chief  requirements 
is  to  obtain  a  good  view,  as,  for  instance,  from  the  side  of  a  hill 
overlooking  water,  a  copse  or  a  ravine  near  a  hilltop.  After 
the  burial  the  tablet  is  carried  back  to  the  house  by  the  mourn- 
ful procession,  and  is  set  up  in  a  room  with  other  tablets  of  the 
family  reserved  for  the  purpose,  and  incense  is  daily  burned  and 
prayers  offered  before  them.  The  food  carried  in  the  procession 
is  either  distributed  among  the  poor  or  is  consumed  in  the 
house.  Earl}^  in  April  in  each  year  the  relatives  of  the  dead 
may  be  observed  wending  their  way  to  the  tombs  to  repair  and 
to  cleanse  them,  and  to  make  offering's. 

"  Che  lao  fan  7nira  ma  iiuf'  is  as  familiar  a  ureetino-  amono- 
Chinamen  as  '•  How  are  you  ? "  is  with  the  English-speaking  peo- 
ple. Translated  it  means  :  ''  Have  you  eaten  ?  "  it  beiug  the 
oiiinion  of  Chinamen  that  he  who  is  able  to  eat  is  surelv  well, 
happy  and  all  right  in  every  respect.  The  stomach  is  always 
well  taken  care  of,  and  "How  many  bowls  of  rice  have  you 
eaten  ? "  is  the  same  as  asking  of  how  many  meals  you  have 
partaken.  It  is  answered  among  Celestials  by  stating  how  many 
they  have  disposed  of,  and  representing  with  their  hands  the 
size  of  the  bowls.  The  Chinaman  believes  that  his  stomach  is 
the  source  of  intellectual  life ;  therefore  the  more  iDortlv  a  man 
is  the  wiser  he  is  supposed  to  be.  Those  who  regularly  eat  meat 
at  meals  —  the  rich  only  —  are  credited  with  being  wise,  happy 
and  distinguished  men  ;  but  those  whose  chief  diet  is  rice,  corn, 
vegetables  and  pickled  raw  fish,  are  believed  to  be  unhappy, 
ignorant  and  oppressed  by  fate. 


110 


AT    SIIAXGIIAI. 


Chinamen  who  have  families  enjoy  their  meals  at  home,  and 
the  others  eat  at  restaurants.  The  coolies,  or  M'orkiny^-class, 
must  be  satisfied  with  two  meals  a  day  —  usually  at  nine  a.  m. 
and  5  p.  m.  —  while  well-to-do  Chinamen  have  three  or  four 
meals  a  daj*.  The  head  of  the  family  gets  the  choice  of  the 
food,  the  father  only  eating  meat ;    the  rest  of  the  family  must 


-^r^^^^^ 


CHINESE   AT    DINNER. 


be  satisfied  with  rice  and  vegetables.  Poor  families  purchase 
their  food  from  street  venders  who  peddle  out  provisions,  and, 
on  a  small  hand  vehicle  like  a  wheelbarrow,  carry  along  a  stove 
on  which  to  cook  them. 

The  Chinese  use  no  table-cloth,  napkins,  knives,  forks, 
spoons,  plates  or  glassware.  They  carry  the  food  from  the 
bowl  to  the  mouth  with  the  ancient  chop-sticks,  while  sheets  of 
thin,  soft  rice-paper  take  the  place  of  napkins  and  handkerchiefs. 
After  using  the  sheet  of  paper  it  is  thrown  away,  and  Orientals 
look  upon  the  custom  of  Europeans  using  a  handkerchief  several 
times  as  a  filthy  habit. 

I  had   the   privilege   of    attending   a  formal  Chinese  dinner 


AT    SHANGHAI.  Ill 

given  by  a  Mandarin.  The  invitations  were  on  a  reel  colored 
paper  about  six  inches  long  by  three,  inches  ^Yide,  covered  with 
Chinese  characters  that  I  never  attempted  to  interpret.  At  the 
appointed  time  the  guests  were  received  after  long  and  elaborate 
ceremonies,  and  were  then  conducted  to  a  large  banquet  room. 
The  dinner  consisted  of  ninety-nine  courses,  each  alternate 
course  being  champagne  or  other  wine.  It  was  a  tedious  affair. 
No  topic  of  interest  was  discussed,  but  the  host  narrated  a  story 
—  part  in  Chinese  and  part  in  pigeon-English  —  which  has  ever 
since  left  a  mysterious  impression  upon  my  mind.  Everybody 
smoked  during  the  dinner,  and  the  only  women  present  were 
those  who  tried  to  amuse  the  a:uests  with  a  sinD;le  act  of  a 
Chinese  melodrama  on  an  improvised  stage. 

Our  host  called  attention  to  the  small  feet  of  some  of  the 
players,  and  related  to  us  how  it  was  done.  This  distortion  of 
the  foot  is  most  generally  observed  among  the  higher  classes, 
and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  a  fully-developed  woman  with 
feet  no  more  than  five  inches  in  length.  When  the  child  has 
learned  to  walk,  and  is  able  to  do  certain  things  for  herself, 
the  binding  of  her  feet  is  begun,  and  the  pain  caused  by  the 
compression  is  said  to  be  most  intense. 

Strong  bandages,  two  inches  wide,  are  manufactm^ed  for 
binding  the  feet.  The  end  of  the  strip  is  laid  on  the  inside  of 
the  foot  at  the  instep,  and  carried  over  the  tops  of  the  toes  and 
under  the  foot,  drawing  the  toes  with  it  down  under  the  ball  of 
the  foot ;  thence  it  is  passed  over  the  foot,  and  clown  around  the 
heel.  By  this  stretch  the  toes  and  the  heel  are  drawn  together, 
leaving  a  bulge  on  the  instep  and  a  deep  indentation  in  the  sole 
under  the  instep.  This  course  is  gone  over  with  successive  layers 
of  bandage  until  two  or  three  yards  of  cloth  have  been  used. 


112  AT    SHANGHAI. 

Mlien  the  final  end  is  sewed  down.  To  wholly  gratify  a  Chinese 
woman  the  '•  indentation "  must  measure  about  an  inch  and  a 
half  from  the  ])art  of  the  foot  which  rests  on  the  ground  up  to 
the  instep.  The  toes  are  finally  drawn  completely  over  the  sole, 
and  the  foot  is  so  squeezed  upward  that  in  walking  only  the  ball 
of  the  great  toe  touches  the  ground. 

Powdered  alum  is  freely  used  when  the  feet  are  first  bound, 
and  always  afterward,  to  prevent  ulceration  and  to  modify  the 
offensive  odor.  At  the  end  of  the  first  month  the  feet  are  put 
in  hot  water,  and  after  a  long  soaking  the  bandages  are  care- 
fullv  unwound,  the  dead  cuticle  beingr  abraded  durinar  the 
unwindino-  of  the  bandage.  When  the  bandas-es  are  removed  it 
is  not  unusual  to  find  ulcers  and  other  abominations.  Fre- 
quently, too,  large  pieces  of  flesh  slough  off  the  sole,  and  it 
sometimes  happens  that  some  of  the  toes  drop  off.  The  patient 
is  not  only  oblivious  of  this  fact,  but  she  feels  amply  repaid  for 
the  suffering  by  believing  that  she  has  smaller  and  more  deli- 
cately formed  feet  than  have  her  neighbors.  It  frequently 
happens  that,  in  their  intense  desire  to  have  small  feet,  some 
girls  will  shrewdly  tighten  the  bandages  on  their  feet  at  the 
expense  of  great  pain. 

Oar  host  carried  us  on  a  mental  visit  to  Pekin,  not  having 
the  opportunity  of  going  in  any  other  way,  and  drew  us  a  pict- 
ure of  the  young  Emperor,  who  rules  over  two  hundred  and  fifty 
million  people,  and  who  occupies  the  same  apartments  in  which 
lived  the  Emperor  who  preceded  him  on  the  Dragon  Throne. 
The  palace  is  called  the  Yang-Hsin-Tien.  Here  he  eats  with 
gold-tipped  ivory  chop-sticks ;  here  he  sleeps  on  a  large  Ning-Po 
bedstead,  richly  carved  and  ornamented  with  ivory  and  gold ; 
and  like  one  of   those  living  Buddhas,  who  may  be  seen  in  a 


A   CHINESE    HOLIDAY. 


AT    SHANGHAI.  .  113 


lamasery  on  the  Mongolian  plateau,  lie  is  knelt  to  by  all  his 
attendants,  and  is  honored  as  a  god.  The  respect  felt  for  him 
is  far  more  profound  than  he  feels  for  his  subordinates,  and  the 
seclusion  in  which  he  is  kept  is  an  almost  complete  isolation. 
The  great  reception  hall  is  back  of  the  central  gate  of  the  palace. 
When  the  principal  mandarins  wish  to  gain  an  audience  with  the 
Emperor,  they  must,  according  to  custom,  enter  on  foot,  by  the 
east  or  west  gates,  either  of  which  is  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  the  center  of  the  palace ;  if,  however,  they  are  aged,  a 
special  decree  may  be  obtained,  permitting  them  to  be  borne  to 
the  palace  in  a  Sedan-chair. 

The  rooms  of  the  Emperor  consist  of  seven  apartments, 
each  of  which  is  provided  with  a  K'ang,  or  divan.  The  K'angs 
are  covered  with  red  felt  of  native  manufacture,  and  the  floors 
are  covered  with  European  carpets.  The  dragon  and  the 
phoenix  are  embroidered  upon  all  of  the  cushions.  There  is  an 
endless  variety  of  pretty  things  scattered  through  the  rooms, 
and  changes  are  made  only  when  expressly  ordered  by  the 
Emperor.  The  rooms  of  state  include  a  space  of  about  ninety 
feet  long  by  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  wide,  and  are  divided  into 
three  separate  apartments,  the  throne  room  being  the  middle 
one.  These  apartments  open  into  one  another  by  folding-doors, 
the  upper  portions  of  which  are  of  open-work  in  which  various 
auspicious  characters  and  flowers  are  carved.  In  winter  the 
doors  remain  open,  the  spaces  being  closed  by  thick  embroidered 
damask  curtains.  In  summer  bamboo  curtains  fill  the  spaces. 
These  curtains  are  rolled  up  when  ventilation  is  desired.  Small 
doors  at  the  sides  of  the  curtains  are  used  for  entrance  and  exit. 

The  fact  that  the  Emperor's  person  is  believed  to  be  sacred, 
and  that  no  lancet  could   score  his  skin,  led  to  his  bein^  vacci- 


1  14  AT    SHANGHAI. 

iiiited  ulieii  a  babe,  and  before  his  high  destiny  wns  thought  of. 
He  lias  eight  eunuchs  constantly  in  attendance  upon  him, 
besides  nn  indelinite  number  for  special  occasions.  The  former 
wait  upon  him  at  liis  meals,  and  restrain  him  if  he  attempts  to 
take  too  much  of  any  one  thing. 

Shanghai  is  noted  for  its  display  in  Chinese  weddings  —  a 
ceremony  which  "  barbarians  "  are  not,  as  a  rule,  privileged  to 
attend.  It  was  by  special  favor  that  I  was  permitted  to  witness 
one.  It  proved  an  event  tedious  with  manifold  ceremonies. 
At  noon  on  the  auspicious  day  I  was  escorted  to  the  home  of 
the  bridegroom,  and  was  received  by  the  host  with  much  cere- 
mony and  politeness.  I  was  next  ushered  into  a  room  where 
the  wedding  was  to  be  solemnized.  Four  large  oval  lamps  orna- 
mented with  silver  tassels  hung  across  the  entrance ;  four  large 
Chinese  glass  lamps  were  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  and  in  the 
center  of  the  room  hung  another  lamp  ornamented  with  bead 
work.  Two  ordinary  Chinese  tables  did  service  as  an  altar, 
upon  which  was  placed  a  large  incense  urn  flanked  by  a  pair  of 
large  candlesticks.  A  smaller  urn  and  a  pair  of  candlesticks 
stood  farther  back,  the  latter  decorated  with  evergreens  and 
holding  red  candles.  On  the  tables  were  ranged  numerous  small 
dishes  of  fruits,  pieces  of  sugar-cane,  and  various  highly-colored 
but  unwholesome-looking  cakes  and  confections. 

One  large  picture  and  some  scrolls  covered  with  Chinese  char- 
acters ornamented  the  walls  opposite  the  entrance,  and  the  usual 
high-backed  chairs  were  ranged  along  the  sides  of  the  room. 
Having  seated  myself  and  my  escort,  tea  was  brought  us,  so  hot, 
that  not  even  my  desire  to  comply  as  far  as  possible  with  Chi- 
nese etiquette,  could  for  some  time  induce  me  to  taste  the  scald- 
ing liquid.     I  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  ceremonies.     First 


AT    SHANGHAI. 


115 


came  a  number  of  respectably-dressed  men  wearing  official  hats, 
who  ranged  themselves  about  the  entrance.  Then  came,  in  twos, 
a  dozen  boys,  clean  and  well-dressed  —  some  playing  upon  flutes 
almost  as  long  as  themselves,  and  others  keeping  a  fair  accom- 
paniment on  small  dull-sounding  tambourines  or  tom-toms,  which 


A   CHINF.SE   WEDDING. 


they  beat  with  a  stick.  Next  came  a  more  noisy  and  far  more 
discordant  orchestra  of  adults ;  and  immediately  following  them 
the  gorgeous,  closed  bridal-chair,  all  scarlet  and  tinsel.  This  was 
set  down  at  the  entrance  of  the  hall,  facing  inwards. 

The  red  candles  on  the  table  and  the  candles  in  the  pendant 
lamps  were  now  lighted,  and  in  came  a  fussy  person,  who  proved 
to  be  the    master-of-ceremonies.      He    took   his    station   at   the 


IIG  AT    SHANGHAI. 

right  liand  of  the  table  and  began  to  repeat,  in  a  measured 
sing-song,  expressions  which  no  doubt  were  intended  as  suited 
to  the  occasion.  The  next  moment  two  middle-aged  matrons, 
who  gave  one  the  idea  of  being  "  poor  relations,"  came  forward, 
each  with  a  bowl  of  sweetmeats,  and  stood  beside  the  bridal- 
chair.  At  the  bidding  of  the  master-of-ceremonies  the  matrons 
raised  the  curtain  which  hung  in  front  of  the  chair,  and  pre- 
sented some  of  the  sweetmeats  to  the,  as  yet  to  us,  invisible 
occupant.  The  delicacy  was  transferred  from  the  bowl  to  the 
lips  of  the  bride-elect  on  the  points  of  silver  chopsticks,  which 
each  of  the  matrons  gracefully  drew  from  her  own  chignon  for 
the  purpose.  With  a  taste,  however,  which  I  could  easily 
appreciate,  the  bride  refused  the  proffered  dainties.  The  two 
women  then  lowered  the  curtain,  and  turning  to  the  assembled 
guests,  went  about  tempting  them  in  the  same  manner  with  the 
delicacy,  on  the  same  chopsticks,    refused  by  the  bride. 

The  master-of-ceremonies  then  sung  another  solo,  but  before 
he  concluded  my  eyes  were  attracted  to  the  door  leading  to  the 
interior  of  the  house,  through  which  the  young  hero  of  the  occa- 
sion entered  with  feio;ned  reluctance,  the  two  matrons  drao-D-incr 
him  forth  to  the  ceremony.  On  he  came,  led  by  the  relent- 
less matrons  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  a  carpet  being  laid  in 
front  of  him.  When  he  had  been  drao-o-ed  to  the  side  of  the 
room  farthest  from  and  opposite  the  entrance,  he  was  left  stand- 
ing; with  his  face  to  the  wall.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  he  were  in 
a  position  to  appreciate  the  pigeon-English  expression  of  the 
Chinaman  who  sees  his  neighbor  turn  from  an  accusation,  "  Have 
got  shame-face  !  "  More  sing-song  declamations  from  the  master- 
of-ceremonies  now  followed,  and  then  the  two  women  raised  the 
curtain  of  the  chair,  and  reaching  toward  the  bride-elect  drew  her 


AT    SHANGHAI.  117 

gently  from  her  place  of  concealment  into  the  full  gaze  of  the 
o'Liests.  A  murmur  of  admiration  escaped  from  the  assembled 
guests  as  the  delicate  young  figure  was,  like  the  bridegroom,  led 
along  a  carpeted  path  to  the  place  where  the  latter  stood,  until 
both  were  side  by  side  with  their  faces  to  the  wall. 

The  bride-elect  was  attired  in  a  long  red  garment  profusely 
embroidered  with  grold  lace.  Her  head-dress  was  a  most  elabo- 
rate  affair.  It  was  shaped  somewhat  like  a  helmet,  was  covered 
with  light  blue  enamel  work,  and  studded  plentifully  with  pearls  ; 
a  long  red  silk  veil,  extending  to  her  feet,  completely  concealed 
her  countenance.  In  this  position  the  bride  and  groom  began 
"  chin-chinning"  (talking)  first  to  each  other  and  then  to  the-wall. 
These  were  the  vows  and  exhortations  that  each  would  be  true  to 
the  other,  and  live  a  happy  and  prosperous  life.  A  mysterious 
pronunciamento  uttered  by  the  leader  of  the  rites  was  followed  by 
more  protestations  made  to  the  wall,  and  then  the  "  happy  pair  " 
were  turned  round  by  the  aid  of  the  indefatigable  matrons  and 
were  uru:ed  to  kneel  with  their  faces  toward  the  tables.  The 
master-of-ceremonies  then  taking  pieces  of  red  and  green  ribbons 
tied  them  tosrether,  and  g-ivino;  the  end  of  the  latter  to  the  bride 
and  the  end  of  the  red  one  to  the  groom,  the  ceremonies  of  union 
were  continued.  x\ssisted  again  by  the  matronly  aides  the  bride 
and  groom  arose,  turned  their  faces  towards  the  wall  and  resumed 
the  repeating  of  profound  vows  to  one  another ;  after  this,  they 
knelt  awhile,  then  arose,  turned  toward  the  company  and  were 
seated  side  by  side  at  the  table. 

The  bridegroom's  sister  then  appeared  on  the  scene,  and 
with  much  modesty  and  confusion  approached  the  two  principals 
and  chin-chinned  them  in  turn,  while  the  master-of-ceremonies 
showered  majestic  words  upon  them.     The  charge  that  they  should 


118  AT    SHANGUAI. 

'•love,  honor,  obey,  cherish,"  etc.,  was  pronounced,  fire-crackers 
were  diseliargecl  in  the  courtyard,  the  musicians  struck  up  a 
lively  air  with  their  banjo-like  instruments,  drums  and  gongs 
were  beaten,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  din  and  confusion  the 
husband  and  wife  were  led  away  by  the  assistants,  the  husband 
precedinsji:  and  walkinii;  backwards  in  order  that  he  mislit  face 
the  Ijride,  and  thus  they  passed  into  tlie  bridal  chamber  of  their 
future  home. 

This  reference  to  the  elaborate  ceremonies  of  a  Chinese 
wedding  invites  attention  also  to  one  of  the  peculiar  institutions 
of  China,  and  a  most  profitable  vocation  :   the  matrimonial  bureau. 

When,  in  China,  either  a  man  or  woman  possessed  of  an 
eloquent  tongue  and  suave  manner  wishes  to  replenish  his  or 
her  purse,  instead  of  going  upon  the  rostrum  as  a  lecturer  or 
reader,  he  or  she  will  start  a  matrimonial  bureau. 

Owing  to  the  reverence  paid  to  these  agents  by  the  public, 
and  the  penalty  imposed  by  law  and  custom  in  case  of  miscon- 
duct, their  responsibilities  are  by  no  means  small.  Marriage  in 
China,  even  though  reduced  to  a  business  basis,  is  accepted  by 
the  people  as  the  one  sacred  contract  that  dem.ands  unconditional 
obedience.  So  much  do  the  Chinese  believe  in  the  will  of  their 
"  Joss "  or  god  in  the  selection  of  an  help-meet,  that  the  most 
illiterate  will  appeal  for  the  guidance  of  Joss  before  they  broach 
the  subject  to  the  match-maker.  These  prayers  are  invariably 
offered  by  the  parents  or  guardians  of  the  parties  desiring  mar- 
riage, and  are  a  source  of  emolument  to  popular  priests  and 
temples. 

Before  the  match-maker  starts  out  on  his  responsible  but 
pleasant  duty  he  likewise  will  burn  Joss-sticks  and  colored  in- 
cense papers  before  the  idols,  to  insure  his  success.     The  condi- 


AT    SHANGHAI.  119 

tion  of  a  suitor's  finances  is  not  always  considered  by  the 
contracting  parties,  especially  on  the  part  of  the  men.  It  is 
quite  common  for  well-to-do  men  to  marry  poor  girls,  and  occa- 
sionally poor  youths  will  marry  the  daughters  of  the  rich.  In 
short,  the  characters  rather  than  the  wealth  and  influence  of  the 
individuals  are  thought  of  in  marriages.  The  family  record  of 
the  youth  is  carefully  searched  for  two  or  three  generations 
back.  If  the  respective  occupations  of  the  father,  grandfather 
and  great-grandfather  are  found  to  have  been  respectable,  and 
the  traits  of  chara.cter  of  the  youth  are  satisfactory,  he  is  then 
dul}^  reported  to  his  future  father-in-law  as  an  eligible  party. 

A  scrutiny  of  the  girl's  family  record  is  not  necessary,  except 
in  so  far  as  it  gives  the  moral  standing  of  the  father  in  the 
community ;  this  must  be  unimpeachable.  Her  own  peculiarities 
are  diligently  inquired  into.  She  must  not  have  been  seen  to 
stand  at  the  outer  gate  of  her  own  house,  except  upon  holidays 
and  festival  occasions,  and  then  only  in  the  company  of  older 
women.  She  must  not  talk  loud,  nor  long;  must  speak  only 
when  absolutely  necessary;  and  when  older  people  are  around 
she  must  not  speak  at  all.  She  must  be  economical  in  habit  and 
neat  in  dress ;  industrious  and  ingenious  with  the  needle  ;  gen- 
erally amiable  and  courteous,  and  attentive  to  her  parents.  These, 
in  China,  are  the  chief  requisites  of  a  good  wife. 

When  the  betrothal  is  concluded  the  match-maker  receives  his 
fee,  which  ran«:es  from  one  dollar  to  three  hundred  dollars, 
according  to  the  bridegroom's  worldly  condition,  and  the  '•'  matri- 
monial agent "  is  constituted  master-of-ceremonies  at  the  wedding 
feast. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO. 


OUR  instructions  had  been,  after  leaving 
Shanghai,  to  go  direct  to  Nagasaki, 
Japan.  On  receipt,  however,  of  information 
that  there  had  been  trouble  between  the  na- 
tives and  some  American  sailors,  at  Tam- 
Sin,  on  the  island  of  Formosa,  it  was  ordered 
that  we  should  go  there  to  investigate  the 
matter. 

Formosa  is  a  Portus-uese  word  meanina: 
"  beautiful,"  but  the  many  criminal  acts  of 
the  natives,  especially  upon  shipwrecked  sai- 
lors, have  made  the  island  anything  l^ut  at- 
tractive. The  island  is  about  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  miles 
long,  and  seventy  miles  average  breadth.  It  is  really  divided 
into  two  parts  by  a  chain  of  mountains  running  along  its  wdiole 
length  from  north  to  south.  The  western  side  is  occupied  for 
the  most  part  by  Chinese  colonists,  while  on  the  eastern  side 
dwell  the  savage  tribes. 

The  island  was  originally  peopled  by  a  brave  and  industrious 
Malay  race.  It  was  invaded  and  conquered  by  the  Chinese  about 
100  B.  C.  ;  by  the  Dutch  in  1634-6  ;  and  by  pirates  in  1661. 
The  pirate  rule  becoming  too  tyrannical,  the  people  in  1683  re- 
volted, defeated  their  oppressors  and  made  a  treaty  with  the  Chi- 

120 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO.  121 

nese  Government  whereby  Formosa  should  be  annexed  to  the  lat- 
ter as  a  part  of  the  provinces  of  Foo-Kien.  If  the  Chmese  re- 
turns are  trustworthy,  the  population  of  the  island  is  now  about 
three  and  a  half  millions.  Of  the  aborigines  not  more  than  thir- 
ty-five hundred  are  still  extant.  Some  of  this  number  are  em- 
ployed at  the  coal-mines  of  Ke-Lung  ;  others  obtain  a  livelihood 
from  the  fisheries,  but  the  majority  inhabit  the  mountain  regions 
of  the  interior,  and  there  cultivate  the  soil  or  raise  cattle. 

The  carboniferous  period  of  Formosa  is  especially  well  repre- 
sented by  an  outcrop  of  rock  two  thousand  feet  in  thickness,  con- 
taining twenty  workable  veins  or  seams  of  coal.  The  main  coal 
bed  is  about  twenty  feet  thick  and  consists  of  a  soft  and  easily- 
mined  semi-bituminous  coal.  It  has  been  known  to  the  Chinese 
for  centuries,  and  has  been  mined  and  sold  throughout  the  sea- 
port provinces  for  at  least  a  thousand  years.  The  mining  is  very 
primitive  —  the  labor  being  done  by  hand  and  not  by  machinery. 

As  the  coal  is  worked,  columns  are  left  standing  and  passage- 
ways are  heavily  timbered  to  prevent  the  falling  of  the  roof  upon 
the  workmen.  The  breaking,  screening  and  cleaning  is  all  done 
by  hand.  The  coal  is  then  stored  and  delivered  to  the  junks  that 
crowd  the  harbor  of  Ke-Lung.  These  supply  nearly  all  the  south- 
eastern provinces.  Little  or  no  coal  is  used  in  the  interior, 
chiefly  on  account  of  the  expense  of  transportation  ;  but  along 
the  seaboard,  the  canals,  the  great  rivers  and  the  tributaries,  it 
is  in  constant  demand.  It  is  employed  in  households  for  roasting 
and  long-continued  boiling ;  it  is  used  in  the  trades  by  porcelain 
and  china-ware  manufacturers,  smelters  and  metal-workers,  and 
other  smaller  industries. 

The  northern  provinces  of  China  likewise  use  coal,  but  obtain 
it  from  the  famous  mines  of  Nu-Chwong,  in  the  province  of  Shin- 


122 


FRO>r    STIAXOTIAI    TO    TTIOGO. 


Kiang,  Corea.  Like  other  mining  properties  in  China,  the  coal- 
mines belong  to  the  Government.  They  are  leased  to  private 
parties,  syndicates,  or  corporations  for  a  percentage  of  the  gross 
out-put,  varying  from    five  to  twenty  per  cent.     The  Ke-Lung 


3>Tr  c» 


COAST   OF    FORMOSA. 


mines  produce  as  much  as  one  million  tons  a  year.  As  the  cost  of 
mining  is  low  and  the  freight  by  junks  about  equal  to  that  of 
the  coasting  coal  schooners  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia, 
coal  could  be  sold  at  Hon";  Kong^,  Canton.  Foo-Chow  or  Amoy  at 
three  dollars  a  ton,  and  then  give  a  handsome  profit  ;  but  the 
tax,  which  is  levied  on  the  gross  out-put  and  not  on  net  delivery. 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO.  123 

together  with  the  open  corruption  of  officials  and  the  efforts  of 
the  Chinese  to  keep  foreigners  out  of  the  trade,  increases  its  cost 
per  ton  to  anywhere  from  five  to  eight  doUars. 

For  this  reason  the  vice-royalty  of  Kwong-Tung  and  Foo- 
Kien,  under  whose  jurisdiction  Formosa  lies,  is  considered  the 
greatest  prize  in  Chinese  politics.  It  usually  costs  the  successful 
candidate  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  million  of  dollars.  It  involves 
an  annual  expenditure  of  half  a  million,  and  though  the  official 
term  is  for  three  years  only,  the  incumbent  retires  at  the  end  of 
the  term  a  millionaire.  It  is  needless  to  remark  that  these  vast 
sums  are  suspected  of  being  drawn  from  the  coal-mines  of  Ke- 
Lung.  Other  minerals  are  obtained  in  large  quantities  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ke-Lung;  in  fact,  between  Ke-Lung  and  Tai-Wan- 
Fu,  the  capital  of  Formosa,  there  are  several  valuable  mines,  in- 
cluding gold,  silver,  copper,  iron,  quicksilver  and  lead. 

The  smelting  and  working  of  these  ores,  and  of  their  resul- 
tants, are  principally  done  with  Ke-Lung  coal,  and  it  gives  em- 
ployment to  a  large  portion  of  the  population;  it  also  gives 
heavy  returns  to  the  Imperial  treasury  and, to  the  Viceroy  of  the 
provinces.  It  was  owing  to  the  convenience  of  these  mines, 
principally,  that  the  Government  ordered  its  main  arsenals  erected 
at  Foo-Chow. 

Our  mission  to  Formosa  was  to  inquire  into  a  gross  insult  up- 
on the  person  of  the  United  States  Consul.  With  one  or  two  other 
gentlemen  he  had  ventured  into  the  interior  on  a  pleasure  tour, 
where  the  whole  party  was  attacked  by  the  natives,  and  cruelly 
beaten.  The  trouble  was  finally  adjusted  by  the  payment  by  the 
natives  of  an  indemnity  of  forty  thousand  dollars. 

From  Tam-Sin  we  went  to  Tai-Wan-Fu  (meaning  "  Great  Se- 
cret "  )  a  few  miles  down  the  coast.     It  is  the  capital  of  the  is- 


124  FROM    SIIANGHAI    TO    IIIOGO. 

land  and  is  a  port  of  trade,  having  extensive  dealings  with  for- 
eign cunimerce.  It  is  a  large  straggling  town  with  numerous 
open  spaces  surrounded  with  trees,  and  encircled  by  a  wall  some 
six  miles  in  extent.  In  addition  to  the  several  Buddhist  temples, 
variety  is  given  to  the  architecture  by  the  palatial  homes  of  the 
wealthy  mandarins.  The  Cheh-wan,  or  "  green  "  savages,  with 
the  characteristics  of  the  American  Indians,  live  in  the  suburbs, 
in  domiciles  festooned  with  Chinese  skulls. 

Tea-growing  is  extensive,  the  Formosa  Oolong  at  one  time 
being  a  great  favorite  in  the  United  States.  Among  other  pro- 
ducts are  camphor,  gum,  rice,  corn,  sugar,  tobacco,  spices,  oranges, 
pineapples,  guavas,  cocoanuts  and  other  fruits.  The  prominent 
features  of  the  harbor  are  a  Chinese  fort,  and  the  old  Dutch  fort 
"  Zelondin."  The  latter  I  found  in  ruins  and  all  of  the  guns  dis- 
mantled. Several  empty  shells  were  lying  around  loose  in  the 
casemates  ;  and  in  one  place  (the  old  armory)  were  a  number  of 
old  STuns  of  G-inch  caliber,  and  two  10-inch  mortars.  The  fort 
was  tumbled  in  ruins  by  the  earthquake  of  1842.  As  in  the  Chi- 
nese forts,  there  were  inner  and  outer  walls  wdth  a  brick  parapet, 
and  between  them  a  moat  ten  feet  wide.  We  were  honored  with 
a  visit  by  the  Tao-Tai,  or  chief  Mandarin,  whose  insignia  of  rank 
was  a  red  button  and  a  peacock's  feather  in  his  hat.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  staff,  distinguished  personages  —  or  rather,  men 
who  considered  themselves  of  much  importance.  The  official  de- 
vice of  his  chief  secretary  was  a  white  button  on  the  peak  of  his 
hat.  There  was  the  usual  interchange  of  courtesies  over  a  glass 
of  wine ;  a  verbal  contract  that  any  indignities  practiced  upon 
American  subjects  should  be  met  with  speedy  punishment  was 
agreed  upon,  and  this  was  sealed  by  another  glass  of  wine. 

Two  da3's  was  all-sufficient  to  satisfy  my  curiosity  about  For- 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOOO. 


125 


mosa,  and  we  straightway  laid  our  course  for  Nagasaki,  on  the  is- 
land of  Kiu-Siu.  This  island  is  one  of  the  Japanese  group,  and 
has  great  capacities  for  trade  with  the  civilized  world.  Arriving 
at  Nagasaki  we  found  that  the  harbor  fulfilled  its  wide  reputa- 


NATIVES   OF    FORMOSA. 


tion.  It  was  most  accessible,  was  provided  with  an  excellent 
lighthouse  at  its  farthest  approach,  and  admirably  protected  by 
high,  rugged  hills,  that  rise  nearly  to  the  dignity  of  mountains. 
There  is  here  a  dock-yard,  ship-yard,  foundry  and  machine  shops 
adequate  to  every  want ;  and  here  the  Japanese  Government  has 
built  several  vessels  that  would  be  a  credit  to  the  skill  and  work- 
manship of  some  of  the  American  ship-builders.     The  island  is 


12G  Fi;o>r  siiaxoiiai  to  nior.o. 

one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  group  that  forms  the  Empire 
of  Japan,  and  liere  the  Japanese  are  pushing  their  way  and  have 
already  succeeded  in  establishing  a  considerable  trade.  The  coal 
area  of  Ta-Kashima,  the  most  important  coal-field  of  Japan,  is  less 
than  an  hour's  sail  from  Nagasaki,  and  the  supply  is  virtually  in- 
exhaustible. The  coal  is  l)ituminous  and  the  average  daily  out- 
put is  about  one  thousand  tons. 

The  Island  of  Kiu-Siu,  as  are  all  of  the  Japanese  islands,  is 
volcanic.  Within  a  day's  sail  of  Nagasaki,  southward,  is  an  ac- 
tive volcano  in  a  condition  of  almost  perpetual  action  ;  the  scoria 
from  it  covers  the  neiirhborincx  o-round  for  a  considerable  distance 
and  is  found  in  dense  masses  twenty  miles  at  sea.  Earthquakes 
are  not  uncommon,  but  fortunately  they  are  of  a  mild  character, 
rarely  doing  any  damage.  The  general  aspect  of  the  country  is 
wild  and  rugged,  and  in  many  places  there  are  to  be  found  almost 
inaccessible  acclivities.  The  great  need  of  the  island  is  good 
roads  connecting  Nagasaki  with  the  interior,  and  with  the  larger 
cities  in  the  vicinity.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  needed  highways, 
the  only  means  of  communication  with  coast  towns  is  by  Ijoats, 
junks,  and  small  steamers  ;  and  with  the  interior  by  rugged  path- 
ways used  by  the  natives,  who  transport  the  products  of  the 
country  in  panniers  supported  by  a  pole  across  the  shoulders ; 
and  sometimes,  wdiere  the  pathway  permits,  by  buffaloes. 

There  are  numerous  valleys  teeming  with  fertility,  and  cap- 
able of  supporting  a  much  larger  population  and  of  producing 
every  variety  of  grain,  vegetable,  fruit  and  vine  of  the  semi-trop- 
ical climate.  The  vegetation  is  luxuriant  and  clothes  the  moun- 
tains even  to  their  very  summits.  With  care  and  industry  two 
and  three  crops  of  cereals  and  vegetables  can  be  raised.  The 
people,  like  the  Latin  races  of  Southern  Europe,  are  impulsive, 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO.  127 

imaginative  and  impassionate  ;  but  they  show  an  intense  longing 
for  the  culture,  knowledge  and  mechanical  appliances  of  more 
favored  races.  In  this  latter  characteristic  they  are  vastly  supe- 
rior to  the  Chinese.  They  are  especially  friendly  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  strain  every  effort  to  offer  them  a  hospitable  welcome. 
The  United  States  opened  this  country  to  the  commerce  of  the 
world,  yet  England  and  France  have  reaped  the  greater  benefits. 
Kiu-Siu  is  the  birthplace  of  many  of  the  heroes,  warriors  and 
statesmen  of  Japanese  history  ;  including  such  men  as  Satsuma, 
in  his  time  one  of  the  leading  daimios  of  the  Empire.  The  great 
rebellion  of  1876,  wdiich  cost  the  Imperial  Government  of  Tokio 
one  hundred  million  dollars  in  its  six  months  of  duration,  was  under 
the  leadership  of  the  famous  Daimio  Saigo,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  this  island. 

The  first  landing  in  a  new  country  is  generally  a  moment  of 
great  interest,  even  to  the  oldest  traveler.  There  is  something 
pleasant  in  new  sensations ;  novelty  presents  itself  in  almost 
every  form.  Once  among  new  things,  the  traveler  discovers  that 
his  ideal  is  something  very  different  from  the  living  embodiment. 
In  the  first  view  of  Japan  —  whether  it  be  on  the  island  of  Kiu- 
Siu,  or  Niplion,  or  even  of  little  Yesso,  there  are  peculiarities  in 
the  Japanese  figure,  physiognomy  and  costume  for  which  even 
long  familiarity  with  the  adjoining  population  of  China  hardly 
prepares  one.  For  instance,  the  race  of  boatmen,  and  the  work- 
ing-classes in  Japan,  generally  are  content  with  the  narrowest 
possible  girdle  and  connecting  band  ;  this  limited  costume  is,  to 
be  sure,  common  enouo'h  in  other  Asiatic  countries.  thoug;h  as  a 
rule,  there  is,  in  China,  a  more  liberal  allowance  of  calico  for  a 
coverino;  anions;  the  men,  ev^en  under  the  hotter  sun  and  harder 
work,  than  seems  to  be  the  usage  in  Nagasaki. 


128  FROM    SIIAXCTIAI    TO    IIIOOO. 

It  is  in  a  .study  of  the  married  Japanese  women,  however, 
that  one's  notions  become  most  confounded.  One  must  be  brouo-ht 
up  from  infancy  to  these  manners  and  customs  to  be  able  to  look 
upon  their  large  mouths  full  of  blackened  teeth,  and  upon  their 
lips  thickly  daubed  with  a  brick-red  color,  not  to  turn  away  with 
a  strong  feeling  of  repulsiveness.  When  they  have  renewed  the 
black  varnish  to  the  teeth,  plucked  out  the  last  hair  from  the 
eyebrows,  the  Japanese  matrons  may  certainly  claim  imrivalled 
preeminence  in  artificial  ugliness  over  all  their  sex.  Their 
mouths,  thus  disfigured,  are  open  sepulchers.  Were  it  not  for 
such  perverse  ingenuity  in  marring  Nature's  fairest  work,  many 
among  them  might  make  some  considerable  pretensions  to  beauty. 
The  type  is  neither  Malay  nor  Mongolian,  but  the  elaborate  style 
of  dressing  the  hair  is  in  itself  a  study,  and  displays  a  marvelous 
amount  of  feminine  ingenuity.  One  might  certainly  search  the 
world  throug;h  without  being;  able  to  match  the  woman-kind  of 
Japan  for  such  total  abnegation  of  personal  vanity.  Surely  some- 
thing else  than  the  whole  womanhood  of  Japan  deliberately  mak- 
ing itself  hideous,  might  have  sufficed  to  prove  the  absence  of 
all  wish  or  design  to  captivate  admirers. 

It  has  occurred  to  me  that  the  husbands  pay  dearly  for  any 
protection  or  security  such  custom  is  supposed  to  bring  ;  since, 
if  no  other  man  can  find  anything  pleasing  in  a  face  so  marred 
and  disfigured,  the  husband  must  be  just  as  badly  off  if  he  has 
in  him  any  sense  of  beauty.  It  may  be  said  by  those  who  would 
disagree  with  me,  that,  "  when  the  affections  are  engaged,  a  lov- 
m^--  husband  sees  onlv  the  mind  and  the  heart  in  the  face,  and  loses 
the  individual  features."     And  this  must  be  the  only  reasonable 

answer. 

Leavino-   Na^^asaki  we  made  an  interesting  and  picturesque 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO.  129 

trip  up  through  the  Simonoseki  Straits  and   the   inland   sea  to 
Kobe,  or  Hiosro. 

The  inhand  sea  presents  attractions  to  the  pleasure-seeker 
that  are  unsurpassed  in  any  country.  Each  mile  traversed  offers 
some  new  feature  to  please  the  eye.  The  main  land,  on  either 
side,  with  valley  succeeding  valley,  and  hill  surmounting  hill  — 
some  bald  and  naked,  while  others  are  covered  with  the  most  lux- 
uriant verdure  —  forms  a  picture  grand  and  beautiful  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  amply  repays  one  for  the  unpleasant  experiences  of  a 
sea-voyage  in  reaching  it.  The  cities  of  Hiogo  and  Osaka  —  the 
latter  about  eight  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  the  upper 
end  of  Hiogo  Bay  —  are  in  themselves  objects  of  interest,  fully 
equal  if  not  surpassing  any  in  Japan.  Situated  on  one  of  the 
finest  bays  of  the  Empire,  with  boats  of  every  description  —  from 
the  ponderous  junk  to  the  beautiful  foreign  pleasure  yacht  mov- 
ing; over  it  —  Hioo-o  is  of  o-reat  interest.  Its  beaches  of  white 
sand  afford  every  facility  for  sea-bathing. 

Every  house  in  Hiogo  has  its  well  of  pure  cold  water ;  the 
hotels,  of  which  there  is  a  bountiful  supply,  are  provided  with 
Avarm  and  cold  baths  of  pure  fresh  water,  and  their  tables  are 
supplied  with  almost  every  luxury.  Good  Japanese  ponies  may 
be  hired  for  a  few  tempos  (pennies)  for  those  who  wish  to  visit 
the  mountains  in  the  back-ground,  where  can  be  enjoyed  the 
sight  of  magnificent  waterfalls,  and  cool  and  limpid  streams. 
Japanese  temples  enveloped  in  groves  of  pine  and  arbor-vitse 
overlook  the  beautiful  panorama  below.  The  old  and  familiar 
sound  of  the  overshot  and  flutterino;  water-wheel  —  as  it  drives 
the  hundreds  of  stamps  in  cleaning  the  hulls  from  rice  and  other 
grains  —  is  to  be  met  at  every  turn,  and  the  visitor  is  for  some 
time  oblivious   of  the  fact  that   he   is  in  this  ex-treme  Oriental 


lod  vvoM  siiA\(;iiAi  TO   iiinao. 

point  of  tlie  universe.  The  valley-lands  are  filled  with  the  native 
esculents,  and  as  they  rise  in  terraces  one  above  the  other  here  and 
along  the  shores  of  the  inland  sea,  with  the  tiny  streams  flowing 
through  them  for  irrigation,  they  afford  a  scene  of  rural  life  that 
till'  eye  never  tires  of  resting  upon,  enlivened  as  it  is  by  the 
happy  song  of  the  husbandman  as  he  toils  at  his  endless  task. 
The  beautiful  blending  of  mountain,  valley  and  water  scenery 
forms  a  picture  that  challenges  comparison. 

The  most  important  objects  that  greet  the  eye,  as  one  rounds 
the  point  at  the  entrance  to  Kobe  harbor,  are  the  two  martello 
towers,  immovably  picketed  like  twin  giants  for  the  defense  of 
the  place.  The  origin  of  these  towers  and  of  their  name  is  not 
generally  known.  The  word  "  martello  "  is  derived  directly 
from  the  Italian,  and  indirectly  from  the  Latin  niarcuhis,  or 
martulus,  diminutive  of  marcus,  meaning  a  hammer.  About 
the  year  1540,  Charles  the  Fifth,  King  of  Spain,  introduced  the 
idea  of  this  kind  of  defense  for  the  Spanish  coast,  and  erected  a 
number  of  them  along  the  shores  of  Sardinia  and  Sicily,  as  a 
protection  against  the  numerous  attacks  of  pirates.  Long  after- 
wards the  French  placed  several  on  the  Corsican  coast.  When, 
in  1794,  Corsica  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English  they  appropri- 
ated both  the  design  and  name  of  the  defense  and  erected  Mar- 
tello towers  on  the  Irish  coast  for  the  purpose  of  resisting  the 
threatened  invasion  of  that  island  by  the  French.  The  Fenians 
afterwards  brought  them  into  notice  by  using  them  as  strong- 
holds during  their  spasmodic  efforts  to  throw  off  the  English 
yoke.  There  is  but  one  along  the  American  coast ;  it  stands,  or 
did  stand,  on  Tybee  Island. 

These  martello  towers  are  circular  in  form,  and  thus  present 
the  least  surface  to  a  shot  from  a  battery  ;    the  chances  of  a 


c 


< 


FROM    .SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO.  133 

cannon-ball  striking  the  walls  at  a  right  angle  are  very  small,  and 
a  shot  at  any  other  angle  would  be  turned  aside.  In  the  Hiogo 
towers  the  entrance  is  by  a  heavy  door  near  the  ground.  In  the 
center  of  the  room  within  the  tower  a  deep  well  has  been  sunk  j 
but  the  ascent  to  the  second  story  may  be  made  through  a  small 
aperture  in  the  floor.  Here  a  half-dozen  small  guns  are  mounted 
on  a  movable  carriage,  and  may  be  fired  from  any  of  the  ports 
encirclinu-  the  tower.  The  two  towers  are  within  range  of  each 
other  ;  both  are  built  of  strong  masonry,  the  walls  being  four 
feet  thick  at  the  base  and  about  thirty  feet  high.  They  are  of 
quite  modern  construction,  having  been  erected  to  resist  the 
encroachments  of  those  very  foreigners  who  are  now  so  rapidly 
over-running  the  country. 

I  well  remember  when  I  was  first  in  Japan.  It  was  in  1868, 
during  the  Japanese  rebellion,  and  it  was  rumored  that  the 
retreating  Tycoon's  forces  had  arranged  to  attempt  to  destroy 
these  Martello  towers  at  Kobe  ;  but  the  plan  was  thwarted  by  the 
foreign  vessels-of-war  which  sent  armed  forces  to  protect  them. 
A  small  quantity  of  powder  was  discovered^  but  nothing  more 
than  this  to  confirm  the  report  of  intended  destruction,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  rumor  had  any  better  foundation  than  the  thou- 
sand-and-one  canards  that  fed  the  public  mind  during  that 
exciting  period. 

From  our  anchorage  a  small  white  speck  is  visible  as  we  look 
to  the  eastward  of  the  town  of  Hiogo,  high  up  on  the  top  of  one 
of  the  highest  elevations.  Seeking  it  out  on  one  of  my  daily 
horseback  rides,  I  foitnd  it  to  be  the  residence  of  the  priests 
belono-ino;  to  certain  neig-hboring;  pagodas,  known  as  the  '■  Moon 
Temple."  The  place  is  well  worth  visiting  and  will  repay  the 
Wearied  traveler  for  the  toil  of  ascending  some  steep  and  lugged 


134  FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO. 

paths.  There  are  two  paths  leadmg  to  the  •'  Moon  ; "  one 
branches  off  from  the  Osaka  road  abont  three  miles  from  Hio^o, 
the  other  runs  a  little  below  a  magnificent  waterfall,  which 
may  be  visited  on  the  way.  The  scenery  along  both  pathways 
is  extremely  varied  and  beautiful.  That  leading  from  the  Osaka 
road  is  the  most  frequented,  and  the  tea-houses  or  refreshment 
places  for  the  acconnnodation  of  pilgrims  abound  at  very  short 
distances.  These  tea-houses  are  built  of  bamboo,  with  thick, 
soft  matting  on  the  floors,  and  a  pot  of  tea  boiling  cheerfully  in 
a  shee-bang,  a  box  of  coals.  The  other  pathway,  and  I  think  the 
grandest,  has,  after  leaving  the  cultivated  land,  no  habitation  or 
signs  of  man's  home.  Not  a  traveler  did  we  meet ;  the  silence 
and  absence  of  human  life  makes  this  route  very  impressive. 

The  pathway  finished,  and  all  its  difficulties  surmounted,  the 
traveler  stands  before  a  gateway  and  sees  beyond  it  a  flight  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-eight  stone  steps.  He  feels  there  is  more 
hard  work  before  him.  The  view  from  this  spot  is  very  bold  and 
striking ;  the  steps  tower  before  one  —  wide  and  of  good  pro- 
portion —  and  on  each  side  are  houses  for  the  priests.  The  labor 
of  building  these  structures  must  have  been  very  great.  The 
foundations  are  of  rough  masonry,  rising  some  thirty  or  forty 
feet  above  the  ground  built  almost  perpendicularly  from  a  pro- 
jection on  the  slope  of  the  mountain.  Ascending,  the  houses  are 
found  to  be  scrupulously  clean,  and  I  was  cordially  invited  to 
enter  upon  condition  that  I  should  first  remove  my  shoes. 
Once  within,  I  found  the  screens,  bronze  work,  bedding,  etc.,  to 
be  of  the  best  description,  and  I  could  not  help  reflecting  that 
"  poor,  self-immolating  priests,  suffering  and  enduring  all  things," 
yet  manage  in  all  parts  of  the  w^orld  to  get  the  best  of 
everything. 


FROM    SHANGHAI    TO    HIOGO. 


135 


The  temples  were  not  large,  nor  of  such  fine  worknmnship 
as  1  have  seen  elsewhere,  although  the  bronzes  and  metal 
work  within  seemed  very  beautiful  ;  but  the  visitor  can 
scarcely  get  close  enough  for  a  thorough  inspection.  A  new 
temple  of  larger  size  was  in  course  of  construction,   the  wood 


JAPANESE    STREET    SCENE. 


and  stone  being  obtained  on  the  spot.  I  observed  some 
excellently  carved  work  in  cedar,  and  it  was  evidently  in- 
tended to  make  the  new  buikling  very  attractive.  The  view 
from  the  peak  of  the  mountain  was  varied,  and  extended  as 
far  as  the  eye   could  reach. 

The  bathing  places  at  Kobe  are  not  on  the  beach  as  at 
Newport  and  Long  Branch,  but  they  are  generally  in  that 
portion  of   the  house  most  accessible  to  the  street,  and  where 


130  FEOM    SHANGHAI    TO    IIIOGO. 

there  is  continual  passing  and  repassing.  Nor  is  any  se- 
clusion attempted.  A  visitor  is  greeted  by  the  bathers  with 
that  musical  and  courteous  greeting,  "  0-hai-O "  (Good  day!), 
and  it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  men,  women  and 
children  bathing  together  in  their  primitive  condition,  dress- 
ing and  undressing  in  the  open  space  around  the  circular 
or  square  bathing  tanks,  into  which  is  constantly  flowing, 
and  passing  oft'  by  overflow,  the  steaming  water. 

Let  me,  however,  caution  the  uninitiated  against  doing 
great  injustice  to  the  womanhood  of  Japan  by  judging  them 
by  our  American  rides  of  decency  and  modesty.  Where 
there  is  no  sense  of  immodesty,  no  consciousness  of  wrong- 
doing, there  is,  or  may  be,  a  like  absence  of  any  sinful  or 
depraved  feeling.  Especially  is  this  the  case  where  the 
customs  of  the  country  are  rigidly  observed.  Fathers,  broth- 
ers and  husbands  all  sanction  it ;  and  from  childhood  the 
feeling  must  grow  up,  as  effectually  guarding  them  against 
self-reproach  or  shame,  as  their  "  more  civilized "  sisters  in 
adopting  dresses  in  the  ball-room  or  at  the  opera,  that  are 
often  open  to  criticism ;  or  any  other  generally  adopted  fashion  of 
garments  or  amusements.  Any  one  of  the  real  performers  in 
the  bath-house  scene,  when  all  is  over  and  the  toilet  is 
completed,  will  leave  the  l^ath-house  door  a  very  picture  of 
womanly  reserve  and  modesty,  and  musically  utter  to  those 
whom    they  leave    behind,  ^^Saionara!"   (Good    bye!) 

The  toilet  of  a  Japanese  damsel  or  ''  moosome,"  is  a  matter 
of  no  light  consideration.  The  long,  coarse  tresses  of  raven 
black  hair  must  be  w\ashed,  combed  and  greased  till  the  head 
shines  like  a  knob  of  polished  black  marble  ;  the  cheeks  must  be 
rouged  to  the  proper  tint ;  the  throat,  neck  and  bosom  are  pow- 


FEOM    SHAXGIIAI    TO    IIIOGO.  137 

derecl,  carefully  leaving,  however,  on  the  nape  of  the  neck  three 
lines  of  the  orisrinal  brown  skin  of  the  owner  in  accordance  with 
the  rules  of  Japanese  cosmetic  art ;  the  eyebrows  must  be  care- 
fully rounded  and  touched  with  black,  and  the  lips  reddened  with 
cherry  paste  with  a  patch  of  gilding  in  the  center.  When  all 
this  has  been  done  and  the  clothes  properly  adjusted,  the  "obi," 
or  huge  sa^h  of  many  colors,  is  tied  in  the  knot  of  prevailing 
fashion;  the  cleanest  of  white  socks  and  the  newest  of  black- 
lacquered  sandals  are  drawn  on  the  feet,  and  then  the  belle  is  ready 
for  her  promenade  or  reception.  She  must,  however,  have  the 
proper  allowance  of  rice  paper  in  lieu  of  a  single  pocket-hand- 
kerchief ;  also  her  tobacco  pouch,  pipe  and  fan,  and  then  she 
sallies  forth,  turning  her  toes  in  and  playing  with  her  fan  in 
well-affected  demureness. 

The  mother  is  likewise  rouged,  painted,  combed  and  adorned, 
but  not  a  vestige  of  eye-brows  graces  her  forehead,  and  her  teeth 
are  blackened  in  accordance  with  the  rules  for  married  women. 
The  father  is  clean-shaved ;  his  queue  or  top-knot  is  smoothly 
plastered  in  a  roll  on  his  head  ;  his  raiment,  stiff,  new  and 
shining,  has  the  family  crest  embroidered  or  stamped  on  the  back 
and  flowing  sleeves  of  his  "  kimono,"  or  coat.  Women  with 
blackened  teeth  are  seen  at  everv  turn,  their  mouths  looking^ 
like  open  sepulchers,  so  dark  and  forbidding  is  the  cavern  they 
disclose.  They  are  generally  uncovered  nearly  to  the  waist,  if  in 
summer  time,  and  usually  have  a  copper-colored  marmot  hanging 
to  the  breast  or  carried  in  a  sort  of  pouch  on  the  back.  Tattooed 
workmen  and  shopboys  add  to  the  throng,  and  swaggering  among 
the  groups  are  many  of  the  two-sAvorded  gentry  —  "  Yakunius  "  — 
retainers  of  the  daimios,  all  fully  impressed  with  their  own  im- 
portance and  superiority,  as  well  as  of  the  masters  they  serve. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


IN    JAPAN. 


T 


HE  customs  and 
the  habits  of  the 
Japanese  differ  l)ut 
little  in  different  sec- 
tions of  the  Empire. 
The  old  standards 
are,  however,  more 
closely  followed  in 
those  places  where 
the  people  have  not 
lono-  been  in  contact 
with  foreigners  and 
have  not  adopted 
some  portions  of 
their  dress.  There  is 
something  particu- 
larly interesting  and 
pathetic  in  viewing 
those  people  who 
have  not  attempted  to  cast  aside  their  original  ideas  and  take  up 
with  those  of  foreign  importation.  I  was  peculiarl}^  struck  with 
this  in  studying  the  Japanese  workmen.  They  do  their  work 
sitting  upon  the  floor,  and  everything  is  performed  in  a  manner 

138 


IN    JAPAN.  139 

just  the  reverse  of  the  "  civilized  "  people.  The  carpenter  pulls 
the  plane  towards  him  instead  of  pushing  it  forward  as  do  we ; 
the  blacksmith  pumps  the  bellows  with  his  feet,  while  both  hands 
are  occupied  in  holding  and  hammering ;  the  cooper  holds  his 
tubs  with  his  toes ;  the  doors  of  the  houses  do  not  swing  on 
hinges,  but  are  pushed  back  to  the  right  or  left  in  slides ;  the 
locks  slide  to  the  left,  ours  to  the  right ;  the  horse  stands  in  his 
stall  with  his  tail  where,  according  to  our  custom,  his  head  ought 
to  be  ;  pedestrians  turn  to  the  left,  we  to  the  right;  an  American 
to  injure  his  enemy  kills  him,  a  Japanese  to  spite  his  foe  commits 
hari-kari — kills  himself. 

Since  my  visit  to  Japan  in  1868,  the  history  of  the  Empire 
has  been  crowded  with  incident  ;  the  ports  of  Osaka  and  Kobe 
have  been  opened  to  commerce,  although  prior  to  that  event  many 
were  skeptical  of  the  sincerity  of  the  Japanese  in  their  avowal 
of  this  intention.  An  immense  assemblage  of  American  and 
English  vessels-of-war  with  one  French  frigate  lay  snugly  in  the 
bay  of  Kobe  to  force,  if  necessary,  the  native  government  to 
comply  with  its  treaties  ;  but,  luckily,  the  great  event  passed  off 
quietly  and  peaceably,  the  powerful  armament  of  the  ships  being 
employed  to  announce  from  their  hoarse  throats  by  salutes  of 
twenty-one  guns  from  each,  the  important  fact  that  these  two 
great  ports  of  Southern  Japan  were  at  last  open  to  the  trade  of 
the  world  from  which  they  had  been  shut  out  so  long.  The 
demonstration  on  shore  was  confined  to  the  simple  act  of  hoist- 
ing the  National  emblems  at  the  various  consulates  and  making 
the  first  official  record  that  Kobe  and  Osaka  had  been  made  treaty 
ports  on  January  1,  1868. 

This  event  was  quickly  followed  by  the  great  internal  revolu- 
tion or  rebellion,  and  the  abolishment  of  the  Tycoonate  ;  Stots- 


140  IN    JAPAN. 

baslii  retreated  to  his  own  castle  at  Osaka  ;  then  came  the  as- 
serted supremacy  of  Satsuma  and  his  retainers ;  then  the  defeat 
and  consequent  retreat  of  the  Tycoon  and  his  forces,  the  Tycoon 
taking  refuge  upon  om^  vessel  on  the  night  of  January  13,  going 
to  Yokohama  with  us  and  rewarding  our  benefaction  with  a  lib- 
eral distribution  of  some  of  his  most  valuable  personal  property 
—  swords,  lacquer  ware,  costumes,  etc.  I  continue  to  prize  my 
gifts  very  highly,  both  because  of  their  associations  and  their 
intrinsic  value.  This  was  followed  by  the  Mikado's  new  departure 
by  which  he  assumed  the  dignity  of  a  secular  Emperor,  and  so 
announcino;  himself  to  the  w^orld.  He  came  forth  from  the  seclu- 
sion  of  his  sacred  palace  at  Kioto,  proceeded  to  Yeddo,  formed  a 
new  Cabinet,  established  officials  at  the  open  ports  and  at  the 
same  time  declared  his  determination  to  respect  the  treaties  made 
wdth  foreign  powers.  It  w^as  the  beginning  of  the  new  and  pro- 
gressive Japan. 

Next  followed  a  period  of  great  excitement  and  trouble  which 
necessitated  our  immediate  return  to  Kobe :  all  foreigners  were 
forced  to  quit  Osaka ;  the  northern  fleet  of  Japanese  war  vessels 
blockaded  the  southern  fleet  of  the  Japanese  Navy  in  Hiogo  Bay  ; 
the  latter  escaped  and  the  former  returned  to  Yeddo  Bay.  Then 
came  a  period  of  yet  greater  excitement  beginning  on  February 
4,  wdien  some  of  the  advance  body-guard  of  Prince  Bizen  made 
an  unwarrantable  attack  upon  some  American  and  French  sailors 
on  the  main  street  of  Hiosro.  Prince  Bizen  and  his  followers 
w'ere  driven  before  the  bayonets  of  a  couple  of  hundred  Ameri- 
can sailors  and  marines  under  command  of  Captain  English  and 
a  half-dozen  other  officers,  myself  included,  and  escaped  to  the 
mountains.  The  city  was  then  occupied  and  put  under  martial 
law  by  the  American,  English  and  French  naval  forces.     A  week 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   TYCOONS. 


•«; 


IX    JAPAX.  141 

later  there  arrived  from  Kioto,  tlie  Imperial  capital,  the  envoy 
Higashi-no-shoshi ;  quiet  and  order  wei'e  restored  and  the  envoy 
and  his  subordinates  departed  for  Yeddo. 

On  the  second  of  March  I  witnessed,  with  others,  the  per- 
formance of  hari-kari  and  the  decapitation  of  Ikeda-Ise.  This 
was  the  officer  who  commanded  Bizen's  men,  and  under  whose 
orders  they  attacked  the  American  and  French  sailors,  simply 
because  they  did  not  prostrate  themselves  as  did  the  Japanese 
citizens  upon  the  approach  of  Bizen  in  his  ''norimous,"  or  palan- 
quin. Almost  on  the  heels  of  this  act  came  the  massacre  at  Sa- 
kai ;  the  visit  of  the  foreign  officials  to  the  Mikado  at  Kioto  ; 
the  dreadful  attack  on  the  English  body-guard  by  the  "  ronins," 
or  coolies  ;  the  subsequent  departure  of  the  foreign  ministers  to 
Yeddo,  and,  finally,  the  re-instalment  of  Stots-bashi  to  power, 
and  of  the  possession  of  his  territories.  A  brilliant  future  for 
Osaka  and  Hiogo  was  foretold,  and  the  former  has  become  a  great 
mart  of  trade  in  Japan,  with  Kobe  as  its  seaport. 

Kobe  is  the  busiest  of  the  shipping  ports  of  Japan.  Its  har- 
bor is  dotted  with  merchant  vessels  of  all  kinds  —  from  the  huu-e 
iron  steamers,  to  the  small  barks  and  native  junks.  Because  of 
its  nearness  to  the  great  tea  districts,  Kobe  is  also  the  chief  port 
of  shipment  for  Japan  teas,  several  exporters  having  large  estab- 
lishments for  the  firing  and  packing  of  the  leaf. 

The  town  lies  at  the  foot  of  a  low  ranii-e  of  mountains  cov- 
ered  with  a  beautiful  verdure  and  foliage,  and  the  rills  of  houses 
running  down  from  each  ravine  stop  near  a  long  bund  on  the 
water-front  —  one  part  of  which  is  lined  with  fine  foreign  resi- 
dences. But  the  most  picturesque  part  of  the  bund  is  where  the 
Japanese  houses  are  situated,  and  in  front  of  which  lie  hundreds 
of  junks  loading  and  unloading  their  curious  cargoes. 


142 


IX    JAPAX, 


The  run  from  Iliogo  to  Yokohama  is  a  distance  of  only  three 
himdred  and  twentv-five  miles,  and  we  were  fortunate  in  havino; 
pleasant  weather  for  it.  We  had  covered  23,339  miles  since  leav- 
ing New  York.  Yoko- 
hama is  the  principal 
port  of  Japan,  and  is 
situated  on  the  grand 
bay  of  Tokio,  an  arm  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  It 
is  divided  into  two  sec- 
tions :  the  foreign  settle- 
ment at  Yokohama, 
and  the  native  settle- 
ment at  Kanagama.  The 
business  houses,  bunga- 
loAVS,  shops,  warehouses 
and  hotels  are  in  the 
former ;  and  the  curio 
shops  and  Japanese  liv- 
ing-houses are  in  the 
latter.  Upon  the  "  bund,"  or  river-front,  is  a  wide  street  run- 
ning the  full  length  of  the  town.  Here  are  the  two  principal 
hotels,  the  banking  houses,  and  the  Yokohama  Club. 

The  main  street  of  the  town  has  upon  it  the  warehouses, 
the  large  foreign  mercantile  houses,  and  two  large  banks.  The 
principal  residences  are  on  the  plateau  or  bluff,  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  town  ;  and  here  the  married  men  and  bachelors  live  in 
houses  furnished  much  as  they  are  at  home,  their  house-servants 
being  Japanese  women  or,  more  frequently,  Chinese  boys,  who 
are  valets,  butlers  and.  in  most  cases,  chambermaids. 


THE  EMPRESS  OF  JAPAN. 


IN    JAPAN.  143 

The  main  street  of  the  native  town  is  called  Curio  Street, 
taking  its  name  from  its  being  the  chief  mart  for  every  descrip- 
tion of  lacquer  or  cabinet  inlaid  work  for  which  the  Japanese  are 
famous.  This  thoroughfare,  though  always  full,  presents  its  busi- 
est appearance  when  a  strange  man-of-war  or  a  mail  steamer 
comes  into  the  harbor,  for  all  new  arrivals  seem  suddenly  smitten 
with  a  desire  to  invest  in  china  or  porcelain  ware,  lacquer  boxes, 
cabinets  or  ivory  work,  all  or  any  of  which  may  be  purchased  in 
any  shop  on  the  road.  At  such  times  groups  will  gather  in  front 
of  every  curio  establishment,  bargaining  either  in  plain  or 
"  pigeon  "  English,  eked  out  by  a  tremendous  amount  of  gestic- 
ulation. After  a  long  dickering  the  purchaser  will  march  off 
with  an  armful  of  bargains,  feeling  satisfied  with  his  shrewd- 
ness, although  the  shop-keeper  has  taken  from  him  fifty  per 
cent,  more  than  he  would  have  asked  a  resident  in  the  settle- 
ment. 

The  chief  mode  of  conveyance  is  the  "  jinrikisha,"  a  little 
two-wheeled  cart,  with  a  top  to  shield  the  rider  from  the  sun 
and  rain.  It  is  much  the  shape  of  an  old-fashioned  doctor's 
gig.  The  term  ''jinrikisha"  means  one-man-power-wagon,  and 
this  Japanese  ''  herdic  "  is  drawn  by  from  one  to  three  native 
coolies,  many  of  whom,  before  the  Japanese  rebellion,  were  of 
the  "  samurai  "  or  two-sworded  gentry,  who  were  retainers  of  the 
daimios.  Owing  to  the  poverty  of  the  latter,  and  the  Govern- 
ment edict  forbidding  the  promiscuous  wearing  of  two  swords, 
these  "  samurai  "  have  taken  up  with  a  more  menial  employment. 
Before  the  introduction  of  the  jinrikisha,  in  1868,  the  "  nori- 
mous,"  or  Japanese  palanquin,  was  the  common  conveyance. 

Journeying    out    beyond  Kanagawa    on   the    Tokaido    or    Im- 
perial   road,    your    half-naked    coolies    keeping    up    the    invar- 


144  IN    JAPAN. 

iable  and  monotonous  chorus  of  ''  0-hai-o,  o-hai-o,"  you  meet 
the  pca.^ant  women,  scarce  even  half-clacl,  and  without  a 
thouuht  that  it  is  not  the  most  correct  and  natural  thincr 
in  the  world.  Unconcerned  as  if  no  eye  rested  upon  them, 
they  go  about  their  daily  labor  and  household  duties  in  that 
state  of  undress  that  would  seem  almost  shocking  to  a  fastid- 
ious   woman    of    the    "Western    World. 

The  men  are  even  less  clad.  A  simple  strip  of  cloth  is 
tied  about  their  sturdy  brown  bodies,  and  hangs  in  as  grace- 
ful folds  as  the  Roman  toga.  Children,  entirely  naked,  are 
runniui!:  about  as  unconcerned  and  unnoticed  as  if  it  were 
enjoined  upon  them  to  do  so.  This,  at  first,  causes  aston- 
ishment, but  a  repetition  of  the  sight  soon  familiarizes  one 
to  it.  There  are  no  more  indications  of  rudeness  or  in- 
tended immodesty  than  are  observed  among  those  who  wear 
ampler  clothing.  It  is  a  common  sight  in  all  the  villages 
to  see  the  mother  stretched  upon  the  mats  sleeping,  the 
babe  beside  her  taking  its  nourishment,  and  the  men  and 
children  of  the  house  dozing  away  as  if  there  were  no 
future. 

On  landing  at  Yokohama  the  first  thing  to  attract  my 
attention  was  the  beggars.  I  had  been  warned  against  these 
mendicants,  but  they  did  not  appear  to  be  more  numerous 
here  than  in  other  ports  of  Japan.  Every  foreigner  who  has 
spent  any  time  among  tlie  Japanese  has  become  familiar  with 
the  plaintive  appeal  that  so  frequently  has  greeted  his  ears  : 
'•  Anatu  !  tempo  chodi  ?  chob-a-chow  cum  aremas  !  "  Trans- 
lated into  English  this  is :  ''  Sir !  give  me  a  tempo  ?  I  am 
huno-rv  ! "  And  each  has  learned  as  well  that  if  he  re- 
sponds  to  every  cry  that    assails  his  benevolence,  during  even 


IN    JAPAN". 


145 


a  short  walk,  he  must  soon  sensibly  dimmish  his  stock  of 
change,  be  it  ever  so  extensive.  Had  Charles  Lamb  ever 
lived  in  Japan  I  doubt  whether  he  would  ever  have  penned 
that  exquisite  plea  :  "  A  complaint  of  the  decay  of  beggars." 
But,    so    long    as    a    Government    licenses,  and    a    false    creed 


A   JINRIKISHA. 


fosters,  them,  no  Oriental  Elia  will  ever  be  tempted  to  mourn 
their    decadence    in    a    prize    poem. 

Mendicants  abound  throughout  the  East,  and  Japan  has  her 
full  quota.  At  every  turn  you  meet  crowds  of  them,  and 
their  melancholy  but  persistent  prayers  are  continually  ring- 
ing   in     your    ears.     Take    a    stroll    any  morning    through    the 


146  IN    JAPAN. 

tliorouglifares  of  Hiogo,  Nagasaki,  Osaka  or  Yokohama,  and 
you  will  pass  groups  of  them  basking  lazily  in  the  sun,  and 
possibly  trying  to  reduce  the  number  of  vermin  on  their 
l)odies.  They  belong  to  that  suffering  class  peculiar  to  Euro- 
})('an  or  American  cities,  whom  rum  or  worse  misfortune  (if 
there  can  be  worse)  has  reduced  to  want.  You  trace  no 
resemblance  here  to  tlie  faces  "  pinched  with  cold,  and  the 
eyes  wild  with  huuu'er,  that  oft-times  thrust  themselves  for 
the  moment  upon  your  attention  in  the  home  promenades  of 
wealth  and  fashion  •'  like  ghosts  at  weddings  "  to  haunt  you  ever 
after  ;  these  are  jolly,  strong-limbed  fellows  ;  happy  amid  their 
rags  as  Italian  lazzaroni  who  enjoy  their  own  filthiness  and 
despise  labor  ;  or,  as  we  know  them  at  home  in  the  United 
States,  veritable    '•  tramps "    of    the    truest    type. 

From  a  native  the  Japanese  beggars  will  accept  a  few  cash 
(about  ninety-six  to  a  tempo,  the  latter  worth  only  one  and  a 
half  cents)  and  add  a  benison,  but  from  a  foreigner  nothing  less 
than  a  tempo  will  do.  It  is  their  price,  and  they  must  live. 
Of  course  they  gamble.  Why  shouhl  they  not  ?  they  ask. 
Their  betters  do  the  same,  and  you  cannot  expect  to  find  all  the 
cardinal  virtues  in  the  humble  sphere  of  a  beggar.  These  tramps 
are  licensed  to  beg,  and  they  pay  a  tax  to  the  Government  for 
the  privilege  ;  the  religion  of  the  country  tolerates  others  who 
make  an  easier  and  better  living  off  the  devoutly  inclined  Japan- 
iese.  There  are  several  classes  who  thus  live  on  eleemosynary 
incomes:  there  are  the  nuns  with  hats  like  half-bushel  baskets 
-and  a  face  beneath,  frequently  youthful  and  ruddy,  and  graced 
with  two  bright  eyes  and  a  mouthful  of  pearlywhite  teeth ;  in 
looped-up  dress  and  sandal  shoes  they  travel  along  from  village 
to  village.     There  are  the  jolly  fat  friars,  or  "  bonzes  "  as  they 


INTEklOR    UF    A    JAPANESE    TEMPLE. 


IN   JAPAN.  147 

are  termed  in  Japanese,  clad  in  priestly  garments  and  tingling  a 
bell  as  tliey  go  from  house  to  house.  And  there  are  the  travel- 
ing singers,  so  forlorn  in  their  costumes,  so  piteously  melancholy 
in  their  instrumental  music,  so  execrably  discordant  in  their  vocal 
efforts.  But,  after  all,  they  belong  to  the  same  class  —  the  class 
which  will  always  exist  in  Japan.  Still,  many  of  them  are  mis- 
erably poor  and  surely  worthy  of  our  aid  if  one  can  only  dis- 
criminate. 

Jumping  into  a  jinrikisha,  my  man-horse  sped  on  with  his 
ceaseless  chant.  Steering  carefully  out  of  the  way  of  other 
vehicles,  we  passed  perambulators  packed  with  vegetables  on 
their  way  to  market ;  and  men  with  filled  baskets  suspended 
from  the  bamboo  shoulder  pole,  innumerable.  One  of  these  men 
carried  sixteen  barrels  (presumably  empty),  eight  at  each  end. 
Bettoes  passed  us  running  beside  horses  and  their  riders,  and  we 
were  everywhere  greeted  good-humoredly  with,  "  0-hai-o ! " 
Only  the  yellow-robed  and  clean-shaven  crown  priests  looked  at 
us  askance.  Every  one  seemed  bent  on  doing  things  just 
contrary  to  the  ways  we  have  at  home :  the  cows  had  bells  on 
their  tails  instead  of  suspended  at  the  neck  ;  the  draught  bullocks 
wore  straw  shoes  ;  the  horses  were  mounted  from  the  right,  every- 
body turned  out  to  the  left ;  acquaintances  met  and  shook  their 
own  hands ;  the  gardens  were  watered  from  a  little  pail  with  a 
wooden  spoon  ;  and,  I  believe,  carpenters  build  houses  beginning 
at  the  roof  first. 

No  one  should  leave  Japan  without  visiting  the  famous  Bud- 
dhist statue  of  Dai-bootz.  about  sixteen  miles  from  Yokohama. 
Having  the  opportunity  I  joined  a  party  one  day  and  availed 
myself  of  the  privilege.  Procuring  each  a  horse  and  a  ''  betto," 
an  attendant  who  follows  all  the  way  on   foot,  at  the   enormous 


148 


IN    JAPAN. 


expense  of  five  itzaboos  (one  dollnr  and  sixty-six  cents)  for  the 
da}',  we  passed  through  the  native  town  of  Kanagawa  and  so  on, 
by  the '' tokaido"  (the  Imperial  road  of  Japan)  to  0-don-gia  ; 
thence  we  went  throug-h  the  hamlet  of  Tot-su-u;a  to  Fui::i-Sawa, 
where  we  stopped   for   refreshments   for  horses  and  men. 


A  SHOP  ON   CURIO   STREET. 


From  Fugi-Sawa  to  Dai-bootz,  a  distance  of  three  miles,  it 
was  not  deemed  prudent  to  become  separated  from  each  other, 
because  of  the  native  prejudice  against  foreigners,  so  we  walked 
our  horses  till  we  came  to  a  bridge  crossing  a  stream,  and  there 
near  a  bamboo  grove  loomed  up  before   us   the   bronze  divinity 


IN   JAPAN.  149 

known  as  Dai-bootz,  or  the  "Great  Bncldha  "  ns  it  is  generally 
called  —  an  object  of  admiration  to  travelers,  and  of  adoration 
by  all  Buddhists.  It  is  erected  in  a  mysterious  retreat  where  the 
storms  of  six  centuries  have  beaten  upon  it,  and  wdiere  it  has 
been  worshiped  by  millions.  Neither  the  storms  nor  the  prayers 
have  had  any  seeming  effect  upon  this,  the  greatest  curiosity  of 
Japan,  for  there  he  sits  with  folded  hands  and  head  inclined,  his 
eyes  and  lips  closed,  in  serene  composure  ;  his  head  covered  with 
small  knobs  to  represent  snails. 

On  an  altar  at  the  foot  of  the  statue,  incense  was  burning  ; 
each  side  was  flanked  bv  two  laro;e  bronze  vases,  and  a  bronze 
table  stood  in  front.  The  idol  is  formed  of  plates  of  bronze  an 
inch  thick,  cast  in  separate  pieces,  soldered  together,  and  fin- 
ished in  so  perfect  a  manner  that  one  can  hardly  discern  the 
joints  between  the  plates.  It  is  considered  the  finest  work  of 
art,  and  the  most  perfect  expression  of  religious  sentiment  of 
the  Japanese  people.  It  is  in  a  squatting  posture,  and  forty- 
two  feet  high  from  the  hips  to  the  top  of  the  head.  It  is  upon 
a  pedestal  thirteen  feet  high.  Its  other  dimensions  are :  cir- 
cumference at  the  base,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet ;  breadth 
across  the  shoulders,  twenty-four  feet ;  base  to  top  of  thumb, 
seven  feet ;  diameter  of  finger,  six  and  a  quarter  inches  ;  length 
of  thumb  nail,  seven  and  a  half  inches.  It  was  erected  in  the 
thirteenth  century.  Originally  a  temple  was  built  over  it ; 
but  this,  tradition  states,  was  swept  away  by  some  extraordinary 
convulsion  of  the  sea  about  two  hundred  years  ago.  The  priests 
now  worship  inside  of  the  statue. 

"  Fools'  names,  like  fools'  faces,  are  ever  seen  in  public  places," 
and  so,  like  hundreds  of  others  who  had  preceded  us,  we  inscribed 
our  names  on  the  inside  of  the  idol,  selecting  for  our  place  of  in- 


150  IN    JAPAN. 

&cription,  one  of  the  shoulders.  Some  names  were  dated  as  writ- 
ten in  18G1!.  Our  guide,  like  guides  all  over  the  world,  was  full 
of  information,  and  for  a  half-dozen  tempos  gave  us  a  history  of 
Buddha's  representative,  about  as  follows: 

Dai-bootz  was  Buddha's  coadjutor,  and  when  he  came  among 
the  Japanese  to  convert  them  to  the  new  belief  the  native  unbe- 
lievers rebelled,  and  in  their  indignation  determined  to  extermi- 
nate the  new  missionary.  But  to  their  surprise,  there  suddenly 
appeared  myriads  of  snails  and  other  shell-fish  (periwinkles,  prob- 
ably), and  covered  the  entire  body  of  Dai-bootz.  This  caused 
great  consternation,  and  the  natives  being  naturally  superstitious 
they  fell  upon  their  knees  with  their  faces  to  the  ground  and  at 
once  became  Buddhists.  Then  this  statue  w\as  erected  to  their 
new  divinity's  most  sacred  memory. 

Our  curiosity  about  Dai-bootz  satisfied,  we  pushed  on  a  mile 
further  to  Kama-Kura,  a  village  of  eight  temples,  two  sacred 
horses,  and  the  "  sacred  "  rock.  I  was  curious  to  know  why  two 
white  horses  should  be  considered  worthv  of  more  devout  wor- 
ship  than  two  of  any  other  color,  but  was  led  to  believe  that  to 
starve  is  a  part  of  the  worshiping  catechism.  The  animals  were 
barely  more  than  skin  and  bones,  and  w^ere  dependent  upon  the 
generosity  of  visitors  for  subsistence.  We  expended  a  few  tempos 
in  the  way  of  relief  to  their  partialh^  collapsed  stomachs,  and 
left  them  to  live  upon  their  faith  until  other  visitors  should  come 
and  be  moved  with  charitable  impulse.  The  sacred  rock  at 
Kama-Kura  dropped,  it  is  claimed,  from  Heaven  in  a  meteoric 
storm.  The  temples  in  this  place  were  not  unlike  others  in 
Japan,  excepting  that  the}^  were  more  beautifully  adorned. 
Hundreds  of  gla&s  bells  suspended  from  the  outer  corners  of  the 
temples,  fnrni.shed  with  pieces  of  tin   which   passed  through  the 


5^^^ 


^:^im 


# 
fc 


STATUE  OF   DAI-EOOTZ. 


IN   JAPAN.  153 

bells,  were  vibrated  by  the  light  airs  against  the  glass  globes, 
thus  giving  out  a  pretty   but  weird  tinkling  music. 

Following  the  bettoes  with  their  ceaseless  chant,  our  ponies 
sped  on,  carrying  us  safely  between  the  ruts  in  the  sandy  track, 
till  we  came  to  a  tea-house.  Calling  a  "  moos-i-me,"  a  pretty  lit- 
tle dame  with  shining  black  hair,  a  sweet  smile,  and  sparkling 
eyes,  I  bade  her,  "  0  cha  mot-te-koi !  "  (Bring  me  some  tea  ! )  and 
then  squatted  on  the  soft  matting.  The  next  moment  our  charm- 
ing waiter  trotted  in  with  a  tray  of  little  cups  filled  with  the 
Oriental  beverage  and  some  confections.  After  regaling  our- 
selves and  giving  the  satin-skin  Japanese  beauty  an  "  itza-boo  " 
(about  thirty-five  cents)  we  started  on  our  return  over  the  "  to- 
kaido,"  the  same  route  by  which  we  came.  The  "  tokaido  " 
stretches  from  Yokohama  to  Yeddo.  It  is  a  wide  and  beautiful 
avenue,  and  the  scene  of  constant  motion  and  traffic.  Here 
were  pack-horses  and  porters  with  luggage  ;  travelers  of  a  higher 
order ;  men  and  women  in  norimous  carried  by  four  bearers,  go- 
ing along  merrily  but  more  deliberately  than  is  customary  with 
the  Japanese,  and  as  becomes  the  dignity  of  superior  rank.  We 
also  met  "yacounins  "  or  samurai ;  "  renins,"  or  outcasts,  who  some- 
times play  the  mendicant  instead  of  the  highway  robber.  And 
so  in  time  we  get  back  to  our  hotel  in  Yokohama,  where,  after 
a  liberal  dinner,  we  make  ready  to  attend  a  Japanese  theater. 

The  Japanese  are,  perhaps,  more  of  a  theater-going  people  than 
can  be  found  elsewhere.  Their  taste  is  catered  to  continually. 
Theatrical  entertainments  are  provided  to  gratify  the  wants  and 
means  of  all  classes.  At  the  first-class  establishment  which  I 
attended,  was  a  revolving  stage,  upon  which  was  set  the  scenery 
and  properties  necessary  to  the  play.  The  orchestra  occupied  an 
elevated  pen  at  the  left  of  the  stage-floor.     The  actors,  we  were 


154  IN    JAPAN. 

assured,  were  of  the  first  rank  and  their  dresses  were  soru'eous 
in  the  extreme.  Everything  in  the  play  was  intense!}^  Japanese 
—  descriptive  of  their  fables  and  romances,  as  well  as  reproduc- 
ing actual  episodes  in  the  history  of  the  Empire.  The  play  was 
a  first-class  pantomime  yet  the  actors  possessed  dramatic  ability. 
The  first-class  or  orchestra  seats  cost  an  itzaboo,  and  smoking  was 
permitted  all  over  the  house,  while  tea  was  served  between  the 
acts  to  those  who  would  pay  a  tempo  a  cup.  There  was  no 
necessity  for  going  out  between  the  acts  to  "  see  a  friend,"  or  "  to 
get  a  clove."  There  was  no  sharp  practice  in  the  way  of  re- 
served seats,  and  the  Yankee  custom  of  licensing  ticket-specula- 
tors had  not  then  been  adopted. 

There  are  no  "  star  "  actors  among  the  Japanese.  A  ubiqui- 
tous prompter  reads  in  a  tone  readily  caught  Ijy  the  ]3layers,  words 
which  are  duly  repeated  while  the  prompter  is  doing  his  duty 
to  the  next  one.  Then  there  are  side-shows  of  juggling.  An 
expert  will  bewilder  an  audience  with  top-spinning  with  tops  of 
all  sizes.  He  will  throw  his  top  from  him  and  by  the  action  of 
the  string  as  it  unwinds,  draw  it  back  so  that  it  is  caught  in  his 
hand.  An  unopened  fan  is  then  taken  in  his  other  hand  and  the 
top  is  placed  on  one  of  the  sides  and  spun  along  it.  Then  the 
fan  is  opened  and  the  top  continues  to  spin  along  its  edge  to  the 
further  side,  and  along  it  until  the  hand  is  reached,  when  it  runs 
up  the  arm  to  the  shoulder  across  the  back  and  down  the  other 
arm  on  to  the  fan  again.  Then  it  will  be  tossed  into  the  air  and 
caught  upon  one  of  the  corners  of  the  open  fan  from  which  it  is 
tossed  attain  and  aorain  into  the  air  and  caug;ht  as  it  descends. 
Again  the  top  will  be  started  along  a  string  that  is  fastened  to  an 
open  lantern  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  ground  ;  the  top  as- 
cends the  incline  until  it  enters  the  lantern  which  opens  out  in 


IN    JAPAN.  155 

the  shape  of  an  iimbrella,  and  a  wealth  of  festoons  of  bright- 
colored  tissue  paper  descends  all  about  the  performer.  Those 
who  w^itnessed  "  Little  All  Right "  and  the  troupe  of  Japanese 
acrobats  who  exhibited  their  wonderful  tricks  years  ago  in  the 
United  States  will  remember  the  many  surprising  feats  performed 
by  them. 

Of  all  the  sports  indulged  in  by  both  men  and  boys  in  Japan, 
kite-flying  seems  to  afford  them  the  most  amusement  and  enjoy- 
ment. To  attempt  to  describe  the  varied  patterns  of  kites  would 
be  almost  if  not  quite  impossible.  They  are  made  of  tough  rice 
paper  stretched  upon  frames  of  bamboo,  and  of  all  shapes  — 
square,  oblong  and  oval.  One  may  see  a  whole  menagerie  float- 
ing in  the  air  — crying  babies,  boys  with  outstretched  arms,  horses, 
fish,  bats,  hawks,  crows,  monkeys,  snakes,  dragons,  cattle,  ships, 
carts,  etc.  Across  and  behind  the  top  of  the  kite  is  stretched  a 
thin  strip  of  whalebone,  which  gives  a  humming,  buzzing  or 
singing  sound  in  the  air  like  a  hurdy-gurdy  or  a  swarm  of  beetles. 
In  kite-time  men  and  boys  turn  out  in  processions,  and  the  sing- 
ing made  in  the  air  by  the  hundreds  of  kites  is  delightful.  There 
is  also  great  sport  when  they  send  "  messengers  "  on  the  cords  or 
tangle  each  other's  kites ;  and  the  American  boys  may  be 
pleased  to  know  how  they  cut  the  strings  of  rival  kites  and  send 
the  proud  prize  fluttering  to  the  ground.  They  take  about  ten 
feet  of  string  near  the  end  held  in  the  hand,  dip  it  into  glue  and 
then  into  bits  of  ground  glass,  thus  covering  the  string  with  thou- 
sands of  tiny  blades  as  sharp  as  lances.  They  then  attempt  to 
cross  each  other's  strings,  and  the  most  skilful  will  saw  the  cords 
of  their  antao'onists'  kites. 

Fans    and    umbrellas    are    made    all    over    the    Empire,    and 
it    is    inte'restinir    to  watch    the    makers    and    their    skilfulness. 


156  IN    JAPAN. 

Osakca  is  the  principal  iii;inufacturing  center  of  the"ogi,"or 
folding  fan,  wliicli  are  those  almost  exclusively  exported.  The 
prices  vary  from  a  tempo  up  to  several  itzaboos,  according  to  the 
quality.  Fans  of  the  ^^uperior  quality,  known  as  the  "  uchiwa," 
are  manufactured  at  Kioto,  where  they  are  handsomely  adorned 
with  figures,  writing,  etc.,  and  are  extensively  used  by  the 
w^ealthier  Japanese.  Fashion  prevails  there  as  well  as  in  other 
countries,  and  the  designer  gives  out  to  the  engravers  the  pat- 
terns which  are  expected  to  be  the  most  salable. 

When  the  printed  sheets  that  are  to  form  the  two  sides  of  the 
fans  have  been  handed  to  the  workmen,  together  with  the  bam- 
boo splints  that  are  to  form  the  ribs,  the  two  sheets  with  which 
the  fan  is  to  be  composed  are  put  in  between  two  pieces  of  pa- 
per saturated  with  oil,  and  properly  creased.  The  four  are 
then  folded  together  and  put  into  a  strong  press,  or  under  a 
heavy  weight.  After  a  sufficient  time  has  elapsed  the  sheets  are 
then  removed  from  the  mould  to  be  pasted  upon  the  ribs.  Before 
the  folds  take  their  proper  shape  the  fan  has  to  be  folded  and 
opened  several  times,  and,  when  it  is  put  away  to  dry,  it  has 
received  more  handling  than  any  foreign  paper  could  stand  ;  in 
fact,  foreign  paper  has  been  tried  and  had  to  be  given  up  as  un- 
suitable for  the  work.  Prior  to  1867  the  sale  of  Japanese-made 
fans  seldom  exceeded  ten  thousand  a  year,  but  since  then  as  many 
as  three  millions  have  been  exported  in  a  single  year  from  Osaka 
and  Yokohama  alone.  During  the  Centennial  Exposition  at 
Philadelphia,  in  1876,  no  less  than  eight  hundred  thousand  fans 
were  sent  from  Japan  to  be  sold  there,  their  cost  aggregating  fifty 
thousand  dollars;  and  these  were  over  and  above  the  annual 
export. 


CHAPTER    X. 


DOIXGS     AXD     CUSTOMS     IX    JAPAN. 


w 


HOSOEVER  has  visi- 
ted the  island  of 
Niphon  has  seen  Fnsi- 
Yama,  the  Sacred  Moun- 
tain of  Japan .  But  no 
one  should  go  awa}'  from 
the  island  without  visit- 
ing this  errand  old  freak 
of  nature. 

Fusi-Yarna  is  eighty 
miles  inland  from  Yoko- 
hama, and  yet  it  is  the 
first  thing  sighted  in  approaching  the  coast.  I  have  said  that 
no  one  should  leave  Japan  until  a  visit  had  been  paid  to 
Fusi-Yama,  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  there  are  but  two 
months  in  the  year,  July  and  August,  when  the  mountain  is 
sufficiently  free  from  snow  to  permit  the  ascent  to  the  top.  It 
is  to  this  snow-capped  and  cloud-enveloped  volcano  that  the  na- 
tives journey  in  crowds  every  year  to  worship.  To  make  a  pil- 
grimage to  Fusi-Y^ama  is  an  act  of  virtuous  duty  with  the  Japan- 
ese, as  it  is  tauo:ht  that  deliverance  from  misfortune  and  sickness 
attaches  to  this  duty. 

157 


158  T)01X(;S    AND    CUSTOMS    IN    JArAX. 

After  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  the  long  journey 
on  horsebnck,  a  party  of  us  started  to  visit  this  cloud-piercing 
mountain.  Our  horses  and  bettoes  being  made  read}^  and  our 
saddle-bags  packed,  we  started  just  as  the  rising  sun  touched  the 
slittering;  cone  of  snow  and  liohted  it  with  brilliant  beams.  It 
presented  a  singular  and  picturesque  appearance,  springing  ab- 
ruptly from  a  broad  base  into  an  almost  perfect  cone,  truncated 
only  at  the  extreme  pinnacle,  and  towering  far  above  all  the 
surrounding  ranges  of  hills.  By  the  Japanese,  who  are  any- 
thing Imt  cosmopolitan,  Fusi-Yama  is  esteemed  :  "  The  matchless; 
for  which  poets  cannot  find  words,  nor  painters  find  skill  and 
colors  sufficient  to  represent  the  mountain  as  they  think  it 
deserves." 

Our  route  lay  over  a  succession  of  hills  of  no  great  height,  but 
from  whence  excellent  views  were  obtained  stretching  over  the 
cultivated  valleys  on  either  side,  with  a  background  of  mountains 
to  the  westward,  among  which  Fusi-Yama  soars  conspicuous  in 
solitary  grandeur.  We  halted  at  Tot-Sooka  where  we  slept  over 
night,  and  after  a  light  breakfast  on  the  following  morning  pushed 
forward  on  our  journey.  With  our  straw-shod  horses  our  pro- 
gress was  not  to  the  swift,  as  we  had  to  go  through  some  rough 
passes  when  it  required  our  bettoes  to  lead  our  ponies  safely  across 
the  boulders.  Our  last  halt  before  we  reached  the  base  of  grand 
old  Fusi  was  at  a  wayside  tea-house,  where,  as  at  many  other 
places  along  the  Tokaido  of  Japan,  one  can  get  with  a  few  "cash" 
or  integral  parts  of  a  cent  a  meal  served  with  courtesj^  and  includ- 
ing a  sweet  potato,  a  fried  fish  and  a  cup  of  tea.  Or,  if  you  de- 
sire a  lighter  diet,  you  may  have  any  fruit  that  is  in  season  —  a 
bunch  of  grapes  or  a  slice  of  water-melon,  red  and  luscious. 
Moori-yama,  a  hamlet  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  we  reached 


DOIXGS    AXD    CUSTOMS    IX    JAPAX.  159 

at  nightfall  and  found  a  comfortable  lodging-house,  with  beds  of 
the  soft  matting,  our  rooms  being  formed  by  the  folding  screens. 
A  refreshing  night's  sleep,  a  palatable  breakfast,  mainly  of  fruit, 
found  us  in  good  condition  for  our  laborious  ascent  of  the  moun- 
tain. So  with  three  "yoboos"  or  guides  and  a  few  strong 
"  yama-booshi "  (mountaineers)  we  started  on  our  ascent. 

Making  our  way  through  waving  corn-fields  and  numerous  pas- 
tures of  high  rank  grass  we  soon  arrived  at  Haki-Mondo,  where 
we  left  our  horses  and  the  last  trace  of  habitation  and  the 
haunts  of  men.  Then,  on  foot,  we  began  our  winding  ascent, 
toiling  over  the  rubble  and  scorice  of  the  mountain.  At  intervals 
we  halted  for  rest  in  the  little  caves  dug  out  and  roofed  over 
where  weary  pilgrims  had  often  found  refuge  from  bad  weather. 
There  are  eleven  of  these  huts  or  caves  at  distances  of  a  mile  or 
more  apart,  and  in  one  of  them  we  spent  the  night ;  sleeping  on 
our  rugs,  our  limbs  being  too  tired  for  over-fastidiousness. 

At  daylight  we  began  the  upper  half  of  our  ascent.  The 
clouds  were  skimming  along  beneath  our  feet,  and  a  vast  and 
picturesque  panorama  of  hill  and  plain,  bounded  by  the  sea, 
stretched  far  away.  The  last  half  of  the  ascent  was  by  far  the 
most  arduous,  as  our  path  grew  more  steep  as  each  rod  of  ground 
was  passed.  The  air  became  more  rarefied ;  our  breathing 
was  perceptibly  affected  ;  our  path  led  directly  over  fragments  of 
out-jutting  rocks  ;  our  footing  became  more  uncertain  because  of 
the  loose  scoriae,  and,  consequently,  these  obstacles  added  much  to 
our  fatigue.  At  last  we  were  on  the  topmost  stone  and  looking 
down  into  the  yawning  crater.  It  was  a  great  oval  opening,  with 
ugly  jagged  lips.  It  seemed  about  a  thousand  yards  in  length, 
six  hundred  in  width  and  perhaps  three  hundred  and  fifty  in 
depth.     The  estimated  height  of  the  edge  of  the  crater,  above 


160  DOINGS    AND    CUSTOMS    IN    JAPAN. 

the  level  of  the  sea,  was  13,977  feet,  and  the  highest  peak,  14,177 
feet.  The  volcano  has  long  been  extmct,  the  latest  eruption,  by 
Japanese  record,  having  occurred  in  1707. 

The  Japanese  whom  we  met  were  dressed  in  white  garments, 
carefully  stamped  with  mystic  characters  and  images,  by  the 
''bonzes"  (priests)  located  there  during  the  season  for  that  pur- 
pose.    The  origin  of  the  pilgrimage  of  these  religious  delegates  is 


FUSl-VAMA. 


traced  back  to  an  early  date,  when  the  founder  of  the  Sin-too  re- 
ligion (the  oldest  in  Japan)  took  up  his  residence  in  the  moun- 
tain. Since  his  death  his  spirit  has  been  looked  upon  as  possess- 
ing influence  to  bestow  health  and  various  other  blessings  upon 
those  whose  devotion  to  his  memory  induces  them  to  make  the 
pilgrimage.  Tradition  also  tells  us  that  Fusi-Yama  uprose  in  a 
single  night  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ;  also,  that  a  lake  of 
equal  dimensions  made  its  appearance  near  Miaco  (the  former 
abiding  place  of  the  Mikado)  at  the  same  hour. 


DOINGS  AND  CUSTOMS  IN  JAPAN.  161 

What,  on  the  last  clay,  took  us  eight  hours  in  actual  time  to 
ascend,  took  us  only  three  hours  to  descend.  We  could  have 
rolled  down  in  much  quicker  time,  but  the  consequences  might 
have  been  different.  We  found  only  patches  of  snow  here  and 
there  near  the  summit,  but  we  were  well  repaid  for  our  visit 
as  we  succeeded  in  visiting  the  matchless  mountain  in  the  only 
interval  of  fine  weather,  and  before  the  setting  in  of  winter  —  a 
season  of  the  year  at  which  the  journey  is  next  to  impossible. 

On  the  journey  to  Fusi-Yama,  I  had  an  exceptional  opportunity 
of  giving  some  attention  to  the  investigation  of  the  pagodas  — 
the  Japanese  joss-house  or  temple.  I  found  them  generally  of 
greater  height  than  others  I  had  seen  in  Japan  —  some  of  them 
reaching  an  altitude  of  a  hundred  feet  or  more.  Many  of  these 
Japanese  pagodas  have  existed  for  seven  hundred  years,  and  have 
successfully  withstood  the  many  heavy  vibrations  of  the  ground 
caused  by  earthquakes,  which  must  certainly  have  achieved  their 
overthrow  had  they  been  built  of  stone  or  brick.  The  first 
pagoda  I  ascended  was  during  this  trip  to  Fusi-Yama,  and  I  was 
struck  with  the  amount  of  timber  employed  in  its  construction. 
I  could  not  help  feeling  that  it  was  an  absurdly  excessive  waste 
of  material.  What  occurred  to  me  as  most  absurd,  yet  it  had 
a  legitimate  use,  was  an  enormous  pole  which  ran  from  the 
base  of  the  structure  to  its  apex,  and  passed  up  through  its  cen- 
ter. The  purpose  of  this  was,  evidently,  to  avoid  the  structure 
being  blown  over  by  the  wind. 

The  pagoda  is  to  a  Buddhist  temple  what  a  spire  is  to  a  Christ- 
ian church,  and  the  great  quantity  of  timber  used  as  its  central 
and  side  supports  may  have  seemed  necessary  in  view  of  the  fre- 
quent earthquakes.  Their  scientific  method  of  keeping  the  pa- 
goda upright  shows  the  careful  observations  of  the  Japanese. 


1G2  DOINGS    AND    CUSTOMS    IN    JAPAN. 

The  pagodca  or  temple,  referred  to  as  the  one  first  visited, 
stands  at  the  sacred  gateway  of  Sn-ba-shi-ri,  and  is  dedicated 
to  the  gods  of  the  mountain.  Here  many  pilgrims,  stopping 
over  night  on  their  way  to  Fqsi-Yama,  engage  in  worship.  The 
crowds  of  pilgrims  on  their  way  to  and  from  Fusi-Yama  pre- 
sent a  curious  yet  interesting  spectacle,  dressed  in  their  white 
garments,  and  wearing  a  rosary  of  beads  suspended  from  the 
neck.  They  also  bear  a  staff,  and  a  bell  is  suspended  from 
the  "obi"  that  encircles  the  waist.  No  pilgrim  ever  goes  to 
Fusi-Yama  without  his  bell. 

During  the  season  of  the  pilgrimage  there  is  a  constant  jingle, 
jingle,  jingle  ringing  out  upon  the  air  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night.  There  are  three  of  these  worshipping  places  on  the 
direct  road.  They  are  in  charge  of  the  priests  or  guardians  of 
the  mountains,  and  are  so  placed  that  every  one  must  pass 
through  them  as  he  goes  up  or  down.  Money  is  expected  from 
all,  and  that  the  pilgrims  may  be  reminded  of  this  duty  the 
officiating  priests  offer  a  glass  of  water  to  each  as  a  refresh- 
ment. They  also  have  charms  for  sale  to  those  who  will  pur- 
chase them.  One  of  these  is  a  strip  of  paper  which  insures  the 
purchasers  against  the  perils  of  fire  and  robbery.  Another,  an 
envelope,  has  the  outlines  of  Fusi-Yama  upon  it,  and  it  is  folded 
in  a  mysterious  way  and  contains  fine  grains  of  rice,  the  symbol 
being  that  it  is  an  antidote  and  specific  against  all  the  ills  of  the 
bod}'.  The  native  pilgrimage  to  Fusi-Yama  is  no  child's  play. 
It  is  a  heroic  sacrifice,  performed  in  obedience  to  a  high  religious 
duty,  nnd  in  the  belief  that  in  undertaking  it  the  pilgrim  honors 
the  memory  of  his  gods. 

Pagodas,  however,  are  not  confined  to  the  district  of  Fusi- 
Yama,  and  temples  abound  everywhere   in  the   Empire.     Each 


m  I 


w 


DOIXGS    AND    CUSTOMS    IX    JAPAX.  IGo 

hamlet  has  its  especial  gocl  and  shrine,  and  each  new-born  child 
is  taken  to  the  shrine  in  its  district  within  a  month  after  its  birth. 
The  god  of  this  home-shrine  becomes  the  child's  patron.  In 
nearly  every  house  there  is  a  god-shelf  with  a  miniature  wooden 
temple  which  contains  tablets  covered  with  paper,  upon  which 
are  written  the  names  of  the  gods  in  which  the  household  place 
their  trust,  as  also  the  names  of  the  deceased  ancestors  and  rela- 
tives. At  night  a  lamp  is  lighted  in  front  of  the  shrine  and  on 
the  god-shelf  of  the  Buddhists.  The  glowing  glimmer  of  these 
lamps  is  one  of  the  evening  features  in  the  cities  of  Japan. 

The  fifth  of  May  is  the  great  festival  day  above  all  others, 
and  Japan  has  many  fete-days.  But  on  the  fifth  of  May  the 
relatives  and  friends  of  that  family  to  whom  within  the  year  a 
boy  has  been  born  make  it  a  special  occasion  for  holding  high 
carnival.  The  parents  testify  to  their  joy  by  feasting  all  comers 
who  honor  them  by  their  remembrances.  Friends  and  relatives 
of  the  family  make  it  an  occasion  to  present  gifts  and  toys 
suitable  for  boys,  and  anticipate  the  future  with  gifts  of  clothing 
fitting  for  the  little  lad  as  he  grows  to  it.  There  are  diminutive 
suits  of  armor,  tiny  swords  and  bows  and  arrows,  toy  horses  with 
full  suits  of  trappings  —  in  fact,  everything  that  contributes  to,  or 
is  likely  to  augment,  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  little  boys. 

On  such  days  grand  processions  are  arranged.  These  parade 
through  the  streets  singing  and  gyrating  about  to  the  music  of 
a  vile  and  irregular  pounding  upon  tom-toms.  The  paraders  are 
dressed  in  their  best  and  most  gorgeous  costumes,  and  they 
carry  through  the  streets  suspended  from  bamboo  poles  the  gifts 
intended  for  the  various  boy-babies,  stopping  in  front  of  each 
house  where  a  boy  has  been  born  during  the  year.  Such  houses 
are  designated  by  the  effigy  of  a  fish  suspended  from  the  roof. 


1G6  DOINGS    AND    CUSTOMS    IN   JAPAN. 

The  fish  is  also  an  emblem  that  is  carried  in  the  procession. 
These  fish-emblems  are  made  of  variegated  colored  rice  paper, 
the  eyes  and  scales  being  outlined  by  the  brushes  of  the  Japanese 
artists  ;  they  are  so  constructed  as  to  be  inflated  by  the  breeze  ; 
and  are  thus  exhibited  to  herald  the  glory  that  has  its  lodg- 
ment in  the  house  from  which  the  emblem  is  exhibited. 

The  girl-babies  are  not  forgotten,  but  less  attention  is  given 
to  them  than  to  the  boys ;  in  fact,  girls  in  Japan,  are  looked 
upon  as  a  necessary  evil  and  are  simply  tolerated.  Another  day 
and  a  separate  festival  time  are  given  to  herald  the  advent  of 
girls,  but  it  is  on  the  third  day  of  March,  a  season  when  there 
is  little  to  do  in  the  way  of  tilling  the  land  and  the  time  can  be 
well  spared.  But  the  fish  is  not  floated  as  a  symbol  ;  the  doll 
takes  its  place,  and  all  the  to3's  known  to  the  girl-world  are 
abundantly  and  lavishly  displayed.  There  is,  however,  very 
much  of  pride  exhibited  on  both  of  these  child  festivals,  and  the 
gifts  are  ostentatiously  displayed  by  the  fond  parents  for  the 
admiration  of  their  friends. 

In  a  few  years  the  little  girl-baby  grows  up  ;  she  receives  the 
attentions,  of  the  opposite  sex;  begins  to  have  some  idea  of  the 
tender  passion,  and  to  rouge  and  powder  as  do  her  civilized  sis- 
ters ;  resorts  to  strange  devices  to  make  herself  attractive,  and 
so,  after  a  time,  finds  a  husband,  blackens  her  teeth  and  pulls  out 
her  eyebrows  and  becomes  a  Japanese  matron. 

Marriage  in  Japan  is  an  institution  unknown  as  a  religious 
sacrament,  or  as  a  legal  contract  pronounced  or  ratified  by  any 
judge,  mayor,  or  alderman.  It  is  the  simplest  form  of  matri- 
monial union  that  can  be  imagined. 

When  a  Japanese  child  is  born  and  named,  it  is  registered  in 
the  official  records  of  the  district  where  the  parents  live.     If  the 


DOINGS    AND    CUSTOMS    IX    JAPAN.  1G7 

person  removes  to  another  district  the  registration  is  transferred 
to  his  or  her  new  home.  Wishing  to  take  a  wife  and  having 
obtained  the  consent  of  the  maiden  and  her  parents,  the  would- 
be  husband  appears  at  the  "Kencho,"  or  place  of  registration,  and 
after  simply  registering  the  woman  as  his  wife  she  becomes 
known  and  considered  as  his  sacred  property,  to  have  and  to 
hold  so  lono;  as  he  likes  —  and  no  lonp^er. 

The  manner  of  divorce  is  equally  as  easy  as  the  contract  of 
marriage  ;  that  is,  if  the  man  wishes  to  get  rid  of  his  wife,  for 
he  only  can  divorce.  The  husband  need  only  give  the  wife  what 
is  known  as  the  '•'  three  lines  and  a  half  paper,"  to  the  effect  that 
she  is  no  longer  bound  to  him  as  his  wife.  She  is  then  con- 
sidered  unmarried  and  may  reclaim  her  maiden  name.  The  two 
are  "quits."  But  the  woman  is  powerless  to  get  rid  of  her 
husband  ;  there  is  no  power  on  earth  —  that  is,  no  Japanese 
power  —  that  can  divorce  the  husband  from  the  wife.  That 
prerogative  belongs  to  the  noble  man  ;  he  alone  binds,  and  he 
alone  can  cut  loose. 

It  must  be  stated,  in  closing  this  chapter,  that  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  Japanese  have  undergone  an  almost  marvel- 
ous change  since  my  visit  there.  No  half-civilized  nation  on  the 
globe  has  shown  itself  so  ready  to  adopt  the  manners,  methods 
and  life  of  Europe  and  America.  From  governmental  to  domes- 
tic forms  the  revolution  has  been  general,  and  the  old  days  of 
mikado  and  tycoon  are  fast  becoming  a  thing  of  antiquity. 


CHAPTER  XL 


TRANSFERRED. 


SAl-0-NA-RA  !  "  Good-by 
to  Japan.  I  said  the 
word  with  regret  that  Feb- 
ruary day  when  I  stepped 
on  board  a  Pacific  Mail  stea- 
mer at  Yokohama,  en  route 
to  San  Francisco. 

I  was  to  leave  the  Iro- 
quois. Orders  had  come 
from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Nav}'  detaching  me  from 
the  squadron  in  Asiatic 
waters  and  ordering;  me 
home  for  other  duty.  Sweet 
as  the  word  ''home" 
sounded,  I  was  still  sorry  to 
say  good-by  for  I  had  many 
pleasant  ties  of  friendship  to  bind  me  to  the  ship  that  had  carried 
me  to  the  other  side  of  the  world.  Then,  too,  in  China  and 
Japan,  I  had  made  many  friends  and  life  had  been  both  novel 
and  pleasant  in  these  waters. 

But  orders  must  be  obeyed,  and  my  face  was  turned  east- 
ward.    My   servant  packed  all   of  my  clothing,  books,  and   my 

168 


TRANSFERRED.  169 

collections  of  curios  in  as  compact  a  space  as  possible  —  yes,  and 
my  bedding,  too,  for  the  Government  requires  naval  officers  to 
furnish  everything  from  their  stinted  salaries  —  and  I  was  soon 
on  my  way  to  San  Francisco.  The  only  passengers  on  the 
Pacific  Mail  steamer  by  which  I  went  east  were  a  half-dozen 
other  naval  officers,  and  the  wife  of  an  American  merchant  in 
Honsr  Kono;. 

It  was  a  twenty-two  days'  steady  steaming  trip  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  our  ship  life  would  have  been  monotonous  indeed  if  we 
had  not  prepared  a  daily  schedule  of  pastime.  Rising  at  half-past 
seven,  we  took  a  light  breakfast  at  eight,  and  spent  the  inter- 
vening hours  until  our  regular  breakfast  at  eleven  o'clock  playing 
"  bull."  This  is  purely  an  English  game  and  is  played  as  fol- 
lows :  A  large  square,  with  nine  smaller  squares,  is  chalked  upon 
the  canvas-covered  deck,  and  the  players  stand  at  a  line  fifteen 
feet  distant.  Each  player  has  two  ring  quoits,  made  of  rope  and 
canvas,  and  the  play  is  to  lodge  the  quoits  into  any  of  the  series 
of  smaller  squares,  each  of  which  is  numbered.  The  maximum 
number  of  points  to  be  made  is  one  hundred. 

Breakfast  over,  we  promenaded  the  deck  till  lunch,  at  one 
o'clock,  smoking  our  Havanas,  or  rather,  Manilas,  meanwhile. 
After  lunch  we  smoked,  read  or  enjoyed  a  siesta  till  dinner  at 
five.  Following  dinner  the  course  was  —  smoke  and  promenade. 
Then  at  eight  o'clock  we  had  tea  and  after  that  played  whist  till 
midnight.  On  Sundays  we  changed  the  routine  to  smoking, 
reading,  promenading,  sleeping  and  attending  Divine  service,  one 
of  the  officers  being  selected  to  read  the  Episcopal  service.  So 
day  after  day  we  followed  this  routine  till  we  reached  San 
Francisco. 

It  is  the  impression  with  many  that  on  the  Pacific  one  does 


170  TKANSFEKRED. 

hot  experience  as  rough  weather  as  on  the  Atlantic ;  on  this  trip, 
however,  the  okl  Pacific  belied  its  name.  Some  found  the  sea  a 
rougher  life  than  the}^  expected,  and  one  inexperienced  individual 
declared  he  would  rather  be  a  half-starved  huckster's  horse  than 
a  sailor.  He  declared  that  the  books  about  the  Pacific  Ocean 
were  full  of  lies,  written  only  for  girls  to  read.  He  had  come 
aboard  without  his  sea-legs  or  a  water-proof  stomach,  and  the 
latter  was  not  warranted  incapable  of  nausea.  We  had  a  seven- 
days'  gale,  and  the  seas  would  sometimes  break  over  in  great 
solid  volumes,  seething  and  rushing  along  the  deck,  while  now 
and  then  one  would  break  into  the  saloon  washing  it  out.  After 
the  storm  had  cleared  away  and  we  had  settled  down  to  our 
routine  of  daily  amusements,  life  aboard  ship  was  enjoyable. 

An  incident  occurred  on  this  trip  which,  to  those  who  have 
not  stopped  to  give  it  consideration,  will  certainly  be  novel  and 
interesting.  It  will  be  necessary  first  to  recall  to  the  reader's 
attention  the  fact  that  once  in  every  twenty-four  hours  the 
sun  makes  a  complete  revolution  around  the  earth,  traveling 
through  three  hundred  and  sixty  degrees  of  longitude  (one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  degrees  east  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  degrees 
west  of  Greenwich).  Hence  it  is  that  a  degree  east  of  the 
voyager  it  is  noon  four  minutes  earlier  than  on  board  ship,  be- 
cause a  decree"  east  the  sun  reaches  its  meridian  four  minutes 
earlier. 

Thus,  as  we  travel  east,  we  gain  four  minutes  to  each  degree, 
and  if  we  should  make  a  complete  circuit  of  the  earth  around  to 
the  eastward  we  would  have  gained  twent3^-four  hours  in  sun- 
time.  To  adjust  this  on  our  records  would  call  for  two  days  of 
the  same  date  ;  or,  if  we  should  go  around  to  the  westward,  our 
clocks  would  have  to  be  set  back  four  minutes  for  each  degree 


TRANSFERRED. 


171 


made,  and  when  we  would  have  completed  the  circuit  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty  degrees,  would  have  lost  twenty-four  hours. 
To  adjust  this  on  our  record  we  should  need  to  skip  a  day. 

In  other  words,  a  traveler 
bound  eastward,  who  should 
cross    the    one     hundred    and 


eightieth  de- 
scree  of  lono;i- 
tude  at  five 
minutes  before 
midnight  on 
July  4,  would 
find  the  next 
day  would  be  of 
the    same    date 

and,  consequently,  would  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  twice  in  the  same  year ;  and,  if  on  an 
American  vessel-of-war,  he  would  on  two  successive  days  hear 
the  national  salutes  fired  for  the  same  purpose. 


NUT    PACIFIC. 


172  TRANSFERRED. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  traveler  bound  westward  should  cross 
the  one  hundred  and  eightieth  degree  of  longitude  at  midnight  on 
February  28,  of  any  leap  year,  he  would  find  the  next  day  to  be 
March  1,  and  hence  would  not  see  a  twenty-ninth  of  February 
in  an  interval  of  eight  years  ;  or,  if  he  had  reached  the  same 
point  at  midnight  on  July  3,  the  next  day  would  have  to  be  July 
5,  and  the  usual  Independence  Day  gunpowder,  fire-crackers, 
devil-chasers  and  torpedoes  would  have  to  be  dispensed  with. 

In  my  own  case  it  was  half-past  eleven  r.  m.,  on  March  15,  when 
we  crossed  the  one  hundred  and  eightieth  meridian,  and  as  I  had 
gone  around  to  the  eastward,  we  had  an  extra  half-hour  of  March 
14,  and  the  next  day  was  necessarily  March  15,  again,  so  we  had 
twenty-four  and  one-half  hours  of  March  14,  forty-seven  and  one- 
half  hours  of  March  15,  and  my  log-book  and  diary  and  other 
records  show  the  fact  that  I  lived  one  more  day  in  that  year  than 
did  my  friends  at  home.  My  diaries  also  show  another  fact,  that, 
as  I  never  have  made  the  circuit  by  the  westward,  I  have  lived  . 
one  more  day  than  all  the  days  of  my  life  added  together.  This 
is  a  peculiar  experience  in  one's  career,  yet,  strange  to  say,  I  do 
not  feel  a  day  older  than  I  am. 

The  remainder  of  the  voyage  to  the  California  coast  was  with- 
out special  interest.  I  continued  to  eat  and  digest  five  meals  a 
day,  to  smoke  my  regular  allowance  of  cigars,  promenade  the 
deck,  and  play  "  bull  "  and  whist  with  as  remarkable  regularity  as 
I  ate  my  breakfast,  lunch  and  dinner  and  the  sub-meals  provided. 
We  did  not  sight  more  than  three  vessels  in  all  that  five-thou- 
sand miles  of  sea-travel,  and  aside  from  passing  a  school  of 
whales  now  and  then,  nothing  was  seen  to  attract  our  vision 
aside  from  the  broad  expanse  of  ocean. 

We  arrived  at  San  Francisco  —  the  Paris  of  the  Pacific,  as  it  is 


TRANSFERRED.  173 

called  —  on  March  29.  Here  is  a  city  that  seems  to  have  grown 
from  pure  impulse,  and  in  a  lawless  fashion,  regardless  of  all 
rules  and  precedents.  I  found  that  it  had  grown  marvelously 
since  my  first  visit  in  1863.  In  1849,  and  for  years  afterwards, 
it  was  a  camping-ground  of  adventurers,  and  the  original  settlers 
"  squatted "  around  on  the  low-lying  ground  along  the  bay, 
about  a  mile  from  the  old  Mission  Dolores,  the  seat  of  Spanish 
influence.  It  has  grown  like  a  weed  on  a  southern  river  bottom; 
and  Telegraph  Hill  and  Russian  Hill  are  now  well-covered  with 
fine  residences.  The  city  is  built  on  a  point  of  land  shaped  like 
a  clenched  fist ;  washed  on  two  sides  by  the  bay  itself,  and  on  a 
third  by  the  ocean.  Here  is  a  city  like  other  cities  —  brilliantly 
lighted  shops  and  an  army  of  restless  people  jostling  each  other 
on  the  pavements.  The  cosmopolitan  flavor  here  is  like  that  of 
Paris ;  your  next-door  neighbor  may  be  an  Oriental,  who  is  an 
exact  copy  of  his  venerated  ancestor  dead  and  turned  to  clay 
generations  ago.  Within  a  single  square  may  be  found  repre- 
sentatives of  half  the  races  of  the  earth. 

One  section  of  the  city  is  known  as  China-town,  and  if  one 
has  never  seen  the  Chinaman  in  his  native  home  he  should  by 
all  means  look  at  him  here.  Passing  along  through  Dupont 
Street,  one  sees  Chinese  stores  on  either  side,  hears  the  cries  of 
Chinese  street  vendors,  and  catches  scraps  of  the  magpie  chatter 
of  the  revelers  who  sit  in  the  high  balconies  of  the  restaurants. 
Farther  on  there  is  a  celebration  of  fireworks  ;  and  then  will 
come  the  expiring  clash  of  cymbals,  and  soon  after  a  great  roar 
like  the  noise  of  a  dam  breaking  its  bounds.  A  streaming 
throng  of  pig-tailed  heathens  from  wide-open  doors,  filling  the 
sidewalks  and  overflowing  into  the  street,  tells  you  that  it  is  a 
Chinese  play-house.     A  few  minutes  later  you  will  find  some  of 


174 


TRANSFERRED. 


these  people  gathered  .about  a  long  table,  at  the  end  of  which 
sits  a  demure-looking  Chinaman  counting  "  cash  "  with  a  pointed 
stick,  and  you  lind  that  it  is  a  game  of  fan-tan,  the  national 
gambling  game.  Back  of  this,  into  a  room  fitted  up  with  rough 
shelves  or  bunks,  a  throng  of  Chinamen  is  pouring  to  indulge 
in  an  opium-smoke. 

Two  squares  north  of  China-town  is  French-town.     Here  are 


BIRD  S-EYE   VIEW    OF    SAN    FRANCISCO. 


numerous  old  rookeries  which  seem  to  be  waiting  only  for  an 
earthquake  to  come  and  push  them  down ;  narrow  alleys  with 
swarming  colonies  grouped  about  courtyards,  and  bakers'  shops, 
and  cabarats  and  groceries  without  number.  A  little  beyond 
is  the  Mexican  quarter,  with  its  low-browed  and  dark-skinned 
populace. 

Everywhere  one  sees  wealth  and  poverty  brought  into  sliarp 


TRANSFERRED.  175 

contrast ;  no  street  preserves  its  character  for  more  than  a  few 
blocks.  The  stately  avenue  suddenly  drops  into  the  free-and-easy 
street,  with  its  old  unpainted  houses  and  a  show  of  general  neglect. 
On  the  great  promenades,  fashion,  wealth  and  respectability  are 
jostled  by  rags  and  squalor,  and  the  extremes  of  disrespectability. 

The  unconventional  and  the  grotesque  are  sure  to  obtrude 
themselves  at  all  times  and  places.  But  it  is  on  Sunday  that  one 
sees  the  city  in  its  most  characteristic  aspect.  The  day  is  kept 
sacred  to  religious  observances  by  a  small  portion  of  the  commu- 
nity only ;  fully  three-fourths  of  the  population  look  upon  it  with 
a  continental  eye  and  keep  it  as  a  sort  of  holiday.  The  large 
French,  German  and  Italian  colonies  go  on  picnics  with  religious 
regularity,  and  upon  their  return  at  nightfall  with  bands  playing 
and  flags  flying  march  through  the  streets  to  their  society  halls. 
Workingmen  take  their  outing  at  the  suburban  resorts,  and  in 
the  gardens  near  the  Mission  Dolores.  At  night  the  variety  and 
legitimate  theaters  are  in  full  blast ;  vice  is  flaunted  in  the  open 
glare  of  the  street  lamp,  and  its  local  habitations  are  scarcely  a 
block  away  from  the  chief  thoroughfares. 

Up  anchor !  Afloat  again  ;  the  sloop-of-war  Ossipee  is  south- 
ward bound.  Glad  enough  was  I  to  get  on  board  of  a  United 
States  war  vessel  once  more  where  I  could  dispense  with  trunks 
and  boxes,  and  the  labor  of  going  to  them  every  few  days  to  get 
out  "  clean  biled  linen."  Here  was  everything  again  quite  handy 
in  my  five-by-eight  room,  contracted,  but  cosy  and  homelike. 

And  I  am  glad  to  get  to  sea  once  more.  Along  the  Pacific 
coast  one  rarely  sees  boisterous  weather,  unless,  perhaps,  it  be  in 
crossing  the  Gulf  of  California. 

After  clearing  the  harbor  our  engines  were  stopped  and  the 
vessel  was  put  under  sail,  in  order  to  save  unnecessary  expendi- 


170  TKANSKKKKKI). 

tures  in  the  useless  consumption  of  coai.  With  light  winds  aiicl 
a  smooth  sea  life  on  shipboard  was  lazy,  and  might  have  been 
monotonous  had  it  not  been  for  the  daily  routine  of  a  man-of- 
war.  There  was  drilling  at  great  guns,  small  arms,  and  broad- 
swords, and  frequently  we  would  be  routed  out  at  night  at 
"fire"  or  ''general"  quartei's.  This  was  always  exciting  and 
highly -conducive  to  wakefuhiess  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

Twenty-four  days  at  sea  brought  us  into  the  harbor  of 
Acapulco. 

Of  all  the  ports  on  the  Pacific,  between  San  Francisco  and 
Panama,  Acapulco  is  the  most  picturesque  and  most  charming. 
It  is  a  perfectly  land-locked  harbor,  and  its  entrance  lies  between 
two  rugged  eminences  which  rise  abruptly  from  the  sea.  To  one 
who  is  unfamiliar  with  the  coast,  the  spot  offers  no  hint  of  a 
refuge  for  ships,  except  an  indifferent  lighthouse.  The  emi- 
nences which  I  mention  are  islands.  The  shores  of  these  and  of 
the  mainland  are  very  steep  and  rugged,  and  great  breakers  dash 
high  upon  the  seaweed  crags.  Mountains  closely  hedge  the 
harbor  about,  and  the  town  lies  on  its  inner  side,  close  to  the  base 
of  a  promontory  which  juts  out  as  if  to  reach  its  strong  arms 
toward  the  sturdy  isles  which  guard  the  gateway.  Groves  of 
cocoanut  palms  cast  dense  shadows  upon  the  beach ;  palms 
adorn  the  courts  of  the  principal  houses  and  cluster  about  the 
straggling  quarters  of  the  peons,  while  masses  of  them  stretch 
along  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountains. 

Some  of  the  streets  run  up  and  back  from  the  shore  to  a 
considerable  distance.  They  are  lined  with  the  small  adobe  or 
reed  huts  of  the  lower  class  ;  these  are  generally  thatched  with 
leaves,  with  here  and  there,  next  to  the  street,  a  new  awning 
covered  with  tiles.     In   some   of  the   principal   streets   the  side- 


•J 


■J 


z 

C5 


o 
o 
o 


TRANSFERRED.  179 

walks  are  raised  a  couple  of  feet  from  the  level  of  the  street, 
according  to  the  fancy  of  the  builders  of  the  adjoining  houses. 
Glancmg  in  at  wide-open  doors  you  invariably  see  a  dusky  female 
slowly  swinging  in  a  hammock,  and  perhaps  a  servant  or  two 
stretched  lazily  upon  the  floor.  In  almost  all  of  the  better 
houses  I  observed  sewing-machines,  some  of  them  operated  in 
the  heat  of  the  day.  In  some  of  the  houses  I  shuddered  with 
surprise  at  seeing  huge,  many-colored  lizards  scurrying  away  as 
I  approached. 

There  is  also  at  Acapulco  a  fort  or  citadel,  battened  somewhat 
by  the  besieging  shells  of  the  French.  It  is  chiefly  used  as  a 
caboose  and  contains  many  dungeons.  Volcanic  peaks  loom  up 
in  the  background,  and  further  back  rises  ever  a  continuous 
and  majestic  procession  of  volcanic  mountains. 

The  waters  of  the  bay  swarm  with  man-eating  monsters,  but 
this  does  not  prevent  the  natives  from  swarming  about  each 
arriving  vessel,  offering  to  dive  bottomward  for  the  silver  coins 
thrown  to  them  by  the  passengers.  The  most  interesting  feat- 
ure of  Acapulco  is  the  life  of  the  people  who  subsist  by  the  small 
traffic  which  they  carry  on  with  the  steamers  that  touch  here. 

No  sooner  does  the  prow  of  a  steamer  show  itself  around  the 
sharp  corner  that  vessels  must  turn  in  entering  the  harbor,  than 
the  bum-boats  may  be  seen  pushing  oft:  from  the  shore,  and  in  a 
fe^v  minutes  are  alongside,  the  natives  chattering  like  so  man}' 
monkeys.  The  bum-boats  at  all  these  Mexican  ports  are  the 
primitive  dug-out  canoes,  wdiich,  as  every  one  who  has  seen  them 
will  acknow^ledge,  are  not  ungraceful  in  appearance,  especially 
when  tossing  about  on  the  waves.  The  natives  paddle  them 
to-day  just  as  did  their  ancestors  centuries  ago,  before  Cortez  set 
his  desolating  foot  upon  the  Aztec  empire. 


180  TRANSFERRED. 

The  huts  of  the  bum-boat  people  are  on  the  beach,  clo.se  to 
the  foot  of  the  promontory.  Here  clothesless  children,  chicken.s, 
pigs,  dogs,  monkeys  and  parrots  live  promiscuou.sly  together  in 
the  sand.  Copper-colored  dam.sels  wade  into  the  water,  secure 
their  dug-outs,  load  them  with  fruit,  parrots  and  cocoanuts  and 
then  push  off  to  the  newly-arrived  vessel  to  dispose  of  their 
merchandise.  Garrulous  parrots  with  beautiful  plumage  may 
be  purchased  for  five  to  eight  dollars  each,  and  other  curiosities 
mav  be  bouirht  at  fairly  reasonable  sums.  But  one  mav  be 
swindled  if  he  choose  to  permit  it,  for  these  natives  who  live  a 
lazily  industrious  life  have  little  compunction  and  less  conscience 
when  a  trade  is  in  sisiht. 

The  laborers  of  Acapulco  are  peculiarly  interesting.  I  saw 
a  dozen  or  more  of  them  bearing  burdens  on  their  backs  from 
the  beach  to  the  town.  Their  dress  was  meager  in  the  extreme 
—  short  drawers,  hardly  covering  the  thigh,  and  tunics  which 
left  the  neck  and  arms  bare.  They  had  very  much  the  air  of 
slaves.  Wrapped  about  their  heads  was  a  cotton  scarf,  its 
elaborate  color  and  figure  giving  them  a  decidedly  Oriental 
appearance.  But  Acapulco  is  a  dreadfully  hot  place,  and  we 
were  glad  enough  to  get  to  sea  again,  even  with  the  prospect  of 
arriving  in  Panama  Harbor  in  a  few  days. 

Twelve  days'  sailing  from  Acapulco  found  our  ship  lazily 
rocking  in  the  Bay  of  Panama  among  a  group  of  islands  cov- 
ered with  luxurious  pineapple  and  cocoanut  palms  and  lemon 
trees.  Vessels  find  no  wharves  to  lie  aloncrside  of  nor  can  thev 
get  nearer  than  a  mile  from  the  city.  From  this  anchorage 
Panama  looks  like  some  storied  house  of  romance  and  valor  in 
the  Old  World,  and  one  might  readily  forget  that  it  is  in  reality 
the  home  of  pestilence  and  death.     As  long  as  you  remain  under 


TRANSFERRED. 


181 


the  awning  stretched  above  the  deck  the  heat  does  not  oppress 
you,  and  the  breezes  blowing  from  the  mountains  of  the  isthmus 
are  really  cooling  in  contrast  with  the  stagnant  air  on  shore  or 
below  decks.  Splendid  fish  sport  about  the  vessel,  and  we  court 
the  most  pronounced  tan  by  angling  over  the  stern  rather  than 
seek  recreation  on  shore.     The  waters  are  alive  with  sharks  of 


SCENE    IN    PANAMA. 


the  ugliest  and  most  rapacious  species,  and  if  a  white  man  should 
fall  overboard  by  accident  it  would  have  been  better  had  he 
thought,  beforehand,  of  leaving  his  watch  and  money  behind  as 
mementos  for  his  friends  ;  for  sharks  reckon  nothing  of  time  and 
have  no  use  for  monev. 

It  is  a  singular  tradition  and  yet,  one  declared  to  be  true, 
that  the  natives  may  swim  about  the  harbor  with  perfect  impu- 


182  TKANSFERRED. 

nity  as  sharks  never  attempt  to  molest  them.  In  fact,  the  sharks 
of  Panama  Bay  and  Acapulco  Harbor  are  as  fastidious  in  their 
tastes  as  are  the  Feejee  Islanders,  who  could  not  be  induced  to 
eat  one  of  their  own  color  unless  they  were  actually  starving, 
but  who  enjoy  greatly  a  steak  or  chop  of  wdiite  man. 

The  natives  of  Panama  are  the  most  intrepid  boatmen  of  the 
tropical  coast,  and  it  is  an  interesting  picture  to  see  these  men, 
almost  as  naked  as  when  they  were  born,  managing  their  lofty- 
masted  dug-outs  in  nasty,  squally  weather.  They  have  a  superb 
physical  development  and  are  rather  below  the  Anglo-Saxon 
standard  in  stature ;  but  they  are  graceful  in  movement  and  as 
quick  and  as  lithe  as  the  monkeys  that  infest  the  cocoanut  groves. 
They  are  not  black,  but  their  skin  is  of  a  rich  glossy  bronze. 

Panama  had  a  commercial  importance  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago,  but  lost  it,  and  for  more  than  a  century  the  Isthmus 
was  deserted.  The  discoveries  of  gold  in  California  in  1849 
brought  the  isthmus  again  to  notice  by  attracting  to  the  west 
coast  most  of  the  worthless  population  of  the  east  coast  of  North 
America.  To  accommodate  the  great  flocking  of  reckless  adven- 
turers the  construction  of  the  Panama  Railroad  was  begun  in 
1850,  but  not  completed  till  five  years  later.  Since  then  the 
traveler  has  been  enabled  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  tropical  scenery 
along  the  forty-seven  miles  of  railway,  and  without  the  fears  of 
dying  from  yellow  fever  before  completing  the  journey  in  the 
three  hours'  travel,  which  formerly  took  twice  as  many  days  to 
accomplish  on  mule-back  and  in  boats  on  the  Chagres  River. 

The  wealth  of  vegetation  wdiich  covers  the  isthmus  is  a  glo- 
rious sight ;  the  many  varieties  of  palms  are  conspicuously  in- 
termingled with  each  other  and  are  superbly  relieved  by  the  beau- 
tifully green  banana  trees,  lieavA^  with  bunches  of  the  luscious, 


TRANSFERRED.  183 

ripening  fruit  and  by  the  splendid  cotton  trees.  But,  like  all 
luscious  tilings,  this  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation  soon  palls  upon 
the  senses. 

Panama  is  not  a  pleasant  place  of  residence  and  yet  it  is  by 
no  means  as  unhealthy  as  supposed.  True,  it  is  long  before  a 
European  becomes  acclimated  ;  but  the  great  objection  is  that 
summer  and  winter  are  of  the  same  temperature,  and  the  same 
horrible  heat  continues  without  the  comfort  of  the  promise  that 
"  in  six  months  it  will  be  cool  enough." 

But  hotter  than  the  climate  is  the  intense  heat  of  the  political 
atmosphere.  Panama  is  almost  constantly  in  a  state  of  revolu- 
tion, and  it  is  not  pleasant  to  live  alongside  of  a  bomb-shell  with 
the  fuse  lighted.  Panama  has  a  history.  Its  foundation  dates 
back  to  1519.  Five  years  later  Pizarro  sailed  away  from  it  on 
his  first  daring  voyage  looking  to  the  conquest  of  Peru.  A 
century  later  its  great  importance  as  a  city,  in  buildings  and  com- 
mercial wealth  tempted  Morgan  and  his  company  of  buccaneers 
to  cross  the  isthmus  to  capture  it.  Panama  continued  to  prosper 
till  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  Spain's  important 
trade  had  to  find  another  outlet,  and  Panama  received  its  death 
blow. 

Anchor  was  weighed  about  sunrise,  and  five  minutes  later  we 
were  swinging  around  the  beautiful  little  island  of  Ancon  with 
the  good  ship's  nose  one  point  to  the  eastward  of  Taboga.  The 
beauties  of  Panama  Bay  developed  to  our  eyes  as  we  rode  her  in- 
creasing expanse  ;  the  cathedral  towers  were  sharply  relieved  by 
the  tremulous  blue  air  around  and  above  them.  Taboga  is  ideally 
beautiful,  and  once,  long  before  workshops  and  the  modern 
summer  cottages  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  profaned  it,  it  was 
an  ideal  abode  of  natural  simplicity  and  innocence.     The  dark- 


184  TRANSP^ERRED. 

eyed,  olive-tinted  damsels,  in  their  reed-built  cots  in  the  interior, 
are  still  there,  and  one  of  them  may  attend  you  iit  the  famous 
spring,  which  is  one  of  the  greatest  treasures  of  Taboga  ;  but 
you  will  not  find  them  unsophisticated  and  confiding.  The  blight 
of  civilization  is  that  while  it  corrects  the  worst  phases  of  barbar- 
ism it  also  smothers  what  little  charm  the  latter  possesses. 

The  coast  of  the  State  of  Panama  to  the  west  of  the  city  is  ac- 
centuated by  a  few  peaks  which  rise  abruptly  from  the  low,  gen- 
eral surface  of  the  isthmus  and  are  therefore  imposing.  As  it 
receded  from  sight  Panama  became  more  and  more  attractive. 
It  was  a  case  in  which  distance  certainly  did  lend  enchantment 
to  the  view. 


CHAPTER   XII. 


IX    THE    LAND    OF    THE    IXCAS. 


T  was  no  cross  to  be  compelled  to  leave 
behind  us  the  place  so  famous  in  the 
past  as  a  commercial  center.  The  change 
was  in  fact  delightful ;  for,  once  out  at 
sea,  it  became  so  cool  that  oui"  blue  cloth 
uniforms  were  more  comfortable  than  the 
white  linen  suits  that  on  the  isthmus  had 
seemed  so  burdensome. 

Five  days  under  sail  after  clearing  the 

Bay  of  Panama    we    sighted    Cape    Santa 

Elena.       Rounding    this    we    entered   the 

Gulf  of  Guayaquil.     A  little  farther  on  we 

sio-hted  the  island  of  Puna,  risins;  from  the 

low  sandy  beach  so  like  a  regular  and  uniform  cone,  that  after 

sailing  around  it  one  is  almost  in  doubt  whether  or  not  he   has 

really  looked  at  it  from  opposite  sides. 

By  sundown  we  had  anchored  opposite  the  town  of  Guaj-a- 
quil,  from  whose  river  no  one  has  ever  departed  without  one  of 
the  perfect  grass  ham.mocks  and  the  "Panama"  hats  for  which 
the  place  is  noted. 

The  anchor  was  hardly  off  the  cathead  before  the  vessel  was 
surrounded  by  a  fleet  of  canoes  and  the  peculiar  rafts  known  as 
junghadas  or  balsas.     From  these  craft  crowds  of  men  and  women 

185 


186  IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    IXCAS. 

streamed  over  our  srano;\vav,  climbins;  the  side  of  the  vessel  like 
monkeys,  their  arms  and  heads  burdened  with  fruits.  And  such 
luscious  fruit  as  it  was  !  Oranges  and  plantains,  pomegranates 
and  bananas,  cactus,  alligator  pears  and  mangoes,  all  tempting  to 
the  eye  and  most  agreeable  to  the  palate.  Besides  these  they 
brought  us  the  flavorless  and  watery  nisperos  and  the  memeys ; 
the  o;uava,  a  larg;e  black  bean  of  almost  sickish  sweetness  cov- 
ered  with  a  slimy  down,  and  the  chirimoyo,  or  custard  apple, 
which  last,  though  more  luscious,  is  to  my  taste  less  delicious 
than  a  strawberry  or  peach.  In  addition,  most  of  the  venders 
had  monkeys,  parrots  and  paroquets  for  sale. 

Guayaquil  looked  most  attractive  from  the  deck.  Up  and 
down  the  river  the  bank  was  lined  with  canoes  and  rafts,  laden 
with  the  products  of  the  upper  country,  and  on  each  raft  the 
picturesque  thatched  hut,  the  home  of  the  boatman.  x\long  the 
shore  stretched  a  row  of  three-storied  wooden  houses,  the  second 
story  protruding  and  supported  by  a  colonnade  so  as  to  form  a  cov- 
ered arcade  over  the  front  entrance.  The  characteristic  building 
material  of  Guayaquil  is  the  bamboo,  and  all  the  houses  and  even 
some  of  the  churches  are  built  of  such  reeds,  so  bound  together 
with  cords  that  few  nails  enter  into  their  construction.  These 
buildings  are  therefore  almost  earthquake-proof  for  they  yield  so 
readily  to  the  vibrations  of  the  earth  during  the  disturbances  of 
its  surface  peculiar  to  the  region  that  they  are  comparatively 
safe.  The  main  street  terminates  at  the  hillock  of  Santa  Anna, 
from  which  springs  the  semi-circle  of  low  hills,  that  with  grace- 
ful, broken  outlines  rise  behind  and  above  the  town.  The  streets 
elsewhere  are  a  maze  of  channels  of  mud,  more  or  less  liquid, 
through  which  one  must  pick  his  way  around  a  ridge  of  stones  ; 
and,  if  tempted  by  the  banana  and  cocoa  palms  overhanging  the 


IX    THE    LAXD    OF    THE    INCAS. 


187 


reed  fences  to  seek  refuge  from  the  vile  odors  of  the  streets  to 
enter  an  enclosure,  one  will  find  pigs  and  children  wallowing 
there  together,  in  a  filth  through  which  there  are  no  stepping 
stones. 

With  the  thermometer  standing  at  ninety  degrees  Fahrenheit 
in  the  shade,  we  tind  it  very  pleasant  to  lie  in  a  hammock  upon 
the  piazza  of  one  of  the  residences  of  the  Alcalde,  where  we  can 
escape    the     hot     sun-rays 
and  feel  a  soft  breeze  fan- 
ning our  cheeks. 

The  he  m  p  of 
which  the  hammocks 
are  made  is  called 
henequin.  It  is  an 
evergreen,     succulent 


plant,  and,  three  years 
after      transplanting, 
the  first  leaves  are 
ready  to  cut.     The 
leaves  are  from  four  to  six  feet 
in  length  and  each  plant  contin- 
ues to  produce  for  from  twelve  to 
thirteen    years.      The    Guayaqnilians 
have   their  own    peculiar   method    of 
scraping  the  leaf  to  obtain  the  filaments,  which  are  dried  in  the 
sun  and  done  up  in  bales. 

The  making  of  the  hammocks  is  one  of  the  chief  employ- 
ments of  the  town.  All  the  twine  is  made  by  hand,  the  hemp 
being  rolled  between  the  hand  and  the  thigh.  Experts  will 
twist  an  average  of  a  yard  a  minute,  and   the  hammocks  are 


TO    RECEIVE   THE   CONSUL. 


188  IN    THE    LAND    OF    TlIK    INCAS. 

made  by  u'irls  and  women.  Quick  workers  can  make  three  or 
lour  liammucks  a  day,  for  which  they  receive  about  ten  cents 
each.  The  finest  henequin.  from  which  the  most  costly  liam- 
mocks  are  made  is  called  ^;<7«.  Hammocks  are  used  by  all 
classes  as  substitutes  for  the  ordinary  beds. 

The  following  day  found  us  at  sea  again,  sailing  along  an 
almost  desert  coast.  With  the  first  glimpse  of  the  Andes,  that 
vast  mountain  range  that  is  the  prominent  feature  of  the 
South  American  continent,  we  witnessed  the  effect  of  their  in- 
fluence. Tliis  range  gives  expression  to  the  scenery,  and  by  its 
influence  on  the  climate  and  country  in  a  great  measure  deter- 
mines the  character  and  habits  of  the  people. 

Two  days  later  we  cast  anchor  in  the  open  roadstead  of  Parita, 
a  town  without  a  drop  of  drinking  water  within  twenty  miles  of 
its  center,  excepting  such  as  is  produced  by  condensation. 

Parita  is  the  outlet  of  a  rich  back  country  and  was  once  a 
place  of  great  importance.  Our  first  visitor  was  United  States 
Consul  Murphy,  who  seemed  as  pleased  to  meet  us  as  if  we 
had  been  his  nearest  relatives.  The  old  aqueducts  built  by  the 
Incas  remain,  but  the  rivers  have  worn  their  beds  to  a  depth 
below  the  canal  levels.  It  is  one  of  the  most  distressing  places 
on  the  South  American  coast.  Besides  a  quay  and  an  iron 
Custom  House,  it  boasts  of  only  a  few  irregular  streets,  lined 
with  mud  or  cane  houses.  It  was  after  dark  when  I  went  ashore 
w4th  Colonel  Murphy,  and  the  population  was  lying  on  mats  in 
the  streets,  a  more  agreeable  sleeping-place  than  the  interior  of 
the  hot  hovels.  Those  who  were  not  lying  on  mats  were  moving 
about  at  a  funeral  pace,  the  women  enveloped  in  black  mantos 
which  concealed  their  faces  and  figures.  It  reminded  me  of  a, 
city  of  the  dead.     We  remained  here  but  two  days. 


IX    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAS.  189 

After  leaving  Parita  we  stood  well  out  to  sea  and  made  a  long 
ocean  detour  before  we  again  put  into  port.  This  port  was 
Chimbote.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  there  it  was  a  small  settle- 
ment built  close  to  the  beach,  its  few  houses  occupied  mainly  by 
those  employed  in  the  survey  and  construction  of  the  Chimbote 
and  Huaraz  Railroad,  the  contract  for  which  had  been  given  by 
the  Peruvian  Government  to  John  G.  Meiggs,  brother  of  "  Prince 
Henrv  "  Meiyrtrs. 

While  here  I  obtained  permission  along  with  a  brother  officer 
to  make  a  three-days'  horseback  excursion  into  the  country, 
along  the  line  of  the  new  railroad.  For  several  miles  our  path 
led  us  over  a  sandy  plain  covered  with  a  low  leguminous  bush 
called  '•  algarrobera  "  ;  and  also  a  small  coarse  wild  grass  and 
a  running  vine  with  a  white  blossom,  similar  to  our  "  morning 
glory."  This  vine-blossom  ultimately  develops  into  a  fruit  cov- 
ered with  thorns,  about  the  size  and  shape  of  an  Qgg.  This 
fruit  has  a  saponaceous  quality,  and  the  natives  use  it  largely  in 
place  of  soap.  It  makes  a  good  lather  and  readily  removes  dirt- 
stains. 

As  we  rode  along  this  sandy  plain  we  were  frequently  sur- 
prised by  herds  of  wild  donkeys,  the  sight  of  which  would  start 
our  horses  into  a  sharp  gallop.  On  inquiry  of  the  natives  we 
learned  that  no  one  was  permitted  to  dispose  of  these  donkeys. 
It  seems  that  immediately  following  the  Spanish  conquest  a  great 
number  of  these  beasts  were  sent  to  this  district  and  the  natives 
given  possession  of  the  land  upon  condition  that  they  would 
keep  a  fatherh/  supervision  over  their  long-eared  and  unruly 
neighbors,  hence  thousands  of  them  run  wild. 

Leaving^  the  '^  wild  asses  "  and  the  res-ion  of  bushes  behind  us 
we  came  out  upon  a  soft,  sandy  plain.     To  the  right  rose  a  lofty 


lOU  IN    THE    LAXD    OF    THE    IXCAS. 

mountain,  along  the  slope  of  which  were  the  ruins  of  an  old 
"acequia,"  or  aqueduct,  built  during  the  period  of  the  reio-n  of 
the  Incas.  Eight  miles  from  Chimbote  we  came  out  upon  an  old 
road  (formerly  the  Inca  road),  on  either  side  of  which  stretched 
for  a  long  distance  an  adobe  wall,  and  the  ruins  of  several  old 
buildings.  Seven  miles  further  on  we  came  to  a  Chinese  camp, 
in  which  lodged  the  laborers  employed  in  grading  the  new  rail- 
road. The  wages  of  these  almond-eyed  Celestials,  including 
board,  clothing  and  medical  attendance,  was  one  sol,  or  about  one 
United  States  dollar  a  week,  and  yet  they  were  never  known  to 
go  on  strike  for  higher  wages.  To  the  right  of  the  camp  stood 
in  bold  relief  a  mountain  with  a  steep  ascent,  having  an  altitude 
of  four  hundred  feet.  Upon  its  summit  were  the  ruins  of  an 
old  castle  or  fortified  srranarv-  There  were  still  standino;  the 
walls  which  formerly  supported  the  towers  or  bastions.  This,  as 
well  as  the  aqueduct,  which  extends  from  Chimbote  far  inland, 
was  built  at  the  time  of  the  Inca  dynast3\  The  walls  were 
about  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  the  enclosure  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  square.  Near  this  was  the  site  of  an  ancient  town, 
which,  to  all  appearances,  must  have  been  of  considerable 
extent. 

Leaving  this  our  drive  took  us  along  a  shady  road  leading 
through  a  large  ''  hacienda,"  or  plantation.  We  here  crossed  a 
stream  which  nearlv  encircled  the  hacienda.  It  was  the  first 
running;  water  we  had  sio'hted  since  leaving;  Chimbote.  The 
roadway  was  grandly  shaded  with  a  species  of  laurel  and  swamp- 
willow.  In  a  larsre  enclosure  were  a  score  or  more  of  China- 
men  threshing  rice  by  driving  horses  rapidly  around  on  the 
straw.  The  mode  of  separating  the  rice  from  the  straw  and  the 
chaff  was  most  primitive.     The  fanning  machine  was  apparently 


IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAJS. 


191 


unknown  here,  and  the  rice  was  separated  from  the  refuse  by  the 
wmd  as  it  was  tossed  up  into  the  air. 

At  this  pomt  we  reentered  the  roadway,  walled  on  either  side 
with  adobe,  and  leading  us  through  another  beautiful  hacienda. 
On  the  right  was  an  immense  field  of  about  three  hundred  acres 


AN    INCA    RUIN. 


of  growing  cotton,  boiled  out  and  nearly  ready  to  pluck,  and  pre- 
senting a  grand  picture  to  the  stranger's  eye.  On  the  left  were 
immense  corn-fields,  recjularlv  laid  out  and  irrio;ated  from  a  stream 
of  water  runninsc  throuuli  the  hacienda.  Leaving:  this  larg-e 
plantation,  we  came  out  on  a  broad  open  plain  covered  with  fine 
loose  sand,  into  which  the  horses'- feet  sunk  to  the  fetlocks.  On 
the  right  we  again  caught  sight  of  the  old  aqueduct  running 
along  the  slope  of  the   mountain  ridge.     For   three  miles  along 


192  IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAS. 

this  plain  we  followed  a  line  of  stakes  marking  the  course  of  the 
railroad.  Suddenly  we  found  our  progress  checked  by  an  arch- 
way which  had  become  filled  up  with  the  stones  and  dirt  from 
the  embankment.  We  retraced  our  steps  a  short  distance  and 
then  found  a  path  leading  up  the  steep  ascent  of  an  immense 
elevated  plateau,  up  which  our  horses  climbed.  Driving  a 
couple  of  miles  along  the  edge  of  the  plateau,  we  had  a  grand 
panoramic  viev/  of  the  valley  two  hundred  feet  below,  and  of  a 
well-made  road  rimning  through  it.  AYe  looked  at  this  longingly, 
but  the  problem  presented  was,  "  How  shall  we  reach  it  ?  "  The 
sides  of  the  plateau  were  too  steep  to  attempt  a  descent,  and  we 
were  further  aggravated  by  the  beautiful  and  extended  view  of 
the  plantation  which  seemed  to  have  no  beginning  or  ending,  and 
with  the  Santa  River  coursintr  through  it. 

It  was  now  sundown,  horses  and  riders  alike  were  tired  out, 
we  were  hungry,  darkness  was  rapidly  creeping  over  us  and  no 
camping-place  on  the  plateau  in  sight.  Our  horses  were  too 
much  fatigued  to  attempt  a  return  to  our  first  camp,  and  if  we 
could  not  find  a  path  down  to  the  valley  before  night's  darkness 
settled,  we  must  make  the  best  of  it  with  a  bed  on  the  bare 
ground.  Continuing  along  the  edge  of  the  plateau  for  two  or 
three  miles  further,  we  at  last  struck  a  tortuous  but  dangerous 
path,  down  which  we  rode  and  near  its  foot  found  the  lodge  of 
the  '•'  administrador,"or  superintendent.  \Ye  had  ridden  about 
twenty-five  miles,  most  of  the  way  through  deep,  heavy  sand, 
and  one  of  the  horses  was  so  exhausted  that  we  apprehended  his 
absolute  breakino;  down. 

The  lodcre  was  an  immense  low-lmilt  structure.  As  we  drove 
up  the  administrador,  Senor  Pastor,  advanced  and  in  a  polite 
commanding    tone,   said,    "  Caballeros,    entrada  I  "    (Gentleman, 


IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAS.  193 

come  in  !)  A  servant  was  ordered  to  take  our  horses,  and  as  we 
entered  the  building  observed  that  our  host  and  three  other  Peru- 
vian gentlemen  were  about  to  sit  down  to  dinner.  Places  were 
at  once  provided  for  us  at  the  table.  Our  host  protested  against 
our  continuing  the  journey  that  night,  ordered  our  horses  to  Ije 
stabled  and  fed,  and  a  room  and  beds  to  be  prepared.  Neither 
Senor  Pastor  nor  his  friends  could  speak  English,  consequently 
we  had  to  resort  to  our  limited  knowledge  of  Spanish.  We  con- 
gratulated ourselves  that  in  this  we  succeeded  admirabl}^  Our 
new  friends  were  as  sociable  as  they  were  hospitable,  and  in  spite 
of  the  tired  limbs  and  our  desire  for  a  bath,  caused  us  almost  to 
regret  when  bed-time  came.  The  evening  was  spent  in  chatting, 
playing  the  guitar  and  singing  Spanish  and  American  songs 
alternately,  and  I  was  glad  to  feel  that  I  was  enough  of  a  player 
to  accompany  myself  on  the  guitar. 

I  learned  that  the  plantation  was  the  property  of  Seiior  Benito 
Valdeavallano,  who  lived  in  Lima,  but  who  at  that  time  was  in 
Europe  on  a  bridal  tour,  having  but  recently  married  Senorita 
Rosa  Sauri,  the  belle  and  beauty  of  Lima.  The  plantation  was 
valued  at  about  a  half-million  of  dollars.  There  were  then  grow- 
ing about  a  million  cotton  plants^  two  hundred  acres  were  planted 
in  sugar  cane,  and  about  six  hundred  acres  sowed  with  rice. 
Two  hundred  Chinamen  were  employed  upon  the  plantation. 
They  cooked  their  own  food,  and  their  rations,  mostly  of  rice, 
were  served  to  them  every  evening.  Regularly  at  7  o'clock  in 
the  evening  they  were  assembled  at  roll-call,  and  as  each  man's 
name  was  called  he  stepped  forward  and  received  his  allowance 
of  food  for  the  following  day. 

A  refreshing  night's  sleep,  a  light  breakfast  at  eight  o'clock, 
consisting  of    coffee   nnd    fruit,  found    us    in    good   condition  to 


194 


JX    THE    LAND    OF    THE    IXCAS. 


re.-^ume  our  journey.  Mounting  our  horses,  we  bade  our  kindly 
host  ••  adios,"  and  followed  along  the  line  of  survey  of  the  road. 
At  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  the  engineers'  camp  and  had 
a  sumptuous  breakfast  set  before  us.  Later  in  the  day  we 
started  on  our  return,  and  reaching  the  Valdeavallano  plantation. 


^,<-»^.»--i  _^ 


A    PERUVIAN    "PALACE." 

took  dinner,  and  spent  the  night  there.  The  following  day 
we  returned  to  our  ship  home,  well  pleased  with  our  excursion  to 
the  interior. 

After  making  a  careful  survey  of  the  harbor  of  Chimbote  and 
plotting  a  safely  corrected  chart,  we  put  to  sea  again  and  in  good 
time  reached  Callao,  the  commercial  port  of  Lima,  the  capital 
of  Peru.  Callao  is  about  six  miles  from  Lima,  and  the  two 
places  are  connected  by  a  railway. 


IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAS.  195 

My  first  visit  to  Lima,  however,  was  not  by  railway  but  on 
horseback  over  the  "  alameda,"  a  road  of  considerable  beauty, 
and  one  of  the  most  striking  and  impressive  thoroughfares  on 
the  continent.  I  had  been  here  once  before  at  the  time  of  the 
great  earthquake  which  destroyed  many  of  the  towns  along  the 
coast.  At  a  distance  the  spires  and  domes  of  the  cathedral  and 
iglesias,  or  churches,  glitter  in  the  sun,  and  the  Moorish  style  of 
architecture  gives  the  city  a  very  picturesque  appearance.  The 
houses  are  low  and  irregularly  built,  but  the  streets  are  regular 
and  attractive.  The  "  Plaza  Major,"  or  Great  Square,  is  the  prin- 
cipal locality  and  faces  the  Cathedral.  On  one  side  is  the  palace 
of  the  President  and  the  bishop's  palace  ;  and  on  the  south  side 
is  the  old  palace  of  Pizarro,  in  which  is  the  noted  painting  rep- 
resenting the  violent  death  of  Atahualpa,  the  favorite  son  of 
Huayna  Capac,  Inca  of  Peru,  who  died  in  1525. 

The  one  thing  which  impressed  me  the  most,  as  I  made  a  tour  of 
the  shops,  was  the  dazzling  beauty  of  the  Peruvian  ladies.  They 
seemed  to  be  all  eyes  ;  indeed  they  have  the  reputation  of  being 
the  most  beautiful  women  in  the  w^orld.  Meeting  them  on  their 
way  to  mass  in  the  morning,  or  shopping  later  in  the  day  they 
strike  you  as  charming.  But  to  see  them  in  their  homes  you 
begin  to  reflect  and  are  apt  to  conclude  that  they  are  not  so  much 
fairer  than  some  of  the  fair  daughters  of  New  York  or  Phila- 
delphia. If  it  were  not  for  the  mantua,  the  most  needful  feature 
in  the  street  dress  of  the  Limanian  ladies,  we  would  not  so 
thoroughly  admit  their  perfect  beauty.  This  garment  they  wear 
in  such  a  coquettish  way,  that  it  conceals  every  feature  except 
the  fair  one's  bewitching  eyes  and  lovely  olive  complexion. 

The  mantua  is  peculiar  to  Peru  and  Chili.  It  is  worn  by 
women  of  all  arrades  and  ages  —  the  senora  and  the  senorita,  the 


19G  IX    TllK    LAXD    OF    THE    INCAS. 

mujer  ami  the  iiiuchachita,  the  rich  and  the  poor.  It  is  always 
of  black,  luaclo  of  crape,  and  costs  anywhere  from  one  to  a  thou- 
sand sols,  according  to  quality.  The  wealthy  belle  will  wear  a 
niantua  trimmed  with  fine  silk  fringe,  or  rare  point  lace  ;  while 
the  poorer  girl  must  be  satisfied  with  an  edging  of  cheaper  lace. 
This  is  arranged  so  as  to  fall  over  the  forehead  and  is  always  so 
nicely  adjusted  that  the  edge  of  the  lace  will  just  reach  the  eye- 
lashes and  cover  half  the  cheek.  Then  the  ends  are  tastefully 
thrown  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  fastened  at  the  back  with  a 
clasp  pin  more  or  less  costly.  Some  wear  the  mantua  so  that  it 
covers  one  eye.  I  have  said  that  in  their  homes  the  Lima  wom- 
en do  not  strike  one  as  so  beautiful  as  they  appear  on  the  street ; 
but  in  the  drawing-room  they  are,  nevertheless,  most  attractive, 
bright,vivacious  and  winning.  They  are  affectionate,  impetuous 
and  strong-willed  ;  impulsive,  frank  and  generous.  At  seventeen 
or  eighteen  the  Peruvian  girl  marries ;  at  twenty-five  she  is  the 
mother  of  three  or  four  children.  To  have  the  photograph  of  a 
Limanian  belle  signifies  no  special  concession ;  you  can  buy  them 
of  any  photographer. 

To  think  of  a  Peruvian  breakfast,  even  after  a  Delmonico 
dinner,  sharpens  my  appetite  even  now.  My  first  trip  to  Lima 
gave  me  also  my  first  experience  at  breakfast  there.  A  brief 
summary  of  it  would  not  give  you  the  faintest  idea  of  its  excel- 
lence. It  must  be  described  in  detail.  Immediately  after  rising 
on  board  of  ship  one  is  satisfied  with  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  plate 
of  fruit,  until  the  hour  of  the  regular  breakfast  or  eleven  o'clock. 
So  are  the  native  Peruvians.  Eleven  o'clock  came  and  I  sat 
down  with  a  familv  at  breakfast.  The  duskv  senoras  and  senor- 
itas,  children  and  adults,  if  they  are  of  the  well-to-do  class,  dress 
in  spotless  white  wrappers,  and  permit  their  long,  heavy,  raven- 


IN  THE  LAND  OF  THE  INCAS.  197 

black  hair  to  hang  in  two  loose  plaits  down  their  backs.  If  the 
sea-breeze  be  very  cool  they  appear  with  little  crimson  or  blue 
sacques  drawn  over  their  white  robes. 

Our  breakfast  began  with  soup.  Nothing  can  be  more  deli- 
cious than  these  native  soups  —  one,  in  particular,  called  cliupe. 
It  is  made  of  a  kind  of  crab,  like  the  English  shrimp,  but  more 
delicate  to  the  palate  and  resembling  the  lobster  rather  than  the 
crab.  The  shrimps  were  boiled  alive  in  new  milk,  after  which 
was  added  rice,  parsley,  grated  cheese,  hard  boiled  eggs,  potatoes 
in  halves,  onions  and  bread  crumbs.  It  was  unsalted.  The  next 
course  consisted  of  oranges  and  bananas  ;  but,  to  such  as  pre- 
ferred, fresh  figs,  melons,  or  bananas  w^ere  served  before  the 
chiq^e-  Then  followed  fish,  broiled  or  fried  ;  the  corbiiia,  a  salt- 
water fish  very  much  like  mackerel  in  flavor,  being  broiled  ;  and 
the  pickailais,  resembling  our  small  fresh  water  perch,  being  fried. 
After  this  came  the  more  substantial  course  :  fried  bananas  with 
poached  eggs ;  mutton  chops  breaded ;  delicious  tender  beefsteak 
with  fried  potatoes,  and  a  salad  of  lettuce  or  radishes ;  ham  and 
eggs,  and  always  the  native  dish,  aquique,  compounded  of  red 
peppers  and  potatoes,  and  made  so  hot  with  Chili  pepper  that 
the  tears  start  from  the  eyes  as  one  swallows  it. 

Then  came  rice  cakes  and  picantic,  another  fiery  dish  made 
principally  of  mustard,  or  a  dish  of  rice  and  curry.  The  next 
course  was  a  delicious  cup  of  hot  coffee,  never  boiled  but  con- 
densed in  French  coffee-pots,  and  always  clear  as  amber ;  served 
in  tiny  Sevres  china  cups,  with  neither  milk  nor  sugar,  unless 
requested  —  '•  truly  a  nectar  fit  for  the  gods."  The  breakfast 
ends  with  cigars,  or  cigarettes,  and  claret,  and  the  ladies  not  only 
light  your  cigars,  but  also  light  a  cigarette  for  themselves.  Here 
you  sit  and  chat  at  the  table  for  a  half  hour  longer  —  a  siesta. 


198 


IN    TlIK    LAND    OF    THE    IXCAS. 


The  Peruvian  manner  of  eating  is  not  American.     Tlic}'  use 
the  knife  quite  as  often  as  they  do  the  fork  and  the  fini^ers  more 


it '?! '  V- '«" ,  .«!_■  • '  -as;  -^rr 


INTERIOR   OK   CATHEDRAL    AT    LIMA. 


than  either.     One  peculiar  cu.stom  at  the  table  needs  special  men- 
tion :  —  If  there  is  a  little  delicacy  upon  the  plate,  a  bit  of  the 


IN    THE    LAND    OF    THE    INCAS.  199 

breast  of  a  fowl,  a  tender  morsel  of  turkey,  or  any  little  dainty 
that  is  inviting,  it  is  a  very  delicate  compliment  to  the  person 
sitting  next  you  to  take  this  morceau  between  your  thumb  and 
finger,  and  place  it  in  that  person's  mouth.  I  have  often  seen  a 
young  Peruvian  gallant  pick  up  a  piece  of  chicken,  or  a  bit  of 
game,  and  convey  it  with  his  fingers  to  the  mouth  of  the  leading 
belle,  although  his  fingers  may  be  dripping  with  gravy.  Or,  if 
it  be  preserved  fruit,  the  juice  may  be  running  down  his  wrist. 
It  is  considered  a  most  delicate  compliment,  and  for  any  one  to 
refus^e  these  proffered  finger  bits  would  be  deemed  an  almost  un- 
pardonable msult.  No  large  dishes  are  placed  upon  the  table, 
nor  are  platters  of  meat  served  in  large  quantities ;  each  person 
has  each  course  separately  set  before  him,  that  he  may  help  him- 
self to  what  he  pleases. 

I  found  a  visit  to  the  Cathedral  on  the  Plaza,  an  interesting 
visit  after  my  breakfast  in  Lima.  The  interior  is  richly  furnished, 
but  the  most  elaborate  ornament  is  the  shrine,  which  reaches 
nearly  to  the  roof  of  the  building.  It  is  made  of  gold,  silver 
and  copper  and  is  said  to  be  valued,  in  weight,  at  about  three 
million  dollars.  The  various  images  are  also  very  rich  affairs. 
Descending  into  the  cellar,  our  guide  led  us  to  the  vault  or  tomb 
where  lie  the  bones  of  Pizarro,  the  conqueror  of  Peru,  and  his 
chief  commander.  Their  remnants  of  silk  robes  are  in  rags, 
and  evidences  are  plain  that  many  little  strips  have  been  taken 
away  as  relics.  We  believe,  but  with  some  hesitancy,  the  state- 
ment of  our  guide  that  the  gowns,  or  what  is  left  of  them,  are 
the  original  ones  in  which  the  bodies  were  laid  out ;  but  we 
are  not  inclined  to  be  too  incredulous  when  we  hand  our  guide 
a  sol  (valued  at  about  eighty  cents),  and  he  turns  away  his  head 
as  we  tear  off  a  little  strip  from  each  as  a  relic,  to  remind  us 


liUU  IN    THE    LAM)    OF    THE    INCxlS. 

that  we  have  looked   upon  the  bones  of   the  famous  conqueror 
of  Peru. 

It  is  still  fashionable  to  go  on  resurrection  expeditions  among 
the  ancient  Inca  ruins,  to  dig  in  the  ancient  burying  grounds  for 
the  nnimmies  and  the  coins  and  other  valuables  entombed  with 
them.  So,  immediately  after  breakfast,  I  started  with  three 
others,  a  doctor  being  one  of  our  party.  Of  course,  the  latter's 
taste  naturally  tended  toward  securing  skulls,  but  the  rest  of  us 
wanted  huacos  (water-coolers)  made  of  clay  and  of  the  most 
unifjue  and  quaint  designs,  or  perhaps  specimens  of  some  other 
household  utensils.  Our  research  convinced  us  that  the  Incas 
had  the  same  mode  of  preserving  their  dead  as  did  the  ancient 
Egyptians  ;  and  in  each  grave  were  placed  articles  of  decoration 
as  well  as  utensils  required  by  the  spirits  to  set  up  housekeeping 
in  the  Happy  Land. 

Among  the  latter  were  water-pots  or  huacos.  These  are  jars 
made  of  clay  in  various  shapes,  mostly  of  idols,  and  in  which 
drinking  water  was  kept  and  cooled  by  evaporation.  Rings  and 
other  ornaments  of  gold,  silver  and  copper ;  copper  chips  and 
balls  used  as  coins  by  the  Incas ;  cups  and  plates  made  of  metals 
and  of  the  most  quaint  designs  —  these,  together  with  strings  of 
beads  and  a  great  variety  of  other  relics,  we  found  in  the  ruins. 
They  lay  in  close  proximity  to  perfect  skulls  and  other  bones,  as 
well  as  weapons  of  primitive  warfare  and  other  curiosities  that 
interest  antiquarians  nowadays.  We  found  there  were  hundreds 
of  graves  yet  untouched.  In  fact  any  one  can  dig  up  all  the 
relics  desired  by  simply  hiring  a  couple  of  men  and  going  out  to 
the  ruins. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


LIMA. 


THE  fashionable 
entertainment 
in  Peru  is  bull-bait- 
ing. The  best  bull- 
fights are  to  be  seen 
on  the  Dos  de  Mayo 
(second  of  May),  or 
some  other  great 
fete-day.  Excepting 
on  these  prime  fete- 
days,  the  bull  is  not 
killed,  as  in  Spain 
and  in  Mexico,  and 
no  horses  are  slaugh- 
tered in  the  rintj;. 
The  animal  is  simply 
teased  and  tortured  to  make  a  Liman  holiday.  The  Plaza  del 
Toros,  or  Bull  Amphitheater,  is  only  a  short  distance  from  the 
city  on  the  Calle  de  Alcalda,  and  the  street  was  alive  with  a 
motley  crowd  of  pedestrians  and  carriages  all  pushing  forward 
to  witness  the  combat  de  toros  (bull-fight). 

It  was  like  the  main  thoroughfare  of  a  country  village  on  a 

muster-day.     The  dense  mass  of  people  present  all  the  colors  of 

201 


202  LIMA. 

the  rai)il)ow.  The  focus  to  which  all  are  pressing  is  the  entrance 
to  the  amphitheater,  and.  the  shouts  of  the  assemblage  crowding 
to  the  entrance  are  as  bewilderimi;  as  must  have  been  the  famous 
tournament  of  tongues  at  Babel.  Finally  we  make  our  way  in 
and  obtain  seats,  and  then  —  what  a  change  !  The  place  is  .sim- 
ply a  huge  amphitheater,  wdth  seats  running  seven-eighths  of  the 
circle  and  every  one  occupied.  There  is  a  continual  murmur  of 
conversation  in  Spanish ;  a  clatter  of  fans,  and  thousands  of 
spirals  of  smoke  from  the  cigarettes  which  the  senors,  the  seiio- 
ras  and  the  senoritas  are  happily  indulging  in. 

The  expectation  is  intense,  and  all  is  excitement  and  impa- 
tience. After  an  overture  from  the  band,  a  trumpet  blast  is 
heard.  A  breathless  hush  falls  upon  the  assembly  like  a  j)all. 
A  door  opens  and  four  mounted  jyicadoj^es  (the  prickers)  enter  the 
arena.  They  are  dressed  in  fanciful  colors  and  carry  long  lances. 
Then  follow  the  chohis.  These  are  the  real  combatants.  In 
addition  to  their  gay  attire,  they  w^ear  short  silken  cloaks  of 
many  colors.  After  these  come  the  ccqKidores,  with  long 
magenta-colored  scarfs  with  which  they  provoke  or  divert  the 
attention  of  the  bulls. 

The  attention  of  the  spectators  is  divided  between  the  men 
and  the  door  through  which  the  bull  is  expected  to  enter.  The 
trumpet  again  sounds,  and  a  fierce  young  bull  plunges  into  the 
arena  with  distended  nostrils,  a  snort  and  a  bound.  Then  the 
terrible  battle  for  supremacy  begins.  The  sight  is  indeed  a  thrill- 
ing one  ;  and  yet,  after  all,  it  is  a  game  of  cowards,  although  in 
the  disgusting  spectacle  that  follows,  the  safety  of  the  actors  is 
insured  by  a  moderate  degree  of  skill  and  a  nimble  pair  of  legs. 
The  bright  colors  worn  by  the  'picadores,  chohis  and  capadores. 
tend  to  anger  the  poor  badgered  beast  and  provoke  attack.     Sud- 


oriQ 


LIMA.  20 

denly  the  bull  devotes  its  attention  to  one  of  the  capadores,  who 
stands  a  short  distance  away  flaunting  his  scarf,  and  at  once 
down  goes  the  great  head  and  drives  straight  on  him.  The  cap- 
ador  runs  for  his  barrier,  a  section  of  a  fence  at  the  side  of  the 
ring,  and  another  capador  a  short  distance  from  the  side  of  the 
bull  flaunts  his  scarf  and  the  bull  drives  him  to  his  barrier. 

Then  follows  a  dash  at  the  ^icac?or  who  drives  a  dart  into 
the  bull's  side.  Sundry  of  these  tormenting  pricks  sting  the  bull 
to  madness,  the  shouts  of  the  spectators  rend  the  air,  and  the 
blood  streams  from  the  side  of  the  wounded  bull.  Perhaps  the 
bull  has  been  quick  enough  to  transfix  its  horns  into  a  horse's 
belly,  and  the  horse  goes  galloping  across  the  arena  with  intes- 
tines trailino-  on  the  ground.  The  bull's  attention  is  then  diverted 
by  a  picador  waving  his  scarf,  or  a  cholu  may  have  blinded  the 
beast's  eyes  by  throwing  a  cloak  over  its  horns. 

The  air  rings  with  the  plaudits  of  the  spectators,  the  trumpet 
again  sounds  and  a  handerillero  (he  who  sticks  the  poisoned  dart 
with  colored  ribbons  into  the  neck  of  the  bull)  enters  to  give  the 
final  thrust.  He  carries  two  darts,  each  with  a  harpoon  point  at 
one  end.  K  picador  stands  near  the  handerillero  and  waves  his 
scarf,  and  as  the  bull  dashes  towards  him  the  handerillero  thrusts 
the  darts  into  the  bull's  shoulders.  Then  a  cholu  hands  two 
more  darts  to  the  handerillero,  wdiich  are  wound  with  paper 
tubes  containing  detonating  powder.  These  are  speedily  thrust 
into  the  enraged  bull's  shoulders.  Stung  with  agony  the  poor 
animal  rushes  at  everything  that  comes  in  its  way.  The  detonat- 
ing powder  ignites  and  soon  the  bull  is  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke  and  fire  from  which  issues  a  fusillade  of  explosions. 

Then  the  trumpet  again  sounds  and  the  matador,  the  star 
actor  of  the  fi2:ht,  enters.     He  carries  in  one  hand  a  long,  narrow 


204  LIMA. 

rapier  ;  in  the  other  is  a  short  stick,  to  which  is  attached  a  small 
colored  flag.  He  is  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes ;  loud  and  wild 
shouts  of  applause  hail  his  appearance.  Approaching  the  bull 
he  provokes  it  with  the  flag,  and  the  silence  is  almost  painful,  as 
he  must  show  both  daring  and  art  in  the  final  coup.  Suddenly 
there  is  a  flash  of  steel  in  the  air.  Like  a  stroke  of  liohtnino: 
the  long  rapier  descends  upon  the  bull,  and  is  driven  into  its  body 
clear  up  to  the  hilt.  The  bull  stops  short,  staggers  a  few  steps, 
then  drops  to  its  knees  and  the  next  instant  rolls  over,  dead. 

The  enthusiasm  is  as  wild  as  a  tornado  ;  it  rises  and  falls 
in  shouts  upon  shouts,  and  continues  for  several  minutes.  A 
team  of  horses  is  driven  in ;  the  dead  bull  is  dragged  out  from 
the  ring,  cut  up  and  sold  to  such  as  are  willing  to  buy  bull  beef. 
I  witnessed  the  slaughter  of  three  other  bulls  and  two  horses, 
and  then  the  spectators  departed  for  their  homes. 

The  following  day,  at  the  invitation  of  the  superintendent  of 
the  Oroya  Railroad,  I  enjoyed  a  flying  trip  from  the  wearisome 
monotony  of  the  changeless  summer  weather  of  Lima,  to  the 
cooler  summit  of  the  Andes.  Before  noon  I  found  myself  at 
San  Bartolomge,  forty-seven  miles  from  Lima,  and  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  in  the 
bracing  mountain  air  of  the  summit. 

The  trip  was  made  on  one  of  the  most  powerful  locomotives 
that  w^as  ever  placed  upon  rails.  Passing  through  the  green  val- 
ley of  the  Rimac  which  winds  like  a  silver  ribbon  down  to  the 
sea,  we  thundered  through  ravines;  over  iron  and  stone  bridges; 
and  around  the  precipices  of  great  mountains,  to  the  sides  of 
which  still  clung  w^reaths  of  the  morning  mists.  Above,  the 
pinnacles  of  rock  rose  cloudward.  Still,  we  rushed  on  and  ever 
upward,  dashing  now  and  then  through  a  tunnel  into  which  a 


THE    PICADORES. 


LIMA.  207 


river  had  burst  and  was  rushing  noisily  ;  and  then  dashing  out 
into  the  sunshine  again  we  crossed  a  bridge  hung  fully  a  hun- 
dred feet  above  another  torrent. 

At  some  phices  the  railroad  formed  a  letter  S  ;  at  another 
point  its  shape  was  that  of  a  horse-shoe  ;  now  it  took  the  form 
of  the  letter  Z,  and  at  times  these  windings  were  so  close  to- 
gether' that  but  a  glimpse  of  sunshine  was  vouchsafed  us  before 
we  plunged  into  the  hollow  darkness.  Arriving  at  San  Bartojo- 
ra^  at  the  end  of  a  three  hours'  ride  through  this  picture  of 
grandeur  we  disembarked  and  took  breakfast.  The  breakfast- 
hour  in  Peru  is  never  earlier  than  eleven  o'clock,  and  here 
amid  the  peaks  of  the  Andes  we  enjoyed  a  meal  equal  to  one 
we  might  have  obtained  at  Delmonico's. 

A  siesta  of  an  hour  after  breakfast,  including;  a  smoke  of  one 
of  Henry  Meiggs'  dollar  Havanns.  and  the  exciting  and  perilous 
downward  trip  to  Lima  began.  We  rode  in  a  hand-car  with  one 
of  the  engineers  in  charo-e.  At  the  start  the  brakes  were  re- 
lieved,  our  car  was  given  a  gentle  push  and  on  we  sped  at  the 
rate  of  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  with  sparks  of  fire  flying  from 
between  the  rails  and  the  wheels  of  our  car  till  we  reached 
Chosica,  midway  back  to  Lima.  Here  we  stopped  for  lunch. 
Another  rest  of  an  hour  after  lunch  and  we  resumed  our  trip 
homeward  down  the  inclined  plane,  along  the  valley  of  the 
Rimac  and  passing  several  beautiful  haciendas. 

Near  one  of  those  picturesque  plantations,  in  a  little  meadow 
enclosed  by  white  palings,  rises  a  simple  mausoleum  of  brick, 
where  lie  the  remains  of  •■Prince  Harry,"  as  Henry  Meiggs  was 
known  by  the  Peruvians.  The  magnificent  mountains,  whose 
ravines  he  had  spanned,  were  in  full  sight  in  all  their  grandeur, 
and  the  murmur  of  the  train  as  it  speeds  along  on  the  road  he 


208  .  LliMA. 

imniortalized  seems  to  beat  the  long  roll  as  it  passes  the  mound 
that  marks  his  last  resting-place.  Within  that  brick  mausoleum 
lies  the  coffin  that  incloses  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  man  who, 
exiled  from  his  native  land  because  of  wrong-doing  in  California 
through  which  man}^  creditors  suffered,  was  yet  able  in  due  time  ' 
to  atone  for  the  disaster  he  had  caused  and  make  good  the  losses 
of  those  who  had  suffered.  I  know  that  he  often  wished  that 
he  might  return  if  only  for  a  visit  to  his  native  land,  and  I  be- 
lieve that  it  was  proposed  by  the  California  legislature  to  relieve 
him  from  the  ban  under  which  he  lived  an  exile.  But  it  failed 
to  do  him  the  justice  he  deserved  or  to  recognize  that  he  had 
rio'hted  his  wrono;s. 

Without  other  mishap  than  the  killing  of  a  llama  that  had 
imprudently  attempted  to  cross  the  track  ahead  of  us,  Ave  sped 
rapidly  downward  with  the  natural  force  of  gravity,  and  even 
that  was  held  in  constant  check  by  the  brakes.  Lima  was 
reached  in  forty  minutes  from  Chosica,  and  we  soon  sought  re- 
freshment for  our  weary  limbs  after  partaking  of  the  hospitali- 
ties of  Henry  Meiggs,  Jr. 

Although  our  stay  at  Lima  was  a  continuous  round  of  enter- 
tainment and  festivities  I  was  not  sorry  when  the  time  was  set 
for  us  to  leave.  It  was  early  on  a  Wednesday  morning  that  the 
mooring;  shackles  were  loosened,  the  anchors  weio-hed,  and  the 
engines  were  started  to  take  us  out  of  harbor  on  the  way  to  the 
"  Ciudad  Principal,"  the  leading  city  of  Chili,  Valparaiso. 

The  "  spirit  of  economy  "  of  the  Navy  Department  having 
decreed  that  the  Government  vessels  shall  not  proceed  under 
steam,  except  in  cases  of  emergency,  after  making  a  good  offing 
the  fires  were  hauled,  the  vessel  put  under  sail  and  the  propeller 
was  hoisted.     This  gives  but  slow  progress  on  the  Pacific  where 


LIMA.  209 

the  winds  are  harcll}'  sufficient  to  give  us  more  than  steerage 
way,  and  we  were  thirty  days  making  the  run  to  Valparaiso. 

The  day  before  reaching  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso  we  sighted 
the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  sacred  to  the  memory  of  Robin- 
son  Crusoe,  and  "  his  man  Friday,  who  kept  things  tidy  and 
listened  to  the  yarns  his  master  told."  Our  captain  concluded 
to  run  in  close  enough  and  to  permit  some  of  us  to  go  ashore 
for  an  hour  just  to  revive  the  memories  of  our  boyhood  days 
when  we  had  sat  up  nights  and  with  the  aid  of  a  bottle  of  liirht- 
ning  bugs  had  read  chapter  after  chapter  of  Crusoe's  marvelous 
experiences.  Does  the  boy  live,  wherever  the  English  tongue  is 
spoken,  who  has  not  read  a  description  of  this  island  and  pored 
over  the  tale  of  the  famous  castaway  ?  It  is  onl}'  necessary  to 
say  that  Daniel  Defoe,  or  whoever  wrote  the  book,  must  have 
studied  the  place  with  great  attention,  or  had  the  island  created 
to  suit  the  picture  he  gave  to  it. 

The  little  harbor  is  there,  with  its  rocks  and  its  coves,  its 
nooks  and  its  crannies,  just  as  it  was  when  Robinson  Crusoe  be- 
came an  involuntary  inhabitant  of  the  island.  The  cave  in  which 
he,  with  Friday  and  the  animals,  lived  during  the  rainy  season  is 
in  good  order  still  ;  and  the  cliffs,  up  which  he  and  Friday  used 
to  chase  the  mountain  o-oats,  have  not  been  removed  bv  earth- 
quake  or  tidal  wave.  The  goats  are  there,  and  so  are  the  arma- 
dillos ;  the  birds  of  wonderful  plumage  still  remain,  and  the 
crawfish  mav  still  be  seen  amonu"  the  rocks.  I  venture  to  sav 
that  every  bov  in  the  United  States  who  has  read  the  storv  could 
go  all  over  the  place  and  feel  afterwards  that  everj'thing  re- 
mained —  except  Crusoe  and  the  faithful  Friday. 

The  island  now  belongs  to  Chili,  and  is  leased  to  a  cattle 
company  which  has  from  thirty  thousand  to  fift}-  thousand  head 


210  LniA. 

of  cattle  and  as  many  more  sheep  grazing  over  the  hills.  R. 
Crusoe,  Esq. ,  were  he  alive  would  find  plenty  of  associates  there, 
for  it  is  inhaljited  l»y  half  a  hundred  people  —  ranchmen  with 
their  families  under  the  supervision  of  a  Frenchman.  Besides 
the  stock,  they  raise  poultry,  and  ship  chickens  and  eggs  and 
vegetables  also  to  the  Valparaiso  markets.  There  is  also  a  large 
cpiantity  of  excellent  timber  on  the  island,  and  no  one  goes  there 
without  bringing  awa}^  a  cane  or  two  as  mementos.  The  interest 
in  Robinson  Crusoe  is  much  stimulated  by  those  who  come  this 
way. 

It  is  difficult  for  others  to  appreciate  as  did  we  the  fact  that 
we  were  so  near  a  port  where  we  could  obtain  fresh  provisions. 
It  was  on  June  23,  and  we  had  been  seventeen  days  at  sea  when 
the  ward-room  mess  extended  its  courtesies  to  our  executive 
officer,  Lieutenant  Commander  Francis  Morris  (since  dead)  in 
honor  of  his  birthday.  It  could  not  be  expected  that  after  being 
so  long  at  sea  a  sumptuous  and  delectable  meal,  a  la  Delmonico, 
could  be  served,  but  our  steward,  ever  ready  and  competent  in 
any  emergency,  more  than  exceeded  our  anticipations.  Our  first 
course  was  oyster  soup  ;  second  course,  canned  salmon  ;  third 
course,  canned  beef,  sausage,  canned  chicken,  mashed  potatoes, 
bread  and  butter,  and  last,  plum  pudding  and  black  coffee.  It 
was  a  feast  fit  for  —  well,  for  those  who  love  "a  life  on  the  ocean 
wave." 

But  a  life  on  the  ocean  wave  is  not  of  the  sentimental  expe- 
rience that  some  may  suppose.  The  day  previous  to  sighting 
San  Juan  Fernandez,  the  falling  barometer,  the  wind  coming  out 
from  the  northwest,  and  the  overcast  sky,  gave  sufiicient  warn- 
inij"  that  we  were  to  have  some  nasty  weather.  It  be^ran  to  blow 
scood  and  stiff  soon  after  sundown,  and  at  10  P.  m.  was  blowimj' 


LIMA. 


211 


a  ffoocl  a:ale  with  ca  bio;  sea.  The  vessel  was  bove-to  before 
midnight  under  a  close-reefed  foretop-sail  and  a  storm  stay-sail. 
Then  the  ship  began  to  show  some  of  her  best  points  in  rolling 


"  EASE    HER   OFF,    BLOCKLINGF.R  !  " 


and  did  it  successfully.  The  masts  and  timbers  creaked  and 
groaned,  the  dishes  and  bottles  were  tossed  about  the  ward- 
room and  pantry  at  every  lurch,  and  the  loose  articles  of  furni- 
ture chased  each  other  about  the  deck. 


212  LIMA. 

Every  room  sliowed  signs  of  sad  havoc  to  clothes,  books, 
cards,  pictures,  etc.,  all  lying  in  a  confused  mass  upon  their 
floors.  Then  came  the  welcome  intelligence  that  the  officer 
of  the  deck  had  just  brought  the  vessel  up  a  point  to  the  sea 
to  steady  her  ;  but  either  he  or  the  sea  had  made  a  mistake, 
for  the  ship  gave  one  of  her  worst  lunges  and  longest  rolls  — 
and  her  movements  were  all  extremely  bad  —  and  chairs  and 
tables,  books  and  pictures  and  crockery  broke  loose  once  more 
and  began  their  perambulations  about  the  ward-room.  Before 
the  table  was  secured  it  went  to  pieces  and  one  of  the  leaves 
landed  in  my  berth.  Then  a  simultaneous  shout  was  raised : 
"  Ease  her  off  that  point,  Blocklinger !  "  And  so  it  went  on 
all  that  nii^ht  and  the  next  dav. 

We  arrived  and  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso  on  the 
Fourth  of  Julv,  and  we  almost  foro'ot  that  we  were  not  at  home. 
The  day  was  enthusiastically  celebrated  by  the  American  resi- 
dents ;  the  fireworks  were  elaborate,  and  the  absence  of  the  nois}^ 
firecrackers  was  thankfully  noticeable. 

Valparaiso,  or,  in  English,  "  Paradise  Vale,"  has  been  so 
named  not  because  it  is  a  valley,  nor  does  it  come  up  to  man's 
idea  of  Eden.  It  is  a  city  with  a  fine  bay,  which  the  people 
compare  to  that  of  Naples,  and  to  which,  indeed,  it  would  bear 
some  resemblance  if  it  had  Vesuvius  on  one  side,  the  ridge  of 
Posilippo  and  the  shore  of  Mergellina  on  the  other.  There  is  no 
place  on  the  sea,  as  we  all  know,  in  which  ingenious  minds  do 
not  manage  to  trace  some  likeness  to  the  famous  Campanian 
Bay.  Many  are  the  times  when  in  sight  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  the 
Highlands  of  Navesink.  and  Lon^  Island,  a  strancrer  is  asked 
whether  the  entrance  of  New  York  Harbor  does  not  suggest  the 
view  from  Cape  Miseno. 


LIMA.  213 

Valparaiso  may  be  well  content  with  being  like  itself.  Be- 
hind a  spacious  quay,  and  along  the  few  yards  of  level  between  the 
Ijluffs  and  knolls  that  rise  almost  perpendicularly  over  the  town, 
and  the  water  edge,  there  run  all  along  the  bay  two  parallel 
streets,  two  or  three  miles  in  length.  And  here  are  the  shops 
and  warehouses,  the  hotels,  the  banks,  and  all  other  buildings 
connected  with  trade  or  government  business.  These  thorough- 
fares are  w^ell  paved,  have  excellent  sidewalks,  are  provided  with 
good  Yankee  horse-cars,  and  have  a  general  air  of  comfort  and 
luxury. 

Most  of  the  business  men,  especially  the  Americans  and 
English,  reside  with  their  families  ni  the  23retty  garden-houses 
or  villas  with  which  the  overhanging  hills  are  studded,  many  of 
them  perched  on  the  brow  of  perpendicular  cliffs,  propped  up  and 
only  accessible  through  winding  paths  and  long  and  weary  flights 
of  steps. 

The  mountains  that  sweep  around  the  bay  are  arid  and  dusty, 
for  the  coast  here,  as  every  where  further  north,  is  a  thirsty, 
burnt-up  region.  But  so  wonderful  is  the  purity  of  the  air  that 
on  a  fine  morning  or  evening,  as  you  look  towards  the  northeast 
across  the  bay  and  over  the  masts  of  the  shipping,  you  see  the 
huge  masses  of  the  Cordilleras  rearing  themselves  above  the 
landscape.  In  the  rear  of  all.  looms  up  the  snowy  range  of 
Aconcagua,  at  a  distance  of  at  least  a  hundred  miles,  and  at  a 
heiu'ht  six  or  seven  times  that  of  Vesuvius. 

No  seaport  in  the  Old  or  New  World  is  entitled  to  higher 
praise  for  cleanliness,  order  and  decency,  than  is  Valparaiso.  It 
is  a  Spanish-American  city.  The  French  keep  the  hotels  ;  the 
Americans,  English  and  Germans  run  the  banking-houses  ;  and  the 
Italians,  chiefly  Genoese,  have  the  general  minor  trade.    The  latter 


214  LIMA. 

coiLstitute,  here  as  at  Lima,  a  thriving  colony  of  petty  shop-keepers. 
Tlie  Italian  colonj'  in  Valparaiso  is,  however,  not  so  numerous  as 
the  one  at  Lima,  nor  is  it  by  any  means  the  largest  in  Chili. 
\^ilparaiso  is  a  ••  white  men's  town."  Here  is  to  be  seen  less  of 
that  endless  muster  of  clingy  complexions,  made  up  of  African  or 
Asiatic  t^'pes,  which  saddens  a  traveler  as  he  cruises  among  the 
West  Lidies.  as  he  lands  at  the  Isthmus,  or  proceeds  along  the 
Colombian.  Ecuadorian  and  Peruvian  coasts.  In  Chili  if  this 
does  not  altogether  cease  it  at  least  becomes  less  obtrusive  and 
less  offensive. 

In  the  winter  season  Valparaiso  is  quite  animated  and  fash- 
ionable from  the  influx  of  a  large  portion  of  the  population  of 
Santiago,  who  come  here  from  that  seat  of  government  in  quest 
of  fresh  air  and  ''  city  society."  Theatrical  performances,  circus 
amusements,  and  the  elite  of  metropolitan  and  provincial  society 
are  then  in  town,  and  lend  a  fresh  charm  to  the  home  circles, 
among  which  female  beauty  both  of  the  dazzling  fair  and  the 
piquant  brunette  type  is  at  no  time  deficient. 

The  women  of  Chili  are  not  so  pretty  as  are  their  sisters  of 
Peru,  but  they  are  fair  nevertheless.  They  are  generally  larger 
in  figure  and  feature,  and  have  not  the  dainty  feet  and  supple 
grace  of  the  Liman  belles.  Half  the  ladies  are  of  the  Saxon 
type,  and  blonde  hair  looks  very  graceful  where  for  months  one 
has  seen  nothino-  but  midnio;ht  tresses.  Modern  costumes  are 
worn  here  more  generally  than  in  other  sections  of  South  Amer- 
ica, and  Paris  bonnets  are  plentiful  in  all  of  the  shops.  But  the 
fascinatino-  lace-trimmed  black  mantua  is  so  common  as  to  be 
considered  the  costume  of  the  country.  It  is  becoming  to  al- 
most everybody  as  it  hides  the  defects  of  homely  forms  and 
figures,   and  heightens  the  grace  and  beauty  of    those  already 


LIMA. 


215 


attractive.  The  maiitua  makes  an  old  woman  look  young  and 
coquettish  ;  a  stout  woman  is  made  to  look  more  slender  and 
graceful,  and  a  slender  person  is  made  fascinating  by  it. 

Here  and  there  may  be  seen  women  with  white  flannel  skirts 
and    black    mantuas.       These    are     penitents  —  well-intentioned 


THRESHING   IN   CHILI. 


women,  who  have  taken  some  holy  vow  to  get  a  measure  nearer 
Heaven,  and  who  hover  about  the  churches  and  sit  for  hours 
saying  prayers  before  some  saint  or  crucifix,  looking  at  nothing 
and  recognizing  no  one  —  an  advertisement  of  penitence.  Even 
the  wives  of  bankers  and  of  merchants  wander  about  clothed  in 


216  LIMA. 

penitential  rol^es,  giving  notice  to  the  world  that  they  have 
sinned.  And  those  souls  that  cannot  be  purged  by  this  method 
of  advertising  their  acts  of  wrong-doing  retire  to  a  convent  where 
they  scourge  themselves  with  whi[)s,  mortify  the  flesh  with  sack- 
cloth and  feed  themselves  upon  mouldy  crusts. 

It  is  seldom  that  you  find  men  among  the  penitents,  and  the 
largest  numbers  nuiy  always  be  observed  after  the  society  or 
carnival  season,  or  at  the  end  of  the  summer  when  people  return 
from  the  fashionable  resorts.  At  the  beiifinnino;  of  Lent  these 
places  are  full.  Those  whose  sins  are  too  great  to  be  washed 
out  by  this  process  are  sent  to  a  House  of  Refuge,  or  a  reforma- 
tory. It  was  from  one  of  these  convents  that  "'  Prince  Harrj' " 
Meiggs,  got  his  second  wife. 

The  whole  Chilian  territory,  though  more  extensive  than  that 
of  Italy  and  the  Italian  islands,  is  barely  one-third  that  of  either 
Peru  or  Bolivia  ;  and,  unlike  that  of  those  two  other  States,  it 
all  lies  between  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  owns  not  one  single  inch  of  that  '•  Montana,"  or  east- 
ern slope  of  the  mountains  which  might  supply  boundless  re- 
sources of  agricultural  wealth  to  Peru  and  Bolivia.  The  Chil- 
ians, as  a  matter  of  course,  flatter  themselves  that  the  wealth 
accruino;  to  them  from  the  nitrate  districts  will  never  have  for 
them  the  demoralizinor  effects  that  it  had  for  Peru. 

Chili  became,  from  an  early  period,  a  thriving  agricultural 
community,  making  more  of  what  she  had  on  one  side  of  the 
Andes  than  Peru  was  able  to  get  out  of  her  boundless  possessions 
on  both  sides.  The  trans-Andine  districts  of  Peru  could  be  of 
little  or  no  practical  use  till  that  country  had  established  a  thor- 
ousfh  communication  between  her  western  and  eastern  watersheds. 
The  railways  intended   to  open  that  intercourse  exhausted  the 


LIMA.  217 

Peruvian  treasury,  and  they  are  yet  and  will  probably  remain 
for  years  to  come  unfinished  ;  and.  in  so  far,  inefficient  and  un- 
productive, if  not  doomed  to  perish.  The  heavy  outlay  occa- 
sioned by  those  transversal  lines  has  left  nothing  for  the  con- 
struction of  lonyjitudinal  lines.  These  mig-ht  and  should  have 
favored  the  intercourse  between  the  hundred  valleys  on  the 
Pacific  side,  both  along  the  coast  and,  what  was  more  important, 
throusfhout  the  interior. 

With  better  judgment  or  better  fortune.  Chili,  having  no 
lands  and  no  object  to  pursue  across  the  Andes,  turned  all  her 
energies  to  her  own,  the  western,  side  of  those  mountains  and 
scored  it  with  useful  and  productive  lines  of  longitudinal  rail- 
ways, one  of  which  has  a  length  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
miles. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


AROUND     THE     HORN 


N 


OT  until  I  had  made  a 
long  anticipated  trip  to 
Santiago,  the  capital  city  of 
the  Chilian  Republic,  did  we 
bid  farewell  to  Valparaiso. 
I  found  the  climate  of  the 
Chilian  capital  much  like 
that  of  Washington,  where 
sometimes  to  feel  the  grate- 
ful warmth  of  a  fire  is  not 
uncomfortable.  There  is 
however  an  absurd  notion  among  Chilians  that  fires  in  houses 
are  not  healthful,  hence  the  people  spend  a  portion  of  the  year 
in  a  perpetual  shiver,  and  a  portion  in  perpetual  perspiration. 

July  and  August,  it  must  be  remembered,  are  mid-winter 
months  of  South  America.  Nothing  can  convince  a  Chilian 
that  artificial  heat  is  not  danojerous  to  health,  and  durino-  the 
winter,  which  is  also  the  rainy  season,  he  depends  upon  heavy- 
wraps  to  keep  him  warm  or  in  anything  approaching  comfort. 

Santiago,  like  Valparaiso,  has  its  finest  shops  in  the  arcade, 
or  portales.  They  are  brilliantly  lighted  every  night  till  mid- 
night.     The  shops    are  full  of   the   most  attractive  goods,  the 

most  expensive  diamonds,  jewelry  and  laces ;  and  it  is  a  favorite 

218 


AROUND    THE    HORN.  219 

boast  that  evervtbino;  that  can  be  found  in  New  York  or  Paris 
can  be  purchased  in  Santiago.  Between  eight  and  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  the  shops  are  crowded  with  beautiful  ladies,  and  as 
there  always  seems  to  be  plenty  of  money  in  Chili,  and  the  peo- 
ple have  refined  tastes  and  luxurious  habits,  the  trade  must  be 
continuous  and  large. 

Many  of  the  private  residences  are  palatial  in  size  and  equip- 
ment, and  the  toilets  of  the  women  are  superb.  The  equipages 
are  equal  to  those  seen  in  either  New  York,  London  or  Madrid, 
and  on  pleasant  afternoons  the  alameda  or  public  drive  is  a  grand 
and  animated  panorama.  The  alameda  is  about  six  hundred  feet 
wide  and  stretches  its  full  length,  a  distance  of  four  miles,  across 
the  city,  extending  from  Santa  Lucia  to  the  Exposition  Park  and 
Horticultural  Gardens.  In  the  middle  of  the  alameda  is  a  grand 
promenade,  while  on  either  side  is  the  roadway  a  hundred  feet 
wide.  The  promenade  is  lined  with  statues  representing  famous 
men,  or  commemorating  historic  events  in  the  career  of  Chili. 
Military  bands,  placed  at  intervals  of  a  mile  or  so  along  the  ala- 
meda, play  every  afternoon  or  evening. 

Fronting  the  alameda  are  the  finest  palaces  in  the  city,  magni- 
ficent dwellings  of  carved  sandstone,  between  one  and  two  hundred 
feet  square.  Residences  which  cost  five  hundred  thousand  dollars 
to  build  and  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  to  furnish  are  common, 
and  there  are  several  which  cost  much  more.  One  of  the  most 
conspicuous  examples  of  extravagance  in  Chili  is  the  former  resi- 
dence of  Henry  Meiggs.  It  was  occupied  by  him  before  he  went 
to  Peru.  It  stands  in  the  center  of  a  block  eight  hundred  feet 
square,  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  foliage  and  a  beautiful  garden, 
and  cost  a  mint  of  money.  Every  timber,  brick  and  tile  in  it 
was  imported  at  an  immense  expense. 


220  AROUND    THE    HORN. 

xVnother  fanioiisly  expensive  residence,  is  a  magnificent  struC' 
tiire  modelled  after  a  Turkish  palace.  It  was  built  by  an  Irish 
adventurer,  named  O'Brien,  who  discovered  one  of  the  richest 
silver  mines  in  Chili,  and  lived  like  a  prince  till  his  money  was 
all  gone.  At  the  time  of  our  visit,  O'Brien  was  said  to  be 
again  in  the  mountains  building  up  another  fortune.  Tn  the 
courtyard  of  the  post-office  grounds  one  is  surprised  at  being  con- 
fronted with  marble  statues  of  Washington  and  Lincoln. 

Santiago  is  a  handsome  city,  but  blue  jackets  like  us,  who 
must  roam  over  the  w^orld  to  protect  what  there  is  left  of  the 
American  commerce,  and  the  other  interests  of  the  country,  are 
not  privileged  to  stop  a  long  time  anywhere.  Our  movements 
are  controlled  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  as  our  ship  was 
our  house  we  returned  to  it,  and  the  following  day  set  sail  from 
delightful  Valparaiso. 

An  interesting  trip  was  before  us.  Our  captain  informed  us 
that  our  orders  were  to  go  down  through  Smyth's  Channel,  a 
tortuous  route  with  narrow  channels,  attended  with  more  or  less 
danger,  and  seldom  traversed  by  large  vessels.  I  do  not  recall 
that  any  American  vessel  ever  navigated  it  before,  excepting  the 
steamer  Hassler,  in  1872,  upon  which  the  late  Professor  Agassiz 
made  his  famous  fishins;  tour  around  the  world  when  he  g-ath- 
ered  specimens  of  the  finny  tribe  and  studied  the  origin,  forma- 
tion and  disposition  of  the  glaciers. 

"We  had  been  eighteen  days  at  sea  when  we  sighted  Cape 
Tres  Montes  (  Three  Mountains ).  This  name  is  taken  from  the 
three  high  peaks  on  the  point  of  land  that  here  juts  out  from 
the  coast.  It  stands  at  the  entrance  to  Smyth's  Channel.  The 
first  few  days  after  leaving  Valparaiso,  we  had  a  succession  of 
calms,  and  the  observations  on  the  seventh  day  at  sea  put  us  only 


AROUND    THE    IIOllN. 


221 


about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  southward.  Then  we  had  a  terrifie 
gale,  and  with  heavy  seas  the  vessel  rolled  unmercifully  and 
made  life  in  Neptune's  arms  scarcely  worth  the  living.  The 
sighting  of  Cape  Tres  Montes  was  therefore  a  welcome  deliver- 
ance, for  we  at  once  raised  steam  and  made  for  harbor.     Before 


1=-*    / 


jiirfcfe',r 


:,i'- 


^^'^\^ 


*5 


SANTIAGO. 


night  we  were  lying  quietly  at  anchor  in   the   Harbor   of   Port 
Otwav. 

What  a  relief  to  have  an  all-night's  sleep  without  the  fear  of 
being  thrown  from  your  berth  by  the  lurching  of  the  ship,  and 
with  the  privilege  of  being  able  to  cook  breakfast  in  the  morning 
and  eating  it  in  a  civilized  way.  The  following  morning  we 
weighed  anchor  and,  steaming  across  the  Gulf  of  Peiias,  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  Channel.     My  first  impression  of  this  notable 


222  AROUND    THE    HORN. 

passage-way  was  certainly  favorable.  It  was  a  winding  channel, 
the  glassy  sniootlmess  of  which  was  only  broken  by  the  splashing 
of  "  steamer  "  ducks  and  other  inland  seabirds.  On  the  main 
shore,  not  far  from  the  beach,  I  observed  a  quietly  browsing  herd 
of  guanacos,  the  Patagonian  sheep  fi'om  whose  wool  many  of 
our  finest  sleioh-robes  are  made. 

We  had  already  carefully  studied  our  charts,  and  had  become 
convinced  that  our  journey  through  this  narrow  and  tortuous 
channel  was  not  to  be  absolutely  free  from  danger  or  of  easy 
navigation ;  that  it  must  be  made  in  daylight  only ;  and  as  the 
safe  anchorages  are  from  twenty-five  to  seventy-five  miles  apart, 
that,  on  some  days,  we  could  hope  to  travel  the  shorter  distances 
only,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  next  anchorage  might  be  at  too 
great  a  distance  to  be  reached  before  dark  on  the  same  day. 

It  had  been  our  captain's  intention  to  make  his  first  anchor- 
age within  a  quiet  little  harbor  known  as  Hail  Cove,  but  circum- 
stances prevented.  It  was  now  August  1,  by  the  calendar,  and 
the  first  day  of  the  last  of  the  summer  months  in  the  Northern 
Hemisphere  ;  but,  in  this  latitude,  we  were  deeply  impressed 
with  the  truth  of  its  being  mid-winter  on  the  coast  of  Patagonia. 
The  tops  and  sides  of  the  mountains  were  covered  with  snow, 
and  there  was  a  cold  drizzling  rain  with  now  and  then  an  inter- 
ruption of  sleet  and  hail.  It  was  at  this  point  that  we  really  left 
the  Pacific  Ocean  and  entered  the  channel. 

Passing;  Sombrero  Island  we  crossed  Tarn  Bav,  and  then 
sighted  Hail  Cove.  We  pushed  on  through  a  narrow  and  dan- 
gerous portion  of  the  channel  expecting  to  reach  Island  Harbor 
before  sundown.  Our  progress,  however,  was  aggravatingly  slow 
because  of  the  corroded  condition  of  our  old  boilers  which  made 
it  next  to  impossible  to  generate  steam  enough  to  more  than  keep 


AROUND    THE    HORN.  223 

the  enci'ines  running^.  Darkness  was  comino-  on.  We  could  not 
return  to  Hail  Cove  with  safety,  and  it  was  dangerous  to  go  on 
to  Island  Harbor.  So  we  simply  kept  the  engines  turning  over 
to  stem  the  current,  and  held  our  position  abreast  of  a  high 
peak,  an  excellent  landmark. 

^yith  such  treacherous  weather  as  we  had,  it  was  a  long  and 
tedious  night  Daylight  was  welcomed  as  it  seemed  to  me  I  had 
never  welcomed  it  before.  The  boilers  were  in  such  a  worn-out 
condition,  having  been  in  continuous  and  hard  service  during  and 
since  the  Civil  War,  that  I  feared  they  might  really  give  out 
before  we  could  make  harbor,  so  I  stood  watch  in  the  engine- 
room  all  night  in  order  to  see  that  the  pressure  of  steam  was 
not  permitted  to  fluctuate.  When  day  began  to  break  we  pushed 
on  towards  Island  Harbor. 

Here  we  remamed  at  anchor  for  nearly  twenty-four  hours, 
strengthening  b}'  patches  some  of  the  weakest  spots  of  the  boil- 
ers. Not  a  ripple  disturbed  the  placid  surface  of  the  water  and 
the  landscape  and  waterscape  made  a  spectacle  of  grandeur.  In  the 
background  were  high,  undulating  plains  or  plateaus,  frequently 
intersected  by  valleys  and  ravines,  or  rising  into  successive  or 
isolated  mountains,  many  of  the  latter  of  volcanic  origin.  The 
peaks,  and  sides  of  the  mountains,  were  covered  with  snow  ;  in 
some  of  the  ravines  were  huge  expanses  of  glacier,  and  in  others 
cascades  of  silvery  waters;  at  the  foot  or  base  of  the  mountains 
appeared  only  a  sparse  vegetation  of  stunted  bushes,  and  round 
thistle  clumps. 

The  wind  in  piercing  and  howling  blasts  swept  almost  inces- 
santly from  various  quarters.  We  were  thankful  enough  that 
we  were  not  being:  tossed  about  at  the  mercv  of  the  ancrry  seas 
outside,  for  in  this  latitude  the  old  Pacific   belies  its  name.      At 


991 


AROUND    THE    HORN. 


frequent  intervals  we  espied  three  or  four  guanacos  bounding 
over  the  phiteaus ;  along  the  edge  of  the  channel  were  seals  and 
sea-otters  ;  and  now  and  then  a  sea-lion,  whose  barkings  were  any- 
thing but  musical,  would  bob  up  his  head.  At  daylight  the  next 
morning  under  a  light  pressure  of  steam  we  started   upon  an- 


IN   SMYTH  S  CHANNEL. 


other  stretch,  hoping  to  reach  Gray  Harbor,  fifty-four  miles  dis- 
tant. 

Upon  arriving  abreast  of  Connor's  Cove,  however,  a  distance 
of  only  twenty-six  miles,  it  seemed  best  to  anchor  here  to  make 
repairs  to  the  boilers.  There  is  nothing  really  attractive  about 
Connor's  Cove,  unless  it  be  the  mountains  at  either  side.  They 
are  of  immense  proportions  and  make  this  spot  the  safest  and 
most  quiet  harbor  in  the  channel. 

At  one  point,  a  few  miles  before  reaching  Connor's  Cove.  T 


PENGLIXS. 


AROUXD    THE    TIOIJX.  225 

noted  a  strange  rock  formation.  A  bare  rock,  in  outline  mneli 
like  that  of  Anthony's  Nose  on  the  Hudson  River,  opened  to 
view  and  as  we  approached  it  the  profile  bore  a  marked  resem- 
blance to  the  facial  outlines  of  the  immortal  Washing-ton.  It 
was  nearly  perfect  in  lines  and  proportion.  Before  again  leav- 
ing- harbor  I  went  ashore  to  orather  ferns  and  shoot  g-ame.  We 
were  successful  in  the  former  only  for  no  game  was  to  be  seen. 

By  daylight  the  following  morning  w^e  were  ready  to  proceed 
intending  to  stop  at  Gray  Harbor,  but,  upon  reaching  that  point 
several  hours  of  daylight  were  still  left  to  us,  and  we  concluded 
to  push  on  through  the  English  Narrows. 

This  point  is  the  great  bugbear  to  navigators  of  Smyth's 
Channel.  A  strong  six-knots  current  runs  through  here,  and  at 
one  half-mile  stretch  of  the  ten-mile  run  there  is  hardly  room 
enoug-h  for  a  vessel  of  our  size  to  pass  throug-h  without  g-etting; 
dangerously  near  to  one  shore  or  the  other.  We  could  jump 
from  either  side  of  the  vessel  to  the  shore,  and  the  overhanging 
branches  of  the  trees  along  the  banks  swept  against  our  boats 
at  the  davits.  The  captain  and  navigator  were  forward  direct- 
ing the  movements  of  the  vessel  ;  two  of  the  quartermasters 
were  in  the  "  chains  "  on  either  side  and  alternating  in  getting 
rapid  casts  of  the  lead  ;  two  quartermasters  were  at  the  helm, 
to  respond  quickly  to  the  orders ;  the  engineer  was  at  the  valves 
of  the  engines,  and  every  other  officer  and  man  was  at  his  post 
ready  to  act  under  instructions  in  case  of  emergency. 

It  was  an  anxious  twenty  minutes  for  every  person  on  the 
vessel.  Not  the  slightest  accident  occurred,  however,  and  after 
the  great  danger  was  passed  the  navigator  dropped  his  hands  and 
uttered  with  great  relief  and  satisfaction  a  fervent  "  Thank 
God  !  "     The  look  of  anxiety  lifted  from  tlie  captain's  face,  and 


226  AHUUM)    THE    IIOKX. 

he  expressed  his  coiigratuhitions  to  both  officers  and  crew  for 
their  unswerving  attention  and  fidelity  to  their  duties.  At  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  encountered  the  first  ice.  It  was  a 
large  iloe  and  several  small  bergs.  Fifteen  minutes  later  we 
anchored  in  Eden  Harbor. 

Here  the  space  was  too  limited  for  the  ship  to  swing  in  safety, 
and  as  we  did  not  care  to  leave  the  ship  on  the  rocks  a  hawser 
was  run  from  the  stern  and  made  fast  to  a  large  tree  on  the 
shore.  There  were  ducks,  penguins  and  seals  in  abundance. 
The  scenery  about  us  was  grand  in  the  extreme  —  the  mountain 
tops  heavily  capped  with  a  snowy  mantle ;  great  high  cascades, 
the  fall  of  whose  silvery  waters  gave  forth  a  roar  in  their  descent 
like  showers  of  heavy  rain  ;  while  the  beautiful  contrast  between 
a  great  glacier  in  a  ravine  on  the  right,  and  the  trees  that  grew 
at  the  water-side  furnished  a  striking  foreground  for  our  picture. 

At  times  the  shores  were  shut  in  from  view  by  heavy  snow- 
squalls,  the  flakes  so  large  as  to  resemble  showers  of  feathers. 
The  main-land  for  a  stretch  of  a  mile  or  more  is  a  bold  massive 
rock,  whose  side  is  almost  perpendicular  and  with  an  altitude  of 
about  two  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  follow- 
ing morning,  bright  and  early,  w^e  started  on  another  day's  jour- 
ney of  fifty-six  miles  to  Puerto  Bueno  (Good  Port).  When  off 
Topar  Island,  looking  through  Trinidad  Channel,  we  could  see  the 
turbulent  Pacific  with  its  seas  running  almost  mountain  hioh. 
From  Puerto  Bueno  we  made  a  journey  of  twenty  miles  only  to 
Mayne  Harbor. 

After  making  some  more  necessary  repairs  to  the  boilers  — 
putting  on  twenty-two  soft  patches — I  went  on  shore  with  a 
half-dozen  other  officers  to  gather  ferns  and  mussels.  The  latter 
were  easilv  secured  and  there  was  an  abundance  of   them.     The 


AROUND    THE    HORN.  229 

largest  of  them  grew  on  the  rocks  under  the  water,  but  it  was 
too  cold  to  encourage  the  dij^ping  or  plunging  an  arm's  length 
below  the  surface  to  s:et  them.  We  were  also  fortunate  enoug^h 
to  shoot  a  few  ducks,  and  we  saw  large  flocks  of  "  steamer " 
ducks,  which  derive  their  name  from  their  peculiarity  in  flying, 
or  rather  in  propelling  themselves,  for  they  do  not  fly.  They 
move  rapidly  along  above  the  surface  of  the  water  by  a  paddling 
motion  of  their  wino-s.  leavinoj  a  wake  of  foam  which  resembles, 
on  a  small  scale,  that  of  a  paddle  steamer.  Our  shoot  of  game 
furnished  us  a  dinner  and  breakfast  of  fresh  meat,  and  our  mus- 
sels served  as  a  palatable  first  course. 

Our  next  day's  run  was  to  Isthmus  Bay.  This  was  to  be  our 
last  anchorage  in  Smyth's  Channel.  A  heavy  August  snow- 
storm set  in  soon  after  starting,  but  when  it  ceased  what  a  grand 
view  set  up  before  us  !  Long  ranges  of  mountains  from  thirteen 
hundred  to  five  thousand  feet  in  height,  clothed  in  snow  with 
here  and  there  great  patches  of  green  foliage,  gave  us  another 
striking  picture.     In  a  few  hours  we  rounded  Cape  Tamar. 

Here  we  left  Smyth's  Channel  ;  here  we  gave  our  last  look 
upon  the  Pacific  and  bade  it  "  Good-bye  !  "  Just  before  reaching 
this  point  we  obtained  a  good  view  of  the  '•  Hassler  Glacier,"  in 
Glacier  Bay,  named  by  Professor  Agassiz  when  he  was  here  in 
1872  on  the  Hassler.  It  has  probably  existed  thousands  of 
years,  being  added  to  by  the  snows,  and  as  it  has  drifted 
towards  the  water  has  broken  oft'  into  small  bergs.  We  also  saw 
several  sea-lions  whose  barkings  were  hideous.  We  also  sighted 
the  English  steamer  Ariel  on  her  way  to  Valparaiso  through 
Magellan's  Strait.  Here  was  an  always  welcome  opportunity  to 
send  letters  home.  So  speaking  the  Ariel  we  hurriedly  made  up 
a  mail,  went  throna:h  all  the  sea-courtesies  of  an  ocean  acquaint- 


230  AROUND    THE    HORN. 

anceship  and  sent  our  messages  for  home  on  board  tlie  English 
steamer. 

At  noon  we  passed  Cape  Forward,  which  is  the  southernmost 
point  of  South  America.  At  this  point  we  changed  om-  course 
east-northeast  towards  the  boisterous  and  inhospitable  Atlantic, 
sailing  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

Grand  pictures  often  opened  up  to  view.  The  land  on  our 
left  was  of  undulating  slopes  of  grassy-looking  land,  with  high, 
bold  mountains,  their  peaks  towering  above  the  clouds  that  gave 
a  backo-round.  Glaciers  were  to  be  seen  in  the  fiords  of  the 
main-land,  and  we  had  opportunities  for  studying  fine  examples 
of  complete  and  incomplete  glaciers,  exhibiting  in  all  their  gran- 
deur that  wonderful  denuding  power  which  these  ponderous 
masses  of  ice  exercise  as  they  move  over  their  rocky  beds. 

We  stopped  once  or  twice  during  the  day  to  do  a  little  pros- 
pecting on  the  shore,  where  we  examined  the  billets  of  wood 
which,  nailed  upon  the  trees,  recorded  the  dates  of  passage  of 
other  vessels  at  that  point.  Billets  such  as  these  have  sometimes 
recorded  instances  of  shipwreck  and  the  suffering  of  castaways, 
which  succor  mio-ht  have  relieved  had  it  but  been  at  hand. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Playa  Parda 
Cove,  a  beautiful  land-locked  basin.  Here,  as  at  other  points  in 
the  straits,  we  found  little  billets  of  wood  fastened  to  the  trees 
bordering  the  shore,  and  recording  the  visits  of  other  explorers 
to  these  uninhabitable  regions.  There  was  also  a  small  box,  into 
which  letters  are  frequently  deposited  from  passing  vessels  to  be 
collected  by  the  mail  steamers  passing  through.  Availing  our- 
selves of  this  ocean  post-office  we  left  a  few  letters  here  ad- 
dressed to  our  wives  or  sweethearts.  These  missives  reached 
their  destinations  months  before  our  arrival  home. 


AROUND    THE    HORN.  231 

The  steamer  clucks,  which  we  here  found  in  large  numbers, 
would  occasionally  fly  out  from  their  retreats  and  cackle  vigor- 
ously as  they  paddled  over  the  water.  As  they  strung  out  to  the 
seaward,  flapping  their  wings  in  imison,  there  was  a  sort  of 
wabble  in  their  swimming  motion  arising  from  the  alternate 
paddling  of  their  feet.  The  hills  here  seem  to  be  more  lofty 
than  in  any  other  part  of  the  straits,  for  they  are  very  narrow, 
widening  perceptibly  as  we  travel  towards  the  Atlantic,  thus  giv- 
ing to  the  scenery  a  most  imposing  character.  In  the  bushes,  a 
little  back  from  the  beach,  I  stumbled  across  a  rudely  built  coffln, 
the  inscription  telling  me  that  it  contained  the  remains  of  a 
young  oflicer  of  the  Chilian  frigate  Almirante  Cochrane.  There 
were  numerous  foxes  and  rabbits  to  be  seen,  but  they  traveled 
faster  than  our  shots,  and  not  being  able  to  shoot  any  I  returned 
on  board. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


nOMEWAED    BOUND. 


.vJ 


N  the  following;  mornina:  as 
we  were  just  about  weigh- 
ing anchor  to  proceed  to 
the  Chilian  convict  settle- 
ment, known  as  Sandy 
Point,  two  Fuegian  canoes 
were  observed  approaching 
our  vessel,  the  natives  in 
them  screeching  at  the  top 
of  their  voices  "  Galleta 
tabac "  (biscuit  and  to- 
bacco). A  green  branch  was  stuck  in  the  bows  of  each  canoe, 
and  in  the  leading  boat  stood  a  native  waving  a  piece  of  white 
cloth  intended  as  a  flag  of  truce. 

We  responded  amicably  to  their  vociferous  shouting,  and  the 
natives  slowly  but  warily  approached  us.  These  were  not  the 
first  Fuegians  that  we  had  seen,  but  they  were  the  first  we  had 
opportunity  of  communicating  with. 

There  were  eight  of  the  natives,  in  addition  to  five  dosrs,  the 
latter  being  by  far  the  most  respectable  portion  of  our  native 
visitors.  A  more  diabolical  cast  of  countenance  than  that  pre- 
sented by  the  savages,  for  such  they  really  were,  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  imagine.     All  were  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  very 

232 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  233 

narrow  waist-cloth  and  a  .square  scrap  of  seal-skin  that  covered 
their  shoulders,  neither  of  which  offered  but  little  protection 
from  the  freezing  atmosphere. 

On  a  mat  of  sea-weed,  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  sat  a  woe- 
begone creature  of  a  woman  steering  the  boat;  on  the  bottom 
sat  two  black  little  youngsters,  as  naked  as  when  they  were 
ushered  into  the  world,  with  big  chunks  of  ice  in  such  close 
proximity  as  to  suggest  that  the  pickaninnies  might  be  warming 
themselves  by  them.  These  natives  in  their  guttural  jargon 
could  only  articulate  in  language  to  be  understood,  "  Galleta 
tabac !  "  and  then  point  to  the  chunks  of  ice,  suggesting  a  desire 
to  exchange.  We  gave  them  biscuit  and  tobacco,  and  one  of  the 
sailors  took  compassion  on  the  woman  and  gave  her  a  pair  of 
discarded  trousers  and  a  "jumper  "  (blue  sailor's  shu^t).  One  of 
the  natives,  with  a  freak  of  selfishness  peculiar  to  some  men,  im- 
mediately donned  them  and  an  hour  after  they  left  the  ship  re- 
turned and  begged  for  more.  Concluding  to  'defer  continuing 
our  journey  till  next  day,  we  cordially  extended  the  hospitalities 
of  the  Navy  Department  to  our  native  visitors  who  scrambled  on 
board  and  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  studying  their  features. 

My  observations  led  me  to  believe  that  these  inhabitants  of 
Patagonia  bear  away  the  palm  as  among  the  most  primitive  of 
all  the  varieties  of  the  human  species.  They  lead  a  wandering 
life,  constantly  shifting  in  their  canoes  from  place  to  place,  and 
traveling  in  families  of  from  eight  to  a  dozen,  all  of  whom  stow 
themselves  away  in  the  same  canoe  and  sleep  in  the  same  hut. 
They  live  almost  entirely  upon  mussels  and  limpets  ;  this  simple 
fare  being  varied  occasionally  after  the  capture  of  a  seal,  an 
otter,  or  a  guanaco.  During  December  and  January  the  natives 
have  an  abundance  of  seal  meat. 


234: 


lIOMhnVAUI)    IJOUND. 


Those  who  came  on  board  were  similar  to  all  of  the  Fuegians. 
They  were  of  low  stature,  the  men  averaging  only  about  five 
feet  ill  height.  Their  complexion  is  of  an  ochery  or  copper 
color  ;  their  heads  are  large,  with  broad  prominent  cheek  bones ; 
they  have  large  and  wild-looking  eyes,  dark  and  placed  close  to- 
gether :  large  mouths  and  beautiful  teeth  ;  their  limbs  are  long 
and  bony,  their  shoulders  and  chests  of  good  proportion.     Their 


NATIVES  OF  TERRA  DEL  KUEGO. 


hair  is  black  and  coarse,  but  they  wear  no  beard,  excepting  a 
few  straggling  hairs  on  lip  and  chin.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
they  were  almost  naked,  I  discovered  that  they  were  sensible  to 
the  cold,  and  I  frequently  observed  their  teeth  chattering  and 
their  bodies  shivering  from  head  to  foot  as  the  snow  or  rain 
pelted  over  their  unprotected  skins.     Each  of  the  men  carried 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  235 

two  spears,  similar  to  those  used  by  the  Esquimaux.     One  is  for 
fishing  and  the  other  for  sealing. 

While  in  the  cabin  the  natives  chanced  to  look  in  the  mirror 
and  saw  for  the  first  time  the  reflection  of  their  own  faces.  At 
once  they  exhibited  such  an  inexpressible  look  of  astonishment, 
that  one  could  not  tell  whether  they  were  pleased  or  disappointed 
with  their  features.  But  as  there  seem  to  be  no  degrees  of 
beauty  among  the  Fuegians  it  is  hardly  possible  that  there  is 
any  divided  opinion  among  them  as  to  one  being  handsomer 
than  another.  They  carried  on  an  incessant  and  unintelligible 
jargon  which  soon  grew  monotonous.  Some  brandy  was  offered 
to  them  which  one  of  their  number  tasted  and  spat  out,  where- 
upon the  others  deliberately  emptied  their  glasses  upon  the  cabin 
carpet.  And  yet  there  is  no  temperance  society  in  Terra  del 
Fuego. 

Soon  afterward  they  left  the  ship,  and  then  in  company  of 
four  or  five  of  our  officers  I  followed  and  landed  near  the  same 
spot  where  the  natives  beached  their  boat,  ^yalking  back  into 
the  bush  we  were  met  by  the  native  men,  each  armed  with  a 
bludgeon,  and  wearing  upon  their  faces  such  a  determinedly  re- 
pidsive  look  that  we  could  see  we  were  not  welcome.  They 
were  inclined  to  obstruct  our  approach  to  their  little  huts,  into 
which  the  women  had  been  taken  and  jealously  shut  up.  The 
question  was :  What  strategy  could  we  devise  to  unbend  their 
oppositions  ?  Bribery  ?  Yes,  a  few  biscuits  and  pieces  of  tobacco 
won  their  esteem  and  we  were  then  conducted  to  the  huts  and 
permitted  to  examine  them  and  the  canoes. 

The  latter  were  made  of  roughly  hewn  planks,  the  bottom 
ones  being  turned  up  at  each  end  so  as  to  form  a  flat  bow  and 
stern.     The  planks  were  secured  by  lacings  of  a  creeper  vine, 


236  HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

such  as  is  seen  to  clinib  around  the  trunks  of  trees.  The  seams 
were  caulked  with  strings  of  bark  ;  the  oars,  or  paddles,  were 
rude  pieces  of  wood.  On  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  that  I  exam- 
ined was  a  small  fire  resting  on  a  bed  of  clay,  and  near  it  lay  a 
large  piece  of  seal  blubber. 

The  hut,  in  which  the  women  had  been  imprisoned,  was 
shaped  like  a  haycock,  its  skeleton  frame  being  made  of  the 
bou(»:hs  of  vouno;  trees,  over  which  were  thrown  the  skins  of 
sea-lions.  The  interior  was  bare  of  furniture,  not  even  the  trou- 
sers and  shirt  given  by  one  of  the  sailors  being  anywhere  in 
sight.  And  it  was  the  most  forbidding  human  covering  that  one 
could  imatrine.  The  features  of  the  women  were  much  like 
those  of  the  men,  and  there  was  little  difference  in  the  stature  as 
compared  with  the  sturdy  members  of  the  family.  Our  curiosity 
was  speedily  satisfied  and  we  returned  to  our  ship. 

On  the  following  morning  we  weighed  anchor  and  proceeded 
to  Punta  Arenas  (Sandy  Point).  This  is  an  interesting  Chilian 
settlement,  and  was  established  in  1843.  Our  run  here  was  de- 
lightfully entertaining,  both  with  the  grandeur  of  scenery,  the 
schools  of  seals,  the  barking  sea-lions  and  the  large  flocks  of 
steamer  ducks  which  we  passed.  The  long  ranges  of  mountains 
on  both  shores  present  an  imposing  sight,  those  on  the  Patago- 
nian  side  being  the  grandest.  The  highest  mountains  are  es- 
timated to  reach  an  altitude  of  seven  thousand  to  eio;ht  thousand 
feet;  but,  as  they  are  covered  with  an  almost  perpetual  haze  or 
mist,  their  peaks  are  seldom  seen.  The  highest  and  most  impos- 
ing of  the  Patagonian  peaks  is  Sarmiento,  which  seems  to  rise 
abruptly  from  the  water  at  its  foot.  The  landscape  panorama 
was  relieved  from  all  possible  monotony  by  numerous  blue-tinted 
glaciers. 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  237 

The  town  of  Sandy  Point  is  interesting  because  it  is  the  only 
settlement  on  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  It  is  the  southernmost 
settlement  of  the  world,  and,  excepting  our  ship  village,  was  the 
first  sign  of  civilization  we  had  seen  since  leaving  Valparaiso. 
It  is  about  midway  between  the  southernmost  city  (Valparaiso) 
on  the  west  coast,  and  the  southernmost  city  (Buenos  Ayres)  on 
the  east  coast  of  South  America.  The  town  comprises  between 
two  and  three  hundred  houses,  which  shelter  from  the  intermit- 
tent, m  fact,  almost  ceaseless  storms,  a  community  of  perhaps  a 
thousand  people.  These  represent  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
men  —  for  there  are  few  women  —  from  the  Digger  Indian  to 
the  f)ure  Caucasian.  There  are  convicts,  traders,  deserters  and 
shipwrecked  sailors ;  Chilians,  Italians,  Portuguese,  Spaniards, 
French,  wandering  Jews,  and  those  of  other  types  and  tongues. 
English  or  Chilian  (Spanish)  is  most  generally  spoken,  but  an 
interpreter  for  any  language,  excepting  Fuegian  and  Esquimau, 
mav  be  found  here  without  s^reat  search. 

J  o 

The  Chilian  Government  deserves  great  credit  for  its  perse- 
verance in  maintaining  a  settlement  in  this  wild  region,  notwith- 
standing the  sad  fate  of  the  colony  which  was  established  by  Sar- 
miento  in  1850  in  a  sma.ll  bay  westward  of  Sandy  Point,  which 
he  named  Bahia  del  Gente  (Bay  of  the  People).  Eight  years 
later  Sarmiento  returned  to  find  that  the  colonists  had  perished 
from  starvation.  After  that  the  bay  was  named  and  it  has  since 
been  called  Port  Famine.  Merchant  steamers  and  war  vessels, 
including  the  two  lines  of  Pacific  coast  mail  steamers  running  to 
Europe,  avail  themselves  of  the  safer  and  shorter  route  through 
the  straits  from  ocean  to  ocean  ;  and,  as  all  of  these  vessels 
touch  at  Sandy  Point,  the  colonists  are  kept  in  comparatively 
frequent  communication  with  other  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 


238  HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

For  several  years  Sandy  Point  was  a  penal  colony,  with  a 
small  garrison  guarding  it ;  but,  after  the  mutiny  which  occurred 
among  the  convicts  and  exiles  in  1877,  when  a  greater  portion 
of  it  was  burned  to  the  ground.  Chili  ceased  sending  her  convicts 
there.    They  were  employed  in  working  the  coal  mines. 

In  the  only  half-dozen  hours  of  quiet  weather  which  we  were 
fortunate  to  have,  we  here  took  on  board  a  hundred  tons  of  coal. 
Southerly  winds  prevail  which  always  cause  a  heavy  surf  to 
break  along  the  shore,  and,  as  there  is  no  breakwater  to  protect 
the  boats  from  being  swamped  in  attempting  to  go  ashore,  com- 
munication with  the  town  is  dangerous  so  long  as  these  winds 
continue. 

Wherever  they  visit  tourists  always  display  an  appetite  for 
curios.  So  here  we  satiated  ours.  We  bought  sea-lion  tusks, 
ostrich  feathers,  guanaco  skins,  serpent  skins,  armadillo  tails, 
ostrich  ruiJS  made  from  the  breasts  of  the  voung  birds  and  as 
soft  as  down,  and  with  plumage  more  beautiful  than  that  of  the 
eider  duck  of  Greenland.  Ostriches  are  not  bred  here  as  in 
South  Africa,  but  run  wild  and  seem  to  be  dying  out.  They  are 
hunted  by  the  natives,  who,  at  a  distance  of  two  and  three  hun- 
dred yards,  dexterously  lasso  them  with  a  bola  (two  heavy  balls 
on  the  end  of  a  long  rope).  The  hola  revolves  in  the  air,  and, 
upon  striking  the  bird,  the  momentum  it  has  attained  causes  the 
rope  to  coil  about  the  bird's  neck  or  legs,  crippling  or  tripping  it. 

The  following  morning  we  got  under  way  intending  to  go 
right  out  and  challenge  the  blustering  Atlantic,  but  a  blinding 
snow-storm  caused  us  to  seek  shelter  under  the  lee  of  Cape  Greg- 
ory where  we  anchored  till  the  next  day.  Our  anchor  had  hardly 
touched  bottom  than  a  canoe  with  a  half-dozen  Fuegians  came 
alongside  and  greeted  us  with  the  now  familiar  plaint,  "  Galleta 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  239 

tabac !  "  These  natives  of  Terra  del  Fuego  have  acquired  the 
taste  of  tobacco  from  the  sailors,  and  are  so  crazy  for  it  that  I 
believe  they  would  sell  themselves  to  procure  it,  if  they  could 
not  get  it  in  any  other  way. 

Some  of  us  did  profitable  trading  with  the  natives,  and  for  a 
couple  of  plugs  of  tobacco  and  a  few  biscuit  I  obtained  in  ex- 
change a  handsome  guanaco  robe,  one  of  the  rarest  of  fine  skins, 
which  I  could  have  sold  in  New  York  for  seventy-five  dollars. 

On  the  following  morning  we  made  our  final  start  for  the 
home-waters  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  In  a  few  hours  we  passed 
Cape  Virgin  and  sailed  out  through  the  east  entrance  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan  into  the  Atlantic.  Keeping  our  course  to 
the  eastward  till  in  sight  of  the  Falkland  Islands,  we  then 
pointed  our  ship's  nose  north  and  towards  home. 

The  Falkland  Islands  lie  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
off  the  coast  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  and  belong  to  the  British 
Crown.  The  governor  of  the  islands  lives  at  St.  Louis,  a  small 
town  on  the  coast  with  a  population  of  about  eight  hundred. 
Here  is  maintained  a  coaling  station  solely  for  English  vessels-of- 
war.  Like  Australia,  the  chief  industry  of  the  islands  is  sheep- 
raising,  and  the  wool  exports  are  becoming  quite  large.  Nothing 
else  g;rows  here  because  of  the  barrenness  of  the  soil  and  the 
low  temperature,  but  steamers  call  at  the  islands  about  once  a 
month  to  leave  and  take  uj)  the  mails,  and  to  leave  provisions 
and  take  away  the  wool. 

After  getting  clear  of  the  land  our  engines  were  stopj)ed,  the 
fires  drawn  from  the  boilers  and  the  vessel  put  under  sail.  Day 
after  day  we  sailed  along,  at  times  with  barely  steerage-way  ; 
at  others  hurriedly  taking  in  all  sail  to  escape  the  results  of  a 
terrific  squall ;  and  at  others  bowling  along  under  close-reefed 


240  HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

topsails,  with  the  wind  howling  and  shrieking  through  the  rig- 
ging, with  the  vessel  plunging  and  surging  in  the  heavy  seas  ; 
sometimes  on  our  direct  course,  but  too  often  in  an  opposite 
direction.  But  all  these  are  the  experiences  of  the  sailor  who  is 
homeward-bound  by  the  longest  way  round  ;  and  they  were  the 
experiences  of  our  thirty  days'  trip  between  the  Straits  of 
Mauellan  and  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

We  had  the  usual  heavy  squalls  of  rain,  snow  and  hail ;  and 
some  of  them  seemed  to  have  been  gotten  up  for  our  special  in- 
convenience. The  hailstones  were  frequently  as  large  as  wal- 
nuts. There  were  days,  however,  but  not  of  frequent  occurrence, 
when  we  had  sunshine.  But  in  the  entire  thirty  days  we  did  not 
pass  a  dozen  vessels  all  told,  and  those  we  saw  were  sailing-ves- 
sels, all  under  the  foreign  flag  with  the  exception  of  one  —  a 
California  packet,  flying  from  her  head  the  handsome  stars  and 
stripes. 

There  is  no  finer  sight  than  a  full-rigged  ship  heeling  over 
with  a  fierce  supply  of  wind  screeching  past  her.  Her  white 
sails  were  swelled  out  like  the  sides  of  a  balloon,  and  the  sight 
of  her  flag  dipping  three  times  to  us  sent  a  thrill  of  pride  and 
patriotic  fervor  through  my  veins,  for  there  is  not  a  handsomer 
flag;  in  the  world  than  our  own. 

When  we  passed  our  sea-companion  we  were  about  fourteen 
hundred  miles  south  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  It  was  September  1, 
and  a  cold,  blustering  March-like  day.  Two  hours  later  was  ob- 
served an  ominous-looking  black  cloud  which  threw  a  solid 
shadow  upon  the  sea.  It  came  up  rapidly,  and  as  experience 
had  taught  us  that  here  was  quick  work  required,  we  sought  to 
shorten  all  sail  before  the  squall  should  strike  us.  The  boat- 
swain's whistle,  shrill  as  it  always  is,  seems  to  have  been  given  a 


HOMEWARD    BOUND. 


241 


new  force  in  calling  all  hands  to  "  shorten  sail."  The  officer  of 
the  deck,  with  his  big  tnnnpet,  alert  and  experienced  after  his 
three  years'  cruise,  bellowed  out :  "  Let  go  the  topgallant  hal- 
liards !     Hands  by  the  fore  and  mizzen  topsail  halliards  !     Hands 


AT    MESS. 


b}'  the  braces !  "  Scarcely  had  the  yards  come  down  from  aloft 
by  the  run,  and  the  sails  hauled  up  to  the  lower  yards,  when  the 
squall  burst  upon  us.  The  old  ship  leaned  down  to  it  under  a 
fores tay-sail,  and  a  tarpaulin  used  as  a  storm-sail  in  the  miz- 
zen-rigging.     For  a   space  she   laid  almost  motionless  with  the 


242  IIOMKWAKI)    BOUND. 

smooth  water  under  her  lee  bubbling  and  churning  half-way  up 
the  bulwarks. 

But  now,  yielding  to  the  full  impulse  of  the  blast,  with  a 
long,  hissing  plunge,  she  takes  the  first  of  the  seas,  and,  like 
a  fleeing  gypj^y,  rushes  forward  as  though  she  were  the  very  ' 
spirit  of  the  storm  whose  darkness  had  rolled  over  her,  and 
whose  ravingrs  from  the  rio:2:in2;  are  deafenino;.  What  a  grand 
sight  is  the  heaving,  snow-like  path  of  the  vessel,  headed  with 
the  squall,  which  seems  to  speed  along  on  the  wings  of  it.  iVll 
was  flying  darkness  for  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour  as  though  the 
tornado  had  not  yet  ended ;  then  the  windward  darkness  light- 
ened, a  streak  of  blue  broke  through  the  clouds,  the  weight  of 
the  wind  sensibly  diminished,  and  the  vessel  was  again  put  under 
sail.  The  welcome  steady  wind  which  followed  the  squall  sent 
us  bowling  merrily  along,  with  each  mile  made  bringing  us 
nearer  to  our  homes  and  our  loved  ones  whom  we  had  not  seen 
for  three  long  years.  Fifteen  days  more  at  sea  brought  us  in 
sight  of  Lord  Hood's  nose,  that  rocky  profile  which  commands 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

I  found  that  Rio  had  not  changed  any  in  general  appearance 
since  I  was  there  three  years  before  on  my  outward  tiip  around 
the  world.  At  least  the  changes  were  so  slight  as  not  to  be  spe- 
cially noticeable.  The  feather-flower  stores,  the  Brazilian  bug 
shops,  the  jewelry  shops,  the  hotels,  the  Emperor's  city  palace,  all 
presented  the  same  attractive  appearance  as  when  I  first  saw 
them ;  they  were  as  treacherous  to  the  purse,  for  a  visitor  here 
could  never  think  of  returning;  home  without  a  collection  of  dia- 
monds  and  bug  jewelry  and  feather  flowers  for  sister  or  cousins, 
for  sweetheart  or  wife,  or  bless  them !  the  children. 


HOMEWARD    BOUND.  243 

Here  we  found  letters  from  home,  some  that  had  been  await- 
ing us  for  two  months.  Old  in  date,  but  new  to  us  with  re- 
assurances of  remembrance  and  affection  from  our  loved  ones. 
The  few  necessary  repairs  were  hurried  forward,  coal  was  taken 
in,  but  the  start  on  our  final  heat  for  home  was  delayed  two 
days  to  permit  the  officers  to  attend  a  grand  reception  given  by 
Dom  Pedro.  The  delay  was  only  welcomed  because  of  the 
social  opportunity  which  it  gave  to  us,  an  opportunity  to  again 
greet  one  who  then  seemed  to  be  Brazil's  popular  sovereign,  and 
an  opportunity  to  engage  in  the  ball-room  whirl  with  some  of 
Rio's  lovely  and  titled  daughters.  But  it  was  not  a  welcome 
m.issive  which  the  mail  steamer,  that  arrived  meanwhile,  brought 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  ordering  a  careful  survey  to  be 
made  of  some  reported  rocks  off  Cape  St.  Roque,  and  to  locate 
them  correctly  on  the  charts. 

I  had  already  written  home  requesting  that  a  plate  be  set  for 
me  at  the  Thanksgiving  table,  and  I  feared  I  should  not  be  there 
to  empty  it,  but  my  fears  were  needless,  as  I  reached  home  just 
in  time  to  help  at  the  feast,  and  interest  all  at  the  gathering 
with  startling  sea-stories  —  all  of  them,  of  course,  strictly  true ! 

We  bade  good-bye  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  a  few  days  before  the 
first  of  October,  and  with  our  "  homeward  bound  "  pennant  fly- 
ing, and  saluted  by  the  flag-ship  Lancaster's  band  playing 
"  Home,  Sweet  Home !  "  we  passed  out  of  the  harbor,  almost 
wiping  Lord  Hood's  nose  with  our  pennant  as  we  passed  it.  In 
a  few  hours  we  had  left  Cape  Frio  behind,  and  were  headed 
homewards. 

Adverse  winds  and  light  breezes  made  us  twenty-four  days  at 
sea  before  reaching  Fernando  de  Noronha,  off  Cape  St.  Roque. 


244  HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

We  were  four  days  locating  Las  Rocas  (the  two  rocks)  and  then 
we  again  pointed  for  New  York,  reaching  there  without  inci- 
dents of  interest  two  days  before  Thanksgiving. 

The  vessel  was  inspected,  inventories  of  stores,  etc.,  taken 
and  turned  over  to  the  officers  of  the  Navy  Yard,  and  then  the 
vessel  was  put  out  of  commission,  the  officers  detached  and 
placed  on  •'  waiting  orders."  My  cruise  around  the  world  was 
over. 


LIEUTENANT    HENRY    E.    RHOADES. 


CHAPTER   XVL 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE. 


Y  home-stay- 
ing was  to 
be   but   brief. 
By    the    custom 
of     the    Depart- 
ment I  was  en- 
titled to  remain  at  home   for  at  least  a 
year,  but  duty  was  afoot  for  which  I  had 
always  yearned. 

The    cry  for   rescue   came    from   the 
frozen  north  where  Captain  Hall  of  the 
Polaris   and   his  companions  were  impri- 
soned  in  the  ice.     The  Juniata  was  de- 
tailed in  the  spring  of  1873  to  go  in  search  of  the  castaways  and 
here  was  my  opportunity. 

From  my  youth  I  had  read  with  avidity  of  the  Arctic  experi- 
ences of  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  of  Barentz  and  Ross,  and  Parry, 
of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  Weyprecht,  and  our  own  American 
explorers  —  Dr.  Elisha  Kent  Kane,  Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes  and  Dr. 
C.  H.  Hall.  In  my  most  enthusiastic  moments  I  had  scarcely 
dared  hope  that  I  should  ever  have  the  opportunity  to  have  my 
name  recorded  among  the  Arctic  explorers,  living  or  dead. 

For  four  hundred  years  men  had  been  striving  to  reach  the 
North   Pole   and   had   failed.     I  wanted  to   go   and — succeed! 

247 


248  TO    THE    XOKTII    FOR    RESCUE. 

The  fascination  for  Arctic  researcli  was  strong  within  me.  I 
wanted  to  visit  the  Pohir  seas,  the  home  of  icebergs,  icefields 
and  glaciers,' of  the  grand  aurora  and  the  midnight  suns,  and  the 
home  of   o-reat  white  bears,  seals  and  the  Eskimau. 

The  opportunity  to  gratify  my  thirst  for  Arctic  travels  came 
at  last  when  in  the  year  1873  it  was  proposed  to  fit  out  the 
United  States  steamer  Juniata  to  go  to  the  North,  in  search  of 
the  nineteen  missing  people  of  the  Polaris.  Without  delay  I 
volunteered  for  the  expedition,  and  pleaded  so  hard  for  permis- 
sion to  go  up  on  this  cruise,  that  in  a  few  days  I  received  my 
orders  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  report  for  duty  on  the 
Juniata  as  assistant  engineer  —  not  to  fathom  the  unexplored 
region,  not  to  discover  the  disturbances  to  the  magnetic  needle, 
but  for  the  noble  purpose  of  rendering  succor  to  the  unfortunate 
remnant  of  Captain  Hall's  ill-fated  expedition. 

At  the  latest  tidings  received  from  them  in  1872  the  cast- 
aways were  reported  as  drifting  about  in  a  disabled  vessel  some- 
where among  the  ice  barriers  of  Smith's  Sound,  north  of  Cape 
York. 

The  Polaris  started  north  in  June,  1870.  She  was  in  command 
of  Captain  C.  H.  Hall,  who  died  November  8,  1871,  and  was 
buried  in  a  stone  tomb  in  Thank  God  Harbor.  Up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  there  had  been  continual  bickerings,  because  of 
jealousy  regarding  superiority  to  command,  between  Captain 
Buddington,  the  sailing-master,  and  Captain  Tyson,  the  ice-pilot. 
Captain  Hall  lacked  the  power  to  discipline,  hence  serious  con- 
flicts repeatedly  occurred  which  it  seemed  must  eventually  end 
in  a  disgraceful  mutiu}-.  It  would  appear  as  if  an  interposition 
of  Providence  alone  prevented  a  personal  conflict. 

The  vessel  drifted  helplessly  about  after  the   commander's 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE.  249 

death  and  at  last  was  nipped  in  the  ice  and  received  injuries 
which  made  it  a  question  of  how  long  she  could  be  kept  afloat. 
Preparations  were  made  to  abandon  her.  Captain  Tyson  and  a 
portion  of  the  crew,  including  Hans  Christian,  the  Eskimau  in- 
terpreter, his  wife  and  two  children,  and  fourteen  others  were 
landed  on  an  ice-floe,  and  a  portion  of  the  ship's  provisions  were 
landed  with  them. 

Suddenly'  the  ice  broke,  the  ship  parted  from  her  moor- 
mgs  and  drifted  away,  and  the  parties  were  separated  near  the 
seventy-eighth  parallel  of  latitude,  about  the  middle  of  October, 
1872.  Tyson  and  his  eighteen  companions  drifted  on  the  ice- 
floe for  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  days,  a  distance  of  over 
twelve  hundred  miles,  and  then  on  April  30,  1873,  were  rescued 
bv  the  sealinc!:  steamer  Tigress  and  brought  to  St.  Johns,  N.  F. 
From  St.  Johns  they  were  sent  to  New  York. 

The  Polaris  drifted  north  and  went  into  harbor  back  of 
Littleton  Island.  Houses  were  built  on  shore,  and  the  party 
landed  with  their  records,  provisions  and  instruments.  During 
the  winter  the  Polaris  was  so  badly  crushed  between  two  ice- 
bergs that  she  sunk.  This  left  Buddington's  party  without  any 
chance  of  escape,  except  by  their  two  small  boats  and  the  hope 
of  being  picked  up  by  some  of  the  Arctic  whalers. 

The  Juniata  was  fitted  out  with  provisions,  etc.,  for  a  two 
years'  cruise  ;  her  bows  were  heavily  sheathed  with  wood  and 
iron  for  penetrating  the  ice,  and  the  command  was  given  to 
Captain  D.  L.  Braine,  U.  S.  N.  We  left  New  York  for  the  North 
on  June  24.  With  us  we  took  a  small  steam  launch,  to  be  used 
for  continuing  the  search  after  the  vessel  had  reached  the  highest 
point  deemed  consistent  with  safety.  Among  our  officers  were 
Lieutenants  G.  W.  De  Long  and  Charles  W.  Chipp,  navigator  and 


250 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOK    RESCUE. 


watch  officer  respectively,  l)otli  of  whom  were  afterwards 
victims  of  the  Jeannette  expedition.  We  were  ordered  to  stop 
at  St.  Johns  to  replenish  our  supply  of  coal  and  provisions. 

Long  before  reaching  there   I  grew  very  anxious  to  see  one 

of    those   grim  old  Arctic  mon- 
sters   of  which    I    had    read   so 
much,  and  which  have  so  often 
driven     almost     into     hysterics 
Polar   travelers  who    attempted 
to  describe  them  ;  those  beauti- 
ful but  grim  warders  of  the  pole 
that  have  caused  the  mysterious 
disappearance    of  many  of    our 
steamers     and     sailins:    vessels, 
leaving  no  one  to  tell   the  tale. 
At  last  our  lookout   aloft   suno; 
out  in  a  clear  and  strong  voice, 
"  Land   ho !    two   points   on  the 
starboard  bow  !  "     Immediately  the  engines  were  slowed   down, 
and   in  another  minute  the  lookout  shouted,  "  Iceberg  about  two 
miles,  sharp  on  the  starboard  bow !  "     At  about  the  same  instant 
the  Arctic  monster   became   plainly  visible  from  deck,  but  the 
shout  of  the  lookout  had  caused  great  commotion  ;   officers  and 
men  came  tumbling  up  from  below  and  went  each  to  his  station. 
Ten  minutes  later  we  were  abreast  of  our  cold  visitor.     It 
was  an  immense  fellow,  its  table-like  top  being  about  sixty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  its  length,  at  the  base,  fully  four 
hundred  feet  —  a  dangerous  monster  for  a   ship  to  strike  in  a 
fog. 

On  sighting  this  big  berg  we  were  not  more  than  forty  miles 


G.    W.    DE   LONG. 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE. 


251 


from  the  entrance  of  St.  Johns  harbor.  An  hour  later  we 
picked  up  a  pilot,  and  our  first  question  was :  "  Have  any  tid- 
ings of  the  Polaris  people  been  received  since  the  Frolic  took 
Tyson  and  his  party  to  New  York?  "  We  had  a  faint  hope  that 
she  might  have  been  heard  from,  but  we  also  hoped  that  our 
voyage  to  the  Arctic  regions  would  not  be  interrupted.  Not  the 
least  tidings  had  been  received,  although  several  sealers  had 
come  in  from  Baffin's  Bay  since  Tyson's  party  had  been  picked  up. 

Arrivins;  at  St.  Johns  we  had  some  heavv  beaver-clothinsc 
made  up,  and  laid  in  a  stock 
of  thick  and  warm  under-cloth- 
ing and  strong  leather  water- 
proof boots.  We  also  had  the 
bows  of  the  vessel  resheathed 
with  stiff  plate-iron.  To  make 
the  steam  launch  serviceable 
for  the  crossing  of  Melville 
Bay,  after  reaching  Upernavik, 
a  skeleton  frame  was  put  over 
the  screw  to  protect  it  from  the 
ice  and  her  bows  were  heavily 
sheathed.  The  bunkers  of  the 
vessel  were  also  filled  with  coal, 
and  a  hundred  additional  tons  were  stored  on  deck,  as  there  was 
no  knowino;  when  or  where  we  might  sfet  coal  in  the  Arctic,  un- 
less  there  was  some  remaining  at  Disco,  left  there  by  the  frigate 
Congress  when  she  convoyed  the  Polaris  to  that  point. 

While  in  St.  Johns  one  of  the  places  visited  was  the  lunatic 
asylum.  Here  T  experienced  an  amusing  incident.  An  insane 
spiritualist.  Henry  Earle  by  name,  imagined  himself  the  victim 


CHARLES   W.    CHIPP. 


252  TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    rtP:SCUE. 

of  prejudice  and  imposition ;  he  claimed  that  he  was  imprisoned 
at  the  instigation  of  the  "  Tek'graphic  Cable  Company,"  against 
which  he  assumed  to  have  a  claim  of  three  million  dollars,  and  a 
royalty  of  five  thousand  pounds  a  year  from  England  and  the 
same  from  the  United  States,  for  his  advice  to  Cyrus  W.  Field  at 
the  time  of  the  second  laying  of  the  cable.  He  begged  me  to 
nitercede  on  his  behalf  with  President  Grant  to  secure  his  re- 
lease, and  he  handed  me  the  following  remarkable  communica- 
tion whicli  he  asserted  had  been  sent  to  him  from  the  Spirit 
woi'ld  : 

"  To  the  Captain  and  Officers  of  the  United  States  Steam 
sloop-of-ioar  Juniata  : 

"  I  am  commanded  to  inform  you  that  the  Polaris  is  in  70° 
12'  north  latitude,  and  in  longitude  45°  10'  west.*  She  will  be 
ready  to  leave  that  place  on  the  twelfth  of  July  to  proceed  to 
the  nearest  port  where  stores  are  deposited.  The  divine  power 
will  grant  you  favorable  winds  so  as  to  spare  your  fuel.  You 
shall  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  ship  and  we  advise  you  to 
leave  this  port  in  eight  days  from  this  date.  I  was  communi- 
cated with  heretofore  by  Captain  Hall,  who  regrets  that  such 
a  report  as  poisoning  him  should  have  originated  in  the  minds 
of  his  countrymen,  as  he  died  of  heart  disease  and  is  very  happy 
in  the  sixth  sphere.  I  wish  you  to  inform  his  friends  and  the 
public  to  the  same  effect,  so  that  the  crew  of  the  Polaris  who 
are  rescued  may  enjoy  their  liberty  and  citizenship. 

'•  Henry  Earle." 

That  the  spirits  were  so  seriously  in  error  in  their  geography 
was  no  fault  of   Mr.  Earle  ;    they  had  probably  departed  from 

*  This  Nvould  place  her  high  and  dr)'  in  the  interior  of  Greenland. 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE.  253 

this  world  before  Greenland's  coast  was  well  defined.  Earle  was 
a  man  of  superior  education,  and  his  gray  hair  and  flowing 
white  beard  and  sorrowful  features  enlisted  my  sympathies. 

On  the  morning  of  July  9,  having  received  our  mail  from 
the  incoming  steamer  and  been  favored  with  the  last  letters  from 
home  that  we  could  reasonably  expect  to  receive  before  our  re- 
turn, however  long  our  stay  in  the  Arctic,  we  weighed  anchor 
and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  of  St.  Johns  amid  the  thunder- 
ing salutes  from  the  forts,  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and  the 
cheers  of  the  populace.  Our  two  ice-pilots.  Captain  Buddington, 
uncle  to  the  sailing-master  of  the  Polaris,  and  Captain  Dodge 
who  was  with  Dr.  Hayes'  exjDedition,  now  began  their  regular 
duties  on  watch. 

There  was  little  relief  from  the  monotony  of  the  fogs,  and 
the  days  grew  longer  as  we  approached  the  latitude  of  the  mid- 
night sun  and  continual  winter.  We  began  to  meet  with  small 
fields  of  ice  soon  after  we  left  St.  Johns,  but  we  did  not  mind 
small  things.  As  we  traveled  north  the  ice  became  thicker  and 
in  larger  pieces,  and  we  grew  more  and  more  careful  of  our 
movements. 

The  second  day  out  we  fell  in  with  some  large  bergs.  One 
of  these  looked  much  like  a  stately  church  with  an  immense 
towering  steeple.  There  was  not  one  on  board  who  did  not 
realize  a  sort  of  fascination  with  the  slow  but  perceptible  move- 
ment of  those  Arctic  monsters.  There  they  floated,  not  a  sin- 
gle one  but  dozens  —  looming  up  before  us  as  we  steamed  along 
and  extending;  miles  over  the  sea. 

The  third  morning  out  a  dense  fog  shut  down  upon  us,  and 
though  we  crept  cautiously  along,  the  danger  became  a  fixed 
fact  when  our  ice-pilot  hailed  to  change  the  course  at  once  to 


254  TO  THE  NORTH  for  rescue. 

escape  an  iceberg  almost  under  our  bows.  The  greatest  excite- 
ment and  confusion  prevailed. 

The  helm  was  put  hard  over,  the  engine  stopped  and  re- 
versed, and  then  we  saw  how  narrowly  we  had  escaped  the  peril 
of  striking  either  one  of  two  monster  bergs.  Had  our  ship  been 
cauyrht  between  them  it  could  no  more  have  resisted  the  crush- 
ino;  than  could  an  eg-or-shell  in  the  hand  of  a  man. 

The  only  sound  that  broke  the  ominous  stillness  of  the 
broad  sea  was  the  occasional  crunching  and  grinding  here  and 
there  of  the  bergs  coming  together,  or  the  reverberations  as  they 
broke  apart  —  sending  out  reports  like  to  distant  artillery. 

These  two  bergs,  that,  but  a  moment  before,  had  threatened 
to  end  our  very  existence,  stood  as  commandingly  as  the  Rock 
of  Gibraltar.  But  already  the  warmer  latitudes  had  begun  to 
tell  upon  them.  Pieces  of  ice  crumbled  away  at  the  tops  and 
rolled  down  their  sides ;  deep  rents  appeared  on  their  surfaces, 
and  at  last,  with  one  great  convulsion  that  seemed  to  shake  the 
very  skies,  one  of  them  toppled  completely  over  with  a  report 
that  was  frightful  to  an  Arctic  novitiate. 

In  dense  fogs,  and  especially  during  dark  nights,  these  ice 
mountains  are  a  constant  source  of  solicitude  to  the  most  careful 
navigator,  as  contact  with  one  of  them  is  inevitable  shipwreck. 
Sometimes  their  proximity  may  be  indicated  by  plunging  a  sen- 
sitive thermometer  into  a  bucket  of  water  drawn  from  the  sea,  but 
the  farther  north  one  sails  this  decrease  of  temperature  is  not 
always  to  be  depended  upon  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

In  the  calm  succeeding  a  storm,  when  there  is  a  heavy  sea 
or  swell,  timely  warning  of  the  approaching  iceberg  is  sometimes 
given  by  the  low  murmur  of  the  surf  beating  against  the  berg 
like  the  breakers  on  a  lee  shore.     If  an  ice  pack,  a  uniformly 


o 


z 

< 


< 

< 
Z 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE.  257 

level  field  of  broken  ice,  is  near,  the  grinding  of  the  huge  ice 
blocks  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  pack  adds  materially  to  the  din. 

Such  weather  as  we  had  was  anything  but  encouraging  to 
our  mission  to  say  nothing  of  the  general  effect  upon  our  dis- 
positions. We  had  fogs  and  fogs,  so  that  in  the  daylight  we 
ran  slowly,  and  at  night  hove-to  because  of  the  danger  from  the 
bergs,  hence  our  progress  was  slow.  On  the  fourth  day  out  we 
sighted  Cape  Farewell,  the  southernmost  point  of  Greenland, 
and  laid  our  course  for  Fiskenaes,  to  buy  dogs  for  our  sledge 
journeys.  Here  and  there  were  fields  of  ice  and  numerous  ice- 
bergs which  reminded  us  of  our  proximity  to  the  Arctic  circle. 
In  the  distance  loomed  the  hio-h  snow-covered  land  that  was  in 
truth '' Greenland's  Icy  Mountains  "  —  no  hymnal  myth  as  sup- 
posed by  some,  but  grand  ranges  devoid  of  all  verdure  and 
wrapped  in  their  mantles  of  eternal  snow.  These  peaks  rose, 
some  of  them,  to  an  altitude  of  from  two  thousand  to  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  stood  before  our 
eyes  a  majestic  and  sublime  reality.  The  appearance  of  this 
part  of  Greenland's  coast  was  very  striking,  especially  to  strang- 
ers to  Arctic  scenery. 

The  mountains,  with  their  peaks  so  pointed  as  scarcely  to 
admit  of  the  snow  resting  upon  their  steep  and  almost  precipi- 
tous sides,  were  intersected  by  grand  fiords  and  gorges  penetrat- 
ing for  miles  into  the  interior,  and  formed  a  magnificent  land- 
scape. The  farther  north  we  sailed  the  more  were  we  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  icebergs  have  a  habit  of  coming  down  in 
nests  ;  and  that  they  owe  their  existence  to  a  common  parent 
glacier,  or  to  having  once  been  a  single  huge  mass  of  ice  that 
a  warmer  climate  and  the  ever-restless  forces  of  nature  have  shat- 
tered into  a  family. 


258  TO  THE   NORTH   fou  kescue. 

Although  about  seven-eighths  of  an  iceberg  is  submerged,  the 
remaining  one-eighth  only  being  visible,  it  must  not  be  inferred, 
as  seems  too  often  to  be  the  case  where  the  height  has  been  de- 
termined, that  it  extends  seven  times  as. far  in  dej)th.  Besides 
they  are  often  surrounded  by  a  hazy  mist,  even  on  the  clearest 
days,  due  to  the  surrounding  moisture  of  their  chilly  faces ;  the 
effect  of  this  is  to  make  them  seem  much  higher  than  they  really 
are,  a  fact  which  under  these  circumstances  renders  estimates  of 
their  altitudes  particularly  unreliable. 

It  was  about  noon  that  we  were  abreast  of  the  little  Danish 
settlement  of  Fiskenaes. 

Here  on  July  3,  1721,  Hans  Egede  landed  with  wife  and 
children,  and  began  his  noble  and  unselfish  labor  of  Christian 
love  among  the  Esquimaux.  The  missionary  institutions  founded 
by  him  and  the  Moravians  have  gradually  incorporated  the 
whole  native  population  of  Greenland  into  Christian  communi- 
ties. The  harbor  of  Fiskenaes  is  undefined  on  the  general 
charts,  and  having  no  harbor  chart  we  had  to  thread  our  way 
among  icebergs  having  as  a  guide  only  the  large  chart,  which 
Kane  and  Hayes  had  used  on  their  expeditions.  A  fin-back 
whale  and  scores  of  seals,  the  latter  sporting  on  the  ice-floes, 
were  the  only  things  presented  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  our 
journey  except  tlie  ever-present  and  thundering  icebergs  and 
the  crunching  ice-fields. 

It  was  here  that  we  grappled  with  the  most  perplexing  phase 
of  Arctic  life  that  greets  the  inexperienced  explorer,  viz. :  that 
of  continuous  daylight.  Not  only  did  we  not  know  when  the 
hour  for  retiring  came,  but  it  was  so  nearly  impossible  to  sleep 
that  we  were  obliged  to  nail  something  dark  over  all  the  open- 
ings to  the  room  to  keep  out  the  light.     A  quarter  of  an  hour 


TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE. 


259 


after  midnight  the  eastern  horizon  was  grandly  picturesque  from 
the  reflection  of  the  rising  sun,  that  peeped  above  the  horizon  at 
2.20  A.  M. 

We  were  unable  to  work  into  the  harbor  of  Fiskenaes  be- 
cause of  the  thick,  impenetrable  ice,  so  the  course  was  changed 
and  the  ship's  nose  directed    towards    Godhaab.      A  dense  fog 


VILLAGE   OF    FISKENAES. 


soon  shut  down,  and  I  had  just  fallen  into  a  sound  sleep  when  1 
was  startled  hy  a  sharp  and  quick  ring  of  the  engine-room  gong. 
It  was  the  signal  for  the  engines  to  be  stopped.  Simultaneously 
there  was  a  confused  commotion  on  deck  and  shrill,  quick  cries 
of  "Breakers  ahead  !  "  "Icebergs  on  both  bows,  close  aboard!  " 
"  Go  astern  quickly  !  " 

With  a  single  bound  I  jumped  from  my  berth  to  the  engine- 


260  TO    THE    NORTH    FOR    RESCUE. 

room,  and  at  the  same  instant  ordered  my  servant  to  gather  my 
few  vakiables  (my  thick  clothing  and  water-proof  boots)  and  put 
them  in  my  straps  ready  in  case  of  necessity  to  abandon  the 
ship.  The  prompt  responses  to  the  orders  from  deck  saved  the 
vessel  from  destruction.  After  the  eno;ines  had  asj^ain  been 
started  I  went  on  deck  to  face  the  dangers  we  had  defied  and  to 
express  my  opinion  regarding  them  in  terms  more  emphatic  than 
elei>'ant. 

There  on  the  starboard  bow  was  a  huge  black  rock  with  the 
surf  breaking  over  it ;  and  on  the  starboard  quarter  a  great 
stranded  iceberg,  each  not  more  than  a  ship's  length  from  us. 
The  vessel's  headway  had  been  stopped  just  in  time ;  twenty 
seconds  more  would  have  made  us  a  wreck.  The  fos:  lifted 
almost  immediately  afterwards,  and  we  found  that  we  were  not 
more  than  a  half-mile  from  the  coast.  This  was  altog:etlier  too 
near  for  mental  comfort,  especially  to  one  with  a  family  depen- 
dent upon  him.  It  often  occurred  that  we  were  in  error  as  to 
our  position.  This  however  was  not  due  to  carelessness  nor 
negligence,  but  rather  to  the  great  deviation  of  the  compass 
needle,  to  imperfect  charts  and  unknown  currents. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


ICEBEKGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 


A 


FEW  hours  after  our 
escape  from  ship-wreck 
between  an  iceberg  and  an 
almost  submerged  rock  we 
had  the  pleasant  experience 
of  a  furious  gale  —  if  an  Arc- 
tic C3^clone  can  be  thought 
pleasant.  We  made  harbor 
in  a  cove  where  the  high 
rockv  shore  shielded  us  from 
the  violence  of  the  tempest. 
Here  a  party  of  us  landed, 
and  with  our  shot-i^^uns  we 
secured  nine  eider-ducks  ;  the 
meat  of  these  birds  was  eaten 
with  relish  after  our  long  ex- 
perience with  canned  foods. 
In  this  desert  place  I  stum- 
bled upon  the  grave  of  an  infant.  It  was  a  rudely-made  tomb,  in 
which  the  body  was  seen  lying  on  the  face  of  the  rock  with  stones 
piled  up  about  it.  How  long  it  had  lain  here  there  was  no  way 
of  telling,  but  the  features  and  flesh  were  as  perfect  as  if  the 
baby  had  just  died,  though  possibly  it  had  lain  there  for  months. 

261 


2G2  ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 

Here  and  there  were  patches  of  soil  with  a  few  spears  of 
grass  growing  up  through  them.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  back  was 
a  good  depth  of  snow,  covering  the  rocks  as  far  inland  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  Fox  tracks  were  numerous,  but  no  foxes  could 
be  seen ;  and  as  not  the  least  sign  of  habitation  was  anywhere 
apparent,  the  country  presented  a  deserted  and  uninviting  ap- 
pearance. Just  after  dinner  two  kayaks,  each  with  its  single 
occupant,  paddled  alongside,  and  we  hoisted  kayaks  and  Esqui- 
maux on  deck. 

It  was  the  first  kayak  I  had  seen  and  I  examined  it  minutely. 
It  was  the  frailest  specimen  of  marine  architecture  that  ever  car- 
ried human  freight.  One  kayak  is  the  same  as  every  other 
kayak,  all  being  alike  in  general  construction  and  dimensions. 
This  one  was  about  sixteen  feet  long,  as  many  inches  wide  at 
the  beam,  tapering  with  an  upward  curve  to  a  sharp  point  at 
each  end  and  the  keel  protected  by  narrow  strips  of  walrus  bone. 
The  skeleton  of  the  boat  was  of  light  strips  of  wood,  covered 
with  dressed  and  tanned  sealskin  sewed  together  by  the  native 
women  with  the  tendon  and  sinew  of  the  deer,  and  made  very 
strong.  Not  a  drop  of  water  could  find  its  way  through  the 
seams,  and  the  skin  itself  was  absolutely  waterproof.  The  only 
opening  to  the  boat  was  a  round  hole  midway  between  the  ends 
which  admits  the  hunter  or  paddler  as  far  as  the  hips.  This  hole 
is  bound  with  a  wooden  rim  over  which  the  kayaker  laces  the 
lower  edge  of  his  water-tight  jacket,  and  thus  fastens  himself  in 
and  keeps  the  water  out. 

The  kayaker  propels  his  novel  boat  with  a  single  double- 
bladed  oar.  about  six  feet  Ions;.  This  instrument  of  locomotion 
is  grasped  in  the  middle  and  dipped  alternately  into  the  water 
to  the  right  and  then  to  the  left.     The  kayak  weighs  only  about 


ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX.  263 

thirty  pounds  and  sets  as  gracefully  as  a  duck  upon  the  water. 
Long  practice  is  required  to  manage  this  Greenland  canoe,  and 
no  slack-rope  dancer  ever  needed  more  steady  nerve  and  skill  of 
balance  than  does  this  same  kayaker.  Yet,  hi  this  frail  craft  he 
does  not  hesitate  to  ride  seas  which  would  swamp  an  ordinary 
boat,  or  to  break  through  surf  which  may  sweep  completely  over 
him.  But,  being  used  to  all  kinds  of  weather  and  every  hard- 
ship, in  spite  of  all  adversaries  he  manages  to  keep  himself 
upright. 

These  two  kayakers  were  dressed  as  are  all  Greenlanders  — 
in  sealskin  from  head  to  foot.  This  was  not  however  the  skin 
of  tJie  fur-seal  such  as  our  fashionable  ladies  wear  in  the  me- 
tropolis, but  of  the  hair-seal  —  the  only  species  that  abounds  in 
Greenland  waters.  As  our  Esquimau  visitors  knew  no  English, 
and  as  our  Esquimau  education  had  unfortunately  been  neg- 
lected our  communication  was  neither  brilliant  nor  entertaining. 
Our  captain  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Danish  governor,  or  rather  to 
the  agent  of  the  Greenland  Trading  Company,  as  are  all  the 
supervisors  of  the  Greenland  settlements,  and  sent  it  by  one  of 
the  kavakers  who  darted  off  at  a  rate  of  not  less  than  eitj^ht 
miles  an  hour.  The  other  remained  on  board.  Early  on  the 
following  morning  a  large  number  of  kayaks  swarmed  about  the 
ship,  and  each  occupant  had  with  him  fish  and  sealskin  clothing 
which  he  wished  to  exchange  for  tobacco,  underclothing  or 
money.  One  fellow  amused  us  by  turning  himself  and  kayak  a 
complete  revolution  in  the  water,  and  recovering  his  equilibrium 
each  time. 

We  weighed  anchor  and  in  a  few  hours  w^ere  lying  oft"  Suk- 
ker-toppen,  or  the  Sugar-loaf,  where  a  hundred  or  more  natives, 
men,   women    and    children,  had    assembhid    on    the  rocks  and 


26-t  ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 

were  shouting  ''  Kiiiio  !  Kiiiio  '  "  (Welcome  !  Welcome  ! )  We 
were  unable  to  get  any  dogs  here  so  we  amused  ourselves  with 
a  tour  of  observation  through  the  settlement,  buying  little  bits 
of  native  handiwork  —  kayak  models,  sealskin  money  bags,  etc. 

In  the  evening  a  reception  was  given  in  our  honor  by  the 
natives,  and  we  found  it  both  novel  and  convenient  to  dance 
with  women  whose  costumes  neither  trailed  upon  the  floor,  nor 
fell  away  on  the  neck,  nor  were  curtailed  on  the  arms  from  above 
vaccination  mark. 

The  women's  dress  differs  but  little  from  that  of  the  men. 
The  women  wear  breeches,  the  men  trousers;  the  women's  boots 
come  up  above  the  knees,  while  those  of  the  men  do  not  go 
much  above  the  calf  of  the  legs.  The  women's  clothing  is  more 
finely  wrought,  and  is  ornamented  with  trimmings  and  lacings  of 
Ijright-colored  skins.  The  women  also  dress  their  hair  by  comb- 
ing it  up  from  the  front  and  back  and  sides  to  the  top  of  the 
head  into  a  sort  of  horn-shape,  standing  straight  up,  with  a  strip 
of  colored  cloth  or  ribbon  banded  around  it.  A  piece  of  blue 
cloth  or  ribl3on  indicates  that  the  woman  is  married ;  a  black 
piece  indicates  that  she  is  a  widow ;  a  red  piece  that  she  is  a 
maiden. 

The  following  day  we  proceeded  to  Holsteinborg,  ninety  miles 
from  Sukker-toppen.  This  is  a  settlement  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Esquimaux  and  the  most  dirty  and  vermin-covered 
people  I  have  ever  seen  in  Greenland.  A  Danish  brig  was  lying 
here,  about  to  sail  for  Copenhagen.  As  this  was  an  opportunity 
for  sending  mail  home  we  spent  some  time  writing  letters  know- 
ing that  they  would  be  gladly  received  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
they  would  be  from  four  to  six  months  old  when  opened.  We 
were  detained  at  Holsteinborg  by  a  fog,  denser  and  even  worse 


^^■■■■IRiHilim  i 


ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 


265 


than  a  London  fog,  if  one  can  be  worse.  It  entailed  upon  us  an 
aggravating  delay  of  three  days  before  we  could  start  for  God- 
havn,  a  settlement  on  Disco  Island,  of  about  the  same  population 
as  Holsteinborg;. 

It  was  at  Godhavn  that  the  United  States  frigate  Congress 


ESQUIMAU   AND   HIS    SEAL-DOG. 


came  with  coal  and  provisions  for  the  Polaris.  The  most  of  this 
extra  fuel  we  found  intact  in  the  storehouse.  Our  route  from 
Holsteinborg,  and  even  at  the  very  entrance  of  Godhavn  Harbor, 
was  obstructed  by  numerous  icebergs  of  every  fantastic  form  and 
shape. 

It  was  here  that  we  saw  for  the  first  tim^e  the  midnio-ht  sun. 


266  ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 

The  novelty  of  a  seemingly  endless  day,  experienced  for  the  first 
time,  sadly  interfered  with  our  natural  rest  and  sleep.  Long 
past  midnight  and  giving  no  thought  to  passing  time,  sounds  of 
mirth  and  music  from  our  improvised  ballroom  in  the  storehouse 
were  wafted  off  to  the  ship. 

At  Godhavn  we  found  the  Esquimaux  similar  in  feature,  dress, 
and  stature  as  in  other  places,  but  more  strongly  odorous.  There 
is  no  word  in  the  English,  Esquimau,  or  any  other  language  that  I 
ever  understood,  which  could  describe  this  Polar  perfume.  The 
natives  are  a  most  jovial,  merry-hearted  band  of  savages;  laugh- 
ing heartily  at  everj^thing  that  had  the  appearance  of  a  joke,  and 
imposing  more  work  upon  the  muscles  that  held  up  the  corners 
of  their  mouths  into  a  chronic  grin,  than  upon  any  other  in  their 
lazy  bodies. 

It  was  here  that  I  first  saw  the  oomiak,  or  woman's  boat.  It 
was  a  sealskin  scow,  made  of  a  light  frame  of  wood  over  which, 
when  quite  green,  the  skins  were  drawn  ;  and  the  seams  stitched 
together  as  in  the  kayak. 

We  remained  a  week  at  Godhavn  before  we  started  for 
Upernavik,  the  northernmost  point  to  which  our  vessel  had  been 
authorized  to  go.  From  Upernavik  further  search  for  the 
Polaris  people  was  to  be  made  by  a  selected  crew  in  the  steam 
launch,  Little  Juniata,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  De  Long. 
The  interval  of  our  stay  at  Godhavn  was  spent  in  various  ways  : 
rambling  through  the  ravines,  climbing  over  the  glaciers,  scaling 
the  mountains  in  search  of  game,  or  going  down  the  coast  on  hunt- 
ing expeditions.  Here  also  we  had  our  first  experience  with  the 
Arctic  mosquitoes.  You  may  talk  about  Florida  and  New  Jersey 
mosquitoes  !  Why,  they  are  not  for  a  moment  to  be  compared 
with  those  we  found,  or,  rather,  to  those  that  found  us  at  God- 


ICEBEEGS    AXD    ESQUIMAUX.  267 

liavn  and  Upernavik.  They  were  as  thick  as  raindrops  durino- 
the  rainy  season  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  when  once  they  had 
fastened  tlieir  nippers  upon  us  and  got  in  their  fine  work  —  oh, 
what  misery  I  They  attacked  us  in  armies,  but  their  bites  stung 
only  for  the  moment  as  they  seemed  to  leave  no  poison.  And 
thev  were  immense  fellows  ! 

On  the  north  side  of  the  harbor  are  the  Lyngenmarkfjeld,  a 
range  of  mountains  about  two  thousand  feet  in  height.  From 
the  summit  of  one  peak,  which  I  reached  after  a  tedious  climb 
through  ravines  and  over  glaciers,  a  glorious  picture  was  presented 
before  me.  At  my  feet  lay  the  picturesque  settlement  of  God- 
havn,  with  the  Juniata,  resembling  a  toy  ship,  lying  snugly  at 
anchor  in  the  harbor.  Outside  the  harbor  the  sea  was  blocked 
with  numberless  icebergs.  From  where  I  stood  I  counted  seven 
hundred  and  thirty  bergs  dotting  the  placid  sea  ;  and  beyond 
stretched  the  great  ice  fiord  of  Jacobshavn,  flanked  by  its  gigan- 
tic discharging  glacier,  and  with  the  mouth  of  the  fiord  almost 
choked  with  huui:e  iceber2:s. 

At  brief  intervals  a  rolling  thunder,  as  of  distant  artillery, 
told  us  of  the  disruption  of  one  of  those  great  bergs.  They  were 
of  so  many  different  shapes  as  to  make  a  magnificent  panorama. 
One  resembled  the  capitol  at  Washington,  with  its  dome  almost 
perfect,  but  minus  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  with  her  back  to  the 
city.  Others  were  in  the  shape  of  castles,  cathedrals,  arched 
bridges,  etc. 

Remarkable  as  it  may  seem,  I  found  at  this  altitude  consider- 
able veo;etation.  Most  of  it  was  what  is  known  as  the  rock 
willow,  and  grew  in  soil  of  only  three  or  fo-ur  inches'  depth.  I 
observed  that  the  Esquimaux  utilize  this  growth  by  cutting  it  into 
small  blocks  of  peat  in  the  summer-time  and  piling  it  up  into 


268  ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 

mounds  to  dry  out.     It  is  then  saturated  with  seal  oil  and  used 
as  fuel. 

Upon  my  return  to  the  vessel,  I  sat  down  to  dinner,  after 
which  and  a  siesta  with  an  Havana  cigar  —  made  in  Canada 
and  purchased  at  St.  Johns !  —  I  went  ashore  to  enjoy  our 
regular  evening  dance  with  the  Esquimau  maidens. 

The  waltz  and  polka  steps  of  the  Esquimau  women  were  in 
good  time  to  the  music  and  quickly  acquired.  The  baUroom  was 
the  cooper-shop,  a  room  about  fifteen  feet  square,  and  its  decora- 
tions the  tools  of  the  carpenter  and  pieces  of  wood.  Except  when 
dancing,  the  women  stood  on  one  side  of  the  room,  and  the  men 
on  the  other  ;  and  the  instant  the  music  stopped  the  women 
would  rush  back  to  their  places.  Here  was  no  retiring  to  a  quiet 
corner  for  an  innocent  flirtation,  no  stepping  upon  the  useless 
trains  of  dresses. 

In  their  simple,  and  I  must  say,  modest  costume,  the  Esqui- 
maux appear  a  happy  and  contented  lot.  They  are  a  people 
who  live  from  hand  to  mouth  on  the  product  of  the  winter's 
hunting ;  some  of  this  they  dispose  of  to  the  Greenland 
Fur  Company,  which  is  not  over  liberal  in  remunerating  tlie 
Greenlander.  This  Company  keeps  and  sells  hard  rye  biscuit, 
rice,  and  some  other  provisions  to  the  Esquimaux,  and  a  meal  of 
"hard-tack"  and  "salt-junk"  (corned  beef)  would  be  a  feast  to 
them. 

Their  turf-built  hut  is  roofed  over  with  drift-wood,  or  skins. 
It  is  a  hovel  with  a  single  room  ten  or  twelve  feet  square ;  a 
small  window  is  cut  on  one  side  to  admit  a  scanty  ray  of  light, 
and  a  long  tunnel-shaped  entry  opens  into  the  hut  by  a  skin  door. 
Here  they  eat,  drink,  and  lodge. 

Upon  first  landing  at  the  shore  the  men  meet  you  with  a 


ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX.  271 

respectful  bow  and  a  broad  grin  ;  next,  the  women  with  their 
infants  on  their  backs  ;  and  mingled  in  with  the  crowd  are  the 
children  and  dogs,  howling  in  unison  and  evidently  trying  to 
compete  with  each  other  in  making  a  noise.  What  greets  one 
most  strikingly  perhaps,  is  the  odor  which  rises  from  the  slabs 
of  drying  seal  meat,  or  from  the  vapor  sent  off  from  the  pots  of 
boiling  seal-blubber,  seal  oil,  or  offal ;  and  yet  these  people  live 
happily  without  annoying  any  one,  and  would  hardly  think  of 
exchanging  their  abode  for  any  other  home. 

The  conveniences  of  these  people  for  life  comforts  are  not 
numerous.  A  half-dozen  sealskins  constitute  both  mattress  and 
comfortables  for  two  persons  ;  or  a  dog-skin  bag  will  do  for  one. 
An  iron  pot  does  duty  as  a  stove,  in  which  the  Esquimaux  burn 
peat  saturated  with  seal-oil ;  a  couple  of  pots  for  boiling  rice  and 
other  foods  serve  all  the  purposes  for  cooking ;  a  rude  lamp 
made  from  a  dish  of  oil  with  dried  moss  for  wicking,  answers  the 
purposes  of  a  light  through  the  long  winter  night.  Each  family 
has  its  half-dozen  dogs,  a  sledge  and  a  kayak  ;  an  old  musket, 
a  couple  of  lances  or  harpoons,  materials  and  implements  for 
repairing  clothes,  fishing-lines,  and,  to  ray  great  surprise,  each 
hut  had  its  time-piece  —  an  American  clock. 

Aside  from  the  Governor,  who  is  the  agent  for  the  Fur  Com- 
pany as  well,  the  principal  person  is  the  schoolmaster,  a  man  part 
Dane  and  part  Esquimau.  He  also  fills  the  place  of  priest  and 
carpenter.  His  hut,  similar  to  the  others,  furnishes  a  home  for 
himself,  his  wife  and  his  five  children. 

We  often  had  opportunities  to  observe  the  grand  effect  of 
the  Arctic  mirage.  Jacobshavn,  forty-eight  miles  distant,  and 
numerous  icebergs  seemed  to  be  suspended  or  floating  above  the 
horizon  in  bold  relief.     One  berg  with  a  pinnacle  at  one  end,  had 


27-  ICEBKIUJS    AND    KSC^UIMAUX. 


the  appearance  of  the  steeple  of  a  stately  church  ;  -when  in- 
verted by  the  mirage  it  presented  the  appearance  of  two  churches, 
one  balancing  itself  by  its  steeple  upon  the  steeple  of  the  other. 

After  having  several  suits  of  sealskin  clothing  made  up,  and 
purchasing  a  lot  of  dogs,  we  started  for  Upernavik.  Our  depart- 
ure was  attended  with  sadness  on  the  part  of  the  Esquimaux. 
The  men  stood  on  the  rocks  waving  adieu  with  sealskins,  and  the 
women  shed  tears.  What  wicked  civilized  creatures  we  seemed 
to  thus  have  broken  the  hearts  of  any  of  these  Arctic  maidens ! 

To  add  to  the  pleasing  state  of  the  vessel  we  had  twenty-four 
Esquimau  dogs  coralled  in  a  pen  on  deck  to  be  used  on  our 
prospective  sledge  journeys.  Such  a  howling  lot  as  they  were  ! 
No  sooner  did  we  get  them  into  their  pen  than  a  regular  battle 
ensued,  and  for  some  days  we  were  compelled  to  tie  up  a  few  of 
the  most  pugnacious  in  order  to  seciu^e  anything  like  peace. 
This  incessant  dog  fight  continued  until  we  had  gained  the 
acknowledged  supremacy  by  thrashing  the  whole  pack. 

This  state  of  things  happens  in  all  badly-regulated  dog  com- 
munities, and  there  is  always  a  "  king  "  dog,  one  who  must  con- 
quer all  the  others,  after  which  he  may  rule  his  subjects  with 
despotic  sway,  frequently  settling  a  quarrel  between  a  couple  of 
pugilistic  disputants,  and  reserving  for  himself  the  best  of  every- 
thing in  the  shape  of  food.  The  other  dogs  yield  their  tid-bits 
with  cringing  servility,  the  conqueror  exerting  a  complete  mas- 
tery over  his  canine  subjects,  and  exacting  from  them  the  most 
abject  homage.  To  take  charge  of  such  an  unruly  pack  we  ob- 
tained the  services  of  an  expert  Esquimau  driver,  who,  with  his 
kayak  and  long-lashed  whip,  lived  with  the  pack  forward.  The 
whip  is  the  main  feature  in  dog  government  as  well  as  dog- 
driving,  and   its  use   would  no   doubt   rouse  all   the   charitable 


ICEBERGS    AND    ESQUIMAUX.  273 

instinct  —  for  clogs  —  of  the  late  renowned  Henry  Bergh.  To 
be  a  good  driver  of  Esquimau  dogs  it  is  necessary  to  be  able  to 
use  the  implement  of  discipline  in  a  dexterous  manner. 

The  whip-lash  is  a  thong  of  sealskin  about  twenty  feet  long, 
attached  to  a  short  handle  no  more  than  two  feet  in  length.  In 
the  hands  of  an  experienced  driver  it  is  a  formidable  weapon, 
and  the  dogs  often  receive  severe  punishment  from  it.  They 
are  guided  solely  by  it.  A  very  annoying  and  distressing  piece 
of  work  connected  with  dog-sledging  is  disentangling  the  lines, 
which  in  a  short  time  become  in  a  grievously  entangled  state 
from  the  constant  dodging  about  of  the  dogs  ;  and  this,  it  must 
be  remembered,  has  to  be  done  with  hands  encased  in  thick 
woolen  mitts.  To  bare  one's  hands  in  the  Arctic  would  ensure 
serious  frostbite. 

In  consequence  of  the  great  amount  of  dog  food  that  has  of 
necessity  to  be  carried,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  use  the  dogs 
for  long  journeys  to  the  northward.  The  Esquimau  dogs  are 
usually  voracious ;  they  are  nlways  hungry  !  Nothing  in  the 
shape  of  fresh  meat  or  of  skin  is  safe  from  their  insatiable  appe- 
tites ;  even  the  thongs  that  are  used  for  lashing  the  di;fferent 
parts  of  a  sledge  together,  unless  they  have  been  well  rubbed 
over  with  tar,  are  unsafe  when  dogs  are  around  and  will  most 
assuredly  be  gnawed  off. 

We  had  also  with  us  a  couple  of  large  sledges  for  long 
iournevs  and  bulky  freiuht ;  but  I  never  had  but  two  sledo^ins; 
expeditions  in  the  Arctic,  and  these  were,  happily,  short.  Those 
who  stay  at  liome  at  ease  have  little  or  no  idea  of  what  sledge 
traveling  in  the  Arctic  really  is.  We  often  see  pictures  of  trav- 
elers on  sledges,  comfortably  wrapped  in  blanket  shawls  and 
furs,  and  drawn  by  dogs  or  reindeer  gayly  caparisoned,  their  bells 


274  ICEBKKG.S    AND    ESQUIMAUX. 

jingling  as  they  dash  along  at  a  rapid  pace  over  a  smooth  plain 
of  snow  and  ice  ;  and  after  the  day  is  finished  a  large  fire  is  built, 
when  salmon  and  venison  provide  a  sumptuous  meal.  And 
then  tlie  travelers  ensconce  themselves  in  a  nice,  warm  snow- 
house.     This  is  the  fiction  ;    the  fact  is  a  much  sterner  picture. 

But  it  is  a  novel  sensation  nevertheless  to  go  dashing  along 
on  the  dog-drawn  Greenland  sledges,  exploring  a  perfectly  un- 
known country,  a  wild  and  barren  tract  of  land,  or  rather  of 
rock;  riding  over  a  snow-covered  expanse,  receding  from  the 
coast  in  long  undulations  into  the  interior  until  lost  among  the 
conically-shaped  hills  of  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  feet 
in  lieio;ht,  that  invariablv  form  the  chief  features  of  Arctic 
scenery  in  these  high  latitudes. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 


ON    TO    UPEKNAVIK. 


OUR  run  to  Uper- 
navik  was  a 
continued  skirmi.sh 
with  the  icebergs. 
The  farther  north 
we  went  they  became 
more  numerous  and 
of  more  gigantic  pro- 
port  ion  s.  One  in 
sight,  not  more  than 
a  mile  away,  was 
like  an  immense  flat- 
topped  mountain,  and,  cut  through  it  from  side  to  side,  a  perfect 
archway.  Soon  afterward  we  ran  within  three  hundred  feet  of 
an  immense  table  berir,  its  roof  towering:  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  tops  of  our  masts,  thus  making  it  in  the  neighborhood  of  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea's  surface.  Hence,  there  may  have 
been  a  depth  of  twenty-one  hundred  feet  below,  on  the  prin- 
ciple  that   seven-eighths  of  the  bulk  of  ice  is  submerged. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  30,  we  were  startled  by  the  cry 
of  the  lookout  in  the  crow's  nest  aloft :  "  Land  ho !  close 
aboard  ! "  The  engines  were  stopped  and  reversed,  all  hands 
were  called  to  quarters,  the  anchors  cast  from  the  catheads,  the 

275 


276  ON    TO    UrEKXAVIK. 

cables  cleared  for  running,  and  the  next  instant  the  officer-of-the- 
deck  shouted  through  his  trunijoet,  "  Let  go  the  port  anchor!  let 
go  !  "     After  running  out  about  sixty  fathoms  of  chain  (tliree 
hundred  and  sixty  feet)  without  getting  bottom,  we  feared  our 
bold  rock  ahead  might  prove  to  be  an  iceberg  in  the  middle  of 
the  sound.     But  after  twenty  fathoms  more  of  chain  were  run 
out  the  anchor  took    bottom.     Then  we    let   go    the    starboard 
anchor  to  be  doubly  sure  of  holding.     After  eight  hours'  delay 
the  fog  lifted  and  we  realized   from  the    bold,   lofty  Gibraltar- 
looking  rock,  that  faced  us  how  barely  we  had  escaped  shijDwreck 
from  running  into  it.     But,  fortunately,  we  had  anchored  about 
six  hundred  feet  from  the  shore  in  a  little  bay  with  bold  rocky 
cliffs  on  three  sides  of  us. 

Our  getting  in  so  dangerously  close  to  the  land  was  due  to 
the  great  variation  between  the  magnetic  needle  and  the  true 
north,  the  variation  being  about  eiglitj^  degrees  and  affected 
largely  by  local  polarization.  We  were  about  twelve  miles  south 
of  Upernavik  to  which  place  we  steamed  and  came  to  anchor. 
The  little  bay  of  Upernavik  was  so  limited  in  its  accommodations 
that  it  was  necessary  to  moor  the  vessel  bow  and  stern  by  run- 
ning hawsers  out  to  either  shore.  This  served  to  keep  the  ice- 
bergs from  floating  down  upon  us,  as  well  as  to  keep  the  vessel 
from  swino'ingj  hei-  ends  on   the  rocks.     One  laro;e  berg:  floated 

CD  <D  O  O 

dangerously  near  us,  and  the  next  instant  great  pieces  of  ice 
showered  over  the  vessel's  decks  from  stem  to  stern  as  the  result 
of  a  solid  shot  fired  into  it  from  our  pivot  gun. 

Two  days  after  our  arrival  the  Little  Juniata,  in  command  of 
Lieutenant  George  W.  De  Long,  and  with  him  among  others,  Lieu- 
tenant Charles  W.  Chipp,  started  across  Melville  Bay  for  Little- 
ton Lsland,  in  search  of  the  Polaris  or   her  survivors.     As  the 


ox    TO    UPEllNAVIK. 


'^i  i 


little  steam  launch  sailed  away  with  her  sealskin-clad  crew,  our 
rigging  was  manned  and  rousing  cheers  were  given  for  the 
daring  explorers.  They  were  cheerily  responded  to  by  De  Long 
and  his  party,  a  hopeful  set  braving  the  Arctic  dangers  to  render 
succor  to  their  castaway  brethren.  The  launch  made  her  way 
direct  to  Tessiussak,  the  northernmost  settlement  of  the  Esqui 


UPERNAVIK. 


manx,  and  where  was  obtained  from  Trader  Jensen  a  carcass  of 
venison. 

Tessiussak  is  a  small  habitation  of  a  half-dozen  huts  and  a 
population  of  perhaps  fifty  Esquimaux.  It  lies  in  73°  24'  north 
latitude,  and  its  destiny  is  presided  over  by  Sergeant  Jensen, 
one  of  the  agents  of  the  Greenland  Fur  Company.  This  man,  it 
will  be  remembered  by  those  who  have  read  Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes' 
Arctic  explorations,  accompanied  the  doctor  upon  his  two  expe- 


278  ON    TO    UPERNAVIK. 

ditions  as  dog-driver,  hunter  and  interpreter.  He  is  a  fine- 
looking  fellow,  above  six  feet  tall,  and  one  of  the  most  hospitable 
of  the  Greenland  governors,  not  excepting  genial  Dr.  Rudolph 
at  Upernavik.  Jensen  and  his  wife  have  lived  about  twenty- 
three  years  at  Tessiussak,  bringing  up  a  family  of  four  child- 
ren. They  live  in  a  thick-walled  frame  house  that  was  brought 
out  from  Denmark  for  them.  With  an  overflowinLi-  larder  of 
seal-blubber,  canned  meats  and  desiccated  vegetables,  and  with 
plenty  of  books  and  papers,  they  seem  more  comfortable  and 
happy  than  do  thousands  of  working-people  whom  I  have  seen  in 
our  navy-yards. 

It  is  the  agents'  business  to  buy  the  furs,  oil,  walrus  ivor}', 
deer-skins,  and  the  few  bear-skins  that  n:iay  be  obtained  from  the 
Esquimaux  of  his  district,  and  once  a  year  a  government  vessel 
comes  from  Copenhagen  to  get  them,  leaving  behind  the  few 
letters  brought  from  friends  in  Denmark,  some  books,  papers, 
flour,  and  canned  meats  and  vegetables.  The  family  have  grown 
so  accustomed  to  their  constant  isolation,  even  to  the  long  four 
months  of  Arctic  night  that,  as  Mrs.  Jensen  told  me,  tliey  had  no 
wish  to  return  to  Denmark.  In  the  school  maintained  by  the 
Home  Government  the  children  are  taught  geography,  and  they 
read  books  descriptive  of  the  great  world  they  have  never  seen. 
Dr.  Rudolph  a  few  years  ago  went  back  to  Demnark  intending  to 
end  his  days  there,  but  he  soon  returned  to  Upernavik,  conclud- 
insr  that  there  was  no  contentment  in  civilized  life  for  him,  and 
that  he  wcs  better  at  ease  in  that  section  of  the  M'orld  where 
there  was  only  one  night  and  one  day  in  the  year. 

Leaving  Tessiussak,  the  Little  Juniata  kept  close  to  the  coast, 
working  her  way  among  the  bergs,  ice  packs,  and  false  leads  until 
she  reached  Wilcox  Head,  latitude  74°  40'. 


ON    TO    UPERNAVIK.  279 

Here  the  fog  became  so  dense  that  the  boat  was  made  fast  to 
a  berg  and  waited  for  a  clearing.  Getting  under  way  again  a 
few  hours  later,  the  boat  encountered  heavy  pack  and  hummock 
ice,  and  newly-formed  ice.  By  steady  ramming  she  succeeded  in 
forging  ahead  a  little  at  a  time,  but  the  prospects  were  so  dubious 
that  a  course  was  made  to  the  westward,  and  after  several  hours' 
more  ramming  she  reached  clear  w^ater.  After  that  more  pack 
ice  and  numerous  icebergs  were  encountered,  and  after  losing:  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  consuming  much  coal  in  working  out  from 
false  leads  in  the  ice  she  succeeded  in  reaching  a  point  about  eight 
miles  from  Cape  York.  To  add  to  the  discouragement  of  De 
Long  and  his  party  a  furious  gale  broke  over  them  accompanied 
with  a  fearful  sea,  some  of  the  spray  dashing  over  bergs  a  hun- 
dred feet  high.  Being  on  the  edge  of  a  heavy  ice  pack  which 
was  rapidly  breaking  up  the  situation  became  one  of  great  danger 
and  anxiety.  The  fire  had  been  put  out  and  everything  in  the 
boat  was  saturated.  After  thirty  hours  there  came  a  lull,  and  as 
prosecuting  the  search  longer  with  the  steam  launch  was  out  of 
the  question,  De  Long  reluctantly  announced  that  they  must  turn 
back.  The  next  serious  question  was  relative  to  starting  a  fire. 
After  repeated  attempts  by  Ensign  May,  who  warmed  and  dried 
some  matches  by  rubbing  them  next  to  his  body,  a  fire  was 
started  with  some  cotton  waste  saturated  w^ith  oil,  steam  was 
raised,  and  then  the  battle  with  the  ice  was  resumed. 

The  Little  Juniata  was  sighted  on  its  return  from  its  perilous 
cruise  on  the  forenoon  of  August  12,  and  hearty  cheers  of 
welcome  rang  out  from  the  lusty  throats  of  officers  and  sailors 
who  manned  the  rigging  before  the  order  had  been  completed. 
De  Long  was  the  first  to  step  over  the  gangway  and  his  ex- 
clamation to  Captain  Braine  was  :   "  I  am  sorry  tha  t  I  have  no 


280  ON    TO    UPERNAViK. 

better  news  than  that  we  are  all  well  and  safely  back  ;  but  we 
had  a  tedious  time  of  it."  Reading  over  their  log  we  were  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  the  fact. 

Our  stay  at  Upernavik,  especially  during  the  eventful  cruise 
of  the  Little  Juniata,  was  made  most  pleasant.  The  governor, 
or  inspector  of  the  fur  company,  was  Dr.  E.  N.  Rudolph,  a  genial 
old  gentleman  who  has  greeted  many  Arctic  expeditions,  and  who 
will  always  be  gratefully  remembered  by  all  American  explorers. 
The  settlement  of  Upernavik  contains  a  population  of  a  little 
less  than  a  hundred  Esquimaux  (there  were  ninety-four  then),  with 
whose  life  and  habits  I  became  more  familiarly  acquainted  than 
with  any  of  their  race  elsewhere  in  Greenland.  The  number  of 
population  remains  about  the  same: — that  is,  the  births  are 
about  equal  to  the  deaths,  and  none  ever  reach  the  allotted  ''  three 
score  years  and  ten."  The  men  marry  at  about  twenty  and  the 
women  at  eighteen. 

Hunting  is  a  favorite  pastime,  but  North  Greenland  has  very 
little  game,  and  bears  and  reindeer  are  rare.  The  polar  bears 
are  not  nearly  so  plentiful  as  people  who  have  never  been  to  the 
Arctic  in  recent  years  are  apt  to  believe,  or  as  our  common-school 
geographies  picture  to  us  in  Arctic  scenery,  where  every  cake  of 
floatino;  ice  and  iceberg;  is  traced  with  two  or  three  of  these  g-rand 
and  noble-looking  brutes.  The  bears  seem  to  be  nearly  all  exter- 
minated, and  the  reindeer  have  been  driven  back  to  the  interior 
by  the  introduction  and  use  of  the  rifles  among  the  natives. 
When  the  winter  has  been  unusually  severe  the  bears  that  have 
taken  refuge  northward  risk  a  southern  journey  in  search  of 
food. 

One  day  it  was  suggested  to  Dr.  Rudolph  that  if  we  could 
only  get  a  little  fresh  animal  food  now  and  then  we  could  man- 


ON    TO    UPERNAVIK.  281 

age  to  exist.  His  response  was,  ''  You  must  learn  to  eat  seal  and 
walrus  meat  and  you  will  tind  it  quite  palatable  food,  even  to 
your  fastidious  tastes."  I  found  that  it  was  an  acquired  taste  ; 
and  the  more  experience  I  had  here,  the  stronger  became  the  con- 
viction that  we  would  have  to  accj^uire  the  taste  of  seal-blubber 
before  much  of  the  approaching  winter  should  pass.  We  had 
already  begun  to  drink  lime  juice  freely,  it  being  considered  an 
indispensable  anti-scorbutic,  and  it  was  regularly  issued  to  officers 
and  men.  Precautions  were  taken  to  insure  the  certainty  of 
each  one  drinking  the  daily  allowance.  With  few  exceptions  we 
drank  it  off  without  a  cpialm,  and  those  who  did  not  like  it  at 
first  gradually  educated  their  taste  to  it  by  small  quantities  until 
they  had  overcome  their  dislike  for  it. 

We  were  not  long  in  finding  that  there  was  plenty  of  good 
game.  A  few  miles  down  the  coast  the  eider  duck  and  the  auk 
were  in  abundance,  and  we  soon  organized  a  small  hunting  party 
for  our  small  steam  launch,  returning  two  hours  afterwards  with 
ninety-one  birds.  We  found  them  relishable  food,  in  fact  a  lux- 
ury. The  cliffs,  about  five  miles  below  Upernavik,  are  the  best 
nesting  places  for  the  innumerable  auks.  These  small  ducks, 
circling  about  in  immense  flocks,  darkened  the  air  in  their  rapid 
flight,  and  kept  up  day  and  night  a  most  harassing  and  incessant 
clatter. 

Among  the  rocks  nearer  the  water  we  found  the  homes  of  the 
eider  duck,  a  bird  which  comes  up  from  the  sea  to  the  land. 
They  hunt  their  food  by  diving  and  swimming  over  the  billows, 
and  sleep  and  dream  with  their  heads  hidden  under  their  wings. 
The  eider  duck  is  the  producer  of  a  thick  growth  of  down,  and 
belongs  to  one  of  the  largest  species  of  the  Arctic  birds.  The 
plumage  of  the  male  is  handsome  and  brilliant.     It  is  a  combina- 


0  09 


ON    TO    UPKRNAVIK. 


tiou  of  black,  ashen  gray,  ice  green,  white,  brown  and  yellow, 
mingled  with  beautiiul  effect.  The  head  and  back  is  of  snowy 
white,  the  neck  is  red,  and  the  belly  of  deep  black.  The  female 
is  less  richly  liued,  the  principal  color  being  gray  set  off  with 

black  spots  and  stripes. 

Two  days  before  the  return 
of  the  Little  Juniata  the  Tigress, 
in  command  of  Captain  Green, 
with  Chief  Enc!;ineer  Georg;e  W. 
Melville  as  the  engineer,  arrived 
from  New  York  brina-ino-  us 
mail  and  the  New  York  papers 
only  a  month  old.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  Tigress  left  us 
for  her  search  up  Smith's  Sound 
for  the  Polaris.  Three  days 
later  we  started  for  Godhavn  to 
await  the  return  of  the  Tigress. 
As  our  supply  of  coal  was  running  short  I  volunteered  to  go 
on  a  prospecting  expedition  in  the  Waigat,  or  straits  around  the 
island  of  Disco,  as  I  had  learned  that  something  resembling  coal 
had  been  found  on  the  shore  by  some  natives.  The  Little  Juni- 
ata was  fitted  up,  and  on  August  23,  with  a  crew  of  eleven  sail- 
ors, provisions,  tents,  with  an  electric  battery  and  torpedoes,  with 
pickaxes  and  crowbars,  and  with  Ensign  J.  D.  Keeler  as  my  asso- 
ciate, we  started  on  our  c{uest.  We  were  clad  in  sealskin  suits, 
covering  every  portion  of  our  body  excepting  our  faces,  and  as 
we  left  the  ship,  looking  more  like  natives  than  officers  and  sail- 
ors of  the  navy,  there  rang  out  lusty  cheers  from  nearly  two 
hundred  Blue  Jackets  who  manned  the  rigging  of  the  ship. 


GEORGE    \V.    MELVILLK. 


ON    TO    UPERNAVIK.  283 

Steaming  along,  dodging  the  icebergs  and  field  ice,  forty 
hours  after  leaving  the  vessel  we  put  into  a  small  bay  or  cove 
opposite  the  settlement  of  Rittenbeuk,  and  only  seventy-eight 
miles  from  Godhavn.     It  was  in  the  wee  sma'  hours  of  mornhio- 

o. 

but  the  sun  was  up,  in  fact  it  had  not  set  for  many  weeks,  and 
as  soon  as  we  observed  any  stir  of  life  among  the  huts,  Mr. 
Keeler  and  myself  went  on  shore  and  introduced  ourselves  to  the 
Danish  trader  who  presided  over  the  destinies  of  the  fifty  or 
sixty  Esquimaux  there. 

The  trader's  residence  was  the  nearest  approach  to  civilization 
that  I  had  seen  in  Greenland.  It  was  cosey  and  homelike  and 
at  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  piano  at  which  his  Danish  wife 
passed  away  much  of  her  time.  The  trader  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  warmly  received  us,  and  offered  us  such  hospitalities 
as  they  had  at  hand  so  long  as  we  desired  to  stay.  After  break- 
fasting with  him  I  hired  eleven  of  the  natives  (six  women  and 
five  men)  to  aid  us  wdien  we  should  tind  coal,  men  and  women 
working  alike.  We  left  Rittenbeuk  at  noon  and  at  seven  p.  m. 
anchored  off  Njarasusuk,  another  small  settlement,  Mr.  Keeler 
and  myself  prospecting  along  shore  meanwhile,  and  turning  over 
and  examining  minutely  and  scientifically  every  little  bit  of  dark 
stone. 

We  concluded  to  spend  the  night  in  the  huts  at  Njarasusuk, 
leaving  two  men  on  the  launch  as  a  watch.  About  sundown, 
eleven  p.  m.,  we  dropped  into  our  reindeer  sleeping  bags  and  were 
soon  fast  asleep  dreaming  of  home.  The  wind  was  howling  bitterly 
and  a  fearful,  beating  snowstorm  begun,  continuing  throughout 
the  night  and  till  nearly  mid-day.  But  our  sleeping  bags  were 
too  comfortable  to  allow  the  storm  without  to  interfere  with  our 
rest.     In  fact  these  sleeping  bags  are  a  wonderful  improvement 


284  ON    TO    UPEKNAVIK. 

upon  ordinary  bed  clothing  for  Arctic  life,  as  there  is  no  danger 
of  any  portion  of  the  body  becoming  uncovered  wliile  in  them. 
They  are  made  either  of  reindeer  or  dog  skins,  and  the  shape  of 
an  ordinary  bag  with  a  flap  that  is  thrown  over  the  head,  leaving 
only  a  small  opening  to  prevent  suffocation. 

Resuming  our  tour  of  prospecting  about  noon  we  continued  for 
nearly  eight  miles  beyond  Njarasusuk  and  then  discovered  a  black- 
ish brown  carboniferous  stone,  but  in  small  quantities.  This  was 
our  first  find  and  here  we  drove  a  stake  to  which  we  tied  a  piece 
of  cloth  to  identify  the  place  upon  our  return.  With  a  half- 
dozen  men,  armed  with  chisel  bars  and  pickaxes,  I  pushed  a  few 
miles  further  on,  examining  the  pieces  of  stone  more  minutely 
until  I  came  to  unmistakable  coal  croppings.  After  blowing  out 
a  good  portion  of  the  frozen  sand  with  a  torpedo  bomb,  we 
opened  up  a  good  vein  of  vitreous  and  resinous  coal  that  grew 
thicker  and  of  better  quality  the  farther  we  went  in.  Conclud- 
ing to  inform  the  captain  of  our  success  I  sent  a  written  report 
to  him  by  an  Esquimau  with  his  kayak  ;  the  postage,  or  rather 
the  cost  of  sending  this  apprisal  of  our  good  fortune  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles,  being  sixteen  Danish  dollars,  or  eight  dollars 
and  a  half  American  money. 

After  formally  staking  out  the  claim  in  the  name  of  the 
United  States,  and  planting  over  it  the  American  ensign,  and 
naming  it  '•  Eureka  Mine,"  I  set  my  men  to  putting  up  three 
canvas  tents  —  one  for  the  officers  and  provisions,  another  for 
the  sailors,  and  the  other  for  the  Esquimaux.  By  this  time  it  was 
nearly  time  to  stop  work  (on  the  twelve  hours  a  day  system),  and 
to  get  our  meal  of  pemmican,  desiccated  potatoes,  crackers  and 
coffee.  After  our  supper  and  a  smoke,  the  selection  of  psalms 
from  the  prayer  book    and    prayers    were    read,    and    then    we 


ON    TO    UPEKNAVIK. 


285 


dropped  into  our  sleeping  bags.  We  did  not  awaken  before  5.30 
A.  M.,  which  is  proof  that  we  did  not  suffer  from  insomnia,  and 
then  after  a  breakfast  of  coft'ee  and  cold  boiled  pork  sandwiches, 
we  went  to  work,  the  sailors  digging  out  the  coal  with  pickaxes 


PROSPECTING. 


and  chisel  bars,  the  officers  setting  the  torpedoes  and  blowing 
the  coal  out,  and  the  Esquimaux  filling  the  bags  and  carrying  them 
to  the  beach. 

I  say  nothing  of  the  customary  morning  ablutions,  of  plung- 
ing into  a  cold  water  bath,  for  we  neglected  both,  where  it  was 
necessary  to  melt  the  ice  to  get  fresh  water  ;  and  those  who 
have  used  salt  water  for  dirt  removing  know  how  useless  it  is. 
Our  regular  diet  was  cold  fat  pork  and  "  hard  tack  "  (crackers), 


286  ox    TO    rPERNAYIK. 

with  desiccated  potatoes  and  canned  tomatos,  and  once  a  day 
pemmican.  If  our  friends  at  home  could  have  seen  us  biting 
through  a  half-inch  slice  of  fat  pork  laid  on  a  single  cracker  it 
might  have  caused  them  a  little  qualmishness,  but  we  found  it 
not  only  a  necessary  food  for  our  stomach  and  fuel  for  the  bodily 
organs  and  blood  veins,  but  also  a  palatable  food. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  at  the  mine  a  party  of 
hunters  from  Njarasusuk  in  kayaks  and  oomiaks  came  up  and 
invited  us  to  a  walrus  hunt.  I  o-ave  the  men  a  half-holidav  to 
witness  a  genuine  and  exciting  hunt  for  the  walrus  ;  not  an  ex- 
hibition, but  a  real  chase  by  Innuits,  as  the  Esquimaux  call  them- 
selves. There  were  about  a  dozen  of  the  hunters,  each  one  thor- 
oughly equipped  with  weapons.  Some  had  rifles,  others  lances, 
harpoons  and  floats.  Pulling  across  the  Waigat,  and  nearing  the 
opposite  shore,  the  kayaks  forged  ahead  to  make  the  first  attack 
upon  a  family  of  walruses  which  had  paddled  themselves  up  on 
the  ice  to  bask  in  the  warm  sunshine. 

All  conversation  was  hushed,  or  dropped  to  whisperings  when 
communication  was  necessary ;  the  paddles  were  plied  as  if  they 
were  mutiied,  and  all  movements  were  as  silent  as  possible  ;  for 
the  walrus  has  an  acute  ear,  and  the  hunters  had  a  sharpened 
appetite  for  walrus  meat.  When  the  leader-hunters  reached  the 
edge  of  the  ice  pack  they  walked  stealthily  along  it,  and  then 
without  any  warning  a  harpoon  was  suddenly  poised  over  the 
shoulder  of  the  chief  and  in  another  second  went  whizzing 
through  the  air  and  the  spear-head  was  buried  deep  in  the 
animal's  thick  hide.  The  Greenlander's  harpoon  is  a  wicked 
looking  instrument,  about  six  feet  long  with  a  barbed  spear-head, 
and  fastened  to  a  supple  line  of  tanned  sealskin  fifty  feet  long. 
On  the  other  end  of  the  line  is  attached  a  sealskin  float. 


ox    TO    UPERXAVIK.  287 

The  instant  the  speared  wah'us  was  struck  he  gave  a  plunge 
into  the  water  and  the  rest  of  the  herd  darted  off  with  him. 
The  Esquimau  hunters  rushed  for  their  kayaks  and  oomiaks,  and 
scurried  away  after  the  wounded  wahais,  which,  in  addition  to 
being  fatally  wounded,  was  dragging  behind  him  fifty  feet  of 
heavy  line  and  a  big  bladder-like  float. 

The  wounded  walrus  dived  below,  and  a  couple  of  minutes 
later,  like  a  whale,  came  up  to  blow.  After  going  down,  perhaps 
a  dozen  times,  the  great  black  water-beast,  nearly  exhausted, 
came  up  to  get  a  breath  of  air  when  another  lance  was  sent 
whizzing  through  the  air  and  pierced  his  shoulder  as  he  was 
about  to  dive.  He  was  then  secured  and  dragged  to  the  shore. 
Then  the  hunters  began  cutting  the  carcass  up  into  square  pieces, 
each  weighing  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
The  bundles  or  chunks  of  meat  were  then  divided  up  and  taken 
to  the  settlement  where  they  served  as  food  for  Esquimaux  and 
doofs. 

The  walrus  has  about  an  inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches  of 
blubber  directly  under  the  hide,  and  this  is  tried  out  by  the 
natives  to  get  oil  for  their  lamps  and  for  heating,  and  to  use  as 
food.  The  meat  and  blubber  are  eaten  both  cooked  and  raw. 
The  tough  hide  is  cut  into  small  strips  and  served  out  as  dog- 
food. 

After  working  at  the  coal  mine  three  days,  and  taking  out 
about  thirtv  tons  of  o-ood  coal  with  our  rude  minino;  tools,  our 
kayak  mail  transport  returned  with  orders  from  the  captain  to 
return  to  the  ship  as  speedily  as  possible. 

I  was  loath  to  leave  behind  me  the  result  of  our  three  days 
of  hard  labor,  but  I  have  always  recognized  that  Navy  discipline 
requires  prompt  obedience  to  orders  from  superiors  in  spite  of 


288  ox    TO    UrEKNAVIK. 

all  persoiical  interests.  The  coal  had  become  of  good  quality, 
was  bituminous  in  its  nature  and  contained  much  resinous  mat- 
ter ;  the  vein  had  also  grown  thicker,  and  below  the  original 
stratum  we  opened  another,  so  that  the  results  promised  better 
if  we  had  not  so  soon  been  recalled.  So  hurriedly  shipping  our 
camp  equipment  and  tools,  and  taking  about  four  tons  of  the 
new  coal  we  sadly  turned  our  backs  upon  Camp  Eureka  and  the 
thirty  tons  of  coal  we  had  dug. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


GOOD-BYE    TO    THE    POLE. 


THE  Eureka  Mine  was 
gradually  lost  to  view 
and  we,  in  time,  passed 
Njarasiisuk,  and  then  came 
to  Rittenbeuk.  Here  I  dis- 
charged my  Esquimaux  help 
and  paid  them  their  wages 
—  twenty-six  cents  a  day. 
We  were  only  fifteen  hours 
returning  to  the  ship,  our 
new  coal  giving  us  plenty 
of  steam  and  enabling  us 
to  keep  down  the  satura- 
tion of  the  water  we  were 
using.  Disrobing  our  sealskins,  taking  a  thorough  bath  and  put- 
ting on  our  heavy  beaver  suits  we  again  felt  and  appeared  like 
civilized  humans.  We  learned  that  in  our  absence  the  Tigress 
had  returned  from  the  north,  having  gone  as  far  as  Littleton 
Island  where  was  found  the  camp  occupied  by  Captain  Budding- 
ton  of  the  Polaris  party  through  the  winter.  The  rude  house 
with  its  berths  remained,  but  the  people  had  gone.  Instruments 
and  records  were  found,  and  from  the  latter  it  was  learned  that 
the  Polaris  had  been  crushed  and  sunk. between  two  icebero;s. 

289 


290  GOOD-BVK    TO    THE    I'OLE. 

Nothing  of  the  departure  or  destination  of  the  crew  could  be 
found.  A  cairn  evidently  built  by  them  was  examined,  but  con- 
tained only  seal-blul)ber.  The  presumption  was  that  they  had 
started  south  earlj'  in  June  expecting  to  be  able  to  reach  Uper- 
navik,  but  as  nothing  had  been  seen  of  them  along  the  coast  it 
was  believed  they  had  been  picked  up  by  a  whaler,  and  this  after- 
wards proved  to  be  the  case.  After  the  arrival  of  the  Tigress  at 
Godhavn,  Captain  Greer  was  ordered  to  cruise  off  towards  the 
coast  of  Labrador  in  hopes  of  intercepting  the  whalers,  and  in 
case  nothing  was  learned  of  the  Buddington  party,  then  the 
Tigress  was  to  push  on  to  St.  Johns. 

Captain  Braine  concluded  to  get  the  news  to  Washington  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  we  felt  a  mutual  pride  in  the  hope  of  being 
the  first  to  communicate  what  little  news  there  was  to  send.  It 
was  something  of  a  risk  for  a  steam  vessel  like  the  Juniata  to 
attempt  to  reach  St.  Johns  under  sail  with  the  aid  of  our  remain- 
ing ten  tons  of  coal  only.  A  fearful  snowstorm  delayed  our 
departure  from  Godhavn  for  two  days,  and  then  we  weighed 
anchor  and  bade  good-bye  to  Disco  Island  and  the  Esquimaux. 
Four  days  later  we  passed  Cape  Farewell  and  bade  "  farewell " 
to  "  Greenland's  Icy  Mountains." 

The  days  had  grown  considerably  shorter  before  we  left  God- 
havn ;  in  other  words,  there  were  several  hours  between  sunset 
and  sunrise,  and  we  had  frequent  displays  of  the  northern  lights, 
or  the  aurora  borealis.  These  peculiar  and  remarkable  phenom- 
ena, when  observed  in  the  latitude  of  New  York,  often  command 
much  notice  from  scientists  and  laymen,  and  much  space  in  the 
newspapers,  but  I  never  witnessed  such  grandeur  in  the  skies  as 
the  displays  in  the  Arctic  latitudes. 

Nearly  everybody,  who  has  given    the  subject   thought   and 


GOOD-BYE    TO    THE    POLE.  291 

study,  advances  a  different  theory  regarding  the  aurora  borealis 
for  every  display  it  has  made.  Students  have  given  it  careful 
study  and  have  sought  to  obtain  more  authentic  data  from  the 
vast  amount  of  confusing  statements  made  and  published,  than 
to  studying  what  they  really  may  be.  Whatever  these  studies 
and  conjectures  with  regard  to  these  fireworks  of  the  frigid  zone 
may  result  in  ;  whether  they  be  f  rictional  electric  displays,  re- 
flections from  some  fiery  furnace  or  from  the  sun's  rays  upon  the 
vast  fields  of  polar  ice,  or  phosphorescence  in  the  atmosphere 
acted  upon  by  wave  currents  of  the  air,  as  a  layman  it  is  sufficient 
to  speak  of  their  grandeur.  In  this  latitude  they  have  a  daily 
fluctuation  of  frequency  and  brilliancyj  seeming  to  be  more 
marked  at  certain  hours. 

This  is  what  they  seemed  to  me  :  Long  rolling  ribbons  lash- 
ing the  sky  lazily  backwards  and  forwards  like  a  huge  serpent ; 
while  here  and  there  would  be  a  broader  ribbon  suddenly  illumi- 
nated, and  shooting  out  from  this  rigid  bar  of  golden  flame 
toward  the  zenith.  These  waves  of  brilliancy  would  pulsate 
sometimes,  almost  about  to  disappear,  and  then  coming  back 
to  greater  and  more  energetic  life. 

Our  run  to  St.  Johns  was  without  accident  or  incident  of  note, 
excepting  the  unpleasant  experiences  of  icebergs  and  fogs  and 
ice-floes. 

Upon  leaving  Disco  I  observed  great  families  of  seals  begin- 
ning their  southern  migrations,  keeping  ahead  of  the  ice  as  it 
forms  and  moving  along  the  coast  of  Labrador,  feeding  in  its 
fiords  and  bays  on  the  journey.  They  always  start  for  their 
southern  headquarters  on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  in  Septem- 
ber, when  winter  beo-ins  to  set  in.  At  the  head  of  each  division 
are   small    detachments,   like  pioneers,  leading  the  great  army 


292  GOOD-BYE    TO    THE    POLE. 

behind  them  in  one  continuous  mass.  They  appear  to  fill  the 
sea  as  far  as  the  eve  can  reach,  impressing  one  with  an  idea  of 
vast  thuLisands,  on  whose  ranks  the  hunters  have  for  eighty  years 
made  systematic  onslaughts.  I  say  systematic,  because  a  New- 
foundland law  limits  the  time  when  they  may  be  hunted. 

Still  onward  swims  the  great  army  until  it  reaches  the  Banks 
where  the  seals  feast  upon  the  swarms  of  fish  till  the  latter  part 
of  February  when  they  begin  their  journey  northward  again. 
But  the  Greenland  seas  are  not  depopulated  of  seals,  for  the 
Esquimaux  find  large  numbers  still  remaining  and  these  they 
hunt  on  the  ice  durino-  the  Ions;  Arctic  nisrht.  There  are  four 
species  of  seals  in  these  northern  waters  —  the  bay,  the  harp,  the 
hood,  and  the  square  flipper.  The  first  and  the  last  are  com- 
paratively rare,  and  when  taken  are  of  little  commercial  import- 
ance. The  harp  seal,  the  seal  of  commerce,  is  so  called  from 
having  a  broad  line  of  connected  dark  spots  proceeding  from  each 
shoulder,  and  meetino;  on  the  back  above  the  tail,  thus  formino;  a 
figure  like  an  ancient  harp.  But  it  is  not  until  the  second  year 
that  this  fio;urinfi:  is  marked. 

The  hood  seal  is  much  laro-er  and  more  ferocious  than  the 
harp  seal.  The  male,  or  "  the  dog-hood  "  as  the  hunters  signify 
him,  is  distinguished  from  the  female  by  a  singular  hood  or  bag 
of  flesh  on  his  nose.  When  attacked  or  alarmed  he  inflates  his 
hood  so  to  cover  the  face  and  eyes,  and  this  natural  protection  is 
strong  enough  to  resist  an  ordinary  size  rifle  ball.  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  kill  one  of  these  creatures  when  his  sensitive  nose  is  thus 
protected,  unless  he  is  shot  in  the  side  of  the  head  and  a  little 
behind  it,  so  as  to  strike  him  in  the  neck  at  the  base  of  the  skull. 
Cases  have  been  known  where  fights  between  the  ''dog-hoods" 
have  become  so  furious  as  to  drive  off  the  hunter. 


i/3 


GOOD-BYE    TO    THE    POLE.  295 

After  being  ten  days  at  sea  from  Disco  we  anchored  in  the 
quiet  harbor  of  St.  Johns,  when  the  results  of  our  expedition  were 
telegraphed  to  the  Navy  Department.  On  the  following  day  a 
telegraphic  despatch  of  three  words  :  "  Continue  the  search !  " 
came  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Such  an  order  was  less 
welcome  to  our  families  who  looked  hopefully  forward  to  soon 
seeing  us  after  learning  of  our  arrival  at  St.  Johns,  than  it  was 
to  us.  Our  mission  was  one  of  humanity,  to  render  succor  to 
some  of  our  own  brethren  and  men  of  our  own  profession,  per- 
haps, so  far  as  we  knew,  on  an  ice-floe.  After  taking  in  coal  we 
left  St.  Johns  on  our  second  northw\ard  journey,  our  hearts  throb- 
bing with  hopes  of  finduig  the  castaways.  Night  came  on  and  a 
darker  night  in  clear  weather  I  never  experienced. 

Shortly  before  midnight  a  light  was  reported  on  our  port- 
quarter  ;  then  we  were  startled  by  seeing  rockets  bursting  sky- 
wards, and  the  sending  up  of  other  night  signals  which  were 
interpreted  as  a  request  to  haul  about  to  be  communicated  with. 
Then  our  vessel  was  slowed  down  and  we  sent  up  signals.  There 
was  the  greatest  excitement  on  board,  and  everv  officer  and  man 
was  soon  on  deck.  A  steamer  in  this  sea  so  late  in  the  season 
was  a  rare  thing,  and  we  all  felt  that  it  was  the  Tigress  with 
news  of  the  Polaris.  Our  hearts  were  throbbing  with  delight- 
ful anticipations.  An  hour  later  the  two  vessels  were  close 
enough  to  each  other  to  communicate  and  a  shout  came  over  the 


water 


Ship  ahoy  ! " 
"  Ay,  ay  !  "  was  returned  from  the  Juniata. 
"Is  that  the  Juniata  ? " 
"Ay,  ay,  sir!" 
"  We  have  the  American  consul  on  board  from  St.  Johns. 


296  GOOD-LJYE    TO    THE    POLE." 

We  lowered  a  boat  and  ^^ent  to  the  steamer  which  brousrht 
buck  Consul  Molloy,  who  informed  us  that  he  had  received  a 
telegram  from  Dundee,  Scotland,  that  the  Polaris  crew  had 
arrived  there  on  the  whaling  vessel  Arctic.  Upon  receipt  of  the 
despatch  he  chartered  the  sealing  steamer  Cabot,  and  followed 
the  Juniata  to  intercept  her,  with  the  result  as  I  have  stated,  and 
infcnnned  the  Navy  Department  of  his  action.  The  news  was 
received  witii  great  delight,  but  not  with  the  utmost  credulity  ; 
yet  both  vessels  returned  to  St.  Johns,  where  we  awaited  further 
instructions  from  Washington. 

The  Tigress  was  still  in  the  north,  and  she  was  not  expected 
at  St.  Johns  until  well  toward  October  15,  the  day  set  for  her  to 
return  in  case  she  should  get  no  tidings  of  the  Polaris  people- 
A  few  days  after  our  return  to  St.  Johns  the  mail  steamer  from 
Halifax  brought  information  from  Washington  that  Captain 
Buddington  and  his  companions  were  picked  up  near  Cape  York 
by  the  whaling  bark  Ravenscraig,  eleven  of  them  afterwards 
being  transferred  to  the  Arctic,  and  the  three  others  to  the  whal- 
ing steamer  Intrepid. 

The  Tigress  returned  to  St.  Johns  on  October  16,  and  there 
learned  from  us  the  delightful  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  Polaris 
survivors  at  Dundee.  The  following  day  came  telegraphic  orders 
from  the  Secretary  of  Navy  for  us  to  proceed  to  New  York,  but 
it  was  not  until  October  19,  that  the  weather  permitted  us  to 
start.  Six  davs  later  we  anchored  in  the  North  River,  near  the 
Battery,  and  the  first  mail  to  Washington  carried  applications 
from  De  Long  and  myself  for  duty  upon  any  future  or  prosjDec- 
tive  expedition  to  the  Arctic. 


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