[Transcriber's Note: Descriptions of illustrations which have no
captions and of page references are found in {curly brackets}.]
[Illustration: That's where Daddy is!
(From the painting by J. Snowman.)]
THE ROYAL SCHOOL SERIES
Highroads of Geography
_Illustrated by Masterpieces of the following artists:--J.M.W. Turner,
F. Goodall, E.A. Hornel, Talbot Kelly, W. Simpson, Edgar H. Fisher, J.F.
Lewis, T.H. Liddell, Cyrus Cuneo, &c._
Introductory Book--Round the World with Father
1916
CONTENTS.
1. Good-bye to Father,
2. A Letter from France,
3. In Paris,
4. On the Way to Egypt,
5. A Letter from Egypt,
6. Children of Egypt,
7. Through the Canal,
8. Amongst the Arabs.--I.,
9. Amongst the Arabs.--II.,
10. A Letter from India,
11. In the Streets,
12. Our Indian Cousin,
13. In the Garden,
14. Indian Boys and Girls,
15. Elephants and Tigers,
16. A Letter from Burma.--I.,
17. A Letter from Burma.--II.,
18. A Letter from Ceylon,
19. A Letter from China,
20. Chinese Boys and Girls,
21. Hair, Fingers, and Toes,
22. A Letter from Japan,
23. Jap Children,
24. A Letter from Canada,
25. Children of Canada,
26. The Red Men,
27. The Eskimos.
28. Father's Last Letter,
29. Home Again,
EXERCISES,
INTRODUCTORY BOOK.
I. GOOD-BYE TO FATHER.
1. Father kissed us and said, "Good-bye, dears. Be good children, and
help mother as much as you can. The year will soon pass away. What a
merry time we will have when I come back again!"
2. Father kissed mother, and then stepped into the train. The guard blew
his whistle, and the train began to move. We waved good-bye until it was
out of sight.
[Illustration: {Children waving good-bye to their father as the train
pulls away}]
3. Then we all began to cry--even Tom, who thinks himself such a man. It
was _so_ lonely without father.
4. Tom was the first to dry his eyes. He turned to me and said, "Stop
that crying. You are the eldest, and you ought to know better."
5. He made mother take his arm, just as father used to do. Then he began
to whistle, to show that he did not care a bit. All the way home he
tried to make jokes.
6. As soon as we had taken off our coats and hats, Tom called us into
the sitting-room. "Look here," he said: "we're going to have no glum
faces in this house. We must be bright and cheerful, or mother will
fret. You know father wouldn't like that."
[Illustration: {Children in the sitting-room}]
7. We said that we would do our best. So off we went to help mother to
make the beds and to dust the rooms. While we were doing this we quite
forgot to be sad.
8. After tea we went into father's room and looked at the globe. "I'm
going to follow father right round the world," said Tom. "Please show me
which way he is going." Mother did so.
9. "By this time next week," she said, "we shall have the first of many
long letters from father. I am sure we shall enjoy reading them. He will
tell us about the far-off lands which he is going to see."
10. "That will be grand," I said. "I hope he will tell us _lots_
about the children. I want to know what they look like, what they wear,
and what games they play."
11. Tom said he would rather not hear about children. He wanted to hear
about savages and tigers and shipwrecks, and things like that.
[Illustration: {Postman delivering a letter}]
12. A week later the postman brought us father's first letter. How eager
we were to hear it! Mother had to read it for us two or three times.
13. Every week for many weeks the postman brought us letters from
father. When he handed us a letter he used to say, "I'm glad to see that
your daddy is all right so far."
14. This book is made up of father's letters from abroad. I hope you
will enjoy them as much as we did.
* * * * *
2. A LETTER FROM FRANCE.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I am writing this letter in a large seaport of the
south of France. To-morrow I shall go on board the big ship which is to
take me to Egypt.
2. Let me tell you about my travels so far. The train in which I left
our town took me to London. Next day another train took me to a small
town on the seashore.
3. About twenty miles of sea lie between this town and France. At once I
went on board the small steamer which was to take me across. The sea was
smooth and the sun was shining.
[Illustration: The White Cliffs of Dover.
(From the picture by J. M. W. Turner, R.A.)]
4. I stood on the deck looking at the white cliffs of dear old England.
When I could see them no longer I found that we were not far from
France.
5. In about an hour we reached a French town which in olden days
belonged to us. The steamer sailed right up to the railway station.
6. I had something to eat, and then took my place in the train. Soon we
were speeding towards Paris, the chief town of France.
7. I looked out of the window most of the time. We ran through many
meadows and cornfields. Here and there I saw rows of poplar trees
between the fields.
8. Now and then we crossed rivers with barges on them. On and on we
went, past farmhouses and little villages, each with its church. The
French villages look brighter than ours. I think this is because the
houses are painted in gay colours.
9. I saw many men, women, and children working in the fields. All of
them wore wooden shoes. Most of the men and boys were dressed in blue
blouses.
[Illustration: {People working in a field}]
10. There was a little French boy in my carriage. He wore a black blouse
with a belt. His stockings were short, and did not come up to his
knickerbockers. He was rather pale, and his legs were very thin.
11. The boy was about Tom's age. He sat still, and held his father's
hand all the way. I don't think Tom would have done this; he thinks
himself too much of a man.
12. After a time we crossed a broad river, and came to the dull, dark
station of a large city. As we left it, I saw the tall spire of one of
the grandest churches in all the world.
13. On we went, past farms and villages and small towns, until at last
we reached Paris.
* * * * *
3. IN PARIS.
[Illustration: In the Gardens.
(From the picture by Cyrus Cuneo, R.I.)]
1. Paris is a very grand and beautiful city. The French people say that
France is a great garden. They also say that the finest flowers in this
garden make up the nosegay which we call Paris.
2. A great river runs through Paris. All day long you can see little
steamboats darting to and fro on the river, like swallows. Near to the
river are some beautiful gardens.
[Illustration: {View of Paris}]
3. I sat in these gardens, at a little table under the trees. As I sat
there a man walked up the path. At once I heard a great chirping and a
flutter of wings.
[Illustration: {A man with birds}]
4. All the birds in the garden flocked to him. They seemed to know him
as an old friend. Some perched on his shoulders and some on his hat. One
bold little fellow tried to get into his pocket. It was a pretty sight
to see him feeding the birds.
5. In the gardens there were many nurses carrying babies. These nurses
were very gay indeed. They wore gray cloaks and white caps, with broad
silk ribbons hanging down their backs.
6. Some of the older children were playing ball, but they did not play
very well. Until a few years ago French boys had few outdoor games. Now
they are learning to play tennis and football.
7. French boys are always clean and neatly dressed, however poor they
may be. They think more about lessons than our boys do. Their school
hours are much longer than ours.
8. French girls have not so much freedom as our girls. A grown-up person
takes them to school and brings them home again. Their mothers do not
allow them to go for walks by themselves. I wonder how Kate and May
would like this.
9. Some day I must take you to see Paris. You would love to ramble
through its streets. Many of them are planted with trees. Under these
trees you may see men and women sitting at little tables. They eat and
drink while a band plays merry tunes.
[Illustration: {People at a table, being waited on}]
10. You would be sure to notice that the French people have very good
manners. When a Frenchman enters or leaves a shop he raises his hat and
bows. A Frenchman is always polite, and he always tries to please you.
11. I cannot now write anything more about Paris. I should like to tell
you about its beautiful buildings and its fine shops, but I have no more
time to spare.
12. I hope you are all doing your best to make mother happy. I am very
well; I hope you are well too.--Your loving FATHER.
* * * * *
4. ON THE WAY TO EGYPT.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I am writing this letter on board the big ship
which is taking me to Egypt. Let me tell you what I have seen and done
since I left Paris.
2. It is a long day's ride from Paris to the seaport from which my ship
set sail. Let me tell you about the journey. A few hours after leaving
Paris the train began to run through vineyards.
3. At this time of the year a vineyard is a pretty sight. The broad
leaves of the vine are tinted with crimson and gold. Beneath them are
the purple or golden grapes.
4. As I passed through France the grapes were ripe, and were being
gathered. I could see women and children going up and down between the
rows of vines. They plucked the ripe fruit and put it into baskets. When
the baskets were filled they were emptied into a big tub.
[Illustration: THE GRAPE HARVEST.
(From the picture by P.M. Dupuy in the Salon of 1909. Bought by the
State.)]
5. When the tub was filled it was taken to a building near at hand. In
this building there is a press which squeezes the juice out of the
grapes. The grape juice is then made into wine.
6. As evening drew on we came to a large town where two big rivers meet.
It is a busy town, and has many smoky chimneys. Much silk and velvet are
made in this town.
7. I think you know that silk is made by the silkworm. This worm feeds
on the leaves of the mulberry tree. In the south of France there are
thousands of mulberry trees. There are also many orange and olive trees.
8. The weather is much warmer in the south of France than it is in
England. In the early spring all sorts of pretty flowers are grown on
the hillsides. They are sent to England, and are sold in the shops when
our gardens are bare.
9. Now I must hurry on. For some hours we ran by the side of a swift
river; with mountains on both sides of us. Then we reached the big
seaport, and there I found my ship waiting for me.
10. It is a huge ship, with hundreds of cabins, a large dining-room,
drawing-room and smoking-room. It is really a floating hotel.
11. Most of the people on board are going to India. All day long they
sit in chairs on the deck reading. Some of us play games, and at night
we have dances and concerts.
[Illustration: GAMES ON BOARD FATHER'S SHIP.
(From the picture by W.L. Wylie. By kind permission of the P. and O.
Co.)]
12. We have now been four days at sea. To-morrow we shall reach a town
by the side of a great canal. This town and canal are in Egypt.
13. I hope you are still good and happy.--Best love to you all. FATHER.
* * * * *
5. A LETTER FROM EGYPT.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--With this letter I am sending you a beautiful
picture. Look at it carefully, and you will see what Egypt is like.
2. The water which you see in the picture is part of the great river
Nile. If there were no Nile to water the land, Egypt would be nothing
but a desert.
3. Once a year, as a rule, the Nile rises and overflows its banks. The
waters spread out over the country and cover it with rich mud. In this
mud much cotton, sugar, grain, and rice are grown.
[Illustration: The Nile in Flood.
(From the picture by F. Goodall, R. A., in the Guildhall Gallery. By
permission of the Corporation of London.)]
4. Egypt now belongs to the British. They have turned part of the Nile
into a huge lake, in which the water is stored.
5. The water is let out of the lake when it is needed. It runs into
canals, and then into drains, which cross the fields and water them.
6. A sail along the Nile is very pleasant. There are lovely tints of
green on the water. As the boat glides on, many villages are passed.
Each of these has its snow-white temple.
7. All along the river bank there are palm trees. They wave their crowns
of green leaves high in the air. The fields are gay with colour. Above
all is the bright blue sky.
8. Look at the picture again. At a short distance from the water you see
a village. It has a wall round it, and outside the wall is a ditch. In
October the ditch is full of water; in spring it is dry.
9. In and near this ditch the children and the dogs of the villages play
together. You can see two boys in the picture. One of them is standing
by his mother. The other boy is riding on a buffalo.
10. In the middle of the village there is an open space. Sometimes this
space is covered with bright green grass. Round it are rows of palm
trees. The house of the chief stands on one side of this green.
11. Every village has its well, and every well has its water-wheel for
drawing up the water. By the side of the well the old men of the village
sit smoking and chatting. The women come to the well to fill their
pitchers with water.
12. All the houses are built of Nile mud. This mud is dug out of the
banks of the river. It is mixed with a little chopped straw to hold it
together. Then it is put into moulds. After a time it is turned out of
the moulds, and is left to dry in the sun.
[Illustration: The Chief City of Egypt.
(From the picture by Talbot Kelly, R.I.)]
* * * * *
6. CHILDREN OF EGYPT.
[Illustration: {An Egyptian woman}]
1. In the picture you see two of the women of Egypt. One of them is
standing at the edge of the river. She is filling her pitcher with
water. The other woman is carrying a lamb in her arms.
2. The people of Egypt have changed but little since the days of Moses.
The men have brown faces, white teeth, and bright black eyes. Most of
them wear beards and shave their heads.
3. The women wear long dark cloaks. If they are well-to-do they cover
their faces with a veil. They think it wrong to let their faces be seen
by any men except their husbands.
4. I think Kate would like to hear something about the children. Those
who have rich fathers wear beautiful clothes, and have a very happy
time. Poor children wear few clothes, and are nearly always covered with
dust.
5. Many of the boys go to school, and are taught just as you are. They
read the same kind of books that you read.
6. The children of Egypt always obey their parents, and are never rude
to them. I think they have very good manners.
7. All the people of Egypt love singing. Their voices are soft and
sweet. The boatmen on the Nile sing as they row. The fruit-sellers sing
as they cry their wares in the streets.
8. Many of the boys in the chief city of Egypt are donkey drivers. In
Egypt donkeys are far more used for riding than horses. The donkeys are
beautiful little animals, and they trot along very quickly.
[Illustration: {A boy with two donkeys}]
9. Each donkey has a boy to run after it with a stick, and to shout at
it to make it go. The donkey boys are very jolly little fellows. They
always smile, however far they have to run.
10. Most donkey boys wear a white or blue gown, and have a red cap, or
fez, on the head. If a donkey boy sees an Englishman coming, he runs to
him and says, "My donkey is called John Bull." If he sees an American
coming, he says that his donkey's name is Yankee Doodle.
11. Sometimes the donkey boy will ask the rider,--
"Very good donkey?"
If the rider says "Yes," he will then ask,--
"Very good donkey boy?"
"Yes."
12. "Very good saddle too?"
"Yes."
"_Then me have very good present!_"
13. Now let me tell you something that will surprise you. The people of
Egypt in the old, old days thought that their cats were gods.
14. They prayed to them and built temples to them. When the family cat
died, all the people in the house shaved their eyebrows to show how
sorry they were.--Best love to you all. FATHER.
* * * * *
7. THROUGH THE CANAL.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I have just sailed through a very wonderful canal.
It joins two great seas together, and is now part of the way to India.
2. By means of this canal we can sail from England to India in three
weeks. Before it was made the voyage took three months or more.
3. The canal was made more than forty years ago by a Frenchman. He dug a
great ditch, and joined together a number of lakes. By doing so he made
a waterway from sea to sea. This waterway is about a hundred miles long.
4. I joined my ship at the town which stands at the north end of the
canal. There is nothing to see in the town except the lighthouse and the
shops. On the sea wall there is a statue of the Frenchman who made the
canal.
5. As we lay off the town we could see many little boats darting to and
fro. The boatmen were dressed in all the colours of the rainbow--red,
blue, green, and orange. In one boat there were men and women playing
and singing songs.
6. By the side of our ship men were swimming in the water. I threw a
piece of silver into the water. One of the men dived, and caught it
before it reached the bottom.
[Illustration: {Side of a ship, with men swimming below}]
7. On the other side of the ship there were great barges full of coal.
Hundreds of men and women carried this coal to the ship in little
baskets upon their heads. They walked up and down a plank, and all the
time they made an awful noise which they called singing.
8. When all the coal was on board, the ship began to steam slowly along
the narrow canal. No ship is allowed to sail more than four miles an
hour, lest the "wash" should break down the banks.
9. Soon we passed out of the narrow canal into one of the lakes. Our
road was marked by buoys. Away to right and to left of us stretched the
sandy desert.
10. In the afternoon we passed a station, where I saw a number of camels
laden with boxes of goods. They were going to travel across the sands
for many days.
11. The sun went down in a sky of purple and gold. Then a large electric
light shone forth from our bows. It threw a broad band of white light on
the water and on the banks of the canal. Where the light touched the
sands it seemed to turn them into silver.
12. In less than twenty-four hours we reached the town at the south end
of the canal. A boat came out from the shore, and this letter is going
back with it.--Love to you all. FATHER.
* * * * *
8. AMONGST THE ARABS.--I.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I am now sailing along the Red Sea. The weather is
very hot. All over the ship electric fans are hard at work. In spite of
them I cannot keep cool.
2. Away on the left, or port, side of the ship I see high hills. They
are red in colour, and seem to be baked by the hot sun. Even through my
spy-glass I cannot see a speck of green on them. All is red and bare.
3. Beyond the hills lies the land of Arabia. It is a hot, dry land, in
which years sometimes pass without a shower of rain. There is hardly
ever a cloud in the sky, and there is no dew at night.
4. Much of the land is covered with sand. Little or nothing will grow.
You know that we call a sandy waste of this kind a _desert_.
[Illustration: {Desert oasis}]
5. Here and there in the desert a few springs are found. The water of
these springs causes grass and trees to grow well. Around each spring is
what looks like an island of green in the midst of a red sea of sand. A
green spot in a desert is called an _oasis_.
6. The Arabs live upon these green spots. Some of them dwell in
villages, and some wander from oasis to oasis. Those who live in
villages build their houses of sun-dried bricks; those who wander from
place to place live in tents.
[Illustration: Arabs of the Desert.]
7. The Arabs are fine, fierce-looking men. They own flocks of sheep,
herds of goats, camels and horses.
8. An Arab's tent is woven out of camel's hair. So are the ropes of the
tent. The poles are made of palm wood.
9. Inside the tent there are leather buckets for drawing water. There
are also skin bags for carrying it across the desert. There are no
chairs or tables or beds in the tents. The Arabs squat upon the ground
and sleep on rugs.
[Illustration: {Arab tent}]
10. In front of an Arab tent you are almost sure to see a woman grinding
corn between two large stones. There is a hole in the top stone, and
into this she pours the grain.
11. She turns the top stone round and round, and the grain is ground
into flour, which oozes out at the edges. With this flour she makes
cakes.
* * * * *
9. AMONGST THE ARABS.--II.
1. Date palms grow on every oasis. The date palm is a beautiful tree. It
is very tall, and has a crown of leaves at the top.
2. The fruit grows in great golden clusters. Sometimes a cluster of
dates weighs twenty-five pounds.
3. The date palm is beloved by the Arabs, because it is so useful to
them. They eat or sell the dates, and they use the wood for their tents
or houses. From the sap they make wine. Out of the leaf-stalks they
weave baskets.
4. Some of the Arabs are traders. They carry their goods from oasis to
oasis on the backs of camels. A large number of laden camels form a
caravan.
[Illustration: {Caravan of camels}]
5. A camel is not pretty to look at, but the Arab could not do without
it. I think you can easily understand why the camel is called the "ship
of the desert." It carries its master or its load across the sea of sand
from one green island to another.
[Illustration: The Halt in the Desert.
(From the picture by J.F. Lewis, R.A., in the South Kensington
Museum.)]
6. The hoofs of the camel are broad, and this prevents them from sinking
into the sand. The camel can go for a long time without food or water.
7. The camel is very useful to the Arab, both when it is alive and when
it is dead. It gives him milk to drink, and its hair is useful for
making clothes, tents, and ropes.
8. I think I told you that when I was sailing along the canal I saw a
caravan. It was then beginning to cross the desert. Very likely, weeks
or months will pass away before its journey comes to an end.
9. There are no roads across the desert, so it is very easy for a
caravan to lose its way. Then the men and camels wander on until all
their food and water are finished. At last they fall to the ground, and
die of hunger and thirst.
10. Dreadful sand-storms often arise. The storm beats down upon the
caravan, and sometimes chokes both men and camels. A journey across the
desert is full of dangers.
11. Before I close this letter, let me tell you a little story. One day
an Arab belonging to a caravan overslept himself at an oasis. When he
awoke, the caravan had started on its journey again, and was many miles
away.
12. The Arab followed the caravan, in the hope of catching it up. On and
on he walked, but nothing could he see of it. Then darkness came on, and
he lay on the sand and slept until morning.
13. When the sun rose he began his journey again. Hours passed, but
still there was no sign of the caravan. At last he was quite overcome by
hunger and thirst. He fell to the ground, and was too weak to rise
again.
14. Looking around, he saw something black lying on the sand, not far
away. He crawled to it, and found that it was a small bag which had
fallen from the back of a camel.
15. The poor Arab was filled with joy. He hoped that the bag would
contain food of some sort. With trembling fingers he tore it open. Alas!
it was full of gold and jewels.
16. "Woe is me!" cried the poor fellow; "had it been dates my life would
have been saved."
[Illustration: {An Arab dying of thirst in the desert}]
17. This little story shows you that on the desert dates may sometimes
be worth much more than gold and jewels. I hope you are well and
happy.--Your loving FATHER.
* * * * *
10. A LETTER FROM INDIA.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--Hurrah! I am on shore again, after nine long days
at sea. Yesterday I reached Bombay, the chief seaport of India.
2. Soon after I landed a friend came to see me at my hotel. He drove me
round Bombay, and showed me all the sights. I wish you had been with me
to see them.
3. Here in Bombay I seem to be in a new world altogether. It is a world
of wonderful light and colour. The bright hot sun floods the streets and
dazzles my eyes. Everywhere I see bright colour--in the sky, the trees,
the flowers, and the dresses of the people.
4. The streets are always full of people. They are dark brown in colour;
their hair is black, their eyes are bright, and their teeth are as white
as pearls. Most of the people are bare-legged and bare-footed.
[Illustration: {Busy Bombay street scene}]
5. The men wear white clothes, with turbans and sashes of yellow, green,
or blue. Yesterday was a feast-day. In the morning I saw thousands of
the people bathing in the sea. Afterwards they roamed about the streets
in their best clothes. One crowd that I saw looked like a great tulip
garden in full bloom.
6. The women wear a garment of red, blue, or some other bright colour.
This garment covers them from the neck to the knee. Almost every woman
wears rings of silver on her arms and ankles. Some of them have great
rings in their noses, as well as rings in their ears and on their toes.
7. You would be amused to see the people carrying their burdens on their
heads. Yesterday I saw a dozen men carrying a grand piano on their
heads.
8. From childhood the women carry jars of water or baskets of earth in
this way. They hold themselves very upright and walk like queens.
[Illustration: {Woman carrying a basket on her head}]
9. Bombay is a very busy city. The streets are thronged with carriages,
motor cars, bullock carts, and electric trams. As the people walk in the
middle of the road, it is not easy for a carriage to make its way
through the streets.
10. The drivers ring bells, or shout to warn the people: "Hi, you woman
with the baby on your hip, get out of the way!--Hi, you man with the box
on your head, get out of the way!"
11. I think you would like to see the bullock carts. They are very
small, and are drawn by two bullocks with humps on their shoulders. The
driver sits on the shaft and steers them with a stick. These carts carry
cotton to the mills or to the docks.
[Illustration: {A bullock cart}]
12. In some of the carriages and motor cars you may see rich men wearing
fine silk robes. Many of these rich men now dress as we do, except that
they wear turbans instead of hats.
* * * * *
11. IN THE STREETS.
1. I should like you to see the shops of Bombay. Most of them are quite
unlike our British shops. They have no doors and no windows, but are
open to the street.
2. Our shopkeepers try to make a fine show of their goods. The Indian
shopkeeper does nothing of the sort. He simply piles his goods round his
shop and squats in the midst of them. There he sits waiting for people
to come and buy.
[Illustration: {An Indian shopkeeper}]
3. In our shops there is a fixed price for the goods. In India nothing
has a fixed price. You must bargain with the shopkeeper if you wish to
buy anything. Very likely he will ask you three times the price which he
hopes to get.
4. Our penny is divided into four parts; each of these parts is called a
farthing. The Indian penny is divided into twelve parts; each of these
parts is called a "pie." An Indian boy or girl can buy rice or sweets
with one pie.
5. There are thousands of beggars in India. They go to and fro in front
of the shops begging. The shopkeepers are very kind to them, and never
send them away without a present.
6. Very good order is kept in the streets. At every street corner stands
a native policeman, dressed in blue, with a flat yellow cap on his head
and a club by his side. Some of the policemen ride horses, and carry
guns and lances.
[Illustration: {An Indian policeman}]
7. The parks of Bombay are large open spaces covered with grass. Round
them are rows of palm trees. In these parks you may see men and boys
playing all sorts of games.
8. Indians are very fond of cricket, which they play very well. Not many
years ago an Indian prince was one of the best players in England.
9. Polo is also played in the parks of Bombay. It is an Indian game, but
Britons now play it too. Polo is just hockey on horseback.
10. The players ride ponies which are very quick and nimble. Each player
carries a mallet with a very long handle. With this mallet he strikes a
wooden ball and tries to drive it between the goal posts.
11. Last night I stopped to watch some Indian boys playing marbles. When
Tom plays the game, he places the marble between his thumb and
forefinger and shoots it out with his thumb.
12. The Indian boy does not shoot the marble in this way at all. He
presses back the second finger of one hand with the forefinger of the
other. Then he lets go and strikes the marble with the finger that was
bent back. Some of the boys are very clever at this game.
13. Bombay has some very fine buildings. On the top of most of them you
see the Union Jack, the flag of Britain. Not only Bombay but all India
belongs to Britain. I hope you are all well.--Best love. FATHER.
* * * * *
12. OUR INDIAN COUSIN.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I am now in the north of India, not far from the
great river Ganges. It is a long railway journey from Bombay to this
place. I have been in the train two days and two nights.
2. I am now beginning to understand what a vast land India is. Do you
know that it would make sixteen lands as large as our own? One in every
five of all the people on earth lives in India.
3. Perhaps you can guess why I have made this long journey from Bombay.
My brother, your uncle, is the chief man in this part of the country. He
and I have been parted for many years. I am now living in his house.
4. Let me tell you about little Hugh, your cousin. He was born in India
seven years ago, and he has never been to England. He hopes to come
"home" to see you all in a few months' time.
5. Hugh's home is a big house, all on the ground floor. It has no
upstairs. The rooms are very large and lofty. This is because the
weather is very hot for the greater part of the year. If the rooms were
not large and high, they would be too hot to live in.
[Illustration: {Hugh's house}]
6. In every room there is a beam of wood with a short curtain hanging
from it. This is the punkah. The beam is hung from the roof by ropes. In
the hot weather a boy sits outside and pulls the punkah to and fro with
a rope. In this way he makes a little breeze, which keeps the room cool.
7. The roof of the house juts out all round and is held up by pillars.
We sit outside, under the roof, whenever we can. During the heat of the
day we must stay indoors.
8. The garden round the house is very large. There are many tall palm
trees in it. Some of the other trees bear most beautiful blossoms of
crimson, yellow, and blue. All along the front of the house are many
flowerpots, in which roses and other English flowers are growing.
9. A few days ago little Hugh came to me and asked if he might show me
what he called "the compound." I said "Yes." So he took my hand and led
me away.
10. First he showed me the gardener. He is a short, dark man, and he
squats down to do his work. He is a very good gardener, and he is proud
of his flowers. Every morning he comes to the house with a flower for
Hugh's father and mother and uncle.
[Illustration: {Gardener at work}]
11. Next, Hugh took me to see the well. It is behind the house. The
mouth of the well is on the top of a mound. To reach it you must walk up
a sloping road. Above the mouth of the well there is a wheel.
12. A rope runs over this wheel. At one end of the rope there is a large
leather bag. The other end of the rope is fastened to the necks of a
pair of bullocks.
[Illustration: The Village Well.
(From the picture by W. Simpson, R.I.)]
* * * * *
13. IN THE GARDEN.
1. The bullocks walk backwards up the sloping road. This lowers the
leather bag into the well, where it is filled with water. Then the
bullocks walk down the sloping road. This pulls the bag up to the mouth
of the well.
2. A man empties the water out of the bag into a tank by the side of the
well. The water runs out of this tank into the garden, where it spreads
out into many little streams. It is this water which makes the trees,
the plants, and the grass grow so well in the garden.
[Illustration: {Oxen drawing water from a well}]
3. If the garden were not watered in this way, it would soon be brown
and bare. For many months at a time no rain falls in India. Then dust a
foot deep lies on the roads, and the ground cracks with the heat.
4. When the dry season is over the rain begins to fall. It comes down in
torrents for days together. In some places more rain falls in a single
day than we have in a whole year.
5. During the "rains" the rivers become full to the brim, and the whole
land is fresh and green. Sometimes the "rains" do not come at all. Then
the crops wither away, and the people starve.
6. In our country we are never sure of the weather. It changes so often
that we talk about it a great deal. In India nobody talks about the
weather. During seven months of the year every day is fine.
7. In our country we almost always have plenty of water for our crops,
and for drinking and washing. Plenty of fresh water is a great blessing
to a land. In many parts of India water is very scarce.
8. I told you that the great river Ganges is not far away from little
Hugh's home. This grand river begins in the mountains of North India. I
wish you could see these mountains. They are the highest on earth. They
rise up from the plains like a huge wall, and their tops are always
covered with fields of ice and snow.
9. These ice-fields slowly move down the mountain sides. Then they melt,
and this gives rise to the Ganges and to the other great rivers of North
India.
10. Millions of the Indian people love the Ganges, and they have good
reason to do so. It gives water and food to more than twice as many
people as dwell in the British Islands.
11. Many Indians think that every drop of water in the river is holy.
They believe that if they bathe in its waters their souls will be washed
clean from sin.
[Illustration: {Town on the Ganges}]
12. There is a town by the side of the Ganges which the Indians say is
the holiest place on earth. It is full of temples. Millions of Indians
visit these temples every year.
13. All along the river bank there are stone steps leading down to the
water. Standing in the stream are men and women and children who have
come from all parts of India. They wash themselves in the stream, and
pour the holy water over their heads as they pray.
14. People who are very ill are carried to this place, that they may die
by the side of "Mother Ganges." They die happy if they can see her or
hear the sound of her waters during their last moments.
15. When they die their bodies are taken to the steps. There they are
washed in the river water, and are placed on piles of wood. Friends set
fire to the wood, and soon the bodies are burnt to ashes. These ashes
are thrown into the stream, which bears them to the distant ocean.
* * * * *
14. INDIAN BOYS AND GIRLS.
1. I am very fond of going about the streets with your uncle. The Indian
children always amuse me.
2. When Indians grow up they are rather grave and sad. The children,
however, are always bright and merry. Indian fathers and mothers are
very fond of their boys. They care very little for their girls.
3. Boys soon become men in India. They begin work at an early age, and
they are married when they are about sixteen. Girls are married a few
years younger.
4. Almost every boy follows the trade of his father. A farmer's son
becomes a farmer, a weaver's son becomes a weaver, and so on.
5. Many of the boys go to school, but not many of the girls. They, poor
things, begin to work in the house or in the field almost as soon as
they can walk. Much of the hard rough work in India is done by poor
women and girls.
6. A rich father keeps his girls shut up in the back part of his house.
Their faces are never seen by any man except those of their own family.
If they go out of the house, they cover themselves from head to foot
with a thick veil. Sometimes they are carried from place to place in a
closely shut box on poles.
7. Are you not sorry for these poor rich girls? I am. They can never
play merry games with boy friends, or go for long walks in the country.
8. They know nothing of the beautiful world in which they live. Their
rooms are fine, their dresses are grand, and their jewels are lovely;
but they are only poor prisoners after all.
9. Yesterday I went with your uncle to see a village school. There were
only twenty boys in it. The roof was off the schoolhouse, so the classes
were held in the open air.
[Illustration: {A village schoolhouse}]
10. The boys sat on forms, just as you do. The teacher wrote on a
blackboard, and taught the children to do sums with a ball frame. Each
boy had a reading-book. It was not printed in English, but in the tongue
spoken in that part of the country.
11. Some of the boys wrote in copy-books, but most of them wrote on thin
boards, which they used instead of slates. Instead of a pencil they used
a pen made of a reed.
12. Chalk was ground up and wetted in a little cup. The boys dipped
their reed pens into the cup, just as you dip your steel pen into the
ink. The letters and figures which they wrote were very different from
ours.
13. Some of the boys read their books very well, and worked hard sums.
They sang "God save the King" for me in their own tongue.
14. In the towns there are large and good schools. Some of the scholars
are very clever indeed. I think Indian boys are much fonder of their
lessons than our boys.
* * * * *
15. ELEPHANTS AND TIGERS.
1. In his last letter Tom asked me to tell him something about elephants
and tigers. I will try to do so.
2. Yesterday your uncle and I went out to shoot pigeons. An Indian
chief, or rajah, lent us an elephant to carry us to the shooting ground.
[Illustration: AN INDIAN RAJAH.]
3. A driver sat on the neck of the huge animal. Instead of a whip he had
a goad of sharp steel. I did not see him prick the elephant with this
goad. He guided the animal with voice and hand.
4. On the elephant's back there was a large pad upon which we were to
sit. I could see no ladder, so I wondered how I was to climb up. Just
then the elephant knelt down on his hind legs.
5. Your uncle showed me how to get up. "Here," he said, "is a ladder of
two steps. The first step is the elephant's foot, the second is the loop
of his tail."
6. He held the end of the elephant's tail in his hand and bent it to
make a loop. When I put my foot on it he lifted the tail, and in this
way helped me on to the elephant's back.
7. When your uncle had climbed up, the elephant jogged off at a good
pace. He went along rough, narrow paths, over ditches and the beds of
streams. Never once did he make a false step.
8. An elephant costs a great deal of money. Only princes and rich men
can afford to keep them. Sometimes a great prince has as many as a
hundred elephants in his stables.
9. When a prince rides through a city in state his elephants wear rich
cloths, which are studded with gems. Sometimes the elephants' heads are
painted and their tusks are covered with gold.
10. In the drawing-room of your uncle's house there is a beautiful tiger
skin. The tiger that used to wear this skin was shot by your uncle about
three years ago.
[Illustration: {Tiger skin rug}]
11. It was a man-eating tiger--that is, an old tiger that could no
longer run fast enough to catch deer. This man-eater used to hide near a
village. He would creep up silently behind men and women, and stun them
with a blow of his paw. Then he would drag them away and eat them.
12. The people of the village came to your uncle and begged him to kill
the man-eater. He agreed to do so. Near to the tiger's drinking-place a
little hut was built in a tree. One night your uncle sat in this hut
with his gun on his knee, waiting for the tiger to come.
13. Slowly the hours went by, and your uncle felt sure that the tiger
had gone to another place to drink. Just as he was thinking of going
home to bed the huge animal crept into the moonlight.
14. Nearer and nearer he came. Then your uncle lifted his gun, took a
steady aim, and shot the tiger through the heart.
[Illustration: {Tiger being shot}]
15. In the morning there was great joy among the people of the village
because their fierce foe was dead. They hung garlands of flowers round
your uncle's neck, and sang his praises in many songs.
[Illustration: A Tiger Shoot.
(From the picture by Edgar H. Fisher, in the Royal Academy, 1911.)]
16. Now I must close this very long letter.--Best love to you all.
FATHER.
* * * * *
16. A LETTER FROM BURMA.--I.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--Since I last wrote to you I have visited several
of the large cities of India. A week ago I was in the largest city of
all.
2. On Christmas morning I sailed down the mouth of the Ganges into the
open sea, on my way to the country of Burma.
3. Now I am in the chief town of Burma, and you will expect me to tell
you something about the land and its people. From what I have seen, I
think Burma is a prettier country than India.
4. In the chief town there seem to be people from many lands. I saw
Chinamen, with their pigtails hanging down their backs. I also saw
Indians from across the sea, and white men from our own country. Of
course, there were also many Burmese, as the people of Burma are called.
5. Kate and May will like to hear something about the Burmese girls and
women. They are not at all sad like the Indians, but are very bright and
gay. As I write these lines I see a party of Burmese girls passing my
window, I can hear them laughing.
6. They are very dainty in their dress. One girl wears a skirt of pink
silk and a blouse of light green. She has bracelets on her arms,
ear-rings in her ears, a string of coral round her neck, and flowers in
her hair.
[Illustration: {Burmese woman carrying an umbrella}]
7. In one hand she carries a bamboo sunshade; in the other she holds a
big paper cigar! She is very fond of smoking, and you never see her
without a cigar. On her feet she wears sandals.
8. The men are gentle and rather lazy. The women have far more "go" in
them than the men. Many of them keep shops, and are very good traders.
The wife is the chief person in every home.
9. The men also wear skirts, and sometimes their jackets are very gay.
They wrap a handkerchief of pink, or of some other bright colour, round
their head.
[Illustration: {A Burmese man}]
10. The Burmese worship Buddha, a prince who lived more than two
thousand years ago. He was a very noble man, and he gave up all the
pleasant things of life that nothing might turn his thoughts from
goodness.
11. Amongst other things he taught men to be kind to animals. All
animals are well treated in Burma.
12. All over the land you see temples to Buddha. These temples grow
narrower and narrower the higher they rise. They all end in a spire
above which there is a kind of umbrella. It is made of metal, and all
round its edge are silver or golden bells, which make pretty music as
they are blown to and fro by the wind.
13. By the side of many of these temples you may see a great image of
Buddha. Most of the images are made of brass. The Burmese pray before
these images, and offer flowers and candles and rice to them.
[Illustration: {Statue of Buddha}]
* * * * *
17. A LETTER FROM BURMA.--II.
1. Wherever you go in Burma you see monks. They have shaven heads, and
they wear yellow robes. Every morning they go out to beg. Boys in yellow
robes go with them, and carry large bowls in their hands.
2. The people come out of their houses and put food into the bowls. The
monks do not thank them. They say that he who gives is more blessed than
he who takes.
3. The monks live in houses built of teak wood. In every village you can
see a monk's house standing in a grove of palm trees. In these houses
the monks keep school.
4. Every Burmese boy lives for some time in one of the monks' houses.
Here he learns to read and write, and is taught to be a good man.
5. I went to see the most beautiful of all the monks' houses. It is in a
city far up in the country. The building is of dark-brown teak wood, and
has many roofs, one above the other. It is covered with carving, and
here and there it is gilded.
6. Many boys in yellow robes were playing beneath the trees. They were
the scholars of the school. One of the boys told me that he was never
going to leave the place. When he was old enough he meant to be a monk.
[Illustration: {Burmese boy in robes}]
7. In the city I saw the palace of the king from whom we took Burma. It
stands inside a large space, with high walls all round it. Outside the
wall is a broad ditch full of water. When I saw the ditch it was
overgrown with water-plants covered with pink blossoms.
8. Many buildings, something like the monks' houses, form the king's
palace. Some of the buildings are very richly carved, and are covered
with gold leaf. Inside one of them I saw great teak pillars, also
covered with gold.
9. The chief building ends in a very lofty spire, with a beautiful metal
umbrella above it. The Burmese used to believe that this spire was in
the very middle of the earth.
10. Another fine building is a high lookout tower. From the top of it
there is a grand view. On one side I saw a hill covered with temples. At
the foot of the hill there were four hundred and fifty of these temples.
There must be thousands of them in and near the city.
11. As I drove to my hotel last night I saw a number of boys playing
Burmese football. They do not take sides, nor do they try to kick goals.
The football is made of basket-work.
12. The boys stand round in a ring, and the game is to keep the ball
from touching the ground. The boys pass the ball from one to the other
by knocking it up with their heads, arms, hands, legs, or toes. Some of
the boys are very clever at this game.
[Illustration: {Boys playing Burmese football}]
13. Burma has many beautiful rivers and some fine mountains. By the side
of the rivers much rice is grown. Away in the north there are grand
forests filled with wild animals. Tigers are often shot within twenty
miles of the old king's palace.
14. Now I have filled my paper, and I must bring this letter to an end.
I hope you are all well and happy. I am leaving Burma tomorrow.--Best
love to you all. FATHER.
* * * * *
18. A LETTER FROM CEYLON.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--A week ago I landed in the beautiful island of
Ceylon. It lies to the south of India. Get mother to show it to you on
the globe.
2. I am still under the British flag, the Union Jack. I can see it
waving from the top of a big building. The people of Ceylon are proud to
call themselves British.
3. I have just been for a ride through the streets of the chief town. I
rode in a rickshaw--that is, a kind of large baby-carriage drawn by a
man. My rickshaw had rubber on its wheels, so we went along very
smoothly and quickly.
[Illustration: {Rickshaw with passenger}]
4. Some of the carts are drawn by little bullocks that trot along as
fast as a pony. I often meet carts with a high cover of thatch. These
carts carry the tea, which grows on the hills, down to the ships in the
harbour.
5. Some of the men of Ceylon wear tortoise-shell combs in their hair.
They are very proud of these combs, and some of them are very handsome.
[Illustration: {Ceylon family--a man, a woman, and two babies}]
6. The children of Ceylon seem very happy. They are pretty and clean,
and always obey their parents. Many of them learn to speak and read
English. They love dancing and singing, and they never quarrel.
[Illustration: Ceylon Girls Playing the Tom-Tom.
(From the picture by E.A. Hornel. By permission of the Corporation of
Manchester.)]
7. By the next ship home I am sending mother a chest of tea. The tea
grew on the hills of Ceylon. I made a journey to these hills by train.
On the way we passed through thick forests, and by the side of beautiful
rivers.
8. Ceylon is very rich in plants and trees. The cocoanut palm grows
almost everywhere. On one of the rivers I saw a raft of cocoanuts. A man
swam behind it and pushed it along.
[Illustration: {Cocoanut palm tree}]
9. With this letter I send you a picture of a tea-garden. Notice the men
and women plucking the leaf. Many of them come from the south of India.
Look at the white planter. He comes, as you know, from our own country.
[Illustration: IN A CEYLON TEA PLANTATION.]
10. In the middle of Ceylon there are many high mountains. The highest
is called Adam's Peak. It stands like a great wedge high above the other
hills.
11. The people of Ceylon believe that it is a holy mountain. They say
that once upon a time Buddha climbed to the top of this mountain. To
prove that he did so they show you his footprint. It is more than five
feet long!
12. A little temple has been built over the footprint. Men, women, and
children climb the mountain, to lay little gifts before the footprint,
and to strew sweet flowers about it. When this is done, the children
kneel down and ask their parents to bless them.
13. To-morrow I leave Ceylon on a long voyage to China. You will not
hear from me for several weeks. I hope you are all well, and that you
are still good children.--I remain, your loving Father.
* * * * *
19. A LETTER FROM CHINA.
1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--Three weeks have gone by since I last wrote to
you. I have made my voyage safely, and I am now in a great city of China
called Canton.
2. Ask mother to show you China on the globe. You see at once that it is
a vast country. It is larger than the whole of Europe. One-fourth of all
the people in the world live in China.