The Fathers at dinner--The dormitory--Trappists’ dress--My
bedroom--The Great Wall of China--Towers--On Trinity day--Man and
speech--A sad story.
On returning to the monastery, I found the fathers at dinner. One of
them was reading aloud while the others were eating, and Father Maurus
told me afterwards that that was done at all meals; the father reader
has his dinner later, when the others are at church praying.
Father Maurus took me to see the dormitory, a long rectangular room
with small cells on each side, each cell being about seven feet long
and four wide. A bunk with a rough mattress was all the furniture in
each cell, and few of them had blankets, as the monks usually slept in
their clothes.
Near the entrance door a pretty marble shell with holy water adorned
the wall as a stoup, and at its sides hung a clothes-brush and a pair
of scissors.
Fathers and novices dress entirely in white. Father Maurus, being the
superior, wears a leather belt, which ends in several knots, similar
in shape to the rope girdles worn by monks of the Franciscan and other
orders.
The Trappists are bareheaded, except shepherds, who wear hats of
enormous size. Each monk is, however, provided with a cowl, which is
very seldom used.
[Sidenote: THE WALL OF CHINA]
I was shown my bedroom--a cell like all the others--only in a separate
part of the building, not inhabited by the Trappists. There was a
wooden crucifix at the head of my bunk, and a hard mattress, but no
pillow; and I searched in vain for pegs, which plainly showed me that
Trappists are more religious than practical, although, on further
reflection, I may have been unjust in my hasty judgment, since they
themselves never undress. My paint-box, as usual, answered the purpose
of a pillow, and altogether I made myself fairly comfortable.
I was up early, having decided to go and see a portion of the Great
Wall and the famous towers of Tung-an-tzu, not many miles off. I passed
Hu-tzia-Ku, and the catechist insisted on accompanying me.
Having left my mules at the Tung-an-tzu temple, at the foot of the
mountain, I proceeded to climb to the summit, where the two towers are.
The Great Wall of China has always been a stumbling-block to Europeans.
Some imagine that it is an enormous structure, thousands of miles long,
and wide enough to allow four lines of carriages to drive on the top.
Others go so far as to assert that it is a myth. There is not only one
Great Wall of China, but many Great Walls, which in some places run
parallel to each other. But the Great Wall is not continuous, as is
very generally supposed; nor is it nearly as high, or as wide, as is
popularly believed. The only portion of the wall in Northern China that
is continuous for several hundred miles is that which runs west from
the sea (Petchili Gulf) to Kalgan, and this is not as solidly built as
that portion which runs from Chatao (NNW. of Pekin) in a south-westerly
direction.
[Illustration: THE WALL OF CHINA AT TUNG-AN-TZU]
The wall began from the first tower we reached, and went across
valleys and mountains; at intervals there were other similar towers,
with vaulted roofs, which, however, were generally tumbling down, the
arches having given way and the ceiling fallen in. The outside walls
were still in excellent preservation. In all the towers the walls
were double, and access to the upper floor was obtained by going up a
small staircase, similar to that of a ship, and nearly perpendicular.
The upper part of the tower was of bricks, but the lower part and the
foundations were made of enormous blocks of granite kept well together
by strong cement. Between stone and stone one could see numerous gun
bullets jammed in. A tablet, with the number of the tower engraved
on it, was placed over the door, and the windows were invariably of
a semi-circular shape. A wall, wide enough for several men to walk
abreast, from one tower to another, connected all these towers, and the
height of that portion of the wall at Tung-an-tzu was not more than
twenty-five feet. According to some Chinese authorities, this part of
the Great Wall is supposed to be much older than that farther north at
Chatao. That the wall is not continuous can be ascertained here, as no
traces can be seen of any connection between the tower and wall which
I saw at Sia-long-men and this part. One explanation of the problem
would be that these fragments of the wall have been built at different
epochs, to protect valleys through which an invading army could pass.
The theory that the wall was built with the object of keeping wild
beasts out of the country does not seem a plausible one, as nothing
could be easier to a tiger or a leopard than to climb over it in many
places.
[Sidenote: TRINITY DAY]
On Trinity Day, May 23, I was present at the benediction in the chapel
of the convent. All the fathers, novices, and boys were present, and it
was a good opportunity for me to see them all together. The church was
nicely decorated, and there was a grand display of candles. The service
was short and good, but what impressed me most were the different
expressions on the faces of these men and boys, who were to end their
days in these wild regions, giving up all duties and pleasures of life,
forgetting parents and friends, and forgotten by everybody; ignoring
the progress of art, science, and the world at large, giving up even
the greatest gift that God has given--speech--for the sake of thinking
exclusively of God.
Some, I presume, took it as a joke, some took it seriously, some looked
as if they felt the weight of it, others appeared quite happy.
When the service was over, Father Maurus came for a walk in the garden.
He was very communicative, and told me the story of his life. It was a
strange and sad story. Was he a weak-minded man to become a Trappist,
I wonder? or did he show a strong will in giving up everything in the
world to go and lead a silent life in that desolate spot?
Next day I left the convent to pursue my journey on to the sacred
mountain of Siao-ou-tai-shan.