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MATTHEWS X £ j* a % &

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1940

"WESTWARD" A Woman's Story of
THE GREAT CRUISE

Mrs. Frances E. Morgan Matthews
Author of " Dreams of Yesterdays"

98

NEW HAVEN, CONN.
PRESS OF C. G. WHAPLES * CO.
86-90 CROWN STREET
1910

to mrs. c  and all the other
friends who so kindly aided by
their encouragement and active
interest in the publication of a
woman's story, is this book affec
tionately dedicated by The Author.

FOREWORD
It is through no lack of interest that I have pur
posely omitted from the following pages my im
pressions on missionary and educational methods,
but I feel that no one can, in the short time allotted
to each place visited, draw correct conclusions in re
gard to these great questions, and I leave the sub
jects to those who have longer remained in the Ori
ent, and should therefore be better equipped with
personal knowledge of the work accomplished, and
I hope this, with the omission of reference to the
trying selfishness of some of our fellow passengers,
will be pardoned as I have sought to keep the spirit
of criticism far from the minds of those who read
this simple story of our travels in foreign lands,
and to give as much pleasure to them as it has to
the Author in recording it.
New Haven, Conn., July 10, 1910.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. "Westward" Across the Continent  1
II. On the Ocean  4
III. Honolulu  7
IV. Again "Westward"  14
V. Yokohama and Nikko  19
VI. Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama  30
VII. Kobe and Nagasaki. Kioto, Osaka  46
VIII. Hong Kong and Canton  61
IX. Manila, Java and Borneo  81
X. Singapore, Burma  107
XI. Benares-Calcutta  125
XII. Darjeeling and Ceylon  140
XIII. Bombay and Agra  151
XIV. Cairo and the Homeward Voyage  166

CHAPTER I
"WESTWARD" ACROSS THE CONTINENT
FOR thirty thousand miles, over mountain and
plain, ocean and river, our great party steadily
moved "Westward" on our world encircling journey,
the first part of it' giving us the rare privilege of
seeing some part of the magnificent and unparalleled
scenery in the vast expanse of our own country.
We had traveled over the more scenic routes, and
hoping to escape the cold weather which a New
England winter usually has in store for us, and hav
ing had a month of snows and blizzards already we
went by the most southern route across the conti
nent, and found to our surprise, snow, as far south
as Atlanta, Georgia, while for many miles beyond
the steam from the damp earth, brought out by the
sun's rays, had frozen on all vegetation, making a
sparkling brilliancy in the early dawn.
For two whole days after leaving Washington,
we saw nothing of particular interest, excepting the
negroes and their little houses on stilts. But these
were the beginning of the colored races we were to
encounter in our long journey, and as such they in-

2 "West wa ed"
terested us, for they had wooley hair, thick lips and
low foreheads, and a tendency to show their white
teeth, in a happy, contented grin, on every possible
occasion. Even in New Orleans it was cool, and as
we went on to San Antonio and El Paso, and over
the desert, it was so cold it was difficult to believe
it was the same month in which three years before
we had found the weather warm and comfortable.
Even the little prairie dogs stayed out of sight,
and the wonderful cacti of the desert, whose beau
tiful spikes of cream colored flowers were such a
glory, showed nothing but the dried stalks from six
to twelve feet high, where last year's flowers had
cheered the desert plain. That these cacti only
bloom once in two years, is a fact I have recently
learned. In passing through the orange belt before reach
ing the coast, we were sorry to see many frost-bitten
trees and other signs of a cold winter, but Los An
geles greeted us with a sultry heat, and we had at
last left winter behind us.
When we arrived in San Francisco, all the people
who were anticipating the grand cruise, and those
just returned from the Orient, congregated in the
larger hotels, and many amusing incidents came to
our notice. One woman of the former cruise was
asked if she saw the "Taj," and she replied that

"Westward" Across the Continent 3
she did "and had brought home a picture of him
and his wife." (What a fortunate woman.)
San Francisco is fast becoming a beautiful city,
large stone blocks have arisen over the debris of fire
and earthquake, and although the city is still in
the transition stage and dust and empty cellars are
much in evidence, we cannot fail to see that the
unbounded courage and energy of its people will
soon make the city at the Golden Gate, the pride of
all the west.
The newhotels are huge in proportions, the Pal
ace as brilliant as gilt and electricity can make it,
and the new St. Francis on Union Square, with its
dark pillared drawingroom and lobby is most attrac
tive, while the new Fairmount, on Knob Hill, on or
near the site of the old Fair residence, must be very
enticing in the warmer months, for it commands a
fine view of the harbor and also of the city at its
base. Many other hotels which look inviting are
either new or rebuilt, and I noticed a sign on one of
the smaller ones, which struck a note of deep in
terest in my heart, for it read "Home Again."

CHAPTER II
ON THE OCEAN FEBRUARY FIFTH
I HAD read that the boat which was to be our
home for nearly four months, was six hundred
and eight feet long and fifty-five feet deep, with
registered tonnage of seventeen thousand, but I did
not fully appreciate these measurements until its
great black hull loomed up above the wharf at
which we embarked. Thousands of people wit
nessed our departure, while bands played inspiring
music, and waving handkerchiefs and loud good
byes came from the people on every available place
which would give a good view of the ship when she
started on her long voyage. It was the largest
passenger boat which had ever entered the harbor,
and they made a gala day to bid us "God Speed,"
but in spite of the hilarity and music, when the
great ship began almost imperceptably to move
from her moorings, I felt I could not control the
tumult in my soul and dropped my head to the rail,
as a woman's tears filled my eyes. What was it that
so moved my innermost spirit? What was it that
made me tremble when we passed out of the

On the Ocean 5
Golden Gate into the broad expanse of the Pacific?
I was not afraid, I had bidden good-bye to all
friends far in the Easl; and yet I trembled and I
wept. Our first day out was trying to most of us
and about half the tourists did not appear at table,
but the water was not rough, only beautiful, (to
those who could look at it) and in the seven days
voyage to Honolulu we became accustomed to the
vibrations of the machinery and could watch the
Mother Cary chickens who sometimes lighted on
the boat and the small flying fish which seemed to
follow us. Very few boats of any kind were seen
and no large fish.
In that seven days of enforced idleness, we had
time to adjust ourselves to circumstances, and form
new acquaintances, and we shall never cease to fol
low with interest the little coterie of friends on deck,
who, to the end of the voyage, occupied our time
and attention with studies into the life and customs
of the people in the countries visited, and we gained
much in interchange of thought, spiced with wit and
humor and general good will to all.
The entertainments planned for nearly every
evening, and sometimes in the morning, were
thoroughly enjoyed for we had many talented
speakers, whose lectures on the countries we were
to visit, were instructive and pleasing, and the

6 "Westward"
saloon was invariably crowded with intelligent
listeners. There were many fine musicians on board, and a
choir was soon formed who, with competent leaders,
gave their time for the pleasure of the people, and
until the end of the voyage sang at the opening of all
Sunday services, which were always conducted by
eminent divines, and also at all evening entertain
ments where music was on the program. There
were several solo singers, and we shall never forget
the beautiful "Holy City" as sung by the sweet well-
trained voice of one of the young ladies, who at
different times charmed her hearers by her un
affected gift of song.
We had used our heaviest wraps, fur being very
comfortable, until we neared Honolulu, when hat-
less and coatless we sat about the deck enjoying the
caressing breezes from the smooth sea, and the big
drops from passing tropical showers making bril
liant rainbows over the water.

CHAPTER III
HONOLULU, FEBRUARY TWELFTH.
WE passed Diamond Head, that great promon
tory of dark rock which marks the entrance
to the harbor, early in the gray dawn of morning.
Numbers of the Honolulu "promotion committee"
came to quarantine in a launch, bringing with them
a bevy of Hawaiian maidens. As soon as they came
alongside our great vessel a musical welcome was
given by the Kaai's Quintet Club stationed on the
bow of the launch, and Hawaiian and American
songs were sung to the great enjoyment of the ship's
company. The Outrigger Club, the Shriners, and
Elks were represented in other launches, and as
soon as the gangway was lowered, the Hawaiian
girls made their appearance on deck with their arms
full of "leis," which are garlands of flowers strung
closely on strong cord, and long enough to slip over
the head. The many shades of carnations were most
prominent, but many flowers with names unknown
to us, and some ferns, made a most charming addi
tion to the official welcome already accorded us.
Then followed the maidens with large baskets of

8 "Westward"
the leis, and the whole boat's company of men,
women and children were decorated with a wreath
of these beautiful flowers which were worn all day
by many of us. To the most of us this custom was
a novelty, and it was told that "one very prim look
ing spinster drew back in surprised alarm as a man
placed his arm about her neck, but she smiled grac
iously when she saw that he was only fastening a
lei." The Shriners and Elks royally entertained
their respective brothers from over the sea, and their
yellow ropes and ribbons were another bright spot
in the general gaiety of the scene.
Beside this a button on which was printed the
word "Aloha" was given us, and we heard the word
on all sides, which means, "All good wishes," "all
that is good," as well as "Farewell" and "God
Speed," and we early learned to respond to this
greeting. Heavy rains had washed the city of all dust, and
as we started on our morning drive, on one of the
best equipped trolley roads we have ever seen,
where there was plenty of room for our whole
party, the several sections going in different direc
tions, we thought we had never visited a more
charming spot, for the semitropical luxuriant
growth of all vegetation, including a hedge of the
night blooming cereus, on which sometimes one can
count tens of thousands of blossoms, made it seem

Honolulu 9
like an enchanted land, and although there were few
palatial residences bordering the fine macadam
streets, the luxury of the budding green, with spac
ious avenues bordered by graceful colonades of the
Royal Palm, and interspersed by clinging vines,
whose huge leaves swing in the breeze where per
chance some brilliant purple or red blossoms ex
tending up as far as the housetop, added their charm
to the general impression of luxury, we could not
see that anything more was needed to complete its
attractions. The cars took us to the extreme limit of the city,
one way to the rice fields, where the rice set out in
rows, showed the green of the plants, which looked
like tufts of very green grass, about five or six
inches above the water where it was growing. The
land is always laid out in squares, with a ridge of
earth a foot or two high to keep the water in, it
being often necessary to irrigate in hot weather.
Another car line ran out into the hills, where a
girl's school was situated, which many of us visited,
with the satisfaction of knowing that all these insti
tutions of learning were the results of years of mis
sionary work commenced long ago on the beautiful
islands of the Pacific by people from our land, and
we wondered if anybody could be found who would
still speak of the "good old times" before the in
vasion.

10 "Westward"
The Royal Mausoleum, where the former rulers
of Hawaii are "sleeping their last sleep," is a plain
and substantial marble structure, and the palace
where the ex-Queen Liliuokalani now lives, is a
comfortable looking place, but very unassuming, and
the Government House and the other public build
ings are fine, but nothing extraordinary.
The Hawaiian Band, who, with dark faces and
white suits welcomed us at the wharf, also played
on the lawn in front of the hotel where we lunched,
the leader being the same German who forty years
ago formed the first band of native Hawaiians.
Native women sang "Aloha Oe," "Like no a Like"
and many other songs, while the enraptured visitors
wandered about the grounds, and the blended color
of hats, gowns, leis, and tropical green, made a
brilliant picture. Cameras were out fully equipped
with films, and some of us nearly forgot in the ex
citement that further on we would wish we had not
been so lavish in expenditure of equipment on this
our first interesting visit in the journey to unknown
lands. Our ride out to the Moana Hotel and Waikiki
Beach was made interesting by the crooked trunks
of hundreds of cocoanut palms, loaded with nuts so
high above us that there was no danger of our tak
ing them as souvenirs, and by the many banana
orchards, where great bunches of fruit, many of

Honolulu 11
them green when ripe, and about one-half the size
of our southern fruit, grew in abundance, and sugar
plantations, rice fields and duck farms showed
where the dark skinned natives reap their reward
for hard labor. The aquarium was visited en route,
and the people are justly proud of the fine collec
tion of brilliant colored and rare specimens of the
finny tribe.
The weather man was a little too good in his sup
pression of inclement weather, for there was no
surf, and the famous surf riding stunts were post
poned, but the canoe, the six-paddle, and the out
rigger races were much enjoyed. The outrigger
boats are very narrow, with bent projecting poles
placed at the ends on one side only, and reaching
eight or ten feet out over the water, where a pole
attached holds then in position and keeps the boat
from capsizing. The roasting of a pig, and of taro,
the pounding of which makes what is called poi, and
the Hawaiian staff of life, was watched with much
curiosity. We saw the poi cooking on many a back
step of native houses over a few hot coals. On Sun
day the city had the appearance of a New England
Sabbath as even the curio shops were closed, but
about the hotels was life in plenty. After lunch
many automobiles made their appearance, and our
friends appeared with the rest in their own car to
take us to their home and to Mount Pali, that beauti-

12 "Westward"
ful drive up the mountain, where man has joined
forces with nature in building a substantial road
around the precipice, where the most extensive view
is obtained of hills, valleys and water, and we hope
we may be pardoned if we say that we found we
had not yet outlived the perfectly human enjoyment
of being one of the participants in such a happy
party, for so far everyone seemed joyously satisfied.
Many of the visitors started late and punctured tires
and anxious faces were seen along the road, and two
ladies, who from this accident came near being left
behind, boarded the ship after it had started from
its moorings, they having taken a row boat from
shore; and the Captain hastily ordered the gang
way lowered for them.
Honolulu is practically a chimneyless city, no fire
is needed to warm the house as the temperature does
not vary ten degrees from the usual 75 degrees mean
temperature in the whole year, and the cooking is
done by gas or hot coals. There are few door bells on
the houses, and one is obliged to knock or attract at
tention as best they can when calling on friends.
There are no numbers to mark your friend's home,
but she lives across the street from Mrs. So and So,
and she and all the rest have mosquito-proof rooms
which are invaluable and necessary to keep the musi
cal fiends at a distance. In society one meets
colored women of intelligence and culture, and

Honolulu 13
general good will prevails among the entire circle of
acquaintances. Among the few things needed to
make Honolulu an ideal city is the opera and the
trained intelligent milliner, who can make an artistic
setting for my lady's face. The ladies never dress
in heavy clothing, white predominates, with pongee
and china silk as second choice. Summer hats are
always worn and I am sure our winter garments
looked burdensome and uncomfortable. The native
women wear Mother Hubbard gowns, which hang
straight from the yoke to the floor, a black one being
the height of elegance. They apparently wear no
corsets and are in great contrast to the sweet clean
little Japanese women, who wear wooden sandals
raised an inch or two from the ground, which, with
their tight kimonas make them walk curiously.
The little Jap children are as cute as they can be,
and are always clean. The Hawaiian divers in all
shades of color, from black through the browns to
almost white, wearing no clothing but a loin cloth,
reaped a rich harvest both on our arrival and depar
ture, and many bumped heads in the plunge made
for contributions from the generous givers.
The view of Honolulu from the boat as we passed
out of the harbor will long be remembered. Mount
Tantalus and the green verdure of the Koolau
Range formed the background to the beautiful city
nestling in unfading green, while over the hillside

14 "Westward"
the riotous growth in all gradations of shade from
grays to greens and browns, and reaching to the ex
treme limit of each hilltop, reminded us of the story
of the great French designer, Worth, who was wont
to go to the fields to find delicate mosses from which
to study combinations of color and certainly here he
might have copied these greens with sure knowl
edge of approbation by those who wore his crea
tions.

CHAPTER IV
AGAIN "WESTWARD," FEBRUARY FOURTEENTH.
AND then commenced the long voyage of eleven
days across the trackless Pacific, and one
might naturally suppose the days would seem long
and the nights tedious, did they not know that the
man at the head of this tremendous undertaking had
for years studied the traveling public and learned
the art of making people forget themselves in an
ever changing list of entertainments, to which all
were invited. The first meeting of the Travelers'
Club was a great success, and for the whole journey
this was the most popular entertainment. The
meeting was always opened with music, a new chair
man chosen for each session, who called the speakers

Again "Westward" 15
of the evening and announced the time limit of
from three to five minutes in which they might ex
press themselves on the impressions of the places
visited. Then followed a general discussion by men
and women, all being urged and encouraged to
speak of any incident, or to read any little poem
bearing on the leading subject.
We had heard an instructive and entertaining
lecture on Honolulu and the Hawaiian industries be
fore reaching the islands, and with the addition of
the information gathered from the Travelers' Club
one would be stupid indeed if they were not well
informed about these beautiful islands in the Pacific,
which are under, the supervision of our own great
republic, to which we hoped to return with renewed
appreciation of our unrivaled privileges. Then we
had lectures on "The Passion Play at Oberammer-
gau," Japan, Hong Kong and Canton, literary enter
tainments, memory tests, concerts by the musical
club, progressive euchre parties and bridge whist,
the large saloon being filled to its full capacity, with
men in dinner coats and ladies in gowns and jewels
rich enough to grace any metropolitan function, and
it did not seem to matter whether one could play the
games or not, they looked well, and enjoyed the
novelty of meeting strangers, and there was often
nothing but a slight vibration from the machinery
to remind one of the depth of the fathomless water

16 "Westward"
over which our good boat was steadily approaching
foreign shores.
On the evening of the celebration of Washing
ton's Birthday, old Neptune wrinkled his face and
compelled our huge ship to keep up perpetual saluta
tions, and as we were trying to forget the swinging
of decorations in the saloon in listening intently to
the speakers of the evening, and to the patriotic
songs by the choir, who, unable to keep themselves
upright, bumped into each other in the vain attempt
to be circumspect, one of our favorite speakers was
called upon to speak about "Our Native Land." He
had finished his preliminaries, and was waxing
warm on the subject of our love for home and
country, and raising his hand to emphasize his clos
ing words of "our happiest moment will be when we
put our feet on our 'Own Native Land' " the boat
gave an unusual lurch, the floor heaved under him,
and in a flash he added "or any other old land"
which voiced the opinions of all his hearers, and we
cheered with unbounded approbation while he fin
ished his interrupted speech with much spirit and
enthusiasm. We left nothing but the Opera at home, in way of
entertainment, and came very near filling that defi
ciency in a recitation given by a Professor of the
University of Michigan, where he holds the Chair
of Oratory, and he made excellent use of his talent

Again "Westward" 17
in his chosen profession in the interesting story of
the pagan chief, "Ingomar" restrained and reclaimed
by the power of Love.
We had the Theatre always with us, for the
whole boat was the stage for many a changing scene,
and the curtain of night often dropped over some
pair who were satisfied that they had found their
affinity, or upon some of the younger set, who,
ignoring the prosaic age in which we live, practiced
the old yet ever new game where —
"Hearts are Trumps."
"For now came along a new card game,
And with it no others compare;
It is taught by a dear little fellow
With the brightest of bright golden hair.
He carries a bundle of arrows —
Most innocent looking of darts —
And the trump in the game he is teaching
Can never be any but Hearts."
The first Ball was a decided success. The
Promenade deck was appropriately decorated, the
evening was cool, and everybody seemed excited,
and anxious to appear in the Grand March, led by
the Captain and the wife of the promoter of all we
were enjoying, and she looked like a queen, in whose
crown of dark hair glittered becoming garniture,
and her engaging smile, which is one of her chief
attractions, was always infectious, and so, whether

18 "Westward"
it was bridge or dancing, or anything else in which
it was her province to appear, she always looked the
happy entertainer, which did much to make a suc
cess of all undertakings. The handsome evening
gowns of the more mature, and the diaphanous
gauzes of the younger set, made them look like those
etherial beings a "little lower than the angels" which
so attract the masculine attention and sometimes
captures the heart. There was one young girl who
reminded me so strongly of a friend of my youth,
whose romantic marriage to a Texas ranchman after
only a week of courtship, had always seemed like a
tragedy to me, that I called her Florilla after my
friend; and I may be pardoned if I watched with
pleasing interest the growing intimacy between her
and her admirer, Max, who was at her side on every
possible occasion.
We all did one thing which would not be allowed
at home, by just dropping Friday, the eighteenth of
February, out of the calendar, and we did not find
it afterward ; and we also turned our watches back
from twenty to thirty minutes daily for the whole
sea journey, and yet they were found to be au fait
when we reached home.
On nearing Japan the atmosphere again became
cooler, and we needed our heaviest wraps and
blankets on deck, and the sea was rough enough to
make us ieel uncomfortable, and we had snow

Yokohama and Nikko 19
squalls and light showers, and were all glad when we
dropped anchor in Yokohama and the beautiful
snow topped "Fuji" greeted us as the rising sun
chased the clouds away.

CHAPTER V
YOKOHAMA AND NIKKO, FEBRUARY TWENTY-FIFTH
HERE we began to realize how much study and
careful consideration had been exercised in
the preparations for the satisfactory management of
our great company. Cards for every person were
found on the tables at the last dinner before disem
barking, with simple directions for each party of
from ten to twenty persons who were provided with
a guide wearing a numbered button which we were
to remember and never follow any other, as some go
one way and some another, all eventually going over
the same ground. We all know how hard it is for
some people to follow directions, and as they wished
to be independent, they could not have told at night
what they had seen, or where they had been, or what
they had missed. The boat docked at Yokohama,
and how delighted we were to be so near terra-
firma. When we went down the gang plank a very
peculiar sight greeted the eye, for hundreds of jin-

20 "Westward"
rikishas were lined up waiting to take the tourists
about the city. Each little carriage was decorated
with two gay flags, one with the stars and stripes,
and the other with the word "Clark," in white on a
red ground. It is said that there are forty thousand
jinrikishas in Yokohama, and it would seem quite
possible for they are everywhere, and certainly there
was always enough for our large party. Perhaps
my reader has never seen one of these little vehicles,
which are only just large enough for one person. It
has a regular black leather buggy top, and is set with
springs on two wheels. The shafts are closed with
a bar across the ends, and two silver hooks keep
them off the ground when not in use. The men get
between the shafts and with the bar in front of them
trot along just like an animal, and they sometimes
make very good time. These little carriages are
painted black, have silver trimmings, and are uphol
stered in gay colored plush and often have hand
some wool mats for the feet, and heavy rugs for cold
weather. The men are dressed in dark blue or
black costumes ; the hats look like inverted wash
basins covered with black cloth, and a rattan frame
holds them to the head. The coats are loose like a
Chinaman's coat, with the number of his vehicle on
the back; his trousers are as nearly tight fitting as
possible, and the shoes are of the same dark color,
with the big toe separated from the rest of the foot,

Yokohama and Nikko 21
the sole being made of some pliable but heavy
material. Now, can you imagine our peculiar ap
pearance as a few hundred of us started out to drive
about the streets, which were gaily decorated in
honor of the visitors. Of course, every Japanese
city has its temples, and we drove as near as we
could to them, and then walked up the steep hill and
the hundreds of steps, worn smooth by constant use,
to the temples and shrines and quite famous Gods,
and to the great bell, which tells the people of the
entire city the exact hour of each day, three strokes
being given as an announcement, just previous to
the regular striking of the hour, and it is all done by
the manipulation of a heavy wooden bar which
swings on ropes carrying the end against a large
copper drum, and it is said that if the men at the task
make a mistake they are severely dealt with and
lose their position at once. The hills in Japan
which rise abruptly from the plain, are always the
chosen location for temples and shrines, and the
numberless stone steps make a very picturesque
approach to some of these structures.
We always took lunch on shore when our boat
was in port, and at Yokohama the Grand Hotel is
beautifully situated on the water front, where from
its spacious verandas we had the most interesting
view of nearly one thousand rickishas with their
gay flags, a man in front of each one, and native

22 "Westward"
women and children, done up in their tight skirts,
and seeming to walk easily on their clog wooden
shoes, while four little Geisha girls (dainty little
things) and not over eight or ten years of age, posed
and danced to the time of a stringed instrument
played by a woman who had them in charge. They
were dressed like women, the hair combed straight
back to the crown of the head and done into a bow
made stiff by some gluey oil, and trimmed by arti
ficial flowers, gilt combs, etc.
Nikko — Our large party was here divided. Some
going to Tokio, some to Kamakura, some staying in
Yokohama, and some going to Nikko. We went
with the last named party.
On the Imperial Railway of Japan one feels very
much at home for all modern conveniences are in
stalled, and ours were all "Special" trains and we
had the very best accommodations. The country
through which we passed was low and marshy, rice
fields with the roots of last year's growth were the
chief feature of the landscape for many miles out
from Yokohama, but as we neared Nikko many
abrupt hills rise out of the plain, and little vil
lages with their picturesque thatched roofs, and
zig-zag steps leading up to a "Torii" (gate) through
which we see a temple or a shrine, beautified the
country and prepared us for the greater beauty we
were to see on the morrow. At every station along

Yokohama and Nikko 23
the route we were received by the waiting multitude
with enthusiastic "Ohy-o's" and "Banzai's" and
when darkness came on hundreds of Japanese lan
terns were suspended from the station ceilings and
in the hands of the native population, who insisted
upon our accepting them, so that our train took on a
festive appearance and we arrived at Nikko gaily
accepting all the honors showered upon us. At the
station were more than two hundred and fifty rik
ishas, each carrying two lighted lanterns, and there
were two men for each carriage, as the roads were
heavy and the hotels a couple of miles away. When
we were well tucked in, for the night was cold, each
rikisha man and his pusher rushed into the moving
throng and it so happened that I was in one of the
very last vehicles, and as the road was always inclin
ing up and on to the hotels, I had a splendid view of
this wonderful procession. Soon we entered an
avenue of the famous cryptomeria trees, whose
stately forms rise like the stone carved columns of
ancient Rome, and as the weird light from the mov
ing lanterns now and again lighted up some of the
lower branches we forgot ourselves in this strange
panorama of unaccustomed surroundings and lived
in an atmosphere of unreality. This rikisha rid
ing is not conducive to animated conversation, at
any time, and in the darkness when one can not see
his next neighbor one is very much alone even if

24 "Westward"
surrounded by friends, so I almost felt that the
whole picture was a phantom of the brain, and the
hundreds of colored lights, the decorated streets, the
loud "Banzai's" (hurrahs) of the populace, men,
women and children joining in one enthusiastic wel
come, could not be real; nor was it I who moved
steadily onward and upward following the bobbing
lanterns which marked the road leading to our rest
ing place.
The spacious hotel office with its open fires, and
a good sized cherry tree in full bloom, was a delight
ful change from ship life, and we found small soft
coal stoves with fires in every room and slippers
lying warm beside them for our comfort. There
were electric lights and quiet little Japanese maidens
to wait upon us, making a fire and bringing hot
water in the morning. The roar of the rushing
river Daiya, which has in times past washed away
many a landmark, and in 1902 carried away the
"Sacred Bridge" over which none but the Imperial
Family might pass, was our lullaby as we passed
over to the land of dream.
A large garden of ten acres is beautifully laid out
in the rear of the hotel, but the only blossoms were
on the plum trees, which by the Japanese is as much
loved as the cherry, as it is the earliest Spring bloom,
and they bear fruit; but the cherry is only an
ornamental tree and they are deep pink in color, and

Photo by courtesy of
E. C. Brown

NIKKO— TORII WITH THE SHOGUN'S CREST

Yokohama and Nikko 25
we found to my surprise that the one in the office
was artificial, the work being so perfectly done that
it was difficult to detect the imitation. Mountain
peaks rise on all sides and in Autumn the marvelous
coloring of the maple trees are said to be inde
scribable. Nikko is a summer resort about two
thousand feet above the sea, and its cascades and
waterfalls, its mountain streams and wonderous
views are enough to attract the summer visitor,
without the great attraction of its famous temples
and shrines.
The Sacred Bridge which was rebuilt in 1906 is
made of red lacquer, and we passed it on the road to
the temples. The little carriages cannot enter the
temple grounds, and there are steep hills where one
must walk, and numberless stone steps ; really much
walking must be done to see satisfactorily these
wonders of the world. In the Nikko temples one is
obliged to remove their boots before entering, but in
all others a slipper put over the shoe is quite suffi
cient. It was damp and cold the morning of our
visit, and I hesitated, for my old enemy, rheumatism,
was on hand to take up the cudgel, but when I found
some woolen shoes I defied consequences and entered
with the rest. Shinto is what we call Ancestor
worship, but it also includes the deification of heroes
and emperors, and inculcates strict obedience to the
will of the Mikado. It is the State religion of

26 "Westward"
Japan and teaches courtesy, courage and a high
sense of honor, but above all things loyalty to
country and to their illustrious ancestors whom they
believe to be always with them.
We had already passed through the gate or torii
which marks all Shinto Temples and also the gate of
the two kings, which is guarded on either side by
prodigious angry eyed gods, who seem to dare one to
pass into the sacred precincts, and had viewed some
of the marvelous wood carvings, which art was, at
the time these temples were built, at its zenith, we
had seen the monkey, temple with the carving of the
three monkies, with their hands over eyes, ears and
mouth, which is said to signify that one should "see
no evil," "hear no evil" and "speak no evil," also the
five storied Pagoda rising to the height of one hun
dred and four feet, and many beautiful shrines, bell
towers, drum towers and much delicate wood carv
ing, and harmonious coloring in gifts received from
foreign countries, presents from the Daimyos
(Feudal Lords) and relics of the Shoguns, and now
we were to enter the Shinto Temple where for hun
dreds of years the faithful have worshipped, and I
did not wonder that they wished us to remove our
boots, for every floor is covered with the finest mat
ting, and is scrupulously clean.
This temple to Ieyasu is the finest old temple in
Japan. The intricate wood carving of the outside is

Yokohama and Nikko 27
worthy of much study, and the coloring is not as
gaudy as one might think from the ordinary pictures
of it. Aside from the carving there is much lacquer
work which is as bright as ever after a lapse of hun
dreds of years, and the lacquer gods and sacred em
blems are remarkably well preserved. There are no
seats in any of these temples, for all worship on their
knees or sitting on their heels. Of course, this
makes all temples seem very bare, but the images of
bronze, the tables and church ornaments decorate
the sides and altars of the buildings, and we saw
on all altars the fruit and sake (wine) which had
been blessed and offered by the priests to the pre
siding spirits. At the evening services this fruit is
replaced by other or different kinds, and so the gods
are propitiated.
Our party was a small one, and we were told that
by giving thirty sens (fifteen cents) each, we might
witness the temple ceremony. Accepting the invita
tion we were seated about on the matted floor near
the outer edge of the large entrance hall, and waited.
From this hall were six or eight steps down to
another floor, and from that floor ascended on the
opposite side a number of steep steps to the closed
doors of another room. After waiting in the un
usual position until we were very uncomfortable, a
young man clothed in a dark kimona trimmed with
green, came from a side entrance, mounted the steps

28 "Westward"
to our floor, and seated himself on his heels behind
a flat drum, which was highly ornamented in gilt
and colors. In due time two others came and placed
on the floor in front of them three boxes, which
looked as if they might have pistols in them. Some
time after another man appeared on the opposite
side of the room and seated himself in front of a
large decorated drum, and gave it one hard strike
with a drum stick, after awhile another, and then
there was a muffled sound. Then one of two priests
dressed in white flowered tissue gowns, ascended
with many genuflexions the opposite steps, then
three others dressed with a good deal of green in
the make up, and then another in white. Now the
boys opened their pistol boxes, and from them took
musical pipes and put them to their lips, and so far
as our understanding went they played without har
mony, without tune, and certainly without melody,
and they played together, and they played alone,
while the priests went through the ceremony of
opening the gilded doors into what we supposed to
be the "holy place," and then the men in green
passed up to the white robed priests, the fruit and
the sake, and many emblems, each one being rever
ently received, blessed and passed out of sight. The
boys played on while the priests performed the rest
of the ceremony, when they put away their instru
ments, and we were invited to go behind the gilded

Yokohama and Nikko 29
doors, where we were given a taste of sake which we
did not like, and some rice cake, and the saucer in
which the sake was served, as souvenirs, on which
the Shogun's crest, the three-leafed clover appears.
The mausolea of the illustrious Shogun Ieyasu,
founder of the Tokugawa dynasty, and of his
famous grandson, Iemitsu, were placed here in the
seventeenth century. These with the treasure
house, the pagodas, the large stone lanterns which
are always a great and interesting feature of the
temple grounds, and the numerous small artistic
buildings, with the stone steps to and from places
of interest, the stately cryptomeria trees, and the
moss grown stones of the walls make Nikko one of
the most interesting beauty spots on earth.
In the "Compound" (addition) to the hotel was
a well patronized bazar, and there was some good
stores in the town. Lacquer work and wood and
ivory carving are some of the principal things sought
by the purchaser.

CHAPTER VI
TOKIO, KAMAKURA AND YOKOHAMA
TOKIO is the largest city in Japan and the
streets seem interminable. Again as always
in Japan we were received most cordially by the
populace and the children everywhere cried their
welcome of Ohoy-o and Banzai, red lanterns and
flags decorated the streets, while an official welcome
from the Mayor of the larger cities was one of the
usual pleasing features of our visit. Our little rik
isha men had a long pull of about three miles to our
hotel, and we think them in some respects a remark
able people, for after they are once started on a drive
anywhere they never undertake to pass those in
front of them, they are always good natured, and
never seem tired. The city has a population of
1,808,655, one million eight hundred and eight
thousand six hundred and fifty-five, covers twenty-
eight square miles, and is the capitol of the Empire.
The nearest approach to the Imperial Residence
accorded us was at the bridge crossing the moat sur
rounding the Castle grounds. This moat is about
four miles in length, and the walls are very massive.

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 31
When Tokio was only a few small villages it was
called Yeddo, and the great Shogun Ieyasu came
here in 1590, and thirteen years later made the
Castle his military headquarters. In 1868 the Sho-
gunate system was abolished, and at the same time
the Imperial Court was removed from Kioto to
Yeddo when the name was changed to Tokio.
We visited the various parks, which cover many
miles of pleasure ground with summer houses,
fountains, trees and flowers, restaurants and shrines,
and in Shiba Park, which is one of the largest in
Tokio, is a famous Buddhist Temple and the Mauso
leums of several of the Tokugawa Shoguns. They
were built in the end of the sixteenth century, under
the direct patronage of, Ieyasu, whose tomb we had
seen in Nikko. There were fifteen Shoguns in all,
and six of them were buried in Tokio. The Mor
tuary Temple of the second Shogun is a very beauti
ful specimen of Japanese art, and the octagonal hall
containing the tomb is the largest specimen of gold
lacquer in the world, and one of the most mag
nificent. Lions and chrysanthemums ornament its
panels, and within the shrine is an effigy of the
Shogun and his funeral tablet, while his remains,
coated with vermillion and charcoal powder to pre
vent decay, lie buried twenty feet beneath the pave
ment. In the Imperial Museum an object of much in-

32 " We s t.ward"
terest was the "treading boards" made of bronze
images of the Saints of the Roman Church, set in
wood, on which those who had abjured their former
faith, and had turned to Catholicism, were forced
to walk as a penance; and a sign board announced
that this ordeal was in store for all who dared to
choose their own religion. In the Natural History
section was a wonderful specimen of fowl. The hen
was small and modest, but the cocks, one white and
one black one, had tail feathers which measured
fourteen feet. They were soft and pliable, and
dropped from a high perch to the ground, where
they were placed in a circle. How could they have
managed to keep them unblemished until they had
grown to such a length ? The Art Galerie had much
to interest us, but we missed "The Old Masters,"
for all was Japanese art, and I am afraid we, as a
whole, are not educated up to the standard of judg
ing of its merits. Here, also, are the Academy of
Music, a Public Library, a Daibutsu (Great Bud
dha), etc.
In another Park there is a temple called Asakusa
Kwannon, dedicated to a tiny gold statuette of the
Goddess of Mercy. It was founded in the seventh
century and rebuilt in the seventeenth by command
of the Shogun letsuma. The appearance of this
temple, as we approached it, was peculiar, for the
high steps leading into it were covered with "all

Tokio. Kamakura and Yokohama 33
sorts and conditions of men," women and children
and a few offerings of small coin wrapped in clean
white paper, lay on a receptacle, and the guide said
the money would be unclean if offered uncovered.
The park, as a whole, is a kind of Coney Island, for
there is a high tower, a fine fountain, an aquarium,
many amusing shows, such as jugglers, pantomime,
Punch and Judy, wax figures, theatre, acrobats and
booths for the sale of small articles of wearing ap
parel, toys, candies and cakes. The walks were
crowded with merry makers, and we saw here our
first and last beggar in Japan.
The men of our party were much pleased to be
invited in through the wicker gate, to see the fa
mous Japanese wrestlers, and the women surely
did not object. A man was perched away up some
where pounding on a drum to attract attention.
!A circular bamboo fence enclosed the place in the
center of which was a raised square earth platform
covered with an awning. The wrestlers appeared,
removed their kimonas and stood naked excepting
a belt and diminutive loin cloth. The place was
crowded with natives sitting on the matting which
covered the ground, and we sat on some of the pro
jecting bamboo poles or stood to watch the game,
for we had not learned to sit on our feet, as the
natives all do at such places. The wrestlers were
fine specimens of masculine development, and were

34 "Westward"
cheered on by a boy of about twelve years of age,
until one or the other was thrown, several taking
their turn at this trial of strength and agility. Next
morning our pictures appeared in the papers as
American visitors to Japan.
We were especially invited to enter a temple
garden, where a fine dwelling house was open for
our inspection, and benches covered with cushions
for our use, and where we were served with tea
and cake. The house was scrupulously clean, the
rooms divided by moving screens, the windows
made of rice paper, through which the sunlight is
softened and subdued as through obscured glass. It
only needs a few cushions, some floor matting, a low
table and tea to complete the house furnishing. The
Japanese gardens are very charming, for they al
ways have a diminutive lake, where tiny stone
arched bridges all covered with the moss of ages,
cross and recross from the little islands, where cas
cades and water- falls glisten in the sunlight and the
birds sing in the crooked stunted trees, which have
by years of care and cultivation, come to be a per
fect expression of the love of the beautiful, which
all accord to the people of Japan.
There are very few carriages used, even in large
cities, the better class have their own rikisha men,
and these usually run with great speed. Some dig
nitaries, however, have their carriages, and we met

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 35
our Consul with a good-looking carriage and pair of
well-matched horses. Comparatively few draft horses
are seen, who are led, but never driven, for men
of all ages pull the heavily laden two-wheeled carts.
The streets are smooth, like a macadam, and if it
were not for an occasional hill, it would seem easy,
but even the rikisha men seem to feel the slightest
incline in the streets. There are no sidewalks, and
pedestrians cross the streets anywhere they please,
for there is no danger from horses, and one feels
quite safe even among crowded rikishas, for the
men know how to take advantage of every inch of
room and accidents are very rare. He also knows
how to carry you even to the very door of a shop
and care for your wraps and package as if they
were his own.
The people are an interesting study and among
the thousands who so cordially welcomed us, with
their cheerful faces, were many children of all ages,
and they are one of the most peculiar sights in all
Japan. There are groups of them everywhere and
we think they must live on the streets. There are
many small girls and sometimes boys, ages ranging
from six to ten years, whose backs have been
strengthened by bearing slight burdens, such as
sandbags, and gradually weighted for the purpose
of becoming nurses to the little ones. The babies
are first tied around the waist to the nurse, then a

36 "Westward"
band is put around the legs, and over it is put the
outside kimona, which at the time of our visit was
a heavy one, and the same neckband goes around the
neck of both nurse and baby, and then an "obi," or
sash, is tied over all. It is said that Japanese babies
never cry, and it is a curious circumstance that
among the thousands we saw, only seven were seen
crying, and those for a few minutes only. One little
one was frightened at a tourist's overtures, and I
curiously watched the little nurse soothe it. She made
a boost and hitch of her shoulders and brought the
baby's face over where she could see it, and petting
and soothing as any mother would, soon restored its
good nature, and then the little nurse gave another
hitch and the baby went back to its usual position,
and they were off with the other children to play.
Sometimes the babies are nearly as large as the
nurses, and they are often very chummy. The peo
ple seem proud of their offspring and when passing
through the streets where one and all greeted us
with acclamations of welcome, the men in particular
would hold up both hands of the little one and
shout "Banzai !" and the mothers also seemed very
proud if we noticed their babies. A great percent
age of the women on the streets have that hump on
the back which proclaims the mother, happy in the
fact that divorce will not be her portion from re
maining childless. She must obey her mother-in-

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 37
law, poor thing, there is no escape, and she must
bear sons for her country's need or be replaced by
one who will. A little poem by Mrs. Thomas Peth-
erbridge, which she read at the Travelers' Club, is
so apropos to our theme I will insert it here :
"The babies were my great attraction
And gave me ample satisfaction,
Babies homely and babies pretty,
Babies galore in every city.
I am sure there is no limit at all
To children large or babies small ;
Babies forming a mighty host !
They'd be T. Roosevelt's pride and boast.
If from this planet they should be hurled,
They'd amply stock a bran new world.
Babies dark and babies fair,
Babies with heads shaved close and bare.
Others with hair as black as jet,
Babies whose hair and eyebrows met.
Babies thin and babies fat,
Babies asleep as sound as a bat,
Babies awake with a happy smile,
Babies whose eyes were stretched a mile,
Babies short and babies tall,
I really think I've seen them all."
Many of the better class of women dress the hair
in pompadour, but the most of those seen on the
streets have the hair stiffly oiled and tied on the
crown of the head, where it is divided and made
into two loops, and trimmed with fancy pins, rib-

38 "Westward"
bons, and sometimes with flowers. The gown is a
kimona very tight over the lower limbs, with a
straight flat piece of cloth put over the lap or open
ing in front, and in cool days the better class wear
warm cloaks falling below the knees, with the flat
kimona sleeve and a small cape of colored plush
about the neck. The material of their gowns is
often of silk or poplin in subdued colors, and the
little women look very attractive in their white foot
covering with the big toe separated from the others
and sandals or clogs kept in position by a cord or
strap of fancy plush, starting from between the toes
and passing over the foot fastening each side of the
instep and raised so high from the ground by the
little strips of board underneath that they keep
quite immaculate, even in muddy weather. They
never wear anything over their well-dressed hair,
the wind does not roughen it and they sleep at night
with a plush covered wood or metal pillow about
four or five inches wide and eight or ten long, which
supports the neck, while the hair is not disarranged,
and I was told that with proper care the elaborate
dressing will last many days. On the hands, cotton
or silk gloves are worn, and sometimes we see mitts
with elaborate bead trimming.
The men also wear the kimona, and as they do
not wear the apron, the wind sometimes blows the
kimona open disclosing bare legs to the knees. I

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 39
saw one handsome man dressed in brown silk and
,the wind blew open his kimona, and two brown legs
were exposed to the sharp cold morning air.
You must know that all the tourists shop. It is
one of the principal things we came for; at least
you might think so if you could hear us talk about
our purchases. In Tokio we went to a large De
partment Store, where all are obliged to let the boys
at the door put slippers over the shoes before enter
ing. What a fine idea it was ; wish we could do it
at home. The floors and stairs were carpeted and
everything so neat. Some of us were in Tokio in a
shower when the rikisha men donned straw hel
mets and coats which shed the rain. Some of us
were out early in the morning and saw men with a
pole across the shoulders, from which was sus
pended wooden tubs, in which were hot soups, po
tatoes, and other eatables, and the common people
buy these things and a warm potato is very much
relished by the children, as they can eat while run
ning about.
Kamakura is on the sea shore, and it has a beau
tiful beach. It was once the most populous city of
Eastern Japan, and from the end of the twelfth to
the middle of the fifteenth century its population is
believed to have exceeded one million. Now, it is
only a small village and if it were not for its world-
famous Dai-Butsu tourists would probably not visit

40 "Westward"
the place. But this image stands as it has since A.
D. 1252, as one of the best specimens of workman
ship among the Japanese works of art. It was orig
inally enclosed in a vast temple building which was
twice destroyed by tidal waves. Many of the stone
bases for the temple supports are still in position,
showing the immensity of its proportions.
The Great Dai-Butsu is forty-nine feet and seven
inches in height and ninety-seven feet and two
inches in circumference. The length of the face is
eight feet and five inches and the silver boss on the
forehead weighs thirty pounds. In the inside one
can see the seams, but the outside looks as if it were
one large casting. Permission was given for the
tourists to use cameras, and many fine pictures were
taken. The serene expression of this Buddha pro
duces a powerful impression on the gazer and the
perfect tranquillity of the features makes us feel
that he has reached that Nirvana where earth's
changes do not move his spirit and all is well.
On our return trip to Yokohama, we were sur
prised to see thousands of children, boys and girls,
standing in separate lines, at every station, every
village, and sometimes at quite a distance from the
train. All was quiet, where before we had been
noisily received. But we soon found this demon
stration was not for us at all, but for their Crown
Prince and Princess, who were traveling with their

a_<

CI

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 41
private car attached to our train. At some of the
stations it was estimated that six hundred children
sung a welcome to their Prince. It was a striking
exhibition of the wonderful army of children which
is growing up in Japan. There were hundreds of
the same size and age, their teachers with them, and
some were quite grown up. There were all shades
of brown skins, every head had black hair, the boys
cut short, the girls with the top knot, whatever the
age. Our guide told us not to hurry in alighting
from the train, and after the natives had all disap
peared we walked quietly past the car containing
the future Emperor with his suite and the Princess,
and they graciously saluted us as we passed.
The curious click-click of the clogs on the sta
tion platforms and elsewhere was always noticeable
and was one of the things which made us remember
that we were far from home. It would seem as if
people, and especially children, would fall when
running about, but we did not see one slip or act
uncertain of themselves.
We had three days of independent action in Yo
kohama, and we all went to those profusely deco
rated streets, with the peculiar names of Honcho-
dori and Benten-dori for shopping, yes shopping.
Every man, woman and child shopped, and the
embroideries on crepe, silk and cotton were so beau
tiful and so cheap that we were all sorely tempted

42 "Westward"
to buy. Even bachelors and other men asked in a
guarded manner if such or another garment was
suitable for some one at home, and if we thought
the price reasonable. Many ladies had garments
made here and in Tokio, and although some refit
ting was usually necessary, the prices paid were so
insignificant that they were well pleased. And then
we looked for carved ivory and tortoise shell, for
jewelry and cloisenne ware, and went to see it made,
then the post cards, pictures, etc.
Theatre Street, with the gay colored strips of
paper and cloth covered with hieroglyphics hang
ing from high poles, makes the street look attrac
tive and our rikisha men took us to what the hotel
guide said was the best theatre in Yokohama.
The house was built of bamboo sticks so the wind
found its way through all the chinks, and after
passing through an open corridor we arrived at a
door about eighteen inches wide through which we
passed, and found ourselves in a box four feet
square, made with four-inch square rails, and
raised about twenty inches from a matting covered
floor, on which were two cushions. We looked at
them but could not prevail upon ourselves to go
down to them and finally put them on the rail, and
seated ourselves. Soon a man appeared with two
rickety three-legged stools, and we put our cushions
on them and prepared to be comfortable.

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 43
In front of our row of boxes was a platform
four or five feet wide, which extended from the
stage to the rear of the house, where some of the
actors came in. In the front of this raised walk
was the pit, in front of the stage, and it was all
divided into little pens, the same as our box, where
the whole family could assemble, sitting flat on the
ground, which was covered with common straw
matting. They step over the rails from one pen to
the next until they reach their own and we were
told that families come with their children for the
day, for the play commences at 10 a. m., and lasts
until 11 p. m. In the rear pens were men wearing
their hats, some smoking cigarettes, some eating
rice or macaroni or drinking something carried to
them by a man who, between the acts, kept going
about carrying a tray filled with these things, and
with a loud penetrating hiccough (or as near to that
as anything expressed in our words) cried his
wares. The children have a riotous time running
behind the scenes, playing about the platform and
going from one pen to another, indeed, Japan is the
children's Paradise.
One woman came in with her hair down over
her shoulders, which with the help of her neighbors
she dressed in quite a becoming top knot. The
drop curtain was of cotton crepe with very large
gay fans printed on it, and was hung on a wire by

44 "Westward"
rings and pulled aside by a man in full view of the
audience. The music was made by two men who
were enclosed in wire netting and you have already
learned that I do not appreciate Japanese music, for
I do not understand it. The actors were all men
(until quite recently Japanese women have never
been allowed on the stage), but some of them are
very feminine in appearance and imitate well the
woman's voice. The stage furniture was very
crude, and ill adjusted and the actors had to step
over ropes and shavings, but they made us under
stand that somebody was in trouble, when a gorge
ously dressed lady appeared in a boat, which was
drawn on the bare boards of the stage by the
strength of two men, who tugged away at it, until
the woman alighted. She escaped at the side, but
the boat was drawn out by the same two men who
took it in, over the whole length of the platform
before us, while the play still went on. It was so
cold we dared not remain for the closing scenes, but
the queer picture is still before us, and the remem
brance of the happy children who ran up to the
stage and stood transfixed when the play was in
progress, remained with us as we passed to other
scenes. After these long visits on shore it was always
pleasing to meet again with the little company on
deck, for we had all made new acquaintances and

Tokio, Kamakura and Yokohama 45
had seen so much to talk over. And then I was in
terested to know if my Florilla was happy, and I
saw her all tucked up in her rugs, for it was cold
and a shy look at her neighbor, who was none other
than Max, convinced me that the words for her
ear alone, were most alluring and would be cher
ished as one of the happy accompaniments of this
long voyage of sightseeing where the next stop
would be at Kobe on the Inland Sea, but before
reaching that place a very interesting Travelers'
Club meeting made much amusement for us, and
among other curious contributions to our merri
ment a lady read, with much expression, the fol
lowing "Signs Seen in Japan": Beefs: Wholesale
Dealers. Beef Club. Recent Milk. Friash Criam
and Butr. Milk man with Cow's House. Cow's
Milk and her Butter. Fresh and pure milk squeezed
by dairing maid. Wholesome Bread. International
Toilet Parlors. Barbhr. Artist in hair. Switches,
pad made to order. Chriopidist. Pedratics, Corn
cutter Satisfaction guaranteed. Wash Man. Chem
and Medical Goods. Drawn Works. Watchmaker
promptly and neatly executed to order. Wedding
and Funeral Utensils. Natural Mineral Waters
Manufactured here. Electric Instrument Store.
Everything Electrifiable. Saloon and restaurant
around in this way. Hats maker. Shirt tailor. Ciger.
Dr. Talkenough. 20% Discount for Goods Bye to

46 "Westward"
Clark's Tourists. Tae House. Hotelformost for
comfort. Passengers for Yokohama and Else cross
bridge. Wholesale and Dealers in Curious Goods.
Dealers in Hardware, Groceries and Screws.
Prevalent Clothing. Hot and Cold Restaurant.
Most warmest welcome to our Friends from across
the Sea. Goods sold regardful of price. Dance by
twelve decent girls.

CHAPTER VII
KOBE AND NAGASAKI. KIOTO, OSAKA, MARCH FIFTH.
THE city of Kobe was opened to foreign trade
in 1868 and has since then made wonderful
strides in the shipping trade, and at present is only
second to Yokohama in this respect. It is quite
modern and new in appearance, its Dai-Butsu and its
temples are all of modern construction.
We were honored with an invitation to visit the
Butokuden. A company calling themselves The
Dainippon Butokukwai was formed in 1895 to en
courage "Bushido," or Knight Errantry, and to
promote the arts of Fencing and Jiujutsu, and the
Butokuden is the house where the young men prac
tice these arts. The headquarters of the society are
in Kioto, and there are branches in all parts of the
Empire. The president of the society is always one

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 47
of the Imperial family, and all its officials and
committees are men of fame. The expenses of the
society are paid by voluntary contributions from the
people, and subscriptions from its members.
A young Japanese gave me his prominent seat,
and told me about the different thrusts of the
fencers, who were dressed in kimonas and looked
like women wearing bonnets. They had heavy wire
shields over their faces and bare feet and they fenced
with bamboo sticks, which made a continuous rat
tle, as the forty or fifty strove to gain the highest
marks. In the same room, but on a padded matting
strove the jiujutsu boys to throw their comrades.
They were dressed in white jacket and trousers and
good naturedly received the numerous falls of the
conquered. The Ladies of Kobe gave a ceremonial tea in
honor of the "Cleveland" party, at the Ikeda's
Villa. The invitations were dainty little affairs, the
different days and hours written in. We were re
ceived by the Mayor, who in frock coat and silk hat,
presented us to his wife, who wore a lavender ki
mona, and very graciously offered her hand and said
some kind words in welcome, when we passed up
the stone steps of the Villa Garden where under a
canopy several ladies were serving tea to their
visitors. The tea was unusual, being first pulver
ized, then a small wooden scoop measured just

48 "Westward"
enough powder for a cup, and a few spoonfuls of
cold water added. Then it is beaten with a little
tea beater, a wooden cup with a long handle was
used to fill the cup with hot water, and the beating
made a yellow green foam stand on the tea, which
was drunk without seasoning. Some good cake and
candies were served, and the time passed pleasantly
by chatting with one of the ladies who had been ed
ucated in America and made us all feel much at
home. Our party was divided into four sections so
there was no crowding.
Satsuma ware is made in Kobe, and one would
not suppose it could be sold so cheaply after one
sees the slow process of painting it. Damascene is
also made here and we still found the embroideries.
Osaka — Here again we were received by the
Mayor, who made his speech at the station. The
city is the second largest in Japan and the commer
cial and industrial center of the Empire, with a
population of a million. It was elaborately deco
rated for a mile or more from the depot, and it
seemed as if the whole of the people were out to
welcome us. Our party was a large one, numbering
three hundred and seventy-five, and when we were
all on the way to the Castle we made a procession
of great length for we always go in single file and
with our little bright-colored flags and those on the
streets and the Ohyo's and Banzai's of the people,

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 49
we forgot our personal insignificance and rejoiced
in the knowledge that it was our country which was
so royally received, and so highly honored.
The Castle was once the boast of all Japan. The
work of building was commenced in 1583, but it was
destroyed by fire in 1868 during the Revolution. The
fine walls still remain and the granite stones used in
its construction are stupendous, some measuring as
much as forty feet long, ten feet wide and several
feet in thickness, which reminds us of the huge
stones in old Egyptian temples. The Castle is now
the headquarters of a part of the Imperial Japanese
Army. The Temple of Tennoji was founded about A. D.
600, but has frequently fallen to decay and been
renovated. The Golden Hall of the temple con
tains a gilded copper image which is said to be the
first Buddhist image brought to Japan from Corea.
There were many shrines about the temple which
were especially interesting. One was a pool of
water eight or ten feet lower than the floor, where
from the mouth of a huge bronze turtle, water con
tinually poured into the pool. A long stick with a
cup in one end, into which was placed a strip of
paper on which were Japanese characters, and with
the long handle held under the mouth of the turtle
until it was wet, was deposited in the pool, and if it

50 "Westward"
sunk to the bottom, the wish or prayer of the opera
tor would be granted, if not, there was no hope.
There were two children shrines where priests
were intoning a service, and one where a large bell
in the tower was rung to carry the souls of departed
children to Paradise (so said the guide), and there
were many long poles, with the garments and play
things of children hung on them. Then there was
an enormous bell, weighing 155 tons, cast in 1902,
and said to be the second largest in the world, and
then booths for selling candy, bronzes and toys and
many other things, all in the Temple grounds.
We passed through a very grand stone torii to
the hotel where we lunched, which had a dining
room large enough to seat our whole party, and the
proprietor made a very happy speech, telling us of
his love for America, and his high regard for our
schools, where some of his friends had been edu
cated. The band played home music, commencing
with Sousa and ending with "The Star Spangled
Banner," when we, rising, joined in the singing of
this, the most precious of our nation's hymns. It
snowed all the time we were eating lunch, but was
again bright and clear as we took our rikishas for
the station.
Kioto — It had snowed in the city and was so
cold and damp that the welcoming speech of the
Mayor was postponed, and we started at once for

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 51
our hotel. The snow had melted and made an inch
or more of black sticky mud, through which our
little brown men had to travel, and they did not
flinch, but plodded along apparently in the best of
spirits. The sunset was beautiful, and we congratu
lated ourselves that the storm had passed, but before
we reached the hotel it was again snowing.
The streets were elaborately decorated and for
fully one-half a mile before we stopped there were
red lanterns with the word "Welcome" in large
white letters, and some with Miyako Hotel were
often seen. It was quite dark when we arrived, so
you will understand that we were again at one of
those suburban places quite out of the city. A
spruce little Japanese in white, piloted us through
endless corridors, where small soft-coal stoves with
fires stood in each corner, and we went upstairs and
downstairs, turned to the right and to the left, but
when we found our rooms they were very cosy with
a warm fire and electric lights, and we were soon
much at home, but wondered if we could find our
way back, if we left it.
Our table waiters were the prettiest little Japanese
maidens in native costume, with a pillowed obi tied
perfectly, and they wore no aprons. The tables on
the night of our arrival were elaborately trimmed
with red and blue ribbons outlining a square for
each plate, and the sweetest little hand-painted silk

52 "Westward"
lanterns, flags and flowers. In the evening the tables
were removed, chairs put in their places and a stage
arranged at one end of the room, for our patron had
provided a treat for us in a performance by the cele
brated Kioto Geishas, who are said to be the best
performers in the Empire. They were dressed in
the most gorgeous kimonas, in the hair were many
beautiful swinging ornaments, and their pillowed
obis were extremely large. We would never call
their performance dancing, for they were slow and
measured in their posing and acting, what appeared
to be a kind of pantomime and although some of
them beat small Japanese double drums with their
hands, the music for the posing was made by two
plainly dressed Japanese women, who sat on the
floor, and scraped the few strings of their musical
instruments with a piece of ivory.
Next day we added to our bill of fare "Lily
bulbs in cream" and venison. It snowed all night
and was still snowing when we looked out next
morning on one of the most beautiful scenes we
ever beheld. The snow was light, but it covered
the roofs of cottages, porches and trees and shrubs
were most beautiful in their unusual robes, which
from our balconies far up on the mountain side,
seemed like a phantom world, and its principal
charm faded from our view as the sun's warm rays
penetrated the chilly covering. The Temple, which

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 53
was founded in 1692, was destroyed in 1864, and
the present edifice was completed in 1895. There
fore it is quite new and the coloring fresh and un-
faded. Its principal attraction is the rope of
human hair used for drawing and hoisting the large
timbers, which is the proof of the devotion of those
female believers who gave their most precious pos
session, their hair, to aid in the work of rebuilding.
The ropes are three or four inches in diameter and
make a coil two feet high. They are not made en
tirely of hair, but are mixed with some other ma
terial. An especial permission was obtained for us to
visit the Mikado's Palace, which includes a mass of
buildings covering an area of nearly twenty-six
acres. We could not enumerate the rooms and an
terooms of these spacious buildings where the
Mikado resided before his removal to Tokio.
Slippers were put over our shoes at the entrance,
and we shuffled along as best we could, for they are
always too large and have a way of falling off just
at the time the company are passing on to some
other apartment, and it often tries the gallantry of
our escorts, who again and again put the trouble
some things on for us. The rooms are bare of
furniture, carpeted with heavily padded matting,
and are made mostly by sliding screens, as are the
partitions in all Japanese houses. Adjoining all

54 "Westward"
audience rooms was a smaller apartment for the
secret guard. The ceiling and panels are richly dec
orated in lacquer and damascene, the large and
beautiful ornaments reminding us of the small
pieces of jewelry in the same metal for which we
had paid good prices. Certainly there was no
thought of expense when the Shogun crest was
placed by hundreds in the garniture of the Palace.
The Coronation Room in which the present Em
peror was crowned, was very beautiful, the throne
in the center and the chair and other ornaments in
their original position. The number of steps lead
ing to this hall was eighteen, representing the sev
eral grades of the Samurai, or Leaders, in the
Army and a very large courtyard which was en
tered through a beautiful gate, was where the
retinue of attendants awaited orders. Through this
gate and up these steps came all foreigners received
by the Mikado. There was some wonderful wood-
carving, peacocks painted in brilliant colors, some
very large panels of cryptomeria wood, which is of
dark color and was handsomely painted, leaving
the bare wood as a background.
The Castle ceiling is much lower than that of the
Palace, and it has a less airy appearance, but it has
been called a dream of golden beauty, for there is
gold everywhere. It was built by Ieyasu, the first
Shogun, who lies in the Mausoleum at Nikko. The

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 55
fine carvings of the main gate are attributed to
Hidori Jingoro, the greatest carver of the sixteenth
century, and a left-handed man. The art of carving
seems to have died out, for all the noted work was
done about three hundred years ago. Kioto is
noted for its fine porcelain, its embroideries,
bronzes and cloisene ware. There are eight hun
dred and seventy-eight Buddhists temples and
eighty-two Shinto shrines. We did not see them all,
but they are said to represent the architecture of
every age.
Sailing "Westward" on the Inland Sea in our
huge, well-beloved boat, which had brought us
safely over the thousands of miles of the restless
ocean, was a great change and very enjoyable, for
in crossing the Pacific we met no sister boat, we saw
few sails and no life but a Mother Cary chicken and
a shark. Here on this beautiful sheet of water we
slowly moved through the narrow channels which
have been found to be safe for such enormous
crafts, surrounded by all kinds of steam vessels and
sailing crafts, with barges, sampans, and row boats.
We passed out of one strait to enter another
through which it would seem disastrous to under
take to pass, and then on into a broader sea where
little hillside towns, with their gray roofs lay clus
tered in some protected spot, where every bit of
tillable land was terraced and made to add its

56 "Westward"
growth of vegetables or grain to the keeping of
some thrifty household. An occasional torii marked
the road to a temple or shrine and countless small
islands kept us company, while an occasional city
with its smoking chimneys told of thrift and enter
prise. And so we journeyed on, with the bluest of
blue sky overhead and the green water of this inland
sea softly washing the vessel's side, until we again
reached the narrows and darkness enveloped us,
and I saw under an electric light the two young
heads of Florilla and Max very near together, look
ing over pictures, and I doubted if they could tell
whether they were in Japan or Africa for a blush
rose to her face and the sweetest of smiles answered
him when he said, "What do I care if I have you
with me."
Nagasaki is an old, old city, dating back to the
twelfth century, but until the opening of the treaty
ports in 1859 the only foreign intercourse was with
the Dutch and Chinese. The people now proudly
assert their commerce will soon reach the propor
tion of Kobe and Yokohama, and, indeed, it does
appear like a thriving city, and its harbor is filled
with boats of all description. Many large ocean
steamers were coaling here, and our own vessel did
the same, and it was a curious sight to see a thou
sand men and women passing small baskets which
had been filled with coal in the barges from one to

Photo by courtesy of ff. T. Dories

COALING AT NAGASAKI

58 "Westward"
believed to be over one thousand years old and its
crooked body and limbs seem healthy and the leaves
are ever green. Every city vied with each other
in doing something unusual to entertain their guests,
and here the young men in the High School offered
to be our guides about the city and we visited with
them our last Japanese Temple. It was on a high
elevation overlooking the town and harbor and has
the largest bronze Torii in Japan. Its height is
thirty-three feet and its width fourteen feet. In
this park we saw the Banyan tree which was
planted here by General U. S. Grant in 1879, when
he and Mrs. Grant were the nation's honored guests.
"In commemoration of this event the Nagasaki mu
nicipality erected a monument in the vicinity of the
trees and inscribed thereon an autograph statement
by the General testifying to the above." The boys
also came on the boat, and were much pleased at the
attention they received, some giving their cards
and asking if we would answer if they wrote us a
letter. They are very anxious to learn our language
and customs and although some of our party ob
jected to the kindness accorded "our little brown
brother" we felt inclined to recognize their am
bitions with helpful interest and it was impossible
for us to feel that anything but the most friendly
relations existed between us. This is also the
opinion of Mr. Denison, who was a New Hamp-

Kobe and Nagasaki, Kioto, Osaka 59
shire man, but for thirty years has been the law
adviser on foreign affairs for Japan, and was one
of those entrusted with the drawing up of the
Peace Conference papers at Portsmouth, and who
so expressed himself when we were calling on him
in Tokio, with his friends from New England. He
also remarked that "no Japanese wanted to quarrel
with America" and "all talk to that effect was pure
Jingoism." I cannot take leave of this beautiful island with
out acknowledging some of the many things which
had been so freely given us and the unabated zeal
and anxiety of the people to do something to show
their kindly feeling toward our great country. Once
on returning to our boat we found that a one-half
pound can of tea had been presented to everyone
of us ; at another time everyone had a pretty badge ;
at another a book containing postal cards. Some
times we found these souvenirs in our hotels and I
have one now before me which is a beautifully got
ten up book with two dozen picture postal cards in
it. On all these things prominently appears the
word "Welcome". I have one little brochure on
whose cover appears the words "Welcome to Kobe"
"To the American visitors with the Compliments of
Heizayemon Murata of Kobe Japan who had the
honor of introducing potatoes to Japan from Amer
ica." This cover is ornamented by the tied flags of

60 "Westward"
Japan and America (in union there is strength) and
with vines on whose roots we see the growing pota
toes. The principal thing on the inside reads thus :
"Japan owes much to America. Amongst many
other things Japan is indebted to her for the intro
duction of potatoes. In the year 1872 thirty-seven
years ago Baron Kanda, then Governor of Hiogo
received a parcel of potatoes from an American
friend for cultivation. Finding the present very
valuable, the Governor looked for suitable persons
to plant this valuable food stuff and ordered me to
try its cultivation. After a few years' trial I suc
ceeded in obtaining splendid produce and found it
to be a most valuable food, I gradually distributed
the roots to various parts of the country, and now
potatoes are found everywhere in Japan. By the
kindness of an American the food stuff in Japan
has thus been multiplied, the poorer classes have
been much relieved and the evils of famine have
been brought to a minimum.
I avail myself of the present opportunity to re
turn thanks once more for the kindness of the
Americans."

CHAPTER VIII
HONG KONG AND CANTON
THE first day out from Nagasaki was cool and
the China Sea kept up her reputation of
shaking up the people who embark upon her restless
waters, but as the days went by the water became
calm and we entered Hong Kong on a smooth sea,
and warmer weather was welcomed by us all. The
harbor is one of the most beautiful we have seen,
for it is full of islands, and boats of all kinds were
anchored about our own ship which was highly orna
mented with bunting by day and at night it was
strung with countless electric lights, one large
motto which could always be seen from shore read
ing "Clark's Cruise Around The World," and we
felt quite proud of it.
The city has some broad, handsome streets which
are level with the water but they soon rise almost
abruptly up the steep hills, making a picture of
great beauty, for tropical green half covers the
white balconies of the buildings which extend even
to the crest, where some of the handsomest private
houses are seen and the people go to these heights

62 "Westward"
to get the full benefit of the southwest monsoon, a
refreshing breeze which steadily blows from May
to October. They are reached by cable road and by
chairs, it being too steep for jinrikishas. These
little wagons are still with us but they are much
larger and stronger than those of Japan and are
painted in bright colors, ornamented with flowers
and have a good deal of brass on them.
The view from what is called The Peak, which is
near where the cable road ends, is magnificent and
includes not only the city but numerous islands and
shipping, which it is well worth while to study, for
the flags of many nations are represented.
At night the city was beautiful as seen from our
boat, for white and colored lights reach up to the
summit which forms a background for the chang
ing lights of boats stationary and boats skimming
over the bay or the little twinkling lights on sam
pan and row boats with which the harbor at certain
times is crowded and many of these have eyes
painted or carved on the bow, for a Chinaman says,
"How can boat see if he no eyes have?"
The trolley cars took us for about twenty miles
about the city, following down the bay past what
is called "Happy Valley," which has a fine athletic
ground, and a well-filled cemetery (to give it its
name), and then we went on to a real Chinatown,
where none but Chinese families live. They may

Hong Kong and Canton 63
not feel as bitter toward us as we imagine, but it
was a great change to simply be stared at instead of
receiving a hearty welcome.
There are not as many babies here as in Japan, for
I don't think more than half the women carried
one on the back and they are tied on in a different
manner. They simply have a square of bright col
ored strong cloth with heavy bands at the corners
and the baby is put into the square with arms and
legs over the straps, and the little shaved head at
the top. As the mother or little girl runs around or
works with this tied over the shoulders and around
the waist, the baby's arms, legs and head flop around
like tassles, and it makes no difference whether it is
awake or asleep, the little head rolls around like a
ball, and they seem to take no especial care to keep
them from hitting anything they want to pass. Some
of these babies had silver anklets and the mothers
often had jade earrings. There were numerous
large and small shrines where prayers were said,
offerings made and Josh sticks burned, and there
was everything movable sold on the streets. When
we stopped for a few minutes we were mobbed by
children begging for money and the parents looked
silently on.
It was interesting to watch for a time the men,
women and children who swarmed around our
ship to catch in their hand-nets, anything eatable

64 "Westward"
which was thrown from the decks, and the child
ren chattered and quarreled from morning till
night over pieces of orange peel, bread or meat
bones or anything which could possibly be used
by a human being.
The morning we started for Canton was the
beginning of a very eventful day. We were called
at 4 a. m. ; had coffee and rolls at half-past four
and started on the tender at five. The fog was so
dense that we moved very slowly, no lights could be
seen and we could hear boat whistles and bells ring
ing, and occasionally a dark object loomed up at our
side or a small boat seemed all too near for safety
and finally as we watched the luminous phosphores
cent waves, which every turn of the propeller made
more brilliant, we realized that we were lost among
the shipping of the bay, but were happy in the
thought that the larger boat on which we were to
embark to go up the Shukiang or Pearl River,
would not sail without us, as it was especially chart
ered for these parties. Our pilot procured a lan
tern and tried to steer by compass, but gained noth
ing and we waited; some cheerfully, some anx
iously and some sulkily, and the voices which came
out of the darkness (for there was no light but a
lantern up on the mast) saying, "Hold on there,
Johnny, for us to pass"; "Whew! but that was a
close shave," was not reassuring. At length the

Hong Kong and Canton 65
lights of the city were seen and we were soon trans-
fered to the larger steamer. Our waiting was not
over, however, for we could not start until the fog
lifted. I was glad, for it was growing daylight and we
could watch the sampans bringing their produce to
market. Many of these boats are the only home of
the people who manage them, and certainly the
whole family must have been on some we saw this
morning. The women do their full share of the
hard work and almost universally help in rowing the
heavy, clumsy boats, while one at least on many
of them had the baby on her back, and as they stand
in rowing and step back and forth at the work, the
little head wobbled and rocked with each stroke.
The oar of the boat is about twenty feet long, being
spliced in the middle, then it is tied to the end of
the boat and worked by two or more in a sculling
movement. They carry eggs, fowl, vegetables,
water bottles, etc., and have an assigned place
where they may come to land.
When the fog lifted we were three hours late
and the trip up the river was delightful. For many
miles the country was mountainous and then came
verdant plains, where bananas, rice and mangos
grew and an occasional pagoda on which vines and
trees sometimes grew from the topmost balcony,
while on the smooth river floated many junks and

66 "Westward"
sampans. As we neared the populous city hundreds
of houseboats lay at anchor, and thousands of ducks
waddled on the shore.
Canton is a walled city with a moat about six
miles in circumference. The European quarter,
which is called Shameen (Sand Bank), is quite cel
ebrated for its lofty banyan trees on the Central
Park, around which are the different legations,
hotels and other European buildings. This is out
side the city wall and moat and the gates of the
bridges are always closed at sundown, and we
walked here to take our chairs.
We had been cautioned to be very quiet in our
demeanor, as the least excitement might bring
trouble ; that it would not be best to notice particu
larly the children, for in their superstition they
might think we had the "Evil Eye" which smites and
destroys those on whom it falls, and we had read in
a Hong Kong paper of an European resident who
had the week previous "the scare of his life," and
this "Important Notice" was given to everyone of
us before starting: "During the recent riots in
Canton between soldiers and policemen the Ameri
can Legation of Peking was appealed to by the U.
S. Consul-General of Canton, and the following
program was sanctioned by the Chinese Authori
ties: 'Not over 125 passengers will be allowed to
traverse the streets of Canton at a time.' With this

Hong Kong and Canton 67
restriction it is considered safe to visit Canton."
Ten persons only composed each party and we were
told never to lose sight of the guide who accom
panied us. Some ladies became very nervous about
possible consequences, but I heard of none who did
not go.
Our chairs, or palanquins, were like boxes with
the front and part of the sides taken off and a cush
ioned seat made them very comfortable. The poles
which rest on the men's shoulders are six or eight
feet long, one man in the rear and two in front, one
quite near the chair. The poles are adjusted about
the height of the arms on the chairs and they put
the ends to the ground for us to enter when we
stoop so as not to bump our heads on the canopy
top, which is sometimes very ornamental. Our
guide had a very large green and red broad brimmed
coolie's hat strapped on the top of his chair and we
kept good watch of that.
The sensation at first, when they lifted the chair,
was peculiar, for the carriers are many of them stal
wart fellows, and one feels as if they were being
carried off against their will, for they howl and
groan and croak constantly at the top of their lungs.
It is amazing how fast they can walk over bridges
and steps, never tripping, although the curves and
corners are so short that it would seem impossible
to turn without hitting on all sides, for the streets

68 "Westward"
are not over six or seven feet wide, many of them
much narrower, and I felt that I might touch with
my hand the walls on either side. Yet we met many
palanquins and men with heavily laden poles over
their shoulders who with a yell, or perhaps it was
an oath or a prayer, slipped away, and as they think
evil spirits always go straight ahead, they disap
peared around corners while hundreds of people
stepped back into some shop to see our procession
pass, and I might have imagined it, but I thought
the older men did not look pleased at our infrusion.
The streets are paved with stones about eighteen
inches wide and four or five feet long and are
grooved in diamond squares. It had rained and all
the streets were wet. Awnings and Chinese signs on
strips of bright colored cloth from ten to twenty feet
long hung over us, leaving little skylight. The shops
had open fronts but at the sides was a little masonry,
in which were small niches eight or ten inches wide
and perhaps fifteen inches high, where fancy paper
cut in shape of animals or flowers were slightly
stuck and a small dish of sand held Josh sticks up
right, and many of them were still smoking. I saw
a sad-faced woman stick a small green paper cut in
the shape of an animal, light her Josh stick and set
it up in the sand and pass on with the rest.
Of course, the first thing to see was the temple of
the five hundred Genii. They are painted red and

Hong Kong and Canton 69
gilt and stand in close rows around the temple with
a dish of sand in front of each one, to hold the burn
ing sticks. One is pointed out as the laughing Bud
dha, and he has a terrible grin ; one is the children's
Buddha, who is a good-natured fellow with child
ren all around him, and many sticks were burnt in
front of the statue. At another shrine was the ef
figy of a popular Emperor who lived hundreds of
years ago, and before him some larger incense was
burning. Only a few turns and we were in a shop
where the most beautiful ivory carving was sold
and jewelry made of birds' feathers. A little further
and we were seeing them make lacquer boxes and
then on to see the silk-weaving, where, in a small
room, were two hand looms, one where it required
two people to throw the shuttles, as the silk was
very wide, and one loom was used by one person, as
the silk was narrower. These weavers earn thirty
cents a day and a boy who was winding the silk
into skeins could earn as much as two dollars and
a half a month. In this room were a family of
children, the weavers, and a duck was waddling
around, yet the silk was a delicate blue brocade and
was clean and well made.
The Ancestral Temple (Chim-ka-chi) with its
adjoining buildings and gates, is not of great age
and it surrounds a well-kept garden or courtyard.
The whole outside is carved in high relief and col-

70 "Westward"
ored in beautiful grays brightened with high colors
and the entrance gate is a marvel of intricate work
manship, but the most interesting thing about it was
the tablets for the dead which were arranged in
pyramids on the walls. They were about one foot
long and six inches wide, painted green and orna
mented with gilt Chinese characters giving the
birth and death and rank of the deceased. On festi
val days the friends come here and have tiffin, or
lunch, believing the spirits of the departed are with
them. The table is a magnificent piece of carving
and handsome chairs and other ornaments decorate
the great open hall. There are three grades or ranks
of these tablets and a tiffin room for each rank.
There were a few tablets where the people owning
them were still living and these were unpainted and
one or two which were painted red denoting that
they were Mandarin. Our guide was quite intelligent
and spoke our language well; he lifted a door cur
tain into a place and said, "Gamblers, don't go in,"
and the next minute we were in the Wall Street of
Canton, the stock market, and then in another tem
ple, then seeing the making of lacquer work and in
an embroidery store (Canton's grass linen are fa
mous), and there are people everywhere. The shop
ping streets are one great bazar, with the goods as
near the street as possible. One is called Jade Street
and we see the precious stone in process of manu-

Hong Kong and Canton 71
facturing into the expensive jewelry so much cov
eted, for Canton jade is celebrated the world over.
And then they were making small pieces of wood-
carving, embroideries, carved ivory, procelains,
combs and toothbrushes (I shall certainly sterilize
mine hereafter), and there was fish, fresh and
salted, and dried fish, and fish and more fish, and
there was meat, raw and cooked, and cakes and
candies, all made before our eyes and many of the
things would have looked appetizing had not the
family evidently lived in the same room where the
cooking was done, or perchance, a half a dozen
chickens were trying to get into a pint of water
which would only wet their feet, while the little
tots were happy with a pint of dirty water to play in.
Of course, there are smells and trying odors, but
when we stop and think that Canton has three to
four millions of inhabitants and that they live in
these narrow alley-like streets, we do not wonder
that odors are something to remember. And there
were many barbers and they must have their full
share of business, for every man and boy has the
head shaved, leaving different sizes of unshaved
places, for all must have the queue. Usually there is
something added to the hair to make the queue and
the boys often have colored tassels at the end. The
heads of some small children were shaved in freaks
for sometimes the unshaven spot was on the side of

72 "Westward"
the head the size of a teacup or smaller, where the
hair was braided and hung over the ear, or there
were only a few round spots of black hair left to
braid and tie with ribbons. Some of the women
who had suffered in infancy by having their feet
bound were seen and their step was so peculiar that
we feared they would fall. They wear very small
pointed shoes and I suppose are still proud of the
deformity, as it marks them as belonging to the
upper classes.
A funeral procession on the streets of Canton can
not be a rare occurrence, for among its three or four
millions of inhabitants it must necessarily be that
the pageant so interesting to us is not particularly
novel to the people of the place. Some of us wit
nessed the peculiar spectacle of a Mandarin or high
caste funeral, and the guide was able by the several
insignia carried by the people, to explain the mean
ing of the different emblems in this curious proces
sion. A peculiar drum or tamborine music headed
the procession and then came men carrying poles
surmounted by many bamboo sticks and intertwined
with red cloth. These sticks were counted by the
guide and were found to number sixty-three, which
was the age of the deceased, who by the following
sign of two glass objects carried on high poles,
proved the departed to be a woman and the carry
ing of her clothing and a life-sized portrait proved

HONG KONG AND CANTON 73
her to be a Mandarin. There was fife music and
food for the dead, and also some for the evil spirits,
who are ever present. Then came priests and also
hired mourners, and at last the truly bereaved,
among whom was a young man of eighteen or
twenty years of age who with bowed head and sup
ported on either side by friends, was taken to be a
beloved son whose grief was sincere and whose
tears of sorrow were unaffected. The body was
draped in red, the Mandarin color, and all this with
the fringed and tasseled palanquins made a scene
which will long remain in the memory and I hope the
little man who witnessed it will pardon any omis
sion in my story of it.
Canton's City of the Dead is entered by stepping
through a ring, the emblem of immortality; and we
find corridor after corridor, said to be two hundred
in all, filled with small alcoves in which rests the
body of one departed, the head being raised on two
pillars much higher than the foot, and there is an
altar in front of each alcove. The coffins are made
of lacquer, some white but mostly in colors, and as
long as a certain amount of money is paid yearly
(two dollars, I think), so long the body remains in
the coffin, but if payment lapses the remains are
buried outside the wall and the coffin is rented by
others. Thus these lacquered receptacles for the

74 "Westward"
dead may be of value for hundreds of years and
bring a good income to the owners.
There is a hospital in Canton which was founded
by missionaries about seventy years ago and now
they treat twenty-four thousand patients yearly.
Some are charity patients and others pay from five
to six dollars a month. They lie from choice on
board beds raised a foot or two from the floor,
spring beds having been tried and the poor fellows
go back to their boards to rest. Their pillows are of
porcelain eight or ten inches long, four or five wide
and two inches thick, and there is a hole in the bot
tom into which they put their valuables for safe
keeping. The boards of the beds are covered with
straw matting and there is sometimes a blanket.
Missionaries in this way seem to be doing much
good and it seemed to be the consensus of opinion
of the many physicians in our party that this is the
true way to reach the people.
The Canton Christian College is crowded with
students who are said to be intelligent and anxious
to learn and many amusing stories were told by the
teachers. One young fellow, for instance, was com
manded by his father to marry; the young man
wanted to go to America, but the Christians had
taught him to obey his parents, so he submitted, say
ing he would send his wife to school, and it was
suggested that she might not wish to go, but he

Hong Kong and Canton 75
said, "She must do as I say when she is my wife,"
and so the little wife is in a girls' college where the
young husband has visited her once and says he will
go no more, for she cries to go home and she must
remain and study.
The city of Canton was founded 1800 years B. C.
and very little change has been made in the manner
of living or in its customs during these thousands
of years. Four hundred thousand people live on
boats, in many cases are born, live and die on these
squalid little tubs. Some of them have a bright
colored awning hanging somewhere, but the most
have nothing but a dirty piece of canvas over the
middle of the boat and men, women and children are
huddled about and the boats are so closely packed
together that we wonder if they ever change their
position. How do they live ? We cannot tell. Very
little is spent on clothing, however, and if a man
owns his boat he only needs a little rice to make him
happy. I was told that at certain seasons "Flower
Boats" are seen pushing their way among these
homes and on them come men who make marriage
contracts with the fathers of the young people and
so the old life goes on; and we cannot wonder at
the apparent disregard for human life that the
gruesome execution ground is visited as satisfactory
entertainment or that we read that "Canton has al
ways been a hot-bed of intrigue and duplicity and

76 "Westward"
in its annals can boast of greater outrages against
justice and the laws of humanity than any other
city in the universe."
Soon after starting down the river from Canton
we saw a lighthouse and within the radius of its
light was a small building in the stream where girl
babies which have been thrown into the river are
laid after they have been picked out of the water.
Baby girls are often not thought to be worth raising
and this is one way of disposing of them. Another
is by placing them on the ledge of towers which are
built about the country and the father who brings
his little girl baby pushes the former one off, and
placing his own in its place avoids committing the
crime of destroying his own offspring. It is said
that missionaries are now saving many of these little
waifs and educating them to help in the breaking up
of this heathenish custom.
Our sail down the river commenced very favor
ably, with a gorgeous sunset, and we thought our
selves fortunate to have such a beautiful night for
the voyage. After about three hours' sail, how
ever, the fog began to envelop us and in half an hour
the anchor went down and we were told we would
probably remain for the night, as no lights could be
seen and it was dangerous to proceed further. It
was eleven o'clock and all were tired and we found
the few cabins had long before been spoken for, so

Hong Kong and Canton 77
to make ourselves as comfortable as possible we
made a stampede for the cot beds piled on the deck
and professional men, as well as all others on board,
did the best they could for themselves, some using
wicker chairs, which were comfortable and numer
ous. The awnings were dropped, each person try
ing to be useful in some way in making others com
fortable and all prepared for rest. We had many
witty people to keep us in good humor and all
wanted more wraps. Then we heard a rumor that
it was raining, then that the wind was rising, and
soon came the welcome sound of moving machinery
and the boat's whistle, and we were cautiously mov
ing on our way toward our home, the "Cleveland,"
where we arrived at one o'clock a. m. with the
knowledge that we would have no day on the whole
cruise when the work would be more strenuous or
where more would be stored in the memory for fu
ture consideration.
Hong Kong has been under English control since
1842, and although the streets are filled with Chin
ese, and the gay colored turbans of the East Indian
policeman and Chinamen are the only people seen in
the hotels, yet we know that the English are at the
helm and can easily be found if necessary. We felt
that it was not a loss of time to sit on the hotel
balcony and study the passing inhabitants, who at
the lunch hour were on foot, in jinrikishas and

78 "Westward"
palanquins, and they looked very dignified in their
colored clothing consisting of a small black cap with
a red button in the center of the top, black low shoes
turned up at the toes, white stockings and comfort
able, loose trousers, made invariably in colors rang
ing from grays, blues and purples to brown and
buttoned tight at the ankles. Then there was a long,
easy-fitting coat, falling to the ankles, but open to
the knees, showing a contrasting color in the lining,
sometimes they were made of quite brilliant blues
and purple brocade and over these was occasionally
worn a sleeveless embroidered or brocaded jacket.
The ladies looked so comfortable and neat that
we almost envied them. The hair of the Chinese
lady is invariably shining black, oiled with some
sticky stuff which holds it in position. It is combed
back straight from the face and smoothly twisted
into a knot in the back, a handsome pin being thrust
through the central portion, and they wear nothing
over it. Their coats are made of some dark ma
terial falling to the knees and the trousers are quite
large and hang straight to the shoes, which are low
and black with a white sole, and white stockings;
then they carry umbrellas or parasols and look very
sweet and attractive. The lower classes dress ac
cording to their work, the hotel servants are in
white, others in jeans. The rikisha and chair men,
if it is warm, wear nothing but short trousers but-

Hong Kong and Canton 79
toned over the hips, and a short blouse which is
usually open in front, and they are barefooted and
wear flat straw hats. A few private turn outs were
quite handsome. And then there are the men and
women (poor things) who work on the streets carry
ing brick and mortar, street refuse and vegetables,
etc., balanced on a pole carried over the shoulders,
and I saw a woman with her baby on her back carry
ing brick in this fashion. We were solicited by a
woman carrying a small basket with thread and
needle for mending or the sewing on of buttons, and
one woman having the small feet, who did patching
for the public, had a baby and other small children
with her.
The last hours were, of course, spent in shopping,
and it was very amusing to watch the arrival of
goods of all descriptions from helmets, which we
were supposed soon to need, to grass chairs, drawn
work, Chinese embroidery and camphor chests,
which are made of camphor wood, have brass trim
ming and are very handsome.
Again we were on the sea, and passing the island
which to most of us means tea. But Formosa really
signifies the superlative of beautiful, whose salubri
ous climate is sought as a health resort. It is one-
half in the Temperate Zone and the other half in
the Torrid, and they have the southwest monsoon,
as in Hong Kong, and we are told that we may

80 "Westward"
breakfast in quite a frosty atmosphere and dine a
few hours later in the tropics, as a railway from one
quarter of the island to the other is now completed.
They tell us of luxurious vegetation, of perpendicu
lar ledges of stupendous cliffs which rise from a
rocky shore to the height of a mile and a half, and
we want to see them, for we are Americans and
would see the whole world if we could.
Some of those on board the ship who have been
attracted toward each other were openly showing
that the company of an affinity is preferable to gen
eral society, and remained on deck together in ap
parent satisfaction, caring little about the interest
taken by onlookers and into the horizon of my pet
had come the green-eyed monster, jealousy, for Max
glowered at the older and distinguished looking man
who was making himself very agreeable to the shy
little maiden.

CHAPTER IX
MANILA, JAVA AND BORNEO.
MANILA— When Mr. Taft was Governor of
the Philippine Islands and the revolution
was over, it became necessary to make some changes
and reduction in troops, and so he formed what is
called "The Constabulary," an organization which
has power and legal authority to prevent crime and
maintain order. The strength of the force at pres
ent is 325 officers and a little less than 5,000 men.
Of the officers only seventy-five are Philippinos and
the rest are Americans, and they are scattered all
over the archipelago. They were at first distrusted
by the native governors, but they have now learned
that they exist only to aid them, and the governors
are now the first to protest against any reduction in
their numbers and the famous Philippino Constabul
ary Band belonging to this organization, which came
on to Washington on the inauguration of Mr. Taft
as President of the United States, was on hand to
greet us when our boat anchored at the wharf in
Manila bay. The shields of our different states had
been placed about the large receiving house, and we

82 "Westward"
were requested to stop at our own State shield,
where we found men who had sometime lived in
our respective parts of the country, who welcomed
us cordially and offered their assistance in any place
they could be of service to us during our visit.
Then there was a rush for vehicles to carry us to
the city, for the dock is certainly a mile from any
where, and the men who actually wanted to assist
us had not counted on eight hundred people who
must all go in the best and first carriage. There
were a few automobile-police vans, army transpor
tation wagons, omnibuses and carriages, and then
came the Manila public conveyance which is like
a slightly enlarged jinrikisha, and is called a
Calesa. It is drawn by small native horses and they
go like spiders. They have native drivers who
seem very stupid and one does well if they find the
place they are looking for.
The attractive point this afternoon was the cele
brated Luneta, which is a beautiful promenade or
square, and the Constabulary Band was playing to
hundreds of natives when we arrived. It was a
holiday and everybody was in gala attire, the native
ladies both on foot and in the Calesas were invari
ably in trained skirts, usually some very gay pattern
in red and white and as stiff as rice water could
make them, with a straight piece of black cloth
pinned around the waist as an apron, and the waist

Manila, Java and Borneo 83
made of the famous very stiff pina cloth, which is
transparent and woven in checks with mixed bright
colors. The bodice is a waist long, close fitting
sacque, with sleeves which resemble a bird cage, and
a half square of the same material goes around the
neck, reaching out over the shoulders. This piece is
called the pannela, and all women wear it. To com
plete this costume the toes are thrust into a diminu
tive cover which often has a wooden sole, and how
they manage to keep them on is a mystery. This
costume is invariable as far as the shape and make
is concerned, the country people and poorer classes
only shorten the skirt. I was told that the ladies
lose caste if they wear stockings and the men are
called dudes if they wear shoes ; certain it is that
they are generally bare- footed. They wear trousers
but their bare bodies are often only slightly cov
ered with the pina of which their jackets are made.
The better class of men wear white jacket and
trousers and are usually immaculate. One-half of
our party boarded small steamers in the morning for
a sail up the Pasig River.
The heat had been excessive since our arrival and
the change in temperature from cold to nearly un
bearable heat made a trip on the river in the morn
ing very desirable and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Starting as we did from our ship with a splendid
guide, we had a chance to see and hear of some of

84 "Westward"
the transformations brought about by American en
terprise in the miles of well-laid stone breakwater,
the large cold-storage and ice plants, the progressive
work of everything connected with the food supply
and hygiene, sewerage and water supply which is
brought from far away hills. Besides this, all water
used on hotel or restaurant tables must, according
to law, be distilled and the ice also must be made of
distilled water or the license will be revoked. How
we enjoyed this water, and can you imagine what
a task the waiters had in keeping us supplied ?
Many old Spanish villas are on the river banks
and the Governor-General's Palace is also here,
which, with its handsome garden and the green of
tropical plants, looks very comfortable but not in
the least magnificent, as we used to suppose all
palaces to be.
There are many large boats anchored near the
city which are called Cascoes and are a house-boat
on which the people live, but they are very different
from those seen in Canton, for they are one hundred
feet long and the top or awning, which is woven
like a splint basket, is divided into sections of about
ten or twelve feet wide, so that any one of them can
be lifted at will and in these open spaces we see the
family getting their meals in the sunshine, or perhaps
transacting some business. Another smaller boat
seen much on the river is called a banco. It is

Manila, Java and Borneo 85
twenty-five or thirty feet long and not more than
two or three feet wide and many of them were be
ing filled with sand from the bottom of the river,
to be used for building purposes. Men ranged along
the side of the boat would disappear underneath the
water with baskets in hand and reappear with the
sand and deposit it in the queer looking boat, and
when no more could be carried they floated it down
to the city. The river is strewn with a green plant
which looks somewhat like crushed lettuce and has
floated all the way down from the lake which is the
source of this yellow-green stream. As the prow of
the boat pushes the water into foam the effect of
the yellows, greens and browns is very peculiar. As
we move along and see the hundreds of men, women
and children standing waist-deep in this water
washing clothing by taking the pieces securely in
the hand and thrashing them on large stones which
are kept rough by an occasional cutting, we do not
wonder at their color, or that clothing must be often
replenished. This is called the Manila laundry for
the most of this work comes from the city. There
is some soap used and the things are spread out on
the grass to dry. These washing places are so near
together and there is so much red in the color of
the clothing worn or washed that they are very pic
turesque with a background of native houses, all
raised six or eight feet from the ground on bamboo

86 "Westward"
sticks, and then the one room in which they live has
half the matting shutters off for the day, and the
very steep thatched roofs had sometimes flowers or
vines on which squash, melons or gourds were
growing. The shutters (there are no windows)
are invariably put up at night, for they are a super
stitious people, and believe that evil spirits are
abroad in the darkness and no amount of persua
sion can make them fail to try to shut them out
while they sleep.
I was told by a man of considerable experience
in the islands that consumption carried off more of
the Philippinos than any other disease, and that
nurses had tried in vain to have them admit the
night air to their dwellings.
Another interesting sight was the carabao, or
water buffalo, and there were many groups of them
looking at a short distance away, like a lot of
stumps, roots or stone, for all we could see above
the water was the nose and horns, which are very
heavy and long, some of them being three or four
feet across from one horn to the other. They seem
like tame creatures and we often saw little brown
boys crawl on their backs and use them for diving
boards, which the animal did not seem to resent,
but our guide said that if a white boy should un
dertake the same exploit the animal would make a
great demonstration and stampede at once. The

Manila, Java and Borneo 87
most of these carabao are as large as our largest
oxen and they draw the heavy loads, are driven
singly and have a yoke which rest in front of a
projection with which they push the load. There is
no bow under the neck. Ropes are tied to the horns,
one is caught at the nose and another used as a rein,
for the drivers usually sit on the load, and the
shafts are tied to the yoke. The creatures rest
whenever they can and often lie in the shafts while
waiting for the order to move on. Many flowering
trees and vines grow wild on the banks of the
stream. Our guide came to the Philippines as a soldier
and feelingly told us of the several places where at
tacks were made on the natives and was quite en
thusiastic when we reached the old and now famous
Gaudeloupe Church, of which the natives of the
surrounding country had made a stronghold; and
when he said, "Our regiment went in on that cor
ner," I seemed to detect a tremor in his voice and a
glitter in his eye, which told of stirring remem
brances of valor and daring deeds which nobody
but a soldier who has suffered in the heat of battle
can fully appreciate, and I am glad that the old
foundation walls remain to tell the story and stir
the hearts of the nation's brave men.
We turned back at Fort McKinley, one of the
largest posts in the country. It is beautifully situ-

88 "Westward"
ated on elevated ground and appears like quite a
little city, with fine macadam roads, beautifully kept
lawns and handsome cottages, the homes of the of
ficers being marked by signs in the front yard. They
must have quite a society circle of their own, and
Manila is only eight or ten miles distant. The
horses made a fine appearance, as they were all
bright bays with black points. Is that the proper
way to express it? The natives are cleanly in their
person and although the children by the roadside
may wear nothing but a pina jacket, they appear
clean. The yards and outside of the houses are
well kept, but the inside is untidy and how could it
be otherwise when there is but one room, which
serves as a livingroom, kitchen and bedroom. I
don't know as I should say bedroom, for when they
wish to sleep they simply lie down where they are,
and as all houses are raised from the ground the
family cow, pigs and other animals can be kept out.
There are several beautiful avenues in the city
on which many American families live, and friends
dined with friends and one told something of her
experience: "They drove into a court and was at
once received by flashing lights and black servants,
who ushered them up a broad staircase to the living
and dining rooms, which as usual were raised from
the ground so that the air can pass freely under
neath. The floors of these rooms were brightly poi-

Manila, Java and Borneo 89
ished, and upon the host being asked if they used
weighted brushes, said they did, and he would show
them the process of using them ; whereupon a ser
vant was called who had donned as shoes a piece of
carpet-filling under each foot, and after removing a
few rugs, commenced making the most wonderful
slides, running like a child on the ice to obtain the
necessary momentum for his work, and apparently
enjoying the exercise, which to the visitors was
most amusing.
The white ants are the one great plague of the
place; they eat the books, the chests of linen, or
anything which comes in their way; they are the
bane of housekeeping and people learn to go with
out things once thought indispensable. They often
attack pillars long before they are finished and
many times destroy or undermine whole buildings."
We have seen the nests of these pests and they are
sometimes four or five feet high, very pointed and
cone shaped.
Manila is the capital of the Philippine Islands
and is on the Island of Luzon, and we had this and
many other smaller ones in sight long before we
reached Cavite Bay, the name so familiar to us as
being the place where, in 1898, under the com
mand of Admiral George Dewey, the American fleet
destroyed the Spanish vessels, captured and held
under martial law the city which has since that time

90 "Westward"
given so much cause for controversy by the people
at home, who know very little of the needs of the
superstitious and in many cases savage tribes who
inhabit the archipelago. The islands were first dis
covered in the middle of the sixteenth century by the
Portuguese, Ferdinand Magella, whose fine monu
ment keeps his name before the people, and since
American occupation it has been reset and removed
to a more favorable position.
The Philippines are very fertile and especially
rich in commercial products, such as sugar, hemp,
coffee, indigo, tobacco and a variety of large tim
ber. An invitation to the cigar and cigarette fac
tory brings again to mind what American industry
is doing for the islands.
When the city was founded in 1571, six years
after the Spanish occupation, it was divided into
two parts by the river, which is spanned by seven
bridges, the most notable is the "Bridge of Spain,"
and we are told that through all these years innu
merable earthquakes have not moved it and it is now
one of the landmarks of the city. Not far from this
bridge is the Old Walled City and the moat which
once surrounded the walls which was about two
miles in circumference has been filled in and will
soon be added to the city's pleasure grounds. There
are several Catholic churches "intro muros" (within
the walls), and in them there is much fine carved

Manila, Java and Borneo 91
woodwork and some good old Spanish paintings.
There are fine gateways and some of them are great
reminders of those seen in Spain. They are now
always open and we drive through in passing from
one part of Manila to the other, but it seems a little
too progressive to have trolley cars, with their clang
ing gongs, going in and out of the old walls, as it
destroys the solitude which seems to belong to such
old and dingy surroundings as we find here.
The principal shopping street is the Escolta, but
we found American prices prevailed, as they pay
duty on Japanese and Chinese goods, and very little
buying was done. Some bought Manila hats and
embroidery, the native work being beautifully done
and very tempting, and "Man wants little here be
low, and likes to take his ease. But woman, dear
little thing, wants every thing she sees." (From the
Travelers' Club.)
There were many entertainments given in our
honor. Five thousand children sang on the Luneta,
and at a reception in the Opera House the acting
Governor received the whole Clark party.
There is always a cock-fight from six to twelve p. m.
on Sunday night and some of the tourists attended.
Many of the undesirable features of these Spanish
entertainments have been eliminated, and one or the
other of the combatants are soon dispatched. These
game cocks are household pets, and in driving about

92 "Westward"
the city we see them tucked under the arm of the
men and caressed as he would be ashamed to ca
ress his own child.
As the heat was extreme many of the govern
ment officers and inhabitants were up in the Sum
mer Capital, Baguio, which was once an old Spanish
hill station, but is now an extensive American Civil
Reservation up to date in every respect and where
at any season of the year the thermometer never
rises above 78. It has the bracing climate of the
Temperate Zone and is a beautiful place to spend
the Summer months.
Manila also boasts of the most important Mete
orological Observatories in the Far East. It is
conducted by the Jesuit Fathers, whose long experi
ence in tracking out the course of the typhoon has
proved of such untold service to this part of the
world. This knowledge with the addition of Wire
less Telegraphy keeps the officers of large ships in
touch with all unusual meteorological disturbances
and our Captain said he went one hundred miles
out of his course to avoid a reported typhoon in the
China Sea.
Again our great resounding whistle sounded the
hour of departure and the unparalleled music given
by the Constabulary Band followed us long after we
had left the pier, where hundreds of friends and
many natives came to say their adieus. I was much

Manila, Java and Borneo 93
interested in the dress and bearing of a half a dozen
native ladies who really made a fine appearance in
their long trained stiffened skirts, made of hand
some silks. One was corn color, one blue brocade,
one in red and white, one blue check and one in
black. The aprons were all black and the pannela of
bright colored pina transparent and neat. The hair
was nicely done in pompadour, but the hands were
bare and they wore no stockings and handled their.
trains easily and their bearing was that of cultured
ladies. The most of the others were young Ameri
can men and women and I wondered how many
would leave these shores if they could.
The heat continued to be oppressive as we again
started "Westward" and the humidity was so great
that we all looked wilted, but everybody was in high
spirits and bound to brace up for what was to come.
I really think we all felt this first extreme heat more
than at any time thereafter. Swimming pools or
tanks were established on deck, one for the ladies
and one for the gentlemen, and the little men, as
usual, were excited and longing for the first swim.
And this advertisement appeared on the bulletin
board: "Ladies can sleep on the port side of the
promenade deck, but must arise at 6 o'clock a. m.
so that the deck may be washed. Gentlemen may
sleep on the hatches, and may go barefooted until

94 "Westward"
8 a. m." All lectures and other entertainments were
given on deck and they were always crowded.
The evenings were superb, beginning with a gor
geous tropical sunset, when through huge moun
tains of heavy black clouds whose pillars and forests
in innumerable fantastic shapes arose from the hor
izon shone the brilliant red, yellow and gold of the
setting sun, while the whole western sky was suf
fused with the reflection of his retiring majesty. As
the stars came out and the silvery moon gave her
softened light to the smooth waters of a boundless
sea who could help finding propitious places for
studying the constellations, particularly the South
ern Cross, which is said to be the mariners' guide
when near the equator, and who could blame the
young people for finding some cosey nook in which
to talk over the "sweet nothings" which mean so
much at certain times of our existence? Do you
remember, my reader, a look, a smile or a word
which kept you company for many a day ? And you
never could have had more inviting surroundings
for such confidences.
The middle of the days were so hot that we were
more comfortable in "dishabille" in our cabin, but
there were ladies who, always nicely gowned, played
cards in the Social Hall, and we really envied those
whom nature endowed with a physical system im-

Manila, Java and Borneo 95
mune from the dripping wet from which we suf
fered.
Crossing the Equator is one of the novel features
of the tour, and is made much of by officers and
sailors. Our crossing was celebrated on Sunday
about 2 p. m. We had had our religious services in
the morning, but The Sea God knows no difference
in the days, and notice was given that he would
come over the bow at that hour, for a thorough in
spection of those who dared to invade his domain.
From our cabin we could hear the approaching
Couch Shell Band, which escorted his majesty over
the extreme forward part of the Promenade deck.
He was a huge fellow with long yellow hair and a
beard which reached to his knees and following
him was his retinue similarly bewhiskered and gro
tesquely attired, his secretary carrying a huge black
covered book on a wooden tray, followed by a bar
ber with a razor, about eighteen inches long, a
bucket of soap-suds, very white with foam, and a
large pair of shears. There were many other im
plements such as hammers, forceps and a set of
extraordinary astronomical instruments. They
marched the whole length of the deck, downstairs to
the next, and then to the lower deck, accompanied
by a most wonderful band, where each one strove to
outdo the others in noise and a woman with one of
the largest horns added much amusement to the al-

96 "Westward"
ready comical procession. Neptune was seated on
a throne prepared for him in front of our Patron
and his wife, the Captain and other officers, when at
once astronomical observations were made to find
our correct position, and then the Sea God in hoarse
and aggressive voice demanded to know why they
had dared pass into his territory. The Captain
meekly replied that we were only a few tourists
with curiosity and friendly respect, etc, etc., which
apology was finally accepted providing all would
submit to the usual initiation, and the Captain ac
cepted this provision. Then the secretary recorded
the names in his big book, a pleasing speech was
made, and the receiving committee were decorated
with badges of welcome, and the real fun? began.
One after another of the men were called, stood up
against a railing and were lathered with a long
handled scrub brush, were shaved and had their hair
cut, and then pitched backward over the rail into the
sea (or so it appeared). After the plunge Nep
tune's attendants who were standing in the water to
receive them, caught and passed them out on to the
dry deck where in their white suits they dripped
and we began to wonder if that was to be our initia
tion. We had all crowded forward to the rail on all
the decks for the awnings had been removed so that
we could all see the ceremony and it looked like
three balconies filled with people in their Sunday

Manila, Java and Borneo 97
clothes, intent on what was coming next. Suddenly
the air was full of water, it came from above, from
below, from the sides all over the decks and the
people, some drenched to the skin, for it was no mist
but water from large hose, screamed and ran in all
directions. Some were angry, others wanted to be,
but none dare keep so, for all had hoped to see what
a nautical Crossing the Line was like. Next morning
we all received our certificate of membership of
which we are very proud, our nautical names and the
translation runs in this wise:
We, Poseidon, the only, Son of Chronos,
Prince Trident,
lawful ruler of the violet-blue high seas, earth-
girdler and earth-shaker, have most graciously per
mitted the earth-born (the name)
on board of our friendly Hamburg-American Liner
"Cleveland" to pass carefully over our equator.
This our sea-law declared equator-christening, is
appropriately and satisfactorily done.
The christened child bears in this region accord
ing to custom, the sea-name of (sea name)
which (he or she) must bear from now on in joy
and sea-sorrow in our realm. Poseidon.
Given on March 27, 1910.
Borneo — We had an early breakfast and landed
at Labuan on the island of Borneo, which at this

98 "Westward"
place is under Dutch control, at eight o'clock a. m.,
and were delighted to find a cool Seabreeze from the
water, which made the strolling walk through the
little settlement easy and enjoyable. There were a
few small white Government Buildings, such as a
Post Office, Barracks for a few soldiers, a row of
small stores, a market with tempting fruit and we
passed them all on a fine hard road through cocoanut
groves and tropical verdure, to a large meadow
which we crossed to the fair grounds, where this
program was carried out: "Dances of the Head
Hunters of Borneo" by Dyaks especially escorted
from the Interior; "Chinese Devil Dance, Malay
War Dance, Buffalo races, Native football, shooting
with "Sumpitan" (blow pipes), Spear throwing, and
other interesting events." There were perhaps a
dozen or fifteen of these brown savages trimmed
with feathers, beads and silver spangles, and the
dark stripes around their legs, arms and on their
weapons looked suspiciously like human hair, and
we called to mind the stories of the terrible deeds
committed by these native tribes, which used to be
the terror of the island, but we were told that under
the strong hand of the Government they are fast dis
appearing. They had their own queer music, one in
strument made of small bamboo sticks, three or four
feet long, with something on the end which looked
like a gourd, and on a mouthpiece they blew out

Manila, Java and Borneo 99
the most wheezy sounds which were so indistinct
that it was better than pounding on the metal things
which was continual, and they seemed to feel the
heat nearly as much as the onlookers. The dances
seemed mostly a pantomime and posing with tense
muscles and terrible countenance and the howls I
shall never forget. The presence of many native
men, women and children, dressed in brilliant
colors added much to the scene, and a beautiful sea
beach attracted many. As I leisurely walked back to
the wharf and was for a moment alone, a young
native passed and said "Good morning, sir," he had
not learned to say madam.
This part of Borneo belongs to the Dutch and
there are seventy-five Americans, one thousand na
tives and two thousand Chinese, who are said to
be the most successful and honored people on the
island. There are extensive coalfields up in the
interior and Labuan is quite a coaling station.
Once more on the sea and a great wave of sad
ness swept over the whole company, through the
announcement that the ruthless and heartless
"Wireless" said "She is no more," and all hearts
bowed in sympathy with our beloved Rector and
his wife who would never see a cherished daughter
again on earth. "But the Healer was there,
Pouring balm on the heart,"

100 "Westward"
and life's duties must be accomplished and after a
few weeks of retirement how gladly we welcomed
the chastened smile of the peerless leader of all
our activities.
One day out from Labuan we went into a
thunder shower. The thunder was not so terrible
but the large drops of rain so soon turned into
steam that it was very trying to sore throats which
were almost epidemic. As we again neared the
Equator there was less humidity and therefore less
suffering than we had at Manila.
Java — One of the Malay archipelago, is only a
trifle larger than New York State, but it has a
population of over thirty millions, and is one of
the most productive pieces of soil on the face of
the earth. Its sugar product is more than double
that of Hawaii. Rice is also raised in enormous
quantities but the famous Java coffee which we so
confidently call for at home, is a thing of the past,
an inferior quality only being raised and used by
the natives. Comfortable steam cars carried us
from the landing about five miles through lowlands,
small villages of native huts one story high with
roofs of palm leaves, and cocoanut palms, tropical
plants, vines and mosses, made one tangle of living
green. It was a holiday in Batavia and the natives
were out en masse. They were kept under restraint
by policemen who did not allow them to bother us

Manila, Java and Borneo 101
with the cheap wares they were selling on the
streets. Small dos-a-dos carriages set on two
wheels with native drivers took us about the city
and to a fine Museum, mostly of Japanese work
and prehistoric stone image of Buddha and other
gods, also a gallery of arms, another of musical
instruments and one of huge insects presumably
from this tropical island. The city is built around
a square several miles in circumference (or so it
seemed to us), for the drives from one place to an
other seem endless. The streets are broad, very
hard and well kept, and there are bicycles, some
motor-cars, and two-horse carriages, but they are
private property, and the usual public conveyance
is the dos-a-dos, which have a top slanting from the
middle both back and front and side curtains for
rainy weather. When the driver is waiting, he
simply slides back to the seats we have occupied
(for the four sittings are one square cushion) and
folds his bare yellow brown feet under him and
is comfortable. The horses are diminutive speci
mens, but in good condition and the thills are hung
quite above his body, and it certainly seems that
two sizable people on the back seat and one in front
would take the little animal off his feet. He is cov
ered with harness trappings, which are bright in
silver trimmings, making a pretty turnout when all
the equipments are new for there is much orna-

102 "Westward"
mentation on the little carriages, and a bouquet of
bright flowers on the wheel shield and dashboard.
The streets are watered in a very satisfactory
manner. There are what appears to be well curbs,
at intervals all along the principal streets, and big
brown men with no covering but short trousers who
lift to their shoulders where there is some kind of a
support, well-filled huge sprinkling cans which have
spouts about three feet long, and walking in a
straight line, sprinkle as they go, and cover about
ten feet in width and they seem to know just when
the water will be out, when they refill the cans and
start again, going three or four times to sprinkle
the whole street, and it is evenly and nicely done.
The houses and business places of the city are
only one-story high, and are usually painted white
and have pillars in front, where on large porches
green palms and strange plants are growing. The
houses usually have beautiful large green lawns,
where ornamental trees sometimes carrying bright
red blossoms on their topmost branches and cocoa-
nut, banana and many strange fruit and nut trees
make luxuriant shade, where children play and the
family have tea, and often receive guests.
The principal hotel, called "Nederlanden," has
the same white pillared front, but its guests are
driven into a rear court surrounding which are the
guest chambers, office, etc. The beds were all cov-

Manila, Java and Borneo 103
ered with a canopy of mosquito netting, suggesting
musical fiends, and the usual bedroom furniture.
The street cars are run by dummy engines which
go through the native quarters and some business
streets. Many Chinamen are about the streets as
gentlemen, and they are well dressed in English
costume, usually white duck only their queue marks
them as different from the other young men with
whom they associate, and we are told that the
Chinese are the most wealthy and influential people
of the place.
The beautiful Botanical Garden "Dierentuin,"
was reserved for us for the two days of our visit by
the Hotel Nederlanden, and we lunched and had
our dinners in the fine hall where there was room
for our whole party of seven hundred and fifty at
one sitting. Surrounding this hall, which is a roof
and floor with a raised platform for music, are many
booths for the sale of hats and other things of na
tive manufacture, such as the "sarong" of the
women, which is a piece of cotton painted in the
most curious way, one end for a yard or so, done in
very dark colors and the rest of the piece of two or
three yards, of yard-wide goods, in very light color
or white. It is painted in points and squares where
the two colors join and then the whole thing is
covered with vines and circles, arabesques and other
conventional designs. This is wound around the

104 "Westward"
waist so that the dark end laps over in front and it
sometimes looks queer in the back where the two
shades meet. The tourists bought them for table-
covers. A long sacque called "kabaya" of thin cot
ton completed this costume. There were many kinds
of strange fruits which we were advised not to eat,
but we all took our chances on some of them. The
mangusteen, said by some ancient writers "to be
the most delicate fruit in the world, and the pride
of the Malay Islands," was first seen here, but we
had them on the boat several times afterward. In
side of a very thick soft cover about the size of a
peach the little pincushion of white fruit was found
and it was delicious. The grounds of this garden
were very attractive. Numerous Royal Palms,
whose stately columns outlined beautiful avenues,
fruit and nut trees in great abundance, and flowers
and flags everywhere. The picture of our "royal
banquet" given at night with these glorious sur
roundings will always remain with us.
The whole place was lighted by colored electric
lights in profusion, decorating trees, booths and
grounds, and the great Pavilion was one blaze of
brilliancy. A splendid brass band, which might have
been too heavy for an inside performance, was
grand, with all out of doors for expansion of sound
waves, and a multitude of dusky barefooted waiters
clad in white trousers and coats trimmed in red or

Manila, Java and Borneo 105
blue, each one wearing an Indian handkerchief tied
into a turban on his head, and a scarf a foot wide at
his waist, made and put on in the same manner as
the sarong of the women. These waiters were slow
but very precise in their movements and when the
brown hand with a bracelet at the wrist reached out
to change plates, etc., I thought of the great
banquets given at home where fabulous prices are
paid by the participants and wondered if there was
ever one which could compare with this, for we
must remember that there was nearly eight hundred
guests to serve, and all was done quietly, while the
music of native drums in a small theatre near by
and our own bright flag swinging in the lighted
branches of the tropical trees, made all seem so
unusual and interesting.
Our journey by train at night was one long firefly,
sparkling and moonlit scene, through the tangle-
wood forest, which made the weary tourist keep up
high spirits, although the heat was very oppressive.
The midday meal in Java is called the "Rice Table,"
where rice is first served, the rest of the food com
ing after, and it is said that "everybody goes to bed
soon after Rice Table, and is dead to the world
from two to five p. m., when they appear refreshed
and dressed for the evening." Certain it is that it is
difficult to find drivers of carriages who will give

106 "Westward"
up their afternoon rest for any consideration what
ever. Some of the tourists went to Buitenzorg for the
night, and to visit the world famous Botanical Gar
dens. "They are the horticultural study grounds
for all the nations of the earth, who annually send
their representatives there to increase their knowl
edge of botany." But although this may be true,
it is thought by people who have seen many of these
gardens that others make quite as much of an im
pression on all but experts in botanical training.
Many large boats were in the bay, a Dutch war ves
sel called "Sudbrabant," Chinese boats and many
others foreign vessels come here from many dis
tant ports, but we saw no stars and stripes except
ing on our own proud ship.
Still "Westward" we sailed, in sight of islands,
from Borneo to Singapore, and sometimes we passed
so near them that we could see the crooked trunks
of the cocoanut's palm and the green verdure with
which all seemed covered. Again we crossed the
Equatorial line and our boat did not pick up the
cable, and we did not even feel a jolt, but the sea
was smooth with a bright sun by day and a moon by
night, while occasionally General Humidity was out
and we looked wilted.
The ship's timepiece was very erratic ; we turned
our watches often but could never quite know when

Singapore, Burma 107
to expect the bugle call for meals, but one thing we
could know: that the day and the nights were of
nearly equal length and there was comparatively
no twilight, that it was dark or it was light, it was
day or it was night.

CHAPTER X
SINGAPORE, BURMA, MARCH THIRTY-FIRST
THE commodious harbor of Singapore is inter
esting and beautiful with its hundreds of ves
sels from all parts of the commercial world. It
ranks next to Hong Kong and is the eighth largest
seaport on earth. Its docking facilities are superior
to most Eastern harbors and there is in course of
construction a Dry Dock which it is said will be
the largest in the world. It is not quite a hundred
years since Singapore island was taken possession
of by Sir Stamford Raffles in the name of Great
Britain. It was a jungle waste and its inhabitants
were three hundred native savages. There has been
many stately memorials erected by the people and
many of them bear the name of Raffles. There is
the beautiful hotel Raffles situated on the bay,
where we lunched, and Raffles is seen on street

108 "Westward"
corners and buildings. The city is built down to
the water's edge, and many stately edifices were in
view as we passed up the harbor. Singapore is a
handsome city and although its inhabitants count
among their number people from many lands, it still
seems modern and homelike.
The several hundred thousand Chinese scattered
through the Malay States are rapidly promoting the
material welfare of the Peninsula. They are suc
cessful planters, wine workers, merchants, manu
facturers and traders in this region, where they have
become rich and prosperous.
The Malays are a dark-skinned race and many of
them very nearly approach the color of our negroes,
but I saw nothing that looked like wooley hair, but
as it is usually cut short, like his clothing, there may
be exceptions. He is rikisha man and he is driver
to the "Ghurries," a small closed public carriage for
four persons, which are quite comfortable. While
in Singapore a tropical thunder shower drove us
to the shopping district, for these showers mean
water and lots of it. The stores have arcade fronts
and shoppers are quite protected in going from one
store to another. But the driver, did he suffer?
Not a bit of it, for he is glad of a bath and the usual
way of taking them is to step down to the water and
pour a few buckets full over the head, and then dry
off in the sun, so when we wanted to move on, he

Singapore, Burma 109
just waded in his bare feet and legs into the gutters
which were a foot deep with a tumultuous stream
and led his little steed very near the curb, and we
were off. The Botanical Gardens were included in
the drive, and those who braved the storm reported
beautiful palms, air plants and flowers.
We took the train for "Woodland Junction"
(don't that sound too much like home?) where a
launch took us across the Strait to the pier at
Johore, which is situated on the mainland. The
rising ground on which the picturesque Palace and
other buildings of the young Sultan of Johore are
built, is one immense garden or lawn over which
extend well-kept walks, where one may see unusual
shrubs and flowers and clinging vines, noticeably
waxen sprays of delicate white, which one feels the
hot sun would melt, and the most unusual palms
with red trunks and whose leaves were striped
with green, yellow and red, and others which looked
as if the trunks had been painted white. We visited
the Audience room and Counsel Chamber and the
smoking room and anteroom of the Palace, which
has many rambling corridors where dusky servitors
hung about the pillars and where undoubtedly His
Majesty the Sultan loiters with his cigar when he
is at Johore, but we were told that he spends most
of his time in England and that he is also a great
hunter of wild animals, so that these well-kept

110 "Westward"
grounds and the pretty little mosque is not often
favored by his presence.
The Johore Hotel which was built by the Sultan
as a proper resting place for visitors, is a large, fine
house near the Pier, a short distance from the Pal
ace, and we discovered a peculiar fan for the com
fort of the guests, which was not electric in the
general acceptance of the word, but there were four
polished poles ten or twelve feet long, with a
pleated curtain hanging to the under side. These
poles were hung seven or eight feet apart by ropes
to the ceiling and two other ropes ran to holes in
the wall. These two ropes pulled the poles which
swung back and forth with their curtains which
hung nearly to the heads of the people. We dis
covered that the power behind the ceiling was rather
erratic and learned that a young Malay sat on his
heels at the other end of the ropes pulling it back
and forth and the rascal sometimes forgot his task
and slept. We learned afterward that this is the
real "Punkah" (fan) seen throughout the East.
There is also a famous gambling house here, but I
don't think the tourists took the chance of losing
their shopping money.
The train from Singapore to Johore runs through
what is said to be the finest tropical scenery in the
world, and yet there were those who thought it lost
time to see it. It certainly was very interesting;

Singapore, Burma 111
pineapple, palm, native huts and jungle where vines,
trees and flowers were closely entangled, with a fine
hard red road called metal and made of iron ore,
many times leading through gateways to Villas cov
ered with green, made it quite different from any
thing we had seen.
In the Federated Malay States there are seven
teen hundred miles of good roadway like those seen
about Singapore, which are a delight to all visitors.
The principal things for sale are the torchon laces
made by the natives and about the boat are baskets
of coral and shells. The red turbaned East Indian
is still the policeman, and we wonder how they can
wear so many yards of cloth on the head in such
hot weather, although it was more comfortable in
Singapore than in many other places, and we were
getting so we could endure it with less grumbling.
The beasts of heavy burdens here are yokes of oxen,
nearly always as white as milk, with a hump just
back of the neck on the top, and a ruffle of swinging
cuticle often a foot wide under the whole neck and
far on to the body. Their horns, sometimes eighteen
inches long, grow straight up from the head, curving
at the ends where they meet and sometimes cross
each other. They are handsome and strong and it
is a relief to see something besides men at this work.
We were greatly pleased to have more comfort
able weather and our voyage from Singapore to

112 "Westward"
Rangoon was over smooth seas, with cool nights,
and we found it hard to convince ourselves that we
were nearing Burma and India, where we prepared
our minds for the greatest extremes of heat and
discomfort, and we did not fail to send "Wireless"
messages of inquiry and sympathy to our dark-
eyed maiden who lanquished with "Tropics" up
aloft, where the more vital atmosphere gave relief.
Entering the Rangoon River, which is so wide at
its mouth that we were not certain that we were not
still on the waters of the bay, the water grew more
and more clouded and muddy and when at last we
cast anchor about three miles from Rangoon the
river was still very wide and boats large and small
from ocean liners to little duck-shaped row boats
surrounded us. There were many small launches
and ferryboats filled with natives, and the brilliant
colors worn in turban and skirt, while the boats were
invariably white, made a picture worthy the artist's
brush. The double-decked boats used for our trans
portation had no seats and a trip of three miles up
and three miles back made us long for the more sup
ple limbs of our black neighbors, who with the
greatest ease sit on their feet for hours . without
seeming to feel the slightest discomfort. The of
ficers of the boats wore a' short blue coat ornamented
with red buttons, but his' legs could be seen through
his cheesecloth drapery which is often put on with

Photo by courtesy of REGILDING THE
W. T. Davies GREAT SHWe'dAGON PAGODA

Singapore, Burma 113
considerable skill. The mouth and lips of many of
these men were colored deep red by the chewing of
the beetle nut and when they gave orders to the
crew they made a study in red, black and white
which is curious in the extreme. Our carriages were
still the ghurries, but the driver sits high and
through the shutters opening in front we could have
a constant view of his black feet and legs. The na
tives are very much the color of our negro but they
have not the thick lips, low forehead and woolly
hair. The hair is shiny and straight or slightly
waved. No hair grows on the face, and a Bur
mese with whiskers or mustache is very unusual.
They all wear drapery which is a straight piece of
cloth instead of trousers, and I saw a man take his
off and stretch it out on the grass to dry out the
perspiration. These draperies are usually in bright
colors, magenta being a favorite. The better classes,
traders, etc., sometimes wear silk, and if it is a little
stiff it seems difficult to dispose of the extra fullness
at the waist line. A white short jacket completes
the costume, excepting the jewelry, which is worn
by both men and women, and the earrings and
noserings are worn by both. The first we saw was
on a little boy of five or six years of age, who was
at the landing when we arrived in Rangoon, and the
pretty little chap wore a short jacket, trousers and
a cap ; but he also had earrings, a heavy chain on his

114 "Westward"
neck and bangles on wrist and ankles and they all
looked like heavy gold. He was "Somebody's Darl
ing." I saw one woman, undoubtedly of the better
class, who had one lobe of the nose completely
covered with gold and jewels, and on the other lobe
she had a small star, and she also wore very hand
some earrings and bracelets, and we are told that
jewels are a Burmese and East Indian woman's
dowry or treasure, and she carries them on her per
son, so that in case she is deserted or divorced she
has her treasure with her and they wear their brace
lets as tight as they can possibly put them over the
hand. Workmen on the streets often wear an ear
ring on the top of the ear and some wear toe rings,
the draped loin cloth being their only clothing. They
are large and strong and draw enormous loads about
the streets. The acres of fresh vegetables and
fruits seen in the markets mean much more to these
people than to us, for they are Buddhists and eat no
flesh, believing it wrong to take life from any living
creature. They therefore subsist upon grain and
things grown from the earth. It is also forbidden
to drink intoxicants, so we never see anybody reel
ing about the streets. Everyone seems to be quietly
doing their part of the day's labor, occasionally tak
ing a nap wherever they happen to be.
The famous Elephants of Rangoon who used to
be workers in the lumber yards, have been super-

Singapore, Burma 115
seded by modern machinery and the slow and bulky
animals have been taken to the hills where they still
work at piling teakwood timber. Only one immense
animal remains to do stunts for visitors, but he
seemed to dislike work.
Rangoon is a handsome city, its Royal Gardens
are beautiful in inviting walks among forest trees
and varied shrubs and plants, with an occasional
note from some strange songster, and with the
pretty lake whose cool waters look clear and
limped, must be a favorite retreat after the heat
of the day. There are many pretty residences and
the few missionaries whom we met appeared to be
enjoying life and we hope they are doing some
good in their particular line of work. The Zoologi
cal Garden shows a black leopard, the spots are
only visible when the animal moves about, and the
barking monkeys made great sport, but the Bab-
boons were almost too human. "As in America
the women of Burma rule the men, with this dif
ference : The men like it." So said the Doctor who
lectured on Burma, and we learned that Buddhists
believe in the equality and education of women.
Certainly they have had much to do in the shaping
of Burma's destinies. There is no caste in Burma
and one may rise by merit to the highest positions.
The Sule Pagoda whose gilded tower is seen on
entering the city from the boats, is what we sup-

116 "Westward"
posed to be the Great Shwe Dagon, and we won
dered that our driver should go on past such an
attractive dome, which was so well guarded by gods
and shrines, but we learned afterward that this was
only a smaller temple where Sule Nat, who in his
previous existence (Buddhists tell us) was a
Prince, was buried alive. He stands with his arms
extended and his finger pointing toward the Shwe
Dagon Pagoda, of which he is the guardian spirit.
There are numerous pagodas about the city but
they all appear as nothing compared with the Shwe
Dagon which is about two miles out from the city,
on a mound or hill partly natural and partly arti
ficial and at its base is a pretty little lake around
which we drove in approaching the place. This
mound is one hundred and sixty-six feet high, and
the Pagoda rises three hundred and seventy-nine
feet above it. In this Temple which is reputed to
date from five hundred and eighty-nine B. C. have
been deposited at various times the relics of four
human Buddhas, the drinking cup of one, the staff
of another, the robe of another, and eight hairs
from the head of Guatama, the last Buddha. Tra
dition says "that the first village on the site of
modern Rangoon was founded about 585 B. C. by
two brothers, who are said to have passed with
five hundred carts of merchandise through a forest
in which Guatama was then residing. They made

Singapore, Burma 117
an offering of honey to Guatama and entreated that
he would bestow upon them something that they
might honor as a relic. He therefore gave them
eight hairs of his head, which they brought to their
own country and enshrined them in a pagoda since
known as the Shwe (golden) Dagon." It is these
relics which make this Pagoda so venerated
throughout the Buddhist world and which draws
pilgrims from China, Cambodia, Ceylon, India and
from many a jungle village of Upper Burma.
When we arrived at the entrance I thought I had
never seen such gorgeous embellishment, which was
enhanced by the two gigantic "specimens of myth
ological leogryphs" (lions) which guard the gate.
The many white columns with gold trimmings, the
curtained arches made of the finest Burmese carving,
the carved teakwood which form little roofs one
above the other until they seem to be airy phantoms
in which grotesque figures play the roll of goblin,
sprite or evil spirit are all surprisingly engaging
and the smoothly worn stone stepping-stones tell
of the countless millions who have climbed them to
the Temple beyond. On our upward journey we
encountered venders of flowers, food and drink,
pictures, dolls and bells on which children some of
them entirely nude, pounded to attract attention
and to show their peculiar tone, and there were
beggars, too, one little boy had been taught to say,

118 "Westward"
"I have no legs," and it drew many small coins to
his little black hands. All this time we were
continually mounting covered stone steps and ex
pected at each break in the continuous climbing to
come to the Pagoda. At one of these breaks we
crossed a bridge over a moat, and then through
heavy iron doors, which can be shut at will, and
learned that the Pagoda could be converted into a
fortress in a very short space of time. A regiment
of the Royal Garrison Artillery have their quarters
at the foot of the hill and the west entrance is ex
clusively set aside for military purposes. Again we
went up the slippery way and came upon a scene
no pen can describe, although we keep on trying,
and no picture can give a satisfactory reproduction.
"A Pagoda is almost invariably a solid pyramid,
gradually tapering to a cone surmounted by a
'htee' or umbrella, the latter always a sign of rank
in the East even in the days of ancient Nineveh," but
this one was small at the beginning and then it was
covered by another and then another and so on
until there are seven pagodas one over the other.
The "htee" is composed of gilded ironwork with
pendulous bells and often studded with precious
stones, the one on the Great Pagoda cost fifty thou
sand pounds. "It is of gilt iron work and has
many rings from which gold and silver bells are
suspended and the whole is richly studded with

Singapore, Burma 119
rubies and other gems." The Great Shwe Dagon
rises in all its gilded grandeur (it is covered with
pure gold leaf) to the height of three hundred and
seventy-nine feet, with a circumference of thirteen
hundred and fifty-five feet, and is surrounded at its
base by hundreds of small pagodas, chapels and
shrines, kneeling elephants and idols, gilded and
carved and overlaid with sparkling glass of many
colors. A broad avenue surrounds this from fifty
to one hundred feet wide, and then another row of
chapels and idols, altogether aggregating four hun
dred and fifteen (so said the guide). Before us
in a large chapel sat a bronze Buddha and all about
the place were wax candles in all stages of com
bustion, the wax making a medley of colors as it
dropped to the ground, and it also made our shoes
so slippery that we walked with difficulty. Over
to the right we heard the great bell boom, all around
the smaller ones tinkled, while somewhere in the
shadow the voice of a man in loud tones was pray
ing. As we passed on a watercarrier who had
sprinkled a small shrine, was kneeling with hands
clasped, loudly praying while several other carriers
appeared to be waiting for him to finish so that they
might occupy his place. At one of the handsomest
chapels, which must have been twenty or twenty-
five feet square, and raised from the ground, there
was a mosaic floor and three large Buddhas im-

120 "Westward"
maculate in white raiment, trimmed most beauti
fully with gold and precious stones. The whole
building was made of glass, overlaid with orna
mental glass in vines, flowers and arabesques set in
gilt or silver metal, while handsome offerings of
embroideries, ornaments and fringes hung from the
ceiling and columns. Before the central Buddha
were two women kneeling about six feet apart, and
between them knelt a boy not over five years of
age. The woman who appeared to be his mother
had a white paper umbrella ("htee") about ten
inches in diameter with pendulous pieces of shining
metal at intervals about the edge and this, with some
flowers, she held by both hands, closely in front of
her face while she quietly said her prayers, but the
little black barefooted, barelegged youngster at her
side had a smaller "htee" and he prayed and prayed
at the top of his squeaking voice until he was tired,
when he laid down his umbrella, rearranged his
flowers and commenced again his devotions. The
women did not move from their first position, and
one of the faithful struck the large bell (which is
considered an act of worship) with the antlers'
horns which lie beside it. This bell is the third
largest bell in the world, weighs over fifty tons and
is nearly eight feet in diameter at its mouth, and
it has had quite an eventful history, for on a British
agent trying to take it away as a trophy to the Cal-

Photo by courtesy of
W. T. Davies

A FEW OF THE 415 SHRINES, RANGOON
AROUND THE PAGODA

Singapore, Burma 121
cutta Museum, in some mysterious way it fell from
its supports into the water, where it lay after many
unsuccessful attempts to raise it for scores of years.
Finally permission was given to the Burmans to
raise it (if they could) and restore it to its old po
sition which, with their bamboo poles and a will,
they did, and it is now one of the attractions of the
place. Still the little worshipper prayed on while
we passed to a chapel where there are as many as
eighteen or twenty Buddhas crowded together.
They were all white alabaster, sun dried clay or
wood, with gilt and jeweled trimmings and here,
as elsewhere, they all seem to be trying to express
complete absorbtion the true "Nirvana." Another
shrine had a huge snake made of the sparkling glass,
whose upturned head seemed to be ready to spring
upon us. It was suspended on rings or hinges, so
that it would swing easily, and keep the bells con
stantly tinkling. There is also a small tree which
is carefully guarded by brick work. It is a shoot
from a famous holy tree in Ceylon. It is said that
these Buddhists are not idol worshippers but that
these idols and images are only used as symbols, as
images of Christ and the Virgin Mary are used in
the Roman Catholic churches. There are stalls all
about the place where the many things used in the
temple service are sold, such as bells, small paper
umbrellas, inscriptions, candles and sweet smelling

122 "Westward"
wood, and some of the tourists bought enough to
set up a temple service. There were several stalls
where a curious medley of roots, bark, etc., were
sold. This was the chemist or medicine man of the
Pagoda and small carved sandelwood monks and
Buddhas were sold as souvenirs. At one of these
stalls was a young woman with two children, one
was about two years old and was running about per
fectly nude (I don't suppose the little fellow knew
what clothes were), the other child was the smallest
baby I have ever seen, simply laid on a piece of cloth.
They certainly spend little for clothing. "The place
is never deserted." "Even long after midnight the
voice of the worshipper may be heard in the night
air chanting pious aspirations, while on feast days
the laughing, joyous crowd of men and maidens, in
their gay national dress, makes the platform of the
Shwe Dagon one of the finest sights in the world."
There was a cool breeze all the time we were in
Rangoon, and one could be quite comfortable while
sitting about the balconies and porches of the hotel,
but if one exercised or let one ray of sunshine touch
any part of the body it burned like a fire, yet after
the sightseeing is over one must go shopping and
many of us went back to the ship heated but pleased
to take something home from Burma. The special
ties here are enchased brasses, rubies, etc. Jade is
found in Burma and goes to China for cutting.

Singapore, Burma 123
Some men bought clothing, for here commenced the
wonderful bargains in gentlemen's wear, and there
were carved elephants of all sizes and kinds and
handsome hand-made laces.
We had crossed the broad Pacific and the China
Sea, and now we were on the Bay of Bengal. The
evenings were cool, men and women were sleeping
on deck on cots, reclining chairs and bedding brought
from the cabins, all trying to be prepared for India's
burning heat, which we were fast approaching. But
the days were well and entertainingly spent in the
reading and studying of the fascinating story of
"Guatama Buddha," who lived in the sixth century
B. C. and who was the founder of the Buddhist re
ligion and whose temples and worshippers we had
seen all through Japan, China and Burma.
He was born a Prince of a warrior tribe, but be
came so affected at the sight of human suffering
that he decided to leave home, wife and child, and,
"cutting off his long hair and exchanging his
princely raiment for rags," left all as a homeless
beggar. Studying in the jungles near Gya, under
Brahmin hermits, where for six years he inflicted
upon himself the most severe austerities, which
brought no peace of mind, he gave up penance and,
sitting under the Pipal or Bo-tree, was tempted to
return to the world with all its charms, but in resist
ing this desire he became "The Enlightened." Then

124 "Westward"
he went to "Sarnath," originally a deer forest about
four miles from Benares, where he took up his resi
dence and where now an ancient tower marks the
spot where Buddha preached his first sermon on the
doctrine of Nirvana (the cessation of individual
existence). His whole teaching was that a man's future de
pended upon himself alone, that through meditation,
benevolence, compassion and noble deeds, he might
earn a cessation of "the cycle of lives through which
he would otherwise be destined to pass, and thus
finally to reach Nirvana, which puts an end to all
rebirth" or transmigration. He died at a great age
about 508 B. C.
Two large river steamers met us at Victoria har
bor to take us up the Hougly River, which is a very
muddy stream on whose banks are thriving cities,
manufactories, many brick-yards and the strange
banyan trees and other vegetation peculiar to the
East. It was toward evening when we arrived in
sight of the beautiful river drive out from the city,
and hundreds of elegant turnouts, including auto
mobiles, were out for the fresh evening air.

CHAPTER XI
BENARES-CALCUTTA, APRIL NINTH
ONLY those going on to Benares, remained on
the boat at Calcutta, all the others went to
the hotels. It was dark and the river was alive with
boats whose colored lights, with those on shore,
made an interesting study, while we crossed to the
other side of the stream where we disembarked and
followed our guide, who carried a lantern through
dark streets and an immense unlighted square where
natives in groups, sitting on their heels in the dim
light of our lantern, looked like the gnomes in Rip
Van Winkle's forest.
The Howrah Station is an immense building and
the sight of the hundreds of groups sitting on the
pavement was different from anything before seen.
In one group were four women and three children.
The women were conspicuous in their earrings, nose
rings, toe-rings and anklets, with many bracelets
and neck-chains, which they freely exposed to view
as they rearranged their draperies or put the small
children to sleep on the stone pavement.

126 "Westward"
The first thing attracting our attention in the
dining room was a tall, long-bearded, white-robed
colored man at the end of the room who steadily
throughout our repast waved an immense fan for
our comfort, while a waiter whose whiskers once
gray had been colored a bright red for about two
inches around the edge, leaving what remained in
the original color, was attentive and efficient. He
and all the other waiters wore tight-fitting white
trousers, well cut, long coats and ropes of red and
green wound five or six times around the waist and
the same color appeared on their high white turbans.
Our fears for a bad night of travel evaporated
when we saw the well-equipped compartment sleep
ers (ladies and gentlemen in separate compart
ments), and we also found our names in lower
berths (it took some gymnastic feats unknown to me
to attain to the upper ones) we prepared for the
night in happy mood, and was awakened at dawn by
having pots of tea, fruit and sandwiches passed in
at the windows, which had been left wide open
through the night admitting, with the fresh air,
into one of the ladies' compartments, a huge insect
which took all the courage of the women to dis
lodge. And then commenced the interesting study of
people coming out of their mud huts, bathing in some
pool or station tank, going to work in the fields,

Benares-Calcutta 127
which were dry and parched and looked as if the
season was over, for the grain was stacked and cat
tle were "treading out the corn" as in ancient times,
going round and round the circle. Some were clean
ing up the grain by turning it from a basket to the
ground where great piles of solid grain were often
seen. The most of this grain is called rice and it is
said that thirty different grades grow in India.
There were many gleaners, mostly women and their
children were in nature's clothing only and looked
like little brown stumps on the landscape. Then
there was the water buffalo who seem to thrive
where there is little water, for in all the long jour
ney we only saw one pool where the poor beasts
were immersed all but their heads. Only at one
place did we see anything which looked like irriga
tion and this was near a large village and looked so
unlike the rest of the country that it was refreshing.
To the Hindu, Benares is the most sacred place
on earth. They affirm that at one time it was all of
gold but has turned to stones and mud. "Though
the Ganges, which has its source in the Himalayas
1,500 miles from the sea, is believed to be sacred
during its entire course, as it flows past Kashi
(Benares) its cleansing power is vastly increased.
The rites performed there have double efficacy;
the very soil is fraught with blessing." All who die
within a circle of ten miles around the city are sure

128 "Westward"
to go to their heaven, whatever may have been their
sins. Guides and carriages were in readiness to take
us about the city. Our guide was a high caste
Brahmin who spoke our language well and our car
riages were victorias with a footman standing up
behind or on the step, for we were in a land where
it is beneath any lady or gentleman to do as much
as to open the carriage door. Our first visit was to
the Monkey Temple, where our guide bought and
made his offering of flowers, adding some pieces of
silver, and then as he approached the entrance a
priest stepped forward and made a thumb mark of
red paint on his forehead which he wore for the
day, saying this mark showed that he had favor with
the gods. The Temple is a large structure and
monkeys are all over it and in it, on the trees near
by and scampering in every direction at our ap
proach. There are big ones and little ones and
babies carried as closely as if they were glued to the
body of the mother, who ran and scrambled over
roof and cornice with the others. Cows are consid
ered the most sacred of all animals, and at the Cow
Temple were numerous fine-looking beasts which
looked like the breed at Singapore, for they had the
ruffle under the neck. They were being led out
from their stalls and about the time one stepped
on the pavement surrounding the altar, one of the
tourists stepped down too, and it created a great

Benares-Calcutta 129
commotion for none but the Brahmin are allowed
to put their feet on this holy place. The guide at
last pacified the enraged priests by giving backshish
and we passed on to the Temple of the Fountain of
Wisdom, where again one might give money but
could not step in. Scores of beggars were lying
about and followed unpleasantly near as we passed
out of the grounds. There are numerous temples in
Benares, but the most important is the one called by
Europeans The Golden Temple, as the two domes,
which our guide called male and female, the male
being much larger than the other, as well as the
spires are covered with plates of gilded copper. We
mounted many steps so as to be able to look on
them and found men pounding on a famous drum
for which they ask for backshish. The god at this
temple rules Benares as spiritual monarch and his
minister and magistrate has a shrine some distance
away, where crowds of pilgrims who visit Benares
worship. Besides the temples there are many sacred
ghats, tanks and wells. It is the duty of every pil
grim to bathe in the sacred tanks once a year, and
all persons living in Benares bathe here once a year
as a precaution against evil spirits.
In our first visit to the ghats we went into the
cells of the Acetics, who stood about in their yel
low robes grinning and watching us as we looked at
their meager bed of skins and the loathsome con-

130 "Westward"
dition of these holy do-nothings who live on the
alms of the people. There is a small room on the
balcony of a holy house where we saw the "Holy
Man," who wears no clothing, sits in his narrow
house and never goes out excepting when he goes
to some other city. He makes his visits and moves
on every two or three months.
We were called very early in the morning to go to
the ghats to see the bathing, etc. Thousands had
bathed before our arrival, for every Hindu must
bathe in the sacred river before he eats, and we met
hundreds who had performed their ablutions and
hundreds were still on the way. Sometimes they
had musical pipes and always they carried brass
jars which they take to the stream, scour them
bright and fill with the sacred water to carry home
for the day, from which they drink, by holding it
above the face, opening the mouth and pouring the
water, never touching the lips to the metal. Many
of the tourists bought these jars of the people at the
ghats, and some of them were badly worn. The
night had been cool and the morning was beautiful
as we entered the peculiar boats which were to take
us for a mile or two along the ghats. We went to
the upper deck which is some fifteen or twenty feet
from the water where there were comfortable chairs
for a dozen or more people. The hull projects in
front and here the four to six oarsmen row the

Benares-Calcutta 131
clumsy boats slowly up and down the ghats. Some
of the people go into the water with what little
clothing they wear, afterward drying in the sun, and
some lay aside their outer garments, always leaving
a loin cloth, and among all the bathers we saw noth
ing that was suggestive of an immodest thought.
There were comparatively few who seemed in a
devotional mood and many with painted stripes on
the forehead or perhaps stripes and spots all over
the face, and one or two who looked as if they were
painted all over. Some boys of a dozen or fifteen
years of age could not forego the pleasure of a good
swim. The ghats are solid stone steps going up from the
water a hundred feet or more to the buildings on
the heights and although they are nearly continuous
they are divided into sections which have different
names. There is one portion, only used by pil
grims from Calcutta, another where all pilgrims
bathe, another which is used by high caste Brahmins,
and then the burning ghat, which when we reached
it, had five funeral pyres, in different stages of com
bustion, some of the bodies being entirely consumed
and others which had not been burning so long,
where the extremities had not been reached by the
flames, and were reverently pushed into the burning
mass by some near relative of the deceased. Lying on
the ghat was the body of a small child all wrapped in

132 "Westward"
white which had been wet by dipping it in the sacred
stream. Our guide said that no unmarried person,
not even a child, could have the sacred privilege of
being burned on the ghats, and so this little thing was
weighted and taken in a rowboat by its mother out
into the stream and dropped overboard. We passed
down the river for a mile or so and when returning
stopped and went among the people, where there
are booths for selling the temple flowers, and as
some of the flowers were new to us and beautiful,
one of the ladies touched one bunch with her fingers,
when it was immediately thrown to the ground by
the saleslady, who angrily glowered on us as we
passed on. When we reached the burning ghat a
body was being brought down from a street between
the buildings and the four carriers went directly
down to the river and laid their burden under the
water, leaving it while the pyre was being prepared.
This new arrival was covered with bright red trans
parent paper (or something which looked like it),
all but a piece of white on the lowc" part and was
tightly strapped to a small bamboo ladder. Our
guide told us that in case the deceased was a woman
she was covered entirely in red, but a man had this
little touch of white. Then they bargain for the
wood for which, in some cases, fabulous prices are
paid, very wealthy people sometimes using sandal
wood, and the sticks are piled closely, the body

Benares-Calcutta 133
laid thereon and sprinkled with sandalwood dust
and the whole is covered with the cheesecloth, which
ignites easily, this office of lighting being performed
by some near friend. When we were again on the
boat a strange black object floated near us, and we
turned away, knowing it was another gruesome
thing, too poor to be burned, we were told, and we
tried to forget that hundreds of people were still
bathing and washing their mouths in the water.
Sometimes on an opening between the ghats women
were washing clothing and spreading it on the sand
to dry. The sacred cows are at home here, and there
are wood-yards and stone-yards and above them
all rise the many very handsome Hindu Temple
spires, a large observatory, Mohammedan Mosque
and numerous other large buildings, while groups of
pilgrims were coming or going continually. There
were many booths where cheap red clay bowls and
open jugs were sold. They are bought and partly
filled with cocoanut oil, rice and flour, and a lighted
taper is set into it, when it is put at night on the
sacred water to appease some evil spirit or as a re
ligious rite or wish and the longer it floats the
greater will be the favor of the gods. We saw
many of them floating overturned about the ghats.
The sacred Nim tree overhangs some of the steps
and it is said that no Hindu will tell an untruth when
under its branches. It is also compulsory that one

134 "Westward"
tells to what caste they belong, if asked, so while
our first guide proudly asserted himself a high caste
Brahmin, our second one said just as freely that he
was a low caste Hindu. And so we learn that
Brahminism is a religion of caste, that great care is
taken not to eat food cooked by a man of inferior
caste, that one must not eat with a man of different
caste, nor can they be educated in the same schools
(a problem for the British) and they are entirely
separated with regard to marriage and trades. The
native carriage, called "iacre," is a two-wheeled ve
hicle with a three-foot square box, twice as deep in
the back as in the front, on which the natives sit
hanging their feet over the sides. A small pointed
top is sometimes very ornamental, being made of
elaborate white or cream colored embroidery.
There are many handsome buildings in Benares
but the native quarters were more interesting and
the Bazars were crowded. The Station was turned
into a bazar for our benefit and many brasses and
antiques were sold, with chuddah shawls and gold-
threaded cloth, jewels and cotton embroidery from
Cawnpore. The heat was intense and I felt it more
here than at any other place and willingly paid for
ice and welcomed the cool evening air and a start for
home. Morning found us still on the Plains of Bengal
and a gorgeous sunrise greeted us. We had had a

Benares-Calcutta 135
storm of rain and sand in the night with fearful
winds, and the sun pierced the last remaining black
cloud and tinged its fringed edges with gold and
crimson, while we sped on past towns and people to
again find carriages waiting for us at the great sta
tion to take us to points of interest about Calcutta.
Our first visit was to the Botanical Gardens, where
the gorgeous flambeau tree and the orchids were
very pleasing, but the attraction of the "largest
banyan tree in the world," which is 138 years old,
was so much greater that we almost forgot every
thing else- Two thousand people could stand under
its leafy branches and still the feelers are dropping
toward "mother earth" to enlarge its circumference,
which already looks like a grove of considerable
magnitude. The place tragically known in history as the
"Black Hole" of Calcutta is now a small square cov
ered by concrete between two buildings, on one of
which is a bronze tablet telling the terrible story of
the one hundred and forty-six British Officers
who were there immured in 1736 of whom only
twenty-three survived the night. This was done by
the Nawab of Bengal, who had surprised and taken
the settlement. One year later an English officer
put the Nawab to flight and took Calcutta and laid
the foundation of the British Empire in the East.
The great jute mills of Calcutta employ 57,000

136 "Westward"
people, where experts can earn twelve cents a day
and others eight or ten cents. A family of five or
six people can live on five cents a day, the food of
course being rice, and the rest of the money earned
is hoarded to buy a home. These mills are greatly
appreciated as they give permanent employment.
The Jain Temple in Calcutta is a very beautiful
edifice, constructed entirely of stone mosaics whose
harmonious colorings of blues, yellows, greens and
various other tints set in a white ground was strik
ingly handsome but refined and quiet in taste, and the
surrounding pavements and walks about the well-
kept garden and lake, were of the same material. The
flowers were as clean and free from dust as the rest
in the large enclosure and many of our home phloxes
and pinks were perfect in delicate shades which
seemed to have been chosen to harmonize with the
general color scheme. Petal shaped mosaics sur
rounded the mounds for flowers and a monument
was raised to the memory of the man who was in
strumental in the erection of the Temple. The
spires and roofs reflected the sunshine from their
numerous pinnacles, and the shimmering surface
looked like burnished gold. We were obliged to
remove our shoes before passing up the steps which
led to the open door, through which we might not
pass, as only a glance into the interior was afforded
us. The same color scheme of mosaics was here

Photo by courtesy of
E. C. Brown

"IACRE'"— THE NATIVE CARRIAGE OF BENARES

Benares-Calcutta 137
with a few images and other temple furniture.
When we were again outside the gate it seemed
like another world, for fine pulverized dust lay on
everything and the noises of the streets was effective
in breaking the spell of sentimental inspiration
caused by the atmospheric purity of all inside the
barrier. The Jains as a body are those who have advanced
from the Buddhist and have become a distinct sect.
They practice extreme vegetarianism and, if possi
ble, do not destroy the life of any living thing,
carrying the idea so far as never to burn lights at
nights for fear of attracting insects to their death
(I wonder if they have mosquitoes) ; there are also
those who cover their mouths for the same reason
and they hope this will be counted to their credit
and help to shorten the journey toward the state
of "Nirvana," which is the goal of all human en
deavor. The highest mountain on the Plain of Bengal is
called Paresnath and is considered sacred by the
Jain community. It rises to the height of 4,479
feet. "On the summit of the mountain are about
twenty-four Jain temples, built to commemorate
the attainment of Nirvana (the cessation of indi
vidual existence) by twenty of the twenty-four
deified saints recognized by the Jains, and the

138 "Westward"
mountain derives its name from Parsvanatha, one
of the most celebrated Jain saints."
Calcutta is the winter headquarters of the Gov
ernment of India and its name was derived from
Kalighat the shrine of the celebrated Goddess
"Kali," wife of Shiva. The neighboring country
used to be known as the field of Kali. The present
temple is about three hundred years old and makes
no pretentions to beauty or grandeur. A small
party was taken by friends residing in the city to
this Temple when a religious festival was in pro
gress, and the sight of the little painted nude boys
who ran about among the people, and the sacrifices
made of kids, which were beheaded, the heads
lying about the ground, and the burnt offerings,
made of fruit, candy and grain, and all the curious
ceremonies, were highly appreciated by these culti
vated people, who could duly estimate the great
contrast between these and the more enlightened
religious rites. Hindus in Calcutta have their bath
ing ghats, their burning ghats, and the native
quarter is full of gaily dressed, bejeweled women,
who are a perfect study to strangers. The Hindu
women are always veiled when on the street and
hold with the hand the drapery which enshrouds
the whole body, and is drawn over the head and
face just disclosing the eyes, and you will see how
necessary it is to use the hand for other purposes,

Benares-Calcutta 139
and so the garment drops away from the head and
neck and we thought this happened oftener when the
jewels were very handsome. We were told by an
Englishman in Calcutta that he heard a jeweler offer
a Hindu woman $57,000 for the jewels she wore.
She, of course, refused the offer, as no Hindu
woman would part with her fortune, which is
usually carried on the person. He also said, with
dancing women it was not how much money they
would receive, but how large a gem, which were not
always set to be seen but were enclosed within the
heavy jewelry we see worn.
It was very hot and we were quite relieved to
learn that we were going down the river in the
evening, but we must first go through the farce of
being examined by the health officers — a woman
for the women and a man for the men — who hur
riedly placed their fingers somewhere near where
the pulse should be, looked at the tongue, asked if
we felt well, and passed us on. The boats had been
made comfortable by temporary benches, a nice
lunch was served on the river boat and we were re
ceived with music at our home boat, which was
made gay with bunting, our own flag conspicuous,
and a splendid full-course dinner was served on our
arrival.

CHAPTER XII
DARJEELING AND CEYLON, APRIL ELEVENTH
THE first report was that the Darjeeling trip
was a failure, that after a night of ceaseless
changes from cars to boat and from boat to cars
again, they had arrived at Darjeeling tired and dis
appointed. That after being carried up seven miles,
in chairs made in the shape of a coffin and sitting in
the larger end, while others went on horseback or
jinrikisha, they saw nothing but the range of hills
on which they were, with only a glimpse of the
snow-covered mountains. Mount Everest was not
seen and many a view in our own U. S. A. was
much finer.
Another report was full of the joy of inspiration;
that after an early rising and horseback ride of
seven miles, going up above the clouds and seeing
the snow-capped range away over in Thibet, it was
all glorious and wonderful, while the cold crisp
air gave courage and respite from the intense heat
of the plains. Darjeeling was a pretty place built
between the hills, on whose sides are many hand
some villas where the people of the plains go for the

Darjeeling and Ceylon 141
hottest months to escape the sultry weather. The
approach to this town was so gradual that one could
not realize the altitude attained. The road to Tiger
Hill is smooth but just before reaching it there are
some hard pulls for the carriers, and Mrs. Harriett
D. Tupper of Lestershire, New York, wrote and
read the following at the next Travelers' Club :
From Darjeeling to the Summit of Tiger Hill.
The curtains of night were still hanging
Enfolding the sleeping towns ;
The stars shone brightly above,
The quiet disturbed by no sounds
Save only the clatter of horse hoofs
And a few low uttered words —
Not even the noise of the crowing cock,
Nor morning songs of the birds;
When moving up the winding road,
Above the mist and the cloud,
A band of pilgrims wended their way
Through the heavy inky black shroud.
On, on they pressed to the summit,
Fearing lest the break of day
Should find them yet on their journey
From the mount of vision away.
At last, with eyes expectant,
They gaze on the eastern sky
And over all there steals a glow
Illuminating the dome on high.
Then silently creeping downward
It touches the long snowy range ;

142 "Westward"
A leap and it catches bold Kinchin,
To play on his side weird and strange.
Half cloud and half mountain it pauses,
Then bathed in a flood of light
It stands forth in noble grandeur
A giant, shining and bright.
In vain they waited the climax
When Everest of all, the king,
Unveiled, should step forth from his hiding,
To receive the tribute they bring.
So ever in life as in Nature,
The choicest is hidden from view,
And only by best endeavors is gained
What untiringly we pursue.
At the foot of Kinchinjunga
Transported Niagara lay,
As the foaming billowy rolls of clouds
Dropped below, from sight away,
Our hearts enthrilled sung songs so grand
Our lips had not words to express
As they called on the hosts of earth and heaven
The Creator's name to bless.
While discussing these things with many other
experiences, the days were so hot that we were all
glad we were not crossing India with those who had
chosen this "Side Trip," but one could not go in
dishabille even on the boat, for this order was found
on the bulletin board: "On account of numerous
complaints, Gentlemen are requested to wear their
coats in the dining room," by order of the Captain-
We neglected our correspondents, we passed the

Darjeeling and Ceylon 143
cool evenings in "dolce niente" and dreamed at night
(if we were not too lazy) of Brahmins, Buddhists,
temples and shrines until we reached the most inter
esting island of Ceylon.
Again our hotel was situated on the sea front,
and the maritime drive from the landing in Co
lombo to it was superb in the luxury of flow
ering trees, the fine sea wall and the handsome
residence of the Governor of the island, with many
other fine buildings. "Centuries before the gentle
teacher of Nazereth had made known the creed
which was to revolutionize the pagan world," "Cey
lon was a famous and highly civilized country; its
glories had been sung by poets and writers and been
carried by travelers to all parts of the emancipated
globe," and its historical past is well worth investi
gation. But to us just then the climax to all of
Ceylon's attractions was the trip to Kandy. Co
lombo has its Salvation Army, who dress superbly
in East Indian draperies of salmon color trimmed
with red, and its natives, its shops and its drives, but
we all longed for the hills and their salubrious air
if only for a day.
It was a lovely early morning when we boarded
the train which skirted the Cinnamon Gardens on its
way to the plains, where we had glimpses of native
villages, sheltered by groves of greenest foliage and

144 "Westward"
patches of cultivation half hidden in the forest and
where paddy (rice) fields and wet grasses and
ditches give unstinted pleasure to the water buffalo
which were numerous. At- about the fifteenth mile
an extra engine was added to our train, and we
commenced in real earnest to ascend the magnificent
mountains where peaks in pleasing variety rise one
after the other, while far down in the valley a patch
of green paddy or a native hut, or the thick jungle
forest gave many surprises, among which was an
elephant alone in the jungle who, with his trunk,
was breaking a limb from one of the forest trees.
One picture I shall never forget, for I see now a
beautiful mountain stream in the midst of a jungle
and treading steadily and measuredly down the
stream, sometimes finding a piece of earth large
enough for his club foot, came a large elephant. On
his back was a white-haired man who, in flowing
draperies, swayed with each movement of the huge
beast, and both appeared at home, probably the man
who owned the land was taking his morning ride.
Many interesting stories of bandits and their hiding
places were related by our most efficient guide. Do
you see, he said, that peculiar shaped rocky point
over in that direction? Well, that peak is called
Utman Kands, and it is the rock of which the
famous bandit named Sardiel Appoo made his
stronghold. He was the terror of the country until

Darjeeling and Ceylon 145
sixty years ago, when war was made on him and he
was dislodged, to the great joy of the people. He
said the little hill farms were inherited from one
generation to another, and he seemed to know every
green thing by name, and he pointed out the sacred
Bo-tree "whose each individual heart shaped leaf,
with its long drawn tapering tendril tip" in its con
tinual change and motion, denotes the impermanency
of the world. "The Pipal, or Bo-tree, whispers
every word it hears, for which reason it is never
planted in a bazar where trade must employ the lie."
"Buddhists regard the Bo-tree too sacred to be
touched or robbed of a leaf, but Brahmins take
them in handfuls for the tourists." The bread fruit
tree grows large and the fruit grows out from a
rosette of shining green leaves. It is a little larger
than a lemon and is cooked as a vegetable. These
trees are numerous in the higher altitudes. The
cocoanut bears four crops a year and are taxed two
cents a tree. They bind the dry leaves about the
trunks so as to hear the rustle, if thieves are abroad.
One or two crops a year of rice is raised, according
as the season is wet or dry. The arreca nut (beetle
nut), lime and rubber trees, the Giant Bamboo, and
many other things of interest make this journey one
of the brightest spots in our memory. We left the
train at Peradenia to visit the wonderful Botanical
Gardens, near whose entrance gate are a number of

146 "Westward"
large rubber trees, whose roots look like great gray
serpents or dragons struggling to overcome their fel
lows in the hope of reaching the intruder, and we
could not keep from our thoughts the old hymn of
our fathers', "What though the spicy breezes, Blow
soft o'er Ceylon's isle," for it does not seem as if
any other place on earth could produce so many dif
ferent kinds of fragrant spices and fruits, for we
saw cloves, mace, nutmegs, cinnamon, castor,
popaya, tea, cocoa, chocolate and coffee, figs, tobacco,
yak, mangos, palmetto, yams, doll, from which curry
is made, bananas, cucumbers, alspice, vanilla, sago
and tapioca. The unusual trees are numberless but
we remember the Noble, or orchid, tree, the Upas
(one dies if they sleep under it), Candle tree, de
riving its name from the shape of the pod; Sago
palm; Talipot palm, which blooms in fifty years and
then dies and on whose leaves the temple writings
are done ; double cocoanut palm, which takes twelve
or fourteen years to fruit; the king cocoanut, an
other variety; the red and white sealing wax palm,
and the cannon ball tree, which looks precisely as if
a cannon ball were stuck on the body of the tree,
and surrounded by numerous small branches which
were covered with pink flowers resembling a wild
rose. And then there were two large orchid
houses where rare varieties of these delicate flowers
were found, but I saw nothing more beautiful than

Darjeeling and Ceylon 147
those we have in our cities. One of the houses was
peculiar for it was made of heavy wire or rods in
the shape of an old-fashioned cheese, with a smaller
one on the top, and the whole thing was covered
with luxuriant vines. And all this is in the beauti
ful Ceylon mountains. There are large tea manu
factories near the gardens, and a visit is made very
interesting by the polite people in charge, as they
explain the whole process. Gunsacking shelves,
curving to a slight point in the centre and eight or
ten feet long and three feet wide, are placed nine
inches apart, all covered with the leaves just as they
are picked from the bush. These dry eighteen
hours, then it is rolled in a circular movement like
a washing machine, and separated or pulled apart
by machine. Then it is put about two inches deep
in beds on the floor. This is called oxidizing, or
fermenting. (The green tea is not fermented but
is dried when it leaves the separator.) The fer
mentation is only from one and a half to two hours,
which removes the tanic acid and makes the black
tea. Then it is fired or dried and sifted through
netting of different sizes from eight to fourteen
threads to the inch. This determines the grade of
the tea, the finest being the best, called Orange
Peco or Pecos. The fine powder is the poorest
grade. The largest leaves are picked over by
women, who take out the sticks, etc., and then they

148 "Westward"
are cut in a machine and are ready for market.
A carriage drive of a few miles brought us to the
pretty city of Kandy, where we lunched opposite
the charming little lake with a peculiar stone fence
around it, and then took another drive through
natural forest trees where spicy fruits abound and
where we secured nutmegs in their shell, a cocoa
pod, and the most curious thing of all, a leaf insect
about two and one-half inches long and two inches
wide across the wings, these and some other parts
of the creature are green leaves but it has a head,
four legs and a body similar to all insects. The
green of the leaf is still unchanged in color after
having been pinned in a box for three months. At
the entrance of the Temple of Buddha's Tooth a
young girl snake charmer obstructed our way and
handled her flat-headed cobras with skill while all
about hands extended for backshish.
"In the temple there is a table of solid silver and
a huge bell-shaped shrine of silver with six inner
shrines. The tooth is visible through thick metal
bars and is held by a twist of gold wire, while mag
nificent rubies, emeralds and other precious stones
ornament the shrine." "A striking object is an
image of Buddha three inches long by two deep,
carved out of one large emerald." The tooth is
carried through the town on the days of the great

Darjeeling and Ceylon 149
religious festivals, when forty elephants march in
procession. On beyond this mountain city farther into the in
terior is Adam's Peak, the famous mountain held
in so much reverence by Buddhists, Hindus and
Mohammedans throughout the world. To 800,-
000,000 of the world's population Adam's Peak is
a special point of religious adoration.
Still farther over hills and jungle lie "The
Ancient or Buried Cities of Ceylon," among others
that most important city, Anuradhapura, which has
been a lodestar to hundreds of millions of people
through unknown ages. It was the capitol of the
island from 437 B. C, and Buddhism was estab
lished as the national religion in 307 B. C, when
there was such a religious revival as the world had
never seen. It is believed that Guatama Buddha
visited Ceylon three times. The famous Bo-tree at
Anuradhapura is now approximately 2,200 years
old and through all the troublesome times in early
history it was invariably left untouched, and Buddh
ism has been practically the religion of the island
since 288 B. C. In one of these Buried Cities was
the "Palace of the Tooth," in which the sacred
tooth was placed when first brought (in the hair of
a princess) from India in the third century A. D.
Many of these ancient cities date back to before the
Christian era.

150 "Westward"
There is said to be good sport in the jungles and
not more than fifty miles from Kandy there are
plenty of elephant, leopard, buffalo and bear.
There is a plumbago industry of great value as is1
shown by the fact that in 1906 the exports exceeded
700,000 hundredweight, half of which went to
America. There are 2,600 plumbago mines in Cey
lon owned by the natives of the country.
The pearl fisheries as an industry is interesting.
At certain seasons of the year the oyster beds are
examined and when the shells are found to be
properly grown word is given out that the beds are
open for divers and they assemble from all over the
country, some coming from distant places, even as
far as Cairo, Egypt. The divers can only remain
under water about forty-five seconds and they bring
up the oysters of which one-third is given to the
Government and they also have to divide with the
boatmen. About one in a thousand contain pearls
of some considerable size, about one in a hundred
have seed pearls, and the rest are good for nothing.
The oysters are left in the air to decay when the
pearls are found. We are told that the X-rays are
being used to determine the location of pearls and
in that way they will put the oyster which contains
no pearl back on the beds for future culture.
There are also sapphires and other semi-precious

Bombay and Agra 151
stones mined here and many were bought by the
tourists. The British have had possession of the maritime
portion of the island since 1796 and their control
has steadily spread over the whole island. What
was once an open roadstead is now a, protected
harbor and the flags of all nations can usually be
seen there.

CHAPTER XIII
BOMBAY AND AGRA, APRIL TWENTY-THREE
ifc/^'vUT on the ocean blue," but this time it was
V__«/ the Indian Ocean, where there seemed
to be more commerce, for we saw many boats. We
were all complaining of the heat and worrying
about the "Trip to Agra," but none of us were will
ing to say we would not go, and the suffering heart
of one of our number had our heartfelt sympathy,
for our common enemy had made a victim of her
life's companion and the sorrowing widow was to
face the world and finish the cruise alone.
Arriving in Bombay we drove about the beauti
ful city in comfortable victorias, through the fa
mous boulevards, to the Hindu cremation grounds

152 "Westward"
and up Malabar Hill to the Tower of Silence.
There are five of these whitewashed towers, the
largest being 276 feet in circumference and twenty-
five feet high. On the top edge of this tower sat a
row of vultures immovable until they saw a pro
cession of white robed men coming up the hill
carrying the remains of one departed in the Parsee
faith, whom they recognized and began to move
about and push their neighbors to gain vantage
points. There are beautifully kept gardens where
we waited, as none, not even the mourners, can go
nearer the great white tower. The Carriers of the
Dead went on but could not finish their work until
the garden was deserted. The long black whiskered
white robed attendants entered a temple in the gar
den and waited till we left to finish the funeral
ceremony. In the garden are two models of the
interior of the towers which was explained by a
guide. The plan of the building resembles a cir
cular gridiron gradually depressed toward the cen
ter, in which is a well five feet in diameter. There
are three divisions of the circle between the well
and the outside, the compartments on the outside
being used for adult males, the next for females,
and the last and smallest for children. In the en
circling walls is an aperture about five and a half
feet square, to which the carriers of the dead ascend
by a flight of steps and the body is laid naked in a

Bombay and Agra 153
compartment and in an hour's time the vultures
have done their work and there is nothing left but
a skeleton which lies here and is bleached by sun and
rain and passed into the well in the centre. "This
method of interment originates from the veneration
the Parsees pay to the elements, and their anxiety
not to polute them." "Fire is too highly regarded
by Parsees for them to allow it to be polluted by
burning the dead and water is almost equally re
spected, and so is earth, thence this singular mode
of interment has been devised." The Parsees of
India are the followers of Zoroaster, whose religion
was for centuries the state and national religion of
Ancient Persia. In 642 A. D. the religion received
a check at the hands of the Arabs who, with sword
in one hand and the Koran in the other, made the
religion of Islam the state and also the national re
ligion of the country. But many of those who ad
hered to the faith of their fathers quitted their land
for the more hospitable shores of India. The
modern Parsees of India are the descendants of
these early settlers. A former Governor once said
"Their position is unique, a handful of persons
among the teeming millions of India, and yet who,
not only have preserved their ancient race with the
utmost purity, but also their religion absolutely un
impaired by contact with others," and this handful
of exiles, "men of wealth, intelligence and moral

154 "Westward"
worth in Western India have an unhesitating fer
vor, such as is seldom found in larger religious com
munities." They are a pleasing feature on the
streets of Bombay for not only is their dress unique,
but graceful and immaculate. The one garment
called sari of the ladies, I was told, is just one
straight piece of cloth, usually soft silk or satin,
which is trimmed on one edge with a black velvet
ribbon an inch or two wide, and embroidered with
the crest of the family to which the wearer belongs,
and fourteen yards are required to make a graceful
covering. It is first fastened around the waist and
then draped over the head in a charming fashion,
while underneath a sacque with sleeves is worn
for protection. The shoes are a sandal with a small
toe. They handle their draperies with skill and look
very much the lady. The men wear black polished
leather hats in the shape of the spout of a coal
scuttle, and occasionally a gray helmet is seen.
Some of our party had the pleasure of attending
a Parsee wedding in Bombay. "In all ages and in
all countries a halo of interest attaches to the mar
riage ceremony, and by the Parsees it is considered
to be among the most important events in one's life,
and the religious part of the ceremony wherein the
priests take part are originally Persian." Seventy-
five per cent of the Parsee weddings in Bombay are
celebrated in the "Allbless Bang," a large and ele-

Bombay and Agra 155
gant hall erected by the Allbless family for the use
of their co-religionists, and here our party presented
themselves just after sunset as is the custom.
The bridegroom was in ceremonial dress of full
flowing robes full of folds. He held a shawl in his
hand, which is a symbol of respect and greatness.
There was a large assemblage and after all were
seated the bridegroom appeared on the threshold,
where several ceremonies were performed to wel
come him by the mother of the bride, and rice was
thrown over him, rice being the symbol of plenty
and prosperity. Then the bridegroom and bride
advanced to the platform where chairs had been
placed, where after being seated opposite each other
they again sprinkled each other with rice. Then
the priest passed an egg three times around their
heads and threw it to the floor. This signified that
if there were any evil spirits destined for these per
sons it may pass off in the egg. A cocoanut was
then similarly passed and broken. A little water
was then poured into a tray and passed around the
heads three times and then the water was thrown
at the feet of the bridegroom. Then there was a
pantomime of washing the feet, and a curtain or
screen held between the couple and their hands were
joined under it, and cords passed around the chairs
of both to enclose them in a circle and the priests
fastened twist about the clasped hands seven times.

156 "Westward"
At a sign the curtain dropped and the couple threw
grains of rice over each other, which had been held
in the left hand. The dropping of the curtain sig
nifies that the separation that hitherto existed be
tween them no longer exists and that they are now
united in matrimony. They then sat by the side of
each other; this also signifies that they are now
united. Thus we see that every part of the cere
mony symbolizes something important to the people
concerned and we are sorry we are obliged to omit
for lack of room, the relating of any part of it.
I think the following extract from a Bombay
paper may interest my readers: "They have filled
the hotels, they have bespoken two hundred and
fifty of our tikka ghurries (carriages) and the lions
of the place are being subjected to the greatest vol
ume of critical inspection that has ever been brought
to bear upon them." "Travel in the younger sort,"
said Bacon, "is a part of education ; in the older, a
part of experience." All sorts are brought by the
Cleveland, from the octogenarian to, actually! to
two little girls in short frocks. On our part we
admire the sustained courage which enable them to
"do" India unflinchingly in April, after already
touring some months in the tropics, and we find
their visit a pleasant diversion in the midst of our
dog days."
Elepanta, an island in Bombay harbor, about six

Bombay and Agra 157
miles from the city, was visited by some of the
tourists and the ancient carvings found in and about
the caves hewn out of solid rock and covered with
vines and foliage was most interesting.
In driving about the city one meets strange people
and costumes, and we also saw what we would call
sais in Egypt, who held the bridles of the nettle-
some horses and carried in their hand wands with
white tufts of horsehair on one end. Bombay is
the chief seaport of Western India and the capital
and seat of Government of the Bombay Presidency.
It is the center of the cotton industry which is rap
idly growing. England has been in permanent oc
cupation since 1782.
Agra — Again I drew a lucky card, which I found
in the lower berth of a vestibuled corridor, com
partment and well-equipped car, with most con
genial company. Again the ladies and gentlemen
were in separate compartments, but being corridor
cars we could visit and go to meals while the train
was moving. The weather was hot, the mercury reg
istering 106 in the shade and 165 in the sun (said to
be official) yet the air was so dry that every bit of
perspiration on exposed parts evaporated so that we
were not dripping, as we had been, and the most
of us improved in health and spirits. Many wild
animals were seen, such as deer, antelope and there
were monkeys galore, big long-tailed ones and all

158 "Westward"
sizes, and they climbed over ledges and trees as if
they knew they were sacred. Birds with brilliant
plumage, among them the wild peacock, were seen,
and in some vicinities birds are often seen sitting on
the backs of cows and cattle, most familiarly. The
native women were often at the stations in all their
silver jewelry and some were coarse, rude and
boisterous, and the babies, poor little things, were
sometimes made most uncomfortable by noserings
large enough for their mothers. The country
seemed much more prosperous than on the Plains of
Bengal and people were plowing and there were
herders with their cattle and goats. There were
occasional Mohammedan mosques and burial places,
while the attached mud huts made picturesque vil
lages (at a distance).
Our first visit in Agra was to the fort built by
the warlike Akbar, one of the Great Moghal Em
perors. The exterior is very ornamental, being
built of red sandstone ornamented with white
marble, where birds of the brightest green plumage
(parrots) are at home in the crevasses of the walls,
and as we approached its massive gateway and
gazed at its towers and ramparts which extend
around the whole circumference of nearly two miles
and began to realize the extent of this stupendous
citadel, where once the Moghal Emperors swayed
this part of the Eastern world, we were truly grate-

Bombay and Agra 159
ful for the opportunity of seeing with our own eyes
the marvels of this distant country, which until now
had been but a myth in our imagination, and we
seem to have failed to understand the unlimited
power of these Oriental rulers who, with free ac
cess to the treasury of the nation, built such mar
velous monuments to commemorate and render their
names famous all down through the centuries.
On entering the Pearl Mosque, whose towering
minarets and domes rise far above the fortress
walls, like canopies of pearl protecting the delicate
arches and columns on which are found in bas-relief
wreaths of immortal flowers, carved by a master
hand; and the prayer slabs, which always point
toward Mecca (the Mohammedan's sacred city)
which cover the entire floor surface, we were re
minded that another religion was here represented,
that the Arabic script on the walls were quotations
from the Koran, and yet this airy, pearly struc
ture was in a fortress where arms and ammunition
were stored and full equipment for putting down
any uprising of the people.
The magnificent Palace in the Fort as well as the
one at Delhi were built by Shah Jehan, the master
architect of all the Moghals, and its wealth of
sculptured stones, its glorious halls of exquisite in
laid marbles, where the beauty of the dusky skinned
ladies was enhanced by the glitter of mirror be-

160 "Westward"
spangled ceilings and mirth and enchantment
seemed to permanently reside and where the Persian
saying is written in Arabic characters on the ceil
ing. So said my guide, "If there be a Paradise on
earth, it is here !" What wonder that we forgot for
the moment that here also in a few small rooms
was once imprisoned the dethroned monarch whose
son, after having killed his three brothers, had
usurped his father's throne and ruled with an iron
hand. In going through these small apartments we
gazed out, as the deposed Emperor had done, over
the landscape to the distant Taj on the banks of
the river Jumna, where the beloved wife of his youth
was sleeping. How beautiful is the story of the
young "Jehanara," the daughter, to whom in giv
ing birth the mother had died, who was the father's
only comfort, when to all the attractions of her
brother's court she turned a deaf ear and remained
at his side. The Golden Pavilion, one of the rooms
where the Emperor was imprisoned, is beautiful,
like the rest of the palace, and he died here in the
arms of his daughter with his last look resting on
the tomb of his idolized wife, and he now lies be
side her in that most beautiful of all mausoleums.
At her own request Jehanara is buried under the
green sod far from the pomp of court life. A beau
tiful alabaster screen surrounds her burial place, but

Phulo by courtesy of IK C. II r, wii GOLDEN PAVILION, OR JASMINE TOWER

Bombay and Agra 161
the sun and the light have free access to the green
grass and flowers on her grave.
We drove across the river to the mausoleum of
"Itmad-ud-Daulet, who was the father-in-law and
prime minister of the Moghal Emperor Jehangir,
who succeeded his father Akbar in 1605." The
outside is made entirely of beautiful mosaics, the
windows are carved alabaster screens and it stands
in a spacious garden and looks so fresh that it is
difficult to believe it very old.
The most famous jewel in the world, The Kohi-
noor diamond, once rested in the tomb of Akbar,
whose mausoleum is not far from Agra, but the dia
mond is now a part of England's crown jewels.
The drive to the Taj over broad macadam streets
through a handsome city was enjoyable, for there
are many attractive buildings, golf and cricket
grounds and an air of prosperity reigns. The gar
den which surrounds the edifice has forty acres of
well-kept park with tropical trees, flowers and
evergreens with marble walks and flowing foun
tains, and it is enclosed by a lofty wall with several
gates of especial beauty and grandeur, the principal
entrance gate being 140 feet in height and 100 feet in
breadth and is built of red sandstone much orna
mented with Arabic script in white and black
marble. From this entrance which is raised from
the ground by many stone steps we viewed the won-

162 "Westward"
derful Mausoleum which was to be the one fitting
climax to all of our long journey of sightseeing, and
we hesitated, loth to break the spell which filled our
souls with admiration as we looked on the trees, the
flowers, the grassy lawn, the marble walks aud the
fountains, the pool where the lotus flower rested
on the limpid water and the iridescent fish joyfully
disporting themselves in the sunlight, while the
most beautiful building the world has ever known,
was reflected in the depths below. The edifice is
not built of white marble, as I had supposed, but of
pure Jaipur marble, which has a yellow tinge and
some suggestion of gray which altogether looks
much like old ivory and makes a soft background
for the inlaid portion of the exterior. As we drew
near the structure we were much impressed by its
size, which we learned arose 270 feet above our
heads and the base on which it stands is 285 feet
square. At the four corners rise far into the ether
slender minarets, which appear like gigantic candles
to light the way to the realms above. The great
arched entrance is surrounded by marble screens
and the windows are of the same Hand-wrought
open work marble, and I long for the pen of a
"Stoddard" to tell of the sensations one feels as they
step over the threshold to the dim interior, for we
saw the wondrous screen which he says, "seemed
to be a circular frame of lace suspended from the

Bombay and Agra 163
roof with unseen cords," and marveled at its chaste
beauty. There are six wings to the screen and
each wing is a solid piece of white marble several
inches thick chiseled and wrought into intricate
vines, whose leaves and flowers are perfectly pol
ished and finished, and surrounding these as
frames, are plain marble inlaid with a vine of flow
ers made of semi-precious stones, such as topaz,
carnelian, lapis lasuli agate and moonstone, and the
vine is as fine as mosaic jewelry, which illustrates
the saying that "the Moghals designed like Titans
and finished like jewelers," and it is also described
as representing "The most highly elaborated stage
of ornamentation; the stage at which the architect
end and the jeweler begins." This is the only color
excepting a very delicate gray which forms the
numerous inland ornamental Arabic inscription on
the inner walls. Numberless solid marble panels
carved in lotus lilies in bas-relief decorate the cor
ridors of the several halls by which the dome is sur
rounded, and every part of this unparalleled struc
ture looks as fresh as if it were completed but yes
terday, although it was built in 1648. Directly un
der the dome are the cenotaphs of the Royal lovers,
which we were told some time had jewels and
diamonds in the open cavities, while every details
of the delicate ornamentation is perfectly finished
and highly polished. The handsome lamp hanging

164 "Westward"
in the dome directly over the tombs was placed there
by Lord Curzon when he was Viceroy of India, in
memory of his wife, who was an American girl, and
it represents the work of two men who were a year
and a half in completing it. One of the men was
brought from Persia expressly for this purpose.
Underneath the cenotaphs in the Crypt below are
the real tombs of the Great Emperor Shah Jehan
and his wife, Mum-Taj -Mahal, or the Exalted of
the Palace," whose maiden name was Arjamand,
Benu Bega.
But one has not seen and felt the spirit of the
Taj until they see it by moonlight and although
there was to be a moon at 8 o'clock p. m., the
schedule time for the departure of the train was
about the same hour and when our generous Patron
telegraphed from Bombay, "Hold the train and let
the people see the Taj by moonlight," there was
general rejoicing. The moon was just emerging
from dark clouds as we passed through the great
entrance gate, which was lighted only by a lantern
held by a white-robed attendant to keep us from
stumbling, and as she still retained a gauzy covering
it made the picture before us so etherial in its beauty
that a hush came over the whole assemblage, even
the wise prattle of the little man was subdued as we
gazed on this shrine of chaste love and true affec
tion, and I dreamed of the Princess made immortal

Bombay and Agra 165
by the pen of Thomas Moore, the poet, who, while
being escorted through the "Vale of Cashmere" to
meet her future Lord and Prince, found a hand
some minstrel in her train, who by song and recita
tion, won her heart and when at last he sang of the
"Fire Worshippers" and "Araby's Daughter," her
heart was broken at the thought of parting; but
when he appeared to her clad in Royal robes as her
Prince, her sorrow was turned to joy and her heart
was given into his keeping, and I had been informed
years ago, by a traveler who had visited it, that this
incomparable structure was really the Mausoleum
of that matchless Lalla Rookh, and I took a
woman's liberty of dreaming on and believing that
there is some one in all this universe who has the
key to unlock the heart of the rudest and most un
civilized, as well as that of the critical man of the
world, and I choose to think that the story of faith
ful love and affection was the key which unlocked
the treasure house of the heart and produced all
the magnificence of this glorious masterpiece of
architecture. Once the veil was lifted and we saw
each intricate pattern of the gray inlaid ornamenta
tion on domes and minarets but when again the
misty covering dimmed the sharpness of the outlines
which made the vision appear more like the spires
of the celestial city, I thought I heard the voice of
the trained Meuezzin in the lofty pillared balcony of

166 "Westward"
the minaret call to prayer, saying, "There is no God
but God," and a flickering light which now and
again shot a ray through the perforated screen said
the Spirit of the Taj still lives and roves at
night through these lotus carved corridors. But
ere we departed all nature seemed disturbed by our
trespassing on the lonely solitude of an unequalled
Mausoleum hidden away in this Eastern inclosure,
and the moon hid her face behind her blackest veil
as the lightning flashed with satanic grandeur
through the ominous clouds and the great Thunder
God muttered and boomed forth his vengeful ire on
the agitated evening breeze and hastening to our
carriages, the panting steeds seemed to join in a gen
eral stampede in the race for safety.

CHAPTER XIV
CAIRO AND THE HOMEWARD VOYAGE, MAY SIXTH
UR reunion on the boat after several weeks

o

of travel with different parties naturally
gave much zest to conversation and we felt, after
hearing the report of those who crossed India in
stead of going to Ceylon that we chose "the better
part," yet they saw at Cawnpore, which is a large
civil and military station and which was the place of
the terrible mutiny where the well of the victims of

Cario and Homeward Voyage 167
the massacre is covered by a beautiful marble figure
representing an angel who in the "spirit of Christ
ianity breathes forgiveness and peace."
At Lucknow, which is a large city and the abid
ing place of the British Cavalry, Infantry and Ar
tillery regiments, there is nothing of special inter
est to the tourist.
At Delhi there is much more to be seen, for it has
been the site of an important city for many cen
turies, the Hindu chronicles going back as far as
1400 B. C. The city has passed through many vicis
situdes, being first under Hindu rule, then under
Mohammedan, and since 1857, the year of the Mu
tiny, the British have had occupation. There is the
fort and a beautiful building of white marble, orna
mented with rich mosaics, in whose hall once stood
the famous peacock throne, which was carried off
by the Persians in A. D. 1739, and has been variously
valued from £2,000,000 to £6,000,000.
Then there is the Pearl, or Mote Mosque, as at
Agra, and the Jumna Musjid, the most famous
mosque in India.
Of course we hear much of the child marriages
in India and although a law has been passed making
thirteen years the marriageable age, yet we are told
that this law is often violated and children, even in
native Christian Churches, are married at a much
earlier age.

168 "Westward"
A guide, while conducting a party of our people
through the Palace at Agra, put his hand on the
head of a bright little boy at his side, saying, "He is
my son, seven years old, and the little fellow is not
yet married."
So the time was spent in recalling incidents and
in interchange of impressions while passing through
the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, always look
ing forward to the passing into the Gulf of Aden
and the Red Sea with apprehension, for it was the
first part of the month of May and we expected the
heat would be unbearable. But we only had one hot
day while we were on the Red Sea, the rest of the
voyage being quite comfortable by day and the even
ings were perfect, but we felt we were nearing home,
and that our delightful journey would soon be past,
and we sometimes thought the young people would
like to hold back the hours as they slipped by, for the
evenings were not long enough for all they would
say and we invariably left them with some of the
older late- found affinities, to finish their stories
when we went below, and I observed that my Flo-
rilla was oftener left with the older handsome man,
and I was afraid, yes, afraid, she liked him, for I
believe young people are born for each other and
the more mature have no right to enter the domain
of spontaneous adherence to nature's chosen friends.
Our boat dropped her anchor at Suez on May 6th

TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA

Cario and Homeward Voyage 169
and we were soon on our way to Cairo, Egypt. For
a few miles the soil was nothing but desert sand, but
when this was past the country was rich in land
products and camels, donkeys, sheep, buffalo and
goats abounded, and the water wheels turned by the
camels and buffalo were a new feature in landscape,
while thrashing grain in the old way with oxen and
every other thing seemed teeming with life all
through this Delta of the Nile. The great and
famous hotels in Cairo, Shepherd's and The Conti
nental, were well filled with our party for we were
all doing the sights together, and there seemed to
be room for all, as the season for visitors was past
and there were very few but our party about the
hotels. There were the same venders of bazar
goods on the streets, beads, scarabi, feathers and
shawls, etc., which are always found there ; women
in yashmak with little bare babies astride the
shoulder, Nubians and Fellahin in blue gowns, guides
waiting for a favorable chance to tell what he can
show one, camels and donkeys, and the peculiar
music and chants from the Koran by priests and
boys as they lead in the Mohammedan funerals, is
often heard on these crowded streets while they
carry their dead draped in red on their shoulders
and are followed by many men on foot and women
and children in native carriages, which consist of
two wheels with a sort of platform of sticks on

170 "Westward"
them on which the black-robed women sit. But the
Kedive's carriage and the sais were missing, and the
flags were at half-mast, for the news of the death
of King Edward had been sent over the wires and
the city was in mourning. We went to the several
mosques, including the alabaster Temple on the Cit
adel heights, where a fine panoramic view of the
city was enjoyed; to the Nilometer, which meas
ures the waters of the Nile, and to the Isle of Rhoda,
where Moses was found in the bulrushes, and some
of us tried to visit the Great Moslem University
Al-Hasar, but found it closed with the students on a
strike. The tombs of the Califs, or Kings, were
exceedingly interesting, as was the drive to Gizeh
over the famous avenue, where caravan after cara
van of camels and their Arab drivers and natives,
donkey boys who load their diminutive animals with
heavy burdens; where men in the meadows were
cutting grass with a knife and tying it in a small
package which was bought for the horses by those
who passed, or tied into huge bundles which were
bound on the backs of camels, making them look
like hay stacks on poles, as all we could see of the
beast was his four legs and his nose. The Pyramids
of Gizeh are always a wonder to the beholder, but
the camels and donkeys with their bright colored
trappings were at this time a gay accompaniment to
the sombre Sphinx and the desert sands, for scores

Cario and Homeward Voyage 171
of them had been brought for the occasion and a
good part of the visitors indulged in the first camel
ride, while the donkeys were kept busy. Some went
into the Pyramid and followed the slippery corridor
to the hall where the sarcophigi were once found.
The weather was not too warm for comfortable
driving in the morning and toward evening, and
many of us went out the "Rotten Row" of Cairo to
the celebrated Gisereh Palace Hotel, and the gar
dens and flowers were at their best, acres of roses
and a tree bearing bright violet blue flowers (called
Jacaranda of Brazil, or Mimosa-folia) were among
the most noticeable, and the wheels, with jars bound
about the rim for drawing up the water from the
river Nile, were numerous and attractive. In re
turning to our boat we followed the same route on
which we came as far as Ismailia, where we turned
and followed the Suez Canal down to Port Said.
We were somewhat surprised to see so little traffic
on the canal, as not more than three or four large
vessels were seen and few smaller ones. There is a
handsome monument to DeLesseps at the entrance
of the canal at Port Said, and some fine buildings
belonging to the Canal Company. A considerable
number of the tourists went off here, for a trip
through Palestine, which is not far distant.
Again we were moving "Westward" over a
smooth sea, with comfortable weather, and when we

172 "Westward"
arrived within sight of Italy's rocky shore every
eye beamed with expectant interest and glasses were
out watching for smoking Etna and the ruins of
Reggio and Messina. Soon it was suggested that we
were on classical grounds and as we neared Mes
sina we knew we were passing over the celebrated
whirlpool called "Charybdis." I remember seeing
the picture of this maelstrom when a child and be
lieved that every boat coming into the circle of its
whirling water was doomed to destruction. Our
Captain kept the boat as near the shore of Messina
as possible and barely moved along until well past
the scene of the terrible disaster. We could see the
crumbled walls and debris which has not been
touched since then, and it looked, even where the
buildings were standing, like a deserted city, for we
saw no living thing but a man in a small skiff and
a flag on the lighthouse in the harbor suggesting life
somewhere. A short sail and we were passing
Scylla, which the Ancients believed to be another
monster who drew people to their destruction if they
dared sail near her rocky home. And then came
Stromboli, whose inward fires never cease to throw
out steam and smoke toward the blue heaven above,
and we sailed so near to this burning cone which
arises from the sea that we could see its crevasses
and its crater. In the early morning we passed
Capri and the Bay of Naples, with smoking Vesu-

Cario and Homeward Voyage 173
vius before us, and soon all was excitement and
energy for the most of the party were going to
spend some time in Europe and see the Passion
Play, and in saying our farewell words, I heard the
handsome man say to Florilla, "I wish I might have
you always with me," and they went. Did you see
them afterward, my reader? We had a few hours
only in Naples, but gladly visited the Museum,
Aquarium, etc., and again we sailed away. How
changed everything looked, our deck chairs were
piled away, nearly all of our deck friends had left
us, yet there was so much of interest in the islands,
the sea was so blue and the few friends so congenial
that the time passed rapidly. At Gibraltar, where
the great gray Rock makes everything else look so
insignificant, more friends left us for a trip through
Spain, and after a few hours on land, just enough
time to see the cosmopolitan crowds who fill the
streets, including the British soldiers from the
"Rock" fortress, we were again enjoying the beauti
ful sea, going over so near the Moroccan shore that
we could plainly see the City of Tangier and the
Pillar in Africa, which, with Gibraltar, makes the
two which the Ancients called the Pillars of Her
cules. We were in sight and sometimes quite near
the coast of Spain for nearly two days and in arriv
ing in Southampton were transferred to the magnifi
cent Steamer "Amerika," reaching New York on

174 "Westward"
schedule time, feeling that it would be difficult to
plan another four months of travel which would
give so much for the future enjoyment or add so
much to our store of knowledge as has this Great
"Westward" World Encircling Journey.

The End