FROM SHANGHAI TO PEKIN.
On their return to Shanghai, the Doctor informed his young companions
that they would take the first steamer up the coast in the direction of
Pekin.
They had only a day to wait, as the regular steamer for Tien-tsin was
advertised to leave on the afternoon following their return. She was not
so large and comfortable as the one that had carried them to Han-kow and
back; but she was far better than no steamer at all, and they did not
hesitate a moment at taking passage in her. They found that she had a
Chinese crew, with foreign officers--the same as they had found the
river-boat and the steamers from Japan. The captain was an American, who
had spent twenty years in China, and knew all the peculiarities of the
navigation of its waters. He had passed through two or three shipwrecks
and been chased by pirates. Once he was in the hands of the rebels, who
led him out for execution; but their attention was diverted by an attack
on the town where they were, and he was left to take care of himself,
which you can be sure he did. Another time he saved himself by crawling
through a small window and letting himself fall about ten feet into a
river. The night was dark, and he did not know where to go; but he
thought it better to take the chance of an escape in this way, as he
felt sure he would have his head taken off the next morning if he
remained. Luckily he floated down to where a foreign ship was lying, and
managed to be taken on board. He thought he had had quite enough of that
sort of thing, and was willing to lead a quiet life for the rest of his
days.
They descended the river to the sea, and then turned to the northward.
Nothing of moment occurred as the steamer moved along on her course, and
on the morning of the third day from Shanghai they were entering the
mouth of the Pei-ho River. The Doctor pointed out the famous Taku forts
through the thin mist that overhung the water, and the boys naturally
asked what the Taku forts had done to make themselves famous.
[Illustration: ATTACK ON THE PEI-HO FORTS.]
"There is quite a history connected with them," the Doctor answered.
"They were the scene of the repulse of the British fleet in 1859, when
an American commander came to its relief, with the remark, which has
become historic, 'Blood is thicker than water!' In the following year
the English returned, and had better success; they captured the forts
and entered the river in spite of all that the Chinese could do to stop
them. Do you see that low bank there, in front of a mud-wall to the left
of the fort?"
"Certainly," was the reply.
"Well, that is the place where the sailors landed from the small boats
for the purpose of storming the forts, while the gun-boats were shelling
them farther up the river."
"But it looks from here as if there were a long stretch of mud," Fred
remarked.
"You are right," the Doctor responded, "there is a long stretch of mud,
and it was that mud which partly led to the failure at the time of the
first attack. The storming force was compelled to wade through it, and
many of the men perished. The fire of the Chinese was more severe than
had been expected, and the ships of the fleet were badly injured. But
when the attack was made the following year, the muddy belt was much
narrower, and the sailors passed through it very quickly, and were at
the walls of the fort before the Chinese were ready for them.
"The navigation is difficult along the Pei-ho River, and the steamers of
the attacking fleet found the passage barred by cables stretched across
the stream. They had considerable trouble to break through these
obstructions, but they finally succeeded, and the rest of the voyage to
Tien-tsin was accomplished far more easily than the capture of the
forts."
As the steamer moved on against the muddy current, and turned in the
very crooked channel of the Pei-ho, Frank espied a double-storied
building with a wide veranda, and asked what it was.
He was interested to learn that it was known as the Temple of the
Sea-god, and had been at one time the residence of the Chinese commander
of the Taku forts. It had a handsome front on the river, and a fleet of
junks was moored directly above it. Each junk appeared to be staring
with all the power of the great eyes painted on its bows, and some of
the junks more distinguished than the rest were equipped with two eyes
on each side, in order that they might see better than the ordinary
craft. Flags floated from the masts of all the junks, and in nearly
every instance they were attached to little rods, and swung from the
centre. A Chinese flag twists and turns in the breeze in a manner quite
unknown to a banner hung after the ways of Europe and America.
[Illustration: TEMPLE OF THE SEA-GOD AT TAKU.]
The river from Taku to Tien-tsin was crowded with junks and small boats,
and it was easy to see that the empire of China has a large commerce on
all its water-ways. The Grand Canal begins at Tien-tsin, and the city
stands on an angle formed by the canal and the Pei-ho River. It is not
far from a mile square, and has a wall surrounding it. Each of the four
walls has a gate in the centre, and a wide street leads from this gate
to the middle of the city, where there is a pagoda. The streets are
wider than in most of the Chinese cities, and there is less danger of
being knocked down by the pole of a sedan-chair, or of a coolie bearing
a load of merchandise. In spite of its great commercial activity, the
city does not appear very prosperous. Beggars are numerous, and wherever
our friends went they were constantly importuned by men and women, who
appeared to be in the severest want.
[Illustration: A CHINESE BEGGAR.]
The usual way of going to Pekin is by the road from Tien-tsin, while the
return journey is by boat along the river. The road is about ninety
miles long, and is one of the worst in the world, when we consider how
long it has been in use. According to Chinese history, it was built
about two thousand years ago. Frank said he could readily believe that
it was at least two thousand years old, and Fred thought it had never
been repaired since it was first opened to the public. It was paved with
large stones for a good portion of the way, and these stones have been
worn into deep ruts, so that the track is anything but agreeable for a
carriage. The only wheeled vehicles in this part of China are carts
without springs, and mounted on a single axle; the body rests directly
on the axle, so that every jolt is conveyed to the person inside, and he
feels after a day's journey very much as though he had been run through
a winnowing-machine.
The Chinese cart is too short for an average-sized person to lie in at
full length, and too low to allow him to sit erect; it has a small
window on each side, so placed that it is next to impossible to look out
and see what there is along the route. Altogether it is a most
uncomfortable vehicle to travel in, and the boys thought they would go
on foot rather than ride in one of them.
[Illustration: SIGNING THE TREATY OF TIEN-TSIN.]
But it was not necessary to go on foot, as they were able to hire ponies
for the journey, and it was agreed all round that a little roughness on
horseback for a couple of days would do no harm. So they made a contract
with a Chinese, who had been recommended to them by the consul as a good
man, to carry them to Pekin. It was arranged that they should take an
early start, so as to reach a village a little more than half way by
nightfall, and they retired early in order to have a good night's sleep.
They had time for a little stroll before they went to bed, and so they
employed it in visiting the "Temple of the Oceanic Influences," where
the treaty of Tien-tsin was signed after the capture of the Taku forts
and the advance of the English to the city. The temple is on a plain
outside of the walls, and contains a large hall, which was very
convenient for the important ceremonial that took place there. At the
time the treaty was signed the British officers were in full uniform,
and made a fine appearance, while the Chinese were not a whit behind
them in gorgeousness of apparel. Contrary to their usual custom, the
Chinese did not think it necessary to hang up any elaborate decorations
in the hall, and the attention of the spectators was concentrated on the
dignitaries who managed the affair.
There is another way of travelling in China, which is by means of a mule
litter. This is a sort of sedan-chair carried by mules instead of men;
one mule walks in front, and another in the rear, and the litter is
supported between them on a couple of long shafts. The pace is slow,
being always at a walk, except at the times when the mules run away and
smash things generally, as happens not unfrequently. The straps that
hold the shafts to the saddles of the mules have a way of getting loose,
and leaving the box to fall to the ground with a heavy thud, which
interferes materially with the comfort of the occupant. For invalids and
ladies the mule litter is to be recommended, as well as for persons who
are fond of having the greatest amount of comfort; but our young friends
disdained anything so effeminate, and determined to make the journey on
horseback.
They took as little baggage as possible, leaving everything superfluous
at Tien-tsin; six horses were sufficient for all the wants of the
party--four for themselves and the guide, and two for the baggage. It
was necessary to carry the most of the provisions needed for the journey
to Pekin, as the Chinese hotels along the route could not be relied on
with any certainty. No rain had fallen for some time, and the way was
very dusty; but this circumstance only made it more amusing to the boys,
though it was not so pleasing to the Doctor. Before they had been an
hour on the road, it was not easy to say which was Fred and which Frank,
until they had rendered themselves recognizable by washing their faces.
Water was scarce, and not particularly good, and, besides, the operation
of washing the face was an affair of much inconvenience. So they
contented themselves with the dust, and concluded that for the present
they wouldn't be particular about names or identity.
At noon they had gone twenty-five miles through a country which abounded
in villages and gardens, and had a great many fields of wheat, millet,
cotton, and other products of China; the fields were not unlike those
they had seen on their voyage up the Yang-tse; and as for the villages,
they were exactly alike, especially in the items of dirt and general
repulsiveness. The modes of performing field labor were more interesting
than the villages; the most of the fields were watered artificially, and
the process of pumping water attracted the attention of the boys. An
endless chain, with floats on it, was propelled through an inclined box
by a couple of men who kept up a steady walk on a sort of treadmill.
There were spokes in a horizontal shaft, and on the ends of the spokes
there were little pieces of board, with just sufficient space for a
man's foot to rest. The men walked on these spokes, and steadied
themselves on a horizontal pole which was held between a couple of
upright posts. Labor is so cheap in China that there is no occasion for
employing steam or wind machinery; it was said that a pump coolie was
able to earn from five to ten cents a day in the season when the fields
needed irrigation, and he had nothing to do at other times.
[Illustration: MODE OF IRRIGATING FIELDS.]
The night was passed at a village where there was a Chinese tavern, but
it was so full that the party were sent to a temple to sleep. Beds were
made on the floor, and the travellers managed to get along very well, in
spite of the fleas that supped and breakfasted on their bodies, and
would have been pleased to dine there. The boys were in a corner of the
temple under the shadow of one of the idols to whom the place belonged,
while the Doctor had his couch in front of a canopy where there was a
deity that watched over him all night with uplifted hands. Two smaller
idols, one near his head and the other at his feet, kept company with
the larger one; but whether they took turns in staying awake, the Doctor
was too sleepy to inquire.
[Illustration: THE DOCTOR'S BEDROOM.]
They were up very early in the morning, and off at daylight, somewhat to
the reluctance of the guide, who had counted on sleeping a little
longer. The scenes along the road were much like those of the day
before, and they were glad when, just at nightfall, the guide pointed to
a high wall in front of them, and pronounced the word "Pekin." They were
in sight of the city.
"I'm disappointed," said Fred. "Pekin isn't what I thought it was."
"Well, what did you expect to find?" queried Frank.
"Why, I thought it was on a hill, or something of the sort; I had no
reason to think so, of course, but I had formed that picture of it."
"Nearly every one who comes to Pekin is thus disappointed," said Doctor
Bronson; "he expects to see the city from a distance, while, in reality,
it is not visible till you are quite close to it."
The walls were high, and there was nothing to be seen inside of them, as
none of the buildings in that quarter were equally lofty. But the effect
of the walls was imposing; there were towers at regular intervals, and
the most of them were two stories above the level of the surrounding
structure. For nearly a mile they rode along the base of one of the
walls till they came to a gate that led them into the principal street.
Once inside, they found themselves transferred very suddenly from the
stillness of the country to the bustling life of the great city.
[Illustration: PART OF THE WALL OF THE PEKIN.]
"I'm not disappointed now," Fred remarked, as they rode along in the
direction indicated by the guide; "the streets are so wide in comparison
with those of the cities we have seen that they seem very grand,
indeed."
"You've hit it exactly, Fred," Doctor Bronson replied, "Pekin is called
the 'City of Magnificent Distances' on account of the width of its
streets, the great extent of the city, and the long walks or rides that
are necessary for going about in it."
"Evidently they took plenty of room when they laid it out," said Frank,
"for it isn't crowded like Shanghai and the other places we have seen."
It was dark when they reached the little hotel where they were to stay.
It was kept by a German, who thought Pekin was an excellent place for a
hotel, but would be better if more strangers would visit the city. His
establishment was not large, and its facilities were not great, but they
were quite sufficient for the wants of our friends, who were too tired
to be particular about trifles. They took a hearty supper, and then went
to bed to sleep away the fatigues of their journey.
Next morning they were not very early risers, and the whole trio were
weary and sore from the effect of the ride of ninety miles on the backs
of Chinese ponies. Frank said that when he was sitting down he hesitated
to rise for fear he should break in two, and Fred asserted that it was
dangerous to go from a standing to a sitting position for the same
reason.
They determined to take things easily for the first day of their stay in
Pekin, and confine their studies to the neighborhood of the hotel. With
this object in view, they took short walks on the streets, and in the
afternoon ventured on a ride in a small cart; or, rather, they hired two
carts, as one was not sufficient to hold them. These carts are very
abundant at Pekin, and are to be hired like cabs in European or American
cities. They are not dear, being only sixty or seventy cents a day, and
they are so abundant that one can generally find them at the principal
public places.
The carts, or cabs, are quite light in construction, and in summer they
have shelters over the horses to protect them from the heat of the sun.
The driver walks at the side of his team; and when the pace of the horse
quickens to a run, he runs with it. No matter how rapidly the horse may
go, the man does not seem troubled to keep alongside. The carts take the
place of sedan-chairs, of which very few are to be seen in Pekin.
[Illustration: A PEKIN CAB.]
Another kind of cart which is used in the North to carry merchandise,
and also for passengers, is much stronger than the cab, but, like it, is
mounted on two wheels. The frame is of wood, and there is generally a
cover of matting to keep off the heat of the sun. This cover is
supported on posts that rise from the sides of the cart; but while
useful against the sun, it is of no consequence in a storm, owing to its
facility for letting the water run through. The teams for propelling
these carts are more curious than the vehicles themselves, as they are
indifferently made up of whatever animals are at hand. Oxen, cows,
horses, mules, donkeys, and sometimes goats and dogs, are the beasts of
burden that were seen by the boys in their rambles in Pekin and its
vicinity, and on one occasion Fred saw a team which contained a camel
harnessed with a mule and a cow. Camels come to Pekin from the Desert of
Gobi, where great numbers of them are used in the overland trade between
China and Russia. They are quite similar to the Arabian camel, but are
smaller, and their hair is thicker, to enable them to endure the severe
cold of the northern winter. In the season when tea is ready for export,
thousands of camels are employed in transporting the fragrant herb to
the Russian frontier, and the roads to the northward from Pekin are
blocked with them.
[Illustration: A COMPOSITE TEAM.]
Walking was not altogether a pleasant amusement for our friends, as the
streets were a mass of dust, owing to the carelessness of the
authorities about allowing the refuse to accumulate in them. There is a
tradition that one of the emperors, in a period that is lost in the
mazes of antiquity, attempted to sweep the streets in order to make
himself popular with the people; but he found the task too large, and,
moreover, he had serious doubts about its being accomplished in his
lifetime. So he gave it up, as he did not care to do something that
would go more to the credit of his successor than of himself, and no one
has had the courage to try it since that time. The amount of dirt that
accumulates in a Chinese city would breed a pestilence in any other
part of the world. Not only do the Chinese appear uninjured by it, but
there are some who assert that it is a necessity of their existence, and
they would lose their health if compelled to live in an atmosphere of
cleanliness.
One of the most interesting street sights of their first day in Pekin
was a procession carrying a dragon made of bamboo covered with painted
paper. There was a great noise of tom-toms and drums to give warning of
the approach of the procession, and there was the usual rabble of small
boys that precedes similar festivities everywhere. The dragon was
carried by five men, who held him aloft on sticks that also served to
give his body an undulating motion in imitation of life. He was not
pretty to look upon, and his head seemed too large for his body. The
Chinese idea of the dragon is, that he is something very hideous, and
they certainly succeed in representing their conception of him. Dr.
Bronson explained that the dragon was frequently carried in procession
at night, and on these occasions the hollow body was illuminated, so
that it was more hideous, if possible, than in the daytime.
[Illustration: A CHINESE DRAGON.]