THE FIRST PEEP.
THE missionary's family party had set sail, and the steamship, in which
they were passengers, was now fairly out at sea.
As far as money was concerned, Mr. Graham had no anxieties, for being
the only son of a very wealthy man, who had lost his wife some time
before he died himself, Mr. Graham had, at his father's death, inherited
the whole of his large fortune.
"Now, father, don't you think it's high time you began to tell us about
old Peking?" Leonard said, a few days after they had sailed. "I did not
ask you at first, because we had plenty to do to look about us, but now
that there's nothing in the world but water to see anywhere, we should
so like to hear some stories; so please begin, if it won't trouble you
too much."
And sitting on deck, with Sybil on his right and Leonard on his left,
Mr. Graham did as he was requested, and gave his children what they
considered a very interesting description of a portion of that vast
empire which they were so soon to visit. "The Chinese," he began, "are a
very ancient race, so ancient, indeed, that the origin of their monarchy
is not known."
"Do you mind waiting one minute, father, just to tell me a thing I have
forgotten, and you told me once?" Leonard asked. "What does the word
China mean?"
"The ancient name for China, Tien-sha, means 'inferior only to heaven.'
Chinese history begins with the fabulous ages, two or three million
years ago, when the Chinese say that no land but theirs was inhabited,
and gods reigned upon the earth, which was made for them. After the
gods, they tell us, came mythical kings, who were giants, had the power
of working miracles, and lived for thousands of years; but it is really
supposed that the first people who passed beyond the deserts of Central
Asia settled in the province of Shen-si, which borders on Tartary, and
here laid the foundation of the present monarchy of China.
"Some Chinese historians think that their first mortal Emperor was
Fuh-hi, whose date of coming to the throne is fixed as early as 2,852
years B.C. He is described as possessing great virtues, and was called
by his subjects the 'Son of heaven'--a title which is still given to
Emperors of China, who are foolishly supposed, by some of their
subjects, to be of celestial origin. He is said to have taught them how
to keep laws and to live peaceably, also to have invented the arts of
music and numbers. Certainly the Chinese have understood music from very
early ages, and class it among the chief of the sciences.
[Illustration: MUSICIANS.]
"They have at least fifty different kinds of wind and string musical
instruments, made of wood, stone, or metal, and they play a great
deal, but especially upon their fiddle instruments. They do not like our
music at all.
"But now we must go back to a little more Chinese history. There is
nothing to prove that the Chinese existed as a nation before the time of
Yu the Great, whose date of accession is said to be 2,285 years B.C.,
and he is also included in the Legendary Period to which Fuh-hi belongs.
After the Legendary Period came the Semi-Historical Period in Chinese
history; the really Historical Period dating from the early part of the
eighth century before Christ.
"Different dynasties succeeded each other, till from the years 500 to
200 B.C. many petty kings, reigning over various provinces, waged war
against one another. At length a fierce warrior, named Ching-wang, went
to war with, and conquered, all of them, and made himself master of the
whole empire, about 200 years B.C., his government comprising about the
northern half of modern China. He was the first monarch of the dynasty
called Tsin, or Chin. Next he turned his arms against the Tartars, who
were a portion of those people whom we read of in history by the name of
Huns, and who were now making constant inroads into China. They were
capital soldiers--I believe every Tartar has now to be a soldier--and as
the Chinese dreaded them very much, the Emperor thought out a way to
keep them off. He erected a great wall along the whole extent of the
northern frontier of China, of very great height, thickness, and
strength, made of two walls of brick many feet apart, the space between
them being, for half the length of the wall, filled up with earth, and
the other half with gravel and rubbish. On it were square towers, which
were erected at about a hundred yards' distance from one another. Some
say this wall extended 1,500 miles from the sea to the most western
provinces of Shen-si; McCulloch says it is 1,250 miles in length. It was
carried over mountains and across rivers. Six horsemen could ride
abreast upon it. But there was great cruelty practised in its
construction, for the Emperor obliged every third labouring man in the
kingdom to work at this wall without payment.
[Illustration: GREAT WALL OF CHINA, GULF OF PE-CHI-LI.]
"It took five years to finish, and has now existed for more than two
thousand years. It is called Wan-li-chang, or Myriad-mile Wall."
"And did it keep out the Tartars?" Leonard asked.
"No; the little Emperor Tsai-tien, born in 1871, and now on the throne,
is, I believe, a descendant of theirs. He is called Kwang-su, which
means 'Continuation of glory.'"
"Does the Emperor's eldest son always reign?"
"No; the ablest or best son is generally chosen. Ching-wang seemed to
think that he was master of the whole universe, and called himself
Che-Hwang-ti, or First Emperor; and then to try to show that he was the
founder of the monarchy, he had, as he thought, all the historical
documents burnt that could prove otherwise, but did not succeed, for
some that had been hidden behind the walls of houses were found after
his death."
"What a quantity of stuff it must have taken to build the wall!" said
Leonard.
"Yes; the material in the Great Wall, including the earth in the middle
of it, is said to be more than enough to surround the circumference of
the earth, on two of its great circles, with two walls of six feet high
and two feet thick. Guards are stationed in the strong towers by which
the wall is fortified; every important pass having a strong fortress."
"And what is the height of the wall, father?" asked Leonard.
"About twenty feet; and there are steps of brick and stone for men on
foot to ascend, and slanting places for the cavalry."
"I shall like to see Chinese soldiers," Leonard said. "Did you ever see
them at drill, father?"
[Illustration: CHINESE ARTILLERY-MEN, PEKING.]
"I remember very well seeing a regiment of artillery at gun-drill one
day, but I believe there has been a new armament of Chinese artillery
since my time. I suppose you know, children," then said Mr. Graham,
"that Peking ranks----"
"For the number of its inhabitants," Sybil said quickly, "as the second
city in the world, only London having more inhabitants, Paris about the
same number."
"Yes; and it has----"
"About two million inhabitants."
"Yes; and as Peking was built many centuries before the Christian era,
it is a very old city. The name Peking means Court of the North. After
the conquest by the Tartars of the kingdom of Yen, of which Peking was
the capital, it became only a provincial town, when, at the beginning of
the fifteenth century, it was again made the capital of China. The
Chinese sovereigns used to live at Nanking, but when the Tartars had so
often invaded the country, they removed to the northern province, to
enable them the more easily to keep out the invaders."
"On our Chinese umbrella that we had in the dining-room fireplace at
home," said Sybil, "there was, I remember, a picture of Peking, and some
water was close by it, but I cannot remember what river Peking is on."
"It is situated in a large sandy plain on the Tunghui, a small tributary
of the Peiho. This city is again divided into the Chinese and Tartar
cities, the Imperial city, in which live the Emperor and his retainers,
and another in which the court officials have their residence.
"Like all other Chinese cities, they are surrounded by high walls. At
the north, south, east, and west sides of towns are large folding-gates,
which are often further secured by three inner gates. The one in the
south is that of honour, through which the Emperor passes, but which is
usually kept closed at other times.
[Illustration: CIEAN-MUN, OR CHEAN-GATE AT PEKING.]
"The wall of Peking, which is sixteen miles round, has two gates on
three sides and three on the other, of which the principal is Chean-Mun,
at the south of the Tartar city. Over the gate is a building occupied by
soldiers, who are there for purposes of defence.
[Illustration: CHINESE SOLDIER.]
[Illustration: STREET OF HATA-MENE-TA-KIE, PEKING.]
"The streets in Peking are very broad; we shall find them much narrower
in the south of China. They are raised in the centre, and covered with a
kind of stone, to form a smooth, hard surface. In summer they are often,
I remember, very dusty, and during the rainy seasons very dirty. At the
end of each street is a wooden barrier, which is guarded day and night
by soldiers. The barrier is closed at nine o'clock at night, after which
time the Chinese are only allowed to pass through if they have a very
good reason to give for being out so late.
"Order is well kept in the streets of Peking by the soldiers and police,
who may use their whips on troublesome customers whenever they think it
necessary to do so.
"The principal streets, or main thoroughfares, extending from one end of
the city to the other, are its only outlets. Trees grow in several of
these streets. Houses, in which the inhabitants live, are in smaller
streets or lanes, the houses themselves being often shut in by walls.
"Pagodas (which, you know, are temples to heathen gods, built in the
form of towers), monasteries, and churchyards, are all outside the
walls, and the city itself is principally kept for purposes of
commerce."
"We know what pagodas are like," Leonard said, "because we had two at
home for ornaments. I think we know many things through being so
fortunate as to have a father who has travelled."
[Illustration: CHINESE BARBER.]
"There is a great noise in some of the streets," Mr. Graham went on:
"for instance, in the Hata-mene-ta-kie, where many people are to be seen
bustling about and talking very loudly to one another. Tents are here
put up in which rice, fruit, and other things are sold, and any one
wishing for a pretty substantial meal can be supplied with it in the
Hata-mene-ta-kie, for before stoves stand the vendors of such meals, who
have cooked them ready for purchasers. Other tradesmen carry hampers,
slung across their shoulders, in which they keep their goods, whilst
they call out, from time to time, to let people know what these hampers
contain. Carts, horses, mules, wheel-barrows, and sedan-chairs pass
along, the whole place seeming to be alive with buyers and sellers. The
cobbler is sure to be somewhere close at hand in his movable workshop,
and first here and then there, as may best suit himself and employers,
the blacksmith pitches his tent, which sometimes consists of a large
umbrella; whilst, again, people can refresh themselves, if they do not
care for a heavier meal, with some soup or a patty at a soup stall.
"And the barber does not forget that he is a very useful person. There,
in the open streets, he communicates, by the tinkling of a little bell,
the fact that he is ready to shave the heads and arrange the cues or
pig-tails of those who may require his services; and as one man after
another takes the seat that has been put ready for him, the barber not
only shaves and plaits, but also frequently paints his customer's
eyebrows and gives his clothes a brush."
"Father, why do Chinamen wear pig-tails?" here broke in Leonard, who,
with Sybil, was very much interested in what he heard.
"After they were conquered by the Tartars they were obliged to wear
them, to show that they were in subjection to their conquerors; but now
the pig-tail is held in honour, and the longer it will grow the better
pleased is the Chinese gentleman who wears it. Some very bad criminals
have their tails cut off as a great punishment and disgrace.
"Well, what should you like to hear now?" Mr. Graham asked, after a
little pause.
"What Chinese shops are like, I think," said Sybil.
[Illustration: A SHOP IN PEKING.]
"Most of those in China are quite open in front; where we are going I
suppose we shall see very few, if any, shop-windows at all, but in
Peking many of the shops have glass windows. In China there are
certain streets for certain shops, where the different branches of
trade have generally their own sides of the road. A shop is called a
hong. Sometimes the master sits outside, waiting for his customers to
arrive.
[Illustration: SIGN-BOARD OF A CUSHION AND MATTING MANUFACTORY.]
"At the door of each hong are sign-boards, upon which are painted in
gold, or coloured letters, a motto instead of a name, and what the shop
offers for sale.
"I do not think," Mr. Graham then said, drawing, as he spoke, a little
representation of a sign-board out of his pocket-book, "that I ever
showed you this."
"Oh no!" both the children answered. "And what do those characters
mean?"
On another piece of paper Mr. Graham pointed out to them the following
interpretation:
=Teen=
=Yee=
=Shun=
Fung Poo
Seih Tian
=Teen=
[Illustration: A TWO-WHEELED CART.]
"The three first large characters, which form the motto, may be taken to
signify that 'Heaven favours the prudent.' The other smaller characters
designate the nature of the business, a cushion and matting
manufactory; the last character, without which no sign-board is
complete, meaning shop or factory."
"I shall like to see these sign-boards very much when we get to China,"
Sybil said. "I should think they must make the streets look very
pretty."
Mr. Graham had illustrated several things which he had told the children
by some pictures which he had brought on board with him.
[Illustration: A YOUNG FARMER AND HIS PARENTS.]
Leonard was now looking again at that of Chean Mun, or Chean Gate, for
Mun means gate.
"I have been noticing, father," he then said, "that all the carts in
this picture have only two wheels."
"I never saw any in China with more," was the answer. "Both shut and
open carts (the latter being used as carriages) have all two wheels.
Those in common use are made of wood, the body of the cart resting on
an axle-tree, supported by the wheels. Horses and mules are very little
used in China, except for travelling and for conveying luggage long
distances. I remember also noticing that horses and ponies require very
little guiding in China. Sometimes they go without reins, when their
masters will perhaps walk beside them, carrying a whip. I have also seen
very polite drivers, who, whenever they met a friend, jumped off their
carts and walked on foot to pass one another.
[Illustration: A CHINESE JUNK.]
[Illustration: FLYING KITES.]
"Government servants generally use ponies, but as China is so densely
populated--having, it has been estimated, about four hundred million
inhabitants, and people find it so hard to obtain enough to support
themselves and families--they keep as few beasts of burden as possible.
The farmer employs the bullock a great deal, and in the north of China
the camel is also much used.
"Much trade is carried on by boats, and where there is no water, and
farmers are without other conveyances, they will sometimes push their
wives along the roads in wheel-barrows, sons giving their parents
similar drives. There are but few carriage-roads in many parts of
China."
"I wonder the Chinese do not make more, then," said Leonard.
"They cannot afford to do so, because to make them bread-producing land
would have to be done away with."
"What a number of rivers and bays there are in China!" said Sybil, who
was again examining her map. "And I see the Great Wall crosses the
Hwang-ho."
"And that's the fifth largest river in the world," Leonard answered.
"Only the Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, and Yantze-kiang are larger; and
the Grand Canal in China is the very largest canal in the world."
"I learnt once, too, that Hwang-ho meant 'Chinese sorrow.' Why is it
called that?"
"Because it has altered its course, which has caused great loss and
inconvenience to the Chinese."
"And what does 'Yantze-kiang' mean?"
"The son that spreads; this is their favourite river."
Geography was one of Leonard's favourite studies.
"Why do so many Chinese rivers end in ho and kiang?" he then asked,
looking over Sybil's map.
"Both words mean river--the Yantze and the Hwang rivers. And the Chinese
have all kinds of boats for use on their rivers. Here, my boy, is a
picture of a Chinese junk. Look at it well, and see if you can discover
anything peculiar about it."
Leonard looked for some time. "It has sails," he answered, "like
butterflies' wings."
"Yes; that is how the Chinese make many of their sails."
"But the kites are what I want to see so much," said Leonard, as though
the sails had reminded him of them again. "What are the most peculiar of
them like?"
"Like birds, insects, animals, clusters of birds, gods on clouds: all
kinds of things, in fact, are represented by these kites, which the
Chinese are most clever in making, and also in flying. I have seen old
men, of about seventy years of age, thoroughly enjoying flying their
kites. The Chinese do not care much for your, and my, favourite games,
Leonard: cricket and football."
"What games do they like?"
"They are very fond of battledore and shuttlecock, but instead of using
a battledore they hit the shuttlecock with their heads, elbows, or feet.
Seven or eight children play together, and nearly always aim the
shuttlecock rightly. Girls play at this game too, in spite of their
small feet. Tops, balls, see-saws, and quoits are also favourite toys
and games amongst the Chinese."
"I remember," Sybil said, "a girl at school having a Chinese
shuttlecock, and that was like a bird."
"Well, father, go on, please. What other amusements have they?" asked
Leonard.
"Puppet-shows for one thing I remember, which they exhibit in the
streets, as we do 'Punch and Judy.' The pictures in these shows are
exhibited by means of strings, which are either worked from behind or
from above the stand, and as the people look through a glass, the views
are displayed to them. A man standing at the side calls out loudly, and
beats a little gong to summon people to attend the show. And now I
think, as I am rather tired for to-day, I shall beat a little gong to
dismiss you from the show," Mr. Graham said, smiling, as he turned
towards his children, who never seemed to grow tired of listening.
"Very well, father; we will go now, and let you rest," Sybil replied,
standing up. "Thank you so much. To-morrow, you know, we shall come to
the show again, so please remember to sound the gong in good time." And
off they bounded, leaving Mr. Graham at liberty to go and seek his wife,
who was then lying down in her cabin.
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