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diff --git a/41508.txt b/41508.txt deleted file mode 100644 index cc02c44..0000000 --- a/41508.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14806 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Seven Legs Across the Seas, by Samuel Murray - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Seven Legs Across the Seas - A Printer's Impressions of Many Lands - -Author: Samuel Murray - -Release Date: November 28, 2012 [EBook #41508] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SEVEN LEGS ACROSS THE SEAS *** - - - - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have - been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - - - - [Illustration: TOWERING PALMS OF RIO. - RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL. - See page 22.] - - - - - SEVEN LEGS - ACROSS THE SEAS - - _A PRINTER'S IMPRESSIONS - OF MANY LANDS_ - - BY - SAMUEL MURRAY - Author of "From Clime to Clime" - - NEW YORK - MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY - 1918 - - - - - Copyright, 1918, by - MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY - - _Published, February, 1918_ - - - - -INTRODUCTORY - - -I was early aboard the fastest ship that ever foamed the seas. Later, -a long, strong whistle blast blew--the signal for starting--and soon -she headed southward, the great vessel traveling through New York -harbor to Sandy Hook as noiselessly as a bobsleigh drawn through two -feet of unpacked snow. - -I had secured a second class ticket to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by way -of England, this marking the first of several legs of the world over -which I had planned to travel. Thirteen hundred and fifty dollars, -representing years of economical living, was the sum deemed as -necessary to accomplish what I had purposed doing. By trade I am a -printer and linotype operator. - -In earlier years money for traveling expenses was of little concern, -for the fascination that accompanies prowling about freight trains -seeking an empty box car, or the open end door of a loaded one in -which to steal a ride, or of turning one's back to the tender of a -locomotive to protect the eyes from hot cinders coming from a snorting -passenger engine while standing on the draughty platform of a "blind" -baggage car--one without end doors--the train at the same time -traveling at a speed of from 45 to 50 miles an hour--the "cinder days" -during the catch-as-catch-can periods of traveling through coastwise -tracts of country, across unbroken prairie stretches and over mountain -fastnesses, are pleasant ones to recall, not forgetting the hungry, -cold and wet spells that all men meet with who are enticed by the -gritty allurements to beat their way about the country on railroad -trains. - -Since Benjamin Franklin's day it has been a custom with printers to -travel from place to place, and, as some of the devotees of the "art -preservative of all arts" had covered large territories of the world -from time to time, I wished to be numbered among those at the top of -the list. A union printer has little trouble in getting work in the -United States, by reason of the large Sunday newspaper editions -requiring extra men during the latter part of the week, and by -vacancies taking place through the "moving spirit" of the workers, -which has always characterized the printing trade. - -This fascination, however, like other diversions of a rough nature, -lost its charm in time, as it proved more comfortable traveling by -passenger trains--inside the coach and sitting on a cushioned -seat--than riding on the platform of a car that was being constantly -pelted with red-hot cinders. I had graduated from the "free-ride" -school. - -On a trip through North America I had visited Yosemite Valley and -Mariposa Big Tree Grove, Yellowstone Park, the Grand Canyon of -Arizona, Mexico, Mammoth Cave, Niagara Falls, and the Thousand Islands -after I had enrolled in the "Cushion College." - -Later on, having saved $400, a trip to Europe was made, visiting in -that part of the world most of the chief points of interest. I had -gone as far East as Vienna, Austria, when my funds became so low that -two meals a day was all they would allow of, and I resorted to -traveling at night on railroad trains with one compulsory aim in -view--to save lodging money. After I had bought my steamship ticket in -Rome, Italy, for New York, two weeks before the ship was to sail from -Naples, the best I could figure out of the surplus money I would have -at the time of sailing--on a two meals a day basis--was four -francs--eighty cents. My savings for years, in short, had passed over -the office counters of railroad and steamship companies. - -As the major portion of my travel was by water, the nautical word Leg -has been chosen as a designating term for the different sections of -the world visited, embracing South American cities, South Africa, -Zululand, and Victoria Falls, in Rhodesia; Australia, New Zealand and -principal South Sea Island groups; then back to Africa and up the East -Coast to Zanzibar and Mombasa; next through British East Africa to and -across Victoria Nyanza into Uganda. Leaving Africa, we sailed over -the Indian Ocean to India, visiting, among other features in that -country, the Himalaya Mountains, and afterwards Ceylon. From Colombo -we traveled eastward to the Straits Settlements, Philippines, China -and Japan, concluding observations at the Hawaiian Islands. The -journey was from New York to New York over the territory briefly -outlined in the foregoing itinerary. - -From Sandy Hook we sail for England. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - Introductory iii-v - - - LEG ONE - - CHAPTER I - - Incidents of Ocean Travel--Sights and Scenes in England-- - London Railways and Traffic--Public Institutions Contrasted 3 - - CHAPTER II - - Off for South America--Storm in Bay of Biscay--Impressions - of Lisbon, Portugal--Madeira Island--Novel Public Hack-- - "Neptuning" Passengers--Crossing the Equator--Southern - Cross 10 - - CHAPTER III - - Brazilian Ports--Rio de Janeiro--Monroe Palace--Towering - Palms of Rio--Uruguay--The River Plate--Characteristics of - the People--Buenos Aires--Off for South Africa 19 - - - LEG TWO - - CHAPTER I - - A Tramp Ship at Sea--Wonderful Birds--Ashore in South Africa 37 - - CHAPTER II - - Durban--Its Mixed Population--Sanitary and Clean--The Christ - Thorn--Novel Ways of Trapping Monkeys--The Indian Coolie, a - Taxed Ulcer--"Spiking" a Hindu's Tongue--Horned Ricksha - Pullers--Labor in Politics--Harpooning and Cutting up Whales 43 - - CHAPTER III - - Trip to Zululand--Home Life of the Natives--Wives for Cows-- - Calling on an Old Printer 74 - - CHAPTER IV - - South African Railway Travel--Scenes of Massacres-- - Johannesburg--Transvaal Gold Mines 90 - - CHAPTER V - - Pretoria and the Boers--The Kruger Monument--Puzzling Names 109 - - CHAPTER VI - - On to Mafeking--Interesting Natives and Souvenirs--Sighting - Rhodes' Grave--Rhodesia--Bulawayo--Victoria Falls, a Mile of - Amber-Colored Lace--Falls Compared--Deadly African Fever 115 - - CHAPTER VII - - Kimberley, the Diamond City--Bloemfontein, the Convention - City--Crossing the Dry, Barren Karoo Country--The - Ostrich--Capetown--Climate the Best in South Africa--Table - Mountain 129 - - - LEG THREE - - CHAPTER I - - Leaving the Baltic Sea for Australia--A White Country--The - Gold Fields--Crossing the Great Australian Bight-- - Melbourne--Pensions for Aged--Immigration Encouraged 145 - - CHAPTER II - - Trip to Adelaide--Finest Homes in the World--Kangaroo Called - the Native--Visit to Ballarat 157 - - CHAPTER III - - The Heads--Sydney, Its Noted Harbor--Rural Education on - Wheels 162 - - CHAPTER IV - - Crossing Bass Straits--Tasmania--Hobart--Port Arthur and Its - Prison Walls and Memories 170 - - - LEG FOUR - - CHAPTER I - - Crossing the Tasman Sea--Last White Settlement--Dunedin, a - Scotch City--Christchurch--Wellington and Its Splendid - Harbor--Pelorus Jack, the Pilot Fish 179 - - CHAPTER II - - To Maoriland--Rotorua--Geyserland--The Maori--Nose-Rubbing-- - Auckland--Courteous, Prosperous People 190 - - CHAPTER III - - South Sea Islands--The Fijians--Free Railroad Travel--A - Vegetable Marvel 199 - - CHAPTER IV - - An Ocean Park--Natives of the Samoan Group--No Locked - Doors--The Samoan a Fatalist 208 - - CHAPTER V - - Friendly Islands--Pretty Harbor of Vavau--Customs--A - Striking, Strapping King--Sacred Animals 215 - - - LEG FIVE - - CHAPTER I - - A "Red Ticket" for South Africa--Eight Weeks' Travel for - Ninety Dollars--Portuguese East Africa--Inhambane, Where - Death Revels--Beira, the "Trolley Town" 225 - - CHAPTER II - - German East Africa--Women in Iron Yokes--Zanzibar--Old Slave - Mart--Cloves Thrive--Tanga 232 - - CHAPTER III - - Mombasa--A Three Years' Residence Limit--In the Big Game - Country--Nature's "Greatest Show on Earth"--Nairobi--Dead - Left to Wild Beasts 240 - - CHAPTER IV - - Naked Natives--Victoria Nyanza--Bubonic Flea--Uganda-- - African "Freight Train"--Sleeping Sickness--Deadly Tsetse - Fly--Beautiful Entebbe--The Rubber Country--Ant Eaters-- - Kampala--Jinja and Ripon Falls--River Nile 250 - - - LEG SIX - - CHAPTER I - - Off for India--Ship Doctor Hunting for Jiggers-- - Seychelles--Bombay--The Parsi--Towers of Silence-- - Handsomest Railway Station 265 - - CHAPTER II - - In Baroda--Sacred Monkeys--Ahmedabad--Birds, Animals and - Insects Worshiped--Agra--The Taj Mahal--Plural Wives--Delhi, - Rebuilding--Elephant "Rocks" the Cradle 278 - - CHAPTER III - - Aligarh--Novel Water Carrier--Cawnpore--The Massacre - Well--Lucknow--Benares--Hindu Gods--Monkey Temple--Bathing - Ghats--Sarnath and Its Temple Ruins 292 - - CHAPTER IV - - Himalayas--Magnificent Views--Kinchinjanga, the - Giant--Darjeeling--Mountain Tribes 306 - - CHAPTER V - - Calcutta--Memories of "The Black Hole"--Blood Offerings--A - Mecca for Hindu Widows Who Bathe--Madras--First - Christian Church in India 316 - - CHAPTER VI - - Colombo--Ceylon--Cinnamon Tree Industry--Trotting Bullocks - Afford Rapid Transit--Kandy--Buddha's Tooth--Elephants in - Trucking--Nutmeg Trees 327 - - - LEG SEVEN - - CHAPTER I - - Nine Weeks to the Orient--Singapore--Malay States Rubber - Mad--Straits Settlements--Hogs in Baskets--Chinamen in Motor - Cars--A "Dutch" Wife--Off to Hongkong--A Horseless - Town--Mountain Travel 335 - - CHAPTER II - - Canton--Chinese Pirates--Lost Within the City Walls--City of - the Dead--"Feeding" the Dead--Quaint Home Customs--Chinese - Industrious--No Waste Land 347 - - CHAPTER III - - Manila--Poor Water, Whisky Plentiful--Consumption--Squirrel - Nest Homes--Chinese Opium Smugglers--Evicting the Dead--No - Vault Rent, No Resting Place--The Manila Wall 354 - - CHAPTER IV - - Shanghai--Professional Weepers--Family Feeding by - Contract--Wheelbarrow Transit--The Bund--Leaving Wusung for - Japan--Japanese Girls Coaling Ship 362 - - CHAPTER V - - The Inland Sea--Kobe--The Jap's Home--Street Cars and - Rickshas in Competition--Men, Women and Children in - Harness--Income Tax on Labor--Kyoto Paper Houses--Kyoto - Temples--Yokohama--Kamakura--The Daibutsu Bronze Giant 371 - - CHAPTER VI - - Tokyo--Mikado's Palace--Asakusa Temple--Geisha Women-- - Hari-Kiri--Black Teeth--Nikko, Its Temples--Funeral - Festivals 383 - - CHAPTER VII - - To Honolulu, Hawaii--Recrossing the 180th Meridian--Cheap - Ice and Bananas--"Don't Spit" Signs--Sugar Cane--The Prize - "Black Maria" of the World--Education--Natives Seek Easy - Jobs--Home of the Last Queen--Hilo--To Kilauea Crater--The - Volcano in Action--An Appalling Scene 394 - - Itinerary 405 - - Map. - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - Towering Palms of Rio. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (See - page 22) _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - Southern Cross. (See page 17.) 16 - - Plaza de Mayo (top) and Avenida de Mayo (bottom). - Buenos Aires, Argentine 30 - - Jim Fish Was the Swiftest Puller that Ever Wore a - Brace of Horns. Durban, South Africa. (See page - 61) 60 - - Zulus "Scoffing" Mealy Meal. Zululand, South Africa 78 - - Native Huts and Kafir Corn (top); African Transport - (bottom). South Africa 96 - - Victoria Falls, Rhodesia. (See page 122) 122 - - Parliament House, Melbourne (top), and Victoria Markets, - Sydney, Australia (bottom) 162 - - Maori Women Cooking by Boiling Springs (right). - (See page 193.) Maori Women's Salute--Rubbing - Noses and Shaking Hands (left). New Zealand. - (See page 195) 194 - - Interior of Samoan Home, Built of Breadfruit Tree, Secured - by Coir; No Nails Used. Samoa. (See page 213) 212 - - Vigil on the Veld (top), British East Africa; "Trolley" - Pushers (bottom), Beira, Portuguese East Africa. - (See page 230.) 248 - - Parsi (right), Bombay, India. (See page 271.) Bhisti - (Water-Carrier) (left). India. (See page 293.) 270 - - Types of Indian Soldiers. The Goorkha (right). (See - page 311.) The Sikh (left). (See page 311.) 290 - - Mount Kinchinjanga (Himalayas). Center Peak in - Circle, Mount Everest. Darjeeling, India. (Photo, - Burlington) 312 - - Small Colony of Half a Million Sampan Dwellers of - Pearl River; These Water Homes Save House Rent. - Canton, China. (See page 351.) 352 - - Panorama of Honolulu, Hawaii 398 - - - - -LEG ONE - - - - -SEVEN LEGS ACROSS THE SEAS - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -A puzzling phase of ocean travel soon becomes apparent during a -passenger ship's journey to one making his first voyage--sometimes -when a vessel has been at sea not more than a few hours. He is apt to -find himself at a loss to account for the absence of the many persons -who crowded the deck rails of the steamship--chatting, saying good-by -to friends and some bidding a final farewell to their country--before -and immediately after the vessel pulled away from her dock into the -harbor. After a few days, however, the mystery gradually unfolds. -Vacant chairs in the dining saloon become occupied from time to time -as the journey advances; more passengers are taking part in deck -amusements; new faces are seen in the social hall and smoking -saloon--the ship's "family" surely grows. On voyages of from two to -four weeks' duration this feature becomes even more interesting. -Frequently, when the ship has reached the end of the journey, before -which every one would seem to have become used to the sea, "strangers" -will be observed leaving the vessel. One cannot help thinking the ship -has stopped during the night hours and taken on passengers from the -main. This is explained by some voyagers keeping to their cabins from -the time of sailing. - -Seasickness is largely responsible for this perplexing phase of water -travel. Women are more affected than men, and the man who will -discover a remedy for seasickness will find his name immortalized. -Many women will travel for weeks on the water so sick they cannot -raise their heads, yet not a complaining word will be uttered by most -of them. This form of bravery seems to be the only comforting thing -that accompanies the sea wreaking out its vengeance on womankind. - -Six days after leaving Sandy Hook found us in Liverpool, England. -Passengers disembarked early in the forenoon, who, having heard so -much of England's dull atmosphere, were all surprised to find the sun -shining. The orb was of a vapory appearance, though, which suggested -that perhaps it had been on a sea voyage also, as there was a marked -resemblance between the appearance of the sun and some of the -passengers who had undergone a sick trip across. Most of us boarded a -train for London. - -Railway train service in England is fast, the speed on main lines -being from 45 to 50 miles an hour. The passenger coaches are of -compartment design, which are comfortable to ride in when only half -filled, or four persons to a compartment; but when from six to eight -passengers--the latter number being the full seating capacity--occupy -one compartment, travel proves very uncomfortable, as there is no room -to stretch one's legs in any direction, since the passengers sitting -on one side face those seated on the other side. It is a case of knees -to knees. Railroad fare is two and three cents a mile; a higher rate -is charged for hauling freight in England than that prevailing in -America. Food, however, is cheaper than on American trains. - -The locomotives are small--some of them not half the tonnage of the -American engine--but the driving wheels reach to the top of the -boiler, which accounts for the high speed schedules of the English -railroads. One misses the ringing of the locomotive bell, as there are -no bells on English engines. Another feature of the English railroads -that seems odd to an American is the small freight cars, which in some -instances are not one-third as large as some of the American cars and -trucks. Trains in England have not the solid appearance of the -American train, for the reason that their wheels are not like the -American wheel, but have spokes, like those of a wheelbarrow. The -convenience a union railway station affords the traveling public, -found in many cities of America, is much missed when visiting the -metropolis of England. Naturally, numerous railways center in London, -and the terminus of each seems to have been located as widely apart -from each other as the boundaries of the city will allow. None of the -stations seen here can favorably compare with those found in the -larger cities of the United States. - -The cleanliness of London's streets is the first impression one has of -the premier city of Europe. And how obliging the public conveyance -employees are; and the policemen, also. It is a pleasure to go about -in London, as every one seems willing to answer questions, to point -out to a stranger places of interest, and to make one comfortable in -every sense of the word. - -"London traffic," a feature of this city one often hears mentioned, is -accounted for, to a large degree, by the absence of surface car lines -or elevated railroads coursing the streets of London City proper, and -also to the narrowness of many of the main thoroughfares. With such an -immense population, one can infer the great demand placed upon 'buses, -public hacks, taxicabs and private vehicles, which at once suggests -light-tire traffic. Heavy trucks, loaded with all sorts of -merchandise, are not seen in corresponding sections of London as one -finds them in populous American centers. In the subways, or tubes, are -but two tracks, which prohibit, of course, fast travel. On the other -hand, sixteen underground railways intersect the city and suburbs. The -atmosphere of a subway is perhaps a more cosmopolitan phase than any -other of our industrial factors. Were a blind person--one familiar -with our underground railway odors--to sail from New York for Europe, -being ignorant of the presence of subways there, and later, in London -or Paris, find himself at the entrance of a "tube," he would at once -know he was at the approach of a subway by the presence of the smell, -as a similar atmosphere emanates from all of them. - -Street car fare is higher for long distances than in most American -cities. Though short distance rides are cheaper, some of the five cent -rides in America would cost fifteen cents in London. Motor 'buses, -which are numerous, go a certain distance for two cents, but the next -"stage" is another two-cent charge, and by the time eight or ten miles -are traveled one will have paid from 10 to 15 cents. Most public -conveyances are double decked. Electric trolley cars are operated -outside of London City proper, and the fare on these is similar to -that charged by the 'buses. One can ride a long distance in a cab for -25 cents, however. - -Newspapers here generally have not the attractive nor the prosperous -appearance of those in the United States. Until recently most of the -London dailies sold for two cents, and even more. Periodicals and -books also are more expensive in Great Britain, although the average -wages paid artisans in this industry is about half those paid in -America. Mechanics engaged in other trades received from $11 to $15 -weekly, and consequently the British mechanic in America doubles the -salary of his own country, plus other advantages. House rent, -generally paid weekly, runs from $3.50 to $5. Most of the working -people of London live in the suburbs, and are charged but half -price--about 8 cents--for return railway tickets if bought for trains -reaching the city before 8 o'clock in the morning. The government -collects an income tax on all yearly salaries of $600 and over. - -It looks strange to American visitors in London to see only boys -engaged in keeping the streets clean. One may not quite agree with the -practice of boys doing that sort of work--for the reason it looks as -if men should be engaged at such employment--but the fact remains the -streets are very clean. The sweepings are not put in cans, as is -customary in some American cities, where they might be tipped over by -mischievous boys, but iron bins are placed in the sidewalk close to -the curb, into which the refuse is emptied. This custom seems much -better than the American system. - -Seen drawn about the streets here, close to the curb, is what one -would call a street sprinkler. It is a sprinkler, but the liquid -running from the pipes is a disinfectant, a carbolic acid odor being -noticeable. - -The sale of matches by persons who seem to be in needy circumstances, -seen at almost every corner of the business sections of the city, -leads one to think that they must be used even for stove fuel. The -proportion of poorly dressed people is much larger than in American -cities. Any of the homeless who apply for shelter are provided with -sleeping accommodation by the authorities. - -The price of food in a similar class of restaurants seemed more -expensive in London than in New York. At a second class hotel where I -stopped the rate was $1.25 for room and breakfast, but heat was not -included. A fireplace in the room contained smoky, bituminous coal, -and to have this lighted cost 25 cents. So with the room, fire and -breakfast, the charge came to $1.50 a day. - -Chairs are scattered about the London parks, and an American naturally -thinks seats in public places are free, as in the United States; but -one is not sitting long before a man appears and asks for a "check." -The person resting then learns that it costs two cents to occupy a -chair in these places. The benches, however, are free, but these are -few compared to the number found in American parks. Similar conditions -will be met with in some of the parks of Berlin, and also in Paris, -but the resting places in the French capital are more liberally -supplied with free seats. - -Many men may be seen in London wearing a "plug" hat, a sack coat and -trousers turned up to the ankles. Those engaged at clerical employment -usually wear this sort of headgear to the office. Mechanics, also, -boast of a "stove-pipe" in their wardrobes. While the high hat may be -retained by some artisans as a memento of their wedding day, still -many may be seen worn by this class of breadwinner when attending -church services. - -No people spend less time in public eating and drinking places than -Americans. In Continental Europe they have their cafes, chairs and -tables inside the buildings and out on the sidewalks and streets, and -these are used to a large extent as offices by patrons, as proprietors -furnish writing paper and ink to customers. In England they have -their tea rooms, where men sit and sip tea and smoke their pipes for -hours. Cake or scones are usually served with tea, an additional -charge being made. - -To no people more than Americans have so many heirlooms of memory been -handed down by England. How the serious thought of one is aroused by a -visit to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral; how youthful days -stand before one, so to speak, when a visit is made to London Bridge, -Hyde Park, the Tower, the great British Museum, or to historic places -in and about the city where great Englishmen lived and died. - -Hearing so much of the English Parliament building, one is led to -believe that he will see the best legislative structure in the world -when his eyes rest on this historical edifice. He may see in his -mind's eye an imposing structure of white marble or granite built on -an elevated plot of land, as most capitols are, rich with -ornamentation and strikingly imposing. But, on the contrary, the -building, located on the River Thames, is rather mediaeval in -appearance. America is far behind some of the European countries in -art galleries, good roads, docks, and splendid cathedrals, but there -are features of the United States which neither Europe nor other -divisions of the world can equal. For instance, no capitol can compare -with the admirable appearance of the United States' legislative -building; in no country will one find such splendid municipal parks as -are found in some American cities. We have not seen Hagenbeck's Zoo in -Hamburg, Germany, but, apart from that city, Bronx Zoo in New York is -foremost of those seen in other cities; the Museum of Natural History -in Gotham is unexcelled; our great bridges are unequaled; the interior -of the Congressional Library in Washington, D. C., will stand -comparison with any, and the inspiring Washington Monument, also -located in the national capital, stands alone when dealing with -campaniles, towers, and pagodas. To the foregoing "prides" of the new -world may be added towering Mariposa Big Tree Grove, peerless Yosemite -Valley, wonderful Yellowstone Park and the marvelous Grand Canyon of -Arizona. - -After a short stay in London we boarded a "boat train"--an English -travel convenience--for Southampton, from which port the steamship on -which we had booked passage sailed for South America. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -On reaching the Bay of Biscay a storm was encountered, the decks being -vacated by passengers and the cabin berths made use of for some time. -During the night sounds were heard at intervals that reminded one of a -large tree falling. The piano in the social hall had been forced loose -from its fastening by the rolling and pitching of the ship, and while -in what might be termed its periods of tantrum the big musical -instrument seemed bent on smashing all the furniture "in the house." -Most of the passengers were awake, and a great many were inquiring if -the ship was breaking to pieces. - -Those starting on long journeys should provide themselves with a -passport. One may travel for years through certain sections of the -world and not be called upon to show his national voucher to verify -his identity; yet it is a good thing to have one in one's possession. -One may be taken into custody in some foreign city through mistaken -identity, or be detained in other ways, when a passport would clear -matters at once with small inconvenience and little delay, compared to -much uneasiness and considerable time lost, if one has neglected to -include in his traveling outfit this means of identification. Again, -when visiting a consulate, one will not have conversed with the -officials long before he will be asked, directly or indirectly, if he -has his passport with him. If the visitor should not have one, the -conversation is usually of a casual nature. On the other hand, if the -visitor has his government's credentials, an interesting chat will -often result, during which information may be gathered of the -character of the country he is traveling in that would not be -volunteered to an American who had failed to identify himself with the -standard voucher. When leaving the consulate, the person with a -passport is generally invited to "call any time while in the city." -Furthermore, if the assistance of a consul were needed in any -contingency, that government officer, if he should not care to offer a -helping hand, may evade a reasonable duty, and defend his actions -behind the fact that the "alleged" American did not have a passport. -If the person in need of official assistance had this means of -identification, that same officer, fearing he would be later called -upon by his government to explain why he neglected to do his duty, -would exert himself and lend aid to his countryman. An American with a -passport in foreign lands has a better standing with his government's -representatives than a citizen who has not provided himself with one. - -Being good for only two years, and not generally recognized after that -time, in order to keep in good standing with his country, one must, if -living in foreign parts, have his passport renewed or extended. Only -in exceptional circumstances is a consul allowed to issue passports; -these must come from Washington. A consul may extend one, however, for -an additional two years; but the passport cannot be extended more than -once. Application should be made to the Secretary of State, -Washington, D. C., when two blanks--native and naturalized--will be -sent to the applicant. If a native, he fills out the native blank and -will have the contents sworn to before a notary public. The verified -blank will then be sent to the Secretary of State, when a passport -will soon reach the applicant. The charge is one dollar, plus the -notary's fee. - -"I wish I had one of those fat, juicy beefsteaks that I was served -with while traveling across America," said a Portuguese woman -globe-trotter, as some of us, like chickens after rain, began to -appear on deck when the storm had subsided. "I never ate beefsteak in -any country that tasted as good as those I got in America," she added, -with a perceptible smacking of her lips. She wasn't the only one who -wished they had a succulent piece of American beefsteak. But the -commissary of the ship had little to do while traveling from Cape -Ushant to Cape Finistierre--the former marking the north and the -latter the south boundaries of the Bay of Biscay, 365 miles across. - -At Lisbon, Portugal, the chilling winds of the north and the raw -weather were succeeded by soft, south breezes and warm sunshine. -Entering the Tagus River on our way to the Portuguese capital, we -passed a commanding fort, the banks green with grass and vegetables. -Reaching the city, women in their bare feet and none too tidy, bearing -heavy burdens on their heads, mostly in baskets--fish, vegetables, -coal, flowers, and other marketable commodities--revealed a condition -in Southern Europe not pleasant to contemplate, and which is seen in -few countries of Continental Europe. The first suggestion of the -tropics was had at Lisbon, by reason of a great many of the people, -dark skinned, appearing in thin clothing and bare feet. Verdure was -growing on every side--it was the month of February. - -Travelers cannot fail to show a slight weakness for the small Latin -country, for Portugal was the home of Vasco da Gama, the explorer--a -really great traveler--whose daring achievements late in the fifteenth -century laid the foundation of an empire, and who discovered places -and countries we are to visit later. - -"Look!" said a man wearing the cloth of a church official, who was -showing a number of visitors around a Lisbon cathedral. We were in the -crypt, where, in expensive coffins, rested the remains of some of the -distinguished dead of Portugal. He had opened the lid of a casket and -invited his visitors to look inside. To our astonishment, in the -gruesome light, our eyes rested on the crumbling remains of a -personage who, the official said, had passed away a long time before. -More coffin lids were turned back, and in the boxes were seen, in the -murky light, the grim, long outline of a human being. We had never -known any one to go so far to obtain a fee. - -American-made street cars are in use in the Portuguese capital, and -were easily recognized from those manufactured in other countries, as -the American car is single, while those of other countries are mostly -of a double-decked pattern. - -Pavement of dark gray and white colored stone in that city looks odd, -laid at twisting angles. A plaza is paved entirely with this deceptive -stone, which sailors call "Rolling Motion Square." This square is -located close to the wharf, and sailors, having finished their shore -leave and returning to their ship, usually find trouble in getting off -"Rolling Motion Square." - -Egg soup is a delicacy made in Lisbon. When served, it resembles -consomme, with halves of a hard-boiled egg swimming in the dish. - -The business section of Lisbon is built between two high hills, which -necessitates using an elevator, in some instances, if one is going -from the center to the higher part of the city. The buildings are of -stone and brick, faced with cement. One of the most attractive avenues -in the world runs through the commercial district of the city. This -boulevard is unusually wide, the center comprising a broad park place, -with roadways of a good width on each side. Nearly half a million -people compose the population of this Latin capital. Portugal was a -Roman province as early as 200 B. C. - -Funchal, Madeira Island, located about 450 miles west of the Moroccan -coast, was next reached, being favored with a good sea from Lisbon, -the first since leaving Southampton. This place, with a population of -20,000, is the chief port of Madeira, and its attractiveness--flowers, -vines, spreading trees, climate and tidy appearance--proves a magnet -to many Europeans who seek rest and recreation. - -A strange and unusual public "hack" here arrests one's attention. This -vehicle, covered with canvas and drawn by oxen, is really a sleigh, -although it is doubtful if a flake of snow has ever fallen in this -section. The runners, as those of a snow sled, are shod with strips of -steel, which are pulled over streets paved with cobblestone. When -ready to start, the driver says a word to the oxen, and off they go, -the sleigh gliding over the paving nearly as smoothly as if drawn over -snow. The steel runners, passing over them for years, have worn the -stones quite smooth, even slippery in some instances, hence the -practicability of the sleigh-hack. - -Madeira Island, termed the Pearl of the Atlantic, a Portuguese -possession, has an area of 315 square miles, and is 35 miles long and -12 wide. It is very productive of fruit--oranges, lemons, figs, -pomegranates, pears, peaches and grapes. The island is more noted for -its good climate and wines, however, most of the inhabitants being -engaged in the grape growing industry. The United States came to the -fore in 1871 by saving the grapevines here, which were being destroyed -by a pest. The American grapevine stock was introduced and grafted to -the native stump, which withstood the attacks of phyloxera. - -Funchal is a sea junction, as most of the passenger steamships plying -between Europe and South American ports stop at this place. Passengers -coming north from South America and going to South Africa come to -Madeira, and those coming from South Africa and going to South America -also transship at this island. - -Getting a glimpse of the places mentioned in the foregoing will -account for one traveling from the United States to South America by -way of England. The fare was also cheaper for the same accommodation -than by going direct from New York. - -We regretfully return to our ship, there being no more stops for eight -days, as we are to recross the Atlantic Ocean diagonally. The big -vessel, with a crowded passenger list and loaded to the water line -with cargo, was headed toward the equatorial line, sailing on a -velvety sea. Sailors were busy stretching canvas over the decks to -make the hot weather soon to be encountered more bearable, while the -electric fans in the cabins were being put in order. Every one had -settled down for the sail to Pernambuco, Brazil, the next port. - -During the trip British third-class passengers enjoyed the benefits of -the good maritime laws of their country, while passengers from other -countries traveling in the same section of the ship did not fare so -well. Britishers were allowed privileges on a portion of the upper -deck, as provided by law, while third-class passengers who embarked at -ports south of Southampton remained on the third-class deck. - -It is surprising how time slips by during long voyages, and it is -interesting to note the national grouping of travelers. The French -passengers will be found assembled on a certain portion of the deck, -the Spaniards likewise, also Germans--each nationality generally -keeping to itself. Our breakfast was ready at 8 o'clock, and a light -lunch served two and a half hours later. Ship inspection usually takes -place at from 10 to 11 o'clock in the forenoon, the captain, the -purser, the doctor or the chief steward being the officers who form -this committee. Each deck is visited, when the dining saloons, -kitchens, berths, bedding and other furnishings of the cabins -generally receive the critical attention of the inspectors. Passengers -having complaints to make or suggestions to offer concerning ship -conditions may do so at this time. At half-past twelve dinner was -ready. In the second class section mealtimes are designated as -breakfast, dinner and supper; in the first-class, breakfast, luncheon -and dinner. When ready, these are generally announced by ringing a -bell, beating a gong, or by bugle call. Many passengers take a nap in -their cabins after dinner, and, if not in the cabin, one is pretty -sure to find them in the Land of Nod in their steamer chair on deck; -others read a great deal and divide the time with sleep. The sleepers -are sometimes hurriedly awakened from their slumbers, however, as what -is termed "fire practice" takes place several times a week on -well-conducted ships. Bells clang, without warning; the ship's whistle -blows shrill blasts; sailors, stewards and officers hurry to the -lifeboats to which they had been assigned before sailing, which are -soon raised from their davits, swung outward, and lowered at the sides -of the vessel; members of the crew may be seen wearing life-saving -devices, and the passengers generally give evidence of anxious concern -on such occasions until they learn it is but a "fire drill" that is -being enacted instead of the ship being really afire. Beef tea was -served in the cool climate and ices when the hot zones were reached -between noontime and supper. Light lunch--generally cheese and -crackers and tea--was served between the evening meal and bedtime. -Music was furnished twice a day by an orchestra. Religious -services--those of the Church of England--on British passenger -steamships are made obligatory by maritime law. On Sunday mornings -many of the passengers attended, which took place in the social hall -of the first-class section, the ritual being read by the captain or -purser. Most of the ship's crew must be present, some of whom -generally lead the singing and furnish the music. It often happens, -however, preachers are among the travelers, when one of them will be -invited to preach. First class passengers are expected to appear in -evening dress for dinner on vessels of some of the popular British -lines running to far Southern ports. - -So far as bird life is concerned, the sea is a graveyard when sailing -through the equatorial zone. All fowl leave the ship when the sun gets -hot and the breezes become warm. The only winged life appearing in -this hot section of the sea was flying fish, sometimes hundreds of -them rising from the water at the same time. These fish are from four -to ten inches in length, slender, and resemble young mackerel. They -spring from the sea by a quick stroke of the tail, and, with fins -outspread, are able to sustain and prolong their leap for a minute or -more. The fins measure several inches across and become transparent in -the sun, but do not flap like the wings of a bird. As the fish rise -only from six inches to a few feet from the water, their flight, in a -choppy or rough ocean, is generally not more than from two to twenty -feet, as they disappear on coming in contact with a wave. On a calm -sea, however, their isinglass-like "wings" will often remain -outstretched for a distance of a hundred yards or so, when the fish -will dart into the water as suddenly as they emerged from it. - - [Illustration: SOUTHERN CROSS.] - -"Neptune" is a "game" played only at sea, and the "sport" is generally -indulged in when a passenger steamship is sailing under the equator. A -canvas tank is fixed on deck and nearly filled with water. It is an -unvarying rule with some travelers that one who has not crossed the -equator must be "Neptuned." A "coaster," as one is termed who has -never crossed the equatorial line, is reminded by the Simon-pures -that, in order to be a full-fledged traveler, he must take a plunge in -the canvas tank. Most passengers who are not sick comply with the -request, but there are some who do not take kindly to the idea. In -such instances a half dozen, or a dozen passengers if necessary, bend -the will of the unwilling one to their idea of maintaining this -tradition of the sea by literally picking up the unbeliever and -pitching him into the canvas tank of water. He then has been -"Neptuned." Danger of taking cold from this outdoor plunge is slight, -as often the tar in the cracks between boards on deck of the ship is -bubbling from the intense rays of the sun. - -Having reached the southern division of the world, the heavenly bodies -forming the Southern Cross appear. The cross is not composed of a -thickly starred upright beam, neither is there a compact panel of -stars forming the crosspiece. Four stars located at certain sections -of the heavens form a distinct outline of a cross. The great crucifix -at times appears to be standing straight, but more often it will be -seen in the heavens in a reclining position, so to speak; again it -will be observed resting on its side, but never pointing downward. The -section of the sky in which the cross is to be found is the southeast. -At one season of the year it will rest near the center of the -firmament and in the "Milky Way "; at another period it will be seen -closer to the horizon. Lesser bodies appear in the zone embraced by -the four stars that compose the profile of the ensign of Christianity, -but these neither add to nor detract from the formation of the solemn -emblem of suffering that stands out so clearly among the millions of -orbs in the starry firmament. Two bright stars below, in direct line -with the bottom star of the cross, are called "the pointers." - -What a difference is at once apparent in the period of daylight north -of the equator and that south of the equatorial line. From a slow -setting sun and a lingering twilight north of the great line to a -rapidly setting sun and a comparatively short twilight south of the -equator is observed. Fifteen to twenty minutes after the sun sets -darkness will have settled. - -"Holy stoning a ship" is a nautical term that, when first heard by a -landsman, arouses his curiosity concerning the particular duty the -phrase suggests in a sailor's routine. A holy stone--somewhat larger -than two bricks placed together, of cream color and of a soft or -sandy material--is used to whiten the deck of a ship. Most persons -would conclude that a thorough washing of a deck with clear water -should satisfy one possessed of even super-neat exactions. But a -sailor's conception of the term "spick and span" does not end in this -matter with the merit of water alone. The holy stone is secured in an -iron frame similar to that of a house mop, with handle attached. It is -also pushed forward and pulled backward when used to clean a deck in -the same way that a mop is used to clean a floor. The deck is made wet -before "stoning," then sprinkled with fine white sand, and is next -thoroughly gone over with the "cleaner." When the sailor has finished -his hard "scrubbing" task the deck appears many shades brighter than -it would if only water had been used. The term "holy stone" is said to -have originated through the first stones used in bleaching ship decks -having been taken from the ruined walls of a church in Cornwall, -England. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Security of life in an Indian's bark canoe, even when going over river -rapids, would seem assured, compared to the chances against one being -able to keep his feet on a Brazilian catamaran sailing on the broad -ocean. Men stand on two logs tied together, these about a foot each in -diameter and from eight to ten feet in length, the upper side flat, -with a small pole fastened in one of the logs, to which is secured a -piece of canvas--as flimsy a sample of sea craft as one may see in a -lifetime. No provision being made for a seat on the shaky and risky -"boat"--no room for one, in fact--it seemed dangerous to sail it even -on a small lake; yet a number of these were seen skimming over the sea -several miles outside the harbor of Pernambuco, Brazil. - -We had reached South America at the beginning of March, which is -Northern August south of the equator. The winter season of the year in -the northern is the summer in the southern division of the world. - -Passengers leaving the vessel entered a large basket by a door. When -six persons had got inside, the winches on the ship began to revolve, -raising the basket high enough to clear the deck rail, and the -passengers were slowly lowered to a lighter below. Chug! They had -reached the bottom, and if any of the travelers had their tongue -between their teeth at that moment it would be safe to infer that that -member had suffered from the bump. This carrier was six feet deep, -made of reed or wicker, and was kept in shape and supported by -circular iron bands, like the hoops round a barrel, which, in this -case, were inside the basket. Passengers embark by the same means. -Crude and odd devices of this sort lend spice to travel. - -Bahia, the oldest city in Brazil, was the next stop. At this port no -basket was used for disembarking, passengers leaving the ship by a -side ladder and being taken ashore in launches. An unusual number of -men seemed to board the vessel, and later, when the gong sounded for -visitors to go ashore, most of them left with their pockets bulging -with goods bought aboard. Pertaining to this, an amusing feature came -to light--the custom officers, who had been stationed at the gangway -and other parts of the ship to prevent smuggling, seemingly not -noticing the difference in the girth of a man on leaving the vessel to -that when he boarded her. - -Sailing on the same smooth sea on which we had started from Madeira -Island ten days before, Rio de Janeiro, the capital and metropolis of -Brazil, was reached later. - -The harbor of this city is considered the finest in the world. The -noted haven is entered by a deep channel, three-quarters of a mile -wide, flanked by two imposing stone mountains, rising nearly 1,300 and -1,100 feet, respectively. Tropical vegetation grows luxuriantly on the -shores, and beyond a circle of high, evergreen mountains offer an -unusually fascinating foreground. The harbor is sixteen miles long and -from two to seven miles wide, this area being dotted with over a -hundred islands, also heavily verdured with a tropical growth. One -feature, however, robs Rio de Janeiro and her harbor of a scenic -climax. To the left, on which side of the bay the city stands, rise -low hills, which shut from view, until opposite the wharves, what -otherwise would reveal a panorama of the metropolis in keeping with -that of the fame of the harbor. One is at a loss to account for the -absence of docks here, considering this city has a population of -nearly a million inhabitants and is the commercial center of Brazil. - -Before, and also after, the ship anchored in the bay, where a large -number of passengers left, the deafening noise made by hack barkers -and hotel runners, shouting from boats below, exceeded anything of -this nature heard elsewhere. Here it was a medley of whistles on -yachts, launches and similar craft, together with blasts from horns, a -racket from other noise-making devices, and the raucous voices of -fruit vendors, crying their wares from rowboats. For a quarter of a -mile about the vessel hundreds of small craft were bumping into each -other, their owners cursing and shouting at those in approaching boats -who sought a more advantageous place where a fare might come their -way; in no place in the world, one would feel safe in saying, could -there be more turmoil and confusion under similar circumstances. No -one seemed to be in charge; every one was bending his every effort for -a fare. Evidently a great deal of revenue would be cut off from a -considerable number of the population of Rio were the government to -build docks. - -Having read of cholera in Rio years before would lead one to entertain -a belief that he is entering an unclean city, and the great number of -blacks and half-castes one sees before he gets off the ship suggests -nothing to the contrary. But, when in the city proper, what a surprise -one meets with. No place is better supplied with small parks than this -metropolis, and public conveniences and sanitation in general, which -are so essential to the physical welfare of a people, are creditable -features. To be sure, the old part is of Spanish style--brick and -cement houses, with narrow streets. The object in building narrow -streets is to foil the sun--to keep cool--as the narrower they are the -more shade is cast. One will soon notice the difference in comfort -when walking between narrow or wide streets in hot climates--the -narrow, shady ones will be given the preference. Only one vehicle can -travel in a street, and for this reason traffic passes through one and -returns by another. They are one-way streets. Two persons moving in -opposite directions can just manage to pass without one of them -stepping off the walk. Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in -South America, and good management of this tropical center was in -evidence. - -Looking down Avenue Central, one of the principal thoroughfares, -composed largely of business buildings, a scene of architectural -beauty is revealed rivaling any metropolis in the world. No street -cars run on this avenue, but brightly painted, well designed, small -motor 'buses are in use. The artistic effect reflected by the -arrangement of lights and trees is in keeping in every detail with -the admirable designs of the buildings on each side. A municipal -theater on this street, prominent by its striking exterior -ornamentation, together with handsome government buildings, add -greatly to the attractiveness of Avenue Central. To an American the -street view at the head not only equals the lower portion, but is -enhanced, for there stands the Monroe Palace, a memorial to James -Monroe, whose name is immortalized as the father of the Monroe -Doctrine, serving as a fitting cap-sheaf, and at the same time -infusing patriotic sentiment to the harmonious foreground and -attractive environments. From Monroe Palace, which is shaded by trees -growing in a beautiful park at the side, Avenue Central verges into a -long boulevard, built alongside the walled harbor, fringed in places -with rows of palm trees, fifty to sixty feet high; under tropical -verdured hills, with parks, flowers and shade trees bordering the -thoroughfare to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. - -This palm tree of Rio is the highest we have seen either of -nut-bearing or non-nut-bearing species. The trunks are smooth, -straight and round, free of limbs, and gradually taper to their full -height, where a circle of fronds branch broadly from every side. -Standing between these tropical, sentinel-like columns, high above the -spectator will be seen an arch formed of long, broad leaves. As some -of these double rows of palms extend for considerable distances, this -light-green archway grows more enchanting as, down the pillared vista, -the fringed-frond arcade gradually lowers and contracts until the -trees converge into a narrow bower. The symmetrical finish to the -towering palms of Rio will remain in one's mind long after other of -Nature's masterpieces, of equal merit but differing in form, will have -been forgotten. - -American money and enterprise have added much to the modern public -utilities of Rio, for the street car and lighting systems are headed -by Americans. "Bond" is the name for street cars here. To raise -capital to construct the system bonds were issued, and as the word -bond was much used before construction began, the Brazilians, when the -cars started running, called them "bonds." - -The Portuguese language is used in the Brazilian republic. But what a -mixed population these Brazilians are! Most of them are dark-skinned -and the greater number are black. From observation, there seems to be -little or no distinction between the races. Yet this race possesses a -knowledge rarely displayed by others in erecting buildings suited in -every respect for business purposes, and in giving them an artistic -finish at the same time. Immigrants from many countries have settled -in this republic during the last decade. - -European customs are strongly in evidence, the most noticeable being -lounging about cafes. The habit of living on the sidewalk and in the -street outside of cafes is the same here as that which strikes one as -being strange on his first visit to Paris and other places in -Continental Europe. One often has to maneuver his way through little -iron-legged tables and chairs, used for refreshments. Some of the -patrons are seen sipping black coffee from cups no larger than half an -eggshell; others may be found drinking vari-colored liquids, of which -there is a great variety, and many will have cigarettes between their -lips or between their fingers. Still one cannot fail to note the -improvement these cafes are on the American saloon. There are no back -door entrances to these places; no front doors closed; no -curtains--everything open and above board. And, as with Europeans, -seldom is a person seen intoxicated or disorderly. Prosperity is -suggested by crowded cafes, for refreshments in Rio are expensive. - -Women seem to have an easy time in Brazil, in the capital, at least, -for men are seen looking after rooms in hotels, sweeping, -dusting--doing general housework. - -Two meals a day seem to be all the Brazilians desire. A cup of coffee -is taken early in the morning, as the regular time for breakfast is -from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 to 7:30 o'clock in -the evening. - -Everything one buys in the Brazilian metropolis is expensive. -Manufactures are few--almost everything is imported, and the customs -duty is exorbitant. Street car fare, even, is double that charged in -most large cities. Small articles costing from ten to fifteen cents -in the United States cost a milrei in Rio. Very few things can be had -for less than 33 cents. Soda water and other soft drinks generally -cost from 9 to 12 cents. - -The Portuguese money system--reis and milreis--is that of Brazil. The -value of a milrei in American money is 33 cents, and a rei is equal to -one-thirtieth of a cent. In financial figures the dollar mark is used -to denote milreis, but is placed between the figures instead of in -front--thus: 10$000. Money is on the decimal system, 1,000 reis making -a milrei. - -One unaccustomed to Portuguese money is apt to feel perplexed when -presented with a bill for 50 cents. This is how a 50 cent dinner bill -would look: 1$500. The figure 1 represents a milrei--33 cents--and the -500 is 500 reis--half a milrei--16 1/2 cents. One hundred reis is three -cents in American money. Only among the poorer class are coins of less -than 100 reis in use. Paper bills are used for a milrei and larger -sums. The coins are mostly of nickel. - -At Sao Paulo, over three hundred miles from Rio, woolen and cotton -mills have been established, and so far have proved a good investment. -English money is represented in this industry. American money and -machinery figure largely in the development of the ore mines of that -large country, so with English capital erecting mills and American -money opening and developing mines business development is assured. -Brazil produces three-quarters of the world's annual consumption of -coffee. Rubber is another staple product of this republic. - -The tropical scenery about Rio adds much to the attractiveness of the -capital of Brazil. High hills and mountains almost circle both the -harbor and city, and from these elevated points one looks down through -a dense growth of trees bearing flowers, large blooming vines, -wide-leaved palms, and clumps of high, swaying bamboo--an expansive -botanical garden--on to the thousands of gray houses, with their -red-tiled roofs. Similar scenes and objects, attractive when viewed -from less favored vistas, seen through a tropical foreground, assume -an enchanted charm. - -Though very little English printing is done here, a number of good -Portuguese daily newspapers are published, the offices being equipped -with linotype machines, web presses and stereotyping machinery. The -wages paid workers in this trade range from $25 to $30 a week. As -there is little manufacturing in Brazil, and the tariff is so -exorbitant on imports, together with high dwelling rentals, $30 a week -would not be considered good wages in America under such conditions. - -One seldom sees a Brazilian carrying bundles in his hands--such as -valises, etc. The people who make their living at that sort of work -carry a strap with them, which is thrown over the shoulder. If two -valises are to be borne, one is placed in front and the other at the -back, each fastened to the end of the strap. - -Church bells here, as in the City of Mexico, are ringing in most parts -of the city all the time. - -As a rule good photographs exaggerate and flatter objects, but when -looking at a picture associated with Rio de Janeiro, no matter how -pretty and artistic it may appear, one should not discount the picture -as being overdrawn, for Rio would very likely carry away the honors if -entered in a "beautiful city" exhibit. - -At Santos, another coffee mart of Brazil, enterprise was in evidence -when our ship drew up to a dock. This was the first dock the ship -pulled alongside of since leaving Southampton, England. Santos is also -the port for Sao Paulo. From this place we continue southward. - -Twelve hundred miles south of Rio, Montevideo, Uruguay, is located at -the delta of the River Plate. This city is the capital of Uruguay. -Most of the ships head for the River Plate, and a great many sailing -southward and through the Straits of Magellan stop at this port, -allowing passengers time to look about the city. The River Plate (La -Plata in Spanish) spreads out at this point to a width of a hundred -miles. A great number of vessels sail up the Plate from time to time, -and it ranks high in the list of waterways of the world. - -A glimpse of Montevideo revealed but little difference in architecture -to that of the Spanish style--brick and mortar. Most of the dwelling -houses are but one story in height, the outside steps and stairways, -however, being of white marble, which gives the building a strikingly -clean appearance. - -More than one night in this city is required to become used to the -noise made by mouth whistles before a light sleeper can rest. These -are blown by the police, who keep in touch with each other by this -means. - -A striking feature of Montevideo to one who has been in Brazil is the -large size of the Uruguayan. Deep-chested, broad-shouldered and of -good height, he appears to possess double the strength of the -Brazilian. While the people are of dark complexion, no blacks are -seen. - -The money unit of Uruguay is higher than that of any country in the -world. It is known as the dollar, and its value is $1.04. - -Uruguay is a republic, its principal industry being agriculture and -stock raising. Flattering inducements are offered by that government -to immigrants who intend to make their home there. These are in the -nature of giving land to homeseekers, the government even promising to -stock the farms with cattle. - -How little some of us who pay but passing attention to sea commerce -know of the tremendous volume of business carried over the world in -vessels, and the long runs made. At Rio de Janeiro I left the ship -that I sailed on from Southampton, England, and after several weeks' -stay in the Brazilian capital continued my journey southward by -another line, tickets being interchangeable. The ship from Rio that -landed Argentine passengers at Montevideo proceeded southward to and -through the Straits of Magellan, to Valparaiso, Chile; up the Pacific -coast as far as Callao, the port for Lima, Peru, stopping at several -places between, distributing passengers and cargo at each. From among -the passengers Brazil, Uruguay, Argentine, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia -and Peru received its quota. From England to Callao six weeks' time -was required to make the voyage. The manner in which these merchantmen -slip in and out of bays, deep and shallow harbors, crawl up rivers and -down again--into commercial nooks of every character--reminds one of -the unexpected places to which the sun so often finds its way. -Passengers from Great Britain seemed to be in the majority of those -traveling south of the equator. A greater number of men than women are -always to be found, though almost every ship carries young women who -will be on their way to meet and marry their fiances located in the -interior of the South American republics. - -Buenos Aires, capital of the Argentine republic, the New York of South -America, is located 124 miles up the River Plate. Many entertain the -opinion, gathered from newspaper accounts, that, 6,000 miles south of -New York, there is a good-sized city--Buenos Aires. But what a -difference there is between reading about something and seeing it! It -is said of a visitor that "a look at New York will knock his eye out," -and to travel through the busy waterway of the big harbor of this -South American metropolis, and look through the dense thicket of -masts, spars, shrouds, ropes, pennants, flags and many-colored funnels -from ships that stretch for miles about the outer and inner harbors, -will surely cause one's eye to bulge with astonishment. Such an influx -of merchantmen visit this city at certain periods of the year that, -for as long as three and four weeks, ships loll at anchor in the outer -harbor before dock room can be made for unloading their cargoes. The -dock system is good; and one may gather an idea of the harbor space -available when he learns the River Plate is thirty-five miles wide at -Buenos Aires. Up to the interior of South America ships ply for 1,000 -miles on the Plate to the Bolivian border, going up loaded and sailing -away to sundry parts of the world with cargoes submerging the vessels -to their water lines. It seemed that every ship sailing south of the -equator on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean was headed for the -River Plate or for other coast ports of the Argentine. - -A more intimate acquaintance with matters will reveal a Briton at the -helm of those ships of industry or the hidden power behind the scene. -Every passenger ship leaving a British port for the River Plate -carries brain and brawn from Great Britain. English money figures -prominently in the industrial advancement of the Argentine, upward of -a billion dollars having been expended in building railways and -developing the lands. The flower of Great Britain will be found -engaged at farming, connected with shipping, railroads, banking, or -other pursuits; and English advice on governmental legislation is -often sought. - -In Buenos Aires one finds a busy city of nearly a million and -three-quarters of people, largely of a cosmopolitan character. Sixteen -big, well-printed daily newspapers of evening and morning editions are -published in this commercial center. Besides the native, or Spanish -language, are those printed in the French, Italian, English, Swedish -and other languages. The wages paid artisans engaged in this industry -do not compare with those paid in the United States. The highest paid -for newspaper work is $3.50 a day, but $2.50 is the general daily -wage, paid monthly. Working time is seven and eight hours a day. On -the other hand, living expenses are higher than in American cities. -House rent is very high, and the price of food in ordinary restaurants -is as high, and generally higher, than that charged in similar grade -eating places in American cities. Anent cheap living in other -countries, about which one hears so much in the United States, I have -come to look upon such alleged facts as mythical, for, speaking -generally, I have yet to come across them, and my unsuccessful search -for these "much-cheaper" places has not been from lack of effort. - -The Argentine silver dollar is about the same value as the Mexican -dollar--44 cents. Another dollar is in use, however, pertaining to -shipping, customs charges and government tariff of a general nature, -known as the gold dollar, and is worth 96 cents. But it is the 44-cent -dollar that is in general use for retail purposes, wages, etc. - -The great number of street cars running through and about the city is -in keeping with the large number of ships seen in the harbor. There -are only two streets in the business district--and for a considerable -distance beyond--on which street cars do not run. Any one who has -lived in busy centers will naturally glance about when crossing -streets, to see if the way is clear. But in Buenos Aires one must be -on the alert for street cars even when walking along walks between -the crossings. The Spanish system of laying out a town--narrow -streets--is the rule in Buenos Aires, in the older section of the -city. To build street car lines in the center of the streets would -shut off vehicular traffic to a great extent, as there is not room for -a truck and car to pass between the car line and the curb at the same -time. The car tracks, therefore, are laid at the side of the street, -by which plan car and vehicular traffic have room to move together, -but only in one direction. To make matters worse, a "trailer," or two -cars, are in use on many of the lines. A sidewalk fender is secured to -the rear platform of the front car and to the forward platform of the -"trailer." This device is formed of strips of steel, bowed half-barrel -shape, which extends over the walk, and is attached to prevent -pedestrians from falling between the cars. The walks also are -proportionately narrow, affording room for only two persons to pass at -the same time. Were a person to become thoughtless or one's mind be -occupied with something foreign to street traffic, while walking at -the outer edge of the walk, or when stepping to one side to allow -another to pass, the half-barrel shaped steel-strip fender is apt to -scrape his leg. Being fearful of coming in contact with the fender at -any moment when walking the streets prompts one to frequently look -behind. - -Ten cents (Argentine money) is the fare, equaling four cents in -American money. That sum will carry a passenger from one end of a car -line to the other. By reason of the narrow streets, the two-car -system, and the great number of cars running on the different lines, -tie-ups, turmoil and confusion result. On boarding a car, there is no -telling when one will reach his destination. Improvements, however, -were in progress. - -Among the park squares of Buenos Aires (termed "plazas" in -Latin-speaking countries), Plaza de Mayo is perhaps the most popular, -and the first laid out in the Southern metropolis. This plaza is -located at one side of the business center of the city, with -government buildings, hotels, a cathedral, and business houses -fronting the four sides. Attractive palms adorn this pretty resting -place, together with trees, shrubbery, flowers all the year round, -lawns and good walks. Historical memories, dear to the Argentinian, -however, prove of greater interest to the populace than that wrought -by the landscape gardener, as in this section of the city in early -days a decisive battle was fought with Britishers. At one side of the -square stands a memorial shaft that marks the place of surrender to -native forces by the invaders early in the nineteenth century. Within -the city limits are six parks, a number of promenades, thirty-eight -squares, and many public gardens. - -Avenida de Mayo is the promenade and show section of Buenos Aires. -Starting at Plaza de Mayo, it extends for nearly a mile to Congreso, -or Congress Hall. The Avenida is one of the two streets on which cars -do not run, and is the only one of fair width in the busy center of -the city. It is paved with asphalt, most of the others being paved -with stone blocks. The best hotels line the Avenida, and the other -buildings are of attractive appearance. Prizes are offered by the city -for the best building designs, and the result of this municipal pride -is frequently observed. Through the Continental custom of blocking the -sidewalks in front of hotels and cafes with tables and chairs one -often finds difficulty in walking. The park system of the city is -creditable, and there are good boulevards in the suburbs. - -Here, too, as in Rio de Janeiro, one wonders what women do to occupy -their time, as men make the beds, do the dusting, look after rooms, -sweep the carpets, and do general household duties one is so -accustomed to seeing women perform in North America. Neither is there -any chance for a woman to earn her living working in eating places, as -men seem to have made that source of livelihood a "closed shop" to -women. - - [Illustration: PLAZA DE MAYO (top) and AVENIDA DE MAYO (bottom). - BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINE.] - -The clumsy way the Argentinian hitches horses to a cart strikes one as -odd. Carts, instead of trucks, are mostly in use. Often three or four -horses will be attached to a cart--one horse between the shafts, and -one hitched to the cart on each side of the shaft horse. The horse in -the lead will precede the second horse by a space of from three to -five feet, and the second horse will be in advance of the shaft -horse the same distance. How the animals can see is a puzzle, for a -heavy leather fringe reaches from the top of the horse's head to the -nose. - -To see men embracing each other, with radiant faces, strikes one from -the North as an unusual custom. While Americans greet with a -handshake, Argentinians embrace. - -A novel way to keep "park residents" from occupying seats in some of -the park squares is amusing. The park workers keep moving the seats -from shade to sun, and in the evening and on cloudy days the -"never-works" are told to "move on." But the idlers enjoy sweet -revenge from the fact that no one else has a chance to sit in the -shade in the daytime. - -It is hard on one who has been used to three meals a day to practice -the principle of the old adage, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," -for only two meals a day are served. Of course, one gets coffee and -rolls for breakfast, but more than that brief menu is unknown to the -Argentinian. The noontime meal is called breakfast, and dinner is -served about 7 o'clock. - -Olives, potato chips, peanuts and cigarettes are accessories that go -with refreshments at the "sidewalk dining-rooms" in Buenos Aires. -People may be seen for hours taking sips of liquid from small glasses, -then a potato chip will be snapped in two parts; next a few puffs of a -cigarette; another sip; a peanut shell is then cracked and a kernel -eaten; another sip of liquid; next an olive; more cigarette puffs, and -so on. - -Churches and church holidays being numerous, banks are closed on these -occasions for four or five days. What is known as "the American -Church" attracts many of the English-speaking people of that city. - -In addition to the Argentine being a grain and cattle country, fruit -trees and grapevines bear heavy yields. Fig and peach trees, which are -numerous, yield abundant good fruit, and some bunches of grapes will -half fill a water bucket. - -Gentility is denoted in the Argentine by a long little fingernail. A -fingernail could not grow from one to two inches long on the hand of -one engaged in daily toil, for it would break off. Hence a man with a -long fingernail is included in the list of "retired" citizens. - -The dwelling houses and buildings of all sorts are substantially -built. Brick is generally used, and this is covered with several -inches of cement. A courtyard is a feature of all buildings, with a -veranda around, and more rooms open on the court than on the street. -Strong iron bars protect the windows in a great many instances, while -the street doors are very heavy and the locks big and strong. Most of -the dwelling houses are one and two stories in height, but some of the -hotel and business buildings are from three to seven stories high. The -higher buildings are of steel frame construction, which is known as -"the American system." - -One will find splendid stores, with goods attractively displayed in -large, wide windows. Church buildings are numerous, and some of the -government buildings large and imposing. Several of the newspapers are -large, newsy and well printed. Linotype machines, web presses--all the -modern machinery in use in the North--will be found in the emporium of -South America. - -Portuguese is the language of Brazil, Spanish of the Argentine, and -any one going to these countries to transact business without first -acquiring an inkling of these languages will find himself at a great -disadvantage. The foreigner who can speak both languages will succeed -much better than the person who sticks to his native tongue. - -The pickpocket of Buenos Aires is said to be as deft at his trade as -are his clever colleagues in the City of Mexico. The great number of -thieves here may be the reason for the presence of bars in front of -windows, heavy doors and strong locks on buildings. - -I had work offered to me at my trade in that city, but one who had -been used to receiving $5 a day does not relish working for $3 a day -for the same duties. Besides, just then the surface of my funds had -been scarcely scratched. - -I stopped at a boarding house, paying $2 a day for my keep, occupying -a small room next to the roof, with the only window a little larger -than the port hole of a ship. It behooved one to be promptly in his -seat at the table at mealtime, in order to prevent remonstrance that -would justifiably be made by the inner man until the next meal if the -rules of strict punctuality were not conformed to. - -One notices an improvement in the condition of the working people in -both Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires over that seen in Lisbon. Poverty -is not a feature of either city, more particularly in Buenos Aires. - -My fare from New York to Buenos Aires was $150, and the distance -traveled was 9,852 miles. From New York direct to Buenos Aires is some -6,000 miles, and the fare, third-class, $90, first-class, $240, there -being no second-class rate. Third-class travel is generally -unsatisfactory, and a first-class ticket would have cost more than I -cared to spend on the first leg of my journey. It was a 26-day sail -from Southampton to Buenos Aires. - -From Buenos Aires direct across to Capetown, South Africa, is 3,600 -miles; by way of Madeira 9,500 miles, and second-class fare $250. This -large sum of money for a ticket set me inquiring if there was no other -way to get to South Africa without traveling nearly half the distance -around the world. A tramp ship going to Asia and stopping at Durban, -South Africa, for bunker coal was one's only hope of avoiding the long -and tedious journey by way of Madeira and the big expense. Four -different captains who had received orders to sail to India did not -want to take a passenger with them, giving as their reason that "it -was against the Act" for tramp ships to carry travelers. The fifth -captain seen, however, agreed to take me across to Durban for $50. -Here was a saving of $200. - -That being my first introduction to tramp ship travel, I faced the -voyage with some mistrust, as merchantmen, as a rule, are slow, are -not equipped with wireless telegraphy appliances, and one does not -know what may happen when sailing on the high seas. But the captain -had a good face, which inspired me with confidence. - -"Meet me at the British Consul's office to-morrow morning at 10 -o'clock," the captain instructed, "for you'll have to ship as an 'A. -B.' (able-bodied seaman), as the 'Act' does not allow us to carry -passengers." "Aye, aye, sir," in sailor style, was my answer to his -instructions. - -"How much are you going to pay this man?" asked the consul. "Ten -shillings ($2.40) a month," answered the captain. "A pretty cheap 'A. -B.'" sagely remarked the consul. - -"The ship is the one with a red funnel, having a yellow circle around -it close to the top. _Bertha Clay_ is her name. Be aboard at 3 o'clock -at the latest, as we shall sail between 3 and 4," was the final -instruction by the captain. - -"You found her all right?" the skipper remarked, when he had come -aboard his ship. A cargo of coal had just been unloaded, and the dust -was an inch deep on the deck. - -Later a long blast from the whistle was blown, and in a short time a -rope from a tug had been fastened to the _Bertha Clay_, when she was -slowly drawn from the dock into the narrow channel, which was solidly -walled by ships. We had started for "Darkest Africa." - - - - -LEG TWO - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -The evening sun was sinking fast as we were being towed from the inner -harbor of the Argentine metropolis to the broad expanse of -gray-colored water of the River Plate. - -Berths were short on the _Bertha Clay_, as the skipper had informed me -before I had boarded his ship I would have to sleep in the chart room. -Charts and other navigating paraphernalia were kept in this room, and -the wheel house was on top of the chart room roof. "Sleep on the couch -to-night," instructed the captain, "and to-morrow I'll try to have a -berth put up for you, which will be more restful." - -Next morning found the tramp ship at sea, and behind, in the distance, -the panorama of Montevideo, built on a hillside, was kept in view till -lost to sight. "If you prefer land to sea view," the captain remarked -later, "take a good look yonder, for, with the exception of a small, -uninhabited island 1,200 miles to the east, it is the last land we -shall see until we reach the South African coast. That is Lobos -Island, off the Uruguayan coast, at which we are looking, on which -large numbers of seal assemble." - -For six days out from the Plate the weather was summer-like, and these -were pleasantly spent sailing over a smooth sea. Talent is generally -found among sailors, and during the evening some of the crew would -sing, others dance, or boxing bouts would take place; wrestling -matches also were listed among the means of entertainment. Then the -weather changed for the worse, and evening sports were discontinued. - -The captain had brought with him eight sheep and a couple of dozen -live chickens, as this ship carried no ice. A sheep was killed each -week, and we had chicken twice weekly, so, between the sheep and the -chickens, we had fresh meat three times a week. - -"Keep a look out for Gough Island," suggested the captain to his first -officer, "for it should be in sight by four o'clock." At 4:15 the -mate, opening the door, reported, "Land port abeam, sir!" The island -proved to be a small, rocky and uninhabited sea "oasis." "No more land -until we reach Africa," said the skipper. - -The weather had grown stormy, the sea rough, and the _Bertha Clay_ was -rolling badly. She pitched, tossed and rolled so much, in fact, that -the "A. B." had "callouses" on his hips through being slammed back and -forth against the sides of his bunk in the chart room. - -Masters of ships usually have an easy time at sea. After they have -left a port, the next few days are occupied in straightening their -accounts. From then on, if the weather be at all favorable, little -work is done save at noontime, when the sun is sighted, by which means -alone the course is maintained. Each officer has a sextant, and from -two to four of these are pointed sunward from ten to fifteen minutes -before the orb has reached the zenith. - -A captain of a tramp ship is generally sent from port to port by cable -from the owners to their agent. After the cargo has been unloaded, he -may remain in a port for days, or even weeks, waiting for orders to -sail; but sometimes he has little idea to what part of the world he -may be directed to go. The cable directions may read "Capetown." He -heads his ship for that port, but does not know whence he will be sent -until given instructions by the company's agent on arrival. - -The salary paid some sea captains is small, compared to the -responsibility assumed. English and other European shippers pay -masters of tramp ships from $100 to $130 a month, while captains of -American ships receive double that sum. Perquisites, however, may come -to a skipper in connection with his calling. Coal firms generally give -the master of a ship a commission on fuel supplied, and chandlers -maintain the same custom when furnishing stores. - -Sea charts with which captains are furnished are marvels of exactness -to a landsman, shoals, rocks, lights, jutting points of land, sea -currents and courses being as clearly marked as are rivers, turnpikes -and railways on land maps. With a good navigator there is little -danger of getting off the course if the sky be clear at noontime. It -is in cloudy periods, when officers cannot get their bearings from the -sun, that danger may occur. - -Rainy weather and clear days are the same to a sailor aboard -merchantmen. Though sailors on a tramp ship rest on Sunday, firemen -and officers have no day off. Chinese, Arabs and Indians, the latter -called "lascars," form the crew of a large number of British ships. -From $12 to $16 a month were the wages then paid. On American ships -white sailors receive $40 a month. - -Two hundred miles a day was all the _Bertha Clay_ was traveling. Her -smoke funnel was white with salt from the waves of the sea dashing -against it. Some of the officers gathered in the little saloon every -evening, when the hours were whiled away until bedtime by indoor -amusements. - -Sea birds of the Southland are different from those that accompany -ships above the equator. No traveler who has the noble albatross as a -companion can refrain from devoting hours and hours of time during a -voyage to watching and admiring the smooth, graceful movements of this -large bird. Sometimes as many as a hundred of these handsome soarers -may be seen encircling the ship for as long as an hour at a time, -seldom flapping their wings. In far southern waters the albatross -generally joins an outgoing vessel from 200 to 400 miles from shore, -and is not seen when a ship is the same distance from land at the -other side of the ocean, although companions for weeks before. Its -color is generally gray and white, but some are snow white, and -occasionally brown-colored ones are seen with the others. These birds -are as large as a swan, some measuring twelve feet from wingtip to -wingtip. But many a sailor has lost his life when falling from a -vessel in parts of the sea inhabited by the albatross. The great bird -will pounce on anything it sees in the water, and, being so strong, -the beak will penetrate the skull of a person at the first attack. -Navigators say that it will not live during transit across the -equator. The mollemoke is another companion sailors have with them -when traveling south of the equator. This bird, while not so large, -resembles the larger specie both in poise and color, and also mingles -with the albatross during a voyage. Feeding on garbage thrown from the -ship seemed to be the chief attraction to the fowl. A very pretty sea -bird seen in far southern waters is the Cape pigeon. The pigeon is as -large as a sea-gull, but in color is like the guinea fowl--spotted -white and black--but of much brighter color. The snowbird is another -companion that follows a ship in the southern seas, but only in -sections where the weather has become chilly. The petrel is also found -in these parts, and still another, a small, dark colored bird, no -larger than a swallow, appears in large numbers at intervals. Sailors -call these Mother Carey's chickens. All these fowl are one's -unfettered companions while traveling through watery Southland, save -an occasional whale. Sea-gulls do not appear. - -It was eighteen days since we sailed from Buenos Aires, and twelve of -these had been stormy. The "A. B." was near the captain while he -studied the chart, at 9 o'clock one evening, when the mate came into -the chart room. "Mr. Jones," said the captain to the first officer, -"keep a sharp lookout, as we should see the Cape of Good Hope light by -10 o'clock, or thereabouts." "Aye, aye, sir," he replied, as he passed -out, and then scaled the ladder to the bridge. The sea had calmed as -we neared the African coast. Less than an hour later the skipper and -the "A. B." were chatting, when the door opened. The mate, putting his -head between the door and jamb, in sea manner, announced: "Flash light -port abeam, sir!" It was the Cape of Good Hope light. We had reached -another continent--the African. - -For five more days we sailed in sight of the green, treeless hills of -South Africa, using glasses frequently, as may be imagined, eager to -see houses, cattle and grain fields. Finally we came in sight of the -Bluff, the beacon of Port Natal. Soon we were opposite the entrance -channel to the harbor, when anchor was cast. Shortly after a harbor -boat was seen coming through the channel. Later a rowboat, manned by -Zulus, headed toward the _Bertha Clay_, in which was a white man -dressed in a white suit. The captain shouted to the man in white, -asking if we could get into the harbor before night. It was then -nearly sunset. The answer from the rowboat was, "I'm coming." This was -the skipper's first trip to a country where white clothes were worn, -and he mistook the man in the rowboat to be the port doctor. One -unfamiliar with customs in that part of South Africa--or, in fact, -anywhere--would never dream of seeing a grizzled sea pilot dressed in -an immaculate white suit of clothes. It proved to be the man who was -to steer our ship safely to harbor. "All well?" he inquired--the usual -salute--when his rowboat had reached speaking distance of the tramp -ship. "All well," replied the master of the _Bertha Clay_. When the -pilot had drawn alongside our vessel, he began to wriggle up the rope -ladder at the side of the ship, the usual means of boarding and -disembarking under such circumstances. - -We anchored in the harbor as twilight was hastily changing to -darkness. "Supper is ready," announced the steward when the anchor -chain was silenced. As ship food had no charm for the "A. B." when -land food was available, he hurriedly made steps for the ladder at the -side. This settled matters concerning eating supper aboard ship that -evening, as the captain shouted, "Wait." Soon the skipper also started -down the ladder, and the master of the _Bertha Clay_ and his passenger -had dinner ashore. - -We had stepped foot on Leg Two. - -The captain wished the "A. B." to return to the ship and sleep in his -recently vacated bunk in the chart room that night--"the last night," -as he put it--but my feeling of relief at the thought of not having -longer to occupy that "cabin," in which the bedclothing had often been -made damp through waves dashing against and over the ship, together -with several inches of water at times covering the floor, might be -compared to those that one would experience on leaving a "house of -trouble." - -"You'll have to come to the port office in the morning and get paid -off and discharged," remarked the captain, after we had finished -eating the best meal we had had for nearly a month. Meeting at the -time designated, the formality of paying off was gone through with, in -accordance with maritime law. The "A. B." was handed $2.40 for his -"work" during the voyage, but the money did not reach his pockets, as -it was handed back to the genial skipper. The provisions of the "Act" -had been complied with--in name. - -The _Bertha Clay_, with her bunkers full of coal, left the following -day for Cochin-China--6,000 miles further east--thirty days' more -sailing. - -"Sixty cents a day" (the minimum legal charge for a person's food on -English ships) "is all it will cost you if you will come with us," -inducingly spoke the captain to his discharged "able seaman," while -shaking hands warmly, a short time before the _Bertha Clay_ sailed out -of the harbor. The skipper's generous offer was declined. - -The passenger left behind sought the highest point of the seashore to -watch the tramp ship sail on her initial stretch to Asia. She dipped -her nose in the sea and wobbled and pitched as she had done for -twenty-three days during her former voyage. It was not long before -only an outline of the hulk was in view. Then that disappeared -altogether, when all that remained in sight was the smoke funnel. Soon -that also had faded to but a speck, and a short time later the _Bertha -Clay_ became hidden in a hazy horizon. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -With a population of a hundred thousand, Durban is the chief seaport -of South Africa. Located on the Indian Ocean, it is known also as Port -Natal. Among the inhabitants, colored people of varied races comprise -two-thirds of the population. With the native black there is the -Indian, or Hindu, Arabs, Malays and half-castes from islands located -near the East African coast. The phrase "Darkest Africa" is even more -emphasized by the presence of the dark races that are not natives of -the country. - -Untidiness and unsanitary conditions invariably prevail where black -races are in the majority, especially so where the percentage is three -to one white person; but a pleasant surprise is met with here in this -respect, as few cities anywhere surpass Durban in cleanliness, whether -composed entirely of white people or a predominating number of blacks. -Almost the whole white population is British. - -To the east and south, as one comes through a channel from the sea to -the harbor, a ridge of land known as the Bluff, thickly verdured with -low trees and wild flowers, offers such an inviting setting to a -visitor that one forms a favorable opinion of Durban before he has -stepped off a ship. That foreground is as green in the winter months -as during the summer, for it is summertime in Durban the year round. -After having passed through the channel into the bay, the harbor is -seen landlocked on one side by the city, and on the other side and end -by the evergreen Bluff and more verdure. It is Durban's splendid -harbor, reasonable port dues, up-to-date facilities for coaling ships, -and splendid docks that has gained for her the title of premier -seaport of the South Indian Ocean. Her modern maritime facilities are -the result of energy by the Durban business man more than to natural -advantages, for the entrance channel had to be dug out and the harbor -dredged. - -The business houses are built of brick, cement and stone, some of them -being seven stories high. The stores are large, of fine appearance, -with attractive windows. No place of Durban's size can boast of better -buildings or better stores. - -One of the largest and best built structures to be found south of the -equator is the Durban Town Hall. This building, of brick and cement, -is a city block in size and three stories in height. The scope of this -hall may be understood when it is mentioned that under its roof is -contained a public museum, an art gallery, public library, theater, -councilors' chambers, besides offices for the city officials. The -building is not only large and imposing, but the architects have -succeeded in giving the structure an artistic finish. The Town Hall of -to-day should meet the requirements of the Durban Corporation -centuries hence, and would be a credit to a city of a million -inhabitants. - -A good bathing beach and a well-laid-out and well-appointed park do -not, as a rule, go together, but one finds this dual comfort at this -part of the Indian Ocean. Scattered about the terraced lawn have been -built substantial kiosks and pagodas, with thatched roofs, which lend -to the surroundings a decidedly Oriental air. These have been provided -with comfortable seats, and, with the soft breezes nearly always -coming from the Indian Ocean, enviable restfulness is assured to even -nervous wrecks. Then stone walls, with alcoves built in to add to the -seating capacity of the park, together with flowering vines creeping -up and over and then drooping, form a means of shelter and rest, -adding more attractiveness to the surroundings. Above the beach and -park are splendid hotels, some without doors, and all with wide, -inviting verandas. - -Sharks--man-eaters--are so numerous along the Natal coast that the -bathing enclosure is closely studded with iron rods to prevent the -voracious sea beasts from mangling and killing bathers, as would -happen were there no means provided to keep the sharks away from the -holiday-maker. - -The Berea is a residential section of Durban, and for landscape and -floral effect is a notable feature. On a range of hills rising several -hundred feet, overlooking the business portion of the city and the -Indian Ocean, many Durbanites live in broad-verandaed homes, shaded -with semi-tropical flowering trees, perpetually blooming plants, vines -growing so luxuriantly that the porches, and often the sides, of the -houses are shut in by a green and floral portiere, as it were. Added -to this attractiveness are various species of palms and clusters of -giant and Japanese bamboo. Some of the flowered hedges enclosing these -building plots are so gorgeous in rich color and shape as to make a -Solomon green with envy. - -The flambeau tree, indigenous to the Island of Mauritius--"the flower -garden tree," it may be termed--is conspicuous on the Berea, both as -to numbers and floral beauty. This tree, with fern-shaped leaf, does -not grow over twenty-five feet in height, but it is of a spreading -nature, its shade in some instances measuring fifty feet across--twice -its height. It is in flower about a month, from the middle of December -to the middle of January--Junetime south of the equator. The color of -the flower is a bright red, as large and the shape of a sewing -thimble, and grows in clusters of eight and ten in number. When in -bloom, this bright red aerial garden may be seen from a distance of a -mile, so the reader can picture what a gorgeous floral effect is -displayed when hundreds of these handsome trees are in flower at the -same time. - -The rosebush seemed to be the only plant of the nature of bush or tree -that overrides lines, climates and seas. It is no doubt the most -cosmopolitan plant that grows, and is to be seen in about the same -beauty and diffuses its fragrance in the same degree in nearly all -parts of the world. All the trees seen growing south of the equator -appeared foreign to those growing in the United States. - -The Christ thorn--said to be the same as the one that pierced the brow -of the Savior on Mount Calvary--grows abundantly in Natal. In some -instances the bush is used for hedge fences, and when allowed to grow -to a height of from two to four feet it makes a spiky obstruction, as -the prongs are an inch in length, grow numerous on the stock, little -thicker than a knitting needle, and are almost as sharp as a sewing -needle. The thorn, which is of a creeping nature, like a grapevine, is -more generally used as a border for a flower pot, however. As its name -naturally calls up memories of the deep-stained crime of nearly 2,000 -years ago, one scrutinizes it closely. The Christ is a flowering -thorn, and the flower is red, not larger than a wild strawberry's. -These grow in a group from one stem, each cluster numbering from two -to ten flowers--always even--two, four, six, eight and ten--never in -odd numbers. - -Some of the trees growing here bud and bloom twice a year. These -interesting changes do not take place in the same way that nature does -her work in the colder climates--by the leaves falling off in the fall -of the year and the buds coming in the spring. With these trees the -old leaf remains until forced off the limb by the new bud. About six -weeks' time is required for nature to change from the old to the new. -During this period new buds bulge from the tips of the limbs, when the -old leaf will fall to the ground. This change is gradually -progressing, until sections of the tree offer a clean, fresh, bright, -green-leafed appearance, while on other parts the dull-green, -dust-soiled leaf offers a striking contrast. Between the months of -February and March and August and September the new leaf replaces the -old. - -There is really little timber in South Africa, as the trees grow low -and are of a spreading character. Naturally, the shade cast by them is -much wider than that afforded by high trees. Where brush grows, it is -found to be a dense thicket or jungle, in which monkeys disport -themselves at will, and is often the home of the python also, a -reptile frequently seen along the Natal coast. Shooting monkeys in the -brush is a common amusement. - -Outside the city are banana plantations, and sometimes patches of corn -and pumpkins. In order to prevent crops from being partly eaten by -monkeys, laborers are out in the fields at daylight setting traps to -catch the "missing links" or shooting them. The monkeys are very -destructive to crops growing in fields bordered by bushy land. A -monkey's gluttony often renders his cunning of no avail, and for that -trait he becomes an easy prey. Calabashes grow everywhere in South -Africa, and it is by this vegetable the monkey is generally trapped. -The calabash is dug out, or partly so, and cornmeal, calabash seeds -and other monkey edibles are put inside and then made fast. A small -hole, just large enough for a monkey to wriggle his supple fingers in -and contracted paw through, is made in the vegetable. When no one is -about, the monkey makes a start for the calabash trap and is soon -eager to find out what is inside. He then begins working his paw -through the opening, and when he has reached the cornmeal, seeds and -other bait he grabs a handful. It is then that his gluttony proves his -downfall. The opening that admitted his empty paw is too small to -allow his clenched fist to be withdrawn, so he pulls and tugs for -hours to get his paw through the hole, but will not let go of the food -even while being put to death by his captors. - -"Are there any automobiles in South Africa?" asked a friend in a -letter. Perhaps others will ask a similar question concerning the -presence of other modern appliances in a far-off part of the world. -One will not meet with elevated railroads, tunnels under wide rivers, -underground railway systems, or buildings from twenty to fifty stories -in height, for the reason that the cities of South Africa are not -large enough to require these modern public utilities; but one will -meet with modern electric light systems, telephone, telegraph and -wireless telegraphy systems, automobiles, motorcycles, motor trucks, -most up-to-date fire-fighting apparatus, modern farm machinery, -typesetting machines, web presses--all the modern machinery and -appliances with which cities of the same size in the North are -equipped will be found in the cities of the far Southland. - -White drill clothes are worn by two-thirds of the men of Durban; also -white shoes and a white, light-weight helmet. A suit costs from $2.50 -to $6, and a wardrobe contains from three to half a dozen. In addition -to the drill, a majority of mechanics and clerks can vary their -apparel by wearing woolen, flannel and even evening-dress suits. Women -also generally adhere to white clothes and often a helmet similar to -the style worn by men, together with white shoes, white hand-bag, and -white parasol. - -The standard of intelligence of the people is high. A majority in the -coast cities are from the United Kingdom. Scotch and English are the -more numerous, the Irish and Welsh being less in evidence. Among a -group of men, the colonials (white persons born in South Africa of -British parents) are nearly always in the minority. - -It is only in very small towns in South Africa where a public library -would not be open to all who wished to take advantage of its benefits. -Durban is well supplied with public schools, a technical school open -for both day and night classes; Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A. institutions, -splendid library, art gallery, museum; is thickly spired and turreted -with good church buildings; and, for recreation, there is a promenade, -fringed with beautiful palms and shady trees, with seats under them, -for a mile on one side, and the bay on the other; parks and sports -grounds scattered throughout the city; a botanical garden and a -zoological park. All these institutions of education, religion and -recreation are to be found 10,000 miles from America, on the fringe of -"Darkest Africa." - -In order that the reader may clearly distinguish between white and -black, a note of the distinctive terms in use here might not be out of -place. A "native" is a kafir or negro; a "colonial" is one born in -South Africa of white parents, generally applied to English-speaking -people; Dutch means a Boer, and Boer means Dutch; the word -"Africander" also means Dutch. But for all whites--Dutch, colonial, -and foreign-born--the word "European" is used to designate the white -from the black. The word "white" is seldom used. Indian coolie, or -Indian, is a native of India, or of Indian parentage. "Colored" means -a person of Malay and white blood. Half-castes are of negro and white -blood. A "boy" means a kafir servant or a laborer. A native servant 40 -years of age would be called a "boy." - -House servants in South Africa are native boys, and Indian women and -girls are often employed as nurses. Occasionally one sees a native -woman looking after children; but the native boy--the "umfaan," as he -is called in the Zulu language--from 10 to 18 years of age, is the -standby as a house servant in the Province of Natal. The houseboy -wears clothes that denote his occupation, and generally presents a -neat appearance. His wage varies from $2 to $5 a month. Most of the -umfaans make good servants, particularly the Zulu boys. Unlike his -American brother, he is an early riser. - -"Umfaan peril--protection for the children"--is the light in which a -great many of the Europeans see their dependency on the umfaan as the -servant. While Indian women and some native women look after the -children, more umfaans will be seen wheeling baby carriages than black -maids. Such a thing as a European servant is almost unheard of in -South Africa. So, how to have the children looked after by other than -black male servants is a burning question in the province. Conventions -are held regularly at the instance of women's children protection -societies, leagues and similar organizations, at which the ablest -minds of the country deal with the "umfaan peril." But no solution has -yet been found to check the degradation that follows in the wake of -such a system of taking care of children. Men and women who have made -a study of the "peril," and who are familiar with customs, are loth to -place all the blame for undesirable conditions on the native, -nevertheless. A large number of native girls are not allowed by their -parents to come to the cities or towns as servants. While they live in -the kraal on the veld no concern is felt for the future of the girls; -but so soon as they leave the native hut to go into service in the -towns their future is in doubt. So, with no native girls to be had as -servants, the umfaan's services for the present are indispensable. - -South Africa has proved an Arcadia for a great number of poor girls. -Mill and shop girls of Great Britain who had dreamed of being the wife -of a man dressed in white clothes from feet to head, of living in a -wide verandaed house, trellised all around, with flowering vines -climbing all about the porch, with the picture varied by the hum of -bees or humming birds; with palms, exotics and flowers growing about -the house and yard; with bearing banana plants, mango trees and rows -of luscious pineapples growing in the yard--all encompassed by a -flowering hedge of big, bright hibiscus bush; with a foreground of a -steepled city and a broad blue ocean, and a background of spreading -fern-leafed trees emblazoned with scarlet and lavender-colored -flowers; with an ayah (Indian maid) to be at her beck and call and a -black boy to do the housework and bring her breakfast to her room; to -be drawn from her home to the shopping center of the city and back by -a big and swift Zulu ricksha puller, with long cow horns secured to -each side of his head--that dream has come true to thousands of poor -girls who have married in this section of South Africa. - -Most wives from Great Britain, however, prove white elephants to men -living in the colonies. They are eternally going "home," as the -British Isles are termed, and the husband's nose is "kept on the -grindstone" to meet the expense required. The home "holiday" is seldom -less than six months, and is frequently eighteen months, during which -period the husband is maintaining two homes--the one in the colony and -sending money to Great Britain to meet the expense of his family in -that country. On the other hand, the climate of Southern Natal and -Zululand is hard on the white woman. The easy life they live, and -their fascinating surroundings, are not reflected in face or in -physique. It is unusual to see a buxom, rosy-cheeked woman or girl in -Durban. The face is white and features lifeless. The climate in that -part of South Africa seems to not only make them jaded, but -crow's-feet and deeper wrinkles mark the faces of most women at a -period in life when the features should be free of these ageing signs. -The children suffer from the climate to the same degree as the women, -most of them having thin bodies, thin arms, thin blood and spindled -legs. Men also are affected by the climate, but not to the same degree -as women and children. Illustrative of the size of men in Southern -Natal, it may be noted that ready made suits of clothes of size 40 and -over are not kept in stock by merchants, as there is no call for -them; few men attain that girth. It is doubtful also if one could find -a collar of size 17. - -The horse of Natal is a hungry-looking beast. This is owing to the -grass generally being of a wiry nature, which the animal cannot -digest, and a better quality, if eaten when dew is on it, proves very -injurious to the system. Smoldering fires are lit in stables in the -evening so that the smoke will keep mosquitoes from the premises. -These insects are said to inject disease germs into any horse they -bite. Large, vicious flies prove another menace to horses. The bite of -these flies often draws blood, and as a result white hairs grow from -the bitten parts. So many of these white hair spots appear on the -bodies of black and bay horses that they often give a beast the -appearance of being an iron-gray color. In certain sections of the -Province of Natal horses cannot live. - -Favored with a delightful climate and a good bathing beach, Durban is -a noted winter resort in that part of the world. The weather during -the "season"--from May to October--is like the American Indian summer -save for the absence of Jack Frost. At this time of year people from -Johannesburg and other sections of the high veld come in large numbers -to this point of the coast to spend their vacations. Circuses also pay -their annual visits; hotel-keepers raise prices; rooming house -proprietors double rates; fakirs are numerous; talented tramps--street -singers--are heard in front of hotels, looking for any spare change -that may come from verandas and windows; Zulu ricksha pullers become -ambitious for an extra "holiday" fare--every one tries to get rich off -the visitor, and the air is charged with music, merriment and life at -every turn. - -In the way of amusement, moving pictures predominate, although -theatrical people of world reputation frequently tour South Africa. -Concerts in the Town Hall Sunday evenings, held under municipal -auspices, are a popular form of entertainment, these being in charge -of the borough organist, a city official. Military bands in the gala -season entertain the populace morning, afternoon and evening at the -Beach and in parks. Besides these attractions, boating, fishing, horse -racing, military sports tournaments, and the general athletic sports -figure largely in the life of the place. - -Dwellings are nearly always at a premium, these renting for from $15 -to $35 a month; but few houses are available for the lesser sum. The -standard of living may be gauged by these charges, as people receiving -small salaries could not pay high rentals. The wages of clerks, -salesmen and mechanics range from $65 to $100 a month. In many Durban -homes will be found a piano, a phonograph, good furniture, often a -good collection of horns and skins, pictures--the home of no -workingman of any country could be better furnished than the Durban -breadwinner's. - -"Did you attend the funeral yesterday?" was asked of a lady whose -relative had been buried the day before. "Oh, no!" she answered, much -surprised at the question; "only men attend funerals." The absence of -women at subsequent burials proved this to be the custom here. A body -must be put under ground within 24 hours after death. Were a person to -die at 7 o'clock in the morning, the burial would take place during -the day. When information has been given that a person has died, it is -understood that the funeral will take place in a few hours. - -One making a visit to the black belts would use good judgment were he -to leave behind the word "woman" when applied to white women. "Woman" -in these countries is used only when speaking of black or colored -persons. "Lady" is always used when referring to a white woman. One -will find a similar distinction in vogue in the negro sections of the -United States. - -"Toff" is an English term used to denote a good dresser--a sort of -dandy. As most of the clothes worn by men are tailor-made, a great -many "toffs" may be seen in Durban. The cheapest suit one can have -made costs $22, but from $25 to $40 is the general price. - -Natal, unlike the other provinces of South Africa, has always been -English, particularly the coast section, which accounts for few -manufacturers being in evidence from other countries. But among -American products are shoes, sewing machines and illuminating oil. -Some powerful locomotives in use are of American manufacture and are -imported chiefly to pull trains up heavy grades. The cooking stove in -general use here is the kerosene oil sort, most of them of American -make. In recent years, exports from the United States to the -sub-continent (as South Africa is often termed) have increased to the -creditable figures of 35 to 40 per cent. - -"Will you please look at the fireless stove?" a saleslady asked, as a -group of women passed a "kitchen" stall in a fair ground on a -provincial fair day. Turning about, there was a dish of baked beans, -seldom seen away from America; an apple pie, an article of food as -scarce in foreign parts as hens' teeth; a roast chicken, soda biscuits -(called scones in British territory) and baked potatoes. The whole -outfit had America stamped on it very strongly. All the women stopped -to witness the fireless stove "demonstration." "Where's the fire?" -asked one of the women. Then the "demonstration" began, both in action -and word. Her auditors looked with staring eyes and open-mouth as the -agent showed them and explained its working. - -Comparatively few Americans live in the Province of Natal, as at a -luncheon given by the American Consul's wife to her countrymen "a -table held us all"--thirty being present. Invitations had been sent to -a larger number, but as some of these were missionaries located in -remote places of the country all did not attend. The luncheon was -served on a Fourth of July, and what a pleasant gathering it proved to -be. Some of those present had been away from their native country as -long as forty years. Pleasant chats, speeches, toasts--the season of -good fellowship that prevailed at that Fourth of July gathering, when -we were all 10,000 miles from home, will remain among the longest -cherished memories that those present will carry with them through -life. - -Though lighting, water, a telephone system and street railways are -owned by the city, municipal ownership does not augur cheaper prices -in Durban, in spite of the fact that the rates charged the consumer -and patron insure the city not only a fair return on the capital -invested, but generally a snug surplus is shown besides. Street cars -are of double-deck style, but the fare is high. The system of paying -is by "stage"--four cents from stage to stage, and the distance -between "stages" is so arranged that the city receives about three -cents a mile from its patrons. Conductors and motormen are Europeans. - -While the street car system gives employment to white men, it is the -only department of the city that does so. The park system and the -street department work is done entirely by Indian coolies, who receive -from $3 to $5 a month. They are the most hungry looking, bony, -spindle-legged lot of creatures one might set eyes on; but it is -largely due to this cheap help that the Durban treasury is in such -good condition. - -The Indian coolie is tricky, treacherous, lying, lazy, dirty and -repulsive. He has about his loins a rag just big enough to cover his -nakedness, while the wrapping around his head--his puggaree--is as -large as a bed sheet. In other words, he makes a loin piece out of a -handkerchief, but requires yards of cloth for a head covering. - -Sugar growing being the principal industry of southern Natal, the -Indian coolie was imported to work in the sugar-cane fields. Tea also -is grown in the southern part of the province, and Indians are used in -that industry, receiving from $3 to $5 a month and board. As his main -food is rice, board does not cost much; and as he sleeps in any sort -of a shed, the sugar grower is not put to great expense for beds and -bedding. The coolie used to be brought to South Africa under what was -termed the "indenture system," the indentureship periods being from -three to five years, during which he could not leave his employer. It -was a mild form of slavery. At the end of his indentureship he was -generally shipped back to India, but could be re-employed there and -return to Africa. The sugar company paid his transportation either -way. But that expense did not greatly shrink the growers' pocketbooks, -as the coolie was shipped in the hold of a ship, which, when packed -with this class, resembled a great ant-hill. Serving two and three -terms of successive indentureship to the same employer gained for him -his freedom, when he could remain in Natal. From then on he became a -curse. The Dutch came in full control of South Africa on May 30, 1910, -and a month later marked the end of indentured coolies entering the -sub-continent. - -As is generally known, Indian girls become mothers at the age of from -12 to 14 years. Added to a resulting abnormal birth rate, compared -with Europeans, polygamy is also a custom of the Indians. Thus will -readily appear the great danger to the white interest where the Indian -gets a foothold. - -The Indian patronizes his own people, and for this reason many of the -Arab and Hindu merchants soon become wealthy. They aim to oust the -white man wherever and whenever they can do so. Their standard of -living is so much lower, and their employees work for so much less -than the white merchant must pay European help, that they can -undersell the white in most lines of business. Some of the wealthiest -men in the province are Indian merchants. - -Most of the money in use in South Africa is gold--gold sovereigns--and -silver. The gold sovereign is what the Indian is after. His savings -are sent to India in gold. Through the Durban post office was sent not -long since 65,000 gold sovereigns. Bankers and business men appealed -to the government to put a stop to sending this metal out of the -country, and when that method of depleting the gold currency had been -checked, it was sent to India secretly, most of it in packing boxes, -there being a large trade between the two countries. - -The Indian having become a running sore on the financial and social -body of Natal, the government has tried to tax the race out of the -country. The legal age of a girl is placed at thirteen years and that -of a boy at sixteen years. The tax on "legal" aged Indians is $15 a -year. So, if an Indian father had three girls over thirteen years of -age, and two sons over sixteen, making seven in the family of legal -age, the head tax would be $105. To impose such an exorbitant tax on -poor, low paid people seems a hardship. No "melting pot" that ever -simmered will assimilate the Indian with the white race, however. They -bring with them filthy habits and weird customs, and live the life of -an Indian in whatever part of the world they may be located. - -The destruction of the "gods"--Mohurrum festival--is one of the great -holidays of the Indians in Natal. This is the closing climax of a -Mohammedan ten-day festival. The festival takes place each year, which -shows that Indians do not worship stale gods, as a new one comes into -existence ten days after the drowning of the old gods. The gods on -this occasion were drowned in the Umgeni River, about three miles from -Durban. - -The fantastic hearses, in design a strange mixture of mosque and -pagoda, made up of bamboo framework covered with bright colored paper -and lavishly decorated with tinsel and gaudy ornaments, most of them -surmounted by the star and crescent on a dome, emblematic of the -Moslem faith, were followed by Indian women in brightly colored -garments, and grotesquely painted men scantily clad in loin cloths, -weird headpieces, and other trappings, who conveyed the gods to the -river. Above the noise that followed this gay holiday crowd, bent on -the destruction of Indian gods, could be heard the monotonous and -ear-racking din of the tomtom, together with a prehistoric bagpipe -here and there, and these were the only musical instruments in use to -demonstrate the feelings of this motley crowd. The pagodas are called -"taboots," and when these came to a halt--they were drawn by men--the -"tigers," men besmeared with lead, ochre and yellow-colored mud and -grease from head to foot, would give exhibitions of contortions, which -must have been pleasing to the slowly moving gods. At the river where -the gods were to meet their death had gathered a great crowd of -Indians, natives and Europeans to witness the last part played in the -Mohurrum fast and festival. "Taboot" after "taboot" was tipped and -hurled into the stream, after the priests had taken rice and other -grain from it, which they tossed into a small fire burning in an urn. -The shallow river was swarming with youngsters, and no sooner had a -"taboot" reached the water than the boys were at it, and in a short -time it was a shapeless wreck. - -On the shore of the Indian Ocean a group of Hindus were observing a -repulsive form of the Buddhist religion. About a dozen in number, they -assembled round a brass urn, six inches across and three deep, in -which burned an oil fire. Half of this number formed what we may call -an orchestra. Two of the instruments were tomtoms and the others -rounded pieces of wood, bored out, as large as a croquet ball, and -with brass bells attached. These were put over the players' hands, -rattling as they moved their wrists, the other members at the same -time chanting a dump. Close to the urn stood a cone-shaped wooden -frame, two feet high and eighteen inches at the base, covered with -flowers. To the rear lay three live hens, with strings tied to their -legs. - -The Hindus then started toward the water to the accompaniment of bells -and tomtoms. Leading were three men, the one between, who appeared -nervous, being aided by those on each side. One of the trio had thick, -black hair reaching to the waist, but none wore head covering. When -the three had waded in up to the armpits, the center man was ducked a -number of times. The music then ceased for a short period, after which -all returned to the urn. The Indian who had been immersed turned out -to be a convert to this fanatical sect. - -The orchestra resumed the chant, the man with the long hair and the -convert kneeling by the fire, the third one, a priest, standing. The -former began bending his body backward and forward, his head touching -the sand at each movement, also running his fingers through his hair. -The convert followed the actions of the other. Both worked themselves -into a state of weakness, verging on collapse, during which their -hands, at times, came in contact with the flame in the urn, but none -of the members made any effort to turn their hands from the fire, -which, of course were burned. At this stage of the ceremony both men, -their eyes rolling and only the whites showing, lay on the sand, -exhausted. The chant ceased. The priest approached the apparently -lifeless Indians with a phial in his hands. He next placed the open -end of the bottle to the nose of one, then to the other, the Hindus -raising themselves to their knees as the orchestra resumed. - -The half-revived convert then put out his tongue, the priest advancing -with what looked like an oyster fork in his hand. The orchestra -stopped--all was silent. He next took hold of the dazed, hand-burnt -disciple's tongue in one hand, and forced the tines of the fork -through that member with the other; then, quickly stepping to the -cone, took two flowers--lavender and yellow in color--and, returning, -put one flower on top of the tongue, the other underneath. No blood -flowed from the penetrated member. The Hindu stood up, apparently in a -trance, his tongue spiked. The priest again alertly stepped back and -returned with a chicken, snapping the hen's head off as if cut with a -scissors. The blood from the headless fowl was sprinkled over the -convert; then another hen was brought, killed likewise, its blood also -being sprayed over the supplicant, when the orchestra played. The -follower next bended to his knees, after which the flower cone was -lifted on his head. He rose; then the group, to the accompaniment of -the "music," walked over sand dunes in the direction of a mosque, -where, it was said, the fork would be withdrawn from the inducted -Asiatic's tongue. - -The Zulu ricksha puller is the most striking feature of that -interesting city to a visitor, as he proves an object of much -curiosity and admiration. He is in a class by himself. In stature, he -stands from 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 4 inches; in color, darker than -a mulatto, but not black; with bare legs, strong, muscular and fleet -of foot; generally ready to smile, showing his perfect teeth; standing -between two shafts by which he draws the ricksha, watching eagerly for -a fare--this gives but a meager illustration of the Zulu ricksha -puller. - -The Zulu reaches the culmination of vanity when he has fixed himself -up to look like, and to imitate the actions of, an ox, horse or mule, -for he has a veneration for these dumb animals. The larger the horns -he can wear, which are secured to a piece of cloth that fits tight to -the head, the better he is pleased. A number of long feathers often -extend from between the horns, and vari-colored grass and thin reeds, -also attached to the same place, fall to and below the waistline. -Added to this head adornment, calabashes, sometimes as large as a -cantaloupe, protrude from the side of his head. His jacket, -sleeveless, which bears designs of plaids and squares, resembling a -checker-board, extends midway between thigh and knee. His pants are a -slit knickerbocker, also extending to halfway between thigh and knee, -but from the hem fall strips of red braid six inches below. The pants -are split to allow his legs freedom when drawing the vehicle. - -The ricksha puller is eternally trying to think of something fantastic -and grotesque to wear. One fellow may be seen with his legs and feet -painted blue, representing the sky, with white spots dotted here and -there to represent stars, another with both legs painted white. At -times one leg is painted red and the other white. Also may be seen, -fastened to the puller's horns, the skull of a calf or sheep, or -perhaps of a monkey. Monkey skins, with tails attached, are worn, one -in front and the other on the back. Again, a discarded plug hat may be -hung on one horn and an empty vegetable can on the other while he is -pulling a passenger about the city. Sometimes his head looks like a -small flower garden, as he is seen trundling his ricksha about with -bright red hibiscus and carnations sticking out of his black, woolly -head at the top and from the sides. At night a small light--generally -a candle--attached to the axle of his sulky, may be seen at the sides -of streets and showing from dark alleys or from under a spreading -tree. The puller will jingle the little bell on the shafts of his -ricksha to attract the attention of a passerby. The weird trappings, -with the dim outline of the Zulu, together with his long horns showing -from the darkness, will not inspire confidence in one unfamiliar with -the native puller. In short, he appears fantastically inhuman by day -and grotesquely brutish by night. His physique, however, is an object -of admiration; mentally, he is a child. - -The ricksha is a two-wheeled, two-shaft sulky, with rubber tired -wheels, upholstered, and will seat two persons. A hood is attached to -the seating box like that of a carriage. A small bell hangs from one -of the shafts, which the puller sounds to give warning of his coming. -Under, from the center of the axle depends a bar of iron with a small -wheel at the end. This bar prevents passengers from falling out if the -ricksha should tip while going up hill. The service is good and the -fare cheap--from 6 to 50 cents--the different fare stages being -printed on a card. Like every one engaged in similar occupations, the -puller knows a stranger, and succeeds often in getting more than the -just fare from men, but women generally ask for the schedule card. - -"Ricksha!" is the only word shouted when a puller is wanted. Regular -stands for them are located in different parts of the city, and if one -feels depressed in spirits and wishes to get out of the "dumps," a -good way to have the "cloud" lifted is to shout "Ricksha!" when within -200 to 300 feet from where fifteen to twenty of the pullers are -chatting and waiting for a fare. Every one of them will spring between -the shafts, like fire horses to harness, and make a dash at full speed -to the person who shouted. The noise and rattle a group of pullers -make in approaching sounds almost like a collision between two railway -trains. - -The puller rests the shafts on the ground while his passenger is being -seated. He holds his big, strong, flat foot on the thills, so the -vehicle will not slip while one is getting aboard, until his patron -tells him to go. If one cannot speak the native language, not a word -will be spoken, for rarely does one meet a native who can speak -English. The passenger points his finger in the direction he wishes to -be drawn. The Zulu raises the shafts and, after a few slow, heavy -pulls to get the vehicle started, one is spinning along as fast as a -trolley car travels. - - [Illustration: JIM FISH WAS THE SWIFTEST PULLER THAT EVER WORE A BRACE - OF HORNS. - DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA.] - -"Jim Fish!" "Jim Fish!" they will call to a passerby, at the same time -ringing the small bell on the shafts, while advancing and acting in a -manner that suggests the person being approached had forgotten to call -a puller. Jim Fish was the swiftest puller that ever wore a brace of -horns. In a three mile race with a trolley car Jim came out ahead, -but, like Pheidippides, the Greek of the dusty past, after whose -run the Marathon has been named, he fell dead when he had crossed the -finish line. By calling out "Jim Fish" the Zulus imagine the name -suggests a fast ride. - -The puller appears at his best when traveling down grade. Just at the -head of the decline he jerks the shafts upward--this movement bringing -his back close to the dashboard--when his arms rest akimbo on the -thills. He maintains his full height during this change of position, -which is in accordance with professional ricksha pullers' custom. The -sulky naturally tilting backward--also the occupants--his body is -nearer the axle of his vehicle than when traveling over a level or -inclined surface. Aided by the weight of his passengers, the ricksha -is then almost evenly balanced. Riding on the shafts, he throws to one -side, like a jumping-jack, the big leg bearing the painted design of -the sky or openwork, and his unpainted leg to the other. He also moves -his body from side to side and assumes a labored expression, although -resting while being borne on the shafts. His body movement and stern -appearance are affected, and are, as he believes, in keeping with that -of a racehorse when coming down the home stretch, which he is -imitating. His horns and their adornment, together with the colored -grass streamers, feathers, monkey tails, checkerboard designed jacket, -calabashes, braid, flowers--all his trappings are then set full to the -wind, as the Zulu seems to actually fly through space. - -In stormy weather, which means good business for the puller, the hood -is raised, and a piece of canvas that covers the front of the ricksha -is buttoned to the sides, which protects the occupant from rain both -from above and in front. Off the Zulu goes, after he has tucked the -rug under his passenger's feet and has seen to it that the canvas -shelters his fare. The rain may be coming down in torrents, and the -water half knee deep in the streets, with the handicap of the raised -hood and front canvas against him; but patter, patter, patter he will -continue, watching for depressions, in order to sidestep them so that -his passenger will not be jolted, until he has reached the place at -which his fare wishes to alight. He will take one home in any sort of -weather, as his strong legs and body rarely fail him. - -The puller will often have nothing on but the jacket, short, split-leg -pants and trappings. He does not go to his living quarters--the -ricksha stable--and get dry clothes, as one might expect him to do, -but trundles his sulky about in the rain looking for another fare. He -pulls a ricksha from two to three years, when consumption generally -claims him as a victim. - -Twelve hundred of these stalwart natives were formerly engaged in this -kind of work, but now there are less than a thousand. The extension of -street car lines from time to time accounts for the decrease. - -The rickshas are owned by a company, and 60 cents a day is paid by the -puller for its use. All he makes over 60 cents is his own. It is said -he often earns from $2 to $3 a day, but there are also days when his -fares do not exceed the rent charge. Most of the pullers work but four -days a week. - -A "curfew" bell rings at 9 o'clock each evening, and the only native -seen about the streets who is immune from arrest after that hour is -the ricksha puller. After "curfew" a native carries a pass or a note -from his employer, either of which will save him from being taken to a -police station. It is very amusing at times to watch a Zulu policeman -question a native as to why he is out late. His only protection is the -note or his pass, which the policeman makes pretense at reading, -though he does not know A from B. - -This dusky guardian of the peace is next in interest to the ricksha -puller. His uniform is a jacket, dark blue in color, that reaches just -below the waist band. His pants are of the same material, reaching to -and covering the kneecap, where it is buttoned tight. His legs from -his knees down are bare and shine like polished ebony, for they are -oiled every day. He wears a stingy head piece called a forage cap, -generally made of blue cloth, which covers about one-third of the -head--the side--from the arch of the ear to within two inches of the -crown. This is held in place by a string looping under his chin or -resting between the chin and lower lip. Some caps have a red stripe -across the top, and all have a dent or crease. His weapon is a -knobkerry, a stick an inch round, with a knob on it as large as a -croquet ball. A pair of handcuffs is also included among this Zulu -officer's equipment. - -The European policeman of Durban, as many European women of that city, -have an easy job. The native police do any "rough" work required to -subdue black offenders, as Europeans, to whom the white policeman -would give his attention, are as a rule law abiding. The native -carries his superior's raincoat, overcoat, or any burden that the -white officer might need while on duty. A black policeman is not -permitted to arrest a European, no matter how serious the offense -against the law might be. The worst offenders are Indians; but big -thefts, safe-blowing, house breaking, hold-ups, sand-bagging, etc., -are few, which indicates the respect people have for the law in this -British stronghold. White policemen receive $75 a month, and natives -$15 a month and board. The working time is eight hours a day, with -three shifts. - -A large building without an entrance door would appear as something -unusual in Northern cities; and yet one can find such an oddity in the -far Southland. The one in question is built of brick, three stories in -height, and contains a hundred furnished rooms. The entrance is a high -archway, and just inside is an elevator and stairway. It is an English -custom to leave one's shoes outside his room door on going to bed, so -that "boots" can polish them in the morning. In front of each room, on -each side of the aisles, in this hostelry could often be seen from one -to four pairs of shoes, yet every pair would be found in the morning -where they had been placed the night before, although no porter guards -the entrance of the building nor a night watchman the interior. - -Meat is about the same price in South Africa as in America. Beef, -mutton, chicken and pork cannot be had for less than 15 to 25 cents a -pound. Irish potatoes are expensive, as most of this standby is -imported. Eggs sell at 35 to 60 cents a dozen. Apples are imported -from Australia and Canada. - -Pineapples, oranges and bananas are found on the table of nearly -every household the year round. Then there are, among other varieties -of seasonable fruit, the mango, guava, grenadilla and avacada pear. -The pineapple, when picked ripe, is as soft as our pear. These native -fruits sell at a reasonable figure. A hundred bananas can often be -bought for six cents. - -Hotel expenses are reasonable, $2 a day insuring good accommodation. -In boarding houses, good board and lodging can be had at from $30 to -$35 a month. Splendid furnished rooms can be rented at from $10 to $15 -a month. Meals in popular priced restaurants cost 30 and 35 cents. - -The sun rises from the Indian Ocean here and travels during the day on -an almost straight course, shining on the south side of the street, -the north side being partly shaded. For this reason the principal -business street of Durban is roofed on the south side, as it is -exposed to the sun from morning until sunset. The cold and warm winds -also come from a different direction than those above the equator--the -warm winds from the north and the cold winds from the south. Even the -sun seems to rise in the west and set in the east. - -Wages paid mechanics range from $3 to $4 a day of eight hours' work. -Such employment as teamster, hod carrier, street laborer, -'longshoreman, and park worker is all done by Indians and natives. The -native is paid from 25 to 50 cents a day, the latter figure being -considered good wages, while the Indian works for 10 to 15 cents a -day. Hotel work, waiting on tables, kitchen work, and even cooking, -with a few exceptions, is done by blacks, chiefly Indians. - -A white man "on his uppers" in Durban, or in any black center, for -that part, is to be pitied. If he be a mechanic, his chances for work -are none too good, and if he be an unskilled worker there is no chance -for him at all, as blacks do all the work of that sort. The United -States and Canada are the only countries--possibly Mexico, too--in -which one can travel on railroad trains without paying fare or being -put into a penitentiary. Walking on a railway track in Europe is a -prison offense. So, taking that as one's cue, a man caught stealing a -ride on a train might be tried for treason. As Durban is 7,000 miles -from England, 4,500 miles from the Argentine, 6,000 miles from -Australia and 5,000 from India, a fellow "broke" in the coast cities -of South Africa is in a sorrowful plight. The cheapest steamship -passage from South African ports to England is $80 to $100. - -Labor unions exist in South Africa, and the members take an active -part in politics. Not long since a spirited campaign was on for a seat -in the Senate. One of the foremost business men of that country was a -candidate for the office, and a union labor man, a locomotive engineer -by trade, was the opposing candidate. The lines were tightly drawn -between capital and labor in that senatorial contest. The -"one-man-one-vote" clause has yet to be drafted into the constitution -of the Union of South Africa. Only a citizen paying a certain amount -of tax during the year is allowed to vote. On the other hand, a man -holding much property, and this scattered about the country, can, as -in England, vote in as many districts as his property is located. A -wealthy man may cast half a dozen votes at an election, while the -workingman taxpayer will not, as a rule, have more than one vote. The -capitalist candidate for the Senate in this election had four votes to -cast, while the railroad man had but one. A widely known man from the -Transvaal was imported to Natal to do "heavy work" for the wealthy -candidate, and prominent labor men from the Transvaal and the Cape of -Good Hope Provinces were saying and doing all they could to make votes -for their candidate. - -"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang -separately," a labor campaigner was heard to say at one gathering, -quoting Benjamin Franklin's cynical epigram. "Of the people, by the -people, and for the people," Abraham Lincoln's immortal words, were -also used during the campaign. But the speakers of both parties were -tyros compared to the American brand of spellbinder. Election day -came, and he who had plural votes cast them, and he who had one vote -cast it. The result of an election is made known by a judge announcing -the figures from the balcony of the Town Hall. "Hear, ye! Hear ye!" a -voice was heard to command, the judge addressing the people -assembled. The engineer had 36 more votes than his wealthy competitor, -and was the third labor legislator elected to the South African Upper -House. - -Every mechanic has his "boy"--the bricklayer, carpenter, plumber, -electrician, painter--to wait on him. One might be located in the -black belt for years and not see a mechanic carry even a pair of -overalls. A mechanic may be seen any time, when working, asking his -"boy" to hand a tool that would not be two inches beyond his natural -reach. A bricklayer becomes so painfully helpless that he will neither -stoop nor reach for a brick; that is what his "boy" is for. The -carpenter must saw boards, because the native cannot saw straight, but -in every other respect he is just as helpless as the bricklayer. -Clerks even have a "boy" to hand a pen or any other thing they might -need in connection with their work. The only tradesman observed who -did his work without the aid of a "boy" was the printer and linotype -operator. And what applies to printers may be said of editors and -others engaged in the printing trade. They really work in the -old-fashioned way. Were one to take a spade in hand to prepare the -garden for vegetables, merely that act of manual labor would be very -apt to prove a bar to a further continuance of the respect of his -European neighbors, and assuredly so by the natives and Indians. - -The white man is always at his minimum energy where the black man is -depended on to do the work. We need not go farther than our Southern -States to learn that lesson. - -Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, discovered the Province of Natal -five years after Columbus set foot on the North American Continent. Da -Gama's first visit to Natal was on Christmas Day in the year 1497. As -Christmas Day is the natal day of the Savior, and as the word natal in -the Spanish and Portuguese languages is used as is the word birth in -the English language, this will explain the origin of the naming of -Natal. - -For more than three hundred years that section of South Africa -remained as Da Gama found it before white men made a settlement among -the Zulus. In 1824 a few Englishmen built temporary dwelling places on -the shores of the Indian Ocean, more Englishmen joining them from time -to time, until Durban has become one of the leading seaport cities of -the African continent. The coast section of the Province of Natal is -the only part of South Africa in which the Dutch were not the -pioneers. - -A great many humpback whales inhabit the Indian Ocean in the stretch -of sea, nearly a thousand miles long, separating Durban from Capetown. -Of late years whales have been hunted on a large scale, and each -season finds a new whaling company in the field to share in the -profits of this lucrative industry. Eight or ten factories, or -stations, most of these located a few miles from Durban, are now -engaged in utilizing the by-products of the whale. - -Harpooning whales, or whaling--to use the general term--is engaged in -at places separated by thousands of nautical miles, and, like other -water industries, has its season. Whales, like wild fowl, migrate at -certain seasons to some particular part of the great water expanse, -and return again the succeeding year. By nature, this cetacean prefers -a cold climate to a warm one. The season for their migration is at a -different period to that of the wild fowl, for the "spouter" leaves -the zone of the hot sun and swims great distances until he reaches -cooler water. Sometimes it is from the North Atlantic to the South -Atlantic or Indian Oceans, and at others from the Indian Ocean -southeasterly to the South Pacific Ocean, the water of which is cooled -by the icebergs of the South Pole section. Whales leaving the North -Atlantic in early summer for the South Atlantic Ocean know it is -cooler south of the equator than north of it. - -Americans and Norwegians engaged early in the whaling business in the -North Atlantic Ocean, and up to a few years ago American whaling ships -made frequent visits to the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans in quest -of the oil-producing leviathan. But it is to the Norwegian that credit -must be given for building up the whaling industry in the Indian -Ocean, thereby putting in circulation a large sum of money each season -that, until recent years, had been overlooked. - -From 600 to 800 of these monsters of the deep are harpooned and -rendered into oil in the Durban factories in a season--from June to -November, inclusive--the cool season in that part of the world. Thirty -tons is the average weight of whales killed in the Indian Ocean. Those -on exhibition in museums give one some idea of the size of a whale, -yet the cured specimen is a poor substitute for one which had been -"spouting" an hour before. - -Whaling boats are little larger than a big tug-boat. The whaler is -equipped with one mast, and twenty feet above the deck a long barrel -is secured to this, in which one of the crew is stationed when hunting -the great monster of the sea. The barrel is called the "crow's nest," -and from here the "lookout" scans the ocean in every direction for the -"spouting" mammoth. On the bow of the boat a cannon is secured, out of -which a harpoon is shot into the whale. The harpoon looks like a small -boat anchor. The length of the harpoon bar is four feet, and at one -end are four hooks ten inches long. The hooks are attached to the bar -by a spring, and, before being used, are bent down to the bar, and -kept in this position by strong cord. Over the end of the bar fits a -spear-pointed cap a foot long, and in this cap has been placed a -dynamite bomb. Whales are shot within thirty yards of the -boat--sometimes twenty feet. The cannon can be adjusted to any angle. -When the spear-pointed cap enters the whale, the bomb explodes, -snapping in two the cord with which the four hooks were tied to the -bar, when the hooks spring outward--like an open umbrella--inside the -whale. - -The vital spot aimed at is the lungs. If the aim proves true, the -large mammal falls a victim to the ugly weapon, and dies instantly. If -the harpoon goes wide, the whale heads for the bottom. A long, strong -rope is secured to one end of the harpoon bar, and the whale is given -liberal latitude for his deluded effort to escape. Soon the rope -slackens, when the whaler knows the "spouter" is coming to the -surface to breathe. In the meantime, another harpoon has been placed -in the cannon, and when the whale appears this one is shot into the -crippled monster, putting an end to his fight for life. It sometimes -occurs, however, that the whale breaks the rope fastened to the eye of -the harpoon, when he escapes, carrying the treacherous weapon in his -ponderous frame. - -When dead, the great "catch" is drawn to the side of the boat by the -rope secured to the harpoon. His tail flippers, which are from 10 to -12 feet long, are cut off, to allow of convenient handling of the -cumbersome carcass. A chain is then put around his delimbed tail, the -winches revolve, and, when his tail has been drawn up close to the bow -of the boat, a start is made for the wharf, leaving behind a wake of -red sea, discolored by the blood running out of his mouth and from the -rent in his body where the harpoon entered. - -At the wharf, the boat chain is loosened and the harpoon rope cut. A -chain from the shore is next wound round his tail, a signal given the -engineer to start the machinery, and the great cetacean is slowly -drawn up a slipway out of the water. When drawn to the head of the -slipway, the body continues moving on to a wide flat car, the railway -track on which the car rests being sunk to a depth level with the top -of the slipway. One flat car is not long enough to afford room for the -huge wanderer of the deep, and a portion is drawn on to a second car. -An engine backs down, is coupled to the "whale train," and a start -made for the factory. The harpoon remains in the whale until the body -is cut to pieces. - -At the factory, the whale is drawn off the car on to the "dissecting" -platform by another chain secured to the tail. Men, with long-handled -knives, then make deep cuts--one in its back and another in the -underpart--from the point of the jaw to the tail, and another deep cut -the full length of the carcass. The spaces between these incisions are -three feet at the underpart and from five to six feet on the back. -This part of the process is called "flencing." At the point of the jaw -a piece of flesh is cut until it is released from the bone, and a -small hole is cut out of the released part. A kafir, bare-headed and -bare-footed, brings a chain, and the hook of it is put through the -hole made in the released end of flesh at the whale's jaw. A signal -being given a man at the winches to start, the piece of released hide -begins to peel from the jaw, then down to the shoulder, and further -still. When the winches stop, a slab of hide 40 to 50 feet long, six -feet wide, and six inches thick--from the point of the jaw to the -whale's tail--is stretched out on the platform inside up. The skin -from the back and sides of the whale peels off almost as smoothly as -does the skin of a banana from that fruit. The skin at the underpart, -however, does not peel so freely, requiring cutting of the flesh by -the flencer in a similar way to that of severing threads when ripping -a seam in a garment. The underpart of the hide is but three inches -thick. These slabs or strips of flesh, of which six or seven are -procured from a whale, is the blubber, and from the blubber comes the -best grade of oil. - -Kafirs, with long-handled knives, cut chunks--about 18 inches long and -12 inches wide--from the slabs, which are thrown into a hopper in -which are revolving knives, these cutting the flesh into small pieces, -which drop into elevator buckets, later emptying into boiling tanks -located on a floor above. In these vats the oil is boiled out of the -blubber. - -The whalebone, located in the enormous mouth, is yet to be removed. -The flesh to which the bone grows is cut with long, strong knives -around the inside of the jaw. A point of the flesh is released, a -chain hooked to it, the winches again start revolving, and the -whalebone begins peeling off the inside of the mouth as freely as did -the blubber off the back. Half of the whalebone still remains in the -mouth, and this is removed in the same manner as the first half. - -A great blood-red hulk is all that now remains of the whale. A chain -is again wound about and secured to the tail of the carcass, the -winches, for the last time, revolve, when the colossal frame is moved -up an incline to a floor above the platform on which it was skinned. -Then kafirs, with axes, begin cutting the hulk to pieces, which are -thrown into rendering vats. Different parts of the body are thrown -into different tanks, as certain portions of the flesh produce a -better grade of oil than other parts. The only portion not boiled is -the bone in the mouth. The blood is the only particle not utilized, -and it would add proportionately to the whale's value were it shed on -shore instead of in the sea. The flesh, after the oil has been boiled -out, is sold to farmers for fertilizing purposes. Thirty to -thirty-five men take part in disposing of a whale at the factory, and -from four to five hours' time is required to get the carcass into the -rendering vats. - -From $700 to $800 is the value of a humpback to the manufacturer. The -average quantity of oil rendered is 50 barrels, and a barrel of oil -sells at $12 to $15. Most of the oil from the Durban factories is -shipped to Glasgow, Scotland, the whalebone to Paris, France. - -Some whalers say the food of a whale is small fish, while other -authorities give it, owing to the gullet of some species of these -cetaceans being but two and three inches wide, as very small, -nutritious marine organisms, or insects, many not visible to the eye, -called invertebrates. When feeding, the whale takes great mouthfuls of -water, its whalebone serving as a strainer and repository in which the -minute sea denizens lodge. The water is then forced out of the mouth, -the food extricated from the meshes of the whalebone and advanced to -the throat. The mouth is so well protected with this bone, which looks -like a low, dense brush thicket, that nothing can enter the throat -until it has proved palatable. - -The whale breathes through two slits, 18 inches long, located on top -of the head. Forty-five minutes is as long as the great mammal can -remain under water without breathing; but when swimming fast it will -be seen spouting at intervals of from five to seven minutes. The -spouting is caused by the slits or air-holes being slightly under the -surface. The tube through which air passes to the lungs is said to be -three inches in diameter. - -The color of the back and sides is black and the skin smooth. The -underpart of the body and flippers is white, save for an occasional -black speck and fine black lines--mottled. Flutes, four inches deep, -corrugate the beast's underpart from tail to neck. In these grooves -are to be seen a great many small barnacles, and on the neck and lower -jaw barnacles grow as large as goose eggs. - -From $8,000 to $10,000 is the value of a ton of whalebone from a -"right" whale, 800 to 1,000 pounds of this elastic substance coming -from the mouth. The bone grows in the form of strips, from 6 to 10 -feet in length, and 6 to 12 inches in width. One end of a strip is -fringed with fine, black hair-fiber, this part of the whale finding -its way to the top of persons' heads, as out of it some "human-hair" -wigs are made. A "right" whale, 10 to 15 feet longer than a humpback -and in value equivalent to eight of the latter, is worth from $5,000 -to $7,000, but of the hundreds killed in the Indian Ocean during a -season not more than half a dozen of this specie will be among the -number. The whalebone from the humpback is in little demand, growing -but two feet long, and is of inferior quality. The bone in the mouth -of the "right" whale calf--strips a foot long and tender--is of great -value. These are shredded, the fine, soft fiber being made into -artists' painting brushes. - -The cow whale brings forth young each year, but triplets or even twins -are unknown in the cetacean family. A calf first opens its eyes in the -sea and soon finds its way to its mother's side, where, securely -snuggled by a strong fin, it remains from three to six days. When able -to "paddle its own canoe," the baby whale--a born swimmer--keeps close -to its mother's side, either up to the surface to "blow," adding a -tiny whitecap to the bounding main, or to accompany its maternal -guardian to feed in salty pastures of the deep. A whale calf nurses -like a colt. When a nursing cow whale is harpooned, whalers generally -kill the calf also, as it would starve if left without its mother's -nourishment. - -At certain times of the year whales move in pairs--male and female. -When a hunter meets a couple the female is first selected for -slaughter; the sex is known by the cow being larger. The male whale -will not desert his dead mate, and thus becomes an easy victim of the -hunter's harpoon. On the other hand, if the male be shot, the female -immediately takes flight. - -A whale is 17 feet long when born. At three years of age it has -attained a length of 30 feet, and during the succeeding eight or nine -years reaches its full length--from 45 to 50 feet; so that it requires -ten to twelve years to reach its maximum size. Old whalers are loth to -hazard a statement concerning the natural lifetime of the cetacean. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Zululand was next visited. During the reign of their kings Zulus -controlled their own internal affairs--made their own laws, -apportioned the land, chastised their subjects, conferred with British -officials concerning border line rules--were, in fact, in every sense, -a distinct, unfettered race of people. Zululand was Zululand then. War -after war, with gatling guns and modern fighting implements pitted -against their mediaeval arms--the assegai, or spear--naturally made the -tribe submissive and wiped out their border line. So long as they had -a king there was always danger of trouble from Zululand. Dinizulu, the -last ruler, was taken prisoner, and was "boarded" in a Transvaal -penitentiary until a few years ago, when he died. The border line -between Natal and Zululand passed away, and the interests of the Zulus -and the affairs of Zululand are now looked after and administered by -officials of the Province of Natal. - -The train, passing through cuts and grades, is half embowered with -flowering trees, growing on the banks. The giant bamboo, in obedience -to a summery wind, was gracefully swaying to and fro; the aloe, with -its flowery top, sixteen feet above the ground, sentinel-like, -contributed its share to the floral ensemble, and, together with an -almost endless tract of soft, light green sugar-cane growing on each -side of the railroad track, offered a mellow landscape found in but -few parts of the world. - -A depressing contrast to nature--the Indian coolie scourge--is -witnessed at every stopping place in this part. We were in the sugar -growing section of Natal, and, as mentioned previously, Indian coolies -are employed entirely in this industry. There they were by hundreds, -most of them of objectionable appearance, and a dirty, almost naked, -baby astraddle every woman's hip, the Hindu mother's custom of -carrying her child. - -We reached the Tugela River, the border line between Natal and -Zululand, and, thirty miles further, the train stopped at Ginginhlovu, -our destination. Ginginhlovu (elephant, in Zulu) was 93 miles from -where we started, and the train was seven hours running that distance, -running to schedule, too. Indian shanty stores were pleasantly absent, -as none but white traders are allowed to do business in Zululand. - -The post cart is the stage coach of South Africa. Strongly built, it -is covered with canvas, has two wide wheels and contains two seats. A -seat will accommodate three persons in a pinch--the maximum capacity -of the coach being five passengers and the driver--but as the latter -usually takes up two-thirds of the front seat to handle the large team -required to draw the coach, the ordinary capacity of the cart is four -passengers, three occupying the rear and one the front seat. A frame -at the back serves for luggage, and small hand baggage may be put -under the seats. Four or six mules comprise a cart team, the charge -being ten cents a mile. - -We left the railroad, and our mode of travel into the interior of -Zululand was by cart, wagon--a conveyance drawn by beasts. Five -passengers, the maximum number, squeezed themselves into the cart. The -next trip inland was on the following day, for which we would have to -wait, the station-master had informed us, "unless there was a -transport going to Eshowe." Eventually a transport--a truck 18 feet -long--was found, the driver of which said he thought he had room for -another passenger. The transport, ridged with bags of cornmeal five -feet high, was drawn by four teams of mules. - -"Climb on," said the driver to a group of six; "we'll be starting in a -few minutes." Three women, two men and a boy began to scale the -transport up to the top of the load. "Get up," said the driver to the -mules, when a start was made for the interior of Zululand, the -passengers sitting on the top tier of cornmeal bags of the loaded -African transport. - -We traveled slowly seventeen miles over a good macadam road. "That's -the home of Dinizulu, the Zulu king," said the boy passenger, as we -passed a frame building close to the road. We reached our destination -just at sundown--Eshowe, the old capital of Zululand, and one of the -prettiest places visited in South Africa. - -Shade trees, flowers, comfortable homes built in spacious yards; -small, but substantial, public buildings; a good library, a wooded -glen just away from the town, in which had been built a splendid -cement swimming pool, give an insight into what the old Zulu capital -looks like now. The comfortable appearance of Eshowe has been made by -the European. English and native weekly papers are printed here, and -the quality of the work is good. - -A European boy volunteered to show me about town. He had taken me to -the swimming pool, and as we were passing through a timbered portion -of this natural park he suddenly shouted, "Look out!" He then pointed -to a big fly that had just passed between us. "If that fly had struck -you the bitten part would swell up as large as a hen's egg. Often the -effects of the bite will assume the nature of an ulcer," he added. A -great number of flies in South Africa draw blood when they strike a -victim, whether man or beast. - -We had 35 miles more to travel before our last stop in Zululand would -be reached. The post cart left at five o'clock in the morning, with -four passengers, and was drawn by four mules. The road was level for -the most part, with high grass growing on each side, broken only by an -occasional giraffe thorn or mimosa tree. The mimosa was in flower, and -so much fragrance was diffused from the thorn tree that one would know -of its existence if it were not in sight a hundred feet away. - -"Hello, Graham!" shouted one of the passengers to a white man who -stood in the door of a building at which we had pulled up. We had -reached N'Halini, the first relay, where we breakfasted. "Hello! -everybody," returned Graham, for he proved to be the proprietor of the -eating station. "I haven't any eggs to serve you this morning, but I'm -strong on steak, ham and bacon. Bring out a big piece of steak to -make up for the eggs," he directed one of his Zulu boys. - -Graham is a sailor with a wooden leg. He entertained us by telling how -many times he had been caught in the net fastened to the boom of a -sailing ship--a "wind-jammer," as he termed that style of craft--and -how, when encountering the fierce gales that blow in the Straits of -Magellan, he had been blown entirely off his feet, his body being -lifted in mid-air, his legs suggestive of ribbons, while holding to a -deck rail. - -"Did you get enough to eat?" he asked, when we had finished. And we -admitted we had. Graham had two pigs eaten by crocodiles the day -before, and he could not restrain himself from bemoaning his luck. - -"So long, fellows! I'll have eggs for you when you come back. So -long!" were the parting words of the onetime sailor, as, with an -additional team of mules, we started on our second relay. - -"Sit forward, please, while we are going up this seven-mile hill; the -cart is tilting back too much," said the driver. We had five -passengers now, as another one had got on at Graham's place. It's -easier to say Graham's place than it is to try to pronounce the Zulu -name. - -On, on we traveled over those beautiful hills of Zululand, the -passengers chatting as we moved along. Grassy hills, 500 feet high, -bare of timber and even shrubbery, with native huts built on the -sides, and small patches of corn growing here and there, proved of -interest. Vultures were flying high up in the air, bevies of guinea -fowl scurried to cover, and the wagtail, a black and white bird of -swallow size, with a tail ten inches long, crossed the roadway from -time to time. We had been told of the beauty of Zululand, and nothing -had been exaggerated. - -Grass--long and short--was growing everywhere, enough to feed millions -of cattle, and not a "critter" grazing in sight. The Zulus, before and -for some years after the white man settled in South Africa, were a -wealthy tribe. Hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and goats roamed -over and fed off these ever-grassy hills; but tick fever--East Coast -fever, it is as often called--had fattened the vultures and made the -Zulu poor. - -We reached the second relay, then the third, but the beauty of -landscape did not diminish. Our next relay will be the end of our -stage journey--Melmoth--52 miles from the railroad. - -"The stopping off place" is a term often heard, but when one reaches a -point where there is no railroad and the terminus only of post carts, -it is certainly the stopping off place. Europeans live in remote -places still beyond Melmoth, and their mail is brought to them by -native postmen on foot. - -We reached our destination early in the afternoon. Mail for persons -living beyond "the stopping off place," brought with us in the cart, -was to start on its way at three o'clock. As it was a week before -Christmas, the post contained a great number of Christmas presents. -The mail finally being sorted, it was entrusted to the postman's care. -All the letters could be put in a coat pocket, but the presents -strapped to his body made a heavy load. - -A Zulu, six feet tall, stood on the porch of the squatty postoffice -building, looking like an off-colored Santa Claus. Having reached for -a stick a foot longer than his height, he stood up straight, waiting -for the word to go. - -"All right, Jim," the postmaster ordered in the native tongue. "Ba, -ba," returned the negro in a low voice, bowing and saluting, with one -hand raised to the side of his head. He turned round quickly and -walked alertly in the direction where white people live, to be made -happy by presents sent to them by friends living in distant lands. -Thirty-three miles was the distance the Zulu carried the mail. It was -three o'clock in the afternoon when he left the Melmoth post office, -and was due at the next post station at 9:30 the morning following. - -"He'll be there on the minute," the postmaster replied to a question -as to whether the carrier could travel the distance in the time -allotted, considering the heavy load. "He never fails us. Always on -time--in hail, rain or shine," he concluded. - - [Illustration: ZULUS "SCOFFING" MEALY MEAL. - ZULULAND, SOUTH AFRICA.] - -Zulu huts are round, the framework being of poles bent half circular, -tied with grass rope. The arch poles are supported with bent poles -strung crosswise, these being made secure by grass rope. Roof and -sides are covered with grass and reeds, secured to the framework with -the same kind of rope. The floor is of soil, generally taken from an -ant-hill, and becomes as compact as cement. In the center of the hut, -what may be termed a sort of earthen vessel is built, sometimes 18 -inches across, and this is the cooking place--the stove. Zulus build -good huts. No windows are provided, however, and but one low entrance. -The cooking utensils are limited to an iron kettle, with three legs. -This is placed in the "stove." Cornmeal (called mealy meal) is the -chief food, which is boiled in the three-legged kettle, and, when -cooked, the family gathers round it, some sitting on the floor and -others resting on their haunches. Each member is supplied with a -wooden spoon, and with these they eat mealy meal as long as there is -any to be eaten. A ladle to stir the mush, cut out of a calabash, is -generally seen in a Zulu home. The bed is a cotton blanket, spread on -the earthen floor, and a bowed piece of wood, resting on two upright -pieces at each end, about four inches high, serves as a pillow. A soap -box may occasionally be found in a hut, but no chairs. The interior is -generally black with smoke from the "stove," a strong, sooty odor -being noticeable. - -The Zulu tribe does not "colonize"--or, rather, assemble in villages, -as each family live by themselves. Huts are numerous, of course, but -one rarely, if ever, finds a settlement--a town. They live in -"kraals." A kraal is a group of huts, numbering from two to ten, -surrounded by a fence, generally composed of thorn brush. The -collection of huts generally indicates the number of wives that that -Zulu has. One hut is always larger than the others, this being -occupied by the first wife. Where cattle are kept together in a small -area inclosed by a fence, it becomes a cattle kraal. Sometimes one -kraal serves as a shelter for both natives and cattle. - -Polygamy is common. The method of obtaining a wife is by purchase from -the father. Cattle is the medium of barter, from 10 to 80 cows being -the number asked for each girl. A wife who can be bought for 10 cows -is just the ordinary girl. The daughter of a petty chief would bring -20 cows, and a girl of royal descent could not be purchased for less -than 70 to 100 cows. - -When a Zulu wishes to marry he comes to an understanding with the -girl's father concerning the number of cattle that must be paid for -the bride, and he must not forget to include among them another nice -beast, which is slaughtered and eaten at the wedding feast. The -marriage always takes place at the home of the bridegroom. The bride, -with her attendants, arrives the evening before the wedding day. The -extra ox is killed early in the morning. - -The bride wears a veil of beads over her face for several hours while -the ceremony is taking place. Certain persons are appointed to -celebrate the marriage. Dancing is indulged in during this period. The -father of the bride steps forward among the merrymakers and bespeaks -the merits of his daughter. An old woman runs backward and forward -among the guests, holding in her hand a small stick, pointing upward, -and cackling like a hen. Dancing is going on all the time, one "group" -of dancers holding the "stage" until exhausted, when another group -will fill the vacated space and inject renewed life into the ceremony. - -The bridegroom must show his valor during the pow-wow. He steps into -the arena with two sticks in his hand--stout walking-sticks. A series -of thrusts, feints, dodges, ducking, then a terrible thrust; more -fencing, another awful jab; snorting, sweating, uttering deep grunts -of satisfaction; stamping his feet heavily on the ground to make a -noise, imitating thunder, which denotes powerfulness--he is fighting -an imaginary foe, and when the bride's father and wedding party -signify by applause that he has been victorious--that he has killed -his adversary in mortal combat--he retires, carrying in his bosom the -assurance that he is a Zulu warrior "to the manner born." - -From 300 to 400 Zulus attend a wedding, which lasts sometimes several -days. Native beer, made from corn, is brought in large quantities in -hollow calabashes by the guests. Faction fights, often brought about -through uninvited onlookers, but generally from drinking too much -beer, frequently prove an exciting feature of a Zulu wedding. - -Under no circumstances can a wife leave her husband. A bargain is a -bargain with the Zulu. On the other hand, if the bride's merits have -been misrepresented, her husband will take her to her father's kraal -and demand the return of the cattle he paid for her. Though the girl -gets the cattle in name, the father really has the cows. - -When a husband dies, his wives are not left alone in the world. It is -a Zulu custom that a brother of the deceased look after the widows. It -may seem an imposition on a brother to be saddled with two large -families--his own and his dead brother's--yet, bearing in mind that -the widows, collectively, are mothers of half a dozen to fifteen -daughters, it means that the guardian would fall heir to a nice herd -of cows when the girls reach womanhood. Zulu families, however, are -not large, averaging about five children. - -A Zulu's standing with his people is based on the number of wives he -has. One with six to nine helpmates is considered in good -circumstances. In a general sense, the wives get along agreeably when -they number from two to six. The first wife is mistress of those who -come after her. Under the king's ruling, putting to death a favorite -wife by the others occurred from time to time; but in such instances -the wives numbered eight to twelve. Murders of this character have -become of rare occurrence, however, since Zululand has been governed -by the white man. - -Wives and children are of little or no expense to a husband. He does -not work after he has become the possessor of several wives, and the -corn is planted, hoed, husked and ground into mealy meal by the wives. -None of them wear shoes, nor hats, nor coats. Cotton blankets, which -cost from 25 to 35 cents, are their chief covering. No money is -required for baby carriages, as, when they are not snugly dished in a -blanket on the mother's back, with the ends tied in front across her -chest, they are seen creeping about the kraalyard. A visit to the -country districts will find native women hoeing or working at -something else with their babes tied to their back. Their husbands are -in their huts, smoking pipes or sleeping. Zulu women look as strong as -the men. Save for their babes, all burdens are borne on their heads. -This mode of bearing weight is often carried to the ridiculous. A -spool of thread, a tomato, a tincup or similar light article may be -seen balanced on a woman's head. But she will carry in the same way, -with as apparent ease, though, a 100-pound bag of cornmeal, a five -gallon tin of water, a big three-legged iron kettle, and other weights -that would tax the strength of a strong man. The Zulu woman's superior -physique is accounted for, to a large degree, by the bearing of -burdens on her head from early childhood. - -A Zulu woman "dressed up" is a striking figure. An ocher-colored cone -of hair rises from her head sometimes as high as 10 inches. One -unfamiliar with the native's hair, as seen resting flat on the head, -would never imagine the kinky mop, when straightened, would measure -from 12 to 18 inches, but it will. The natural color of the hair, of -course, is black, and its unnatural color is brought about by the -application of a thin, red-mud solution. Grass stalks, placed inside, -form a frame, which keeps the cone from settling. At the bottom, a -band, generally a strip of hide, keeps the "ornament" firm. A long hat -pin, whittled thin from a large bone of a beast, also plays a part in -keeping the "stove-pipe" properly poised. Her face is broad and rather -masculine, the expression stoical. No head covering is worn, and -weights are borne on women's heads, cone or no cone. Her broad, strong -shoulders are generally bare, and she always stands straight. Strings -are fastened around her neck--sometimes these are hairs from an -elephant's tail--to which are attached square pieces of cloth, with -colored beads fastened on them, resembling dominos. Generally wire -bangles are worn on one arm, these in some instances being so numerous -that they cover the arm from wrist to elbow. Often the skin of a calf -or a sheep or that of a wild beast is wrapped around her chest, -passing under her arms, and fastened at the back. This "waist" extends -in front to about the knees, and sometimes it is ornamented with -beads, pebbles or small seashells. A short skirt of rough cloth -extends to just below the knees, so that her legs from that point are -bare, as precious few native women wear shoes. They have none. Only -married women, or women engaged to be married, appear in the -cone-shaped hair fashion. - -Polygamy is conducive to thrift as well as to laziness. Nowadays few -cattle are left to sons by fathers, as tick fever has almost bared the -country of this means of food and barter. So, in order to get a wife, -a Zulu must earn money with which to buy cows. The umfaan will save -half of his wages of $2.50 or $3 a month that he receives as houseboy. -When he has saved enough to buy a cow--they can be had for $15--it is -put to graze close to his father's kraal, and he will save enough -money to buy another cow or two. In the meantime calves are grazing, -and by the time he has reached 21 years of age he generally has enough -cows to buy one wife. Numbers of young men go to the Kimberley and -Transvaal mines, where the wages run from $15 to $30 a month, with -board. Unlike the American negro, the Zulu saves his money. But he -will not work more than six months in the year at most. It is said a -great deal of the Zulu's cash savings is hid in the ground. They are -suspicious of the stability of banks, so keep the money where they can -see it when they wish to. - -The native of South Africa is as independent of the white man's aid -to-day as he was a thousand years ago. His wants being so few, and his -food easily obtained, he is not compelled to work for the white man. -He is not ambitious for riches. - -When a Zulu's hut is built on government ground the tax per year is -$3.50, which includes all the land he feels disposed to work. He does -not plant all his corn in one field, but has two or three patches -growing not far from the kraal. If his hut is built on private land, -the landowner charges the native from $5 to $10 a year rent. Land for -cultivation, however, is included in the rent of the private -landowner. Some of the public men of South Africa entertain the -belief that if a heavier government tax were imposed on the native it -would force him to work more--smoke him out, as it were. Just think of -the snug income some Europeans who have from 100 to 300 huts on their -undeveloped land are receiving from natives, as they collect from $5 -to $10 for each hut. The native still pays the $3.50 government tax -also. While Zulus as a race are honest, few Europeans will do business -with them on a credit basis; they must pay cash for what they buy. - -Honesty among Zulu house servants is an admirable trait. One might -place a bushel of $20 gold pieces in the center of a room, be away -from home for months, and on return find the money where it had been -left. This applies more to what is termed a "raw kafir." When they -have been among white people for a year or two their traits of honesty -often slacken. The black man, as a rule, will pick up all the white -man's vices, but few of his virtues. - -A violation of the Zulu code of honesty was formerly punishable by -death, and in some cases is still adhered to. The theft of a horse, -cow, sheep, goat, pig or dog brought the death penalty. The moral code -is inflexible. If a girl leaves a kraal to go into service in the -towns and returns not as good as she was when she left the hut, she is -likely to disappear mysteriously. A native guilty of committing a -crime with a Zulu woman may be put to death. - -Few deformed or crippled members of this tribe are seen. Under the -kings' ruling an imperfect child at birth was not permitted to live. - -Respect for old age is another excellent trait of the Zulu tribe. Were -a mother or father to be living with a son and his wives, the father -is "boss" of the kraal; and were the father to die the mother is the -head of the kraal. The elder of two persons is respected by the -younger. The oldest son has absolute rule over the other children; -but, if the father be a chief, the youngest son succeeds him. -Indian-like, Zulus walk in single file, and the younger always walks -behind the elder. The woman always walks behind the man and carries -his belongings. A Zulu woman is never seen alone--always with a child, -woman, or girl. - -Zulus have their own name for Europeans. A man who wore spectacles -would be "four-eyed" in their language; a person with a scar on his -face or hands, would be "scar" in the native language; one having a -deep voice or light voice--that would be his name with the native. -Long hair, short hair, mustache, a smooth face--any mark or -peculiarity--Zulus would know him by words pertaining to these. - -Natives are not allowed to own or carry firearms or any weapons used -by Europeans. The same restriction applies to native police. A -knobkerry, a pair of handcuffs and a sjambok (a strip of rhinoceros -hide like a short whip) are the only weapons a native policeman is -supplied with. The policy is a wise one, for, if the blacks knew how -to use firearms, it would mean a constant menace to the whites. Zulus -often carry their assegais with them in their country, and are allowed -to carry sticks at all times, as a dog will attack a black, and the -same dog would not even growl at a white man; besides, deadly snakes -are numerous. - -The Zulu system of "telegraphing" news from one part of the country to -another is an interesting accomplishment. Results of battles and -approaching danger are shouted from hilltop to hilltop for hundreds of -miles with surprising speed and accuracy. In crises Zulus seem to rise -out of the ground. - -Sugar, salt, kerosene, cotton blankets, tobacco, snuff, lanterns, -Jew's-harps, concertinas, mouth organs, beads, cheap spangles, bright -calicoes, whistles, and numerous other things of a tawdry character -are what Zulus spend their money on. Six cents is the cheapest -purchase he can make, as the three-penny piece is the smallest coin in -circulation. They will haggle and haggle with a trader sometimes for -half an hour over a six-cent purchase, if the trader will listen to -them. - -"Bonsella" is a word one will often hear if he has dealings with the -Zulu. "Bonsella" means he wants something that does not belong to him. -With a six-cent purchase he will insist on a "bonsella." A thin slice -of a small bar of soap, a few grains of sugar, a little pinch of -salt, a piece of string will do, if he cannot do better; and should he -fail in getting something from the trader he will ask for a drink of -water. - -With similar weapons, and each equally skilled in their use, and even -numbers, one is pretty safe in making the statement that no man can -fight better nor for a longer period than the Zulu. Their military -uniform used to be cow-tails secured to a ring around the neck. The -tails were so thick they presented the appearance of a complete robe -or skin. The Zulu can store enough food away at one meal to last him -for 24 to 36 hours without becoming fatigued. He can run from 50 to 70 -miles without stopping. Coupled with these staying qualities, it was -the custom with some of the Zulu kings to kill all soldiers who -returned defeated in battle. That left but two courses open to -him--death or victory. - -The Zulu has but a poor and varied quality of religion. Some select -the sun as their guiding light, others a white bird, again hawks will -appeal to him as being worthy to look up to. Unlike the Mohammedan, -his knees are not calloused from kneeling to gods of any sort. - -Missionaries claim to have 200,000 followers of the Christian -religion, which is nearly one-quarter of the Zulu population--one -million. People who live in black countries place little credit to the -native for having adopted the European faith. In fact, there is a -prejudice against the mission native. If a man in South Africa were in -need of two "boys," and two mission "boys" and two kraal "boys" had -appeared for work at the same time, he would at once select the kraal -"boys." When a native begins to wear shoes and a European hat, his -usefulness as an employee generally proves of doubtful quantity. When -he embraces the Christian religion he is limited to but one wife. That -does not absolve him, however, from coming forward with the cows for -his bride. - -Zululand, and South Africa generally, is well looked after by European -mounted police. The duty of the mounted police is to see that firearms -do not find their way to the native; that whisky is not smuggled over -the border; to learn if discontent exists that might turn into a -revolution. The native police, unmounted, arrests natives for minor -offenses, and tries to find out from his brother violations of the law -that the white man could not know other than through his minion. - -"Ba, ba" (father), is a native salute to a European. A bow always -accompanies the words. It is customary to return the native's -recognition, although some Europeans will not go to the trifling -trouble to do so, which is discourteous, to say the least. - -Should one be benighted, a European does not think twice as to whether -he will go to a native's hut and sleep on the floor with the family. -In so doing he will be offered every hospitality. - -Deadly, poisonous snakes are so numerous in this section that settlers -carry with them a snakebite outfit. This consists of a strong cord, a -syringe containing a poison antidote, and a small lance attached. In -Zululand and Natal a rattle-snake is considered almost harmless. The -puff adder, that coils itself in a pathway and is very sluggish, bites -one by a backward spring. His fangs grow that way. He cannot bite -after one has passed him. Death shortly ensues from the bite of this -reptile if not attended to at once. - -A person will die in 20 to 30 minutes after being bitten by a mamba. -There are two kinds of this deadly snake--the green and black--but no -difference in the quality of poison they inject into their victim. -Death from a mamba's bite is said to be an awful one. Sometimes the -bitten person's head will burst and appear as a pumpkin would look -when thrown with force on a stone. This will account for the settlers -carrying the snakebite outfit. The cord is used to wrap around the -member bitten above where the fangs entered, to keep the poison from -getting further into the system; the lance is used to cut out a piece -of flesh where bitten, and the syringe is used to inject the antidote -accurately at the raw part of the member where the fangs stopped. This -precautionary measure must be gone through within a couple of minutes -or one will fall a victim to the mamba's fangs. The snakes grow in -length from three to four feet. - -"Wood and iron" houses--corrugated iron mostly--is the style of -European homes seen in Zululand. This also will apply quite generally -to the country districts of South Africa. A half dozen of these, one -story high--a postoffice, three general stores, a court house and a -hotel--are the buildings about which the commercial life of Melmoth -centers. A church building is generally numbered among these groups, -and always a graveyard out of proportion. Many of the hotels of -Zululand are built somewhat on the kraal plan. The dining and sitting -rooms--sometimes one room answers both purposes--are in a one-story -"wood and iron" building. Many of the bedrooms--small houses resting -on posts a foot to eighteen inches from the ground--are located a -short distance from the main building, which they sometimes -half-encircle. Each house, by partitioning, contains several small -bedrooms. The beds with which these rooms are furnished are generally -half-size iron ones, and the light provided is often a candle. - -"Keep to the native trail until you come to that clump of wattle -trees," directed the driver of the post cart when ten miles from -Melmoth on my return to Ginginhlovu. A printer who had got tired of -the smell of printers' ink moved to Zululand to make his living in the -dual capacity of farmer and trader. So, with a grip in my hand, I -started over the Zulu trail to the clump of trees in the distance. I -had not gone far when I heard a shout, but could not tell whence it -came. It may be the natives telegraphing the start of an uprising, I -mused. "Halloa!" was again heard, and, looking in another direction, a -wide-brimmed hat was looming over the arch of a grassy hill. It was -the printer. The post cart driver had "set me down," as a Britisher -would say, at the wrong trail. - -"The natives wouldn't sell me any chickens when I first came here, so -I wouldn't sell them any goods unless they paid for them with -chickens," was one of the difficulties the printer-trader recounted in -his effort to hew his way in Zululand. - -"Sarah," addressing his wife, "come with us this afternoon while we -visit the natives' huts, as you can speak the language better than I," -obligingly suggested the sturdy trader, who had beaten freight trains -over the United States, sailed before the mast, and had tramped the -desert of West Australia to the gold mines at Coolgardie. - -Through the trader's wife we chatted with the Zulu women hoeing corn, -with their pickaninnies on their backs. Later we squeezed through the -small entrances into hut after hut. The lady of the Zulu home -explained how the natives winnowed the mealy meal by blowing the dust -or bran from it with their breath when passing from the hands, to -lodge in a wooden bowl under; how they stirred the meal; explained -their scanty washing outfit, how the wives got along together, and -other interesting features of Zulu life. After spending several -interesting days at the printer-trader's home, it was time to say -good-by; and I left with a keen feeling of indebtedness for the -unstinted hospitality and kindness shown me. - -"I've kept my word--I've got the eggs!" remarked Graham when we had -pulled up at his place for luncheon on the return trip. - -With pages left unwritten of the Zulu, the strongest, most intelligent -and best built tribe of the Bantu race, we will leave the sailor's -place for Eshowe, take the post cart to Ginginhlovu, and return by -rail to Durban. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -My first introduction to South Africa railway travel took place on my -initial trip to Johannesburg. The compartment type of corridor -carriage, as passenger coaches are termed, with an aisle at the side, -similar to that of Great Britain, is in use. Meter gauge--3 feet 6 -inches--is the standard of that country, 14 inches narrower than what -is known as "standard gauge"--4 feet 8 inches--in the United States -and in some of the European countries. The narrow spaces of the -compartment (6 by 6 1/2 feet) inclined one to wish for a two person seat. -Two out of a filled compartment have direct access to a window--the -two passengers whose seats are the outside end ones. Most travelers -have seats reserved, in some instances a week in advance, their names -being written on a card on the outside of the car at the compartment -assigned. - -Compartments in the railway coaches are heated with what is called -foot-warmers--that is, sometimes the compartment will be provided with -this device. The foot-warmer is an iron pipe, two feet long, eight -inches wide, three inches thick, and filled with hot water. The -foot-warmer is all right when there are but two persons in a -compartment, or when two foot-warmers are supplied and four persons -occupy a compartment, but when six or eight passengers occupy a -compartment--well, 16 passengers' feet cannot get on four feet of -piping. That is the only means of heating passenger coaches in South -Africa. - -In some respects accommodation is better on South African trains than -in the United States and Europe--every passenger having a place to -sleep, for instance. Six persons can sleep in a compartment, but five -is generally the maximum number assigned, the extra berth being -reserved for hand baggage. Frequently, when travel is light, one has a -compartment to himself. The back of the compartment against which one -leans while riding is portable, and when pulled out straight is -fastened at each end. Above that shelf, or berth, is another. The same -applies to the opposite side of the compartment, which, with seats on -each side, termed the lower berths, make six in all--three on each -side. These berths, or sleeping shelves, are two feet wide and -upholstered. Travelers generally carry with them a cushion and -blanket, or rug, as it is termed, which is used for sleeping purposes. -The bedding furnished by the railway cost 60 cents. If one is -traveling two nights in succession the bedding is rolled up by a -steward in the morning and put on the top shelf of the compartment, -where it remains during the day, and is taken down the second night -for use. Sixty cents for two nights--30 cents a night. Meals on the -train are very reasonable. Breakfast and luncheon costs 50 cents and -dinner 60 cents. So, paying but 60 cents for a bed, as it were, and -not more than 60 cents for a meal, one finds a great reduction in -traveling expenses in South Africa compared to what is charged for the -same service in the United States. Railroad fare is higher, however, -than in America, the second class rate being three and four cents a -mile, and first-class six cents a mile. A hundred pounds of baggage is -allowed a passenger. The schedule is slow compared with that in -England and on some roads in America, twenty-five miles an hour being -as fast as trains run. Long delays take place at stations, for when a -passenger train stops it often seems as if it had been abandoned. - -From Durban to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of 70 miles, an elevation -of 3,000 feet is ascended. Some cultivated land is seen from the -train, but grassy, timberless hills, with smoke and flames from -prairie fires showing here and there off the railway, is what a -stranger notices continuously. - -Pietermaritzburg, the capital of Natal, was first settled by the -Dutch. The town hall, postoffice, and government buildings are -imposing structures. In addition, one finds a small museum, botanical -garden and good city parks, an electric railway system and a good -railway station. One is surprised when visiting small cities located -so far out of the world, as it seems, to find them so up to date. -Locally, the place is called, for short, Maritzburg. - -The Voortrekkers' Church is a historical monument to, and a solemn -reminder of, the terrible sufferings of the Voortrekkers during the -dark days between the massacres by the hordes of Dingaan, the Zulu -king, of over 600 men, women and children, in February, 1838, and the -eventful overthrowing of Zulu power, at Blood River, in December of -the same year. The massacre of Piet Retief, leader of a colony of Boer -emigrants, and some of his band by the native despot at the head -kraal, and the slaughter of his followers at Weenen, which immediately -followed, is closely identified with the erection of the church. -Retief and some of his followers had been led to believe that Dingaan -wished to make friends of them. While in the king's kraal, they were -seized and massacred. Andries Pretorius, with 450 men, some months -later, started on an expedition to avenge the massacre. Religious -services were held every day during the march of the expedition, and a -vow was made by Pretorius' party that, if they came out victorious in -battle with the bloodthirsty and perfidious Zulu king, a church to the -honor of God would be erected. Pretorius and his burghers met the Zulu -forces at a river then unnamed. Fifteen thousand natives were arrayed -against 450 Boers. After several hours' fighting the Zulus fled, -leaving behind 5,000 dead and wounded. The river was said to be red -with the blood that flowed from wounded natives, and that stream has -since been known as Blood River. Dingaan's Day, December 16, one of -the national holidays in South Africa, is observed in honor of the -bravery of Pretorius and his followers and the avenging of the foul -massacre of Piet Retief and his band of emigrants. The church promised -by Pretorius was built in 1841, three years later. - -Maritzburg natives are mostly Basutos, the only tribe in South Africa -that white troops have never conquered. Most of Basutoland is situated -in the Drakensburg Mountains, some parts of which contain rich land. -They have a king, and are said to be wealthy. Europeans cannot travel -in Basutoland without permission from the ruler or some high native -officer. A large amount of firearms and munitions of war is said to -have been smuggled into their country. The Basuto is feared by all in -South Africa, and that will explain why Basutoland is for Basutos -only. - -Now we travel northward to Ladysmith, passing Spion Kop south of the -Siege City. Ragged turrets and spires are still to be seen, bearing -gaping evidence of the days of suffering, hunger and fear that the -brave besieged underwent in the Boer war. Historical Majuba Hill next -comes in view, with Mount Prospect opposite. A tunnel has been bored -through the land lying between Majuba and Mount Prospect, known as -Laing's Nek. We travel over rough territory for a while, then find -ourselves on the high veld, having left the Drakensburg mountain range -behind. Continuing to Charlestown, on the south bank of the Vaal -River, and crossing the river to Voxburg, we passed out of Natal and -were in the Transvaal. - -"When do we scoff?" asked a passenger, at one stage of the journey. -The term being a strange one, "I don't know" was what a stranger would -reply. "Luncheon is ready" announced a train steward just then as he -passed the compartment. "Let's go and scoff. I'm hungry," said the -South African. "Scoff," in South Africa, has the same meaning here as -"grub" in the United States. - -The River Vaal is the boundary line between the Transvaal Province, -Natal Province and the Orange Free State. The meaning of "Transvaal" -is, across the Vaal--trans-Vaal. - -On we go over the grassy veld, or prairie, seeing very little -cultivated ground, but cattle are grazing here and there. They are a -brand peculiar to South Africa; their horns grow from two to three -feet, their legs in keeping with the long horns, but their bodies are -narrow and of light weight. The most productive feature of the veld -were ant-hills, ranging in size from a water bucket to a hogshead. -Thousands of these, as far as the eye could reach, mar the green -landscape as freckles or small-pox mark an unblemished skin. - -The railroad from Durban to Johannesburg is the crookedest one might -ride over. To save building a small bridge, the track turns for miles -before it gets back to a straight line. When the railway was built the -contractors were paid by the mile. Were the road constructed on -ordinary scientific lines, the distance between the two cities could -be reduced fifty miles. Yet, neat, well-built, attractive stations, -surrounded with flower beds, were passed all the way. - -Over the freckled veld we rolled, with Johannesburg in the distance. -The sky was clear, as most always, on the highlands of the Transvaal. -We had traveled to over 6,000 feet above sea level. Objects in the -distance became less distinct--a haze seemed to gather. It was the -smoke from the gold mines on the great Gold Reef-- - -"Johannesburg!"--"Johannesburg!" a train guard announced. - -A well built business city is the impression made by this great gold -center of the world. A long street, with all the business of the city -centered in it, one would expect to find on reaching Johannesburg. -That is the style of some of our western mining towns. Instead, here -are buildings, five to eight stories in height, of stone, brick, and -steel, some of them a city block square in dimension, with arcades -leading from one street to another; large plate glass windows where -goods are attractively displayed; elevators and steam heat -appliances--all centralized in a space five squares in extent. This is -the retail section of Johannesburg. The great banking and mining -companies' buildings--splendid structures, all of modern -architecture--are situated half a dozen squares from this center. The -financial district is a busy place. - -"Come, buyers! Come, buyers! Come, buyers!" the auctioneer cries when -he has an assignment to sell something in the marketplace. Every one -is used to the call, and soon a group gathers around. "How much--how -much--how much?" the auctioneer starts with his glib sale talk. The -articles to be sold may be crates of oranges, bunches of bananas, a -crate of chickens, geese, hares, wild fowl, pumpkins, tomatoes, -turnips, cornmeal, oats, hay, a pig, cattle, buck (deer), wildebeeste -(gnu)--anything edible for man and beast. Dozens of auctioneers are -selling goods in the Johannesburg market at the same time. - -"That fellow is one of the lost tribe of Israel we read about in the -Bible," spoke a Britisher who had been a produce dealer on the -Johannesburg market for twenty years. "When the Rand was opened to the -world," he continued, "the lost tribe cropped up in the Transvaal and -that fellow is one of them." The buyer was engaged in a controversy -with the old dealer, the point at issue hinging on one chicken, the -Israelite contending he had bought thirteen hens, and the dealer -maintaining there were only twelve to be sold. Arguments are taking -place all the time between buyer, seller and auctioneer. - -Fifteen wildebeeste (gnu), with bent horns, and whiskers six inches -long growing straight from their noses; blesbuck, bushbuck, springbuck -by the dozens, lay on the ground in the market. Meat from these -animals is sold as venison. Seeing these beasts of the plains -stretched out in plain view, about which most people read but do not -see, creates a far-off feeling--a feeling that, were the eyes shut to -the brick and mortar walls close by, one would be in a wild, unblazed -section of the world. - -Hundreds of ox teams in the market ground worm their way through piles -of bags, hay and transports, led by the natives with bare feet and -bare head. A South African ox team numbers nine yoke--18 oxen. The -transport, or wagon, is 18 feet long and strongly built. Seven feet of -the rear is generally covered with canvas, and under the "tent" is the -home of the Boer, and often his wife, as weeks must elapse from the -time a start has been made for market until their return, as the -farms, in a great many instances, are located long distances from -large towns. Time saving is not a factor in a great many sections of -the sub-continent. The oxen plod slowly along an unkept road, always -preceded by a kafir, who guides the caravan by rhinoceros-hide strips -attached to the horns of the leading team. After traveling about three -hours, a stop ("outspan") is made for the cattle to feed, as grass -grows bountifully on the veld. So, allowing time for "outspanning" -and "inspanning," 10 to 15 miles a day is generally the distance -covered by a transport. "Salted" cattle are the only ones in demand -for working purposes. "Salted," when used in speaking of oxen, -signifies that cattle can run the gauntlet of many diseases that so -often bare the veld of grazing stock. These are cattle that have been -sick but survived the attack. "Unsalted" stock are in little demand, -as they often get sick after starting from the farmer's home and die -by the roadside. - -One automobile to 15 persons is a high percentage in a city with about -100,000 white population, yet that indicates the wealth of the gold -city on the high veld. There are over 800 automobiles and the same -number of motorcycles in Johannesburg, and among these are the -largest, most expensive and swiftest manufactured. - -The term "The Rand" embraces the mining districts of the Reef, and -"Witwatersrand" is used when speaking of the districts located close -to Johannesburg. - -Sixty miles of smokestacks--from Krugersdorp to Springs--will suggest -at once the magnitude of the great Gold Reef. Dynamite is blasting the -gold-bearing ore for that distance 24 hours a day; black smoke is -rolling out of high smokestacks from strong fires, under boilers in -which steam is generated to furnish power to hoist the ore from -thousands of feet underground to the stamp mills at the top; great -dirt heaps--cyanide banks, as they are termed--circle about and wall -in thrifty mining towns, that are not seen until a train stops at a -railway station; monster stamp mills, whose crushing machinery -resembles the roar of a sea beating on a rocky shore, are grinding the -quartz into powdered dust--for nearly thirty years the Reef has been -exploited, and is still giving up its precious ore. Hundreds of -thousands of people are engaged in this gold mining industry; the eyes -of the money people of the world are constantly watching the gold -yield of the Rand. - -In 1884 the output of the Transvaal gold mines was $55,000, and, save -for a few years, during which the Boer war was being fought, the -output increased until it has reached the enormous sum of -$150,000,000 a year. The monthly output is from $12,000,000 to -$15,000,000. - - [Illustration: NATIVE HUTS AND KAFIR CORN (top); AFRICAN TRANSPORT - (bottom). - SOUTH AFRICA.] - -The stamps that crush the ore into powdered dust weigh from 1,800 to -2,000 pounds. Under the stamps are zinc-lined inclining tables, 10 -feet long and 4 feet wide, covered with quicksilver. Water washes the -thin dust over the tables, when the gold adheres to the quicksilver. -The dust from five stamps passes over one table. When about an eighth -of an inch of gold sediment has accumulated, the stamps cease working, -and the residue is scraped off the zinc. The scrapings look like thick -black mud. The sediment then goes through a drying process. The dried -chunks of gold "mud" are next put in a kettle, or retort, and melted. -Borax is tossed into the hot metal, which separates impurities from -the gold, the precious metal remaining at the bottom of the kettle, -the dross keeping to the top. More gold "mud" is put in the kettle, -until there is enough to make a brick, or ingot. The gold metal is -poured into a mold. Cooling in a few minutes, the red hot brick is -dumped on the floor. The shape of an ingot is similar to a sponge -cake, narrower at the bottom than at the top. The weight of an ingot -is 1,000 ounces, its value about $20,000. - -In early years the dirt that passed over the quicksilver was -considered of little value, and was washed away. The dirt is now -treated by what is termed the cyanide process. Remaining in large -cyanide tanks, any gold contained in the dirt is reduced to a liquid. -The liquid next goes to the extracting room, where it passes through -inclining tanks, 12 feet long by 6 feet wide, composed of five -compartments. The floors of these tanks are covered with 8 inches of -zinc shavings. The liquid slowly passes from one compartment to -another. Any gold contained in the chemical solution adheres to the -zinc shavings. The shavings are then taken from the tank and put in a -retort. At the same time sulphuric acid is placed in the retort, which -causes the zinc to dissolve. The sediment in this instance is also -like black mud. This is next put through a drying process, put in -another retort, when the gold can be seen, poured into a mold, and -dumped on a floor in ingot form. Some of the mine owners are very -obliging to visitors who wish to look about the works. The mines range -in depth from 2,000 to 4,000 feet. - -Twenty thousand Europeans and 200,000 natives are employed in the Rand -mines. Paul Kruger, nearly 30 years ago, fixed the wages of the white -miner at $5 a day. Contract miners, however, earn as much as from $200 -to $300 a month; but the average wage of the Rand miner is $160 a -month. The natives' wage runs from 50 cents to a dollar a day and -board. The hours worked are eight, three shifts comprising a day's -force. - -Compound is the term used for an enclosure in which native employes -are kept. As many as 3,000 to 4,000 kafirs work in some of the mines. -From the mine they go to the compound, where a bunk is provided, a -place to make a fire, and food is furnished. They are not allowed -outside the enclosure at night, but on Sundays and holidays most of -them are free. Tact has to be exercised when assigning kafirs to their -quarters and to working mates, as a hostile feeling exists between -certain tribes. If members of unfriendly clans be not kept apart, -fights and murders often occur. - -Weasel-eyed, idle, easy living Europeans are found in considerable -numbers in mining districts. Were the natives allowed their liberty in -the evening, it would result in their complete demoralization, for the -crafty gentry would succeed in getting bad whisky or vicious rum into -the compounds, receiving a big price for the poison, in addition to -offering inducements to the "boys" to pilfer nuggets or heavy-bearing -gold quartz. - -"Scarcity of help, scarcity of help," is the cry of mine owners in -South Africa. Sharp competition prevails between mining companies for -"boys," and it is a scarcity of this class of labor to which they -allude. A European trader may have the confidence of natives in the -district in which his store is located, and when help is wanted labor -agents call on the merchant. When a trader induces natives to go to -the mines, the firm to which they have been sent will pay him $15 for -each "boy" as a bonus. If the company failed to pay the bonus, it -would thereafter get very few "boys" from that trader's district. In -thickly populated centers like Kaffraria a dealer may control as many -as 1,000 natives. In such instances companies pay him an income of -from $100 to $125 a month, in addition to the $15 a head, in order to -keep in his good graces. If a "boy" should engage to work for the -shorter term--six months--and rehire at the end of the term, the -trader from whose district the kafir originally came would be sent an -additional sum of $15. Where labor agents deal with native chiefs for -mine "boys," the chief expects a "bonsella" of $2.50 for every "boy" -leaving his district to work in the mines. With bonuses, clothes, car -fare and other incidentals, it costs the mine company from $25 to $30 -to get a "boy" from the kraal to the works. Mine owners claim they pay -out a quarter of a million dollars a year in bonuses for native help. -It is also claimed that the mining industry could not be conducted at -a profit with all white labor. - -Twenty-one thousand graves in Braamfontein Cemetery, a great many of -these containing two corpses, strongly emphasizes the terrible toll of -human life paid to King Gold in the Transvaal mines. This is but one -European graveyard, as there are several smaller burying places in the -Johannesburg district. Besides those in which only Dutch and English -are buried, there are Jewish, Malay and Mohammedan graveyards -scattered about the city. Braamfontein Cemetery is filled, and a new -one is filling fast. This appalling mortality has taken place during -the past 30 years. - -Eighty-nine open graves--mound after mound in as regular order as are -boards in a floor--is a gruesome setting that forces one to cast a sad -glance at the clouds of black smoke pouring out of the hundreds of -smokestacks on the great Gold Reef, and at the gray-colored cyanide -banks that half encircle the city of Johannesburg. These unbroken rows -of freshly dug graves were in the European section of Brixton -graveyard, and at the other end of the large burying ground--the -native section--eighty freshly dug graves presented a grim -foreground. - -"Bubonic plague?" the reader may ask. No, phthisis. - -Eighty in a thousand of ordinary miners, and 140 in a thousand of -workers using underground drilling machines, are affected with -phthisis. As gold-bearing rock is being blasted all the time, miners -inhale the fine dust during working hours. Respirators, a device -covering the nose and mouth, having a sponge at the mouth, and two -openings at the side covered with a fine wire screen to admit of air, -are worn by some of the workers, but, as it proves cumbersome, a great -many miners discard that life-extending invention. Phthisis here -signifies the drying up of the lungs. The dust inhaled settles in the -cells of the lungs, with the appalling result mentioned. - -Seven years is the average lifetime of the Rand miner. On the -headstones in Braamfontein Cemetery, carved in granite, most of the -ages are found to be in the twenties and thirties. Few stones observed -bore ages of 40 years and over. - -The average number of burials in Johannesburg is ten a day; Europeans -average four and natives six. People not engaged in underground work, -and not connected with the mines in any capacity, also become affected -with phthisis. As on American prairies, the wind blows on the veld -nearly all the time, and generally with considerable force; hence the -air is full of dust from the powder-crushed cyanide banks. - -Priest, preacher and missionary may be seen at cemetery gates all the -time, more particularly in the afternoons. - -"Will there be any more funerals today?" was asked of a native who had -just filled in a grave. - -"Yes, baas. Two wagons coming now," he answered, pointing to the road. - -The natives are buried in a burlap sack, drawn tight and sewed, -reducing the natural size of the body considerably. Two corpses rest -on the bottom of a grave. Six inches of dirt cover these, when two -more of the sacked bodies are lowered, making four in one grave. - -The city of Johannesburg receive $7 for every kafir buried in Brixton -graveyard--$28 for a grave containing the bodies of four natives. The -owners of the mines at which the natives had worked must pay this -burial charge. Deaths of natives are caused more by accidents in mines -than from phthisis, as kafirs will not, as a rule, work more than six -months in the year. - -At the end of Brixton graveyard, where Europeans are buried, could be -seen, from a distance, undertakers in long coats and high hats; -hearses, ornamented with white or black cockades, drawn by horses of -the same color; clergymen, their heads bowed and reading from books, -with groups of veiled people huddled in small areas--putting people -underground and the circumstances attending these ceremonies are of -very frequent occurrence in Johannesburg. - -The grave-diggers have no slack seasons; they are busy the year round, -which accounted for so many open graves. As they were sure to be -needed, it was better to be ahead of the demand than crowded with -orders. - -"Don't Expectorate!" is the cautionary sign confronting one at almost -every turn in the Gold City. Where the "Don't Spit!" sign appears -frequently one knows he has reached a place where lung trouble is -prevalent. - -Paved streets in some of the South African cities has not been -considered so much of a municipal duty as in other parts of the world. -The soil being hard, the rain, coming in showers, flows off as it does -on paved streets. As the sun shines 365 days in the year on the high -veld, the ground is dry in a short time after a shower has passed. - -Walking in the streets instead of on the walks is a local custom one -quickly notices. In Johannesburg good, wide walks may be practically -free of people though the street space is occupied by pedestrians from -curb to curb. - -"Joburg" is the local term used almost exclusively by South Africans -when speaking of Johannesburg. When one hears another say -"Johannesburg" it is a pretty sure sign that he is a stranger in -"Darkest Africa." - -Living expenses are much higher in Johannesburg and other up-country -cities than on the coast. House rent runs from $25 to $40 a month; -meat was 18 cents to 30 cents a pound; street car fare is very high; -in a general sense, expenses are 20 per cent. higher than in the coast -cities. Boarding houses charge from $35 to $40 a month; hotel -accommodation is expensive, too, the cheapest costing $3 a day; rooms -cost $1.25 a day in all the hotels. Six cents is the least sum for any -small article. A newspaper costs six cents (threepence), the -bootblacks charge 12 cents for a shine, barbers 18 cents for shaving; -it seemed as if one was handing out six cents at every few squares to -a street-car conductor, so short are the "stages"--in fact, few things -can be had for less than six cents. - -Dutch, British and Jews comprise the majority of the population, Jews -numbering one-third. Germans are also quite numerous. Americans, up to -the time of the Boer War, held high positions with mining companies, -but they have been thinned out since the country changed hands. Every -country of the globe is represented in that cosmopolitan center. - -On pay days "Joburg" is a lively place. The saloons seem to get the -biggest part of miners' wages. They spend their money like lords. In -no place are bars better patronized. A glass of beer costs 12 cents, -and stronger drinks 24 cents. The barmaid, a woman engaged tending -bars in public drinking places in British territories, is not seen -behind the bar of saloons in cities and towns of the Transvaal, men -being engaged at that work. - -Years ago, when the game of baseball was played, which took place -weekly and on holidays, crowds of people used to attend. Games are -still played at weekly intervals, but only a few attend--sometimes not -more than 100 persons. On the other hand, big crowds attend the -English games--cricket and football. - -"Closed on account of dust." "Open--Closed on account of dust." Such -signs will be found secured to doors of most business houses. The wind -blows so generally, and nearly always so strongly, that all doors must -be kept closed, whether of business or dwelling. With unpaved streets, -and the half-circle of great cyanide banks about the city, -Johannesburg, as appearing to some visitors, is not a choice place of -residence. The climate of the Rand possesses one virtue--there is no -malarial fever. On the other hand, the lips swell, chafe and crack -from the effects of both the wind and high altitude, this causing an -irritating feeling. Laundries do a good business here. Collars are -changed twice a day, as the soil, being red, and the almost constant -high winds, with the dry nature of the country, keeps the dust flying -about most of the time. One will not have lived in this city long -before he will have eaten his allotted "peck of dirt." - -In Ludlow Street Jail, New York, prisoners are kept who are not -considered criminals--that class of men who cannot pay their debts and -who have not been adjudged insolvent. The city pays for their food. In -Johannesburg, if a man is sent to jail for a debt, the creditor must -pay the city 50 cents a day for the debtor's board. Precious few -prisoners of this class are found in the Johannesburg jail. - -Newspapers of the Rand are fully up to the requirements of the city, -four dailies being published, two morning and two evening. The morning -papers issue Sunday editions, one of these including a colored -magazine section. It has required constant fighting by the owners to -maintain the Sunday editions, as it is an innovation in British -territory. Opponents had injunctions issued against these -publications, and in other ways the publishers were put to much -inconvenience. This edition still appears on the street, however, but, -by a court decree, dealers and newsboys are prohibited from soliciting -sales. Printers earn good wages on the Rand, running from $30 to $55 -weekly, with the working hours seven and eight. One finds here -linotype machines, web presses, color presses, stereotyping--all the -modern machinery in use in the North. South Africa is the one country -where printers can do as well, and sometimes better, than in the -United States. - -Mechanics and miners are so well organized that they have a building -of their own. They pull together on election day, and, as a result, a -number of union labor men are sprinkled about the upper and lower -Houses of Parliament. Eight hours is the maximum working day in South -Africa among skilled mechanics and miners. Wages run from $4.50 to $6 -a day. - -In years gone by the Dutch suffered so much from the natives during -their treks that they have a pretty good idea of how to manage them. -No blacks crowd Europeans off the walks in Johannesburg, for the black -man is not allowed on them; he must walk in the street. This policy -saves trouble for both black and white, for it prevents arguments and -fights. He is not allowed to ride on street cars. In railroad -compartments colored and half-castes are prohibited from intermingling -with Europeans. "Reserved" is posted on the doors of certain -compartments, in which one generally would find well-to-do colored -passengers. - -The native is not allowed to live in towns and cities here. What are -termed "locations" are built by the municipality, and in these places -the natives are kept to themselves. The Boer plan is much better than -the English, as, if the black man be given too much liberty, it -generally proves injurious to him. Dutch authorities are very severe -on men smuggling liquor to natives. Five hundred dollars is the fine, -and in default of payment the smuggler must serve five years in jail. - -Indians leaving Natal for the Transvaal generally come to grief. On -arrival they are promptly taken into custody, and when 50 to 100 have -been collected are put into box cars of a train headed for Portuguese -territory, and soon find themselves in the hold of a ship sailing from -Lourenzo Marques for India. Indians have spoiled the Province of -Natal, so the Dutch are taking care that that race do not get the -money that belongs to the white man in the Transvaal. Though Indians -are British subjects, it makes no difference to the Dutch. Australia -has barred them from that country, too. - -An art gallery, a museum, a large public library, a good zoo, sports -grounds, parks where music is furnished, theaters, schools, churches, -hospitals--all the public accessories that make a city are found in -Johannesburg; also most modern city fire-fighting appliances, an -electric street car system, electric and gas plants, fully in keeping -with those in cities of the same size located in the countries of the -North. - -"Necessity is the mother of invention," so, as there is practically no -timber in South Africa, and brick buildings cost quite a sum of money -to erect, homes had to be made of something else. Corrugated iron was -the material that answered the purpose of brick, wood and stone. About -all the timber required to erect one of these houses is for joists, -scantlings, and doors. The sheets of corrugated iron are nailed to the -joists and to the scantling at the roof. Sometimes there are plastered -interiors, but a great many have no more protection than the sheet of -iron. They are very hot in summer and very cold in winter. They pop -and crack all the time from expansion and contraction. These houses -are seldom more than one story high. "Wood and iron" buildings is what -they are called. - -"Pipe Hospital" may be seen over the door of a tobacco store. It means -that pipes are repaired there. - -A broad-brimmed hat, with a thick outside band, the latter often -brown, with a white speck here and there, is the head-covering worn in -the interior of South Africa. It is the only hat a Dutchman wears. -Derby hats are in little demand in that part of the world. One -occasionally sees a man wearing that style, but soft hats hold the -day. - -Snow fell in Johannesburg a few years since, the first in 20 years, -and it proved an epoch in the history of the country. Important events -that took place before or since are referred to as having occurred -before or after the storm. Still, the weather gets cold enough to -freeze water, but the sun warms up everything in the daytime. By -reason of the high altitude--over 6,000 feet--the weather is never too -hot in summer. - -To General Louis Botha the people of not only South Africa, but of the -world, owe a great debt for saving the Rand mines. The time Botha -rendered this service was when Lord Roberts, with his invincible -forces, was outside the gates of Johannesburg prepared to enter the -city. Most of the gold mines on the Rand had been wired and powerful -explosives placed at sections where the greatest damage would take -place from an explosion. It was planned that as soon as Lord Roberts -entered the city an electric button would be pressed to set off the -bombs, which would ruin the mines. Botha, of course, was well aware of -what was to occur. A messenger was dispatched by him to Lord Roberts, -bearing a request from the Boer commander to delay entering the city -for 24 hours. Lord Roberts acceded to the request. During the interval -General Botha pleaded with his Boer sympathizers not to blow up the -mines. It required his utmost persuasive ability to dissuade the men -from carrying out their purpose. He eventually got their promise that -the mines would not be molested. Had Botha been narrow-minded or -vindictive, instead of a broad-minded man, in dealing with Lord -Roberts, the world's output of gold since that time would probably -have been from $100,000,000 to $120,000,000 less annually. - -Johannesburg is named after a Boer--Johannes--whose farm was located -on a portion of the Gold Reef. It was about 1885 when gold was -discovered. - -The Great Trek by the Dutch from Cape Colony to the Transvaal took -place in 1835-38. Being dissatisfied with English administration in -Cape Colony, they, like the Mormons in America, kept going into -uninhabited parts, stopping only when they believed they had gone -beyond reach of everybody, where they could live their own lives in -their own way. There were thousands in the Great Trek. In 1852 a -government was formed, and M. W. Pretorious became the first President -of the South African Republic. In the early seventies there were about -25,000 Boers in the Transvaal. In 1876 the republic practically -collapsed, when England assumed responsibility. In 1877 the British -flag was raised in Pretoria, but the Dutch did not relish that -innovation. During 1881 the Boers attacked the English garrisons, and -in January, 1882, the British suffered successive defeats at Majuba -Hill, under command of General Colley, the latter being killed at -Ingogo Heights. Eight hundred English officers and men were killed in -the engagements, and on the Boer side 18 were killed and 33 wounded. A -few lean years for the Dutch followed. Later, the gold fields of -Barberton sprang into existence, then the Rand, and undreamed of -wealth poured into the Transvaal, towns springing up as if by magic. -It was during this early heyday period of the Rand that adventurous -spirits such as Barnato, Hammond, Beit, Rhodes and others figured -prominently in the life of Boerland--some there by reason of the -opportunity to vent their inborn desire for adventure, others as -agents of Great Britain, but all playing for high stakes round the -green table of the great Gold Reef. With the exception of the Jameson -Raid, in 1895, the Boers enjoyed peace and prosperity up to the -opening of the Anglo-Boer war in 1899, when, three years later, the -Transvaal and Orange Free State became British possessions. - -On May 31, 1910, the four provinces--Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange -Free State and Transvaal--became the Union of South Africa, with -General Louis Botha, Premier, his Cabinet, save one, being composed of -Dutch members. Each province has its legislature, like our State -legislature. A governor-general, appointed by the King of England, is -the representative of the Imperial Government in South Africa and -Rhodesia. With the exception of eight Senators, appointed by the -Governor-General, the members of the National and Provincial -Parliaments are elected by popular vote. One is safe, commercially -speaking, in saying Johannesburg is more than half of Boerland. - -Law and order in the Gold City conform to the British standard. Noted -crooks and adventurers are found about places where gold and diamonds -are mined, yet few big burglaries take place. In stature, the -policemen of Johannesburg are second to none. They are of splendid -physique. Native policemen are used in that city also. - -The ravages of cattle diseases in South Africa is strongly suggested -on seeing refrigerator cars being emptied of frozen meat. The poorer -portions of beeves and sheep find their way to the compounds, the meat -being eaten by the mine "boys." The frozen meat comes from Australia -and New Zealand, arriving every week, and is shipped to what is called -an agricultural country. - -What seems an inexcusable lack of enterprise, combined with -mismanagement, is seen at every turn. Cattle hides are shipped to -Europe, while boots and shoes worn in South Africa are made in -England, Germany, Holland or the United States. Wool is shipped to -centers North, and hence all the woolen goods come from Europe. One -may ride through sections that should make splendid farming districts, -but these are held by landowners in tracts of from 2,000 to 30,000 -acres, and only a small area is under cultivation. Lack of water is -the reason given. One sees no windmills, however. Rain water is often -stored in a crude pond, which is generally muddy from sheep and cattle -walking in it. This dirty drinking water alone is enough to kill the -stock. - -Every animal of field and farm seems to have a mortal enemy. With the -cattle, one of three diseases--East Coast or tick fever, rinderpest -and red water--is apt to decimate them at any time; two or three -diseases wipe out sheep; there is what is termed "horse sickness," -horses also dying from eating grass when dew is on the ground, and -meningitis menaces mules. - -At least four drawbacks figure in raising grain--drought, hailstones, -locusts and poor farming--the worst being the presence of the black -man, meaning poor farming; though his hut rent keeps the white man's -coffee-pot boiling, at the same time it unhands him industrially. When -one sees a piece of plowed land it is generally but half plowed, a -grassy strip of sod often appearing between furrows at some part of -the field. It would be a rare thing to see unplowed strips between -furrows in England, on the Continent, or in most of the farming States -of America. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -The Dutch being averse to having the capital near the sea coast, as -soon as they gained full control of United South Africa, on May 31, -1910, they decided on Pretoria as the capital, although Capetown was -well provided with good legislative buildings. Money was then -appropriated to erect government buildings in Pretoria, and a hill -east of the city was selected as a site for the Parliament buildings. -Following this, a large force of government employes were compelled to -leave Capetown for Pretoria, as government business was in future to -be transacted in the Transvaal instead of the Cape of Good Hope. At -present Pretoria, 45 miles from Johannesburg, is the capital of United -South Africa. Before the war the Boers exercised control over only the -Transvaal and Orange Free State, but 11 years later they also -exercised authority over the Provinces of the Cape of Good Hope and -Natal. - -One who had imagined he would not find modern utilities and -attractiveness of a general nature in a place located 'way up on the -veld would be much taken aback upon entering Pretoria. Encircled by a -range of hills is this, the best-looking large town in the interior of -South Africa. The city being so far away from the busy centers of the -world, and over a thousand miles inland from Capetown, one would not -expect to find fine, clean streets, a good electric street railway -system, good parks, in some of which music is furnished; shade trees, -water fountains, and splendid buildings--residential, business, -municipal and governmental. - -The Dutch Reformed Church, built in the center of the old market -square, around which long ox teams used to slowly worm their way and -seek shelter behind its stone walls from winds and shade from the sun; -where auctioneers, chattering like monkeys, sold produce of burghers, -brought from points a hundred miles in some instances, to the highest -bidder; where Boer met Boer and sympathized with each other during -lean years, discussed native wars, their troubles with England, and -the ravages of locusts and rinderpest; where the last President of the -Transvaal intermingled with his people, walking among the piles of -pumpkins, calabashes, tomatoes, guinea fowl, chickens, hares, and -buck; where, on holy days, Psalms were sung by these rough-looking -plainsmen--this historical assembling place of burghers, with its -old-time and latter-day memories, has been removed, and the -market-place converted into a public garden, surrounded at ends and -one side by imposing government buildings. On visiting the square -where the old church stood, the men of full beards and broad-brimmed -soft hats now look instead on beds of flowers in bloom and fountains -casting rainbow spray round a circular space. - -One feels more comfortable in Pretoria after having spent some time in -the Gold City, for he has left the red dust behind, the unattractive -cyanide banks, the clouds of black smoke and the sooty buildings. The -air is free from smoke, from the dirt banks, and a healthier -atmosphere prevails. Pretoria is Dutch; Johannesburg cosmopolitan. - -Some 40,000 people were living in this attractive place, and the -population is increasing. The government departments were removed from -Capetown, one after another, and with the reestablishment of each -Pretoria's population naturally increased as the government employes -followed. "Civil servants" is the term used to denote government -employes. An increase in salaries was granted to employes when brought -from Capetown or Durban, as the salaries paid in the coast cities, on -which a frugal person could save money, provided little more than food -and clothing in the new capital. As in Johannesburg, house rent is -high, and board cannot be had at less than from $35 to $40 a month. -The cost of living here, as in Johannesburg, is from 15 to 20 per -cent. higher than the coast towns. - -Away from mining towns smokestacks are few and far between. Pretoria -makes a better showing in this respect, as there are flour mills, an -ice plant, an electric power house, and small manufactures that give -the place a business appearance. - -Walking a few blocks along West Kerk street, on the right hand side, -may be seen a one-story stone and cement house, roofed with corrugated -iron. This building is surrounded with an iron fence, built on a -cement foundation. On each side of the walk leading to the house are -two stone lions. In front is a veranda. In that modest house Paul -Kruger lived. Walking in the same direction a few squares a park is -reached. Entering by a gate, a short distance ahead is seen a large -cement foundation with steps leading up, and resting on the foundation -is a square granite base. The monument finishes there. Postcards bear -a picture of the completed monument to Paul Kruger, but it lacks the -bronze figure of the Boer President. "The monument that was to have -been erected to the memory of the late President Kruger" is the -wording under the picture of the "completed" monument. The bronze -figure of Paul Kruger reached Lourenzo Marques, Portuguese East -Africa, at the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, in 1899. Several lean -years followed the Boers' defeat, and the Transvaal was theirs no -longer. What stands of "the monument that was to have been" is well -looked after. Some day, however, the printing on a postcard of the -completed monument will read: "Paul Kruger's Monument." - -"Dick" Seddon, of New Zealand, was a great man; Brazil, Argentine, -Chile and Australia have produced men they consider great, but their -fame is only local. Many in other countries tell one that the United -States has produced but two great men--Washington and Lincoln. Looking -at things from a world viewpoint, one cannot find a man born south of -the equator who measures up to Paul Kruger's fame. So, in fairness to -rugged genius, it would seem no overt act would be committed if the -completed monument did stand in that park in Pretoria--to the memory -of the greatest man born south of the equator. - -"Have you been out to Wonderboom?" is a question visitors to Pretoria -will be asked. Six or seven miles from the capital is seen from a -distance what looks like a very large tree, located a mile from the -railroad station. Big trees with dark green leaves are rare on the -veld, which accounts for Wonderboom being such an attraction. In a -radius of 150 feet seven groups of trees are growing, and from each -grows half a dozen trees. The space taken up by some of these groups -measures from 20 to 30 feet, and the clumps grow from roots of what -appeared to have been large trees at one time. When vegetation of all -sorts is white from drought the Wonderboom is as green as if it had -been watered at frequent intervals. The trees grow 20 feet high, and -cover an area of half an acre. No one seemed to know the name of the -wood. "Vonderboom" seemed to be sufficient to cover all questions -asked about its specie. - -English newspapers published in Pretoria could not be favorably -compared to the Johannesburg productions. This may be accounted for by -the existence of Dutch publications, which naturally have a larger -patronage than English newspapers, the population being in the main -Dutch. As a considerable amount of the government printing is now done -in Pretoria, this industry has improved. The pay is from $30 to $45 a -week, eight hours' work. Mechanics of all kinds receive $5 a day. - -All government documents, bills, blanks, etc., are printed in two -languages--Dutch and English. As the government owns the railway, -telegraph, postoffice and telephone systems, any one can understand -what a big item the government's printing bill is. This was agreed to -by the British representatives who attended the convention at which -the consolidation of the four provinces was ratified. The Dutch adhere -strictly to this agreement affecting their language. - -The Dutch are not a vindictive race. No tales of brutality are heard -of in connection with the Boer War. Men who fought on the British side -tell of having been taken prisoner and of being sent back to their -command. Sometimes the Boers would take the clothes off a captive, and -then direct him to where his fellow soldiers were camped. Paul Kruger -would have been justified in shooting the men who instigated and took -part in the Jameson Raid, on the grounds of treason, but he spared -their lives. They paid big sums of money in fines, though, for their -unsuccessful, treasonable offense. - -The Dutch have their faults, like other races, but they seem the -better able to guide the destiny of their land of plagues. - -The Boer War, in a sense, proved a blessing in disguise to the Dutch. -Previous to that time proper attention had not been given to educating -the young; precious few lawyers, doctors, educators and mining -engineers bore Dutch names. Look through the directories of South -Africa now and contrast the number of Dutch names that figure among -those of the professional class. The war woke up the Boers to a sense -of assuming a greater responsibility in the advancement of their -country. A great many Dutch young men are students in the leading -universities of the world. - -Nothing feminine in sound is noticeable about the names of places in -Boerland. But one often feels at a loss to account for the general use -of the affix "fontein." Save for a narrow strip along the coast the -country is dry. The Orange and the Vaal rivers seem to be the only two -of consequence in the interior. The country is full of "spruits," -"fonteins" and rivers which, when one reaches them, are dry as a bone. -The only things that seem to "spruit" in them are cobble-stones and -rattle-snakes. - -"Assegaiboschfontein," "Jakhalskraalfontein," "Wildebeestespruitbult" -are a few names of towns that occur to one as being decidedly -masculine. - -Boers, physically, are large men. Many of the older men wear full -beards, and invariably wear a broad-brimmed hat with cloth band of -several plies thick. They smoke calabash pipes, the weed being known -as Boer tobacco, which costs 50 cents a pound. They generally carry a -sjambok, a strip of rhinoceros hide about three feet long and an inch -thick. Meeting one alone, the questions he asks in quick -succession--"What's your name?" "Where do you come from?" "What's your -business?" "Have you been in South Africa long?" "How long are you -going to stay in the country?"--bring to mind this distinguishing -trait of a noted Chinese who made a visit to America some years ago. -Rum is the Boer's strong drink, but he is seldom seen under the -influence of liquor. In a sense, he is of a roaming disposition, for -some Boers are on the trek all the time. They seem to be better suited -when they have got beyond the outposts of civilization. Were it not -for the Boer's inclination to trek, however, it is possible there -would be no gold mines on the Rand or diamond fields in Kimberley. His -battles with the native tribes and his sufferings and hardships will -never be lost sight of as the factors through which the white man was -enabled to live in that section of "Darkest Africa." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -We take our departure from the Transvaal and make a start for Victoria -Falls, in Rhodesia, also British territory. Traveling some 300 miles -out of a direct line, through Fourteen Streams, to Vryburg, on to -Mafeking, finds us nearly opposite the place started from, but headed -in the right direction. A gap of 40 miles from Zeerust to the main -line has since been closed, which makes the trip from Johannesburg to -Bulawayo much shorter. Two trains a week care for all the business -over that stretch of native territory. - -From Fourteen Streams, which is only a railway junction, we start -northward over the treeless veld on our way to Rhodesia, 700 miles -beyond. Vryburg is the next place reached where white people live, and -most of the 3,000 inhabitants are engaged in business connected with -farming. Nearly a hundred miles further Mafeking was reached, which -has been made historical in virtue of the seven-months' siege of -Britishers during the Boer War. It is located near the Transvaal -border, and is a trading center for the western Transvaal. Railway car -shops are located at Mafeking, and these and the trading industries -give employment to its 3,000 inhabitants. - -An hour's ride further, and we have crossed the Cape -Colony-Bechuanaland Protectorate border line. Northward from that -point we pass through what seems an uninhabited country, so far as -white people are concerned. A railway station is built here and there -along the line, where a few Europeans may be seen; but the country is -wild and populated with natives. Were one to go to sleep for six or -eight hours, upon waking up he would not know that he had moved a -mile, so far as any change in the appearance of the landscape would -indicate. At a few stations signs of industry were in evidence, bags -of corn being piled along the track. - -Natives with karosses (skins of wild beasts) and native-made souvenirs -surrounded the train when stops were made, spreading their wares on -the ground and holding the objects of native handicraft to the gaze of -the passengers. The natives' souvenirs were the images of giraffes, -elephants, lions, tigers, storks and other animals cut out of wood and -painted or dyed black, but many of the imitations were far from good. -Splendid karosses are bought cheap along the line. One can have his -choice of a lion, tiger, hyena, jackal, wildcat, monkey and baboon, -and sometimes a giraffe. Many are as large as a buffalo robe. - -"How much!" shouted a splendid specimen of a Bechuana woman, in the -native language, as she held her naked pickaninny over her -head--laughing heartily at the same time--at a place where the train -had stopped and where natives and karosses were numerous. Passengers -were bartering and haggling with the natives over the price of -karosses, and others were ambitious to sell their souvenirs. The black -mother had imbibed the "shopping" spirit, when she jocularly offered -her babe for sale. "Half a crown!" (60 cents) shouted a passenger. -With that offer the semi-barbarous mother quickly brought her -pickaninny to her bosom, threw her arms about the little one and gave -it such a hug that the baby's eyes bulged, she laughing so heartily -the while as if to split her sides. - -Still traveling toward the heart of Africa, we reach Mochudi and the -Kalahari Desert, the eastern fringe of which we traverse, a distance -of 200 miles. The dust had become so thick in this stretch of the -journey that the color of the passengers' clothes could not be -detected. All the way along from Mafeking I could not keep from my -mind the Americanism, "It's a great country, where nobody lives and -dogs bark at strangers." - -When the train stopped at Mahalapye we entered what is known as -Khama's country. The course of the railroad is nearly on the line -taken by David Livingstone, the explorer. When Livingstone and his -band passed through that section of Africa, the grandfather of the -reigning chief offered every hospitality to the explorer, and espoused -the Christian religion. Chief Khama, the grandson, is the most -important ruler of Bechuanaland, and has spent some time in Europe; he -conforms largely to European customs. Besides being a strict -disciplinarian, he forbids the sale of liquor to his people. He -receives a pension from the English Government. Serowe, Khama's -capital, located 30 miles inland from Palapye Road station, is the -largest town in Bechuanaland, having a population of 40,000. His -subjects pay the smallest head tax of any of the tribes in South -Africa. - -We were passing through a country about which the wildebeeste, -gemsbuck, eland, tiger, lion, and even the giraffe, still roam. Along -the railway may be seen the secretary bird, guinea fowl and also -handsome cranes. The secretary bird, so named from feathers growing at -the back of the head, which look like quill pens, is what is known as -"royal game." "Royal game" are beasts or fowl that must not be killed. -The reason the secretary bird is protected is because it is a bitter -foe to snakes. Snatching a snake in the middle with his bill, he at -once begins to fly upward with the reptile, and when at a certain -height will let go his prey. The snake, when he strikes the earth, is -killed. - -White traders are located through these desolate tracts of country, -sometimes a hundred miles from a railway. Little cash changes hands -between natives and traders in out-of-the-way districts. For his skins -and corn, or whatever the native may have to sell, he receives as pay -bright-colored calico, Jew's-harps, concertinas, mouth organs, tinware -and such things. - -Passing out of Khama's country we enter a territory known as the Tati -Concessions. Traversing this tract, we crossed the northern boundary -of Bechuanaland a few miles south of Plumtree, when we were in -Matabeleland, Rhodesia. In this section Lobengula, the Matabele king, -held undisputed sway until Cecil Rhodes decided to annex this part of -Africa to England's possessions. What Andries Pretorius did to Dingaan -at Blood River--broke forever the power of the Zulus--Cecil Rhodes did -with the powerful Lobengula in Matabeleland. - -We passed within ten miles of the Matopo Hills, on the top of which -is buried Cecil John Rhodes, "the Colossus of South Africa," as he was -termed. Whatever shortcomings Rhodes may have possessed, or the means -he resorted to to attain his ambition, one of his virtues will always -remain unquestioned--bravery. He wished his remains to rest where his -greatest feat of daring took place. It was during the rebellion of the -Matabeles in 1896-97 that Rhodes, unarmed, with a friend accompanying -him, walked up the Matopos through the files of the warring hordes of -blacks to where their chiefs were stationed. His cool bravery and -personal magnetism so impressed the chiefs that the rebellion ceased. - -"Here lie the remains of Cecil John Rhodes" is the brief inscription -carved on a granite slab that covers his grave, which was chiseled out -of a solid rock on the highest of the Matopo Hills. "World's View" is -the name Rhodes gave the place where he is buried. It is located 30 -miles southeast of Bulawayo. - -Bulawayo, meaning in English "the place of killing," is located in the -heart of wildest Africa. We find here splendid streets, as wide as -those of Salt Lake City, fringed with trees, with monuments erected at -convenient places in the center; a good public library, containing -5,000 volumes; hospitals, parks, a botanical garden, zoological park, -museum and art gallery, schools, churches, business buildings, daily -newspapers--all of a high order. Bulawayo, nearly 1,400 miles from -Capetown, has a population of 5,000 whites. It is the largest town of -Matabeleland, the center of the gold mining industry, and has had -railway connection with the Transvaal since 1897. Only four years -earlier Lobengula's Kraal occupied the land that Bulawayo is built on. -It required the sacrifice of many lives of hardy frontiersman to -conquer the Matabeles, and to pave the way for the accession of -Matabeleland, Mashonaland, Barotseland and the other sections that -comprise Rhodesia. - -Industries in Bulawayo are few and small. In this respect, however, it -is no different than most African towns. But located in the country -away from the metropolis are numerous gold mines, and Bulawayo is -headquarters for that industry. The annual output from these mines -run from $12,000,000 to $15,000,000. - -We find in this place the typical frontiersmen. This feature of the -country is reflected from its founder, as Rhodes was not a "toff." -Every one goes in his shirtsleeves, and derby hats are not sold in -Bulawayo. Soft, wide-brimmed hats, like those worn by the Boers, rule -the day. One occasionally sees the butt of a revolver sticking out of -a hip pocket or at the side of a belt, and hunting knives, incased in -a sheath, are carried by almost every one, particularly on leaving -town. A rifle strapped over the shoulder of men coming in from country -districts is a common thing to see. Lions and tigers are so numerous -in Rhodesia that weapons are carried to protect one's-self from any -attack that might be made by the wild beasts. Still, under these -"trouble-making" conditions, we find maintained that same respect for -law and order that was so noticeable in other parts. - -A native word--"indaba"--much in use in Rhodesia, is often used in -South Africa. When the chiefs met to talk over matters pertaining to -their tribe--a native cabinet meeting--the meeting would be termed an -"indaba." When Cecil Rhodes was engaged in dissuading the Matabele -chiefs on the Matopo hill to discontinue the rebellion, the meeting of -the "great white chief" with the native chiefs was termed an "indaba." - -In the grounds of Government House stands what is known as the "Indaba -Tree." The residence of the Governor-General is built on the site of -Lobengula's home, and it was under this tree that the rulers of the -Matabele tribe assembled and dispensed native justice. - -Though the altitude of Matabeleland is about 5,000 feet, the weather -is warmer in winter than it is in the Transvaal. - -Mention has been made of "salted" cattle in South Africa. The only -people who can live in most parts of Rhodesia are "salted" men. If the -inhabitants are so fortunate as to take on a few pounds of flesh at -certain seasons, they lose that much, and generally more, from fever -and ague at another season. Among the creditable buildings mentioned -of Bulawayo was included "good hospitals." Wherever hospitals are -seen frequently, particularly in small settlements, one is using sound -judgment if he makes his escape from that place early, as otherwise he -will soon be personally familiar with the interior of these -institutions. Wherever hospital facilities of a small community are of -the first order, one finds a graveyard out of all proportion to the -number of people who live in the place. A hen with a brood of chicks -was crossing a sidewalk in Bulawayo, and each chick had its head drawn -back between its wings. They were so slow getting across the walk that -one had to step over them--stepping over chunks of fever, as it were. - -Rhodesia is a trap in which many poor men get caught. The riches of -the country are much advertised in England, and those who come out and -buy land soon find that their limited means are gone, and they are -practically stranded. Both Rhodesia and South Africa are countries -only for men with capital. - -The railway branches in two directions from Bulawayo--one easterly to -Salisbury and out to Beira, Portuguese East Africa, the latter place -being the port for Rhodesia; and northwesterly to Victoria Falls, and -from that point 300 miles northward toward the southern border of the -Congo Free State. This branch is what is known as the Cape-to-Cairo -route. - -We will start for the Falls. Fifty miles from Bulawayo we left the -plains and passed through a forest of teak trees. Further on, growing -palms indicated a warmer climate. - -"Thirteen years ago," said a traveling companion, who was a trader in -these parts, "fourteen of us came up to Rhodesia. None was over 25 -years of age. I'm the only one left out of the fourteen," he -concluded. Asked what had taken off his companions, he answered: "One -was killed by a lion, and the others died of fever." - -Ho! a smokestack is in view. We have reached Wankie, a coal mining -district, and a rich one, too, for the mineral may be seen cropping -out of the ground on each side of the track. A big hospital is -observed, situated on a hill, which bears the usual significance in -Rhodesia. - -"Do you see that low, white cloud to the right?" asked a passenger. -"That's the spray from Victoria Falls. We have several miles yet to go -before we reach the bridge," he added. - -We had traveled 1,200 miles from Johannesburg to this place, the -journey taking three days. Recklessness, rather than good judgment, -marked my course, for railroad fare from and back to Johannesburg -tapped my purse for $100. Expenses on the train had increased also, as -the cheapest meal from Mafeking north was 60 cents, and the next -cheapest 75 cents. But to one whose mind inclines to seeing the acme -of nature's handicraft, promptings of this character outweigh -financial considerations. Hotel accommodation at Victoria Falls was -correspondingly high--$5 a day. One has no choice, as there is but a -single hotel there, which is the property of the railroad company. -Aside from the hotel, a photographer's studio and a few houses -comprise all there is in the way of buildings in Victoria Falls. - -Some of the Boers who took part in the Great Trek from Capetown north -in 1835-38 did not stop long in what later became the Transvaal, but -kept trekking, until they reached the Zambezi River. Most of these -voortrekkers, however, were massacred by Matabeles. This occurred from -ten to fifteen years earlier than Livingstone's visit. But it fell to -David Livingstone to make known to the world the greatest of -waterfalls, on which he first set eyes in November, 1855. - -For a distance of seven miles above the falls the river is dotted with -evergreen islands. Through this archipelago the waters of the Zambezi -slowly run, giving no intimation of what is taking place several miles -below. On these islands hippopotami feed when inclination prompts, and -crocodiles sun themselves and sleep when they choose land to water -rest. - -Two islands--Livingstone and Cataract--are located at the edge of the -precipice, which accounts for Victoria Falls being of three parts, -namely: Rainbow, Main and Cataract Falls. The distance from one side -of the river to the other here is over a mile--5,808 feet, to be -correct. The water, unlike that of Niagara, is of a dark, sallow -color, but not muddy, and the falls are straight, instead of horseshoe -shape. - -Stealthily the water moves over the wide ledge of rock, when its dull, -lifeless color in the archipelago now assumes a much brighter shade. -Save for two dark panels of unwatered space, made by two green islands -just above, there unfolds before the visitor's eye what seems a -mile-wide mantle of amber-colored, gauze-like lace. Myriads of water -crystals dart from the broad flow's filmy web and, jewel-like, -embellish the absorbing water spread for a depth of 380 feet. Also -rainbows revel in still further enhancing this crowning masterpiece of -art--these, in beautifying, sharing a radiant part--the bars of iris, -of lustrous, engrossing hues, burnishing the peerless tri-falls' -breast, as the veil-like flow descends in brilliant, multi-colored, -wavy folds from its smooth, extended crest to the roaring, misty maw -below. Clouds of spray, which may be seen 15 miles away, rise to a -height of 2,000 feet from the boiling abyss, and the thunderous roar -made by the impact of the waters is heard 12 miles beyond. - -A parallel wall rises in front of the precipice over which the water -flows. A space varying from 80 to 240 feet separates the two. Into -this narrow chasm 5,000,000 gallons of water a minute dash from a -height of 380 feet, and one may imagine what pandemonium is taking -place all the time in the great vault. For three-quarters of a mile -the second, or parallel, wall, runs westward, unbroken. Then there is -a break of something like 200 feet in width, that looks as if it had -been gnarled out not only by water, but that even some other powerful -agency had taken part in making this cleavage. The wall rises again to -its full height and maintains a solid, unbroken front for a quarter of -a mile further to Cataract Falls, at the west bank of the river. The -water from Rainbow Falls, at the east bank, and from Main Falls, in -the center of the river, runs westward to the 200-foot gap in the -parallel wall, and the water from Cataract Falls runs eastward and, -boiling and foaming, intermixes with the other waters and flows -through the same opening. One may form an idea of the great depth of -water at the narrow outlet when it is borne in mind that this vast -quantity, falling over a ledge of rock a mile wide, finds its way out -of the huge rock tank through that narrow channel. - - [Illustration: VICTORIA FALLS. - ZAMBEZI BRIDGE AND GORGE BELOW FALLS. - NOTE.--The parallel wall against which the flow dashes is equal in - height to the precipice over which the water passes, the picture - being drawn with a view of affording a clearer conception of - Victoria's wide descent.] - -After the water storms through the 200-foot wide channel the torrent -travels several hundred feet, when it flows under the Zambezi railway -bridge, 450 feet above. On it turbulently runs, the water befoamed, -through high, perpendicular walls of basaltic rock for over a mile. -The rocky banks then decrease, but the course of the river remains -rugged and tortuous for a distance of 40 miles. - -Vegetation growing about the falls, particularly palm trees, adds much -attractiveness to the environment. The absence of improvements--save -for the bridge, together with grass-thatched native huts showing dimly -through the vegetation on the banks; the evergreen islands; the -stillness of the water before making its plunge, contrasted with the -wild-appearing, rugged, high, rocky walls below and the foaming and -billowy torrent as it dashes madly through the narrow gorge--make -Victoria, like other great works of nature, distinctive in formation -from other notable waterfalls. - -Summing up the comparative grandeur and greatness of Niagara and -Victoria Falls, most persons who have seen both would decide, I -believe, that Niagara Falls is the more beautiful and Victoria the -greater. In this connection one has only to compare the grand crescent -of sky-blue water of Niagara with the dull color of Victoria Falls, -the water of Niagara, after plunging over an unbroken stretch of rock -ledge into a roomy, circular-shaped basin, assuming its true blue -color, with the gradual narrowing of the banks to the Gorge; contrast -Niagara's broad, sweeping, unconfined character with the water of the -Zambezi, hemmed in from view in tank-like walls after passing over the -falls, and then prevented from making a good showing, as it were, by a -continuation of similar walls for a distance of 40 miles. - -The bridge across the Zambezi River is a pretty one, with a single -span of 610 feet, and was constructed by an American firm. Cecil -Rhodes instructed the builders to erect it where it now stands, "so -that it would always be wet by spray from the falls." - -Nature's fickleness, a trait disclosed in choosing remote regions for -some of her noted wonders, entailing, as it does, long journeys, -fatigue and much expense to reach, is conspicuous by her placing -Victoria in a country hemmed in on the west by Angola and German West -Africa, north by the Belgian Congo, northeast by German East Africa, -east by Portuguese East Africa, and south by Bechuanaland and the -Transvaal. The shortest time in which a journey could be made from an -American port to these falls is about five weeks. Landing at Capetown, -four days' travel, on a slow train, mostly over a dry and dusty -country, must be undergone to reach that point, when Victoria Falls is -viewed in all its sublimity, located in a wild, interesting, but -fever-ridden, section of Rhodesia, where only a handful of languid -white persons live, and on a continent where the superior race number -less than a million and a half. - -It is dangerous to cross the Zambezi River in a rowboat, the river -being infested with crocodiles, which grow from 12 to 16 feet long. -The hippopotamus, though, starts the trouble. He hides just under the -water, and nothing can be seen of the beast until a boat is on top of -him. Then he rises, overturning the boat. "Hippo" will not harm a -person in the water; but crocodiles are generally found close to a -hippopotamus, and the former are always hungry. As soon as the -unfortunate occupants of a boat have been dumped overboard there is a -swirl of water close by, another farther off, yet more disturbed -water, when long, dull colored shapes come lashing swiftly up. The -poor swimmers disappear, the muddy water reddens for a short time, and -then becomes sallow colored again. To the Barotse native the crocodile -is a sacred animal, and, as he will not harm the voracious beasts, -deaths of both natives and Europeans by crocodiles occur frequently in -this part of Rhodesia. - -The Zambezi River rises in West Portuguese Africa and empties into -the Indian Ocean at Chinde, Portuguese East Africa, about a thousand -miles from its source. - -Beer and whiskey are drunk a great deal in that part of Rhodesia, and -almost every one takes quinine to allay fever. No one would dare take -a drink of water were it not boiled. - -"Knocking around" is a term much in use in Rhodesia. "Have you seen -John Smith knocking around?" "Is there a boat knocking around?" "Are -there lions knocking around here?" are common instances in which the -term is used. - -Tigers are so numerous about Victoria Falls that they rob hen roosts, -and even climb through pantry windows and take away what eatables are -handy. - -Vegetation in these parts is interesting to visitors, as all the -bushes and trees are strange to those coming from foreign places. -Nearly every tree or shrub produces its seed in the form of a pod, -like beans. Thorn prongs, as sharp as needles and two and three inches -in length, grow on some trees. The cream-of-tartar tree, however, will -interest a visitor more. This one grows very large, and the bark is -the color of a hippopotamus' skin. In fact, the bark of all trees has -a dark color. The pod of the cream-of-tartar is the shape of a -cucumber and 10 to 12 inches long. The shell is very hard, but, when -broken open, if ripe, the substance in the pod is white, and separates -from the fibers in the form of sugar cubes. The natives eat it. One -cream-of-tartar tree seen close to the falls measured 22 feet in -diameter. - -A very good tribe of natives is found in that part of Rhodesia--the -Barotse. At a kraal visited, several of the sightseers asked a native -for a drink of native beer. The liquid was brought in a large -calabash, and the drinking cup was the bowled-out end of a small -calabash. Before the native served the beer he poured out some of the -brew in the hollow of his hand and drank it. Then he tilted the -vegetable demijohn, when the beer was poured into the cup for the -Europeans. The reason of the Barotse sampling the beer first was to -allay any suspicion his white visitors might entertain concerning its -genuineness. - -Natives' musical instruments are a one-string fiddle, a skin drum, and -a little wooden frame containing three and four pieces of steel a -quarter of an inch in width and four inches in length. This last is -called a "piano." The small strips of steel are fastened at one end of -the frame. By touching these with the fingers a faint musical sound is -produced. For hours at a time a husky native keeps playing the -"piano," happy in the thought that he is an accomplished pianist. -Lewanika is the head chief of the Barotse tribe. - -Native wives are much cheaper in Barotseland than in Zululand, prices -ranging from two sheep to ten cows. Should the wife leave her -husband--elope, for instance--the girl's father must return the sheep -or cows to the deserted husband. - -North of the Zambezi River the territory is known as Northwestern -Rhodesia, and also Barotseland. Seven miles from Victoria Falls is -located Livingstone, the capital of Northwestern Rhodesia. Here, right -in the heart of one of the fever regions of Africa, one finds small -but substantial provincial buildings, a good, roomy hotel, an -up-to-date printing office, and a small but interesting botanical -garden. - -Malarial, or African, fever is very bad at Livingstone. Horses and -cattle cannot live in this part of Rhodesia unless they are well -"salted." Everything must be "salted," both man and beast. Transport -riders, when taking a load of provisions to traders or to mining camps -located far from the railway, are provided with extra oxen. Lions are -so numerous it frequently occurs that an ox is found in the morning -dead and partly eaten, the work of Leo during the night while the -cattle were resting or grazing. It is said the vital part of the -cattle where the lion makes his attack is the nose. In a second the -beast is thrown, and it is but a matter of a few minutes when the lion -will have his prey dead and badly torn. - -The tsetse fly is in his own bailiwick in these parts. This fly is one -of the worst plagues of Central Africa. In size, this insect is as -large as a bumblebee, and when he bites he draws blood, whether it be -man or beast. It is said the deadly virus he injects is extracted from -the bodies of big wild game. Nagana is the name of the disease caused -by the tsetse-fly bite. The scientific name for this fly is rather -prosy--Glossina morsitans; also for a first cousin, whose bite -likewise caused nagana disease, Glossina allidipes. Mail must be -carried to the interior by immune native runners, as a bite from these -flies means a very short life for a horse. Deaths from sleeping -sickness have occurred in this section of Africa. - -Machillas are the means of transportation by which people are carried -from place to place. The machilla is a long pole, with the ends of a -piece of canvas made fast, over which a cover is stretched. The ends -of the pole rest on the shoulders of four natives--eight in all--who -run along at a good gait, with their passengers in the hammock-like -device, until they reach a relay station--at intervals of about five -miles--when a fresh "team" of natives take up the machilla and are off -again at a good trot. - -The European population of this large tract of land is said to be only -30,000, blacks numbering 150 to one white person--and it is doubtful -if that number will ever be greater, for the large graveyards with -numerous fresh mounds of dirt are becoming better known through the -receipt of mail by friends living in countries of the North sent by -cadaverous, shaking relatives dying in the fever glades of Rhodesia. - -From Livingstone, 1,650 miles north of Capetown, the projected -Cape-to-Cairo line extends 300 miles further, to Broken Hill, where it -stops. The route from here is to the southern borderline of the -Belgian Congo, thence through that country, crossing the equator, -until Uganda is reached. From Uganda it will traverse the Soudan, -running thence into southern Egypt. At a point in this country the -line will connect with a tongue extending southward from Cairo, the -northern terminus. When the center has been linked, the length of the -line from Capetown, the southern terminus, to Cairo, will be about -5,000 miles. - -Returning to Johannesburg, we passed through Bulawayo, then over the -Matabeleland borderline into Bechuanaland, through the Kalahari -Desert, next into Cape Colony, and thus into Boerland. - -Perhaps the prettiest and most shapely mountains in the world are -those in South Africa. Though not so high as those in other countries, -their shapeliness attracts, most of them bearded with brush at bases -and sides, the tops being round and grassy. With the deep blue sky -above--the sun nearly always shining on the high veld, except during a -shower of rain--and the same colored horizon all round, together with -the rays from a bright sun lavishly diffusing the summits, there is a -tone and finish to Boerland mountains which, in other countries, -rocks, snow and timber do not bestow. The highest mountain is Mount -Aux Sources, rising 10,000 feet, located in the Drakensburg range. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -From the Gold City we traveled southward to the Diamond City. - -"You haven't been in town long?" a Kimberley policeman addressing me, -remarked, as he stepped in front. As a matter of fact, I had only got -about a hundred yards from the railway station. I surmised that I had -been taken for an "I. D. B." (illicit diamond buyer), having been told -a bird can scarcely alight in Kimberley without coming under police -surveillance. "We're from the same country, I believe," the officer -continued, when I felt easier. "My native town is St. Louis," he -added. "Come to my home this afternoon and have dinner with us, after -which we'll call on an American living in a house a few doors below," -he went on kindly. This courtesy allayed all suspicion that I would be -asked to establish my identity before staying longer in the diamond -fields. The invitation was accepted, his hospitality being generous. -The second American had been on the diamond fields for more than 30 -years, but local interest was a secondary consideration to meeting -some one just come from the United States. He had been in British -territory so long that he had acquired the British accent, but that -was the only thing foreign about him, as one would not know where to -find a more patriotic son of America. On a second visit to the -"Diamond City" every kindness was shown me by these two "exiles." - -Kimberley, with a population of about 35,000, one-third of this number -being white, is the capital of Griqualand West, a section of Cape -Colony. Before diamonds were discovered, the territory embraced in the -Kimberley district was understood to be a part of the Orange Free -State. When the diamond fields promised rich returns, Cape Colony -officials claimed this tract as being part of that province. The -matter was finally adjusted by the Free State surrendering its claim -to the Cape authorities upon payment by the latter to the Boer -republic of several million dollars. The Diamond City has evidently -stood still while other places in the sub-continent have kept pace -with the progress of the times. Its newspapers are inferior; only one -building reaches three stories; there is very little street paving, -practically no sidewalks, and public buildings are quite ordinary; the -shacks standing not far from the business center, built by colored -people out of American oil cans, are a disgrace; church bells even are -suspended from a crosspiece resting on the top of two posts, 10 feet -high, in the churchyard; the parks do not amount to much, most of the -shade trees in these being fine-bearded pine, through which the sun -beats down on one. If there was anything of a creditable character -here, save for a modern street car system, we did not observe it. To -Alexandriafontein, a fenced-in private pleasure resort, an electric -line runs, but it costs 25 cents to reach this park. - -Were one in need of an object lesson to understand thoroughly what a -trust means to a municipality, he would learn that lesson in -Kimberley. A number of diamond mines are in operation in the Kimberley -district, but there is but one diamond mining company--the De Beers. -Diamond mining is the only industry in Kimberley. Mine officials are -very kind to visitors who wish to look about the works. - -"Ho! that's Kimberley rain," shouted a friend. Looking from a window, -the width of the street appeared a solid mass of dust, if the term may -be allowed, extending far above the roofs of the houses. "That's the -sort of 'rain' we get in Kimberley," he explained. No rain had fallen -for six months. - -The depth of the diamond mines runs from 1,000 to 2,600 feet. The -color of the soil in which the diamonds are found is blue--blue dirt, -it is called--which is removed by explosives. Dirt, pebbles and stones -are moved in iron trucks with iron covers, and locked. On coming to -the surface it is started on gravity railways which extend from two to -four miles from the mine. The truck of dirt, weighing about a ton and -containing an average of one-third of a karat of diamond, is here -dumped on the ground. The "dirt field" contains 1,400 acres of space. -Three high barbed wire fences form the inclosure, and police--mounted, -on bicycles, and on foot--see that no stranger gets inside the triple -barbed-wire fence. - -The blue dirt remains in the field from three to six months until, by -exposure to the air, it crumbles. A harrow, with teeth 10 inches long, -is drawn over the section of field ready for use, when any remaining -lumps are broken into fine dirt. The diamond soil is next loaded into -trucks and started back to the head of the mine. The dirt is here -dumped into a revolving screen, which contains holes for pebbles of -certain sizes to drop through. These drop into a revolving round tank, -or vat, 14 feet in diameter and about a foot deep, into which water -runs. Inside the vat are two large stationary rakes, around which the -tank revolves. This is called the washery. The dirt runs out as muddy -water, and the rakes serve to move the pebbles to a point in the -circular vat where there is an opening. Connecting with this opening -is a pipe, down which the stones pass into a steel truck below. When -the truck is filled with pebbles, the door is closed and locked. - -The truck is now started on a gravity railway to what is called the -pulsator, where the nuggets and diamond-bearing stones are separated -from those of no value. Here the contents of the truck also are -emptied into a revolving screen with graduated holes to allow the -pebbles to drop out. The stones of the various sizes now drop into -compartments 4 feet long and 18 inches wide--called jigs--which move -back and forth. Water runs over the pebbles in the jigs, the -light-weight ones washing out and the heavier remaining at the bottom. -The pebbles that remain in the jigs are taken out later and put into -still another revolving screen. Under the grade sizes of this screen -are inclined tables, over which water runs, these having a thickly -greased floor, or bottom, on to which the stones drop. The nuggets and -diamond-bearing stones stick in the grease, but the non-diamondiferous -pebbles pass over. To emphasize how strongly grease acts as a magnet -to the precious stones, of the millions and millions of pebbles that -are washed over the greased bottoms, which are carefully inspected by -experts, rarely is a diamond detected among the culls. - -The little lumps on the greased tables--the diamonds covered with -grease--might resemble a hand with big warts. The table is cleaned, -when the scrapings are treated by a liquid, which renders the diamonds -free of grease. They then pass to a sorting room. The sorters are -native prisoners, but a white man is over them. Then one negro, very -expert in detecting diamonds, examines the stones sorted by the -prisoners. From him they pass to a room where two white men again -examine them. They are then put into steel cups little larger than a -teacup. The cup has a lid to it and a lock. The lid is closed, locked, -and the cup labeled. The locked cups next go to the Kimberley office. -Every Monday the output of the diamond mines is taken to a train -headed for Capetown. That train makes connection with a steamship -leaving for Europe on Wednesdays. From England most of the diamonds -are sent to Amsterdam, Holland, to be refined. - -The reducing character of the diamond mining industry is apt to -astonish one. Over 200,000 trucks of dirt are treated daily, and the -product from this great quantity of soil is less than a cubic foot. -Twenty-three thousand men are engaged in digging, and the diamonds -mined by that large force are examined by but four eyes and handled by -only four hands in the examining room at the pulsator. The yearly -output of the Kimberley diamond mines is from $35,000,000 to -$40,000,000. - -Credit for bringing to light the first stone found in the Kimberley -district, in 1870, is given to an Irishman named O'Reilly. A Dutch -boy, whose father's name was Van Niekerk, was playing jackstones. -O'Reilly's eye being attracted by a bright stone among those with -which the boy was playing, he told the boy's father he thought that -particular one was a diamond. O'Reilly's judgment proved to be good, -as, when weighed, it was found to be of 22 1/2 karat. The stone was sold -for $2,500, O'Reilly and Van Niekerk dividing the money. - -On the wagon containing the weekly output of diamonds of the Kimberley -mines, and which meets the train that goes to Capetown every Monday -afternoon, is seated a white man and a native driver. No attempt has -yet been made to rob the wagon while going from the head office of the -diamond company to the railway station. This alone may serve to -emphasize the grip which law and order has on that community. - -A week before a native quits the diamond mines he is kept under strict -surveillance. The natives live in compounds, as the kafirs do in the -Rand mine compounds, but, unlike the "boys" working in the gold mines, -mine "boys" of Kimberley are not allowed outside of the compound -except when going to and coming from work, and then only under guard. -They are hired for from three months to a year, and are paid from $15 -to $30 a month and board. There are seven mines in the Kimberley -district, which give employment to 20,000 natives and 3,000 Europeans. -Three eight-hour shifts are worked. - -Those engaged in the diamond diggings along the banks of the River -Vaal carry with them during life a characteristic by which they may be -picked out from among men following different pursuits. A -fortune--which they all hope for--may escape them if their eyes are -raised from the ground for even so brief a time as that required for -the wink of an eyelash, as they might thus have missed the fleeting -flash of a precious stone just peeping through the soil. For this -reason, when engaged in the diamond diggings their eyes are constantly -looking downward. After they leave the diggings--when they have spent -their savings and become practically starved out--they walk about with -bent head, looking at the sidewalk or ground as they did when -hand-screening soil and digging alluvial dirt. Some have made fortunes -in the diggings, but these are few and far between. - -Bloemfontein, next visited, is known as the Convention City. Because -of its location, being the most important city in the center of South -Africa and well provided with hotels and railway connections, together -with its good public buildings, it has become the favored place for -national gatherings. - -After the Boer War the name of this province was changed to Orange -River Colony, against the burghers' wishes. In May, 1910, when the -Dutch again assumed power, its former name, and its present -one--Orange Free State--again came into use. - -Located between hills on two sides, having good streets, shady walks, -electric light, good buildings, and a broad, treeless veld to the -east, with poverty seemingly absent, an inviting air pervades -Bloemfontein. The homes of that city, a great many of them built of -red brick, with their vari-colored painted roofs and tidy yards filled -with flowers, all nestling under and some built on the side of the -kopjes, or hills, put one in mind of that other Dutch capital--Pretoria. -Unlike Kimberley, no tin shanties were to be seen here, neither were -the streets swarming with half-castes and Hindus. - -As in other places in South Africa where there are no mines, -smokestacks are few here. The Orange Free State is said to be a good -farming section, and from that source, and the general commercial and -official business linked with a metropolis and State capital, spring -the main assets of the city. Newspapers, a good gauge by which to -measure a center, are in advance of the Free State capital. - -The marketplace in Bloemfontein is typical of the Dutch, being located -in the center of the town, business houses and hotels standing on the -four sides. The long ox teams, led by natives with rawhide strips tied -to the horns of the leading yoke; the big transport, with its tent at -the rear, a Boer sitting in the doorway or opening, smoking his -calabash pipe filled with Boer tobacco, and his frau, behind him, -knitting; the auctioneers jabbering above a pile of farm produce; the -group of farmers, with their wide-brimmed hats and full beards, -arguing in the Dutch language, are all in evidence. It was interesting -to walk about observing the product of the soil and the people who -cultivate it, and the means in use to bring it where it might be -profitably sold. With the tent at the rear end of the transport, and -"scoff," coffee and cooking utensils, hotel expenses are eliminated, -and one may stay as long as one wishes. A great number of Boers pay a -couple of days' visit to old acquaintances when they come to this -marketplace. - -Bi-lingualism, a nightmare to some of the British in South Africa, has -its fountainhead in Bloemfontein. Bi-lingualism here means the -teaching of the Dutch and English languages in the public schools. -When the conditions of consolidation were drafted, dual -languages--Dutch and English--to be taught in schools was one of the -provisions, and this clause was agreed to by the British -representatives at the convention at which the act of federation was -ratified. The Minister of Education is from the Orange Free State, and -is Dutch through and through. He insists on the dual language clause -being carried out to the letter. The Dutch, as spoken in South -Africa--it is called the Taal--is not so pure as the Holland Dutch. -While one might not agree with the Minister of Education in forcing -English scholars to study Dutch, when either French, Spanish or German -would be better, his fighting for the perpetuation of his mother -tongue must command admiration. Cabinet Ministers of South Africa, by -the way, are not cheap salaried men. The Premier receives $70,000 a -year, the other members $48,000 a year. - -Hotel expenses are from $3 to $5 a day. House rent is rather high, -too; but the wages paid mechanics are fair, running from $4 to $5 a -day. - -In the evening one sees very few black people about the streets. -Bloemfontein has a municipal "location"--a place where natives must -live--about three miles from town. Except as a servant, the Indian -coolie, although a British subject, is not allowed to cross the Free -State border. No adverse feeling is entertained for the native, but -the line is drawn on Asiatics. - -The veld is so bare of any vegetation, save grass, in that part of -South Africa that there is not a native tree growing in a radius of a -hundred miles from Bloemfontein. - -While traveling through farming districts in South Africa one misses -the grain elevators seen at every station, and even sidings, when -passing through agricultural sections in the United States and Canada. - -Southward we headed for Capetown, passing through Modder River and -then Naauwpoort. Later we entered a stretch of country known as the -Karoo. Rain does not fall in this district for a period of nine or ten -months. For hundreds of miles there is not a blade of grass to be -seen, yet goats, sheep, and ostriches abound, and grain is a product -of that strange stretch of land. Cradock, the metropolis of the Karoo, -is an oasis, because good shade trees are numerous. A small bush -grows, called karoo, on which goats and sheep feed, and do well, if -they do not die from thirst. The climate of the Karoo is very -favorable to persons suffering from lung trouble. One of the best -churches of Dutch design in South Africa is found in Cradock. - -We had now reached the Cape of Good Hope Province. Southeast of -Cradock is Kaffraria, at one time a separate colony. Natives are -numerous through that section. One of the tribes of Kaffraria is the -Fingo, a good native for the mines. Hence, mine labor agents are to be -found at every turn seeking help. It is in that district where the -traders do so well in furnishing "boys" to the mines. Natives owning -land, and wishing to sell it, are not allowed to sell to a white -person, but may sell the land to a native. - -Unlike Zulus, the natives throughout Kaffraria live in colonies. The -huts are principally made of mud and roofed with straw. Different -tribes are known to strangers by the blankets they wear. One tribe -wears a brown blanket and goes bare-headed, while another wears a -dark-colored cotton blanket, with black cloth over their heads. This -mode of dress pertains to the native women. - -Order is maintained in these settlements by a native appointed by the -government. When violations of law occur, the police authorities go -direct to this native, as head of the settlement, who is held strictly -accountable for any infraction. Cornmeal, or mealy meal, the staff of -life to natives of South Africa, costs $7 a bag, and 200 pounds -provide "scoff" for four natives for a month. - -Africa, as generally known, is the home of the ostrich. In South -Africa alone they exceed 700,000, and this southwest corner comprises -merely one-twenty-fourth of the area of the "Dark Continent." The -territory lying between Kaffraria and Capetown, however, is the -section in which the ostrich industry has reached its highest state of -development. The feathers are picked at periods of 18 months, the -average yield being three pounds, although some ostriches grow six -pounds of feathers in a season. These are mostly disposed of by -auction at Oudtshoorn, the clearing house for this product of the -sub-continent. Buyers representing leading feather merchants of the -world attend these sales. The price of feathers varies a great deal, a -common quality bringing only $25, while a good grade sells for $100 a -pound. The annual exports from this industry amount to $15,000,000. A -pair of ostriches sell for $500 to $800. Fifteen eggs is the average -composing a sitting, and six weeks' hatching is required to bring -forth the young. Hatching devolves mainly on the male bird, he sitting -at least four weeks out of the six. The two weeks the female devotes -to sitting are objectionable ones to her, being whipped to her task by -the male bird from time to time to take even this unequal part in -bringing their brood into existence. The law prohibits both shipping -from, or taking out of South Africa, eggs of this, the premier bird. - -"Will you have some shiverin' jimmy?" asked a compartment companion as -he began unwinding a cloth from a bundle. "I'm from Grahamstown," he -continued, "where there is nothing but 'pubs' (saloons) and churches. -Have some shiverin' jimmy," he concluded. By that time the cloth was -off the "parcel." What he called "shiverin' jimmy" proved to be -animated headcheese. - -The train crept slowly down a steep grade, as we had left the high -veld behind. Mount Matroosburg, a thin sheet of snow on its summit, -was on our right, and on reaching Hex River Valley we were in the sea -zone, and not far from Capetown. - -The interest associated with Table Bay, by reason of its early -explorers, massacre of early settlers, and the fighting with the -Hottentots of those who finally got a footing, comes to mind when in -this section. It was about 1653 that Johan van Riebeek, a Hollander, -started a settlement. Several attempts to establish a white colony had -been made earlier, but attacks by the natives drove those daring men -back to their ships. Van Riebeek, however, succeeded. Cape Colony -remained Dutch for some years, afterward coming under British control, -reverted to the Hollanders again, then to England once more, and has -remained an English possession ever since. - -To find a city to compare with Capetown, from a point of unusual -attractiveness, would be difficult. In front, Table Bay, a charming -sheet of blue water, spreads out to a good width, and beyond rises the -Drakenstein and Hottentots Holland ranges of mountains, their -castle-like peaks lending solemn charm when viewed from a distance; -above the city rises Table Mountain, the feature of Capetown, with its -two flanking towers--Devil's Peak (3,300 feet) and Lion's Head (2,100 -feet)--forming the semi-circular valley in which the city rests so -picturesquely. The commanding, frowning and scarred front of this -unique mountain proves an object of admiration. Table Mountain is -three miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide. The top is as -level as a table, and, like other mountains in South Africa, is barren -of timber. Rising to a height of nearly 4,000 feet, a view from its -broad, flat top is of unusual interest. Antonio de Saldanha, in 1503, -is said to have been the first white man to scale its sides. - -The Town Hall, Parliament buildings, a splendid public garden, good -museum, art gallery, colleges and other commendable public -institutions are fully in keeping with the natural attractiveness of -the Cape Peninsular. Creditable business buildings and good docks are -also prominent. - -Durban's wide-awake business men, together with Capetown's high -charges to shippers, have taken from Table Bay the maritime prestige -she once enjoyed. The majority of ships going to India and Australia -do not come into Table Bay for coal, but keep steaming until they have -reached Port Natal. - -Smokestacks about the shore of the bay are not numerous enough to -class the place as a manufacturing center. One often wonders what -people do to earn a living in some of the cities of South Africa, in -view of blacks doing so much of the work. Wages in Capetown, the -lowest paid in South Africa, are not enough for comfortable living. -Clerks, bookkeepers and clerical help generally are offered $7 to $10 -a week. House rent is very cheap, however. - -The blacks and colored of the Cape Province participate in the -franchise, and a native of Tembuland was a member of the provincial -Parliament. Strict laws in the old Boer provinces prohibit selling -liquor to natives. While all natives here cannot vote, all voters have -a right to drink liquor. So, if a native has money to buy whisky, he -need merely say he is a voter and the saloonkeeper will take his word -for it. When a black man can drink all the whisky he can pay for, and -has a vote, that means insults and danger to life for the white of -both sexes. This is the deplorable stage reached, to a noticeable -degree, in Capetown. The white population is decreasing and blacks are -becoming more insolent. The native of Capetown is not like the Zulu, -nor the Barotse. He is copper colored, lower intellectually, of -uninviting features and meanly inclined. Instances are frequent when -the black of Capetown will not share the sidewalk--the white man must -step off or get into a fight with half a dozen of these drunken -natives. - -To be allowed to land in Capetown one must have a hundred dollars. -Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotchmen, foreigners--no one can land if he has -not that sum. The tariff charged on foreign goods is from 50 to 125 -per cent. The latter figure applies to tobacco. On a pound of American -tobacco, which sells in the United States for 40 cents, there is a tax -of $1.20. - -Sixteen days is the shortest time in which mail can be transported -from Capetown to England. The distance separating these two points is -6,000 miles. - -Groote Schuur, the home of the late Cecil Rhodes, of very striking -design and richly furnished, is located here in one of the finest -estates in the world. Having a splendidly wooded park, with good paths -built at convenient sections, it is shaded by the towering clefts of -Table Mountain. The entrances to the Rhodes estate were never locked, -and one had only to push open a gate to come in touch with nature in a -superior form. Passing away in 1902, eight years before the -consolidation, but far-seeing enough to know what the future policy of -the country would be, Rhodes bequeathed Groote Schuur to the first -Premier of a United South Africa. Louis Botha, elected to that high -office, thereby came into possession of this attractive home. - -"Your Hinterland Is There" is one of the inscriptions carved on the -granite base on which the bronze figure of Cecil Rhodes rests in the -Public Gardens of Capetown. The front of the figure is facing north, -and a hand is pointed in the same direction--to Rhodesia. "So little -done and so much to do" were the plaintive words of a man who had -added 750,000 square miles to his country's already large possessions. - -The wine industry is prominent in this province. Some years ago the -grapevines were ravaged by a disease. Grape stocks were imported from -the United States, and the native vine engrafted to the American -plant, when the industry again thrived. - -Snook, a fish three feet in length, numerous about the Cape Peninsula, -seemed the principal food of a great number of poor colored people of -Capetown. - -In a place that has been an English possession so long one would -expect to find a general use of the English language, but, on the -contrary, natives and a majority of Europeans speak Dutch. - -Newspapers and printing in general are ahead of the town. The wages, -however, are low compared to other large places in South Africa. - -"Hi'm the merry widow!" he shouted. "Hi'm the merry widow!" A Cockney -Jew, with a grooved face, was among the merchants who sold -goods--underwear, shirts, socks, haircombs, handkerchiefs, etc.--on -what is known as the Parade Ground on certain days of the week. He -wore on his head a woman's white straw hat with a soft, broad brim, -which flopped against the sides of his face while he vigorously cried -his wares. Around the crown of the hat was a garland of artificial -flowers--daisies, roses, forget-me-nots, etc. He stood on a box, and -told his auditors he was almost giving everything away. He talked at -the rate of a thousand words a minute, more or less, working so hard -that the perspiration on his face resembled a large water-soaked -sponge when pressed. While streamlets of sweat ran down the flutes in -his cheeks, he frequently interlarded his cheap-bargain harangue with, -"Hi'm the merry widow!" "Hi'm the merry widow!" - -Nearly 200,000 people live in and about Capetown, and the mixture is -the worst in South Africa. Malays came to the Cape Peninsula years -ago, and the mongrel off-shoots of these, with Arabs and natives of -St. Helena and other places, emphasize the word "colored." - -Being situated at almost the junction of two seas, the South Atlantic -and Indian Oceans, the climate is the best in South Africa. The -weather is never very hot, and frost is unknown. - -We shall travel northward over the Karoo again to Bloemfontein, then -easterly across the Orange Free State to Ladysmith, board a train -going south, and return to Durban. - -As stated in the early part of this volume, I had $1,350 when I left -New York. On returning to Durban I had $637. With that sum I was about -to start for India. The second day after reaching Durban, however, I -obtained work on the leading newspaper, which furnished me with -employment for six months. My wages averaged $40 a week. Modest -comforts were good enough for me, and, living expenses being -reasonable, I was enabled to put away a snug sum. Work was there for -me if I wished to "drop in" the next year, so I promised to be on -hand. This opened an opportunity to visit another continent--Australia ---which I had not taken into calculation before leaving New York, as -at that time I had not money enough to do so. So, early in January, I -was on my way to the Antipodes. - -On my return from Australia I took another trip to Johannesburg and -back. I went to work the first of August and continued to the middle -of December. Then I made a trip to Zululand, and upon my return was -again offered work. As I had not enough money for the remainder of the -journey, I decided to stay. Taking another trip to East London, -Kingwilliamstown, up through Kaffraria, to Cradock, Bloemfontein, -Kimberley, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and back to Pietermaritzburg and -Durban, in the middle of March, 1912, I went to work for the third -time, and finally bid good-by to Durban in July following. - - - - -LEG THREE - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Thirteen first-class passengers--four women, three men and six -children--boarded a steamship at Durban for Australia. The vessel was -a cargo ship, but had accommodation for a small number of passengers. -She had started from a Swedish port in the Baltic Sea with a full -cargo of pine lumber. The distance from the Baltic port to Durban is -8,000 miles, and the ship's final destination was to be Brisbane, -Queensland, Australia, over 7,000 miles further east. Speaking about -long voyages, this one should satisfy the most ambitious. - -A Swedish woman, with two children, boarded the ship at her home port, -with Sydney as first landing. From Sydney she intended to sail to the -South Sea Islands, until she reached Vavau, Tonga (Friendly Islands), -still 2,000 miles further east from Sydney, where she and the children -were to join her husband. The time required to travel from the Baltic -seaport to Vavau was over three months, counting stops. - -From Durban to Melbourne, 6,000 miles, the fare was only $100 first -class. Food was good, the ship steady, and weather fair. Our captain -was a jovial soul, and the passengers proved a congenial group. The -vessel was well manned by a white crew. - -The second day out again found the albatross and Cape pigeon as our -companions. Later we sailed down to latitude 39, south of which -sailors term the "roarin' forties," where the weather became chilly. -Two islands--St. Paul and Amsterdam--were the only land seen during -the voyage, and not a single ship. One cultivates a genuine respect -for seafaring men when traveling on ships that bring one in intimate -touch with them. They are so thoroughly versed in the science of -navigation that they know to a foot's space almost what part of the -sea they are sailing over. - -One of our lady passengers, returning to Australia, her native -country, had her three children with her. Years before she and her -husband left for South Africa, where fortune smiled on them; she was -returning a wealthy woman. A New Zealander and his wife, an -Australian, also were returning from South Africa. A baby had come to -their home in Boerland and they were returning to Kangarooland to show -the hopeful to their friends. - -A feature of the sea at night in that stretch of the Indian Ocean -represents what might be termed a starry marine firmament. The water -contains phosphorous in sections, and, when opposing forces clash, -bright, blue-white lights come thickly to view and twinkle and -scintillate on crests of waves made by the wash of a vessel. These -sparkling beams have their season during periods of contact, when, -like embers, they gradually flitter away as the waves assume their -normal level. From bow to stern the water line of a ship will be aglow -with star-like streaks, the wake of a vessel appearing as a "milky -way," this marine illumination taking place where the sea is "plowed" -by merchantmen, as it were. - -"Is that Rottnest Light ahead, captain?" asked the New Zealander. -"Aye," answered the skipper. "We'll anchor outside the breakwater -about 3 o'clock in the morning." We had been sixteen days out from -Durban, and every one had a good voyage. In the forenoon, after the -port doctor had completed his examination of the passengers and crew, -we passed through the channel and into the harbor, and soon were -alongside a dock at Fremantle, West Australia. We had reached Leg -Three. - -"What Ho!" is the national salute of Australia when countrymen meet, -and if the reader will allow me to step slightly in advance of my -notes, I shall take the liberty to offer, "What ho!" to "the -Down-unders." The use of the term "Down-unders" is explained by -Australia being situated almost in a direct line under that section of -the globe constituting Europe. - -"A White Australia" is the slogan of the people of the Antipodes, and -the first thing one notices on coming from any of the black countries -is the absence of black men about the docks. - -Twelve miles up the Swan River from Fremantle, Perth, the capital and -metropolis of the State of West Australia, is located. It was in 1827 -that Captain Stirling sailed to the mouth of the Swan River, where -Fremantle is located. He decided the location would make a good -settlement site. Perth later sprang into existence, however, and grew -so fast that Fremantle, with a population of 18,000 people, is but a -port for the State Capital. - -Big things are met with in Australia, and the State of which Perth is -the official center is about four times larger than the State of -Texas. - -One inwardly joins with the people of the Commonwealth in their -national slogan when the industrial activity is so strikingly -contrasted between "Darkest Africa" and "White Australia." Australia -is seen at her best when coming from any of the black belts. - -The European style of passenger coach is in use, and the freight cars -are also European, some of these not one-third as large as the -American box car. Small locomotives are also in use. The country from -Fremantle to Perth is sandy, the only verdure growing being the -eucalyptus, or gum tree, as it is called. Homes seen along the railway -track were of red brick. - -When Perth--with a population of 60,000--was reached--well, it looked -like one of the busy cities of the North. Smokestacks, streets crowded -with people, splendid buildings, all work being done by Europeans, all -vehicles drawn by good horses--no oxen in sight; streets asphalted--in -that far-off land one will find as busy and as up-to-date a city as -exists anywhere. Credit for this substantial condition of things is -more strongly emphasized when it is remembered that West Australia is -very hot, more suited to black races than white. - -Clean streets, with bright-colored red-brick residences, one story in -height, are prominent in this section of the country. A large number -of working people are their own landlords, and those who do not own -their own homes pay $3.50 weekly rent. The weekly system of paying -bills--house rent and store bills--is the custom in Australia. As the -government owns the railroads, postoffice and other public utilities, -the employes in these departments, as those of municipal and private -employers, are also paid weekly. This has proved a good system. - -The street car system is good, cars being of the double-deck type. -This was the first place the American system of street-car transfers -was noticed. - -One finds here a splendid park square with plenty of free seats and -space, flowers and grass. In a larger park, a short distance away, is -a zoo. There is also a museum, art gallery, a good library, hospitals -and schools. - -Many people were gathered in the larger park on a holiday, and had -brought lunch with them. The thermometer registered 107 in the shade. -At one place in the park a big kettle, three feet high, hung over a -wood fire, was boiling. The holiday-makers came to the kettle for hot -water to make tea. It looked out of place to see hot tea drunk in such -weather, yet tea is the non-alcoholic drink of that country, and is -said to be the best for that climate. The city employed the man who -boiled water for the tea. - -Swan River is said to be the home of the black swan, the graceful bird -that makes ponds and lakes so attractive in many parks in the world. - -Good meals could be had for twenty-five cents. Grapes were selling for -four cents a pound, and peaches, melons, and other fruit sold at a -proportionately low price. Mutton sold at four to six cents a pound; -beef, from ten to twelve cents, and pork at twelve cents. - -Educating the young is a pronounced characteristic in West Australia. -The schools are maintained by the State, are free, and attendance is -compulsory from the age of six to fourteen years. Twenty-one dollars -is the sum the State fixes for the schooling of a scholar. -Scholarships of the value of $250 a year are offered annually for -competition among pupils between the ages of 11 and 13 years. Other -inducements are made to bring out the best that is in the growing -generation. In sparsely settled farming districts, where ten or more -children are to be found, the State reaches out a beneficent hand to -qualify the child for the battle of life. In addition to -appropriations for their schooling, and where the children must ride -to school, 12 cents a day is paid to the person in whose vehicle the -children are carried to and from the schoolhouse. Where a railroad -runs through these sections, and the children ride on trains to and -from school, no fare is charged. - -Very liberal inducements are held out to persons taking up government -land. Twenty years' time is allowed the settler in which to pay for -his farm, and the interest charged is four to five per cent. -Residential growth and improved conditions, of course, result from the -transaction. - -To prevent destruction of crops by rabbits, which do a great amount of -damage to growing grain in some parts, the government has gone to the -expense of building rabbit-proof fences about tracts of land it has -for disposal. The quality of wheat, oats and other cereals is of the -best, meriting the awarding of first prizes at world expositions where -they have been on exhibition. Sheep-raising is another great asset of -Western Australia. - -The rich gold fields of this State are located from 300 to 350 miles -east of Perth, in the heart of a desert, of which a large area of West -Australia is composed. In 1884 gold was discovered in this section of -the Commonwealth, but a greater rush to the mines occurred in 1890-92, -when the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie finds became known. In this -industry a hundred thousand persons are engaged. Before a railway was -built over this barren stretch of country from the coast to the mines, -many an adventurous soul perished during his journey in quest of the -precious metal. No water is found in this district, that needed in -homes and for treatment of the ores being "imported," pumped from a -dam near Perth through pipes of 30 inch diameter for this great -distance. Besides gold, copper, tin and coal are mined. Black workers -are excluded. - -Wages paid are more equalized than in other countries. Laborers -receive a minimum of $2 a day, and mechanics from $2.50 to $3 a day. -Eight hours is a day's working time. - -Newspapers are fully abreast of this hustling city. Printers receive -$21 to $25 a week, the hours of work on newspapers seldom exceeding -six. I had been offered work in Perth, but, my destination being -Melbourne, I continued eastward. - -We had traveled 4,300 miles from Durban to Fremantle, and 1,700 miles -separate Perth from Melbourne. Twelve hundred miles of that distance -was to be across the Great Australian Bight. - -Fourteen hours' sail east from Fremantle, Cape Leeuwin was reached, -the most westerly point of land of the Australia continent, and one of -the most dangerous points for ships in the world. The distance -traversed to clear the Leeuwin is 25 miles. - -Dutchmen were early explorers in Australia, and parts touched bore the -names of the head of the exploring parties, and sometimes the captains -of the ships. Some of the names were Eendracht Land, Nuyts Land, De -Witt Land; but of all the places given names by the Dutch, Leeuwin -Cape is the only one well known. That part of Australia was early -known as New Holland. The Dutch set foot on West Australia 200 years -before Fremantle became a settlement. - -Across King George's Sound, on which Albany is located, we sailed, -when the Bight was entered. The Bight is famous for its rough sea; -accounts of the vengeance it has wreaked on mariners, travelers and -ships would fill many pages. - -"Do you think we'll have a good voyage through the Bight, captain?" -asked a passenger. "The barometer indicates fair weather," he replied. -Continuing, he said: "The last time we came through we had very -'dirty' weather. Slowly the heavy sea was forcing us to shore. I saw -we could not keep our course with safety, so I pointed the nose of the -ship to the storm, but for 24 hours we gained only half a mile against -the force of the sea." "Did you fear for the ship?" "I wasn't afraid," -he answered, "so long as the engines stood the strain; but they were -taxed for every ounce of power. Look at the black mark on the chart. -That is where a vessel went down," he added. When a sailor uses the -term "dirty" weather, as stormy and rough seas are called by seafaring -men, a landlubber will be at a loss to find a word in any dictionary -to describe what he thinks of such weather. We fortunately had good -weather through the Bight. - -Cape Otway, about a hundred miles west of Melbourne, marks the eastern -end of the line that divides the Southern Indian Ocean from the -Southern Pacific Ocean, and the Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa, -marks the western end of the line dividing the Southern Indian Ocean -from the Southern Atlantic Ocean. The distance separating these two -points is 6,000 miles. The meeting of the currents of the two seas, -confined by the western coast of Australia, makes the water very rough -in the great bay, or Bight. From Cape Otway eastward we were in the -Southern Pacific Ocean. - -Twenty-seven days after leaving Durban we sailed into Port Phillip and -up the Yarra River to Melbourne, where the Swedish vessel was made -fast to a wharf. "I trust we succeeded in treating you right," said -the captain on going down the ship's ladder to the wharf. "Fair -weather through life," were his parting words. - -It is said an American laid out the city of Melbourne; if that be so, -this one service reflects much credit on the land of his birth. In a -world contest for the Commonwealth's capital site design an American -of Chicago was awarded first prize. Australia aims at having the most -attractive capital in the world, to be located at Canberra, in the -State of New South Wales. American civil engineers also have taken a -prominent part in the construction of the large weirs or reservoirs -that the Commonwealth has erected for land irrigation purposes. -Melbourne's streets, 99 feet in width, run at right angles, are kept -clean and well paved. Built on each side of these grand thoroughfares -are splendid buildings, utilized for banking, trade and general -business purposes. What are called alleys in Melbourne are wider than -most of the business streets in Buenos Aires. All goods brought to -and from business houses go by the back entrance. The sidewalks are -free of all incumbrances, such as iron doors and gratings. No abrupt -steps from the sidewalks are met with here, the walk, at an incline, -sloping gradually into the roadway. - -One feature, though, mars that well-laid out, well-built and -well-managed city. It is a privately owned and privately managed -street railway system, which is of the antiquated cable type. Some -fifteen years ago a franchise was granted by the city to a company to -install street railways, of cable type, for a term of 20 years. The -fare is six cents, and the light in the cars is from murky, coal oil -lamps. The street railway company is getting all it can out of the -system, for it is well aware that at the expiration of the franchise -the city will not renew the agreement, but will at once tear up the -present line and construct a modern one, more in keeping with -Melbourne. - -Melbourne is the capital of the State of Victoria and temporary -capital also of the Commonwealth. Victoria is termed "The Garden -State," and the prosperity of the country is reflected in every part -of the city by the splendid homes of its citizens. They are healthy -looking, well fed and well dressed. This State, being visited by a -regular rainfall, suffers less from drought than West Australia, South -Australia or New South Wales. - -The arrangement and scope of parks is admirable, and seats are free. -Streets, boulevards and roads here could not be bettered. Within the -city limits are over 5,000 acres of parks and public gardens. An -imposing Parliament House, a splendid museum, art gallery and a zoo -are other notable features. - -Americans are not the only people who speak with a "twang," for one -meets persons in the capital city whose "twang" would make a down-east -Yankee green with envy. Still all have the British accent. By nature, -the Australian is unreserved, and seems more American than British. - -Melbourne is termed the "American City," and in the nature of wearing -apparel there is no difference in the cut of the clothes. In South -Africa, among the English-speaking people, the brand of England is -stamped on most customs, but in Australia there is a difference. - -Splendid college buildings, with nice grounds; training schools, -technical schools--at every turn the air is punctured with turrets and -spires on buildings in which the citizens of Victoria are taught the -sciences that enable them to take a leading part in the advancement of -the world. - -The weather being so moderate in Australia, parks so attractive, and -bathing beaches so convenient to the coast cities, indoor life loses -its charm. In Melbourne the weather seldom gets cold enough to freeze, -and, if so, it would occur not more than one or two nights during the -winter season. The mean temperature of that section of Australia is 55 -degrees. - -Athletic sports are very popular, as the weather permits of such -recreation the year round. Horse racing, as an amusement, has a strong -hold on Australians, and the same horde of nondescripts and -non-producers found in other countries, who live by their wits on "the -sport of kings," thrive and flourish here on the money of those who -earn an honest living. - -"Mate" is the way Australians address each other, and for an off-hand -salute, sounds better than "Bill" or "Stranger." "Right, ho," with -scarcely a sound of the "h," is used entirely in place of our "All -right." A man with a small business--say, a news store, green grocery, -or printing office--is termed a "cockatoo" news dealer, a "cockatoo" -grocer and a "cockatoo" printer. The term "cow" is used to express -displeasure or disgust with fowl, animals and even inanimate things. -"On the wallaby trail," or "on the wallaby," is applied to a fellow -"on his uppers." "No chop" means there is nothing in a proposition -made to the fellow who says "No chop." "He 'bally' well knew he was -wrong" is an instance of how the word "bally" is used here, as in -England. "Tucker," in Australia, is the term used when speaking of -food, in the same sense as "grub" in America. - -The educational system of Victoria is of the same high character as -that of West Australia. The sum required to educate a scholar a year -is $19, $2 less in Victoria than in West Australia. It is the boast of -State and government officials that a child whose parents live in -isolated parts receives as good teaching as children in city schools. -With such a splendid school system, it is needless to touch on the -advanced intellectual position of Australians. - -Government pensions for both husband and wife are paid when they have -reached the age of 60 years, and when their income does not exceed -$250 a year. The pension paid is $2.40 a week each, $4.80 for the old -couple. Citizens who are incapacitated, and have not reached the age -of 60 years, are also paid the $2.40 a week. Young persons deformed or -mentally incompetent also receive the pension, or, rather, their -guardians do. In cases where a man dies and leaves a widow and -children without means of support the government looks after them. Any -representative citizen living in the community in which the fatherless -family resides will accompany a family to court. He tells the judge -the circumstances attending the bereavement of the family, and -declares the widow is unable to support herself and children. The -mother then surrenders her children, and they become wards of the -State. When that phase of law has been gone through, the judge next -appoints the mother guardian of the children. Each child thereafter -receives $1.20 a week from the State. The children must attend school, -though, from the age of 6 to 14 years. This is the minimum sum given -by the State, but there also are municipal and other funds to help -needy citizens. Should a boy of such a family become apprenticed to a -trade after leaving school, the employer pays the wages of the boy not -to the mother, but to a State official, in charge of that department. -The boy's earnings are put in a savings bank until he has reached his -majority. Reports are made as to his habits from time to time, and, -should he be of an industrious nature, the money that he has earned -while an apprentice is returned to him when he has become a -journeyman. How many poor, fatherless boys in other countries have -several hundred dollars handed them at 21 years of age? - -No State or municipal poorhouses are found in Australia. Homes, -however, are provided for infirm persons, but these are maintained by -religious and charities bodies. The State, of course, would lend a -helping hand were these organizations crippled for funds to carry on -their laudable work. - -To help settlers cultivate government land, from $250 to $10,000 is -advanced to an immigrant who means well. Certain conditions in the -nature of improvements and residence must be complied with. The time -given the settler in which to pay back money advanced is 20 to 33 -years. The interest charged is four to five per cent. If drought or -other agencies renders the settler's crop a failure and he has no -money to meet his payments, the government does not swoop down and -take his farm, but advances more if circumstances threaten to drive -him from the land. He will be looked after until he has good crops. -The government has yet to lose a copper from advancing money to -settlers. Agricultural Department officials visit farmers to teach -them how to get best results from the soil. The land does not become -freehold property, however, but is leased for a long term. - -Two persons out of every five of the citizens of Victoria have savings -bank accounts. The average wealth in this State per head of population -is $1,253. An income tax is collected on all salaries of $1,500 and -over. The tax becomes greater in proportion to the larger salaries or -incomes received. - -Previous to 1901 each State was a separate division, fixing its own -customs dues, legislating only for itself, and at each State boundary -line were custom houses and State officers. The federation of States -into the Commonwealth took effect January 1, 1901. - -There is an average of three beeves to each person, and 20 sheep to -each inhabitant. Mutton, beef, cheese, wine, fruit, grain, flour, -wool, hides, tin, silver, copper and iron ores are exported from that -far-off country to centers north of the equator. - -Melba, the opera singer, is from this State. In Paul Kruger, South -Africa produced probably the greatest man born south of the equator, -and the fair State of Victoria has reason to be proud of the diva, the -most widely known woman born south of the equatorial line. These two -seem to be the total of the Southland's contribution in recent times -to the world's great personages. - -Some Chinamen live in Melbourne, but a majority of them came to -Australia years ago. These are mostly engaged in furniture -manufacturing, and Mongols practically control the industry. The -slogan, "A White Australia," is as pronounced in Victoria as in other -States. To gain entrance to Australia an Asiatic must pay an -immigration tax of $500. - -Good newspapers are published in that city, but none issues Sunday -editions. Printers on these earn from $25 to $30 a week. Other -mechanics receive $18 to $21 a week. - -Meat sells from 6 to 12 cents a pound; eggs from 20 to 36 cents a -dozen. House rent, which is paid by the week, runs from $3.50 to -$4.50. - -Class distinction is usually foreign to any new country, but the lines -are tightly drawn between labor and capital in Australia. Skilled -mechanics and laborers generally stand together in political matters -on election day, and the employer, capitalist and that class of -citizen oppose the labor party. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Traveling from Melbourne to Adelaide, 483 miles, gave opportunity to -study Australian railways. The railroads are State or government -owned, and the fare is two to three cents a mile. The coaches are of -European type, the schedule 30 miles an hour. Compartments are -generally fitted for eight persons. One difference was observed in -these coaches from the South African--no free sleeping accommodation -was provided. Sleeping cars are run on Australian lines, however, but -a berth costs $2.40 a night. The system of heating the compartments in -chilly weather is by iron pipes, like those used in the South African -trains--foot warmers. But there is one commendable feature about the -Australian railway system, namely, no steps to the cars, the platforms -of all stations being built on a level with the platform of the -passenger coach. - -"Mate, you may share part of my rug," spoke the man sitting opposite -in the compartment. "There'll be no chance to get our feet on the -foot-warmer, and the atmosphere will grow chilly before morning. It is -large enough for us both," he kindly added. As in South Africa, almost -every one in Australia carries a rug, or blanket, as we call them. His -kindness was much appreciated, for, as it turned out, the foot-warmer -did not move in our direction for the night. This is another instance -of how obliging I found Australians. - -A city looking more like a large park than a business center is how -Adelaide appeared. When laid out, in 1837, it comprised a tract of -land a mile square, and around this area is a park strip of land half -a mile wide. The mile square area was originally the business and home -section of Adelaide, but residential requirements have far outgrown -the original space. Over two thousand acres of land in and about the -city are set apart for public and botanical gardens, park squares and -for sports grounds. The city is located in a fertile plain, encircled -by a range of green hills on two sides, and has as a foreground the -blue water of St. Vincent's Gulf. - -A pathetic incident accompanied the laying-out of this beautiful city. -After the surveyor, Colonel William Light, had selected the site and -surveyed the streets his plan was ridiculed by his fellow colonists. -Being of a sensitive nature, their criticisms and jibes so worried him -that he found relief from taunts in an early grave. In Victoria Square -stands a splendid bronze monument to the designer of Adelaide, with -this brief inscription chiseled out of the granite base: "Light." - -Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, has a population of 200,000. -Its wide streets and great park space make the area as large as that -usually required for a city of half a million. - -An agricultural college, mining college, and other means of popular -education insures a high percentage of intellectual attainment. The -same splendid public school system that has been touched on as -existing in West Australia and Victoria is maintained by both the -municipal and State educational departments here. Money for -educational purposes is voted to an almost reckless degree by the -States of the Commonwealth. - -The homes of the people of Adelaide are fine. Where they are not -entirely built of stone, there is at least a stone front and brick -side walls. The houses are mostly one story, containing from five to -seven rooms, with a veranda on each and flowers in every yard. Most of -these homes are owned by the families who occupy them, but some rent -at from $3.50 to $4.50 weekly. "Poor," "slum" and "wealthy" -residential distinctions are pleasantly absent in Australian cities. - -The botanical garden, zoo, museum, State and municipal buildings, -business blocks, the lighting and street railway systems are all very -good. The ambition of the Australian seems to aspire to the best, as -little of a shoddy character is in evidence. The statues about the -cities also are as good as one will see the world over. The stores and -shops compare with any for quality and attractiveness. - -Ordinary meals could be had for 25 cents, and comfortable -accommodation, with good food, was obtainable in any of the cities for -$1.50 a day. - -The bird life of the country adds to its attractiveness. The emu, next -in size to the ostrich, is on his native heath, and the lyre bird is a -native of Australia, too. In the "bush," as the woods of Australia are -termed, revel the cockatoo, macaw, parrots of different species; the -kookooburra, or laughing jackass, and the smart magpie are quite -numerous. Australians are very proud of the native birds. Chasing the -emu on horseback is a sport indulged in in some sections. - -The English sparrow was taken to Australia by settlers from the -British Isles, and he has proved a source of annoyance to the people -of that country, as well as that of others. Another bird imported from -England, the starling, a very dirty and destructive one to berries, is -also an eyesore to the people. This bird is numerous in Adelaide. -Rabbits were unknown in Australia before settlers from the North made -that country their home. Being very destructive to crops, large sums -of money are expended to build rabbit-proof fences about tracts of -farming land owing to the millions of these creatures that infest the -country. The moderate climate admits of perpetual breeding. -Australians do not eat rabbit meat. - -The rabbit trapper of Australia is an independent sort of a citizen. -His disposition is akin to that of the fellow who will sit on a log -all day to catch a six-inch fish, and considers his time well spent -when he walks into his home, carrying his quarry by a spear of long -grass pulled through the vent in the gills. Ships loaded with frozen -rabbits leave Australian ports for England at frequent sailings. - -The kangaroo is termed in Australia "the native," and is harmless when -met with under any circumstances. The smaller specie is known as the -wallaby. Kangaroo is the biggest game on the Australian continent. Its -tail is the only part used as food, and then only for soup. - -A story is told of an English woman who became engaged to a native -Australian. She started from England to meet her fiance at Adelaide. -She had told her friends she was to be married to an Australian -native. When she reached the end of her long journey and came ashore -friends in Australia who met her, pointing to a kangaroo close by, -remarked that the animal was the native Australian. "What!" shouted -the bride-to-be. "Am I engaged to marry a kangaroo?" - -The national flower is that of the wattle tree. This tree grows large, -its leaves are small and of a very dark green color, and the limbs are -dense. Blossoms come out very thick, and leaves, limbs and body of the -tree are hidden from view under a profusion of rich, gold-colored -flowers. Tracts of wattle-tree groves extend for miles, and when all -the trees are in bloom it is a treat for the eyes seeking floral -beauty. - -Mutton and lamb are the meats chiefly eaten. One seldom gets a good -cup of coffee in British territory, for the reason that the British -are a tea-drinking race, and the same applies to Australia. As -evidence of the hospitality met with in homes of British colonists, -food dainties are always served with tea to callers. - -After having said good-by to Adelaide, we boarded a train going to -Melbourne. Upon reaching Ballarat, having heard of the Eureka -Stockade, behind which gold miners defied militia in 1854, induced a -longing to see this historical spot on the Australian continent where -men faced each other with firearms. The skirmish between miners and -troops came about through the authorities charging miners exorbitant -sums for gold mining licenses. A stockade was thrown up--it is there -to-day--and from that shelter bullets whizzed at the troops, and -soldiers' bullets whizzed at the miners. The battle lasted ten -minutes, after two dozen miners had been killed. With this exception, -Australia is as barren of warfare lore as a large part of the country -is of vegetation. Gold mining is still in active operation, and -profitable. While gold is mined in all the States of the Commonwealth, -the output of the West Australia mines is greater than the combined -production of the other five. - -When gold was discovered in Ballarat, in 1850, 65,000 people landed in -Melbourne the next year, and in five years 337,000 had found their -way to the diggings, although in those days vessels were small and -slow, and the distance from Europe to Melbourne is 13,000 miles. - -Ballarat has a population of 50,000, is in the State of Victoria, and -75 miles west of Melbourne. One of the principal streets is 168 feet -wide. How many cities are there in the United States, the size of -Ballarat, having an art gallery, a museum and creditable botanical -garden? Ballarat has these. A nice lake also is within the city -limits. The attractiveness of this place is unusual for a gold mining -center. - -With an acquaintance, a football game between two crack elevens was -attended, and the price of admission to the grounds was 12 cents. - -Ballarat holds her own in the matter of buildings, good lighting and -street car systems. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Passing from the ocean through The Heads to Sydney Harbor, there -unfolds to the eye perhaps the grandest foreground of a city, -landscape and soft-water scene to be found in any part of the world. -From the harbor--scalloped with pretty bays--to the left rise, on a -gentle slope, bright-colored brick and red-sandstone homes with -red-tiled roofs, the openings carpeted with ever-green lawns, animated -by flowering gardens, a soft brush-grown space here and there, or a -blushing cove, walled by friendly rock--a willing partner to molding -the frame incasing this splendid picture. Traveling toward the city, -the vessel circuits evergreen islands, passing smart sailing craft and -swift-moving launches, when a point of land, part of an attractive -park, invitingly juts its grassy space into the noted harbor. The -Botanical Garden next comes to view, when the Norfolk Island pine -tree--none more shapely in the world--seems to suggest to the visitor -that there is something good even beyond. To the right of the -harbor--also fringed with cozy bays and rippling coves--on another -slope, there spreads out a grand landscape that can come only from gum -bush and tropical foliage, the former in this instance. The harbor -becomes dotted with hurrying ferry boats, carrying people from one -side to the other. The city of Sydney then becomes outlined, and, from -the striking panorama of red-sandstone structures, there is revealed a -galaxy of towers, turrets, spires and domes that unerringly suggest -the highest industrial ideal of a people living in a center of -civilization and modern achievement. - - [Illustration: PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MELBOURNE (top), and VICTORIA - MARKETS, SYDNEY (bottom). - AUSTRALIA.] - -As Capetown is the cradle of South Africa, so is Sydney the cradle of -Australia. Nine miles from Sydney, in Botany Bay, James Cook, an -Englishman, anchored his ship _Endeavor_. That was in 1770, six -years before the Declaration of Independence was signed by the -American colonists. For two hundred years previous to Captain Cook's -raising the British flag on the shores of Botany Bay, Dutch, French, -Portuguese and Spanish navigators had gotten glimpses of that great -continent, but failed to implant the ensigns of their respective -countries on it as Cook did. It was anybody's country up to the year -1770. Section after section had been annexed by the English from time -to time, until all the continent and islands close by had become -British territory. Not a shot was fired to acquire these different -sections. Eight years after Captain Cook reached Botany Bay, Arthur -Phillips landed and formed a convict settlement on the site from which -Sydney had grown. - -In 1788 there were but six head of cattle in Australia; to-day there -are over 15,000,000. In the same year there were but 29 sheep; to-day -nearly 100,000,000. - -Heated arguments take place frequently anent the merits of Sydney -harbor and that of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said to be the two best -harbors in the world. The distinction between these two grand havens -is similar to that existing between Victoria and Niagara Falls. Where -the land about Sydney harbor gracefully slopes and admits of the -striking panorama from The Heads, or entrance to the Harbor, to -Circular Quay, hills shut from view the attractive city of Rio de -Janeiro. The Brazilian capital cannot be seen at a point where Sydney -harbor's beauty reaches its climax. On the other hand, Rio de -Janeiro's harbor is twice larger, dotted with over a hundred tropical -islands, and of good depth. The length of Sydney harbor is eight -miles, with comparatively few green islands, and at places the water -is none too deep for ships of great draught. Also The Heads of Sydney -harbor are squatty compared to the high, bold stone pillars between -which vessels sail through a narrow but deep channel into Rio de -Janeiro's haven. It would seem that Sydney's harbor is the prettier, -Rio de Janeiro's the greater and better. - -Three-quarters of a million busy and industrious people are engaged in -factory, mill, shop, office and store in modern Sydney. Every one of -these will do any task with pleasure that tends to enhance the -commercial prestige and attractive appearance not only of their city -but of the Commonwealth. In no other country will one find a more -patriotic race of people; but, though British subjects, their -patriotism seemed to be for Australia. They have a national flag, -national emblems on their money coins--in fact, Australia is deeply -stamped on any and every thing Australian. - -Travelers are often disappointed when visiting points of interest -based on local reputation; but Sydney is the exception to the rule. -One can spend at least two weeks in the State capital, going to -different attractions from day to day, and will find everything -reputed to be of interest worth one's time going to see. For this -reason it has become known as the "holiday city." Sydney is one of the -most difficult cities in the world to describe, because everything is -so good. One would be justified to begin and finish an account of -Sydney with the word "Splendid." - -Not until I reached the capital of the State of New South Wales did I -find government or municipal ownership of public utilities meant -anything in the way of cheaper or better service. The street-car -service of Sydney is, I believe, the cheapest in the world. The charge -is two cents for each "stage," but the "stages" in Sydney are far -apart. The clumsy, slow, double-decked car is not to be seen. - -An express train leaves Sydney for Melbourne at 8 o'clock every -evening, and had one decided to start that journey on a Sunday and -depended on street car travel to the railway station, he would surely -miss his train. The cars come to a standstill from 7 to 8 o'clock, -while church services are being held. - -A loaf of bread in Sydney must be a loaf of bread. The legal weight is -two pounds, and employes of the city bureau who look after the staff -of life keep a close watch on bakers to see that customers are not -cheated. An inspector is apt to halt a driver of a baker's wagon at -any point, jump into the vehicle, pick up a loaf of bread, take from -his pocket a collapsible scale, put the loaf in the tray and -particularly note its weight. If the bread should be an ounce under -weight the baker will be fined $5, and should the loaf be two ounces -short of weight he would be fined $10--$5 for every ounce under two -pounds. The quality of the bread, by the way, is, like everything that -goes to make up Sydney, excellent. - -Vulgarity or profanity is not heard about the streets. Any unsavory -remark that reaches the ears of a policeman will cost the careless one -at least $2.50. - -Stopping at a small and tidy hotel, located three squares from the -postoffice, the rate was but $1.50 a day. Good meals were served at -restaurants about the city at 25 cents. Serviette is the word always -used in British territory for table napkin. - -House rent for working classes ranged in price from $15 to $20 a -month, payable weekly. Meat sold at 6 to 12 cents a pound. Clothes are -cheaper in Australia than in South Africa, because Australia uses its -own wool. - -"When you will have brains enough to owe your butcher $15, you'll get -a better grade of meat." Two women were seated on a bench in a park, -talking about dresses, hats, engagements, marriages and babies, when -they touched on household matters. One told the other her troubles -with her butcher--could not understand why she got inferior meat. Her -companion asked if she paid cash for her goods, and the complaining -one answered, "Yes." It was then that the suggestion contained in the -first sentence was made. - -Concerning freedom of speech and liberty in a general sense, one sees -no difference from what he has been used to in his own country while -traveling about, but does admire the quality of law that is dispensed -and maintained in British territory. - -While looking about the exhibits at a State agricultural fair one can -reach a fair conclusion as to the nature of a country by the products -shown, more particularly if one has been raised on a farm. At a fair -visited there were cattle with backs almost as broad as a full-sized -bed. The weight of some of these animals was 2,500 pounds down to -2,000. It seemed as if an exhibitor would be laughed at were he to -enter a steer that weighed under a ton. Horses on exhibit were of the -same high class. The reputation of the Australian horse extends -beyond local bounds, and he is known as the Australian "whaler." -Sheep, chickens, pigs--from the top of the list to the last only the -best of each kind were exhibited. Australian cattle and horses are -aristocrats compared to South African breeds. - -Education for children living in the "back blocks," as distant parts -of Australia are termed, is hauled on wagons. A government teacher -travels about in a wagon covered with a tent and stops at the home of -every settler who has children. The tent is lifted from the wagon to -the ground, and school exercises are gone through. Would not the -trouble and expense that the Commonwealth of Australia goes to for -fitting its people to meet the struggles of life "warm the cockles of -your heart" to such a government! This is called the "traveling -school," and it would be a waste of time to dwell in detail on -universities, colleges, technical and the lower-grade schools of the -educational department of New South Wales. - -The conditions of giving land to settlers by the State of New South -Wales are liberal. If one is a white man, is willing to work, and -wants a farm, he will get the land, and money to make a start with, -too. - -The English system of money is in use. That system is not on a decimal -basis, which deficiency seems out of place in an advanced country like -that of the Commonwealth. For this reason efforts are being put forth -to change the system to a decimal basis. The kangaroo and emu are -stamped on the face of some of the money coins in use, but these will -not be accepted as legal tender in other British countries. - -"Smoke, ho," is the term one might hear were he to pass a gang of men -working on a railroad or at any work where a group of men are -employed. The weather gets very hot in summer, and rests are taken at -intervals. When the foreman of the gang says "Smoke, ho," that means a -breathing spell, or quitting time. - -The State of New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, is the -richest in the Commonwealth. The sheep industry is the greatest. -Smokestacks from factory and mill are thickly dotted not only about -the city but far into the suburbs. Great quantities of butter, beef, -mutton and wool, wheat and flour are exported from that State, besides -ores and coal. The exports from Australia now are very large, but what -will they be when the country becomes even one quarter settled? - -Wages have increased from time to time in Sydney, until now -bricklayers receive $5 a day. That figure is good wages in Australia, -for the climate permits of outside work the year round. The city is -growing all the time, the demand for mechanics naturally increasing. -Few mechanics receive less than $3. The lowest wages laborers receive -are $2, but that figure is often exceeded. Printers on newspapers earn -$27 to $30 a week, the working time not exceeding 36 hours. Good board -can be had at $4 to $6 a week. No one works Saturday afternoons in the -British colonies visited. - -Excellent newspapers are published in Sydney--fully in keeping with -the city. On looking over their pages, one must give much credit to -the publishers for the cable dispatches printed, as the news rate must -be high when sent from centers 6,000 to 13,000 miles away. - -A thousand acres of splendid park area are located in and close to -Sydney, divided into 37 parks. Within a radius of 25 miles are 70,000 -acres of park land. Besides, there are half a dozen good bathing -beaches within easy reach. - -Over a hundred miles from Sydney, in the Blue Mountain range, is -located a tract of stalactite and stalagmite caves. These are the -property of the government, and known as Jenolan Caves. The caves -cover a large area of land, and exploration is going on all the time. -Over a dozen of these are now open to visitors, and the trip is well -worth while taking. But while Jenolan Caves are much greater than -those of Luray Caverns, Virginia, one will find in Luray better -formations and a prettier grade of that mineral than can be seen in -Jenolan. It is another case of Victoria Falls and Niagara. Jenolan -Caves are much the greater, but Luray Caverns are the prettier. In -caves of this character columns of stalactite and stalagmite a foot in -diameter may be seen, and when it is remembered that, in one instance -at Jenolan, a stem of stalactite has grown but one-thirty-second part -of an inch in 30 years, what a tremendous age the larger columns must -have attained! The atmosphere in this section of the Blue Mountains is -of a deep blue color. Mount Kosciusko is the highest peak of -Australia, rising 7,308 feet. - -In that section of country kangaroo may be seen hopping about the -hills, feeding on grass and sprouts, or standing up on their hind legs -to watch if any one is coming their way. Timidity starts them, at the -slightest alarm, to holes in the mountain, and where rocks are located -at the place of concealment these are as polished granite from their -heavy tails passing over them on coming out and going in. - -The difference in railroad gauges is proving a source of much -inconvenience to transportation. In New South Wales the gauge is -standard, 4 feet 8 1/2 inches, and in Queensland the railroad is -narrow-gauge, 3 feet 6 inches. So, going from Sydney to Brisbane, -passengers, cars and freight must be changed; also in going from -Sydney to Melbourne, when the Victoria border has been reached, a -complete change has to be made, as the Victoria gauge is broad, 5 feet -3 inches. The width of South Australia railroads is 5 feet 3 inches -and also 4 feet 8 1/2 inches, but those of West Australia are again -narrow-gauge. - -One not familiar with the population of American cities would come to -the conclusion that San Francisco, Cal., was the greatest in the -United States, judged from the number of times it is mentioned by -Australians. As a matter of fact, both Melbourne and Sydney have a -greater population than the Californian metropolis. Seldom are New -York, Philadelphia and Chicago mentioned. This is accounted for by San -Francisco being nearer to Australia than any other American city. - -"Two years before the fleet came," and "About a year after the fleet -was here," are instances of how recent great events are referred to. -Evidently the visit of the American battleships to Australia, when the -fleet made its trip around the world, proved an epoch in this -country. - -Before leaving the "mainland," I want to acknowledge my gratitude to -Australians for the many courtesies extended and kindnesses bestowed. -I had been offered work in most of the places visited. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -From Melbourne we sailed across Bass Straits up the Tamar River to -Launceston, Tasmania, located at the northern part of the island. Abel -J. Tasman, a Dutch navigator, discovered what is now Tasmania, in -1642, after whom the island is named. Van Diemen's Land, however, was -the name given to Tasmania by its discoverer, but was changed later. -The Dutch seemed to have been good navigators in early years in the -Pacific and Indian oceans, but they proved poor land-grabbers. With -Tasmania as a key to the mainland, it would seem the spirit of daring -did not extend further than the decks of ships, for Tasman finally -left Tasmania, and later on it fell into the hands of British -navigators. - -Tasmania is the smallest of the six States of which the Commonwealth -is composed. It has its upper and lower legislative bodies, a governor -from England--in all respects a self-constituted State. The length of -the island from north to south is 150 miles. - -Tasmania is known as "the sanatorium" of Australia on account of its -good climate. At Launceston this was plainly borne out by the rosy -cheeks of the people. The city itself, of 25,000 population, is -attractive from its parks, its iron-latticed porches and verandas, a -splendid stretch of natural scenery known as the Gorge, and the -unassuming nature, plain but tidy appearance, and contentment of the -people. Few smokestacks were in sight, and as a business center it -does not hold kinship to the bustling cities of the mainland. - -"This is the way it is all the time!" said a second-hand clothing -dealer who had invited me to call at his store, he having gone from -America to the Southland to make his fortune. The store was as empty -of customers as a church is of worshipers at midnight. - -The commendable custom of Sunday evening concerts in the colonies was -in vogue in Launceston, only the one attended here was held in a -beautiful park instead of in a town hall. As in other places, the -concert did not begin until after church services. In the same park is -a small zoo, very good for the size of this city. - -The wages of workers are low, mechanics receiving from $2 to $2.50 a -day. Calling on one of the daily newspapers to see how things looked, -when it became known that I was from the United States most of the -composing room force stopped work, gathered about me, questions coming -eagerly concerning conditions in America from every angle. I was to -leave the city a few hours later, when two of the force left their -work and saw me on the train. - -Hobart, 135 miles south of Launceston, was the next stop. This is the -capital of Tasmania, and has double the population of Launceston. -Hobart is situated at the delta of the Derwent River, and has a -splendid harbor, with Mount Wellington behind the city, water in -front, and a large domain or park at one side. While showing little -life commercially, there is a charm about the Tasmania capital that -sticks to one. - -Three women to one man is Hobart's unequal population. The wages are -so small that any young fellow with an ounce of pluck will cross Bass -Straits to the mainland cities, where his labor sells for more than a -bare living wage, with opportunities for amounting to something later -that Tasmania does not offer. A preserve or jam factory in Hobart -furnishes girls and women with employment. - -Food and house rent are cheap, and for these reasons, together with -the splendid climate all the year round, a considerable number of -ex-British army officers, who have a pension, go there to spend their -last days. - -No stale fish is eaten in Hobart. At the wharfs many fish dealers are -found, and their stock is kept in barges or scows containing enough -water for the fish to swim in. A customer points out the fish he wants -to buy, when it is speared and handed to the purchaser alive. One fish -found in that locality--the "trumpeter"--is as sweet as American -shad, and it has fewer bones. Oysters do well also in Hobart waters, -as that city is nearly as far south of the equator as New York is -north of that line. Fish caught in a warm climate have not the same -flavor as fish that inhabit the waters of a colder one. An angler is -at home when lolling about the brooks and rivers that abound a short -distance from the city. - -A dollar a day was all I paid for accommodation at a tidy hotel. That -sum included three meals and a room. - -One will find here a good museum, creditable art gallery and splendid -park system, also a good street car system, electric lights, gas and -other utilities. - -"Appleland" would be a suitable name for Tasmania, as upward of -3,000,000 bushels of apples are shipped from that island each year, -and the shipments are increasing. The Huon district, some 20 miles -from Hobart, is the great apple growing section of southern Tasmania. -Apple trees grow in these parts where nothing else would thrive, and -large tracts of orchards are seen on the sides of rocky hills. Trees -are not allowed to grow over six feet high, which adds much to the -convenience and cheapness of picking. They are trimmed each season, -and the stumps are eight inches in diameter in some instances, but -only the stump, which will not rise over six inches above the ground, -is left. The sprouts grow from the stump, and these do not, as stated, -exceed six feet tall. These apples do not hang only from the ends of -the limbs, as they do from most apple trees in America. Blossoms bloom -from the body of the limb, and the limb and trunks of the sprouts are -entirely covered with apples. Apples grow from the limbs as freckles -on an arm. Ten acres of apple land in southern Tasmania bring in a -nice yearly income. The trees grow bushy, and as many as 20 bushels -are often picked from one. Most of the apples shipped from Hobart go -to England, the time of shipment being from February to June. - -Fifty miles from Hobart stands the walls of the old Port Arthur -Prison, as well as the walls of the church, cracked and ready to fall, -covered with ivy vines, where the prison officers worshiped; the nice -avenues of trees where the freemen enjoyed the shade on a hot day are -very pretty, and the cozy bay, with Point Peur jutting into still and -attractive waters, suggest nothing, so far as nature is concerned, as -to the place having been one of the most inaccessible, impenetrable -prisons of the world. What was known as the hospital building is in -good condition, and serves the small community of Carnarvon as a town -hall and public school. - -Port Arthur has been changed in name--to Carnarvon--as most of the -places that have had anything to do with the early prison days of Van -Diemen's Land. The prison was located on a strip of land, 12 miles in -length, called Tasman Peninsula. Water naturally borders both sides of -the peninsula, and the narrow neck of land at the head--Eagle Hawk -Neck--of the peninsula is less than a quarter of a mile wide. - -Just across the small bay from Port Arthur is Point Puer, on which for -years there had been a boys' prison. Both men and boys sent to these -prisons, located 13,000 miles from England, had committed alleged -offenses in Great Britain. In addition to these two male prisons there -was also one for women, but the latter was not located at Port Arthur. -The ages of boys sent to the Point Puer ranged from 12 to 15 years. A -number committed suicide, induced by homesickness and other causes. -This inhuman state of affairs being brought to the late Queen -Victoria's attention, she ordered the boys' prison razed to the -ground. - -The narrow neck of land referred to separates Norfolk Bay from the -Pacific Ocean. To-day there are, or were recently, a row of posts -standing across Eagle Hawk Neck--from Norfolk Bay to the ocean. To -these posts dogs had been chained, the chains just long enough to -allow a dog fastened to one post to meet the other. Some of these -posts were driven in the bottom of Norfolk Bay, and on them was built -a rest for the dogs to jump on when the tide was in. On each side of -the narrow strip of land soldiers were stationed, the string of dogs -between. Were a prisoner, in trying to escape the hardships of Port -Arthur, to get beyond the sentries, and attempt to get by the dogs, -an uproar would be made by the canines, and the sentries on the other -side would be on the alert if a prisoner chanced to get by the vicious -dogs; so that any effort to escape by that route would be futile. - -Norfolk Bay at that point is also narrow--not over a quarter of a mile -wide--several prisoners making their escape by swimming across. To -forestall further escapes by that means, sharks, which had been -imported, were placed in the bay and fed. So, between the soldiers and -the dogs on guard at Eagle Hawk Neck and Norfolk Bay full of sharks, -once brought to Tasman Peninsula escape was impossible. - -Masks were worn by prisoners when they attended church services, so -that no recognition could take place. In addition to that precaution, -the seats in the church had a board at the back as high as a man's -head, and the prisoner was closed in by boards on each side. The -preacher was the only man that could be seen when sitting in the box -seat. From 1842-46 19,000 convicts were sent to Tasmania. Sometimes -many died during the voyage. The only humane feature connected with -the convict traffic was that the ship doctor received $2.40 for every -prisoner who landed in Tasmania. Naturally, the doctor would do his -best to collect the fee. The last shipment of convicts took place in -1877. It is said some prisoners sent to Tasmania had committed minor -offenses, such as shooting a rabbit on another's property, stealing -chickens, inability to pay debts, and similar charges. - -Eucalyptus trees are said to grow to a height of 350 feet in certain -parts of Tasmania, and also in some other States. - -Reading accounts of the products of the Commonwealth, its exports of -wool, meat and ores, and being unfamiliar with the obverse side of the -picture--droughts, deserts and the rabbit pest--one would little -expect to hear the question asked, "Will the 5,000,000 industrious -populace of Australia, a name that fascinates as does California, and -having an area one-quarter that of the British Empire, ever increase -to 25,000,000?" - -Only a fringe of this continent is habitable, behind these fertile -tracts being expansive wastes, on portions of which rain does not -fall, at times, for several years. No such river as the Nile or -Mississippi flows through these salt deserts. Near the coast, visited -by moderate rainfalls, are sections in which drought is ever feared, -where wells have been bored to depths of thousands of feet, only to -find, when a water vein has been pierced, that, in many instances, the -flow proves to be salt water, unfit for drink or irrigation purposes. -The two chief rivers of Australia--the Darling and the Murray--are -small compared to waterways that course other countries. In dry -seasons the water becomes low, and in drought periods the bottoms of -these rivers offer little more moisture than is found on the plains. - -Not more than one per cent. of the land of this great continent is -under cultivation. In order to insure the harvesting of crops in -favorable seasons, millions and millions of dollars have been expended -by the government in building rabbit-proof fences; the quantity used -would encircle the globe nearly half a dozen times. Added to this -outlay, large sums have been expended in boring wells, building -reservoirs and establishing water stations on cattle and sheep ranges. -Buying land from landowners controlling large tracts, obtained by -devious means in the early stages of the country's development, is -still another heavy national expense. This land, when allotted to -small farm settlers, is leased. Leasing the land, instead of granting -the freehold, does not augur for a rapid increase in the rural -population. - -Quality, not quantity, seems to be the aim of the Commonwealth in -regard to the immigrant entering its shores. "Assisted passages" apply -chiefly to domestic help and agricultural workers of British birth or -of British descent, and these must be in good health and of sound -body. A strong sentiment seems to be prevalent for immigration, but -those engaged at the various trades, and even the professions, do not -encourage the coming of additional artisans to the respective -vocations or an increase of names to the professional roster. Hence, -the small volume of immigration to the Antipodes. - -With a desert comprising a major portion of the continent, a -temperature of 100 to 120 degrees prevailing over a large area, with -but few rivers, pure water lakes or refreshing streams, and the bowels -of the earth giving up brackish and salt water, thereby dispelling -hope of the sandy wastes being reclaimed and the ravages of drought -counteracted--meeting with failures in battling to overcome these -natural barriers to development, we can picture running through the -Australian's mind the paraphrased biblical quotation: "Paul may plant, -Apollo may water, but God must give the increase." - - - - -LEG FOUR - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Our first stop in New Zealand was at Bluff, a small port nearly a -thousand miles eastward across the Tasman Sea from Hobart. Though -composed of only a few hundred people, this place, nevertheless, -commands the attention of a traveler, as it is one of the most -southerly outposts of civilization, there being no white habitation -between Bluff and the South Pole. Tons of cheese and butter were here -loaded into the ship, brought by rail from Invercargill, eighteen -miles inland, the commercial center of a thrifty farming district. - -Abel J. Tasman, in 1642, was the first white man to discover New -Zealand. He was frightened away by a warlike and fearless race of -natives, but mapped out the coast line roughly, and named the country -Staaten Island, which Dutch officials altered later to New Zealand. -Captain James Cook, in 1769, was the first to land on New Zealand -soil, which he did after much dickering with the Maoris; it then -became a British possession. - -While traveling through Devereux Straits from Bluff to Dunedin, one of -the three islands comprising New Zealand--Stewart Island--was to the -south. It has an area of 665 square miles, a mild and pleasant -climate, and was a favorite assembling place for American whaling -ships twenty-five to thirty years ago. A Maori settlement, most of the -natives being fishermen and oysterers, form the chief inhabitants. -Oban, twenty miles from Bluff, is the principal town. The straits -between South and Stewart Islands was red with prawns, and thousands -of fowl were feeding off these crustaceans; the birds make their home -on the latter island. Later we reached the Heads of Otaga harbor, -passed Port Chalmers, and seven miles further the vessel docked at -Dunedin, a stronghold of the Scotch. - -In 1848, after a voyage of several months in sailing vessels, two ship -loads of Scotch Presbyterians from Scotland sailed up Otaga harbor and -disembarked at what is now known as Dunedin, where they formed a -settlement. Scotch energy was at once put into action--some of the -colonists building homes, others turning over the soil of this virgin -country, then seeding the land, later harvesting their meager -crops--all initial undertakings requiring more patience and -persistence than afterward, when better supplied with tools and -implements, and more familiar with natural requirements. From this -small beginning--followed by periods of anxiety, disappointment and -hardship, as settlers, with more courage than money, in most all new -countries have endured in battling with the uncertain phases which -confronted them--the pluck of these hardy pioneers is represented in -Dunedin being the metropolis of southern New Zealand. - -Losing time hunting for level land or gently sloping hills on which to -establish a city was not the Scotch way of doing things. The hills are -so high, steep and rugged where the citizens of this center live that -electric power would fail to draw street cars up some of the inclines; -hence steps are cut into the rocks, and walks, made of boards, lead up -to many of the homes. Like the rocky hills within the municipality, -Dunedin is solidly built. Dark graystone figures largely in building, -and streets are good and well looked after. An electric street car -system is another asset, and the railway station is one of the best -government buildings in New Zealand. Numerous church steeples rising -about the metropolis attest the well-known religious tendency of this -race; an art gallery, museum, libraries, schools, colleges and other -factors indicating intellectual advancement, are found here--14,000 -miles from Scotland and the gateway to the Antarctic region--a credit -to Scotland grit. Among the manufactures are woolen goods and farm -machinery. Frozen meat exports from the Island Dominion, as this -country is often termed, are large. This great industry had its -inception here, the first cargo being shipped in a sailing vessel from -this port in 1881. Burns' clubs, bagpipe bands--which thrill a Scot -wherever found--and Caledonian societies have flourished here since -its settlement. The bands keep things lively, appearing frequently in -complete regalia, the pipers holding their own with any in Scotland. - -Sixty thousand people live in Dunedin, these being mainly Scotch. Some -of the early colonists came from Dundee and others from Edinburgh, -Scotland. While settlers from the former were bent on naming their new -home Dundee, those from the latter wanted the place called Edinburgh. -A compromise was finally reached by their taking the first syllable of -Dundee (Dun) and the first and second syllables of Edinburgh (Edin), -calling the place Dun-edin. - -Ho! An American flag was flying from the mast of an old three-masted -schooner in Otaga harbor. Though I had traveled nearly 22,000 miles -since leaving New York and had been at the main ports of three -continents, this was the only occasion the Stars and Stripes was -observed flying from a vessel. - -Little difference was observed here in the clothes worn or the general -customs in vogue in America; but British names for certain business -callings are the rule, such as ironmonger, fishmonger, mercer, draper, -etc. - -Everybody cuts their own bread in Dunedin. Sometimes resting on a -wooden dish, and in other instances on an ordinary piece of board, the -loaf is placed on the table, with a big knife alongside. Meat is -served carved, however. - -Splendid horses are noticeable--the big, heavy-bodied, hairy-legged -Clydesdale breed. - -Street cars do not run earlier than 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoons, -when church services are over. - -Liquor licenses are issued only to hotel-keepers; none to places where -travelers are not accommodated. Hotel expenses were only $1.50 a day. - -South Pole expeditions sailing from Europe generally call and remain -some time at Port Chalmers to refurnish their stores before piercing -the icy reaches of the Antarctic division of the world, and this is -the first port explorers reach upon emerging from that but partially -known region. Dual names to many seaports throughout the British -Empire prove confusing to the ordinary person. A news cablegram may -tell of a South Pole exploring vessel having reached "Port Chalmers, -N. Z." Seafaring men would know at once by the name the message bore -that the explorers were in Dunedin; but very few persons in America or -Europe would know that Port Chalmers and Dunedin denote the same -place. Durban, South Africa, is another instance of a place known by -two names. A seafaring man would call Durban "Port Natal" instead of -the name by which it is better known; and cables also give it as Port -Natal. Instances could be cited of a captain saying he was sailing to -a certain "port" which a passenger never heard of, but who would -readily recognize the place if the name was mentioned as it is -designated in books. - -The apteryx--or kiwi, as this bird is generally called--is a native of -New Zealand, and one of the strangest fowl in the world. Man, beast, -animal and fowl have been provided with two arms and two legs, four -legs, or two legs and two wings, respectively. The kiwi, as large as a -hen and brown of color, however, has been furnished with two legs, but -has no wings. Its feet are similar to those of other fowl; it has a -long bill, and thin, scattering feathers grow straight from its head. -The sides of the kiwi appear as free of wings as those of a cat. The -habits of that strange bird are similar to the pheasants. Its call -note, "ki-i-wi!" uttered during the early hours of the night, has -great penetrating power, and ceases after midnight. - -"Not far from here is a waterfall with a drop of 2,000 feet--the -highest in the world," remarked a patriotic New Zealander. "Is it an -uninterrupted waterfall?" was asked. "No, there are several breaks," -was the answer. When reminded that Yosemite Falls, in California, has -a sheer drop of 1,600 feet and a total descent of 2,400 feet, it -occurred to him he may have used the word "world" inadvisedly. Not far -from Dunedin is the natural scenic section of that country, with a -splendid chain of lakes, glaciers, high mountains and attractive -gorges. The highest mountain in Australia is 7,000 feet, and Mount -Cook, not far from Dunedin, rises to 12,000 feet. Cold weather -prevails in this section in winter, accompanied by ice, snow and -blizzards. - -No snakes or poisonous insects are said to be found in that country. -One may lie down on the earth in any place and have no fear of being -bitten or stung by anything that lives under or on the surface. - -From Dunedin to Christchurch I had my first experience riding on New -Zealand trains, owned by the government. Some of the passenger coaches -are patterned after the American cars. The track is more than a foot -narrower--3 feet 6 inches--which does not allow room for two persons -on a seat on each side of the car aisles. One row of seats will seat -two persons, but those on the other side accommodate but one person. -Seats are upholstered, and the train schedule is 30 miles an hour. -This was a first-class car, and the fare three cents a mile. Some of -the second-class coaches are not as well equipped. Boards, secured to -the sides, with only a thin cushion over them, run the length of the -vehicle. It is merely a bench, no partition separating passengers, the -side of the coach serving as a back rest. The corner seats are coveted -ones, as a passenger can put his back to the end and stretch his legs. -It is the worst accommodation I have seen in railroad coaches. The -government charges its patrons two cents a mile; no reduction in fare -is allowed for return tickets. - -A hundred miles south of Christchurch the road passes through a rich -farming country known as Canterbury Plains. Farm land in that district -sells at $200 to $300 an acre. Great quantities of frozen mutton, wool -and grain are shipped from Timaru, a seaport town in that section. As -many as 6,000,000 carcasses of mutton and lamb are shipped from New -Zealand each year. There are over 25,000,000 head of sheep in the -Island Dominion. - -One would never think it was possible to conduct a farm on an -eight-hour basis, yet those are the hours worked by farm hands in New -Zealand, with extra pay for overtime. Wages are good, also, as they -run from $30 to $40 a month with board. - -One would feel safer with hobnails in the soles of his shoes while -walking about some of the residential sections of Dunedin, so steep -are the hills; but Christchurch is built on a level surface--on -Canterbury Plains. Dunedin, as stated, was settled by the Scotch, but -Christchurch was settled by the English in 1850, two years after the -foundation of Dunedin was laid. - -Instead of States, the Dominion of New Zealand is divided into -provinces, and Christchurch is the metropolis of the Canterbury -Provincial District. It has a population of 70,000 thrifty people, and -the city is rich in beautiful flower gardens, fruit trees, and grassy -lawns, while the River Avon, its water of a glassy clearness, and its -grassy and tree-covered banks, uniting in forming a picture, winds -attractively through the city. - -Here may be seen splendid churches, colleges and schools. Seldom is a -church the center or hub of a city, yet street cars stop and start -from the Cathedral of Christchurch, and it is the point from which -distances are measured. No skyscrapers, nor such grand buildings as -Melbourne and Sydney can boast of are seen here, yet everything has a -solid, attractive and complete appearance. - -The homes of the people attract attention by the large space in front -of them and at the sides. Each lot contains one-quarter of an acre--66 -feet in front and 136 feet in depth. Houses are mostly one story, and -flowers, shrubs and grass in front and at the sides add much to their -comfortable appearance. Most of these are owned by their occupants, -and where rent is paid, which, as in Australia, is on a weekly basis, -the rate is from $3 to $5. Every home has its own reservoir or water -supply. Some thirty feet under the surface there is said to be a lake, -and each householder bores in his yard until the water gushes up. The -waste water running from these thousands of wells serves as a flushing -system. Christchurch streets are of good width--66 feet. - -One could not expect to visit a prettier place than Hagley Park, -through which the beautiful Avon River runs. Weeping willow trees grow -on the banks, and the ends of their drooping limbs are constantly -refreshed by the water in which they rest. Besides the general -attractiveness of the park, there is a splendid museum containing -much of interest, built within the grounds. - -"Wait Until Car Stops, Fine $25," is a caution to passengers posted in -street cars of that city. Were street car companies in some American -cities fined $25 every time a conductor forgot to signal a stop at -places where he was requested to do so there would be more -appointments kept, money saved passengers, and less wrangling. - -Every one is his own bread carver here, as in Dunedin. The New -Zealander, like his Australian brother, is a meat eater. Beef sold at -10 to 12 cents, mutton at 6 to 8 cents, and pork at 12 cents a pound. - -Good newspapers are printed in this city. Wages are $15 to $16 a week. -Laborers receive $2 a day. An eight-hour day is universal in New -Zealand. - -The system of measurement in both New Zealand and Australia is that of -the chain--66 feet. A chain wide, two chains, two-and-a-half chains -long, are the terms used. - -Prohibition has a considerable hold on the people, as most of the -smaller cities are "dry." - -Double fare may be charged by cab drivers on holidays only, but in -other countries cabbies collect excess fares any time patrons will pay -them. - -Theaters, bioscopes, amusements and sports of all sorts are found in -the city, being freely patronized. - -The kea bird of New Zealand is destructive to sheep, and for that -reason the government pays a bounty of $5 for every dead kea. This -bird is of the parrot species, dark green in color, with a bill an -inch and a half in length, curved like a parrot's beak. It will alight -on a sheep's back, and at once attack the animal in the section of the -kidneys with its sharp bill, as the only part the kea cares for is the -fat growing about the kidneys. The animal naturally bleeds to death in -a short time, when the bird gratifies its appetite at leisure. The -desire for this food is an acquired one, as the kea first got its -taste for sheep fat from skins hung on fences and other places to dry. - -The islands of New Zealand are divided by Cook's Straits, which are -40 miles wide. One section, lying south of Cook's Straits, is known as -South Island, and the land north of the straits is termed North -Island. We have been traveling in South Island, which is far richer. - -Port Lyttleton, the port for Christchurch, is located nine miles from -the metropolis. Boats run to Wellington daily, the sailing time being -ten hours. - -One man one vote, and one woman one vote, is the scope of franchise -New Zealand offers. Parliament is composed of 70 members, elected for -three years. Several political parties exist in the Dominion, and the -one in power chooses from among the Assembly a successor for the -Premiership. Although the Premier is the responsible head of the -government, over him is an imperial official, a governor-general, from -the British Isles, who is appointed by the King of England. New -Zealand, in common with other colonies of the British Empire, pays the -governor-general's salary. The Cook group of islands, located 1,800 -miles northeast of Wellington in the Southern Pacific Ocean, is a -dependency of New Zealand, and its affairs are administered by the -Dominion Parliament. - -Previous mention has been made of a good railway station in Dunedin, -and that nearly completed the substantial government buildings seen -when that country was visited. We also commented on the poor -accommodation furnished second-class passengers on railway trains, -though paying two cents a mile. A wooden building--if it has not since -been replaced--"the largest wooden office building in the world," is -pointed out to visitors to Wellington. A government office building in -the capital of a country--built of wood! The worst public building in -the splendid city of Christchurch was the government railway station; -the station at Wellington would not make a decent sheep shed. With -passenger and freight rates sufficient, and a heavy import duty -collected on most commodities entering the country, together with an -annual tax on incomes of $1,500 and over, the dearth of creditable -public buildings, and the inferior railway accommodation afforded -second-class passengers, would seem to suggest that government -management did not bear the mark of striking efficiency. On the other -hand, the people are thrifty, courteous, kind, congenial and mostly in -good circumstances. - -The business portion of Wellington is built at the bottom of a chain -of high hills, with a splendid harbor front. These hills are so steep -that stairways and cable lines figure largely as utilities by which -residents reach their homes. One misses the convenient squares and -parks found in other centers in that part of the world, but the -absence of these here is accounted for by lack of room, as the space -between the butts of the hills and the docks is limited even for -business purposes. Some distance from the business center, however, is -a good botanical garden, and in another direction are creditable -parks, with sports grounds included, which enable the capital to make -a fair showing in this particular. - -Most of the dwellings are of wood, and rents are, like the hills -surrounding the city, high. The weekly system of paying bills is -customary here. Some of these homes, for which $25 and $35 a month -rent is paid, are difficult to reach, even after one has alighted from -a cable car. Rents are higher in Wellington than in any city of -Australasia. Wages, too, are comparatively low. Laborers receive no -more than in cities where rent is much cheaper. Mechanics receive -about $3 a day. - -One cannot but observe the trend of industrial advancement in almost -every quarter of the globe visited. It is a very dull place, indeed, -where houses or buildings of some sort are not under course of -construction. In Wellington the sound of hammer and saw is heard in -valleys and on hillsides miles away from the city. Landlords squeezed -their tenants so hard that the government was finally induced to help -the citizens by advancing money with which to build homes on sites -some distance from the capital. - -Arbitration courts fix wages, but that system of settling disputes -between employer and employe works out better in theory than in -practice, judging from the number of strikes that so frequently take -place. Anyway, one clause of this law is very effective--if a man -works for an employer for a less wage than had been fixed by the -court, both employer and employe are fined. - -Double-decked street cars are in use in Wellington, as in cities of -the South Island. A few cars run on Sunday up to 2 o'clock in the -afternoon. The fare up to that hour being 12 cents, persons going to -and from church might have reason to pinch on the contribution to make -up for excessive street-car charges. The custom is hard to explain. -Certainly, it is too far to walk from some of the valleys to the city, -but, as a limited number of cars are run for the convenience of -churchgoers, why this overcharge? It is possible church-going people -have a Sunday commutation ticket; if so, non-churchgoers who patronize -the cars would pay the freight. - -Gas costs $1.80 a thousand feet here. A private company controls this -commodity. - -Wellington, with a population of 75,000, is the chief seaport of New -Zealand. In addition to being located in the center of the two -islands, its good, land-locked harbor, deep enough to admit vessels of -great draught, adds greatly to its commercial prestige. Big vessels -plying between England and New Zealand dock and start from here. - -Meat is no dearer than in other New Zealand cities--6 to 12 cents a -pound. Telegraph messages cost but 12 cents for 12 words. - -The government pays pensions to citizens who have reached the age of -65 years and whose incomes do not exceed $240 a year. This rate is the -same as is paid in Australia--$2.40 a week each to husband and wife. - -The Town Hall, with other municipal and business buildings, is a -creditable one, and its auditorium and balconies are packed with -people who attend the Sunday evening concerts, furnished by the city, -which do not begin until church services are over. A good museum is -another attraction. Little in favor of the streets can be said, -however, for they are poorly laid out and are not kept as tidy as -those in other cities. - -Newspapers are well up to the mark for the size of the city, and had -I been short of funds, I could have kept my head above water, as I was -offered work here. - -The standard of law and order maintained in the Island Dominion may be -inferred when it is mentioned that there are no keys to doors in some -hotels. When shown to a room at one place the absence of a key was -brought to the attention of the clerk. "There are no keys to any of -the rooms," he explained, in a matter-of-fact manner. Notwithstanding -high rents and the high price of gas, hotel expenses were only $1.20 a -day. - -Pelorus Jack, the pilot fish, lives on the other side of Cook's -Straits from Wellington. Like the kea bird and the kiwi, he is in a -class by himself--the most remarkable fish in the world. He is perhaps -the only pilot that ever lived who knows nothing about the science of -navigation. Pelorus Jack belongs to the dolphin family. His length is -about 14 feet, and he is bluish-white in color. His home is in Pelorus -Sound, and the channel from that body of water to Nelson is very -tortuous. Where the channel becomes dangerous for ships, Jack will be -found, waiting. When a vessel reaches the mouth of the channel, the -dolphin sallies forth, faithfully following the curves of the route, -and the ship is steered in accordance with his trail. Outgoing vessels -are also met by this remarkable fish, who precedes the ship until it -has reached safe water. The Maoris aver that Jack has lived in these -parts for generations, and in their eyes he is an ocean god. An act of -Parliament was passed in 1904 protecting all fish of that species in -New Zealand waters. As Jack is probably the only fish of his sort -living in Cook's Straits, he enjoys the exclusive protection of the -legislative decree. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Traveling up a steep grade from Wellington, and then down the mountain -on the other side of the range, the train pulled away from the coast -and headed northward, speeding over the trunk line between the capital -and Auckland. Passing through tidy towns, then over trestles spanning -rippling streams, through bushy glens, ornamented with attractive fern -trees--queen of flora here--which have no superior as a natural -adornment, we entered stretches of lava wakes, covered with a bracken -growth. To the right, Mount Ruapehu, 9,000 feet high, with its -snow-capped summit, came to view; then Mounts Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, -lower mountains than Ruapehu, appear. We next came to the King -country--Maoriland; later a stop was made at Francton Junction, where -a change of cars was made, and then headed for Rotorua, the main -attraction of the thermal district of New Zealand. - -Rotorua is a place where people come on crutches and leaning on -walking sticks, and a great number of these, on taking their departure -from the sulphur laden air of that district, leave their crutches and -walking-sticks behind. - -The New Zealand government owns this part of Geyserland, and too much -credit cannot be given for the splendid place that has been made out -of what was formerly a lava-bestrewn stretch of land on the shore of -the blue waters of Lake Rotorua. Broad streets, shaded with beautiful -avenues of trees; electric lights, gardens and parks, handsome bath -buildings, grounds for light sports and free music every day, are some -good things the government furnishes. Board can be had for from $5 to -$7 a week, and sulphur baths--the water boiling out of the -ground--cost only 12 cents, including a towel. The Rotorua wells have -proved heaven-sent blessings to many an afflicted soul. After taking -a few baths the flesh assumes a velvety softness. - -It was a pleasure to note the improvement in the condition of a -crippled person who had reached Rotorua on crutches. In a few days one -crutch sufficed; in a similar time that crutch had been discarded; a -walking stick next answered the purpose of support, and, finally, with -a beaming face and a buoyant heart, that same person, whose legs had -been distorted for years from rheumatism or some other cause, could be -seen walking about the pretty lawns or shaded streets, unsupported by -either stick or crutch, with bright eyes and a radiant countenance, at -peace with all mankind, and prepared to face the battle of life again -with limber limbs and a grateful heart. - -The geysers of Rotorua--real high spouters--cannot compare with those -of Yellowstone Park. From the shore of the lake, for half a mile back, -the ground was marked at close spaces with gurgling, bubbling and -steaming wells, and a strong sulphurous smell is nearly always -present. One feature of that section of Geyserland, however, surpasses -any of Yellowstone--a large mud pool, called Tikitere. It is really a -volcano, and the furious, boiling, bursting, smoking pond of sulphuric -mud commands unusual attention. - -Half a dozen lakes are linked together, each from five to twelve miles -in length, the sides heavily verdured with an evergreen growth, and -high hills rising in every direction, making the trip through the -lakes very interesting. One of these, Rotomahana, is a boiling body of -water. Launches travel through this steam-laden lake with as apparent -safety and comfort as through normal waters. The shores contain -numerous and deep fissures, steam coming from these openings in great -clouds. Both lake and shores present a scene like that after a big -fire, when nothing but smoke remains. - -A small Pompeii is among the attractions of this thermal district. The -place is known as Te Wairoa, and was overwhelmed in 1886 by heavy -showers of mud and volcanic ash ejected from the volcano Tarawera. -Over a hundred natives and four Europeans were buried under the mud -and lava. The ruins of the settlement--buildings, wagons and other -evidences of habitation--are yet to be seen. Ashes and cinders ejected -from the volcano at that time were carried for a distance of 60 miles. - -At Whakarewarewa, a short distance from Rotorua, is where the greatest -subterranean disturbance takes place. Quite a number of geysers are -located at that center, but none of the high-spouters were "working." -The "crack" or "show" geyser of that basin is Wairo. It seems to have -imbibed the easy-going spirit of the Maoris, for it will "work" only -on State occasions. For instance, if the governor-general of New -Zealand were to visit Rotorua, and later "Whaka," as that long name is -called for short, Wairo would be set to "working." The geyser is -coaxed into action by throwing quantities of soap into the well. -Visitors would willingly contribute money to buy soap to set Wairo -working, but as the geyser is covered with heavy planks, a prison cell -would be the reward of a person tampering with the pet "spouter." It -is said that water is forced to a height of 100 feet when Wairo gets -into harness. - -Vegetation suffers when coming in contact with the outpourings of the -Yellowstone geysers, while about Rotorua the steam and sulphuric -atmosphere from the steaming wells does not seem to interfere with the -growth of flora. Jewelry and silver and gold coins become black while -visiting that district, the sulphur in the air having this effect on -metal. - -Guides showing visitors about that district are Maori women, the price -for their services being fixed by the government, together with launch -charges for sails on the lakes. It is a good system, for one then -knows beforehand how much money a trip will cost. - -New Zealand, unlike Australia, is rife with battle cries, war songs -and narratives of native bravery. Most of the trouble had its -inception from land-grabbing by white men, and they have succeeded -well, although the natives' domain is still large. Like most natives, -the Maori is not blessed with a great amount of ambition, and his -needs are common and small, being favored with a good climate, as the -weather in the North Island is moderate the year round. - -The Maori is not a native of New Zealand, but what race of people -inhabited that country previous to his settlement history does not -record. It is safe to presume he killed off the aborigines, as he -would not brook much interference from an inferior race. The Maori is -the Polynesian, and in 1350 he paddled and rowed in canoes across a -stretch of sea for a distance of 1,700 miles--from the island of -Raratonga, one of the Cook group, to New Zealand. From that time until -New Zealand's gradual settlement he held undisputed sway. In color he -is similar to an American Indian, and is inclined to fleshiness. - -New Zealanders are very proud of the Maori. While of a warring race, -he is not a criminal. He can be made a friend--can be trusted. -Intermarriages take place frequently, and it is said the white party -to the transaction meets with no social discrimination. Civilization -has proved detrimental to them, as with most natives, however, and is -diminishing their numbers from time to time. Consumption is decimating -them fast. - -It was interesting to watch Maori women, with their babes on their -backs, cooking food and baking bread by the heat from boiling springs, -so numerous about the shores of Lake Rotorua. A board box, large -enough to admit a kettle, is placed in a well, and an iron grating put -at the bottom to rest it on. Meat, fish, vegetables or anything to be -cooked is put in the kettle. A blanket is placed over this to keep the -steam from escaping. When the food is cooked, the kettle is taken out -and the meal served. Dough is placed in them also, and the bread is -well baked. Dried shark meat is much eaten by Maoris. - -Like all South Sea Islanders, he is fond of the water, indulging in -bathing, swimming and aquatic sports. The Maori still maintains the -skill with large canoes that enabled his forefathers to paddle 1,700 -miles over the Pacific, from Raratonga to New Zealand. - -Tattooing is a very noticeable custom of these people. Women are -tattooed more generally than men. It used to be the other way. When -the custom began to die out with the men, the women took it up, and -it is they who keep it alive. The marks are made by a dark blue -liquid--the sap of a certain tree. The forehead and chin are the -places where the marks are mostly made. Tattooing does not improve the -women's looks, but they will not allow old fashions to die out. The -woman is generally the man's master. - -Maoris are a proud and independent race, considering themselves on an -equal with the white man. In order that their "equality" may be -maintained, they will not act as servants of the white race. One could -not induce a Maori girl to do housework for a European for any wage, -neither would a Maori boy black a white man's shoes. They have a vote -on any measure affecting their interest, but Dominion suffrage ends -there. Four Maoris represent their race in Parliament. The immigration -laws of this country practically prohibiting, by a high tax, Asiatic -and all other black and colored races from entering, the Maori is the -only colored inhabitant in New Zealand. - -Any land Maoris sell must be sold to the government and disposed of as -it sees fit. The government forwards to the natives the interest on -the principal from these sales when they are in need of funds. They -prefer to work in the sheep-shearing period, which lasts a month to -six weeks, during which they can earn from $8 to $10 a day. As a rule, -they do not want a steady job. - -Native women wear a charm, called tiki--a flat, green stone, one to -three inches in width and from two to four inches in length. It is a -weird image, carved in the stone, having a big, lop-sided head and -unevenly shaped body. This ornament is worn on their chest. A small -hole is bored in the top of the tiki, through which a string is -passed, and, when the ends are tied, the loop is placed around the -neck. - -Many Maori women smoke pipes. They are a religious race, and before -entering a church they lift the pipes from their mouths and place them -on a railing or a step outside. When the service is finished, each -one, on leaving the building, stoops and picks up her pipe, lights it, -and heads for her home. - - [Illustration: MAORI WOMEN'S SALUTE--RUBBING NOSES AND SHAKING HANDS. - NEW ZEALAND. - See page 195.] - - [Illustration: MAORI WOMEN COOKING BY BOILING SPRINGS. - NEW ZEALAND. - See page 193.] - -Homeless white babies and children need not be a charge on a -municipality where there is a Maori settlement. Natives will take all -the white foundlings that are offered them. As they are an honest -race, white children are not only well looked after, but are taught -good principles also. - -Rubbing noses and shaking hands is the mode of greeting when Maori -meets Maori, and their offspring learn that custom early. As a mother, -carrying her child on her back, bends to "burnish" noses with a -friend, the children seem to lean to one side and watch their mammas -carry out this old Maori mode of greeting. - -Pakeha is the native word for white people, and when white persons -speak of native and white, pakeha and native are the distinguishing -terms used. - -Visitors to Rotorua are afforded much amusement by native dances and -hakas. Women engage in the poi dance, which is a series of motions, -gone through to the accompaniment of a concertina. In the hands of -each woman is a ball of grass as large as a peach, with a grass string -attached. Time is kept with these as they come in contact with the -other hand, and when a dozen strike in unison a shuffling sound -results. The grass or flax ball is termed the poi. Men only take part -in the haka, which is a war dance, and a good one, too. An extended -account of the Maori and his customs would make interesting reading. -They number less than 50,000. - -Kaikai is the name they give to food in New Zealand. Grub, scoff, -tucker, and kaikai is the collection of food names to this point. - -We now take leave of this pretty place, where crutches, -walking-sticks, and invalid chairs are converted into kindling wood; -where pain evaporates with the sulphurous odors, and men are made anew -by bathing in that far-off pool of Siloam--where, as Langhorne so -beautifully puts it, - - "Affliction flies, and hope returns," - -and start for Auckland. - -Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, having a population of -85,000, and was the busiest we had visited. This is another -leg-straining place, but not so hilly as Dunedin or Wellington. Ships -from the South Sea Islands are arriving and departing continually, as -Auckland has a big trade with these groups. Most of the shipping -between Australia and New Zealand passes through Auckland; many large -steamships from Europe also head for this port. - -The rosy-cheeked women and children and the healthy appearance of New -Zealanders generally is a feature one cannot fail to observe. Besides, -there are few poor people--none wearing ragged clothes, -certainly--every one tidy in appearance and well dressed. Few -foreign-speaking people live in Auckland--90 per cent, are -Britishers--and all have a fair education. Schooling advantages are -good. - -The city is well supplied with parks; also a splendid museum and an -art gallery are among the assets of that busy, far-off place. -Auckland's street car system is the only one privately owned in New -Zealand. Unlike Melbourne's, though, it is fast and modern. - -The winter climate of Auckland proves a magnet to those living in -colder parts of the Dominion. It is semi-tropical and has an -invigorating atmosphere. - -The dwellings are mostly frame-built, two stories high, and from $15 -to $20 a month rent is charged. Wages do not exceed $3 a day for -mechanics and $2 a day for laborers. Meat, on the other hand, is -reasonable, ranging in price from 6 to 12 cents a pound. - -Servant girls have a union in New Zealand, and their wages run from $4 -to $5 a week. After quitting time, the lady of the house must finish -any work that has not been completed. A smart New Zealand girl does -the work of three African house servants. - -The degrading occupation of barmaid was noticeable in New Zealand, as -in most British colonies. But that kind of work for women will -gradually come to an end in the Island Dominion, as an act was passed -forbidding saloonkeepers hiring barmaids. Those that were engaged at -that work when the act was passed were allowed to remain, but when a -barmaid leaves the proprietor must fill the vacancy with a man. As -temperance has gained a strong foothold, it is not likely that, in the -near future, there will be work of that sort for either women or men. - -Punishment by lashes for certain offenses committed by men is a law of -New Zealand, the number administered being from one to fifty. - -All the inhabitants of Australasia are tea drinkers--tea for -breakfast, tea for luncheon, and tea for dinner. Mutton and lamb chops -are the meat standbys. - -The government has sadly neglected Auckland in public buildings. For a -lively business place, and the largest city in the Dominion, the -railway station was a disgrace; it was little better than the one at -Wellington, but this comparison adds nothing to the Auckland Station. - -When the American fleet visited New Zealand, the sailors took a fancy -to blankets made in that country, and before they left the hospitable -shores of the Dominion every blanket in stock had been bought. The -visit of the United States battleships here some years ago proved an -epoch-making event. - -New Zealanders are very patriotic, but often, when they have visited -Australian cities and rested their eyes on the splendid buildings and -grand parks there, and quaffed a few draughts of metropolitan air that -pervades some centers of that country, they are in no hurry to return. -New Zealand is the best place in the world until the New Zealander -visits Australia. - -Coastwise shipping, both in New Zealand and in Australia, is conducted -on a similar basis to that of the United States. A steamer leaving New -Zealand for Africa or Europe, or any foreign port, and stopping at an -Australian port to take on oversea cargo, is not allowed to carry -either freight or passengers from New Zealand to Australia. The same -rule applies to vessels coming from foreign ports that stop at -Australian ports with their destination a New Zealand port. Sailors -and firemen employed on coastwise ships are paid double the wages of -sailors on oversea ships, the same as paid sailors employed on -American ships--$40 and $45 a month. - -One steamship company has cornered almost all the shipping there is in -that part of the world. It is a four days' sail from Auckland to -Sydney, and the first-class fare is $37. If a passenger received -first-class accommodation there would be less fault to find with the -high charge. A cabin contains six berths, and these are nearly always -occupied, as travel is heavy between the two centers. What would any -one paying first-class fare on a steamship plying between the United -States and Europe think if shown a cabin containing six berths, all of -them taken? One has no choice in Australasia. Second-class -accommodation on the ships of that line is not so good as third-class -on the European liners. - -The duty on some American exports--grain binders, motor cars, -manufactured and raw material for various uses--is 25 to 60 per cent. -The duty on tobacco, most of it shipped from America, is 84 cents a -pound. - -Auckland is very attractive by reason of her good harbor and the -elevated character of land, on which the greater portion of the city -is built. - -Gold is profitably mined in both the North and South Islands. - -The newspaper industry is well represented in Auckland, and fully -measures up to the place. One will find more news from the United -States printed in Auckland papers than in any other newspapers in -Australasia. - -New Zealanders are to be commended for their fair treatment of -strangers. Travelers, particularly those from foreign lands, pay no -more for hotel accommodation and articles bought than is charged local -tourists. Every one seems to be interested in a stranger's welfare, -not for what money they can extort from him, but from a purely -Christian spirit. No petty overcharges were imposed--no one seemed -bent on getting more out of a visitor than was just. We wish them -well. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -After a four days' sail over the Tasman Sea we reached Sydney, -Australia, where, after several weeks' stay, we counted our money. -Five dollars a day was our basis of expenses, but, as hotel rates had -not exceeded $1.50 a day in Australasia, we found ourselves with a -surplus of over a hundred dollars, for our expenses had been only $4 a -day instead of $5. A very enticing trip, taking several weeks, was -advertised to Fiji, Samoa, and the Tonga Islands for $125. We could -spare $100, but feared that the other $25 might result in our being -held in Australia at a time when we had promised to be in South -Africa. However, we bought a ticket for the South Sea Islands trip, -and took the chance of a shortage. - -The ship was packed with passengers going to Fiji, as the sugar season -had just begun. The first suggestion of the demoralization that -accompanies living in the tropics was observed here. Whisky-and-soda, -whisky-and-soda, all the day and a good part of the night, seemed to -be the main "amusement" indulged in by many of the Islanders. This -pronounced phase of tropical life does not apply to any particular -white race--people of every nation travel the same road. - -After six days' sail from Sydney the ship was angling about -treacherous coral reefs, and before us were fields of bright green -color--the sugar-cane; several buildings with smokestacks rising -above--the sugar mill; one-story frame houses dotted here and there; -the shores attractive with cocoanut palms, and just behind stretches -of broad banana leaves, the tops of grass and leaf-built huts showing -now and again through the foliage, were the unerring suggestions that -the balmy tropics had been reached. - -How savage these strange people, standing on the wharf at Lautoka, -looked! The stiff hair was pointing upward for six inches from their -heads, some so bushy that the bottom of a washtub would be none too -large to accommodate the moplike, hairy spread. Tall, and of athletic -build, their features flat and negroid, copper or black in color, with -muscles standing out from legs and arms, their flesh shining from the -frequent use of cocoanut-oil, and with a cloth about their waist -extending to the knees, there stood the redeemed cannibals. - -Their hair is black and kinky, but among groups of Fijis may be seen -hair of a dark, reddish color, and, again, others are completely -plastered with white mud. The plaster is coral lime, used to change -the color, which accounts for the reddish-colored mops. Dyeing the -hair is only a fad with a native, however, for he later on becomes -tired of his reddish locks, when he will apply a black dye, the hair -again becoming its natural color. In a few days the coral lime will -change the hair from black to brown, or reddish. He rubs himself with -cocoanut-oil every day, which gives his body and limbs a polished -appearance. That daily massage largely accounts for his muscles -standing out so prominently and also for his splendid build. Besides, -he puts in a great deal of time bathing and swimming, which exercise -will add strength to any one. In diving he excels perhaps any race in -the world, for going to depths of from 35 to 40 feet is a common -pastime with him. - -The Fijis' mode of dealing with each other is communistic. A sailing -boat may be seen tied to the trunk of a cocoanut palm. All the natives -in that district having contributed to the building of the craft, when -one wished to use the boat there was no protest from other members of -the community. The same principle applies to money; when a Fiji has -earned, say, $5, he shares with others who may be in need. - -One day a week is about all he cares to work, but he will make a -sacrifice of his scruples occasionally by working two days, when, for -instance, a ship is being loaded or unloaded. He receives 50 cents a -day, with board, for that labor. On the wharf are portions of -food--sandwiches, biscuits, meat, and other eatables--for each native -employed by the ship's company. Sitting on their haunches, they -devour their allotted portion at "Smoke, ho," time. - -Numbers of them gather at a wharf of an evening when a ship is in -port. Soon the tunes of "Shall We Gather at the River?" "Jesus, Lover -of My Soul," "Hold the Fort," and other well-known hymns fall -harmoniously on the balmy air, the English words having been -translated into their language. No missionary, however, can be sure of -his black and brawny followers, for they think nothing of severing -their connection with one denomination and affiliating with any other -they think will better serve them. But all are affiliated with some -religious body. Cannibalism has not been practiced for forty years. -Fijians are a docile and agreeable race. - -Unlike his Zulu brother, a Fiji has but one wife, and families, as a -rule, are small, not averaging more than three children. For some -years the birth rate was on the decrease, but of recent years they -have held their own. Some 90,000 natives, and 40,000 Indians, or -Hindus, live in the Fiji group. - -Their huts are built of reeds, bamboo poles and cocoanut trees, the -roofs being covered with grass; they have two doors, but no windows. -Not a nail is used in the construction. Mats, made of cocoanut leaves, -are spread about the floor, giving the inside a neat appearance. Their -food is turtle, fish, yams, taro, boiled green bananas, cocoanut and -rice. A small yam looks like a beet; but some of them grow very large, -being a load for a man to carry. The taro is the root of a plant like -a lily, which grows in swamps. With these growing all around, combined -with the turtles and fish, he is as independent as he was a thousand -years ago. Then there are papaws, breadfruit and other tropical fruits -that furnish all the delicacies he may desire. - -A large sugar mill is located at Lautoka, and the sugar shipment from -the Fiji group is nearly 100,000 tons each season. The land is very -rich, and some of the cane stalks are as large as a two-inch pipe. -Working in the cane fields and mills being too hard for the Fijian, -that work is done by Indian coolies. Narrow railways are built through -the large cane fields, and the stalks are brought to the mills on -trucks from the surrounding plantations. Fiji is the richest of all -South Pacific groups. - -Free railroad travel is a luxury seldom enjoyed anywhere, but this is -to be found in Fiji. The distance from Lautoka to Ba is 28 miles, and -a railway connects the two points. There are sugar mills at both -places. A concession was granted to the sugar companies to build a -railway from Lautoka to Ba, with the stipulation that all passengers -traveling to and from these points be carried free of charge. The -track is two feet wide, and the locomotive is as broad as it is high. -A small car, with seats placed across, heads the train, and to this is -coupled several freight trucks. The schedule for the 28 miles is four -hours, but five and six hours is more often the time consumed in -making the journey. - -Europeans carrying horse-hair fastened to a stick is the first odd -thing one notices at Lautoka. Flies are very numerous and stick to one -like mosquitoes. The fly-swish is used to keep "tormentors" from -worrying one to death. Australia has the same breed of insect, but -because of the absence of black servants and black help their hands -are occupied with tools of industry instead of a hair swish with which -to insure personal comfort. - -Only 150 Europeans live in Lautoka, and these were engaged at clerical -or managerial employment. Few fat men were seen, and every one had a -bleached appearance. - -Suva, capital of the Fiji Islands, is, with Lautoka, located on the -island of Viti Levu, the largest of the group. Abel J. Tasman, the -daring navigator who first set foot on Tasmania and first saw New -Zealand, was also the first white man to come in touch with these -islands, in 1643. They became British territory in 1874. A governor, -appointed by the King of England, directs the affairs of the group, -aided by a legislative council composed of eighteen members, twelve of -whom are appointed and six elected. Two native representatives are -included in the legislative council. Great Britain recently ceded the -government of these islands to Australia. The Fiji group are composed -of 200 islands, 80 of which are inhabited. The other islands are -small, but cocoanut palms grow on most of them. - -One thousand Europeans live in Suva, and all of them dress in -immaculate white. Business houses are located along the water-front, -and the homes are built on rising hills. These dwellings rest on posts -driven in the ground, are of wood and one story in height. Large -verandas are built to the homes, and these are enclosed with -reeds--this screen keeping out the hot sun and allowing the breeze to -blow through at the same time. - -Flowers grow everywhere, nature being liberal to Fiji both in quantity -and variety. Leaves on vegetation range from the size of an -ironing-board down to the finest fern-leaf. The sleeping tree, seen in -Suva, is of interest. When the sun has hid behind the tropical hills -the leaves begin to curl, and by dark they all close. At daylight, the -leaves begin to wake, as it were, and a short time after sunrise they -have unfolded to their full size. One weed or small bush that grows -here is a marvel of the vegetable world. It is called the sensitive -plant. If one looks at it, it seems to shrink away, and the slightest -touch will cause its leaves to shrivel up, as if dead. On leaving the -plant, the leaves slowly expand again. This plant goes to sleep, too, -when the chill of evening falls, but opens at the first flush of the -morning sun. - -"The king of plants," the hibiscus, a flower from three to six inches -across, of a bright red and sometimes red and white color, grows in -profusion. Hedges are often made of the hibiscus, and when in bloom it -offers a superior floral scene. There is no end to flowers in Fiji. - -"Oh, mamma! Look at the black bobbies!" (policemen) roared a young -Britisher when he first saw the Fiji police. The guardians of peace in -Fiji are termed constabulary, and natives compose the force. They wear -a bushy head of hair, as does the civilian native, have bare feet and -polished legs. Their uniform is a blue jacket, or tunic, and white -sulu (a kilt), the latter scalloped or vandyked round the edges. -Natives prefer police duty or soldiering to all other work. Unlike the -Zulu, he scorns domestic service, and field labor does not appeal to -him. A bright red hibiscus, or another flower of flaring hue, may be -seen sticking in his hair at the side. Thus the Suva policeman looks -neat, and is certainly noticeable. - -The best building in Suva is a library, donated by a Scotch -philanthropist. It is built of cement. Little can be said of the -government buildings; yet in this small place is a botanical garden -large cities would be proud of. - -Copra (dried cocoanut) is shipped in considerable quantities from -Suva. Brought from adjacent islands in small sailing boats, it is -loaded on vessels at the capital port. A cocoanut tree produces a -dollar's worth of copra yearly. Forty trees is the number generally -planted to the acre. Eight years' time is required from planting until -bearing. The trees require very little care, and, if not blown down by -storms, will yield for a hundred years. - -It is marvelous to what uses the cocoanut tree and its fruit can be -put. Besides being a staple food of natives, the pulp, together with -cocoanut oil, is made into cakes for cattle, particularly dairy cows. -The pulp contains 40 per cent. nutriment, and both increased quantity -and richness of milk result when a cow is fed with these cakes. There -is a demand for this food in Australia. Soap is also made of the -cocoanut, together with candies, and preparations for cooking purposes -claim a large portion of the product. The coir, or fibers, and -cocoanut leaves are used to make mats, baskets, scrub brushes, brooms, -fans, pillows, for thatching houses, making rope and twine, and in -many other ways the cocoanut tree and its product serve as articles of -utility. - -The Fijian believes that the food that tickles his palate should also -be relished by the white man. When one stops at a native's home it -would be better to forget for the time being that he is a white. -Fijians are very hospitable, and share with a white visitor the best -they have. It makes no difference how the native food may look, smell -or taste, if a white man refuses to partake of the hospitality offered -the native will be offended. - -From 40,000 to 50,000 Indian coolies live in these rich islands, most -of whom work in the sugar-cane fields. Then there are what is known as -the Solomon Island "boys," in considerable numbers in Fiji, engaged at -the same work. The Fijian will not do hard work if he has a chance to -run away. Indians are brought to Fiji under the indenture system for a -term of five years. At the end of the indentureship, though, they may -remain in Fiji. Herein a similar blunder was made in Natal, South -Africa. Indians will eventually own the sections of Fiji worth having; -then natives, white men, and all others will have no chance to make a -living. - -Some 500 lepers are detained on one island; but there was no leprosy -in Fiji, nor other bad diseases affecting the group before Indians -were imported to work in the sugar fields. From six to ten Indians are -hanged here every month; but there were very few hangings before -Indians came. When sending out packs of indentured coolies the Indian -government apportions one woman to three men; this may explain the -monthly hangings. - -"Everybody in town knows what's in the papers before they come out," -remarked a resident when speaking of the Suva newspapers. Two are -printed in the Fiji capital, each appearing three times a week. As -editions appear on alternate days, Suva enjoys the luxury of a daily. -Business men seem to be well satisfied with the publishers' efforts, -for, out of 28 columns contained in each of the tri-weeklies, 20 -columns were advertisements. Considering population, high cable -charges, etc., Suva's newspapers outstrip anything we can recall; they -sell at six cents a copy. - -All natives go to church on Sunday morning. Each one has a Bible or -hymn book carefully wrapped in a cloth or paper. Men and women are -dressed in their best, the men mostly in white jackets and sulus -(kilts), wearing vari-colored neckwear. Women wear cheap picture hats -or go bareheaded. With the latter style go fronds of delicate ferns, -artistically woven in the hair, or plaited together along with a -pretty hibiscus or other flaring flower. The natives not only look -attractive, but their demeanor commands respect. Their singing is of -fair quality, and they put their heart in their efforts. - -The English money system--shillings and pounds--is the one in use in -the Fiji group. Hotel expenses were $2 to $3 a day. - -All barriers and shoals in the sea in that part of the world are -termed coral reefs. Beautiful specimens are brought to the steamships -by natives to sell to passengers. The natural color of the coral is -brown, which becomes white when bleached in the sun. Then there are -big shells that are beauties--some so large they could not go in a -water pail. One variety of pearl shell--cici--found in the vicinity of -Suva has developed into quite an industry. A ton weight of these sell -from $125 to $150. They are as large as a goose egg. The Fijian dives -for these among the reefs, a kind of work that suits him to a T. These -shells are shipped to pearl merchants in China. - -On the island of Mbau, situated not far from Suva, is the ancient -capital of Fiji, where all who may be termed aristocratic in Fiji -live. It was here the last king, Cakobau the Terrible, lived, died and -was buried. Kandavu Levu, the greatest of the Fijian lords and the -grandson of Cakobau, now lives in the old cannibal king's stronghold. -He receives a pension from the British government. The Fijian -princess, Andi Cakobau, the grand-daughter of King Cakobau, is also -among the high-bred Fijian residents at Mbau. - -Sixty miles further a stop was made at Levuka, on the island of -Ovalau, as pretty a settlement as one could wish to see. Only 250 -Europeans live in this place, but all seemed prosperous. These are -mostly traders, and it would surprise one to see the varied assortment -of goods in the stores. Roofs of houses are painted red, and the -residences are surrounded by cocoanut palms, papaw trees, and bananas. -There are flowers everywhere--even the shrubbery bears flowers. - -A short distance from Levuka we came to a native village. Between the -front rows of huts was a street, 150 feet wide, covered with grass. On -visiting one of the huts, the husband pointed to a bed, which -consisted of a dozen mats piled on the floor, inviting me to sit -down. A moment later he bethought himself of the baby sleeping in the -part of the bed where he had invited me to sit. He pointed to a little -mound under the mats, laughed, and indicated that I sit in another -place. Scanning the tidy enclosure, to my surprise, a large picture of -Jeffries, the ex-prizefighter, hung from one side. It pleased the -native to see the interest I took in the poster, for he laughed aloud, -and, pointing to it, said something that sounded like "Ugh!" - -Visiting another hut, it was also found very neat, the floor being -covered with cocoanut mats; the mat bed was the visitor's seat here -also. This Fijian could speak no English, and we had not been long -enough in the islands to acquire a speaking knowledge of the native -language. At our approach the wife came to the center of the hut, but -a few moments later, much to our surprise, she sat on the floor and -began turning a handle to an American-made hand sewing machine that -rested on a soap box. - -It is possible for a Fijian to march 40 miles a day, heavily loaded, -without food; but sometimes he takes twelve hours to travel only -twelve miles, and eats half a dozen big meals during the journey. He -is said to have a more pronounced weakness for yanggona, the native -liquor, than have any other of the South Sea Islanders. This beverage -is made from the root of a tree and, when drunk to excess, -intoxicates. Each native must pay a yearly government tax of $5. - -So that the reader may gather some idea of the scope of the planet on -which we live, it may be of interest to note, before leaving Levuka, -that this small port is located 11 hours and 59 minutes east of -Greenwich, England, from which point the time of the world is -computed. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -Traveling through still, blue-water channels, resembling wide -esplanades, if the term be allowed, formed by heavily verdured -tropical islands on each side, with curly coral reefs peeping out of -the sea from time to time, we sailed for 150 miles through what may be -termed an ocean park, when the ship entered the Koro Sea, and two days -later reached the Samoan Islands. Sixty miles east of Levuka we -crossed the line of the 180th meridian, where time changes 12 hours. - -A red stream of lava, running from the mouth of a volcano down a -mountain course 15 miles in length, and emptying into the sea, is a -strange phenomenon. This volcano is located on the island of Savaii, -the largest of the Samoan group. The distance from the shore to the -mouth of the crater is seven miles, but the circuitous course of the -stream is double the direct distance. The volcano burst into activity -in 1905, and a foreshore of lava a quarter of a mile in extent bears -evidence of the crater's outpourings since that time. In daytime the -molten stream is white, and at night it resembles a great flaring -serpent as it angles its way about rocky obstructions down the -mountainside to the sea. Not far from the shore the lava bored a -tunnel through a hillock that interfered for a time with its flow, and -day and night the stream is red when passing through that opening. The -cloud of steam that rises as the lava enters the water resembles a -great volume of spray from a large waterfall. It is said the sea is a -mile deep where this lava stream empties into the Pacific Ocean. Ships -stop opposite the crater to allow passengers to view this unusual -spectacle. - -Passing through a coral reef channel, we arrived in the harbor of -Apia, capital of the Samoan Islands. The little town stretches along -the bay, cocoanut palms lining the shore at places, the trees and -heavily verdured hills in the foreground giving the Samoan capital a -high position in the list of pretty places. The ship was soon -surrounded by natives, who offered for sale fans, shells, corals, -beads and flowers. - -The Samoan is the native aristocrat of all peoples. In bearing, looks, -manners, tidiness, hospitality and pride he leads the world. He is the -Polynesian, together with the Maori, the Tongan (Friendly Islander), -the Kanaka (of Hawaii), and other tribes living on some of the South -Pacific islands. The Samoans number 40,000, about 500 Europeans living -in the group. - -If one should reach Apia on Sunday he would be apt to find the hair on -the heads of a majority of men a yellow and reddish color; and were -one to stop at the same port on a Tuesday or Wednesday the hair would -be black, the natural color. Coral lime will change the color of hair -in two or three days, when he puts on his best lava-lava (kilt; sulu -in Fiji), the light-colored hair indicating he is dressed up. The hair -is straight, and worn brushed back. The lava-lava is often a bath -towel with red stripes. From his waist up he is bare, and he wears no -shoes. From waist-line to the cap of the knee he is tattooed. His skin -is a gold-bronze color, and he walks with a princely step, but not a -swagger stride. Natives are of good size, but not so strongly built as -the Zulus. - -Samoan women are noted for their beauty, and their comeliness measures -up to this coveted distinction not only among the South Sea Islands -races, but of native races of the world. They wear the lava-lava, as -the men, together with a loose-fitting waist, with short, loose -sleeves. Wrappers, however, are sometimes worn. The clothing worn on -the islands is made with the object of affording comfort. The hair -generally presents a tidy appearance. Flowers, ferns or leaves are -often seen deftly placed in the folds of the thick black hair of -Samoan women, which usually shines from a liberal application of -cocoanut oil. Garlands, worn about the neck, also play a part in their -dress. These are sometimes composed of orange blossoms, buds of other -flowers, berry-like seeds from trees, small seashells, pits from -certain fruits, or of pieces of bone resembling teeth of wild beasts. -As a rule, their expressions are pleasing, and they have a healthy -appearance. Some wear sandals, but most natives are in their bare -feet. As with the wearing apparel of most races, the lava-lavas and -waists are not all of the same color, but vary according to the fancy -of the wearer; and the seed of fancy and caprice seems to be implanted -in the hearts of women of all races, as manifested not only by the -different colors of the lava-lava, but also by the patterns of silks, -sealskins, feathers, and precious stones, as the case may be. - -These natives are too proud to unload ships, so Nieu "boys," natives -from the Savage Islands, are carried from port to port to do the work. -Each Samoan owns a small piece of land, and the copra, cocoa, bananas -and other tropical products from this amply supply his needs. - -When eating in a Samoan's hut a mat is spread for the visitor to sit -on. Another mat is placed before the visitor, which might be termed a -tablecloth. A banana-leaf plate, placed on the second mat, may contain -a baked fish or perhaps a pigeon. Still another dinner mat, with a -banana-leaf plate, contains greens, the taro leaf, and cocoanut cream; -then there may be a third course, with mat and "plate," containing a -native delicacy. The native beverage, kava, is served in a cocoanut -shell by one of the daughters. All the while chatting is going on and -compliments paid the visitor by the family through an interpreter, if -one cannot speak their language. Sipping liquid is not a custom in -Samoa; but swallowing whatever is offered in the nature of drink at -one gulp, and then sending the cup spinning back across the mat to the -person who served it, is proper. One is supposed to sit cross-legged -on a mat during the meal. - -Most of the natives seemed to own a horse and buggy, and no signs of -poverty are apparent. People are in no hurry in Samoa, which may -account for the term, "The land of delicious idleness." The weather is -hot, never below 90 degrees in the shade, and hovers about the 100 -mark. The temperature does not vary 10 degrees all the year round. - -For miles around Apia is a great botanical garden. It is said the best -cocoanut palms grow in Samoa; bananas grow as prolific as weeds; the -broad-leafed cocoa tree, with its large, purple-covered pods, covers -large areas; the papaw, or mummy apple, is seen at every turn; coffee -bushes are a luxurious growth; pineapples, mango trees, breadfruit -trees, with broad leaves and rough skin--any tree or plant that grows -in the tropics may be found in Samoa. The exports from that port are -chiefly copra and cocoa. Samoa is the only place in the South Sea -Islands where cocoa trees will thrive. - -Nobody locks doors at night, and nothing is ever taken from huts. -Calling on an acquaintance who kept a general store, we found the -place filled with Samoans--not room enough to move. He had occasion to -step to the rear for some article called for, leaving the goods, which -were piled up on the counters, to the mercy of the natives, and much -floor space was taken up with merchandise, too. After the customers -had left the store, the storekeeper was asked if he did not fear that -his goods would be taken while he was at the rear of the building. "If -I had turned around while walking from the front to the rear of the -store," he explained, "something would have been missing, for I would -have offended their sense of honesty, but by giving no sign of -suspicion--trusting them--had I remained away an hour everything in -the place would be, on my return, as it was when I went away." - -Samoans are a religious race. On Sundays the streets are crowded with -natives dressed in highly-colored lava-lavas, each carrying a Bible -and hymn book. They are good singers. - -Only a few miles from Apia, Robert Louis Stevenson, the novelist, -lived and died. On Mount Vaca, rising a thousand feet above Apia, his -remains lie, and a portion of the tomb may be seen through the thick -foliage when sailing into the harbor. His home, "Vailima," is now the -residence of the Governor-General. - -"Talofa" is the passing salute in Samoa, which, translated, is "My -love to you." "Tofa" is the parting word on leaving a Samoan home, -meaning "good-by." - -Foreign labor is imported to work on plantations, as the natives -cannot be depended upon; Chinamen are generally employed. And what an -improvement the Chinaman is on the Indian coolie! - -The Samoan is a fatalist. If the idea comes into his head that he is -going to die no power on earth will keep him alive. He gives right up, -lies down on the ground, in a boat, or wherever he may be--just makes -up his mind that his time has come. - -A Samoan chief dressed in war regalia is an object of interest. His -well shaped head, covered with a heavy growth of black hair brushed -back and glossy from applications of cocoanut oil, rests on a stocky -neck. The face is round, complexion bronze, and he generally wears a -mustache. In addition to a necklace, thickly studded with polished, -round, sharp-pointed pieces of bone, several inches in length, which -encircles the neck, a loop of stout cord, ornamented with larger and -rougher pieces of bone, resting on the shoulders and extending to -below the chest, is worn. Save for the necklace and loop, the warrior -is bare to his waist. From waistline to between knee and ankle he is -covered with a bulky kilt--often made of bark cloth--this being -embellished with fringe, tassels and ribbon woven from tropical -fibers. Plump, but not fat, he stands about 5 feet 6 inches. A rifle -is a fighting feature of the chief's equipment, and, like most -Samoans, is in bare feet. - -Elephantiasis makes its appearance in Samoa, and natives with legs -swollen to the proportion of an elephant's may be seen walking any -time at a slow, shuffling gait, about the islands. This disease occurs -more often in tropical sea sections, and is believed to be caused by a -blood parasite. The legs become enormously enlarged, due to -inflammation of the skin and obstructed circulation of the blood. - -America has adopted a good system of looking after natives' copra -produced on the islands of Manua and Tutuila, United States territory. -An officer in charge at Pago-Pago receives the goods, weighs it, gives -a receipt for the product, and sells when the market offers the best -price. In the meantime, if the native needs money, he can, by applying -to the proper officer, have funds advanced to him. When his copra -is sold, he is paid the full price. - - [Illustration: INTERIOR OF SAMOAN HOME, BUILT OF BREADFRUIT TREE, - SECURED BY COIR; NO NAILS USED. - SAMOA.] - -The huts or homes of the Samoans, circular in form, are the best built -of those of any native races. From a heavy center upright beam, 12 to -16 feet in length, scantlings extend to a circular support, which -rests on posts three feet high. The roof, composed of cocoanut palm -leaves, is secured to breadfruit wood scantlings. Palm-leaf curtains, -the width of the space from post to post, are attached to the circular -timber. During the day the shades are raised all round, allowing air -to pass through, and at night they are lowered. As an additional means -of cooling the home, a strip of pebbles, two feet wide, extends around -the hut, mats covering the floor space each side of the circle of -small stones. The bed is composed of half a dozen to a dozen -cocoanut-leaf mats, four feet wide and six feet in length, and white -cotton sheets, laid on the floor. In the morning the bedding is rolled -together, placed on poles above, and taken down at bedtime. As chairs -do not figure in the furnishing of a Samoan home, a leaf mat is used -as a seat. - -Though Samoans will not unload ships, they have no objection to -washing clothes. They board vessels in the harbor and solicit laundry -work, charging eight cents apiece. For a white suit of drill they -charge only eight cents, a pair of socks or a collar costing the same. - -On a sailing ship, and on a naval cutter plying between Pago-Pago and -Apia (both seen here), also on a schooner at Dunedin, N. Z., were the -only instances since leaving New York when the Stars and Stripes was -observed flying from vessels. - -Upolu Island, on which Apia is located, is second in area to Savaii, -being 38 miles long and 12 wide. Samoa is one place in the Southern -Pacific Ocean that Abel Tasman was not the first to set eyes on, this -group being discovered by Captain Roggeville, in 1721. - -We reached Apia on a Sydney Sunday (Eastern time), which was Saturday -in Apia (Western time). Naturally, Sydney's Monday was Apia's Sunday, -so we had two Saturdays and two Sundays that week. It is difficult -for the layman to understand how twelve hours can make a day, as we -appeared to lose one after crossing the line of the 180th meridian -from east to west. - -A weekly newspaper of 48 columns, 25 of these advertisements, is -published in Apia. Only 200 Europeans live in the town, yet a -newspaper of that size appears to flourish. - -The American consul called at the ship one evening in tropical evening -dress to have a chat with the American passengers--four in number. He -asked the captain of the vessel, who was a Britisher, to blow his -whistle three times on sailing out of the harbor, when he would -acknowledge the salute by lowering the flag on the staff at the -consulate. The captain kept his word, the following day, but the flag -did not move. There is nothing strange about such forgetfulness, -however, for the consulate is located in "The Land of Delicious -Idleness." - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -We will now say "Tofa" to that splendid race and their pretty islands -and make a start for Tonga, when the day "lost" will be reclaimed, as -we recross the 180th meridian. The captain did not turn back the -ship's clock here, but kept the Sydney time. - -Passing between two prominent stone walls, we entered the harbor of -Vavau, Tonga, another group of the South Sea Islands. This group -appears on some maps as the Friendly Islands. Abel Tasman, who -discovered so many countries before any one else, but allowed others -to claim what he first saw, discovered the Tongan group in 1643. Over -a hundred years later Captain James Cook, the explorer, made three -visits to these islands, before and after he had planted the British -flag on Australia and New Zealand. The Tongans have always had -self-government, but the group is under the protection of the British. -The native ruling power is King George Tubou II. Parliament consists -of 32 elected representatives and an equal number of hereditary -chiefs, all of native birth. The islands also boast a Prime Minister, -a Chancellor of the Exchequer, a Chief Justice and other high -officials. - -King George Tubou II., at the opening of Parliament, wears a European -court suit, a gold and jeweled crown, and a long mantle of crimson -velvet trimmed with ermine, which is supported by two boys attired in -tights, trunks, and feathered caps, while the king's soldiers line the -highway along which the royal procession marches. To maintain that -standard of royalty the natives are taxed $10 each a year, with -maturity age at 16. The native head tax in Fiji is $5, and in Samoa -$3, so the Tongan pays highly for the royal atmosphere he breathes. - -The harbor of Vavau is the prettiest we have seen, but it would not -be advisable to make that statement in Sydney, Australia. While the -striking panorama offered by Sydney's is absent here, Nature's lavish -tropical adornment offsets that feature, wrought mainly by the hand of -man, in the former. For seven miles, from the imposing Heads to the -small town at the other end, the shores are studded with cocoanut -palms, and the bay is beautifully bedecked with small and pretty -islands, thickly verdured with a moistened growth, the fronds of the -cocoanut palm and leaves of the banana bush growing on these dipping -their points into the still, mirror-like blue water from every side. -Smaller vegetation grows upward for a time, but later yields to the -seductiveness of the clear, calm, coral-reflected water, when the -bright, tender tips of these become fondled, as it were, by the gentle -ripples, adding more attractiveness to this unusual scene of natural -beauty. These islands would remind one of a flower-pot overgrown with -drooping ferns. The vessel is pointed straight, then veers, when the -foliage of one of these green barriers seems almost to brush the -water-line of the ship. After a turn in another direction, the course -is straight again for a short distance. Another of these pretty -islands is seen just ahead, when the vessel slants and seem to barely -miss caressing the foliage drooping into the water. All the while the -palm-studded shore maintains its most pronounced beauty. Traveling -through Vavau harbor is like sailing through an enchanted botanical -garden. - -"Malolelei," the word a visitor first hears from a Tongan, is "Good -day" in the native language. One soon asks another who knows how to -pronounce the word to teach him the vernacular, for the salute is -supposed to be returned. Every one says "Malolelei." - -The Tongan is very friendly to the whites, which explains how the name -"Friendly Islands" came to be applied to the Tongan group. Mariners, -in early days, when shipwrecked on the shores of these islands, were -killed, cut up, and made stew of. But nowadays they would be fed, -housed and receive any and every attention that would make their -misfortune easier to bear. Were a white man known to be in need, every -native would feel it his duty to help relieve him. Each would bring -with him food, and if the hungry man could eat all that was brought to -him he might live to be as old as Methuselah without worrying about -money to pay his board bill. - -"The Sun is dead!" was the term used by the natives to describe a -total eclipse of the sun that took place while traveling through the -South Sea section of the journey. The words were spoken in a solemn -tone, and it was amusing to note the difference in their voices and -faces when, the eclipse being over, they shouted, "The Sun is alive -again!" - -Little of interest is to be seen at Vavau, as only 60 white persons -live here, most of them traders. Native meat is scarce, as practically -no grain or potatoes grow in tropical countries, so European food -staples have to be imported to the islands of the South Seas. As an -offset for these importations, bananas, copra and pineapples are -exported to either Auckland or Sydney. - -"Good-by to chops and juicy steaks--canned meat for you -henceforth"--were the parting words an Australian received who left -the ship at a Tongan port. He had decided to make his home in Tonga, -and no person would feel the loss of a mutton chop more keenly than an -Australian. - -We again sail through Vavau's botanical harbor, and next stop at -Haapai, a port on another island of the group. Traveling from South -Sea ports, the deck of a ship is crowded with natives, whose bodies -shine with cocoanut oil, and all have cocoanut palm leaf baskets and -banana-leaf plates. Sometimes a piece of purple-colored taro is bitten -off and eaten, or a dozen cocoanuts are tilted and natives drink the -liquid; then a whole orange may be forced inside the mouth, when a -series of prying with the fingers takes place, causing contortions of -the face, in the effort to squeeze out the juice, when the caved-in -orange will be withdrawn and thrown away. All are bareheaded, wearing -vari-colored kilts and waists, and everybody happy and seemingly well -fed. A feature of the Tongan's "luggage" is the great quantity of food -each brings with him. They have good faces, but are not up to the -general appearance of the Samoan. - -The shore on which the little town of Haapai is built is a picture. -Lined with an unbroken row of cocoanut palms, as far as one could see -over the tops of these there was no other growth. Coral reefs are very -pretty here, and tiny bright blue fish dart like butterflies from -caves in the reefs and in turquoise-blue pools. At some places the -bottom of the sea is like a garden, as growing therefrom is peculiar -colored seaweed, striped and spotted shells being numerous. - -Tonga homes cannot compare with those of Samoa. They are hayrick -shaped, seldom have a window, and two doors generally lead to the -inside. The floors are covered with cocoanut-leaf mats, and the beds -are of mats of the same material. A lantern is used to light their -huts at night; the oil burned in these comes from the United States. A -big circular wooden bowl, with legs cut from the heart of a large -tree, used to mix the native drink in, is another important utensil in -the Tongan home; the bottom is of a slaty-blue color. Cocoanut-shell -cups figure prominently in native utensils. Some Tongans, however, -live in frame houses, roofed with iron. - -A native drink, known as kava, is universally used throughout the -islands of the South Pacific Ocean. The drink is made from the root of -a shrub, which is sometimes pounded into small pieces with stones, but -of late years graters have been used; and coffee-grinders serve the -purpose still better. Gratings from the root are placed in the wooden -bowl, and water is poured on these. The coarser grounds are strained -from the kava by grass or fibers from the bark of certain shrubs or -trees. A European would have to acquire a liking for this native -drink, as at first it tastes like a mixture of soapsuds and ginger. -When drunk to excess it does not affect the head, but the legs become -paralyzed for a few hours; blindness also follows its abuse. Kava is -served in cocoanut cups. - -Tongans number but 21,000, and all belong to some religious -denomination. Church collections are taken only once a year. The -"basket" is never passed for contributions. A wooden bowl or a -galvanized kettle is placed under the pulpit, and each goes forward -and puts his contribution in the "box." A majority, 18,000 out of the -21,000, are identified with the Wesleyan Church, and this number -contributes the sum of $25,000 a year. They build their own churches -and give their services free. Few nails are used in these buildings, -the timbers being secured by coir, or cinnet. If the wood be dark, the -brown fibers of the cocoanut are dyed the color of the wood that is to -be lashed. The cinnet lashing seen in the church buildings is -splendidly done, and often resembles carving. The Tongans hold their -churches in much reverence. At some frame houses in the towns is seen -a round galvanized tank to hold rain water running from the roof. -However, they consider it sacrilege to conserve the water running from -the roof of a church. - -A traveling acquaintance who had lived in Tonga for years was asked if -white people locked their doors at night. "Yes," he replied, "the -kitchen door--to keep the cats out." - -Poverty is unknown here, as are jails. Each Tongan has 8 1/4 acres of -land, and the copra from that area not only furnishes sufficient money -to buy what is needed but allows a small surplus besides. - -Not one murder has taken place in the group in over 20 years, and then -a white man was mixed up in it. This will seem more remarkable when it -is remembered that almost every native carries a big knife, with which -to shuck cocoanuts and cut the stems of bananas. But two races live in -Tonga--300 whites and the balance Tongans. - -One hundred islands compose this group, Tongatabu, on which the -capital is built, being the largest and most important. That island is -20 miles long and 12 miles wide. - -Nukualofa, the capital, our next stop, is 1,100 miles from Auckland, -New Zealand. Europeans there do not exceed 75 persons, but the native -population is comparatively large. The King's palace and the Chapel -Royal are the most conspicuous buildings in the town. A royal guard, -consisting of half a dozen brown-skinned soldiers, dressed in scarlet -coats, see that their king nor his property are molested. The king is -a man of striking appearance, six feet four inches in height, very -stout, and in the forties. The line of succession in Tonga passes -through the mother, not the father. King George Tubou II.'s salary is -$10,000 a year. The Tonga group is the only independent kingdom now -left in the Pacific. - -Grass grows everywhere in Nukualofa, including the streets. A buggy, -drawn by a small, woolly horse, may pass half a dozen times a day -along the main streets, or a native on horseback, with a -flaring-colored shirt, may create a little temporary excitement -occasionally dashing along a thoroughfare as fast as the horse's legs -can carry him. Children do not appear to quarrel, roosters seemed to -be imbued with the spirit of peace, and the weather is generally too -hot for dogs to have a fall out; so one going to Nukualofa with -distracted nerves is apt to feel stronger after a stay in the Tongan -capital. To borrow from Samoa, it is another "land of delicious -idleness." - -It is in places of this character where one comes across British -ne'er-do-wells, or "remittance men," as they are termed. These are -sent from Great Britain by wealthy parents to isolated places like -Tonga and Fiji, and a certain sum of money is sent them each -month--enough to pay their board and a little over for spending money. -They are too far away to disgrace the family, and it is cheaper to pay -their expenses in far-off countries than it would be to support them -at home. They are virtually prisoners in these out-of-the-way places, -for they soon get in debt, and no one owing money can leave the -islands. These men generally marry a native woman, drink all the -whisky and soda they can get, and the wife's income from her cocoanut -farm provides for the home. - -Consumption is making inroads among this splendid race of natives. -Some discard their native clothes and wear European apparel; they then -live in a house instead of a hut, which is unnatural; but, worst of -all, they cease to rub themselves with cocoanut oil, and in other ways -neglect the customs of their ancestors. The native mode of living is -much the better for the native. European customs do not seem to agree -with colored races. It is the same with all native races--when they -come in contact with the white man they generally go down hill. - -Some of the prettiest trees in the world are to be seen in Nukualofa. -They do not grow high, but their spread is so wide and the outlines of -the limbs so regular that one never forgets them. - -Flying foxes--large bats, or vampires--are sacred animals to the -Tongan. Some distance from Nukualofa is a grove of large trees, and in -the daytime thousands of the bats will be hanging from the limbs by -their claws, heads down. At sunset they all wake up and fly over the -island and make raids on fruit plantations. At sunrise they will -return to the same grove and hang downward all day. These bats are as -large as cats, with furry bodies, and the native believes something -terrible would happen were he to kill one. - -Tongans are more advanced, intellectually, than any of the South Sea -races, not excepting the Maori, who is of the same race. A college in -Nukualofa is well attended by natives. - -Kaikai is the name of food in the South Sea Islands, as it is also in -New Zealand. - -Tongan women do not work like those of other South Sea Islands races. -The men say it makes women ugly to work all day in the sun, and they -prefer their wives to be good-looking and good-natured. Men even do -the larger share of the housework. - -White drill clothes are worn by all Europeans in Tonga, and every man -has a tropical evening dress suit. The suit shows a wide spread of -white shirt, generally starched, and high collar. Vests and trousers -are white. The coat is a jacket, however, that stops a trifle below -the waist line. At the back the jacket comes to a point. It is like a -ship steward's jacket. - -"Teddy Bears" are as universal as American oil and American -sewing-machines. In any part of the world one may observe European -children with "Teddies" in their hands. - -Europeans living in the tropics become so enervated that such a thing -as failing to keep an appointment is thought nothing of. The blood -becomes thin, and the easy life they live practically unfits them for -work they would be called on to do in a cooler climate. Then, again, -they are looked up to in the sparsely settled white communities, and -when they return to the Northland and practically become nonentities -they painfully miss the pampering they received from natives. Most of -these would prefer to live a sickly life in the tropics to a healthful -one, contingent on hard work, in their native land. It is hard to rise -above the pressure of environment. - -We are about to start on Leg Five, but before doing so we wish to -explain our divergence of travel in Australasia. On reaching Melbourne -from Perth a day's time was all that was spent in the city at that -time. We went to Tasmania, New Zealand, and then to Sydney. From New -South Wales we started on the South Sea Islands trip. From Nukualofa -we journeyed to Auckland, our second time in that city. Recrossing the -Tasman Sea to Sydney, we journeyed to Melbourne by rail, the second -time also we were in that city. Stopping there but a few hours, a -start was made for Adelaide; then from Adelaide to Ballarat, and back -to Melbourne, where some time was spent, from which port we sailed on -our return trip to South Africa, and from which place we start Leg -Five. - - - - -LEG FIVE - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -For the first time in my travels I had to be content with third-class -steamship accommodation. I knew the South Sea Islands trip would -shrivel my pocketbook, and would not have been disappointed had I not -enough money to buy even a third-class ticket to South Africa. We took -a chance on the South Sea Islands trip--and won. "Steerage," in big -red type, was stamped on the steamship ticket that carried me from -Melbourne to South Africa, but all passengers were on an equality, as -there was but one grade of accommodation--third. - -Supper was the first meal on board, but no tea or coffee was served. -The absence of these "luxuries" was explained later, passengers being -informed that tea or coffee was provided only once daily--at breakfast -time. At the first morning meal a hubbub took place among mothers with -babes. Something was wrong with the milk, and when that matter had -also been explained we learned that sea water--salt water--had been -used, instead of fresh water, to dilute the condensed milk. - -The cabins contained from two to ten berths, and as almost every one -prefers privacy a few dollars more were paid for a two-berth cabin, as -little sleep could be anticipated were interests pooled with nine -snoring mates. The two-berth cabin had no margin to boast of, as, in -order for one to get a handkerchief from his hip pocket, it was -necessary to vacate it and seek arm-turning space in the hallway. I -had a good cabin mate, and we soon came to an understanding as to what -time each of us would visit our quarters. Two could sleep in the -cabin, but there was not room enough for two to turn in it. The -pillow--we would not be so rash as to say the slip covered a chunk of -cement; it may have been tan bark. The door had no lock, neither was -there a button to ring up the steward. - -The ship stopped at Hobart, took on 30,000 cases of apples, and -headed for Albany, West Australia. The tea merchants in the Tasmania -capital did a good business for the time being, as passengers who, -before starting, knew nothing of the rules of the ship concerning tea -and coffee allowances laid in here a good supply, together with -preserves, crackers, Chinese napkins and other necessities the ship -did not furnish. - -Ninety dollars for eight weeks' travel is surely giving passengers a -cheap journey. The vessel sailed from Sydney the first week in June, -reaching her destination, London, England, about the first of August, -after a voyage of 14,000 miles. Three hundred persons had booked -passage on the liner, and of that number there was not one -foreign-speaking passenger aboard. This will seem strange when it is -borne in mind that the most cosmopolitan place in the world is a -passenger steamship. Seven preachers were included, which, sea -tradition says, generally augurs for bad weather; but, as there are -exceptions to almost every rule, we had smooth sailing after clearing -the Bight and Cape Leeuwin. The "animal" classification of the cargo -included birds--canaries, magpies, parrots and cockatoos; also a joey, -as a young kangaroo is called. This animal was bought at Albany by an -American, the tariff on the joey to London being $10. The freight -charge for a canary was 60 cents, and rates for larger birds were from -75 cents to $1.25. - -Fruit--generally confined to apples or oranges--was served at supper. -The apples often seemed nearly as hard as billiard balls and as -tasteless as frozen turnips. A prosperous Irishman, of a ripe age, who -had gone to Australia in early days, when six months' time was -required to make the voyage, was, with his aged wife, returning to the -Emerald Isle. One evening, when we had oranges for supper, after he -had bitten into one, the Celt was observed going through a series of -facial contortions, with shoulder movements--something after the -fashion of an agitated Frenchman. "Are the oranges sweet to-night, Mr. -O'Gorman?" he was asked. "Sweet?" whipped back the old Roman, as water -dripped from the tear-ducts of his eyes and fire snapped from the -corners--"Sweet? They're so sharup they'd cut your t'roat!" - -Cake was served Sunday afternoons, and milk, sugar and hot water were -at the pleasure of passengers, but they had to furnish their own tea -or coffee. The tea and teapot, for instance, would be given to the -table steward, and he would make the tea and serve it at mealtime. A -piano added greatly to the entertainment of the passengers, as -concerts were held twice a week. Besides, various athletic sports were -indulged in. - -The preachers took turns officiating at Sunday services. As there were -seven of them--the voyage embracing as many Sabbaths--each one had an -opportunity to keep in practice. One of their number, a Scotch -Presbyterian, was on his way from Australia to his native country for -a "holiday." Except at mealtime, he could generally be found sitting -in a corner of the smoking saloon burning up black cigars, as he was a -confirmed smoker; he was also a devotee of, and an expert at, the game -of checkers, or draughts, as that amusement is termed in British -territory. While no one on the ship had a chance to beat him, during -the course of a game he would buoy, from time to time, the hope -entertained by a presumptuous rival of lowering the parson's colors -with clerical flattery--pretending that his opponent had nearly caught -him napping on certain moves and that the skill of the player was -worthy any foeman's steel. An Irish Presbyterian also was among the -clergymen, and he sometimes sat at a table for hours with another -passenger, in tomb-like stillness--playing a game of chess. Chess -players, as a rule, have a poor opinion of checkers--calling it a -child's game. The Irish dominie was asked if much skill was required -to play checkers. "No," was the reply. "Any one can learn that game in -a week." A short time later, when the Scotch preacher was engaged at -checkers, and won, as usual, he congratulated his opponent on the -splendid game he had played. "There's a great deal of superfluous talk -about checkers--one would think that only persons of superior -intellect could play that game," remarked a passenger to the -Scotchman. A sneer came over the preacher's face. "I've been playing -draughts for 30 years and don't know the game yet," he tartly -answered. "Why," returned the passenger, "a man on this ship said -there was nothing to it--that any one could learn the game in a week." -"Who's the man that said he could learn the game of draughts in a -week!" he exclaimed, in eloquent tones. "Who's the man! Point him -out!" He lost control of a strong cigar, and every one laughed but the -padre. - -Durban was reached 26 days after leaving Melbourne, and here I found -myself left with only $2 of the $750 with which I started for the -Antipodes. (Reference to the last paragraph of Leg Two and the -Itinerary printed at the end of the book will explain conditions.) - -On a German ship we took final leave of Durban and South Africa, the -route being along what is known as the East Coast of Africa and across -the western end of the Indian Ocean, to Bombay, India. Every berth was -engaged. New scenes ahead bespoke an interesting voyage. America was -well represented among the passengers, as there were eight--five -missionaries, two theatrical men and a printer. - -A day's sail along the flat coast of Zululand and Tongaland and -southern Portuguese-East Africa found us in Lourenzo Marques, the -capital of Portuguese-East Africa. Seldom is the name Lourenzo Marques -heard in this part of the world. "Delagoa Bay" is used 99 times out of -100 when speaking of that East Coast capital. Mention was made in the -few Lisbon notes of the white and gray paving used in that city, and -the same kind of pavement in Lourenzo Marques brings one's mind back -to the Portuguese capital, particularly "Rolling Motion Square." The -white population of Portuguese-East Africa is small considering the -large territory embraced in that colony, Europeans numbering only -3,000. Public buildings do not make much of a showing, a good harbor -and docks being the city's chief assets. Street car and electric light -systems, a seaside resort and high prices are some of the -characteristics of Lourenzo Marques. Natives are very numerous, and -African fever--a notorious feature of this place--is so prevalent that -all the white residents have a veiny, sickly appearance. - -Fever trees, so called from their sallow appearance, grow not far -from here. The leaves droop, are small, thin and lifeless, while the -bark on the stunted trunks and limbs is scaly. - -Lourenzo Marques, located on Delagoa Bay, is the nearest port for the -Transvaal, through which most of the machinery and supplies for the -great mines passed until the consolidation of the South African -provinces. It was, in short, the chief Boer port of South Africa. Were -the deaths that occurred while building the railroad from here to -Pretoria made public it would make sad reading. During the stretch of -400 miles separating Johannesburg and Lourenzo Marques some of the -territory traversed is through the worst fever zones in the -world--even the trees contracting "fever." - -Cruising along to the next port, Inhambane--also Portuguese -territory--where the stately cocoanut palm raises its bushy head to an -admiring distance from the earth, we again reach the tropics. Four of -the missionaries disembarked--a bishop and his wife, and one other -couple, who were located at a mission station a short distance from -this port. - -Three hundred whites live in this treacherous place and 30 per cent. -die each year. The permanent missionary and his wife had both been -fever victims, and if they fail soon to get out of the Inhambane -district they will never come out alive. The husband is a powerfully -built man, and his wife's skin as fair as a lily. She would be called -pretty. They both had a good education, and both were hard workers. -The missionary's predecessor had become "salted," but the bodies of -three wives were resting under African soil. Black-water fever is -nearly always certain death. Until a few years ago death was as -certain after having contracted that form of fever as to one who -stepped in front of a locomotive traveling at a speed of a mile a -minute. All liquids drunk by a victim turn black. - -A native was induced to scale a cocoanut tree and knock nuts off. -Eight tumbled down, and we were charged two cents each for them. The -cocoanut tree has no season--it blossoms and bears the year round. - -Native women loaded and unloaded the ship, and looked stronger than -the men. Sugar, copra and peanuts were put on at that port. - -The anchor chain winds round the drum, and off we start on another -run, bringing us to Beira, also in Portuguese territory, the port for -Rhodesia. The best route to reach Salisbury or Bulawayo is from Beira. -To the former place it is some 300 miles, and to Bulawayo nearly 700 -miles. - -Venice, Italy, is unique in canals and in the absence of vehicular -traffic; and Beira may claim some resemblance to the Italian city, -notably in the absence of carriages, automobiles, wagons, motorcycles -and street cars. Beira is built on a sandbar, and the means of travel -in that place is by vehicles called "trolleys," four-wheeled -conveyances. The frame is of iron, and a foot-rest, seat, back and -hood are built on this. It is a small carriage on low wheels. The -track on which the trolley runs is two feet wide, and the rails are -one-inch thick. Ties or sleepers support these. The "power" to move -the "trolley" is two natives, who push the vehicle, and push it on the -run. These natives are dressed in white cotton shirts, with short -sleeves, and with a lava-lava or kilt made of calico, with big spots, -which reaches to the knees. Their hat is a red fez with tassels, which -suggests we have reached the influence of the Arab. The "trolley" -pusher never runs between the rails--always on the one-inch rail. One -would think there are grooves in his feet to fit in these. The streets -are intersected by "trolley" tracks, switches being made at places, -where "trolleys" branch to certain streets. On the main street are -three tracks, and turntables have been built here and there on which -to turn the cars around when ready for the return trip. They are -comfortable to ride in, and most of them are privately owned. - -With the exception of a good sea wall, there is little of the -substantial about Beira--only a few frame buildings, and others of -corrugated iron. Arab merchants are numerous, and where they have -become established there is very little money for the white man, few -modern customs being in evidence. - -One of my cabin mates was a Trappist priest. Born in Ohio, he went to -Africa in his early years, and had been teaching natives for a quarter -of a century. He was a chaplain in the Boer War, and his intimate -knowledge of that interesting country was so general as to break set -rules for bedtime when listening to his experiences. - -The ship's whistle blows and we are off again, traveling through what -is known as the Mozambique Channel, that stretch of water separating -Madagascar, a French possession, from Portuguese-East Africa. The -latter country is 750 miles in length and 200 miles wide. The seashore -all along is as free of ruggedness as the shores of a lake located in -a level plain. - -Negro melodies and popular airs were reeled off their musical -instruments by the two Americans at intervals of a few nights between. -We had a congenial lot of passengers, and every one was enjoying the -voyage. - -Three more stops were made in Portuguese-East Africa, but no -enterprise was apparent. Few white people were to be seen, while -Indians, Arabs and natives were as thick as flies. At Ibo, the last -stop, the cargo was brought from shore to the ship in what are called -dhows, with ragged sails, scaly hulks, chipped masts, frazzled -ropes--the sort of vessels that have been used in Asia for 2,000 -years. Rubber trees grow in that section and, together with copra, -comprise the exports. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Dar-es-Salaam, the capital of German-East Africa, was, after leaving -Ibo, the next place where the vessel put in. What a difference is -observable in the make-up and general appearance of this German town -to those in Portuguese-East Africa! Some very imposing stone and -cement buildings, with others under construction; good streets, clean -surroundings, and a sprinkling of white people, were a very welcome -change from the poorly built and almost totally black-populated places -we had left behind. - -The railway station, freight cars and locomotives, good wharves and -paved streets brought to mind old scenes. For nearly 800 miles the -railroad pierces westward through a black-populated and wild-beast -inhabited country to the shore of Lake Tanganyika, this body of water, -420 miles long and 10 to 60 miles wide, being the boundary of this -German possession and the Belgian Congo. Rubber and coffee plantations -have been laid out, particularly at the western end of the railroad -line; and from the great native passenger traffic, and bringing of -supplies to these and to races far beyond the western terminus, good -returns are assured. The area of this German possession is 384,000 -square miles. - -Unlike Beira, motor cars and bicycles were in evidence in -Dar-es-Salaam, but no horses were to be seen, as in Beira. In the -South African notes mention was made of the miserable breed of horse -in Durban, also of horses being unable to live in some parts of that -country. So, on the East Coast of Africa, where horses cannot live, -and the life of Europeans is measured by but a short number of years, -there must be something radically wrong with the climate. - -Numerous fresh earth mounds may be seen in graveyards in the -settlements along the East Coast. Fat men are scarce in these -districts, all having a slender frame and veiny, bleached appearance, -with drooping eyelids. Malarial and black-water fever are prevalent in -Dar-es-Salaam. White clothes, white cloth or skin shoes, and white -helmets are worn. This place has a European population of 1,000, most -of them government employes. The native population is 25,000. - -Natives build their own huts, which are of mud, covered with cocoanut -leaves, and settlements are located some distance from town. - -The sight of native women prisoners, with a band of iron around the -neck and a chain fastened to the first band, then to the second, and -so on, according to the number of prisoners, seemed pretty severe -punishment--too barbarous even for blacks. This is what we saw in -Dar-es-Salaam. Six or eight men and women are generally chained -together. The steel collar or band, an inch and a half wide, opens and -closes with a clasp, and the length of the chain from band to band is -between two and three feet. Groups of women were seen carrying water -on their heads in five-gallon oil-cans. The prisoners have to move at -the same time, as the chain is connected with the iron band around -each neck. The band and chain is a relic of slavery days, as we are at -a noted slave-trading center. - -This German capital is the prettiest town on the East Coast of Africa. -It is smart in appearance, has an electric light plant and good -drives. Cocoanut palms grow all around, and the fragrance from the -frangi-pangi flower heavily perfumes the atmosphere and adds much to -the attractiveness of that center. Germany acquired this possession in -1886. - -"Should you wear your street dress ashore, instead of the short skirt, -it may 'let the cat out of the bag,' and then we would have to pay the -full fare," one of our lady passengers cautioned her daughter who -wished to join other travelers making ready to leave the ship to take -a look at the German colony capital. Mother and daughter embarked at -Lourenzo Marques, having come from the Transvaal, their destination -being Bombay, India. The daughter, twenty, being slightly under medium -size, did not look her age. When booking their passage she was -represented as "fifteen," any one of that age or under being carried -for half rate. Short skirts, extending to just below the knees, were -worn as an age "decoy" to this point of the journey. Though Miss Agnes -bravely nursed her sheepishness, evoked by wearing "kid clothes" as -she termed the "disguise," aboard ship, she drew the line at appearing -"in public" in them. The captain having been observed leaving the -vessel in his launch, Agnes, learning of this, hurriedly donned a -"woman's" dress, joined the sightseeing party ashore, and took the -chance of being detected. Returning to the ship before the skipper, -she quickly changed street clothes to the "kid" garb, breaking her -suspense, none of the officers being any the wiser, and resumed the -journey to Bombay, as she started from the Portuguese port--a -combination of woman-juvenile-half-fare passenger. - -Zanzibar, on Zanzibar Island, is located 40 miles from Dar-es-Salaam. -All the way from Durban we had been getting breaths of Asia, but -Zanzibar is like an Asia in Africa. With perhaps the exception of -Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, Zanzibar is the largest place on the -African continent. Out of a mixed population, composed of Arabs, -Mohammedans, Hindus, Singhalese, Goanese, Parsis and natives--negroes-- -only 500 are whites. Though the city was inhabited as early as the -tenth century, their first sultan did not begin to reign until 1741. - -Mohammedan women--on whose features no one but husband or family are -permitted to set eyes--walking about with their faces covered in a -cloth having eye-holes cut out; palanquins, enclosed boxes -accommodating one person, are carried by two natives, one on each end -of a pole, on which the box rests, these containing the wives of Arabs -and Mohammedans; native women, ever ready to imitate the clothing of -others, are seen entirely covered in black cloth, save for the -eye-holes in their face coverings; these dark, mysterious, and weird -creatures stalk about the alleyways of Zanzibar during the day and the -night hours. The pale face of the Parsi woman, the Hindu woman with -ornaments in her nostrils, on her ears, arms, hands and toes, and the -gewgaws worn by native women, are seen at every turn. The Parsi, with -his cuff-like cap; the Singhalese with his long, oily hair and amber -haircomb; the Hindu, in his big, cloth head-covering; the bewhiskered -Arab, wearing a fez, and the black, woolly bare head of the native, -form an unusual scene on entering the city of Zanzibar. The Waswahili -are the natives, and the native language of the island, German-East -Africa, and British-East Africa is the Kiswahili. - -Zanzibar, comprising the island of Pemba, 40 miles to the north, is a -British possession. The island of Zanzibar is 50 miles in length and -20 miles wide. These islands are presided over by a Sultan, Seyid -Khalifa bin Harub, but his ruling has to be approved by a British -governor-general. He is sultan in name only, but his salary is $60,000 -a year. The national flag is of a plain red color. The Sultan received -his education in England. - -The streets of the city are so narrow in some instances that both -sides can almost be touched by the hands extended. Houses are built of -brick and cement, and one to three stories in height. A couple of -goats are usually found tied in front of buildings, and often a donkey -may be seen munching a whisk of grass while standing on the steps of a -home. A stranger able to find his way about Zanzibar must have a -pretty level head. On entering a street, one has no assurance that the -street has an opening, for they often end in a solid building -across--a "blind alley." Doors to the buildings are heavy enough for a -jail, and the alleys, veiled women, black and suspicious-looking men, -wearing sandals and strange head-coverings, bespeak Asia. Europeans -live in another section. - -A very good hospital is pointed out to the visitor, which indicates in -that part of the world a very large graveyard, Zanzibar being -regularly visited with smallpox, while malarial fever is prevalent and -bubonic plague and leprosy common. - -Up to 1897 Zanzibar was one of the most noted slave-trading centers in -the world. Slaves shipped from that place numbered from 6,000 to -10,000 a year. The best building in the city is the Sultan's palace, -but this has recently been converted into an office building for -Protectorate officials; the Sultan's harem building, located in a city -park, is now used as a place of amusement; but, as Arabs own most of -the land, and also the property in the city, Zanzibar will always -remain as it is. - -A distance of seven miles, from the city to Bu-bu-bu, comprises the -railway system of Zanzibar. The fare is 32 cents first-class and 16 -cents second-class, the run taking 45 minutes. Passing through a -street where almost everything is sold--an Indian bazaar--one may -reach out of the window of the railway coach and pull off wearing -apparel, shoes, etc., that are displayed on rope lines outside of the -buildings on the narrow street. Through such places the train seems to -be walled in by blacks on both sides. - -The rupee is in use in Zanzibar, along the coast places, and in the -interior in that section of the African continent. The value of the -rupee in American money is 32 cents, and the anna two cents. The anna -piece is nickel, with a hole in the center, and almost every one -carries these on a string. It is certainly odd to see a man pull from -his pocket a string about a foot or eighteen inches in length and take -from it one to half a dozen annas with bored-out centers. - -America was the first country to establish a consulate in Zanzibar, in -1836. The natives then took a fancy to our bright-colored calico, -which they wear to-day, though close competition for that trade has -taken place through other nations importing a similar class of goods. - -The sun is very hot here, and flowers are temporarily faded by 10 -o'clock in the morning. Should a white person walk a few feet in the -sun bare-headed he would be very apt to fall from sunstroke. - -The date palm, a tree 20 to 30 feet high, with a bare trunk, as the -cocoanut palm, but with smaller limbs and a more spreading top, grows -here. It produces its fruit in bunches, similar to the banana plant. -Some of the clusters of dates depending from the top will half fill a -barrel. A wide leaf grows from the stem, to which the dates grow, and -in time, the leaf dies and then bends. It happens, though, that when -it bends it covers and thus protects the large cluster of fruit. -Zanzibar oranges are said to be the sweetest that grow. - -One may hear a few taps on a drum at a corner of an alley in the -native quarter any time--the signal that there will be a dance that -evening. - -Automobiles are seen about the city, and an electric light plant and a -wireless station are among the limited public utilities. - -Clove and cocoanut plantations are the principal industries of -Zanzibar. The clove tree is of the myrtle family, and the older it -grows the greater the yield. Practically all the cloves used in the -world come from the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar. There are sent to -the United States from these islands from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 -pounds of cloves each year. The output for a year is from 15,000,000 -to 20,000,000 pounds. It requires 10 years' time from planting before -the clove tree blossoms. The Island of Pemba produces 75 per cent. of -a year's crop. A hurricane blew down the trees growing on Zanzibar -island in 1872, while those on Pemba island were not disturbed. The -Pemba trees are 100 years old, those of Zanzibar island only 50 years -old. They are planted 24 feet apart each way, and 100 grow on an acre. - -The clove of commerce is the bud of the clove tree, picked before the -petals open. The clove we use would be the seed of the clove tree were -the petals allowed to expand. The buds are picked by natives, whose -carelessness often destroys bearing limbs. When picked, the buds are -placed on matting, and remain exposed to the sun for three days, when -they become dried. A clove tree buds for three months, so this is the -clove-bud picking period. The tree grows to a height of 30 feet, is -bushy, with small limbs, on all of which buds grow. The leaf of the -clove tree resembles that of the English poplar. The buds are more -numerous on the limbs at intervals of four and five years than during -the years between. A tree produces from five to seven pounds a year, -and the price of cloves range from 16 to 20 cents a pound. Growers -have to pay a tax to the government of 25 per cent. of their yield. - -When leaving Durban I provided myself with a draft for $900 on a bank -in Bombay, India, and $50 in cash. From the passengers I heard so many -interesting things about British East Africa that I decided to go -inland from Mombasa, if I could raise the necessary money on the -Bombay draft. Taking my passport for identification, I learned from a -banker in Zanzibar that he could not advance money on the draft, but -that by cancelling the Durban draft and issuing a new one on the same -bank in Bombay he could provide me with any funds needed. I agreed to -that. On receiving the new draft I learned that $15 had been taken for -exchange. - -Tanga, German East Africa, a sea junction for that part of Africa, was -our next stop. Passengers going to Europe from Durban and other points -along the East coast trans-ship to the European liners going through -the Suez Canal and Port Said. - -A railway from this place pushes westward over 200 miles to the base -of Mount Kilimanjaro, which rises to a height of over 19,000 feet. -Tanga is another place that puts one in mind of a snake charming a -bird and then devouring it. Cocoanut palms grow everywhere, and the -pretty trees, frangi-pangi and flowers are enough to lure any one -there. Yet a walk to the graveyard, after observing the large number -of unsodded mounds for a population of 500, would soon alter one's -opinion. The native population is 12,000. - -One of the passengers made up his mind not to shave during the voyage -from Durban to London. The Indian barber is the most useful tradesman -the world over. He carries his kit with him, and is always prowling -about for work. He will shave a man standing up or lying down; in the -rain or in the sun; in bed or on the roof of a house--any time, any -way, or any place an Indian barber will do his work. We no sooner -stepped on shore than the unshaven passenger was picked out as a -possible "job," and was shadowed by the black knights of the razor -until he returned to the ship. - -Rubber plantations are numerous in this section of the colony, and -copra is another of the exports. - -The horse of the East Coast of Africa is really the negro. Everything -is moved on two-wheeled trucks, pushed or pulled with ropes by -natives. No cattle or oxen were seen, so it is fair to conclude that -neither cattle nor horses can live along this section of the coast. -Any one can form an idea of what a sickly country it must be for human -beings where cattle and horses cannot exist. Fever runs down the -natives, also, but not in the same proportion as the whites. - -"The last time we were in Tanga," the ship's doctor remarked on -sailing, "I suffered terribly from jumping toothache. Fortunate in -being in a port where there was a dentist, I called at his office and -had it pulled. Asking him his charge, the dentist replied, -'Seventy-five rupees' ($25)." When my eyes again settled in their -sockets, having bulged at mention of such a fee for pulling a tooth, -the doctor, in answer to a question if he did not consider the -dentist's charge exorbitant, said he was under that impression at the -time, but was not so sure of it now. "Only a handful of Europeans live -here," he philosophically went on to explain why he changed his -impression from a positive to an uncertain one, "and fever is bad. The -dentist--the only one within hundreds of miles--as most persons who -come to the tropics, aims at making enough money in a few years, -before fever robs him of his health, to take things easy for a while -afterward in a good climate. Life, with a thumping tooth and a -pumpkin-like face, was misery to me; I could not pull my tooth, and -antidotes failed to assuage the pain it caused. So, considering the -fee from various angles, I would not feel quite justified in charging -the dentist with unprofessional conduct." Notwithstanding the doctor's -reconciliation to the dentist's charge, it would seem he "paid for it -through the nose," to use a British term for "stung," the standard -rate in Africa for placing a tooth in a plate, whether one or sixteen, -being only $5 each. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Mombasa, British-East Africa, was not reached until 19 days after -sailing from Durban, although we traveled but 2,000 miles. It was a -very interesting trip, though, along the East Coast, as the ship -stopped so often to unload and take on cargo, that passengers obtained -a fair idea of that part of the world. - -Back in the early '80's England and Germany resorted to every -diplomatic device to acquire that great tract of country now known as -German East Africa and British East Africa. The Sultan of Zanzibar -exercised control of a strip of the coastline, ten miles deep, north -of Portuguese East Africa to Italian Somaliland, which naturally -blocked the development of the interior. The claims of the two great -countries were finally settled by Germany getting the southern part of -the domain and England the northern part. The Sultan of Zanzibar still -claims sovereignty of the ten-mile shore strip of the Indian Ocean, -but in reality it is gone from him. The authentic history of East -Africa commences in 1498, when Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, -anchored off Mombasa. - -Mombasa, located on Mombasa Island, is the chief seaport on the East -Coast north of Durban and Lourenzo Marques. It has had a checkered -career, being held at various times by Persians, Arabs, Egyptians, -Portuguese and British. To-day the blacks number 30,000 and the whites -about 500. Like most tropical places, the surroundings are naturally -attractive, but fever is always present, and bubonic plague or -smallpox may break out at any moment. - -Three years is the limit of residence here for a European. Some part -of the human system is bound to give way if one does not leave before -the three-year period expires. Two and a half years' residence and six -months' vacation in Europe is the usual custom. The tropical climate -seems to center its force on the muscles of the stomach, and this is -one reason why every one wears flannel bands. Most of the business men -are Asiatics. Natives take the place of horses here also, goods being -moved on trucks pushed and pulled by black men. England's solid system -of doing things is in evidence at every turn--notably in the good, -clean streets, parks and docks. - -Before the railroad was pushed to the eastern shore of Victoria Nyanza -the daring Europeans of early days had to travel four months before -the western terminus was reached. Nowadays two days' travel by rail -will take one into the heart of Africa. The country then, as it is -more or less to-day, was alive with ferocious beasts, and some of the -native tribes were warlike. During the winter season there is no rain -for a period of from four to six months. Only men of iron would tackle -such a journey. The Arabs, however, had preceded the whites. - -On the Uganda Railway we boarded a train for Nairobi. For some -distance the road passed through a tropical growth, when we entered -the Taru Desert. Small trees of dense and thorny spreading limbs grow -on this land. The lower limbs are brashy and bare of bark, and the -ones above are leafless and gnarled, although alive. The Taru Desert -is a leafless jungle. No bird life was apparent save vultures, whose -repulsive appearance seemed in keeping with the growth on which they -rested. Fever trees were mentioned earlier in this Leg, and those -growing here suggested the possibility of their exuding something -noxious--if not odors leading to some form of fever, then, perhaps, to -stomach trouble. - -A lone native, and often groups, were seen, with only a clout about -the loins, carrying a long pole with a spear fixed to the end, at the -station or traversing a native path leading somewhere, as there were -no signs of habitation near the railway. Erect, slender, bareheaded -and barefooted, he looked every inch the savage warrior one reads -about. - -The track is meter gauge, three feet six inches, and the railway -coaches, of two compartments, are small, each compartment -accommodating six persons, 12 in all. The South African system--the -best in the world--of providing free sleeping berths for passengers, -has been adopted by the Uganda Railway Company. Four berths are -provided in each compartment, but no bedding is furnished. Breakfast -costs 32 cents, and luncheon and dinner 50 cents. Railway fare is only -two cents a mile, and the speed 14 miles an hour. - -"Dak bungalow" proved a new building term to us, and another was the -"godown." The dak bungalow serves the purpose of a hotel and is -located at stations. These were built by the railway company for the -convenience of passengers living in isolated places who used a certain -station when traveling. The bungalow, which may be used one night free -of charge, is provided with spring beds, but no bedding. The godown is -a freight shed--any building where goods or cargo are stored is called -a godown. Both terms are Asiatic. It would be a risky undertaking to -start through some parts of that country at night, as many sections -are infested with wild beasts. The agents at the stations were -Indians. - -We were traveling over a section of country that had not been -refreshed with rain for months. The soil being reddish, passengers' -clothes resembled those worn by workers in a red brickyard. -Conversations that had taken place between travelers during the voyage -along the East Coast, of big game being seen within easy view of the -railway in these parts, which swayed me from my original route at -Zanzibar, were foremost in my mind at this point. Skeptical of -feasting the eye on herds of zebra, gazelle, wildebeeste, even -giraffe, and other game, my doubts were dispelled when a passenger -remarked: - -"This is Makindu, where nature's zoo starts." "Do you think the game -will be close enough to see from the train?" "They're on the veld all -the time--see the zebra to the right?" he replied. Turning quickly in -that direction, there they were, a solid foreground of striped beasts, -not more than half a mile off the railway. The marvelous sight of -thousands of zebra within easy view extended to the horizon. "You'll -always find zebras huddled closely together," he interestingly went -on, "as they have an eternal fear of lions, who are partial to zebra -flesh," he explained. "The hardest animal in Africa to tame is the -zebra," he continued. "This animal can be ridden, and is sometimes -attached to a light vehicle, but it cannot be trusted. The fear of -lions has for ages been so firmly bred in the bone of this attractive -beast that, no matter how kindly handled, its wildness is always -evident. - -"Giraffes are generally seen browsing in the brush," kept on my -companion. "They're sometimes called camelopards, owing to being -spotted like a leopard and having a long neck like a camel. See!" he -exclaimed, pointing, "there's five of them and a calf." One could -scarcely believe his own eyes. Sure enough, there stood five -long-necked, brown and white spotted, stubby-horned, slant-backed -giraffes and a calf, standing in brush lower than their bodies, 100 -feet from the railway track. As the train was passing they turned -around and ambled clumsily further into the brush. - -"All that game you see to the right are hartebeeste and gazelles," my -companion went on. "Keep watching to the left, though, as we may see -more giraffes, for that stretch of brush will soon be passed, when -there'll be no more chance to see that big game. He's a browser, you -know, not a grazer. There are two more--a nice pair!" he added. Sure -as you're born, there stood two noble giraffes. Like the group of five -with a calf, they turned and hobbled further into the undergrowth. -"We're about out of the brush now, so I don't think we'll see more of -them," he said. What I had already seen amply offset the $15 exchange -charged me at the Zanzibar bank. - -Simba was the name of a station as we entered the game fields; the -meaning of the word "simba" is lion in the native tongue. More than a -score of persons were killed by the king of beasts at this place, it -is said, while building the railroad. - -"Those smaller animals you see together yonder are a pack of hyena," -continued my traveling mate. "There are more zebra to the left. The -animals further along are blue wildebeeste (gnu), larger than the -South African breed. See the ostrich?" (pointing). There they were, -big black and white birds, with wings flopping, running over the -plains, not a fence within hundreds of miles--as wild as wild could -be. - -"We may see a lion before we reach Nairobi; I've seen them on several -occasions while traveling over this stretch of country," he added. A -lion did not show himself, but, as my companion said, they are -frequently seen prowling over the treeless plains from the railroad. - -For over a hundred miles the traveler looks out upon great herds of -game feeding on both sides of the railway track. Gazelles have become -so tame that they sometimes keep grazing as the train passes by; and -the hartebeeste, or kongonie, much larger than the gazelle, with a -wedge-shaped head and an outline of body resembling the giraffe, is -nearly as numerous as the clean-cut, nimble gazelle. The wildebeeste -is seen feeding and swishing his tail as contentedly as a cow in a -pasture. Ostriches and zebras are on their native heath. Tigers, and -other game also, may be seen while traveling through this most -interesting stretch of country. - -These plains, like an American prairie, are free of timber; and as far -as the eye can see, from 50 feet off the railway track--to the -horizon, in fact,--from Makindu to Nairobi, over a hundred miles, the -eye feasts on a sportsman's paradise. - -We reached Nairobi 23 hours after leaving Mombasa, 327 miles -separating the chief port and the capital. What a terrible mixture of -blacks was congregated on the platform and about the railway station! -They were as numerous and black as flies around a barrel of molasses -on a hot day. We were certainly in Darkest Africa. The ricksha is the -hack of Nairobi. One starts for his hotel, with a native in the shafts -and another pushing, a jingle-jangle taking place all the while. The -pullers, while less fantastic and grotesque than their Zulu brothers -in Durban, still have distinctiveness, namely, in wearing small bells -about ankles and arms; the tinkle from these is constantly heard about -the streets. For some distance from the station one is drawn along a -level road, bordered with eucalyptus trees, to the business center. -Wood and iron buildings--corrugated iron--are mostly used in both -dwelling houses and business places. There is no paving on the -streets, no sidewalks, nothing inviting, about the capital of the -British-East Africa Protectorate; but there is no grass growing on the -streets, every one seemingly infused with a "boom" spirit. One finds, -however, in this place a good, stone-built post office, a stone-built -Treasury building, and structures of the same material under course of -construction. - -Nairobi was the blackest town visited. Though considerable building -was being done, a white man--such as carpenter, mason, plasterer or -bricklayer--was not seen engaged at that class of work, all labor -being done by Indians; most of the contractors also were Indians. The -wages paid these blacks are from $1 to $1.25 a day. Natives carrying -the hod, or bucket, rather, are paid from 6 to 12 cents a day. - -Mention was made in Leg Four of Suva, Fiji, having a daily newspaper, -by reason of two tri-weeklies appearing on alternate days. In Nairobi, -however, two daily newspapers appear on six mornings of the week, and -besides these there are also weekly and monthly publications issued. -Together with local news, brief cable dispatches are printed, enough -to keep one in touch with important events taking place over the -world. Even linotype machines are found in that sparsely settled, -out-of-the-way place. The Indian here, as everywhere, when he gets a -foothold, has the printing trade killed in so far as a white man -getting good wages is concerned. He sets type after a fashion for $15 -to $18 a month. - -In order that the reader may draw an accurate conclusion as to the -meaning of the term "Darkest Africa," Nairobi, with only 1,200 whites, -has the largest European population of any city north of Salisbury and -Bulawayo (Rhodesia) as far as Cairo, (Egypt), or in the full length of -Africa to the west and northwest. - -The negro is not the horse of Nairobi. While few horses are seen, -native oxen, with humps on their shoulders almost as large as a -dromedary's, lumber through the streets yoked to wagons loaded with -merchandise. - -As the Zulu language is the key to the tribal dialects of South -Africa, the Kiswahili language is likewise the key to the many native -dialects in this section of Africa. The word "Wa" is plural in the -Kiswahili language, and is prefixed to the name of a person or a -tribe; "M" prefixed means man or individual; "U," in the same way, -means place or locality, and "Ki" prefixed indicates the language. As -an example, the Masai tribe would be Wamasai, Mmasai would be a Masai -man, Umasai would be Masailand, and Kimasai would mean the Masai -dialect or language. - -Professor Diogenes Teufelsdroeckh, an exponent of the philosophy of -clothes, held that a majority of the people of the world devoted too -much attention to the matter of unnecessary dress, a failing that -militated against their moral and spiritual welfare. The men of this -tribe, gaunt and gawky, wear nothing but a sort of shirt--a piece of -cloth, with a hole in the center large enough to admit a head through, -secured by neither string, band, nor suspenders. The original color of -the shirt might once have been a mongrel brown, similar to unbleached -muslin, but, as the Wakikuyu observe few wash days, the "garment" is -usually many shades darker. Shoes and head covering, like the -breeches, are also tabooed. - -The Wakikuyu was the worst native tribe we had seen. The men looked -half-starved, and it was tiresome to see them work. Excavation was -being made for the foundation of a building, the dirt being carried -out in small pans; sometimes these would not contain more than a -cupful of earth. When coming up the incline from the excavation to the -street their gait was that of a crippled snail. They receive from 6 to -12 cents a day, and possibly may earn it. - -The women of the Wakikuyu tribe, on the other hand, are hard workers. -They till the land, and raise flocks of goats, sheep, and cattle. They -wear more clothing than the men, their principal covering being a -tanned sheep or goat skin that has been soaked with grease. Dust and -dirt coming in contact with the greased skin naturally give the -garment an untidy appearance. What seems a cruel fashion among the -women of this tribe is the mutilation of their ears. The lobes are -slit, and thick chunks of sugar-cane, bamboo, calabashes, or other -round articles, from the size of a thread spool to the circumference -of a teacup, are pressed through. The plug and "ear bands" resemble an -elastic band a quarter of an inch in width placed around a drinking -glass. The plug is short, from two to three inches in length. These -are forced between the "ear bands" so snugly that they will not fall -out while the wearer is moving about. The woman wearing the largest -plug is the best dressed, according to Wakikuyu fashion, and is envied -by those of her sisters whose ear-lobes will not accommodate the -larger "ornament." In many instances the punctured lobe is so extended -that it becomes a loop, the ends of which sometimes rest on the -shoulders. When not in use, so to speak, the ear loop is hung up on -the top of the ear and seems to be secured by a knot made in that -extended and flexible member. She carries her babe inside her goatskin -covering in front, and a heavy basket of wood, potatoes, or other -things on her back. A strap passes across her forehead, the ends -secured to the basket. The great weights carried in the baskets make -in time an indentation in the forehead the width of the strap. - -A native of that tribe would prefer to be killed rather than touch -anything dead--even a rat. If one of their number should suddenly die -in the hut, every one would immediately move out and leave the dead -member behind. Before taking final leave of the old home, however, -time is taken to dig a hole under the side of the hut large enough to -admit either a jackal or hyena, when the body would be left to be -devoured by these beasts later. The Mkikuyu, though, in order to -retain his abode, takes care that few deaths take place in the hut. -When a member of a family becomes sick he is taken out of and led some -distance away from the home and laid on the ground. Those accompanying -the sick native may, with a short stick or wood, the ends resting in -two crotches made of four shorter pieces held by a grass band, lay his -head on the native "pillow," close to a lone thorn bush, with a short -piece of goatskin covering the body. If the negro recovers he is taken -back to the hut. While thus holding vigil on the veld, a vulture may -be seen soaring above where the native is lying, with others appearing -to view in the distance, and in the background the forms of jackals -and the outline of slinking hyenas may also be apparent, for these -vultures and beasts seem to know, not alone through instinct, but from -former similar settings, that the body of the native, when life has -left it, will not be put underground nor be removed by the -superstitious tribesmen. - -Many of the natives are smeared with reddish, greasy clay from head to -foot. The hair, worn long by some, is plastered and shaped to resemble -a turtle, with head jutting out and tail extended. They wear no shoes, -and seldom a hat. One sees the native in British East Africa little -different than he lived a thousand years ago. - -Men wearing two soft, broad-brimmed felt hats strikes one as out of -the ordinary. Nairobi is but 80 miles south of the Equator, and heavy -head-covering must be worn to guard against sunstroke. Helmets are -worn by a great many, but the two hats, the top one over the under -one, are worn as commonly as the helmet. - -A library is one of the features of the town. An electric light plant -was seen here; also bioscope theaters. One thing Nairobi did not -have--colored postcards that were of any interest. Motor cars spin -about the streets. Food, clothes and living expenses are cheaper in -Nairobi than in South Africa. Hotel accommodation was but $1.60 a day. - -Coffee growing is a promising industry of that section of the -Protectorate. A French mission is located a few miles from Nairobi, -and the fathers, some fifteen years ago, experimented with the coffee -bush. It proved a success, and several large plantations have since -been established. An exorbitant price is asked for land in this -district. - -Irish potatoes grow in these parts, but not along the coast. The -altitude of Nairobi is 5,000 feet, and, while the sun is hot in the -daytime, the nights are cool. - - [Illustration: VIGIL ON THE VELD (top). - BRITISH EAST AFRICA. - "TROLLEY" PUSHERS (bottom). - BEIRA, PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA. - See page 230.] - -Most of the big-game hunting parties are equipped in Nairobi. The -guides are about the town every few days, and a lion is guaranteed -to be killed or no charge required. Eight lions were killed not far -from here during our stay. One may stroll a mile from the center of -the town, sit on a hill, and watch herds of gazelle grazing not a half -mile away. The black-and-white monkey comes from this section of -Africa. - -"Boy! boy! boy!" is heard from nearly every room in a hotel in the -morning. Everybody has a boy to black his shoes, lace his shoes, put -away his clothes after dusting, get his shaving outfit--the sort of -waiting on that spoils the white man. The hallways of the hotel are -crowded with the guests' black servants. No one thinks of carrying a -valise or bundle of any kind. The "boy" is expected to be in the -hallway morning, noon and night waiting to serve his master. - -Mount Kenia, 18,000 feet high, located directly under the Equator and -80 miles from Nairobi, may be seen from the town any clear day; also -Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,000 feet high, about the same distance south of -this place. - -The Uganda Railway headquarters is located at Nairobi. Some of the -locomotives used on this road are of American manufacture, easily -distinguishable from English-built engines, for American-built -locomotives are the only ones which carry a bell. The locomotive -engineers are nearly all Indians. The Uganda Railway is a paying -concern, for dividends of 33 per cent. are declared nearly every year. -Passenger fare is reasonable, but freight charges are said to be very -high. It cost $50,000 a mile to build the Uganda Railway, which is 584 -miles in length. - -The various native tribes have peculiar marks by which they are -distinguished. One tribe may have a certain tooth missing; another the -end of their teeth filed to a sharp point; still another may have -their teeth nicked, like a saw, done with a stone; or by other marks, -easily distinguished. - -Horse racing, football, cricket, and other English sports are indulged -in. Saturday afternoon is devoted to recreation, as the Saturday -half-holiday is observed. Government employees form a considerable -proportion of the population. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -Nairobi was as far as we intended going when leaving the ship at -Mombasa, but, finding the country so new and interesting, with -traveling and living expenses reasonable, we decided to press on to -the shores of Victoria Nyanza. From Nairobi going westward we rose to -an elevation of 7,000 feet. Among the limbs of the trees, while -traveling over that part of the railway line, can be seen crude, small -barrels made of pieces of wood; these have been put in the trees by -natives to intercept itinerant swarms of bees. The stations and -surroundings were literally covered with blacks--natives and Indians. -With the Mkikuyu woman, in her greased goatskin and plugged ear lobes, -and some of the men covered with the greasy, red clay from head to -foot, with hair fixed to resemble the turtle; with the Indian wearing -his cloth headgear, and the Indian woman with her ankle and wrist -bangles; with no Europeans in sight save as passengers--British-East -Africa to-day offers more of interest, more for native study, than -even interesting South Africa. - -At Escarpment a splendid view was afforded, for the railway descends -from a high point down the steep mountainside into what is known as -the Great Meridional Rift, or Rift Valley, a depression in the earth -that is said to extend to Egypt. As the train travels down a woody -mountain, to the left and in front is the Rift Valley and Lake -Naivasha. Traveling along we come to another game preserve, where -gazelles, hartebeestes, wildebeestes, ostriches and zebras are grazing -upon and scampering over the great valley, unaware of the pleasure -their presence affords passengers while traveling through that stretch -of country. - -No evidence of habitation is seen from the railway, yet people get -off at stations--only stations--and often persons are seen waiting at -those lonesome spots in that wild land for the train to take them -beyond. The same took place when coming up the coast--passengers got -off and others got on the ship, though no white settlements were in -sight. It is marvelous how white people settle in such untrodden -sections in which to make a living, surrounded as they are on every -side by the wildest and most uncertain phases of life. - -Strange-looking berries were served at an eating station, and on -inquiry as to the nature of the fruit, we were informed that an -American had crossed two bushes--a strawberry and a raspberry--and the -result, half-strawberry and half-raspberry, growing in that far-off -land, we were now sampling. - -We passed through Masailand, a native preserve, occupied by what was -formerly a troublesome tribe. They live on the plains, and are said to -own a quarter of a million head of cattle. Passing through attractive -mountainous country, from Mau Summit, over 8,000 feet above sea level, -we descended to Kavirondo Valley, a flat country. - -Naked natives, free from civilization's binding customs, hoeing corn, -weeding land, and watching sheep and goats, were seen working in the -fields. These were the Wakavirondo, a tribe noted for its -industriousness. They are chiefly engaged in farming and gardening, -and their products are carried to Port Florence to be sold. Some of -them have on a slight covering when they go to town, but it is -discarded a short distance from where they left their produce. - -Labor agents engage "boys" of the Wakavirondo tribe to work for a -certain length of time away from their district. Of course, the men -must wear some clothes. Returning in from three to six months, they -have become accustomed to wearing covering and wish to continue doing -so. Like the Maori women, though, the women of this African tribe -insist on maintaining the custom of their ancestors, so the men have -to discard the clothes they had become used to and resume their former -clothesless existence. It is very warm where the Wakavirondo -live--under the Equator. - -Port Florence--or Kisumu, as that place is more often called--was now -reached, and before us spread the blue, calm, green-island dotted -water of Victoria Nyanza. We were at the western terminus of the -Uganda Railway--the last railroad piercing Africa in that direction. A -railway station, a dak bungalow--the only place at which to stop--and -perhaps a dozen houses built on raised ground, with good wharves, a -godown and a marketplace, almost completed the "attractions" of Port -Florence. Fever is very bad in Kisumu, and smallpox and bubonic plague -were holding a levee at the time we visited the place. Bubonic plague -is so common here that no one pays much attention to it. Blacks are -taken off with the plague in large numbers, but few Europeans die from -that pestilence. - -Trains run but twice a week from Mombasa to Port Florence, and the -lake boats connect with the trains; so if I remained in Kisumu it -would necessarily be for three days, and people die in less than that -time after having been bitten by the bubonic flea. I did not relish -the idea of possibly breathing my last just then, nor at that place. -The blue water was alluring, the green islands bewitching, and in -fancy we caught an echo of a call from Uganda's shore, inviting us to -cross the great African lake and tarry a short while in the land of -the Waganda. So, when the vessel moved from the wharf on her voyage -across Victoria Nyanza, we were among the passengers. - -The boats traversing that sheet of water are from 500 to 1,000 tons' -displacement, lighted by electricity and of modern design. Every -available sleeping place was occupied, and the vessel's water-line was -concealed by the weight of her cargo. - -A stranger would not know when he had reached the body of the lake, as -the course is through blue-water avenues, bordered with tropical green -islands, for a large part of the journey. The distance across is 175 -miles, and 24 hours was taken in making the journey. The boats on -Victoria Nyanza do not travel at night, which accounts for the slow -time. The Equator was crossed and recrossed during the 24-hours' -journey, but the game of "Neptune" was not played. The lake is nearly -4,000 feet above sea-level, 240 miles in length, and its area 26,000 -square miles. - -Although very fertile, none of the islands was inhabited. For -centuries most of these had been under cultivation, but the -sleeping-sickness plague made such havoc among the natives that the -British government some years ago forced them to the mainland. - -Entebbe, on the western shore of Victoria Nyanza, is the Imperial -capital of Uganda, but Kampala, 23 miles north, is the native capital. -The British government officials are located at the former place, -while the native legislature convenes in the latter. Most of the land -of Uganda is owned by natives, but no concessions are granted without -the approval of British officials. If one wishes to buy land, he must -apply for it through the native legislature. Uganda is a rich country, -but little land is under cultivation. Indians and Arabs would quickly -buy large tracts, but they are not wanted there, as no one profits -from Asiatic holdings but Asiatics; besides they would ill-treat the -natives. Uganda was made a British Protectorate in 1894. It has an -area of 300,000 square miles, that of British-East Africa 200,000 -square miles. Europeans in the Uganda Protectorate number only about -2,000. - -Built on a high point of land, with two blue-water bays on each side -and a wide sweep of Victoria Nyanza spreading out to the horizon; -evergreen landscape beyond the mainland borders of the bays; trees -smothered with vari-colored flowers, and the streets carpeted with a -floral covering which falls from them; bright and pretty-colored birds -enhancing the picture, with their sweet carols "at early morn and dewy -eve;" bulky banana bushes and papaw, or mummy-apple, trees growing at -every turn; the gardens to the homes of the dwellers glowing with -flowers--there, away off in Uganda, on the peninsula overlooking the -great lake, at Entebbe, we found one of the grandest settings of both -land and water scenery the eye could feast on. - -This was the first place we observed natives seeking work. When coming -from the wharf to the town, tidy, well-developed Waganda would timidly -approach, holding in their hands a small book or piece of paper. In -the book or on the paper was written their records, good or otherwise, -the wages they had received, and the length of time worked at various -places. The applicant may be a houseboy, cook or land worker. It is -customary, in fact a standard rule, when servants leave employment, to -give them a note, which is their reference. None of them know a letter -of the alphabet, so have no idea of the nature of the writing. - -Mention has been made of the uninviting appearance of the Mkikuyu at -Nairobi and the naked Mkavirondo living on the eastern shore of the -lake. Here, over 400 miles west of Nairobi and 175 west of Port -Florence, we found the splendidly-built, tidily-dressed, clean -Waganda. The women of this tribe are almost as well developed as the -Zulu women. The Maganda also carries loads on her head. It is hard to -understand why these natives, so far away from civilization, are so -neatly dressed. The Maganda is a good native. - -We were but three miles north of the Equator, at an elevation of 4,000 -feet, and the comfortable climate, instead of an almost unbearable one -one would expect to encounter here, is a surprise. In the evening the -air became so cool that the veranda was vacated for a seat inside. - -Less than 150 white persons live in Entebbe, but with the Arabs, -Indians, and many natives, the population reaches 20,000. Were -government employees to leave, very few Europeans would be left in the -capital. - -This was one place in which the moving picture was not to be seen, and -one is getting pretty well out of the world, so to speak, when he has -out-trod the sphere of that common means of amusement. But there was a -phonograph, owned by an Indian, who lived across the road from where I -slept. Indian music is weird with a vengeance. The scale is cast in -high C, and the flats and sharps and other "harmonics" that went with -the music seemed to be like a clashing of rasps, files and grating -iron. At 2 o'clock in the morning the "tormentor" was started, and its -weird notes unmercifully pierced the equatorial air until daylight. -The police sometimes stopped the music for a couple of nights, but it -was soon heard again. I became well known at the police station -through lodging complaints against the owner of that infamous -phonograph. - -The wharf at the lake was piled high with merchandise and cotton -bales. Some of the imports were to be moved into the interior as far -as the Belgian Congo. The means of conveyance was the heads of -natives--porters, as they are called. From 300 to 600 porters, all -looking half-starved, assembled in front of a shipping agent's office -and waited for orders to start on the trip. Horses cannot live in -Uganda, so natives take the horses' place. Sixty pounds is the -standard load for a porter to carry. The goods are packed and shipped -in quantities conforming to that weight, when it is possible to do so. -The articles carried may be grubhoes, chairs, a box containing canned -vegetables or food, a bed spring, bedding, a table, five-gallon cans -of oil--anything in the nature of food, clothing, or household -furnishings. When the article exceeds 60 pounds, two, three, and even -four porters, with bamboo poles, are assigned to the load. The small -army of porters--the African freight train--start, with a stick in -their hand and 60 pounds of freight on their heads. The destination is -Toro, 200 miles further into Africa. White men are in charge of the -"freight train." Each porter takes with him a portion of rice or -cornmeal. His meat is furnished by the white men in charge, who carry -rifles, and by that means game is shot en route. Thirty days is the -time required to travel the 200 miles, and for carrying 60 pounds of -goods that distance a porter receives $3. A new "freight train" will -take up the goods at Toro and advance the cargo further into the wild -country. Certain packs of natives will not go further than the -sub-stopping place, as natives beyond are generally hostile to tribes -stopping at that point. In that way traders living in remote parts are -supplied with goods. - -We were right in the heart of the sleeping-sickness zone. It has been -estimated that 300,000 natives have been swept away by this strange -and fatal disease. Remains of huts and other mute evidences of tribal -existence at certain parts of the lake districts indicate the wiping -out of whole tribes by this pestilence, which accounts for the British -government forcing the natives from the lake islands to live on the -mainland. Some of these ejected natives try to return to their old -home, and it was said to be a pathetic sight when they were forced to -change their abode. The islands are infested with the fly whose bite -injects the death virus. A strip of territory two miles from the shore -of the lake is prohibited ground, and legal punishment is provided for -any one found over the fly-infested lines. - -Sleeping sickness is caused from a bite of the tsetse fly. It is as -large as a horse-fly, and when it bites a victim it usually draws -blood. The poison injected infects the blood, and is thought to be -extracted from crocodiles by the fly while resting on that beast. It -may be weeks, and even months, before the poison affects the victim. -Anyway, mopiness will become noticeable, then drowsiness, accompanied -by loss of appetite; then an overpowering desire to sleep overtakes -the victim. All the time he is becoming emaciated from lack of food. -This condition continues for months in some instances, and there are -cases where victims have moped and drowsed for years. Some of the -deaths are very painful, while others apparently die in their sleep. -Three flies, with Latin names, carry the sleeping sickness virus--the -Glossina palpalis, the Glossina morsitans, and the Glossina fusca. -They are generally termed "morsitans," "palpalis" and "fusca." The -most advanced medical scientists may be found in this part of the -world trying to find out something definite about the virus and -devising means for its eradication, but are as yet in the dark -concerning how to combat the suffering and fatalities that follow in -the wake of this strange disease. Sleeping sickness is prevalent in -some parts of Rhodesia, Central Africa and in other interior sections -of the Dark Continent. - -The means employed to eradicate the fly is by cutting the brush from -the shore of the lake. A fly will not remain in the sun long, so when -the brush has been cut and a fly's resting place, the shade, is -removed, he leaves the brush-barren district and seeks shady fields. -A grass--lemon grass, it is called--with a leaf a quarter of an inch -wide, which grows to two feet high, is often planted on the land from -which the brush has been cleared. The grass has an oily, lemon taste, -which the tsetse fly does not fancy, and he leaves the cleared -section. - -In the early days Stanley and those that came later to these parts -crossed the lake in canoes, rowed by natives. That was a dangerous -undertaking, as the lake then, as to-day, was inhabited by hippopotami -and crocodiles. As stated in Leg Two, the "hippo" will not harm a -person in the water, but he may overturn a boat that attempts to ride -over him, when the crocodile would devour those cast overboard. - -Most of the wild animals in that part of the world are protected from -hunters by government laws, but the hippopotamus and the crocodile are -left to the mercy of any who wish to kill them. The big water-cows are -very destructive to growing grain and vegetables. They come out at -night to forage, when they destroy gardens, corn fields and grain. -These animals travel a mile or more from the shore for food. The only -time when a "hippo" will attack a person is if the latter should be -between the water and the beast. - -Coffee and rubber plantations have been laid out and promise large -returns in the future. The natives raise a great deal of cotton, and -cotton gins are located at many of the lake ports. So much cotton is -produced that the lake boats cannot keep the wharves and godowns from -being overloaded. - -Three years' growth is required before the rubber tree is tapped. -Several diagonal circles are cut in the bark. A piece of wood, with -sharp nails, similar to a hair comb, is pressed against the tender -bark. White sap then oozes from the tree and runs down a gutter cut in -the bark. At the end of the gutter a tin spout connects, down which -the latex runs into a tin cup on the ground. An ounce of sap is -produced from a tapping. A tree is tapped every day for a month, then -allowed to rest for a month. Sap will run from a tree but half an hour -a day. Natives gather the cups from each tree, emptying each ounce in -a larger vessel. The latex collected is put in tanks five feet long -and six inches wide. The next day the sap is taken out, when it will -have become a white strip, like a piece of fat pork. The slab or sheet -of raw rubber is next put through a press twice, which squeezes out -water and impurities. The sheet of raw rubber remains unbroken, and -its thickness is reduced to a quarter of an inch. It is then rolled -together, like belting, put into a drying place, where it remains for -a month, after which it is shipped North for refining. Before tapping -a tree the bark is cleansed with a carbolic acid wash. The sap is -white as milk, and sticky, and remains that color until refined. An -average of one pound of rubber a month from a tree is a good yield, -and the price ranges from $2 to $3 a pound in the raw state. The trees -will produce sap for about ten years, and are from two to eight inches -in diameter. Some rubber plantations contain hundreds of thousands of -trees, and from 200 to 1,000 natives are employed. The wages paid -latex gatherers in Uganda are from $1 to $1.50 a month. - -At the market place little cleaning-up was necessary, as vultures pick -meat blocks and keep the floors white after the day's business. - -A good botanical garden that any city of half a million population -would be proud of is found in Entebbe. Often groups of monkeys may be -seen jumping from limb to limb and from tree to tree in the garden, -each following the same route that the first one traveled. - -Missions and missionaries are quite numerous in that section of -Africa, almost every religious denomination being represented. - -A ricksha is the usual means of traveling. When going from place to -place, three natives are assigned to a ricksha, two pushing, with one -between the shafts. These have bells tied around their ankles, and -they sing from the time they start until they have reached the end of -their stage. Each team runs about five miles, when three fresh pullers -take charge of the vehicle; then the passenger will again spin along -the road at a speed of five miles an hour, cheered by the tunes of the -natives. - -"Safari" is a word much used in the Protectorates. When one camps out, -or goes on a country journey, he will be on "safari." Often a man's -standing is gauged by the number of natives that accompany him. In the -eyes of the natives the man with the largest safari is the bigger man. -For that reason a vain man will have a larger force of natives serving -him than would be necessary were his position not gauged on that -basis. In that and in other ways white men become slaves to the -caprice of native opinion. - -Natives living in that part of Uganda are ant-eaters. The white ant, -another African scourge, builds, unseen, large chocolate-colored -mounds of dirt, some of them eight feet in height and from six to -eight feet across the base. After reaching a certain age wings grow on -the ants, when they emerge from the hill. The natives, aware of the -time the exodus is to take place, build a frame of sticks over the -cone of the mound, over which is placed a bark cloth. The cone is -covered down the sides to a place below which the ants will not break -through the dirt. Between the bottom of the upright frame sticks and -the mound will be placed a banana leaf, the center pressed down, -forming a trench. The ants, on emerging from the mound, fly upward, -when they strike the cloth covering and drop into the banana leaf -trench. Once their flight is interrupted they cannot fly again. An -hour's time is consumed while migrating from the mound--from the time -the ants begin to come out until all have left their old home--during -which the natives are busy eating the insects that creep out between -the leaf cracks. They gather these by the wings, which are an inch in -length, and put the live ants into their mouths, wings and all. The -swarm of ants is later scooped from the trench, put into baskets made -of leaves, taken to the hut, where the wings are plucked, and are then -put into a pan and fried. In keeping with the secret and interesting -nature of that insect, they do not begin to leave the mound before -sunset, and often not until dark. Also, in keeping with the generosity -of the Mganda, a member of this tribe, holding a number of ants by -their wings in one hand and putting these in his mouth--having an -equal number in the other hand--offered to share the winged delicacies -with his white spectator. - -A variety of grass, from 6 to 12 feet high, called elephant grass, -grows in that country. Some ivory hunters have met their death owing -to wounded elephants secreting themselves in the tall reeds. A hunter -would naturally follow the tracks of the great beast, though, being -close to his quarry, he could not see him; but the elephant could see -the hunter. Before he could protect himself or escape, the powerful -trunk would come down on the hunter and deal him a death blow. Ivory -from the tusks of the female elephant is the better grade. Ivory -smuggling is said to be practiced in that part of the world, as opium -smuggling is in some parts of America. While the tusks of some -elephants weigh 25 pounds, the average is 15 pounds. Export and import -duty on ivory is very high, which accounts for alleged smuggling in -that product. Elephants take 30 years to attain their full growth. - -The two most dangerous animals in Africa are the buffalo and the -rhinoceros. Most animals will run from man, but a buffalo may be just -inside tall grass or a brush thicket, unseen, when he will charge a -hunter. The rhinoceros is almost blind, but what he lacks in sight is -made up for by his keen scent. As soon as he scents anything he wishes -to impale on his horn, he starts in the direction from which he got -his lead. When closely pursued by a "rhino," the hunter will stand -still until the big beast is immediately in front; then he will -side-step. A man can turn much quicker than a "rhino," and in that way -one has a chance to get away, or to keep dodging the animal until help -comes. - -Plural marriage is the custom with these natives, but a wife in Uganda -is one-half cheaper than in Zululand, from four to six head of cattle -being the standard price of a helpmate. - -Bananas and sweet potatoes grow very bountifully, and these two -vegetables comprise the principal food of the natives. The banana is -boiled when green and eaten. The soil is rich and a chocolate color. - -This was the only place in our tour of Africa where pretty birds were -seen and also were heard singing. Birds in South Africa seldom sing. -Parrots are on their native heath here. - -The sun in that part of the world shines 12 hours a day the year -round. - -Automobiles, motor trucks, motorcycles and bicycles may be seen -spinning along good roads. - -My time had been overstayed in Entebbe, so we took our departure for -Kampala, the native capital. The lake stopping-place is called Port -Bell. Seven miles from the little port is located Kampala, the ancient -capital of Uganda, and that distance is traveled in a government motor -car. Rubber trees and banana groves line the roadway for the distance. -About 75,000 natives live in Kampala, but the huts are so scattered -and buried under banana bushes that one would not think there were -one-third that number. It is another Rome, so far as hills are -concerned. The government buildings are seen on one hill, the King's -house and Ministers' houses on another, and a monastery and a mission -stand on other hills. Four hundred Europeans comprise the population. - -Our next landing from Kampala was Jinja, another port of Victoria -Nyanza, and the most interesting of the lake stops, as we had reached -the outlet of that body of water, Ripon Falls, where one looks at the -starting point of the historical river Nile, the magnet that figured -largely in my giving way to the witchery of the foreground when -standing on the shore of the lake at Kisumu some weeks before. - -J. H. Speke, an Englishman, in 1858, discovered Victoria Nyanza, but -its outlet, hidden by green banks on each side, was not reached until -four years later, on his second visit to that section of Africa. He -named that neck of water Napoleon Gulf. Speke was the first to reveal -the source of the river Nile, which had long been sought by the -Egyptians, who had for ages been in the dark concerning the -fountain-head of the river that meant so much to them in providing -water to grow crops--their life, in fact. When it is recalled that -rain has not fallen for thousands of years in some sections of the -African continent through which the Nile flows, it is little wonder -that the Egyptians were eager to learn of the river's source. - -Ripon Falls, named by Speke after the president of the geographical -society that financed his explorations, is located a mile from Jinja, -and is only 12 feet high and 400 feet wide, but when that plunge has -been taken the water becomes the river Nile. From Ripon Falls to -Albert Nyanza the river is known as the Victoria Nile. On, on it flows -through countries inhabited by savage tribes--by elephants, -rhinoceroses, lions and hippopotami--through lakes and great swamps; -still on and on through the Soudan, and even further northward, where -it is halted for a time by the great Assouan Dam. It next passes -through the desert to Alexandria, Egypt, where it becomes lost in the -salted ocean, nearly 4,000 miles from its source. - -Until a few years ago visitors to Ripon Falls were forbidden to go -close to the section where the water makes its plunge from Victoria -Nyanza to the River Nile, as the brush growing on both sides was -infested with tsetse flies. The brush was finally cleared and lemon -grass planted. One is not quite safe from being bitten even now, as on -the opposite side the brush is dense, and the distance across the -river would be none too far for a fly to journey. No one enters that -brush unless their hands are covered, and face and neck protected with -a heavy veil, to thwart any attack by that winged messenger of death. - -From Jinja a railroad, the only one in Uganda, extends northward 59 -miles. - -Returning by boat to Port Florence, then by train over the mountains -to Nairobi, we again feasted our eyes on big game while traveling -through the great preserve; next through the Taru Desert, where the -leafless trees grow; and finally we rumbled over the trestle spanning -the water channel separating Mombasa Island from the mainland. - - - - -LEG SIX - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -We now take final leave of Africa, the land of fever and fascination, -and start for India. The boat from which I disembarked at Mombasa -weeks before had sailed to Bombay, returned to Africa, and was now -again on her voyage to the Pearl of the Orient. Only two Europeans -were traveling second-class--the only white passengers aboard--the -others being black. We had been at sea but a few hours when the -captain invited us to quarters in the first-class section without -additional charge. Seldom are passengers favored with such kindness. -The ship headed for the Island of Mahe, the largest of the Seychelles -group. - -Before leaving Mombasa passengers had to be vaccinated, as smallpox -had broken out in that place. The port doctor snagged my arm with an -inoculation needle in three different places, giving as a reason for -doing so that he was sure none of them would "take." Later, it became -painfully evident his opinion could not be depended upon in a matter -of that nature, as three flaming-like eyes appeared on my arm--all -three vaccinations had "taken." - -A ship may enter the port of Bombay, India, though bubonic plague and -smallpox is ravaging the passengers, but if what is known as a jigger -is found on the feet or hands of a passenger a vessel would be -quarantined for eight days. The jigger is a small insect that crawls -under the toenail, deposits eggs if allowed to remain, and then dies; -its eggs, however, cause a sore, which spreads over feet and legs, and -the hands and body eventually become scaly, somewhat like eczema. -African natives are very clever at digging out the jigger. The ship's -doctor examines every toe and hand of passengers booked for India. He -places a box on deck, when, one at a time, each passenger puts first -one foot on the box, when the doctor inspects each toe, and then the -other, for jigger indications. Several days are devoted to this -examination. - -"A complete quarantine" was the order of the port doctor when we -reached Port Victoria, on the island of Mahe, Seychelles group, the -Mombasa clearance papers announcing smallpox prevalent in the African -town. - -The coco-de-mer--a double cocoanut--is perhaps one of the strangest -products in the world; only in the Seychelles group will the nut grow, -and there on but two islands. After the shuck has been removed the -double nut is found, black as ebony. A striking feature of the -coco-de-mer is its resemblance to the torso of a black person. The -tree on which it grows is like the cocoanut palm, and the nut is used -for decorating homes and clubs. The palm grows in sexes, male and -female, only the female tree bearing. - -This group is composed of 29 islands, with an area of 153 square -miles, and is located in the Western Indian Ocean about a thousand -miles east of Zanzibar. The French settled these in 1742, which -remained their territory for 50 years, when England added them to her -possessions. The 30,000 inhabitants of the islands speak the French -tongue. Unlike most sections of Africa, the climate here is healthful, -the group being often referred to as the Garden of Eden. Cocoa oil and -vanilla are the principal exports; tea, coffee, banana, cocoanut and -other tropical growths also flourish. The natives are yellow in color, -but not negroid. American five-gallon oil tins are in evidence in that -isolated "oasis" of the world. - -We traveled northwest from Seychelles, when we recrossed the equator, -leaving behind the towering palms of Rio; the circling albatross and -pretty Cape pigeons, the whales, flambeau trees, Zulu ricksha pullers, -gold and diamond mines, Victoria Falls, and shapely mountains of South -Africa; Australia, New Zealand, and the South Sea Islands; the -interesting East Coast of Africa and Zanzibar; leafless trees, game -preserves, green-island dotted Victoria Nyanza, nimble monkeys -disporting in treetops, ant-eating natives, pretty birds, Ripon Falls, -the tsetse fly--mindful only of the interesting and fascinating--and, -lastly, the Southern Cross, as we say a final good-by to the attractive -Southland and the kind people living in that division of the world. - -"The anchor rattles down on stranger shores." We had stopped at -Morumgoa, Portuguese-India, where most of the black passengers left -the ship. Goa is the name of this Portuguese colony, which embraces an -area of 1,500 square miles, and has been ruled by Portugal since the -fifteenth century. Half a million Portuguese subjects live in Goa, and -from that place comes the Goanese. They consider themselves Europeans, -dress like Europeans, but are as black as an Indian. Stewards on -passenger steamships in the East are generally Goanese, as they make -better servants than Indians. The passengers were returning from -Africa, where they had earned from $20 to $30 a month, very good wages -for them. They had saved enough in Africa to live in ease at home for -a long time, and would send friends across the Indian Ocean to take -their places. - -Another day's travel within sight of the Indian shore, and we sailed -into the east bay of Bombay harbor, when a splendid panorama--the city -on our left, the bay in front, and green hills and islands to the -right--spread out before us. We had reached Asia--Leg Six. - -The Parsi (a Persian) is the financial power in Bombay, coming to -India a long time ago, when his empire was destroyed by the -Mohammedans. Persecuted by Indians for centuries, his progress is -entirely due to the protection he has received under England's strong -arm. Bombay has been an English possession for 300 years. - -The Parsi is lighter in color than the Indian, dresses differently, -thinks he is better than the native, will not eat food prepared by -others, and does not marry outside his own race. A majority of Parsis -wear spectacles--possibly one of the results of tribal intermarriage. - -One is surprised, on visiting this Parsi stronghold, at the splendid -buildings, rising bulky and high, about the city. The streets in the -business section are good and the walks in fair condition. A good -system of stone and cement docks impresses the visitor. Ships are so -numerous at this port that some of the vessels have to remain in -harbor for days, and even weeks, before docking room is available. A -large dry dock was under course of construction at this time, and -other important improvements were in evidence all along the water -front. - -Trucking is done by oxen; horses are never seen drawing heavy loads. -The Bombay truck is a two-wheeled cart, thousands of these, loaded -with cotton bales and various merchandise, slowly moving about the -city all the while. When drivers wish to speed their oxen they twist -their tails. From this method of forcing the animals, the pronounced -corrugated nature of their tails suggests that the joints had been -wrenched apart numerous times. - -Bombay cotton mills number about a hundred and furnish employment for -over 200,000. Indian cotton is not so good as that grown in the United -States, and for this reason hundreds of thousands of bales are -imported from America each year to mix with the native product. Cotton -is worn mainly by the natives, and, as the Indian woman has a weakness -for colors, groups of these make a picturesque showing. - -Indian women work side by side with men and receive the same wages. -The work engaged in may be carrying earth from an excavation, loading -dirt into carts, shoveling coal, or lifting bales of cotton. These are -known as coolies, and no distinction is made between male and female, -English rule has given some workers in India a short day, but others -work 10 and 12 hours. The wages paid coolies in Bombay are from six to -eight cents a day. A woman may be carrying material to masons working -on a wall of a building and her babe be sleeping behind a pile of -bricks. When the child requires its mother's attention the hod-carrier -walks over to the infant, remains a short while, then leaves, loads -her basket with brick, lifts it to her head, and starts up the ladder -with the material. - -Thousands of people in Bombay sleep on the sidewalk at night. They -completely cover their head and face, placing a piece of old cloth -under them--if so fortunate as to have something of that sort--lie -down, and sleep until morning. One wonders they do not die of -suffocation. - -Usually the temperature is cooler at night than by day, but such is -not the case in Bombay, the weather being hotter at night during the -summer season than in the daytime, when a breeze generally blows, and -ceases at sundown. Then perspiration seems just to boil out of one's -body. Bombay being built on an island, with water on all sides, one -would naturally think air would be noticeably stirring at night, but -instead the bays at this time of year are usually as calm as a mill -pond. We reached this country the end of September, and for three -weeks following the weather would not permit of even a sheet covering -at night. The weather is indeed hot in India. - -The monsoons, or rains, begin the latter end of May, and continue -until the first of September. The rain comes in showers, the sun -shining between, when steam continually rises from the ground. White -women go to the mountains before the monsoons, on account of the -trying nature of the weather, and also after the monsoons have ceased. -The weather in India is very depressing to white women. - -Were one to walk about with bare arms on a cloudy day they would -become blistered. If one walked ten feet without head covering, he -would be apt to fall from sunstroke as quickly as if felled by a blow. - -Bombay, the fourth city of the British Empire, has a population of a -million, 15,000 of whom are said to be Europeans, but it is doubtful -if there be that number of full-blooded whites in the city. Of this -population, it would be interesting to know what percentage wear -shoes. Some Parsis do so, others wear sandals; but no Hindus or -Mohammedans wear shoes, and but a small minority are seen with -sandals. These are worn only while walking, for it is the custom to -leave their sandals outside the entrance of a building or home and -enter in bare feet. No matter where they may be, the sandals are -discarded at all times when they are not actually walking, and when -sitting down their feet are partly concealed under them. - -Hindus and Mohammedans do not eat pork, as they consider the meat -unclean; neither is beef eaten by Hindus. This is the reason why beef -sells for five cents a pound. A cow is considered a sacred animal by -the Hindu, and therefore not to be eaten. A shoemaker or saddler, or -any one working with leather, is of very low caste, according to Hindu -social rating. - -In the Five Towers of Silence, located on Malabar Hill, the Parsi dead -are disposed of, the method employed being one of the strangest -customs practiced. A long, stone stairway leads to where the bodies -are placed on an iron grating, which takes four men to carry it. Here -are five cylinders, of three compartments each, 276 feet around and 25 -feet high, resembling a circular gridiron, with a depression toward -the center. Under the depressed portion of the cylinder is a well. -Bodies are laid on the grating naked--adult males on the outside -compartment, women on the center, and children near the well. -Bald-headed vultures being numerous in the trees growing about the -Towers, half an hour after a corpse has been placed on the gridiron -every particle of flesh will be stripped from the bones by these -vultures. The skeleton remains on the grating, exposed to sun and -wind, until it has become dry; then the body-carriers, with tongs, -remove the bones into the well. This method of disposing of bodies, -instead of by cremation, is due to the Parsis regarding fire as too -sacred to be polluted by burning the dead, and water and earth are -equally revered. The bones and dust going into the same well is in -keeping with one of the tenets of their religion--namely, that rich -and poor must meet in death. The Parsis are followers of Zoroaster, -who is said to have brought sacred fire from heaven, which is still -kept burning in consecrated spots, while some of the temples are built -over subterranean furnaces. - - [Illustration: BHISTI (Water-Carrier). - INDIA. - See page 293.] - - [Illustration: PARSI. - BOMBAY, INDIA. - See page 271.] - -The Parsi has a marked weakness for seeing his name engraved on brass -plates or shields or cut in polished granite. In order that this whim -be gratified, he donates large sums of money to worthy benefactions. -Their wealth and power may be inferred when it is stated that the -control of the city of Bombay is in the hands of 80,000 out of a -population of a million. The poor are well looked after, and a high -standard of morality is their boast. The adoption of European -customs becomes more noticeable from year to year. The children of -that race attend the public schools. - -One style of hat or cap worn by the Parsi is of pasteboard, covered -with dotted white and red silk cloth, in the shape of a horse's hoof. -In the center of the cap a conical piece of the frame points upward, -but not so high as the top of the "hoof." That feature of the cap -suggests the frog in the horse's foot. No rim, string or tassel goes -with this odd headgear. Occasionally a small feather may be seen at -one side. Another hat having a high crown, is made of cloth, without a -rim, save for what might be called a cuff around the bottom. His -"coat" is a long, loose garment reaching to the knees. The Parsi -horse-hoof hat, with adornment, will yet be well known beyond the -borders of India and Persia, for milliners will induce their customers -to adopt that style of headdress. - -The city is well provided with parks. On the west side is a large -strip of land, on which English sports, including polo games, are -common; this park is used also for other forms of recreation. Music is -provided in this part of the city every evening. In another section is -located Victoria Gardens, a very pretty place, containing a good -museum and a creditable zoo. Music is furnished in these grounds -several times a week. - -An interesting type of the varied nationalities of Bombay is the -fisherwomen, who carry their catch in a basket on their heads. They -are a different race to the Hindu or Parsi, dress differently, wear no -head covering, and a sort of skirt they wear stops at the knees, the -center being caught up by a piece of cloth brought between and -fastened in front, giving the skirt a baggy, trouser-like appearance; -from their knees down their legs are bare, including the feet. While -their occupation would suggest untidiness, yet no people in the world -are superior, in neatness of step and admirable carriage, to the -Bombay fisherwomen. - -It may be of interest to note that Bombay "duck," appearing on menus -in the Far East, is really fish caught in the Arabian Sea, which, -after being dried, is shipped to many parts of the world. - -Bombay curry and rice is another food seen on menus in cities a long -distance from the place whose name it bears. A gherkin is always eaten -with this, the chief food of India. Curry and rice is seen on menus -all over the country, and it is well for one to acquire a taste for it -while in India, as it is said to be good, and there is always plenty -of it. - -"Lac" is used in India to denote large amounts, as a "thousand" is -used in our country. There is a much larger difference in the amount, -however, as a lac is 100,000. Five lacs of rupees, or three lacs of -cotton bales, is the way the term is used. - -A garrywaller is a cabdriver, but "garry" is the general term used -when speaking of that class. The term "waller" is used in the place of -the word "smith" in the United States. It would be tinwaller for a -tinsmith, woodwaller for a cabinetmaker, saddlewaller for a saddler, -and so on. - -Cab fare is cheap in Bombay. The charge for the first hour is 25 to 30 -cents, and 16 to 20 cents an hour after the first. Short trips cost -from 10 to 16 cents. One engaging a "garry" should know the exact fare -before starting, for a driver may demand double the regular fare when -the journey is finished. The cab horses are a hungry-looking lot--like -those of Paris, France. - -Jewelry and copper wallers form a considerable proportion of skilled -workers. Copper cups and vases are much used in connection with -religious customs, and Indian women will starve themselves to save -money to buy silver ornaments. As many as six or eight ankle, wrist, -and arm bangles are worn by these women, besides heavy pieces of -jewelry depending from the ears, and flat ornaments covering the -mouth. These last are attached to a pin that has been pierced through -the nose. Mothers even have bangles on the arms and ankles of their -babies. - -An Indian woman's dress is often composed of but one piece of -cloth--cotton or silk, as the case may be. On the amount of money a -woman has at her disposal depends the bulk of the dress she wears. The -strips of material are sometimes 20 feet in length; they are caught up -by deft hands and made into a full fold, a half fold, or a V-shaped -hook design, until a covering of what seems an inch of cloth is around -the figure, worked out in shapes and designs to suit her fancy. None -of the women wear shoes or hats, the head covering being made of the -bolt of cloth composing her dress. The brighter the color of the -material the better she is pleased. - -Several English daily newspapers are published in Bombay; the leading -one sells at six cents a copy. Employed in that particular office are -1,100 persons, and out of that large force were only nine Europeans -working in the mechanical departments, these directing the work of the -several divisions. Here were linotype machines and other modern -appliances that mark the advancement which has taken place in the -printing industry during the past 25 years. The "aristocratic" workers -of that office were the linotype operators, their wages varying from -$14 to $18 a month--big salaries for India. A typist or linotype -operator would not hold a job long in America were he to bump down and -up the keys of these machines with but one hand; yet that is the way -the Indian linotype operator manipulates a keyboard. Unlike coolies' -hours, the working day in a publishing house is but eight hours. The -wages of other Indian skilled mechanics in that office ran from $3 to -$8 a month. - -Modern machinery in any branch of industry in India, however, is often -run at a loss. In a large publishing house a modern paper-folding -machine had been installed at considerable expense. After the machine -had been in operation for several weeks it occurred to the management -there was little, if any, financial gain noticed by the results. When -the original cost, wear and tear and ultimate replacement had been -figured out, the figures proved that the work could be done 600 per -cent. cheaper by hand. The folding machine was immediately abandoned -and the work again done by boys receiving from 4 to 6 cents a day. - -The Bombay policeman's hat is yellow in color and resembles a thick -pancake, with a firm rim. He carries a club, and a small stick is -another symbol of authority. He wears sandals, and is not officious. -If he be on a day assignment, his time on duty is eight hours. The -night policeman has much shorter hours--two hours on and two hours -off. This unusual practice is maintained owing to an officer being -very apt to go to sleep while on duty. Mention has been made of the -weather being hotter at night than in the daytime, which may explain -the night policeman's tendency to become sleepy. These protectors of -the law receive $3.25 a month. - -Electric street railways run to every part of the city, but few -Europeans ride in them. Not long since a white person seen riding on a -street car would be thought little of, but social restrictions in this -respect have relaxed to a noticeable degree. Formerly Europeans were -expected to maintain their position by riding in a carriage. Street -railway fare is cheaper in Bombay than in Sydney, Australia--from 2 to -3 cents for a long ride. The city is lighted by gas, but it does not -reflect much credit on the lighting department. - -Every European living in India must be identified with the local -militia. It matters not whether one be a Britisher, a German, a -Frenchman, or an American--all white male residents must be instructed -in the use of arms. It is the fear of native uprisings that demand the -training of each European, to be able to give the best account of his -ability if confronted by hordes of blacks intent on the most cruel -forms of massacre. A large garrison of British soldiers is stationed -in Bombay, and even a larger number at Poona, 100 miles east. - -The food is nearly the same variety as one gets in other parts of the -world. One would expect to come across different vegetables, but, with -a few exceptions, potatoes, beans, peas, tomatoes, onions and pumpkins -rule the day. One does not fare so well with eggs, however, as these -are one-third less in size than European or American eggs. The Indian -breed of chickens have long legs and a wide breast, so there is more -white meat than dark to the Indian fowl. - -Elephanta Caves, located seven miles from Bombay, on the opposite -shore of the eastern bay, is one of the attractions of that city. -Caves of this character are numerous in Southern India, and most of -them are worth a visit. The caves are underground temples, and the -sculpture, as seen in the gods carved out of solid rock; pulpits, -shrines, and images symbolic of their faith, speak well for the -people's skill in that art. The roofs of these caves are supported by -large stone columns. Nothing has been overlooked to make these large -underground places of worship emblematic of their religion, no work or -expense having been too great to bring about that end. Elephanta and -other wonderful subterranean temples bespeak the Buddhist faith. They -were chiseled out in the eighth century. Thousands of Buddhists visit -and worship in the caves to-day. The Caves of Ellora, however, are the -greatest and most notable. - -One would not expect to find away off in Bombay the prettiest railroad -station, perhaps, in the world; yet Victoria Station, the western -terminus of the Great India Peninsula Railroad, in architectural -beauty, will withstand critical examination. The style is Italian -Gothic, with Oriental designs. The building is elaborately ornamented -with sculpture and surrounded by a large central dome. The station was -built in 1888, and cost $1,500,000. We know of a number of larger -railroad stations, but have seen none to compare with its rich -architectural appearance. Though Victoria Station is the prettiest -structure in Bombay, other splendid buildings would surprise a visitor -on his visit to the Parsi city. - -A flat or an apartment for Europeans costs $30 a month. Office rent is -nearly as high in Bombay as it is in New York. - -Good hotel accommodation can be had from $2 to $3 a day. Usually a -room is composed of three "compartments"--a sitting room, dressing -room, and bath room, but no running water. Hot water for the bath is -brought in copper kettles and emptied into a wooden tub. It requires -three Indians to look after a room--a room "boy," bath "boy," and -"sweeper." The room "boy" is of higher caste than the bath "boy," and -the bath "boy" of higher caste than the "sweeper"; neither will do -work out of their caste position. Ceilings are high, and many hotels -are lighted by electricity. At sundown the room "boy" sees that the -bed is enclosed with mosquito netting, supported on a frame. Most of -the beds are of iron, with modern springs. - -One will not be in this city long before the large number of black -crows, with steel gray backs, flying about comes under observation. At -daylight their presence is forcibly brought home, the medley of "caws" -coming from these Indian scavengers preventing further sleep of a -newcomer. - -America was prominently represented here in a sewing-machine office, a -cash register office, and the ever-present American five-gallon oil -can. - -The native quarters is a black and busy place. Bombay is perhaps more -cosmopolitan than other Indian cities. Here are seen the Arab, Afghan, -Zanzibar negro, Persian, Beluchi, Chinaman, Japanese, Malay, and -representatives of other countries and other sections of India. -Bright-colored clothes appear occasionally, but the denizens of the -native quarters are more naked than dressed. The bazaars are located -here--the brass workers, coppersmiths, and jewelers; and here -everything native-made may be purchased. Candy makers are among the -"wallers" of India, and the smell from these shops and the native -cooking-places--well, if one were blind, and at all used to Indian -life, he would know he were in the bazaar by the odors. - -India is the home of the rupee. As stated earlier, its value is 32 -cents in United States money. Then there is the half rupee, 16 cents; -the anna, two cents; the pice, one-half a cent, and the pie, one-sixth -of a cent. Millions of people in India have never had a rupee in their -hands, being more familiar with the pice and pie coins and cowrie -shells, the latter being legal currency in some parts of India. The -value of cowrie shells varies from 80 to 85 to the pie, or 500 to the -American cent. - -European data in connection with Bombay and southwestern India is -taken from the year 1498, when Vasco da Gama, the daring Portuguese -explorer, sailed around Cape of Good Hope to Calicut. Portugal then -assumed control of this section for twelve years, when it was wrested -from her, again coming into her possession twenty-four years later. -In 1608 England appeared on the scene, and in 1661 Bombay was ceded to -Britain as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza. A few years -later the East India Company established itself here, and it has -remained a British possession ever since. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Our next move was by rail to Baroda, 248 miles north of Bombay. The -railroad coach was of the compartment type, but wide, the road gauge -being 5 1/4 feet. Fare in India is cheap, first-class being three cents a -mile, second-class a cent and a half a mile for short journeys and a -cent and a quarter for 300 miles or more, and third-class fare -one-sixth of a cent, or a pie, a mile. To learn what heavy passenger -travel is one must go to India and note the jammed condition of the -third-class cars. Natives seemed to travel on railway trains to show -their friends they had money to spend on luxuries. At certain towns a -sub-station is located near the regular station, where third-class -passengers cook their food and sleep until the train arrives. If they -oversleep, it matters little, as they camp out until the next train -stops. Some of the coaches are equipped with shower baths and -luxuriously furnished; all of the through trains are lighted by -electricity and provided with electric fans. To add to the comfort of -passengers, ice is carried to cool the drinks. The schedule time of -some trains is 40 miles an hour. Coaches are provided with free -sleeping berths, as in South Africa. - -My compartment companion was a sepoy (soldier) and a Mohammedan, who -had seen 24 years' military service, and spoke fairly good English. He -had laid in a supply of food before leaving Bombay, and, when eating -small cakes, offered to share them with his European traveling -companion; next a cigar was proffered, and, not being a smoker, this -kindness was also declined. Indians are vain concerning scented water, -and this sepoy had saturated himself so thoroughly with lavender or -rose-water that the compartment smelled like a perfume factory. He -next offered fragrant water to put on my handkerchief, but I did not -take kindly to his taste. He carried two pillows, and was disposed to -divide these with his companion. Some interesting facts concerning -Mohammedan customs were gathered from him during the journey, and when -Baroda was reached the sepoy asked, apologetically, if his presence -had been objectionable. In answer, he was handed a picture of one of -the high buildings in New York City. - -One-third of the area of India is composed of what are termed native -States, the State of Baroda being among these. The Gaekwar of Baroda -rules over 2,000,000 subjects, and is reputed to be the second -wealthiest man in India. The richest native ruler is the Nizam of the -State of Hyderabad (Deccan). - -A much better appearance was offered by the Gaekwar's subjects than by -the natives seen in Bombay. Baroda has a population of 100,000, and a -street-car line is among the city's attractions, the cars being drawn -by horses. Away from the bazaar, or business center, Baroda is -provided with good streets, with trees growing on each side. A -creditable park is located near the city, the grounds containing a -museum, an art gallery, and a zoo. - -A visit was made to the palace, in which is included the legislative -halls. We had been through palaces in Europe, but the Gaekwar's bed -was the most costly seen anywhere. It is of solid silver, the posts -being two inches in diameter, and everything else connected with this -democratic ruler's bed was fully in keeping with the silver frame. -Electric fans are placed throughout the palace; while mosaic-tiled -floors, mahogany furniture, most expensive rugs, and drapings were -also seen about this Indian ruler's dwelling-place. The palace is -surrounded by attractive grounds. - -Native rulers may govern their States, but England really holds the -reins of power. The ruler of the State of Mysore, for instance, had -his domain taken from him, but it was afterwards returned. That will -serve as an indication of what is likely to take place if a maharaja -opposes England's idea of how to conduct her dependencies. The Gaekwar -himself was scotched by the British whip for turning the wrong way in -the presence of the King of England at the Durbar held in Delhi -several years since. Previously the Gaekwar's standing had been -recognized by a royal salute of 21 guns, and seven of these were cut -off. He now receives but a 14-gun salute for his unfortunate turn at -the Durbar. - -Dak bungalows take the place of hotels in the smaller cities of India, -but even these are absent in remote towns. In order that European -visitors to Baroda may not be put to any inconvenience concerning -accommodation the Gaekwar has built a special hotel, called the Rest -House. Financially it is a loss, but the Gaekwar is too big-hearted to -allow his European friends to undergo any discomfort while staying at -his capital. - -Large monkeys, two feet high, inhabit the trees here. They are sacred -animals to the Hindu, and, although destroying garden and flower -plants, no Hindu would venture even to strike one of the tricky -animals. If one of them was killed by a European, that person, -probably, would not get out of the place alive. - -The next stop was at Ahmedabad, where some of the best temple and -mosque architecture in India is to be seen. The city has a quarter of -a million inhabitants, and is noted for its goldsmiths, jewelers, -ivory carvers, lacquer workers, cotton-cloth factories, calico -printing, gold and silver lace, and other industries that require high -skill. - -Feeding-places for birds--boxes on posts--ornamented with carving and -sometimes brightly painted, naturally arouse the curiosity of visitors -to Ahmedabad. A sect of the Hindu faith in this city is known as the -Jains; they erected the feeding-places and supply food for the birds. -This Buddhist sect believes all inorganic matter has a soul, and that -a man's soul may pass into stone; but it is their concern for animal -life, more than their other beliefs, that interests. They will not -kill an animal, bird or insect. To maintain life in flies, bedbugs, -mosquitoes, fowl, dogs, and monkeys is a strict tenet of their -religion; they also believe bodily penance is necessary to salvation. -This sect numbers a million and a half. - -The Jain temple--Hathi Singh Temple--is one of the prettiest church -buildings we have seen. Though it has not the imposing appearance of -the Cathedral of Milan, Italy, a view of the Jain temple of Ahmedabad -will long remain in one's mind. The church, built of white marble, -surmounted by 53 domes, will bring to mind, as a poor illustration, -the handsomely ornamented Christmas or wedding cakes seen in bakers' -windows. Woolen slippers must be worn on entering. The interior is in -keeping with the richness of the exterior. The gods in the temple -where the Jains worship seem to be made of gold, although they may be -of brass; they are two feet high, and some are ornamented with what -looks like precious stones. - -In a mosque of that city there is a marble window, with delicate -tracery on stone of stems and branches. This beautiful craftsmanship -is in every detail equal to what one would expect if the same design -was worked by a deft hand lace-worker. The window is six or seven feet -across, and of the same height. The tracery was executed nearly 300 -hundred years ago. Formerly there were two, but one was removed from -the mosque and taken to London, and is now in the British Museum. - -In all the larger centers of India a garrison, or cantonment, is -located just outside the city, some of them composed largely of native -soldiers, with European officers in charge. Europeans living in these -centers occupy homes near the cantonments. - -Ahmedabad streets are well shaded, and some of the houses, though none -too tidy in appearance, are beautifully ornamented on the outside with -wood carving. Beggars are numerous. A wall, in some sections 40 feet -high, with 12 entrances, surrounds the old city. A good park is -another feature, and the old wells are an example of art in a high -degree in the past. The necessity for these wells will be understood -when it is stated that rain does not fall from the termination of the -monsoons until rain is again due, a period of eight months; but the -sacred tamarind trees do not die. All the cities of India put one in -mind of a rosy apple rotten in the center: the outskirts are -beautified with nice parks, good roads, and shady trees, but the -inside is always spoiled by a dirty, bad-smelling bazaar. - -Packs of big monkeys and homeless dogs--pariah dogs, they are -called--stand on the roads in the suburbs until a horse almost steps -on them. They are waiting for the Jains to come with food. The pariah -dog is generally mangy, scaly, starved, and half mad when he is not -actually snapping. Though a menace to human life, if a European were -to kill one it might lead to an uprising in India. The mortality from -rabies is appalling. - -Lizards were seen sliding about the walls, crickets were piping from -the corners, and frogs were hopping about the floor of the room I -occupied in Ahmedabad. No one of this sect will kill a lizard, as he -is a house scavenger--puts in all his time catching flies and -mosquitoes. The lizard is evidently not a Jain. - -A 24-hour ride was ahead of us before Agra could be reached. The -country passed through was as level as a table, with patches of rice -growing on each side of the railway track. Now and again an irrigation -trench is seen, and trees in cultivated fields, while often separated -by considerable space, give the landscape a timbered appearance. Four -poles, from eight to ten feet above the ground, may be seen standing -in fields where grain is growing, on top of which a shaky platform has -been built. An Indian is assigned to this "look-out," to protect the -growing and ripening crops from invasions of destructive fowl and -animals. Rice will grow only in from three to twelve inches of water. -If the monsoons be limited, there will not be enough water to grow the -rice, and the dreaded famine results. Though the monsoons had been -good, the people looked half starved; so we have no desire to travel -through India in a famine year. The Indian plough is perhaps an -improvement on what was in use 5,000 years ago, as it has a pointed -iron bolt in a stick of wood, but in the murky past the point of the -plough might have been wood. Oxen, with big humps on their shoulders, -draw the stick and bolt, and two Indians--generally a woman and a -man--seem to be required to work the device. A long pole sticking in -the air, with half a dozen to a dozen Indians around--each woman with -a baby astraddle her hip--is scaled by two or three men, a cloth no -larger than a pocket handkerchief about their loins, the top of the -pole bending to the ground as the men approach the end of it. A sort -of bucket--generally of earthenware, but sometimes an American -five-gallon tin oil can--is seen appearing on the surface with water -dripping from it. This is the windmill of India. When the monsoons -fail them, this is their only hope of getting water from the wells to -nourish the rice "paddies," and it is borne on the head for long -distances for the purpose of maintaining life. - -Very few people drink water in India, as in most rivers it is polluted -by dead bodies, is used by "dobeys" (washermen), and in other ways -made unfit to drink, all of which causes typhoid fever. For this -reason much whisky, also soda water, is drunk. Soda water on trains -sells at four cents a bottle to a second-class passenger and eight -cents to a first-class passenger. In this country one pays according -to his position for any and everything he buys. - -Stations are not announced in India, and noticing "Agra" on a board, -in large letters, that place being a Mecca for travelers, we fell in -line with custom and left the train. - -The chief attraction of Agra is the Taj Mahal, the greatest tomb ever -erected to the memory of a woman, and this in a country where women -are looked upon as merely servants of men. The monument was erected by -Shah Jahan, Emperor of Delhi, to one of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal, "the -pride of the palace," as she was termed. Work began on the monument in -1630, which was completed in 1652, 22 years being required to finish -the grand pile of marble. The sum of money expended on its erection -was $10,000,000. - -The grounds in which the tomb stands are entered by an imposing gate -that would be a creditable monument in itself to any great personage. -When inside, the visitor is confronted with a beautiful garden. A -marble walk, in black and white, leads to the noted monument at the -other end, on the bank of the Jumna River, where it rises in striking -beauty, its stately marble dome, marble walls, and marble minarets -demonstrating the grandeur in architecture for which the Taj Mahal is -famed. The marble platform on which the tomb stands is 313 feet -square, and the top of the dome rises to a height of 213 feet. At each -corner of the tomb is a minaret of white marble, 137 feet high, -delineated by black lines. Some parts of the tomb are inlaid with -precious stones. Trellis work also plays a conspicuous part in this -magnificent monument. - -The fort of Agra, built of red sandstone and nearly 70 feet high, with -a circumference of a mile, contains some magnificent buildings of the -Moguls, although portions have been demolished. It was behind these -walls 6,000 Britishers took refuge during the Mutiny of 1857. The -walls of the fort and the buildings were erected between 1550 and -1640. Shah Jahan, the Emperor of Delhi, who built the Taj Mahal, also -erected the greater number of fine buildings here within the great -sandstone walls. Among the material used in the erection of the -palaces is white marble with blue and gray veins worked in with black -marble, and white marble inlaid with mosaic and valuable stones, rich -reliefs enhancing the design. As in Nero's day, there was an enclosure -built, in which wild beasts tore each other to pieces for the -amusement of the Mogul. Artificial flowers, made of valuable red gems, -inlaid in white marble; marble lattice work, treble marble domes, -marble fountains, walls embossed with gold--practically all -marble--beautified with red sandstone pillars and splendid vistas, -with green parrakeets flitting about the surroundings all the day, may -also be seen in this grand scheme of architecture. Such elegance, and -the vast amount of money spent in erecting these handsome buildings, -contrasted strongly with the dirty, squalid living quarters of the -poor, low-caste Indian, certainly indicates a striking disregard of -their interests. - -Here one finds a creditable park, good driveways, shade trees and -large lawns in front of Europeans' homes. These dwellings are -bungalows, one storied, high roofed, with wide verandas, and often -covered with grass or reeds. The kitchen is not inside, but a building -in the rear is used for that purpose. Nearly every one owns a horse -and trap of some sort, and there is a stable included in the -buildings. A fence generally surrounds the grounds, and the inclosure -is called a "compound." - -Agra has a population of 200,000, and the articles manufactured are -gold and silver embroidery, carving in soapstone and imitation of old -inlay work on white marble. - -The Mohammedan place of worship is a mosque, and the Hindu place of -worship is a temple. - -A Mohammedan may have four wives, besides concubine slaves. The -celebration of a Mohammedan marriage costs the father of the -bridegroom about $150, which is used to buy presents for the bride and -to furnish a feast for friends. Any prospective father-in-law -attempting to shave that sum would be thought little of by the -bridegroom's acquaintances. Mohammedans bury their dead, but use no -coffin. They place the corpse on the bottom of the grave, build over a -frame, which is covered with timber, cloth or stone, and then fill in -earth. Prayers are offered five times a day--at sunset, nightfall, -daybreak, noon, and afternoon. All work is abandoned at time for -prayers. Mohammedan priests use their voices to summon worshipers to -prayers, because Jews and Christians use bells and trumpets for the -same purpose. Mohammedans believe in a resurrection, heaven, and hell, -but also believe there is a separate heaven for women. The Koran -forbids the drinking of wine or eating of pork. This sect wash their -hands, mouth, and nose before eating or praying. Mohammed, the prophet -of Allah, was born in Mecca, Arabia, 570 A. D., his father being a -poor merchant. Sixty-three million of the population of India are -Mohammedans, and the Mogul dynasties prevailed from the fourteenth to -the sixteenth centuries. - -Unlike Mohammed and the mountain, if one does not go to the Indian -bazaar the bazaar is brought to him. On a visitor leaving his room, -there will be spread before his door on the wide veranda silk shawls, -silk dress goods, and souvenirs of the place; also waiting are snake -charmers, jugglers, photographers, "dobeys," tailors, shoemakers, -barbers, guides, hackmen, fellows offering themselves as servants--all -making salaams--speaking in a low voice, but persistently following -their business instincts. One never finds himself at a loss for some -one to do whatever he wants done. An Indian may not be within sight or -sound, yet if one should make his wants known, the man he requires -will immediately appear as if having come out of the ground. It is -said that no secret can be kept from the native--he seems to have the -power of extracting any treasured thought from the mind of a European. - -Since leaving Bombay we had not seen a sidewalk. - -We now head northward for Delhi, the country continuing flat, with the -same scenes, save for a deer appearing from grain fields on several -occasions as the train rolled along. Every time the train stopped a -native approached a coach that contained high-class Indians or -Europeans. He was a "boy" servant, waiting to learn if his master -needed his services. Nearly every one traveling in India takes a "boy" -with him, as it gives a person a better standing with both natives and -Europeans. The wages for these servants range from $5 to $7 a month. -If one rides first-class, the servant rides free in the third-class -cars. His duties are to wait incessantly on his employer, look after -the baggage, and act as interpreter for a European who cannot speak -the native language. When in a city the "boy" is no expense to his -master, as he provides himself with both food and lodging. - -Delhi, the old walled capital of the Moguls, is under course of -rebuilding for the ninth time in its history. Calcutta was the capital -of India until 1911, when the seat of government was changed to Delhi. -Seven years was the time allotted in which to build the government -offices. Owing to the prevalence of malarial fever, and the intense -heat of the plains, two capitals are maintained. Delhi is the official -city for five winter months of the year, and Simla, in the Himalayas -to the north, the summer capital for seven months. In one of the -burnings and sackings of this city, in 1756, Nadir Shah carried away -with him treasure amounting in value to half a billion of dollars, -including the Koh-i-Noor diamond. For a distance of six to eight miles -south of the city, pillars, earth depressions, and crumbled walls -attest the onetime greatness of the new capital. Delhi was founded by -the Aryans more than a thousand years before the Christian era, but -modern history dates from the year 1200. This city became British -territory in 1803, and a quarter of a million people live within its -lines. - -The financial year of married Europeans in India is nearer eighteen -months than twelve. Owing to one's business, a city home must be -maintained, and another, in addition, in the hills--as the mountains -of India are termed--for the wife and children, for six months of the -year, thus supporting a city home twelve and a mountain home six -months. The heat of the plains is so trying to European women and -children during the summer that they must go to a cooler climate. -Seldom are white children over 10 years of age seen; they are -generally taken to Europe at that age to receive schooling and to -acquire a sound constitution, thus burdening the husband with more -expense. Few Europeans become wealthy in India. - -From eight to twelve servants are required for a European's household. -The servant custom is maintained, even though there is only a Sahib -and Memsahib in a family, and one finds what seems a surplus of -servants about each home. In addition to the head servant, there is a -cook and dishwasher; the husband and wife each have their separate -"boy"; also a gardener, and the "sice," who looks after the horse; a -servant to cut grass for the horse, that not being the work of a -"sice"; a water-carrier, and a night watchman, or "chokeedar." Each -child in a household would have a nurse. The wages of these servants -range from $2.50 to $5 a month. One Indian will not do the work of -another--he will do only certain things he was engaged to do. One -often hears of tyranny of labor unions in America, but the system in -vogue in India of getting work places labor unions in the United -States in the light of philanthropists by comparison. - -An acquaintance who had been many years in India told of his traveling -by stage through a district inhabited by highwaymen. The friend he had -left assured him he need have no fear of danger, as one of the gang of -outlaws would be on the seat with the driver. While passing through -the highwaymen's lair the vehicle was stopped by the bandits a number -of times on plunder bent, when the member of the gang who had been -engaged to accompany the vehicle would say the word, and travelers -were allowed to proceed. That is another way Indians have of getting -work. - -It would be hard to find more attractive surroundings to any city than -the section of Delhi north of the walls. Parks, good roads, monuments, -and shade trees are in evidence. Among the interesting features of -Delhi is the monument to John Nicholson, the Mutiny hero. It is a fine -shaft of red granite, with a bronze bust of the great soldier. The -inscription, striking in its simplicity, is: "John Nicholson." Four -thousand brave white men were lost in the siege of that city. - -Shah Jahan, the Mogul Emperor who built most of the rich buildings in -the Agra Fort and palace, and also the Taj Mahal, built the Mogul Fort -and Palace in Delhi between the years 1638-48. He was every inch a -king, so far as spending money lavishly goes, as another building in -the Fort, 90 by 60 feet, built wholly of white marble, was inlaid with -precious stones, and the ceiling was of silver. One flooring a -building with $20 gold pieces in Shah Jahan's day evidently would be -looked upon as a cheap imitator. The great value of some of these -buildings is still in evidence, several being preserved; but -despoilers, during the mutiny, ruined much of the beauty of the palace -which Nadir Shah left after he had carried away the Koh-i-Noor diamond -and half a billion dollars in treasure. Some of these palaces are used -to-day as messrooms and for other purposes by British troops. - -Some of the splendid mosques here swarm with beggars. If a guide takes -a visitor to these he is allowed to go no further than the entrance. -At some of the churches shoes must be taken off in order to enter, and -at all of them the shoes must be covered, generally with canvas -slippers. Money has to be given to the fellow who puts on and ties the -slippers. The first usher takes the visitor to one portion of the -church, and when he has reached the end of his territory another usher -takes his place. At these boundary lines a fee is expected. When one -reaches the outside he has paid six fees, and even there he comes in -contact with sundry professional beggars. The guide, in the meantime, -must be paid, and the garrywaller as well. But such fees in India are -not heavy, and hack fare is only from 15 to 30 cents an hour. - -A prayer offered in a mosque is equal to 500 offered elsewhere, and -one prayer offered at Mecca is equal to 100,000 in other sections. - -The Kutab Minar, one of the grandest monuments in the world--a tower -of victory--is located seven miles from Delhi--where the capital once -stood. It is another of those wonderful works of the Moguls. Its -height is nearly 350 feet, and the width of the tower at its zenith is -nine feet. The diameter of the base is 47 feet, and it tapers -perfectly from that measurement to the top. The first three stories -are of red sandstone, with semi-circular and angular flutings. The -noble monument has five stories, the two upper ones being faced with -white marble. Balconies are built at the base of each story of the -tower, from which a good view may be had. - -As in Italy, holidays are numerous in India, and no work is done on a -holiday. It is on these occasions that the curtain is raised and a -broader insight of the people is obtained. Were one to collect all the -brightest colored cloth manufactured, and specially arrange these to -give the most gorgeous effect, the kaleidoscope would not surpass what -is seen in Delhi--in all India, in fact--in raiment worn by the people -on holiday occasions. - -I stood on the Chandi Chauk, the principal street of Delhi, while a -holiday procession passed. It took many hours--days, on certain -occasions--for the hundreds of thousands of people from that section -to squeeze their way through the street, and every coping, balcony, -roof and window above the street contained as many human beings as the -space would admit, all dressed in gaudy cloth. High-caste Indians, -dressed in silks and velvets, rode in handsome carriages, drawn, in -some instances, by snow-white horses; lower-caste citizens rode in -traps, with seating space on the sides, and drawn by donkeys and oxen; -throngs of barefooted, serious-faced natives mingled among these, -walking; further down the emblazoned street could be seen a brown head -appearing above the people, oxen and horses--a camel, between high -shafts, drawing a high-wheeled wagon, the occupants being concealed by -a large closed box, like a van; this contained Mohammedan women. -Hundreds of low palanquins, their dark curtains extending from the -roof down the four sides, borne on poles, between which were two men -at each end, flitted in and out of the narrow streets; these also -contained Mohammedan women. The big Afghan, or Kabuli, with his baggy -apparel and full beard, also mingled in the procession. Taboots, a -fantastic design of mosque and pagoda, the framework made of poles and -covered with bright-colored paper, lavishly decorated with tinsel and -gaudy ornaments, passed by, drawn by devotees of the Moslem faith. -Blare, grotesqueness, weird music from strange instruments, together -with the air of melancholy, induced by the beating of the Oriental -tomtoms--all very strange indeed. Holidays often last a week, and some -even extend to ten days. - -Army officers relate interesting stories of that country. For nearly a -century elephants had been used to move army transports. The food of -the elephants was large cakes made of wheat, and a dozen was a meal. -The mahout, or cook, might take a portion of the flour from the -apportioned quantity and keep it for his own use. Before eating the -cakes, the elephant lifted this food on his trunk; if the cakes were -short of his regular portion, he would set the food down and would not -touch it. A white officer, inspecting the animals at feeding-time, -seeing that the elephant did not look sick, would weigh the food, and -in every instance the scales verified the elephant's refusing to eat -because he had been cheated. - - [Illustration: TYPES OF INDIAN SOLDIERS. - THE SIKH. - THE GOORKHA. - See page 311.] - -Indian women often cooked the cakes for elephants in a mud fireplace, -and the big beast would sidle to where his food was being prepared. -The basket for the woman's baby to rest in was made of twigs, and a -bent bamboo pole served as a handle to the Indian "cradle." The Indian -mother would slip the handle over the elephant's trunk, and the -to-and-fro motion of the beast would rock, or lull, the baby to sleep -while the mother cooked the elephant's meal. - -House rent in Delhi is higher than in New York City. The rents were -increased a hundred per cent. when it was decided to remove the -capital from Calcutta. - -A number of European stores were found in the capital. Drug stores do -the best business in India, as well as in Africa. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -We did not go farther north at this time, but traveled easterly to -Aligarh. A college is located here, some 1,200 students being in -attendance. This seat of education was erected and is maintained by a -wealthy Indian. It is non-sectarian, and Mohammed, Hindu, Jain and all -other sects take advantage of the liberality of the benefactor. -Strange as it may seem, the educators are Europeans, and the language -of the institution is English. - -An American mission is located several miles from Aligarh, and the -Europeans living in that city and district get their bread from the -mission. Few people take kindly to eating bread made by Indians, as -they have so many skin and constitutional diseases and untidy habits -that one does not know what ailment he may contract from eating -native-made bread. A creamery is located near the city also, owned by -a Swede. Like the bread, Europeans prefer European-made butter, and as -a result there seems room for another white-conducted creamery. - -Living in this section is a remnant of a former wild tribe, who -existed from plundering and were being hunted by the authorities most -of the time. The Salvation Army obtained permission to use an old fort -as a mission, and most of these highwaymen have found peace within its -walls, being industriously engaged in weaving silk. This section of -India is termed the Doab. - -All white men in India own an evening-dress suit, generally worn at -dinner in their own homes. - -Every one carries a lantern at night. Snakes are so numerous and so -poisonous that one's life is in danger. Some of the Indian snakes are -small, are very dangerous at night, and their bite is almost certain -death. The fatality from bubonic plague, cholera, typhoid fever and -rabies is appalling, yet it is said more people die from snakebite in -India during the year than from any other single cause. - -The most commendable feature of India that came under observation was -the free service of the bhisti (bee-ste), or water-carrier. Men -engaged in that occupation have a guild, or union, and the rules of -the organization forbid them making a charge for water. The carrier's -water-bag is made of leather, in the shape of an inverted pig, and -contains from six to eight gallons. A strap is tied to both the hind -and front of the pig-shaped bag, which stretches across his right -shoulder, the bag being on the left side. A stopper is placed in the -mouth of the bag, which the carrier holds with his left hand. A cloth -is worn about the loins, and his legs are bare to the ground. He -usually wears a shirt, with short sleeves, and his head is covered -with a bulky piece of cloth wound round and round. Most of the bhistis -are bent forward and lean to the left, which is accounted for by their -carrying the bag on that side. He is a poor man, but will serve water -to either man or beast in need. He is generally found about railway -stations and other places where large numbers of people congregate. -Thirsty children may be seen running to the bhisti, with empty cups in -their hands, for water, when he withdraws the stopper, places the -spout above the cup, and releases the thumb of his left hand at the -mouth of the bag, filling it. The happy child drinks and walks away. A -mother, with a water vessel in her hand, calls him, when he pauses -until the woman catches up with him, and then supplies her need. The -Indian mother might leave with him a pie (one-sixth of a cent). As -stated earlier, rain does not fall in India at certain seasons of the -year for periods of from five to nine months, and water is water -during most of that time. Should the water-carrier pass an ox, a goat, -a dog, or a horse--anything in need of water--he at once eases his -thumb on the spout of the bag and relieves the suffering. He might -call at a compound with his bag full, and the master of the bungalow -would direct him to sprinkle the parched garden. After doing so he -walks away unless called to receive pay. The bhisti, in short, -practices what Red Cross societies aim to accomplish, and what -churches profess to do. He is the one star that shines brightly -through the dark, traditional sky of India--a messenger of life in a -land of suffering and death. - -Clay cups, saucers, plates, bowls, and buckets are made in the college -city, the smaller vessels containing oil, with a cloth dip added. -Cities are aflame with these on certain holidays, and from remote -sections millions of clay-saucer lights burn throughout the populous -country. - -Garlands are placed about the neck of guests when invited to partake -of an Indian's hospitality, these often extending to the waist. They -are made from flowers, leaves, paper, cloth, and on occasions are -composed of gold lace, and even more expensive material. - -No hotel or dak bungalow was found here; but on visiting places -without these conveniences, even if one be a stranger, some European -will extend an invitation to stop at his home. European hospitality is -another bright light that shines in this dark country. - -Wherever a few Europeans are found, a little English church has been -erected, and a bell will be heard ringing every Sunday morning. - -Cawnpore was the next stop. The first thing that attracted attention -was dust, which seemed six inches deep, quite a cloud arising from it. -When we left Bombay, sidewalks and paved streets were left behind. -This city has a population of 200,000. It is a leather manufacturing -place, and cotton mills are also quite numerous. We visited Cawnpore -chiefly to see the historical Massacre Well. - -Cow fat on cartridges, a desecration of the Hindu religion--the cow -being a sacred animal to the people of that faith--was the fuse that -ignited the mutiny bomb in 1857. Uprisings by native troops had taken -place at intervals for ninety years previous, during which the domains -of rulers had been taken from them, higher pay for the sepoys refused, -and pensions to the deposed rulers' heirs cut off, the army being -composed in a large degree of high-caste natives. - -Nana Sahib, heir to a ruler who had once been head of the Mahrattas, -was among those who did not succeed to the pension his adopted parent -received, $400,000 a year. At that time 40,000 British soldiers were -in India and 240,000 Indians, drilled in warfare by British officers. -At Cawnpore there were but 200 British soldiers, 30 officers and 3,000 -sepoys. On June 6 General Wheeler, who was in charge of the British -troops, was warned to expect an attack--the siege had begun. The -ground was so hard that good trenches could not be built, and the dirt -was so dry it would not pack. Nine hundred, the majority women and -children, took shelter in the crude trenches. Nana's forces were well -armed, and a murderous fire came from the enemy. The barracks of the -besieged comprised two buildings, one of which had a thatched roof, -and the well from which they got their water was exposed to the -enemy's fire. The thatched roof was set on fire and burned, and the -occupants were daily exposed to a sun varying from 120 to 140 degrees. -Deaths were taking place every day, and bodies were buried in another -well close to the barracks. An armistice was finally agreed to after a -20-day siege, during which 250 out of the 900 died. - -The terms of the armistice were that the British should leave their -guns and treasure behind, and that Nana Sahib would see them, -unmolested, to the river, where boats would be ready to take them down -the Ganges to safety. Four hundred and fifty were left, and the boats -were beached on bars of mud in the river. Instead of being towed down -stream, a murderous fire of grapeshot and musketry opened on all -sides. The boats were covered with thatched roofs, and, these taking -fire, many of the deceived survivors were suffocated by the smoke of -the burning grass. Following, the sepoys jumped into the water and -butchered others of the party. At last the Nana's heart temporarily -softened, and he ordered that no more women should be killed, and -about 125 women and children, wounded and half drowned, were then -taken to Cawnpore. The men on the boats were murdered. - -In two weeks' time General Havelock had reached Cawnpore with 2,000 -soldiers. A week later an engagement took place, in which the Nana -suffered a crushing defeat, and at a second engagement the mutineers -were again defeated. The Nana, learning that Havelock would soon be -reinforced, ordered the captives to be killed. The few men who were -among the women and children were brought out and put to death in the -Nana's presence. A party of sepoys were then ordered to shoot the -women and children in the building in which they had been placed, but -the soldiers fired at the ceiling of the room. The Nana, being in a -rage at his men refusing to shoot the white women, ordered a party of -butchers to put an end to the captives, and a short time after -entering the house his orders had been carried out. Next morning all -the bodies were thrown in an adjoining well--since that time termed -the Massacre Well. This took place on July 15, 1857. - -In the center of a beautiful garden a mound covers the well into which -the bodies of the 125 women and children were thrown. On the mound is -a memorial in the form of an octagonal Gothic screen, in the center of -which, on the actual well, is a white marble figure of the Angel of -the Resurrection, with arms across her breast, as if resigned to the -Almighty will, each hand holding a palm, the emblem of peace. Over the -arch is inscribed, "These are they which came out of great -tribulation." Indians, except park workers, are not allowed in the -Memorial Gardens. If they were, some of them might be taken to -hospitals from time to time, we fear, as Europeans feel bitter after -having visited the Massacre Well. - -Twelve years is the legal marriage of girls in India. Girls, however, -have a partner selected for them as early as two years of age, and, if -they do not wish to live with their husbands at the legal age, they -are taken from their father's home by force. No matter how young she -may have been when the parents married her, she is the man's wife from -that time. Should the husband die after marriage, the girl, according -to Indian custom, cannot marry again. She may be a widow when she is -8 or 10 years of age. She is looked down upon, her hair sometimes cut -off--in short, she becomes the drudge of the family. She is charged -with having done some very bad thing which caused her husband's death. -Nothing is worse treated than a Hindu widow. Fathers receive from $25 -to $200 for their daughter from the husband. Mothers 20 years of age -will have "married" daughters seven and eight years old. - -If a poor Hindu were eating his portion of rice, or other food, and a -European happened to pass between him and the sun, causing his shadow -to flit over the native's food, the hungry creature would not eat it, -firmly believing it had been polluted by the white man's shadow. -Natives eat with their fingers. - -Were a man or woman to drop in a faint, or from any cause, they would -prefer to die before accepting nourishment from one of lower caste, -and certainly no one of higher caste would lend aid. Only one of -similar caste could relieve their condition. - -Indians consider Europeans filthy who use a tooth-brush more than -once. They use a twig or sliver of wood that has been chewed to a -bushy end; it is thrown away after using. People who eat pork are -considered worse than dogs. - -Men who wear trousers and shirt place the shirt outside the trousers. -Those who wear shoes have no socks. - -Long, canoe-like boxes on cart wheels were in evidence in Cawnpore. -The oxen were hitched to a crosspiece at the end of the shafts, while -Indians, behind the oxen, were between the shafts and pushing with -their breasts against the crosspiece. - -A European carpenter shoves a plane from him, but an Indian carpenter -pulls the plane toward him. Mechanics do most of their work sitting, -and use their toes as a vise between which to hold a board while -planing it. Before shoeing an ox, the beast's legs are bound with -rope, when the animal will be thrown. The blacksmith then shoes the ox -while he is sitting down. The Indian can make as convenient use of his -toes as he does of his fingers. - -Lucknow, next visited, is well provided with large tracts of park -space, splendid roads and good shade. The city has a population of -300,000, and among this number were more Europeans than at Cawnpore. -Several good European stores have been established, and these seemed -to compete successfully with the native merchants. - -This city shared with Cawnpore in the horrors of the Mutiny, as 3,000 -souls were behind the historic walls of the Residency when the siege -began, and when relief came there were less than a thousand alive. - -Bedding is not generally furnished by hotels in India. Frequently, the -"bed" is only a bedstead and springs, or, as will be found in smaller -centers, strips of cowhide, lashed at sides, top and bottom, answer -for springs; again, there is a mattress on the springs, but no -bedclothing or pillows. At other times, only one sheet over the -mattress, and nothing else. Owing to this unusual custom, a bag for -carrying bedding is generally included in travelers' luggage. The -contrast between India and Germany in this respect is very marked, as -at a small hotel in Berlin at which I stopped the bed had a sheet and -a feather tick for a covering. It was summer-time, but the covering -would answer for Arctic weather. In one case the sheet was not -sufficient covering; in the other the tick was too much. - -One is more successful in beating down hotel rates in this country -than anywhere else. It is a place of haggle and barter, and the -business system aims to make a customer feel he has got the better of -the bargain, while the seller is satisfied with his profit, although -having come down from the original price one-half. There is always -doubt whether the customer really has got the better of the -transaction; but there is no question, however, about getting a -concession, when, after a hotelkeeper has asked six or seven rupees a -day, the traveler pays only five rupees ($1.60) a day. It seems to -break an Indian boniface's heart to see a prospective guest go to -another hotel. - -"Babus" are men engaged at clerical work, and one has to scan his -hotel bill closely before settling, as a babu may add an item to the -laundry list or for ice, or even charge for other things that go with -hotel accommodation. Many persons will overlook a small charge, and -well the babu knows it. Extras belong to him. - -The hotels are generally of one story, and all doors open on to a -covered veranda. Almost every one has a servant--a "boy"--with him. -Early in the evening and during the night, in front of room doors, may -be seen one, two and sometimes three "boys" sleeping. If their master -or any European should pass where they are lying they hurriedly arise -in their blankets, salaam and bow, then immediately lie down again, -remaining thus until another European footstep is heard, when up they -jump, offer another salaam, and quickly settle down again to sleep. As -few Indians wear shoes, they know when an European is approaching. - -When leaving a hotel there will be four to six servants helping the -guest and his luggage into a conveyance. As most of them look alike, -it becomes necessary to ask each one what part he played in adding to -one's comfort while making his stay. In answer to who's who, one will -say he is the table "boy," another the room "boy," another the bath -"boy," and yet another, the sweeper. Others are also present to see -one comfortably on his way, but gratuities may be limited to four. -Three rupees--a dollar--proportionately divided among the four is -generally given for a week's or ten days' stay. - -On entering the native quarters--the bazaars--of the Indian cities one -is generally escorted by "runners" of silk merchants, brass -manufacturers, lacquer merchants and others. A friend and myself rode -on a two-wheeled trap, the seat facing backward; and as we entered one -of the arteries of the Chauk Bazaar the crowd of people and merchants' -runners that filled the narrow street from house wall to house wall -was so dense that the garrywaller gave up trying to proceed further. -It took us some time to reach the entrance on foot. No holiday was -being celebrated--this was an every day occurrence. - -In all the cities of this section are sports grounds, a race track, a -church, and public library for Europeans. A large cantonment is -located in Lucknow. - -The country over which we had traveled was so flat that it looked as -if there was no necessity for grading or cutting in the railway of -even two feet for a hundred miles. The "windmill," the stick-and-bolt -plough, the irrigation trench, and an occasional tree; the oxen, with -humps on their shoulders; the mud huts; the sparsely clad and -half-starved natives were scenes of similarity from Lucknow to -Benares, the sacred city of the Hindu. Benares is to the Hindu what -Mecca, in Arabia, is to the Mohammedan. - -One beholds beggars, beggars, beggars--repulsive looking specimens of -humanity--and pariah dogs inside and outside the temples; some of the -enclosures of the temples alive with monkeys and goats; cattle -standing munching in front of golden images of Hindu gods, up to their -fetlocks in yellow flowers and tender leaves; bony and poorly dressed -women flitting in and out of narrow alleys and through doorways into -temples, carrying a brass or copper water-pot full of Ganges River -water; vagabond priests on the "ghats," resting on a platform covered -with a large sun-shade, receiving money from very poor people for -making clay marks on their forehead--caste marks--all sacred! Beastly -and idolatrous would be a better term to apply to Benares. - -Two-thirds of the population of India--207,000,000--are followers of -the Brahmanic faith, and even one of the lowest caste believes he is a -unit in the great universe as compared to an Indian who has no caste -distinction. - -People of the Brahmanic faith come from all parts of India to bathe in -the Ganges River at Benares, which, by the way, is nearly as muddy as -the Missouri River. Their hope of a peaceful hereafter is strengthened -by a visit to the sacred city, but the poverty and suffering entailed -through spending money for the trip by those living a great distance -away is keenly felt. - -At Durga, or Monkey Temple, which is surrounded by high walls, 350 -monkeys were climbing up the sides of the church, scampering about the -walls, but always keeping an eye on the visitor. Upon entering the -temple enclosure a priest insists on one buying popcorn or other food -for the monkeys; then a second priest slips a garland of flowers over -one's head, another method of getting a little money. Besides monkeys, -mangy dogs come close, expecting popcorn, and impudent goats rub their -noses against visitors' clothes. The temple is painted an ocher color, -symbolizing the character of the god Durga--blood. Many beggars were -inside the enclosure, and were very numerous outside. Everything about -the place bore an air the reverse of sacred or solemn. - -The Golden Temple, hidden among many buildings, is the most important -to pilgrims. Three domes, covered with plates of gold over plates of -copper, ornament this structure; the floor is said to be inlaid with -100,000 rupee pieces ($32,000). A narrow alley runs in front of the -temple, and only two persons can pass at a time. Flower stands, and -men selling flowers, are plentiful about the entrance and along the -passageway. Inside the building are several shrines; in front of one -stood a Brahmani bull, and in front of another a Brahmani cow, both -animals having humps on their shoulders. Near the shrines peacocks and -deer were also seen. People were streaming in and out of the temple -all the time, those going in carrying a water-pot, made of brass or -earth, filled with Ganges water, and a handful of yellow flowers and -tender leaves, bought outside. The flowers and leaves were fed to the -bull and cow, and the worshiper sprinkled the water over himself while -paying homage at the shrine. All the time a din from cymbals, tom-toms -and other harsh instruments was kept up, sounding more like a boiler -factory than anything else. Every one was in bare feet. Most of the -men wore only a loin cloth, and the prominent ribs and other bones of -their bodies suggested a doubt of their ever having had a square meal. -Around the women's ankles were rings, around the wrists were cheap -glass or pewter bangles; the ears contained cheap ornaments, and a -gewgaw pendant hung from the nose over the mouth, secured to the -nostrils' partition. At every point of vantage beggars and fakirs were -as thick as flies. The constantly inpouring crowd and weird music is -kept up the whole day, year in and year out. There is nothing doubtful -about the sacred water--every drop is taken from the historical river -and carried to the temple. In some of the shrines is an image of a -monkey, a cow, a peacock, or a double-headed beast of awful -appearance; and gods in flaring red represent fire and thunder. All -the time priests are collecting money from the worshipers. - -Many professional loafers, known as "jojees" or devotees, are seen in -India. They will hold up one of their arms for years until it has -become rigid and the fingernails have grown and twisted about the hand -like roots; some hang by one foot from a pole, like the flying foxes -of Tonga; or distort themselves in other unnatural positions. This is -done in accordance with their supposed religious belief as bodily -penance, and they are looked upon as martyrs. Some of them have ashes -on their bodies, which they sell, mostly to women. Rice and money are -thrown to these knotty-whiskered, filthy fakirs by poor people who -really cannot afford the gifts, but who think they are doing a -religious act. - -The view of Benares from the Ganges River is an unusually fine one. On -the high banks at this point stone steps have been built leading from -the top to the water. Above the steps and banks stand attractive -temples and palaces. At certain times of year the temples are used by -pilgrims who come from every point of India to worship. Sections of -the steps have proper names, which are called "ghats"--used for the -English word place, as Dandi Ghat (place). - -Over a million pilgrims journey to Benares each year, where they bathe -in the Ganges as a purifying tenet of their religion. Among others, -there is a small-pox ghat, where those suffering from small-pox may -bathe, in the hope of being healed; also bathing ghats for other -diseases, where purifying rites are carried out. On each ghat are -several raised platforms, having large sunshades, where men, their -legs half curled under them, are sitting. Every one leaving the water -stops at a platform, where caste marks are made on their foreheads, -each supplicant leaving money with the marker. Some have no money -coins and leave cowrie shells instead. These markers are priests. The -pilgrims then wend their way to a temple and worship either an idol -painted red, having three eyes, a silver scalp, or an elephant's trunk -covered with a yellow bib; the figure of a rat; a monkey of brass, -wood or iron, or some other image. At the temple the faithful make -another donation, tom-toms, cymbals and other instruments playing -meanwhile to awaken the gods of wood, brass or stone. - -A few hours after death a body is brought to a burning ghat, men being -covered with a white sheet and women with a red cloth. Smoke from a -dozen to fifty pyres may be seen rising from the ghat, and the ashes -are thrown into the Ganges just below. The fuel for a pyre costs -$1.60; wealthy Indians use sandalwood for this purpose. Children of -five years of age and under are not cremated, their bodies being cast -into the Ganges, with a weight attached. "Holy men" of the church are -not cremated; they are either buried or, like the children, cast into -the Ganges River. - -Every pilgrim, on leaving Benares, takes with him a quantity of Ganges -water, though he may live a thousand miles away. Were a European to -touch accidentally a pilgrim's water-pot, the Hindu would feel that -the sacred water had been defiled. - -Caste customs in India forbid intermarriage of one with another; they -must not eat nor drink together; must not partake of food prepared by -a lower caste, and shun even touching the clothes of those beneath -them. Were an Indian merchant to adopt the Christian religion, his -business would probably be ruined, his home possibly be surrounded by -a mob, and he would be fortunate to escape with his life, having -degraded his caste. A man may be poor, and yet of a higher caste than -some wealthy Indians. - -Women, with two blanks in their heads, may be seen begging in many -places. To raise her head when out walking as a man passed is -considered a violation of a wife's vow by her husband, for which -offense their eyes are sometimes literally gouged out. High-caste -women keep very much to their homes. - -A white woman would be thought little of by her servants were she to -do domestic duties, such as dusting and putting a finishing touch to -the interior. Here are instances of how helpless some Europeans -become when in India: Were a man to brush his own clothes, or even -lace his shoes, these acts would prove sources of unfavorable comment -by the servants. A man, wanting to know the hour, sometimes calls his -"boy"; the servant takes the watch from his master's pocket, holds the -timepiece level with his employer's eyes, replaces the watch in his -master's pocket, and leaves the room. When keeping an appointment with -a servant, the master must not be punctual, but keep the servant -waiting. If the Sahib was punctual, and the servant happened to be -late, the master would be looked down upon for waiting for his minion. - -The cow is revered, not only owing to its service in maintaining life -by its milk, but because some of the Hindu sects believe that, after -death, they will be borne across a river on the back of the cow to a -better country. Hindus who do not wear long hair have a tuft growing -from the crown, or a little below that point. In case the cow should -fail to be on hand to take him across, a mysterious arm is supposed to -reach down, take hold of his tuft of hair, and by that means place him -in the better land. One would be disgraced were the tuft of hair -removed. - -Much of the ornamental brasswork seen in many parts of the world comes -from Benares, for which the Hindu Mecca is famed. Small idols and -images in brass or other materials are made in large quantities. The -brassworkers sit down while turning out their product. - -Ruins of the temples of Benares are located at Sarnath, five miles -from the city; these evidences of the past are seen in crumbled walls -and earth depressions. Brick and stone was the material used in -building, but the brick was much thinner and longer than the -present-day block. The most striking remains standing of the ancient -city is the Dhamek Stupa, or tower, which consists of a stone -basement, 93 feet in diameter, the stones being clamped together with -iron bands to the height of 43 feet. Above that point the tower is of -brickwork, rising to a height of 128 feet. Niches built in projecting -faces of the tower contain the figure of Buddha, and encircling the -monument is a band of sculptured ornaments of much interest. There is -some doubt among authorities as to whether the stupa has stood all -these years; it is the only building of the ancient temples at present -standing. Another stupa, not as massive as the Dhamek, was passed -before reaching the ruins. At one place among the crumbled temples is -the Main Shrine, the whole standing on a concrete foundation, with a -rail on the upper part of the altar. Close by is the Asoka Pillar, -which is broken, but was at one time 50 feet high, and is believed to -mark the spot where Buddha preached his first sermon. - -Excavations are under way all the time at Sarnath, and a museum -located at that place contains a large variety of interesting -fragments of the early Buddhist temples. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -A start was next made for the Himalayas in a northeasterly direction, -seldom traversed by persons going to that section of the mountain -country. I was the only white man on the train, and in view of few -European travelers taking this route no provision had been made for -food. The third-class coaches were packed with natives. We passed -through the opium poppy growing country, the sugar-cane and indigo -fields, and, further along, reached the jute-growing country in -Bengal. The train had left Benares in the morning, but it was twelve -hours later before food was available. - -At a place known as Katihar I had to remain a day in order to make -through connections. One of the sub-stations, located a short distance -from the railway track, was alive with passengers, but no one seemed -to really care when the trains came and went. Natives eating rice, -wheat cakes, bananas, sticks of sugar-cane, thick pieces of candy, -rolls like crullers, smoking the hooka (a long pipe with two bowls, -through one of which, containing water, the smoke from the tobacco or -hemp passes to the stem), gambling, begging; the big Kabuli--who looks -like a storm in silent mood--offering for sale alleged rare coins; -women with one to three very small children, all untidy and -dirty--such is life in India. - -The train left Katihar in the evening for Silliguri. An Englishman got -in the same coach, and I was much pleased to have a white man with me. -This train was not lighted by electricity, and there were doubts about -the oil in the lamp being of American brand, for the light went out -before we reached the second station, and when the train stopped the -Englishman could be heard shouting from the coach for some one to -relight it. The trainman had got no further than the rear of the -train, when the lamp gave a final flicker. The Britisher again began -to shout, but the train was then moving. The three following stops -were a repetition of the first, and, the Englishman finally admitting -his defeat, we stretched out on berths for the night. Most trains in -India have berths in the passenger coaches, but every one furnishes -his own bedding. The next morning found us at Silliguri, and in front -were spread out the Himalayas. From here a start was made up the -mountains. - -The Himalaya Mountains rise abruptly out of the flat plains, a -striking contrast to those of other countries. One would expect the -base of the Indian mountains to be at an altitude of 3,000 to 6,000 -feet, but Silliguri, located a few miles from where the ascent begins, -is only 400 feet above sea-level. - -The interior of the Himalayas is reached by means of a train of small -cars, drawn by a ten-ton locomotive over a two-foot railway track. -There are three classes of travel--first, second and third. -First-class fare is 12 cents a mile, second-class 6 cents, and -third-class 3 cents. These fares include a very small baggage -allowance. First- and second-class coaches are of the compartment -type, third-class having curtained sides, with bare-seated benches -across. The schedule is ten miles an hour, either going up or coming -down the mountain. - -The engine soon starts up an incline through a row of trees on both -sides of the track, with every seat in the coaches occupied and the -baggage car filled with luggage. The narrow train turns to the left, -then to the right; another sharp turn, and puff, puff, puff, as a bend -in still another direction is made; down a decline next over culverts -spanning rippling brooks and under turnpike bridges, then up, when the -grandeur of the great range begins to unfold. Down grade again, the -train stopping, after traveling but a comparatively short distance, at -a precipitous wall. Backing out over a switchback--there being five of -these on the mountain railroad--we next creep up a steep, serpentine -grade. Houses above and houses and huts below, surrounded by -semi-tropical growth and cultivated ground--there being little rock in -the mountain--with stretches of low brush, laid out in regular rows, -below us, appear. A house and huts have been built in these bush-like -tracts of land; these are tea gardens. A screeching whistle diverts -the passengers' gaze from downward to forward--we were pulling into -Kurseong, the halfway station, where some passengers get off and -others board the train. The locomotive, being supplied with coal and -water, again begins to puff, puff, puff, up a steep grade for a short -distance, then eases down a decline. The mountain is now so steep that -the narrow train can worm its way no longer about the side, coming to -another switchback. Backing out and again ascending, a silver streak -is seen, far below, winding over the plains--the Teesta River. Above, -the sky appears to rest on green mountain-tops. Upward the little -locomotive climbs, seeming to make sharp bends at every hundred feet. -The mountainside has now become a great tea plantation, and through -the hazy atmosphere the plains are but dimly seen. The sky, which from -below seemed to be resting on the point now reached, is further -beyond. Approaching an ever-receding horizon at distant outposts from -time to time leads one occasionally to fancy he were bumping his -shoulders against the arch of the sky at sundry points of the outer -circle. The narrow train laboriously continues upward, while -passengers direct their gaze down gaping caverns, on the rim of which -the railway track sometimes rests. Further on, the grade gradually -reducing until traveling on a short, level stretch of road, the train -stops. We have reached Ghoom, the highest point on the line, where -more passengers leave and others get out of the coaches to stretch -their legs. Oh! a great white ridge, high above valleys and tea -gardens--it is Mount Kinchinjanga, whose summit seems to intrude far -into the sky. What seems like trespassing on the sky's domain is -explained when the height of the mountain is made known--28,156 feet. -The train again proceeds, but down grade now, still winding and -twisting--not over a quarter of a mile straight track along the -route--until a sharp bend is reached. Then, as far as the eye could -reach, the high, white, stalwart peaks of the Himalayas were revealed -in their grandest form. Further on the train stops. We are at -Darjeeling, the end of the mountain railway, 50 miles from Silliguri. - -Baden-Baden, Germany--where one can walk about the splendid grounds -for half a day and need not be exposed to the sun half an hour--had -appealed to me more than any other place visited during my journeyings -until Darjeeling was reached. Here in the State of Sikkim, India, -20,000 feet below the grandest mountain range in the world and built -on the woody sides of a lower range, are seen rippling streams on -their way to a parent river; attractively laid out tea gardens on -steep inclines; a panorama of dwellings spreading out to all points of -the city; deep, wooded valleys on either side, with rivers coursing -these, flanked by flowering orange groves; parks, botanical gardens, -and shady paths cut on the hillsides; observation points and splendid -vistas; then, seen through the blue atmosphere, over low mountains, -valleys, hills and trees, Jalapa La Pass--17,000 feet above sea -level--the route through the Himalayan fastnesses to Lhassa, Thibet; -and, now seen and then unseen, as the many-shaped clouds flitted over -and away, the noble galaxy of white mountains, half circular in form, -to the front and to the right--Darjeeling can claim and deserves a -better description. - -Everything seen in the mountain city was different to the plains. The -Bhutias, of decidedly Mongol cast--strong, lighter in color than the -plainsmen, with rosy cheeks--were numerous, and it was good for tired -sight to get away from slender, half-starved looking men, and women -without eyes. Living in this section is another sect, or tribe--the -Goorkhas--admired by all white men for their bravery and feared by -natives. The water here was fit to drink, a luxury in India, and the -air was free of the humidity of the plains; the haughty Bengali could -be seen at nearly every turn, strutting about bareheaded, his hair -tidily brushed; and well-groomed European military officers were -galloping about the hillside roads and paths on spirited steeds. - -The Bhutia woman is the "horse" or "ox" of Darjeeling. Like the -Mkikuyu woman, she carries her loads in a basket, a strap fastened to -each side, which loops on her forehead. Few level paths or roads are -found in that section of India, but the Bhutia woman can carry two -maunds (160 pounds) in weight up from tea factories miles below, and -the same amount of coal, provisions, or supplies from the cities to -the settlements on the mountain-sides and down to the valleys. She -appeared as strong as a Zulu woman, but not so big. The country is so -hilly that wagons can be drawn over it only in few sections. Bhutia -men are employed at ricksha work or carrying palanquins. On account of -the steepness of the surroundings, three Bhutias are required to pull -and push a ricksha--one between the thills and two at the back of the -vehicle. Seeing the Bhutias wearing boots was something unusual in -this country. Brakemen, engineers and firemen employed on the mountain -railroad do not wear shoes, and the same applies to natives engaged at -the same occupation on the plains. - -"Coolie, Sahib?" or "Coolie, Memsahib?" if man or woman, is the -language of the Bhutia woman when seeking work. Going toward the -market-place, one of these strong women, with strap about her head and -basket held by the ends, will approach a person and quietly say, -"Coolie, Memsahib?" "Yes," was the reply one received from a lady on -her way to market. The Mongol woman followed, engaged in knitting -socks. After vegetables had been bought, the Bhutia woman sidled to -the dealer, turned her back, when the grocer placed the vegetables in -her basket; but she kept on knitting, apparently unconscious of what -was taking place. One will not look back to see if she is following -when leaving a stall; but at the next vegetable stand, in another -section of the market, the Bhutia woman would be standing a short -distance away, still knitting. Every time articles were bought she -turned her basket to the dealer, had these added to the earlier -purchases, and when the marketing was finished she followed the -memsahib to her home, emptied the contents in the kitchen, received -four cents for her work, continuing with her knitting, as she -zigzagged down a steep incline in the direction of the market -district. Bhutia women are very unassuming in their manners. Some save -money, but most of this is spent on jewelry. Discs of gold as large as -the bottom of a saucer may be seen depending from the ears, and large -silver or gold bangles are worn about the wrist. This weakness for -display, however, often proves their downfall, as they are sometimes -found dead along the mountain paths, stripped of every ornament. - -Thousands of men and women are employed picking tea leaves during the -season. The tea is picked from the bushes mostly during the monsoon -season, as the new leaves sprout fast during rainy weather. They work -in wet clothes much of the time, but the mountain natives are hardy, -and pay little attention to such discomfort. Men tea-pickers receive -eight cents a day and women six cents. Hut rent, garden, and medical -service is free. Over 3,000 bushes grow to the acre. Sunday is a big -day with these mountain natives; every one working on the tea -plantations for miles around comes to town--Bhutians, Thibetans, -Nepales, and other tribes--when the market-place and bazaars literally -swarm with them. In the Darjeeling district are 60,000 acres of land -under tea cultivation, and the output is nearly 20,000,000 pounds a -year. - -The Goorkha is what is known as a "hill man," and is small-built. He -carries a short sword or long knife in a sheath at his side, but will -not show the weapon. It is an old maxim with the Goorkha that blood -must be drawn every time he unsheathes the knife. Were he assigned to -duty by a captain, and a colonel wished to pass, the Goorkha would not -allow the superior officer to go through the lines if he had not -received orders to do so by the officer who gave him his assignment. -He acknowledges only one order--that of the officer who gave it, be he -high or low. Where the big Sikh would run or surrender under a galling -fire, the Goorkha, knowing no fear, would advance and win a battle. -His highest aim in life is to have marked after his name when dead, -"Died in action." When mobs gather and a riot is threatened, if -Goorkhas are assigned to the scene and instructed to quell it, every -one seeks cover when it is announced, "The Goorkhas are coming." -Indians well know the Goorkha order will be followed. He is the -policeman of Darjeeling. - -"The only supplies that reached the starving people of India during -the famine were those sent from the United States," was the refreshing -information gathered from an Englishman when touching on Indian -matters. The supplies he referred to were kept from native officials -and looked after by American representatives. Men get rich in India -during famine years through selling relief supplies at a high -figure--sent to be distributed free to the starving. Very few -high-caste Indians have any feeling for the suffering of a poor or -hungry native. - -One eats five times a day in India. Tea or coffee is brought to the -room generally before one is up; breakfast is served from nine to ten -o'clock; luncheon at from one to three o'clock; tea at from five to -six, and dinner from eight to nine o'clock. Band music, bioscope, and -other amusements take place, but are finished before dinner. In hot -countries Europeans bathe from one to three times a day. - -Along the bank of a river, stream, or pond may be seen dozens of -Indians doing their washing, and clothes spread out on the grass to -dry. They are soaped and rolled together and juggled in the hands of -the "dobey," and the next stage sees the same fellow slamming them, -with all his strength, against a rock. One would look a long time for -a washboard in India. - - [Illustration: MOUNT KINCHINJANGA (HIMALAYAS). CENTER PEAK IN CIRCLE, - MOUNT EVEREST. - DARJEELING, INDIA. (Photo, Burlington.)] - -A trip was made to Tiger Hill, six miles from Darjeeling, from which -point of observation is seen the summit of Mount Everest, rising to a -height of 29,002 feet, located in the State of Nepal, India. The space -intervening between this point and Everest is over 100 miles, and only -a tip of the apex of this, the highest mountain in the world, appears -to view. But even a peep at that premier pile of earth, rock, ice and -snow will partially satisfy the heart of one who yearns to see -nature's best in its varied forms. Everest, as seen from Tiger Hill, -is flanked by a peak on each side, both of which appear superior to -the king of mountains; but that delusion is accounted for by the two -plainer-appearing sentinels being much nearer to the point of -observation than the center white peak, Everest. It is hard to believe -that, if Mounts Cook, Ruapehu and Kosciusko were placed one on top of -the other, the combined height of the three Australasian mountains -would be lower than the dome of Everest; or that, if Mount Aux -Sources was lifted on top of Kilimanjaro, these African mountains -would be only slightly higher than Everest. Also, that if Jungfrau was -raised on top of Mount Blanc--two prides of the Alps--Everest would be -only a few hundred feet lower than their combined height; and were two -of the most noted mountains of the Western Continent--Shasta and -Ranier--piled one on top of the other, the culminating point of these -would be several hundred feet below the climaxing point of Everest. -Then, from the corner of the eye, while focussing the gaze on Everest, -an imposing white pile of grandeur--Kinchinjanga--second only to -Everest, tempts one to divert his view to its plainer seen and -noteworthy proportions. About Kinchinjanga, which rises its icy dome -28,156 feet above sea-level, clusters a noble family of sons, the -Hercules of mountains. Janu comes first, towering to a height of -25,304 feet; Kabru next, 24,015 feet; then Simolchun, with 22,270 feet -to its credit, and Pandim, 22,017 feet. There are still other noble -peaks in the Himalaya range, plainly seen from this viewpoint, that -appear small when associated with the greater monuments of nature's -buildings. - -All the natural agencies of earth, and those under the earth, could -not impair the grandeur of Mounts Everest and Kinchinjanga. A fierce -attack of wind and storm would only amuse these giants, as the summits -would be enjoying sunshine during the day; in the afterglow, from the -frosty flakes on the snowy domes, would irradiate soft, golden gleams -of light, and at night from these flakes would also sparkle blue-white -beams--reflected from the stars above--while the elements would be -vainly centering their forces at invulnerable parts below. Lightning -could not disturb even a pebble on these climaxing monuments, for ice -and snow is so deep on their summits, and for several miles below, -that the rock-like, glacial crust would prevent the forked thongs from -penetrating to the surface soil. Earthquakes might center their -rending powers at these stupendous vouchers of God's greatness, but -the result, if any, would be merely deep, wide breaches, so cleaved, -mayhap, as to form the design of the Cross or other holy emblem on a -prominent escarpment, and serve only to enhance their present -nobleness to a greater degree of reverence. And if the fires under the -earth should unite to destroy these Colossi of the Himalayas, -mustering every vestige of force and centering all into one tremendous -avulsion--the fires' fury finally succeeding in forcing vents at the -vertexes of these sky-piercing peaks--even then, thus riven, Everest -and Kinchinjanga would gloatingly belch from their crowning domes -rivers of liquid fire and eject prodigious quantities of flaming rock -and scoria, spreading broadcast their sulphurous outpourings for -hundreds of miles around, their lurid streams coursing the sides--all -of which would only serve to draw people from every section of the -world to gaze on the fascinating and appalling spectacle, that would -measure second only in widespread flare at night to heaven's own -aurora in the early morning. - -The term "timber-line," referring to mountains, means the limit of -altitude at which vegetation grows. Timber-line in the United States -is marked at altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet. On some peaks, this -line, often of stunted oaks six to twelve inches in height and one to -three inches thick, is as decided as a steel band around a circular -smokestack. Here and in Thibet, in an atmosphere refreshed by high, -snow-capped mountains, the force of the sun is apparent by trees, and -even vegetables, thriving at altitudes of 15,000 to 18,000 feet. -Helmets must be worn in the hill regions, as on the plains, to protect -one from sunstroke. - -The blue atmosphere--the sheen of the sky--in the Himalayas is of a -deeper color than that seen on the Blue Mountains of Australia. The -only place where a similar atmosphere was observed in America was from -Grand View, when looking into the marvelous maw of the Grand Canyon of -Arizona. - -Vegetation on the lower mountains was different to that of the plains. -The magnolia was seen, also the oleander, the chestnut tree, and the -oak; but the bark of the latter tree was different in color and shape -to that of the American variety, although the acorns were the same. - -A large number of British troops are stationed at Darjeeling, and -three forts have been built on the sides of a mountain facing Thibet. -Not even a goat could get through Jalapa La Pass if the guns of these -forts were trained on the noted mountain passageway. - -Darjeeling is a favorite vacation center for the people of India, both -European and native, in the summer season. In addition to the natural -attractiveness of this place, there is also a museum and a library. -Splendid mountain trips are at one's selection. - -Down the two-foot wide mountain railway we traveled to Silliguri, -boarded a passenger train, and were soon speeding over the flat plains -of Bengal, with Assam to the east. Palms grow in that section of -India, and the limbs at the bottom of the bushy tops had been freshly -cut and seemed to be scraped. The native drink--"toddy"--is partly -made from the juice of the palm after fermentation, when it is used as -an ingredient with distilled rice. Hemp, or jute, reeds were lying in -pools of water along the railway track to soften, when the fiber would -be stripped from the stalk and later made into rope. Sixteen hours -after leaving Silliguri the train pulled up at Sealdah Station, -Calcutta, the second largest city in the British Empire. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Calcutta, although having a population a quarter greater than Bombay, -does not measure up to the Parsi stronghold in architectural -appearance. Still, one of the best municipal parks in the world, the -Maidan, is located in the center of the city; it is two miles long, -one mile wide, and is bounded on one side by the Hooghly River and on -the other by one of the principal streets of Calcutta, Chowringhee -Road. The Maidan is ornamented by splendid monuments to men who took -part in the various mutinies, and those who, in the opinion of the -British government, wisely and bravely guided the affairs of this -country. - -We had again got to where street cars were running, where newspapers -were published, masts on ships were to be seen; hotels with two or -more stories, electric lights, and big buildings, also sidewalks--in -short, we were in the largest city of India. Fourteen hundred miles -separate Calcutta and Bombay. - -Street cars appeared better patronized by Europeans here than in -Bombay. There are two grades of travel to the city cars--first and -second class. The fare was cheap, first-class three cents and -second-class two cents. - -Calcutta is better managed than Bombay, notably, fewer beggars are -allowed on the streets; and some features that do not add credit to a -city were under better control. Official firmness in other ways was -also noticeable. It was in the Province of Bengal that the mutiny -started, in 1857. - -Modern machinery--linotype machines, web presses, and stereotyping -appliances--is in use on the daily newspapers of Calcutta, and very -creditable newspapers are published. But there is little saving in -modern machinery in India. An overseer of one of the printing plants -stated that they installed the linotype machines only to be modern, -but that there was no saving, in view of hand help being so cheap. The -wages paid run from $8 to $18 a month. The same applies to flour or -rice mills. Women may be seen in any part of India turning two stones -with which the rice and wheat are ground into flour. - -This city has a good business appearance, over 200 factories being -located within a short radius, a number of rope or jute mills among -them. Beside this native product, tea, opium, grain, indigo, raw silk, -and cotton are exported from Calcutta. Some of the streets are -literally packed with ox carts loaded with these articles of export. -Horses are used only for cabs, oxen being the beasts used for -vehicular traffic from one end of the country to the other. As in -Bombay, the joints in oxen's tails have been broken so often by the -drivers twisting them that they resemble threads of a large wooden -screw. - -The Black Hole of Calcutta, into which 146 human beings were forced on -June 20, 1756, and out of which 23 came alive the next morning, does -not compare in savagery with the Massacre Well at Cawnpore. Suraja -Dowlah, the Nwab of Murshedabad, had placed the 146 prisoners in the -building, the remainder of the British having made good their escape. -Contrary to general belief, the building called the Black Hole was not -a dungeon, but merely a lock-up for disorderly soldiers. The prison, -22 feet long by 14 feet wide, was too small for such a number of -people. The time being June, torrid at this season of the year, will -account for the deaths. No butchering took place, the detention was -for but one night, and, to give the Nwab his just due, the tragedy was -unintentional, according to some historians. Part of the space where -the old prison stood has been taken for a large building, and the -portion not occupied has been covered with black marble--the incident -inscribed on a slab of marble above--surrounded by a high, black wire -fence. - -The Hooghly River, so called by Europeans, but termed Ganges River by -natives, is a busy waterway, and the sea, or Bay of Bengal, is not -reached until a distance of 80 miles from Calcutta has been traveled. -This river is a large one, the water muddy, and very treacherous for -navigation. The same style of craft seen at Bombay--the dhow--is the -ship of the Hooghly, and is similar to that in use thousands of years -ago. It offers a picturesque, though archaic, appearance. Hooghly -water is considered sacred by the Hindus living in this section. - -Calcutta is not as interesting as Bombay, but there are three things -in the premier city of India that attract--the Maidan, museum and -botanical garden. Another feature, well known throughout British -territory, is the racecourse. The museum is a splendid building facing -the Maidan, and located on the principal street; the collection would -do credit to even larger cities than Calcutta. The zoo is a good one, -some native rhinoceros here seeming three times heavier than the -African breed. - -The botanical garden contains the great banyan tree, the remarkable -feature of which is that roots grow from the limbs of the tree -downward, take root on reaching the ground, and then grow into the -earth like a tree that starts from the ground. From these aerial roots -growing downward now stand over 200 trunks. The tree is not high, but -spreads widely, the distances separating the outer limbs from one side -to the other being 330 feet. The space intervening is studded with -tree trunks that, when young, had started from the limbs they now -support as props. The form of the banyan growth is circular, so would -be over 300 feet across from outer limb to outer limb from any point. -Around the circle of limbs the distance is over a thousand feet. It is -a beautiful tree, and well worth going to see. The botanical garden is -splendidly laid out, and contains many strange varieties of growth. - -European merchants have secured a foothold in Calcutta, and a visitor -is surprised to see the fine stores and large stocks of goods carried. -Even European barbers are found here, a rarity in India. - -Some European women, unfortunately, have married titled Indians in -the belief that a son or daughter would inherit their father's -possessions and title. High-caste women in India are seldom seen -walking about, as custom forbids such freedom; so, after the European -bride reaches her husband's country, her life is that of a -semi-prisoner. Her husband may be only a rajah, with title outweighing -rupees, in which event her home might be located behind an odorous -bazaar. Should she bear a daughter, little is thought of the event, -but should she bring a son into the world she is very fortunate, if -life by that time has any charm for her, if she and the son do not -accidentally die in child-birth. Such a contingency as a Eurasian -inheriting an Indian's title and estate is not to be thought of. Her -husband will have a native wife in addition to his white wife, and -should the latter fail to bear a son he would take still another -native wife, and should there be no male issue from the second native -union he may take yet a third native wife. Where a titled Indian is -not succeeded by a direct native heir the custom of adopting heirs is -common. A white wife's offspring, however, has no hope whatever of -becoming the reigning heir. - -The Eurasian is half Asiatic and half European. His social standing is -really pitiable, as Indians hate him because he is neither Indian nor -European, and white people, for the same reason, do not encourage -social equality. - -Kali Ghat, or Kali Temple, located some distance from the business -center of Calcutta, was dedicated to Kali, the wife of the god Shiva. -It is a terrible place. Mercenary priests, eager to obtain a fee, -almost fight for the privilege of showing one about the gruesome -premises. Two posts, a space of eight inches separating them, were -raised from the ground three feet, through which holes had been bored -to correspond. Two pins were put through the holes of both posts. To -the rear was a shed, in which were standing at least a hundred -half-grown male goats. The posts were located close to the entrance of -the temple. A goat was brought to the posts, the upper pin pulled out, -the goat's head placed between the posts, when the pin was inserted in -the holes, the space between the pins--about four inches--preventing -the goat from pulling his head backward. A brass pot, containing -water, rested on the ground, from which a man took a handful of water -and sprinkled it on the goat's neck. This was Ganges water--holy -water. Without ceremony, the man who had sprinkled the neck of the -goat swung a big knife over his head, and when it was brought down the -goat's head was severed. A woman squatted at the trunk end of the -severed neck, with a brass cup in her hand, catching the dripping -blood. When the first flush of blood ceased she quickly arose and -literally ran to the temple entrance. Inside, she offered the blood -sacrifice to the god Kali. All the time weird-sounding gongs and music -came from the interior of the temple, the heads of goats being severed -at frequent intervals in front of the entrance, each having been -bought by the disciple making the blood offering. From that scene the -priest takes a visitor to the burning ghat, and in the instance -related there were six pyres consuming dead, but none of the -"mourners" looking on gave the slightest intimation of grief. Two -hours' time is required for burning, and the price of wood for that -purpose was $1.15. The ashes are thrown in a lagoon of the Hooghly, or -Ganges, River. Church holidays in India are called "pujas," and great -crowds frequent Kali Temple on certain puja occasions. - -Large numbers of native babies are mortgaged before they are born. The -country swarms with baniyas, or money-lenders, who are a curse to -India. Parents who wish to visit Benares, the sacred city, borrow -money to defray expenses of the trip. Weddings often cost a -considerable sum for poor people--from $25 to $150--and, in order to -maintain their caste position, people borrow the necessary rupees. -Famine years, sickness and other causes also force the people to -borrow money. The rates of interest are very high. Land in India is of -hereditary ownership, and rajahs and maharajahs charge a high rental -to the worker. An income tax of 12 per cent. is collected on a yearly -income of $300 and above. - -Saugar Island is located at the delta of the Hooghly River, and Hindu -widows wend their way in large numbers to what the Hindu avers is a -sacred bathing place. As stated earlier, widows are held responsible -for the death of their husbands, although the wife might be but five -or six years of age when her husband died, and living with her -parents, and the husband from 20 to 60 years of age, having other -wives. The traditional, withering contempt and inhuman disregard for -these creatures cause widows to resort to any form of deprivation, -degradation and self-punishment--some of which are having their hair -shaved to the scalp, although they prize it highly; cast any money and -jewels they may have into the ocean, if a crafty priest does not catch -the arm and obtain, and retain, the treasure before it leaves their -hands; bathe in the waters, even though the breakers be mountain high, -knowing they will be swallowed by the sea; trudge from holy shrine to -sacred altar in various parts of India--all in the hope that their -sacrifices and atonement may satisfy the wrath of the gods they are -supposed to have provoked by taking away from earth the husband who -bought them from their father. A Hindu widow is thought much less of -than a pariah dog; she is the most pitiable object on earth. - -Leaving European and official sections of Calcutta, one comes to -street after street without sidewalks; with heavy ox-cart traffic; -natives as thick as flies, but no white people about; the usual vile -odors coming from the bazaar section; bony, half-dressed, ragged -people at every turn--all with somber faces. - -The native of the Province of Bengal is the proudest man in India, and -is said to need watching in transactions of every kind more than those -from other parts. He seldom wears head-covering, his hair is smoothly -dressed, he is erect, and walks with a pompous stride. One can always -tell a Bengali, as he appears neater in appearance than Indians from -other sections. His looks betoken his thoughts, for he entertains the -opinion that he is the essence of human kind in India, or even of the -world. As in all other cities of this country, the streets were poorly -lighted at night. Calcutta is a new city compared to other places in -India, as it dates back to only 1690. - -There being no rickshas in Calcutta, one of the means of getting about -is by palki, an upholstered box, seating one person. The box rests on -poles, and four coolies--two at each end--the poles resting on their -shoulders, lift the palki and fare and start off at a trot. They -receive 12 to 20 cents an hour for carrying a person--three or five -cents each. - -After crossing the Hooghly River bridge, a railway train was boarded -at Howrah Station, a modern and creditable building, for Madras, over -a thousand miles southward. The trains on that road were not as good -as some we had traveled on in other sections of India, but sleeping -berths were included with the equipment. The Indian reminds one of the -American negro in one respect--that of sleeping. He seemed to be at -home in any place, so far as sleep is concerned, for in the coaches -during the day the berth would be taken down in the compartment, and, -slipping off his sandals, he would soon be fast asleep. One peculiar -feature of this sleeping tendency, however, was that he would always -be awake when the train reached his destination, as stations are -seldom announced. - -Save for hills in the distance, the country was as flat as any passed -through while traveling over the Doab and other sections. Sugar-cane -was one of the crops seen during the journey, and peanuts was another. - -After 40 hours' travel the train stopped some distance outside of -Madras, as passengers had to be examined by a doctor for disease -indications, and the train was detained until that official duty had -been gone through. In most countries boat passengers must undergo a -medical examination when reaching port, but it was the first time we -had been subjected to a railway train examination. This precaution was -taken to keep out bubonic plague. - -The conquest of India by England, as it may be termed, had its -inception in Madras, for in that city British merchants first -established themselves. The East India Company grew more powerful as -time passed, first acquiring sections of land and later provinces. The -founding of the East India Company dates back to 1639. This section of -India is known as the Southeast Presidency, and is presided over by a -governor, appointed by the King of England, Madras being the capital. - -Madras, with a population of over half a million, is the prettiest -city in India we have seen. The River Cooum winds its way through the -Tamil metropolis by a very circuitous route, and the land for some -distance along the banks has been reserved for parks. The government -buildings are attractive, shade trees are numerous, and the city is -abundantly supplied with parks and driveways. We had reached the sea -again. A splendid drive and promenade has been built on the shore of -the Bay of Bengal. - -The natives in this part of India are known as Tamils, and it is from -here the Indians in South Africa and those in Fiji, and possibly those -in the United States, came. The reader will have gathered from my -earlier notes an idea of some of the miserable creatures encountered -during the journey, but the Tamils met with in Madras, those with whom -one comes in contact in the nature of servants, ricksha pullers, and -that class, were the worst in all India. One would no sooner have -stepped into a ricksha than the puller would place his hand on his -stomach and then to his mouth, which meant he was hungry. No doubt -they were in need of food--a majority of the people of India are not -half fed--but the striking feature of Madras was that every one who -did anything for a person was practically a beggar. - -The first Christian church built in India was St. Mary's, in Madras. -Elihu Yale, the benefactor of Yale College, is identified with St. -Mary's by his presenting to that building one piece of the church -plate. The United States also is represented by a splendid Y. M. C. A. -building of red sandstone, the benefactor being a noted merchant. - -It is really surprising, when one visits a city like Madras, so far -away from the more enlightened centers of the world, to find such a -large number of colleges and other means of education there. In -addition, this place is well supplied with a Y. M. C. A. building, -libraries, club buildings, churches of various Christian -denominations, a museum, a zoo and an aquarium. The same applies to -the larger centers of India in general, but not in such proportion as -those of this city. - -Titled Indians, when visiting England, are sometimes received by the -King and Queen, and are next entertained by lesser royalty, this -attention being given much publicity in the British press and also -cabled to other continents. But in India the social lines are not so -flexible. European clubs in the Far East are popular centers of -association, and a native sovereign's application to become a member -of one of these, though composed even of European clerks, would very -likely receive unfavorable consideration. - -The punkha is the fan in general use in India, except that in some -hotels in the larger cities electric fans are in service. Rods or -ropes are secured to screw-eyes driven in the ceiling, and to the end -of these a pole or wire is fastened that extends across a room. Canvas -or palm leaves are attached. This covering, which falls from the pole -a foot to eighteen inches, is the source of air when moved. There may -be a dozen of these "fans" stretching across a large dining room; and -tables are placed under the punkhas. These are connected by a string -or wire running from the first to the second punkha, and so on. A -stout rope, tied to the first punkha, is placed over a small pulley in -the wall or partition, extending outside the building. An Indian, -unseen, pulls the rope, when the fans in the room move, and air will -be stirring. Frequently the punkha puller dozes off, when the fans -will move slowly. One knows then he will soon be asleep. - -Thousands of half-starved coolies, nearly naked, with a squatty basket -made of bamboo strips in their hands or on their heads, may be seen in -any section of India. That basket is his "work-box," in which he -carries anything required. - -An umbrella is the sign of authority in this section of the world -where a group of natives are engaged at work. Whether the weather be -wet, cloudy, or clear, the Indian foreman is known by his holding an -umbrella. - -A finger bowl is placed at the side of every plate when serving food -in India. - -The word "calico" had its origin in India. The city of Calicut, -whence the word calico is derived, was a cotton goods manufacturing -center in early times. - -Madras, the third largest city in India, is composed mostly of Hindus, -and where that sect is found the sacred cows and bulls will be in -evidence, as well as the miserable widows, the burning ghats; the -mothers who give their young daughters to depraved priests who -persuade the parents they will gain special favor in the sight of the -gods for so doing; the goat-slaughtering places, the idols of monkeys, -snakes, and other characters, and juggernaut cars. The Hindu has -little to recommend him in either person or religion, and yet the -best-fed things we saw in that country were connected with the -church--the sacred bulls and cows. - -The native quarters and the temples were the same as have been touched -on in our Indian notes. The bazaars were the same, and there seemed to -be more nearly naked people, owing to the weather on the Coramandel -coast being warmer than that further north. One wonders how Europeans -stand the heat, as few cool breezes blow in the hot sections of that -country to refresh the jaded. - -Mention has been made on several occasions of the appalling mortality -from fevers and pestilence. A considerable portion of the mortality -may be accounted for, however, when the reader learns that there is -practically no sewerage from east to west and from south to north in -this thickly populated country. With no sewerage, and the habits of -the people as a race being the opposite of clean, together with all of -the Hindus holding in reverence venomous snakes and mad dogs, and some -sects bedbugs, mosquitoes, and vermin, the wonder is not at the great -number that fall victims to these various causes, but how to account -for so many being alive. - -Madras was the last stop in India, as a train was boarded for -Tuticorin. We passed through a country that is celebrated for its -splendid temples, which are strange to understand when one sees the -crude tools and archaic methods employed to do ordinary kinds of work. -In the artistic designs and richness of construction of some temples -and mosques one sees the acme of art, and in mechanism the mien. -Judging from the latter, it might seem that some skilled race of -people had made their abode in that country during the period of -construction of some of the buildings, and then had passed out, -unseen, as it were. The people of India, as they appear to Europeans, -with their marble and gold buildings, seem to be a contradiction. The -country was flat to Tuticorin, half of it being under water, the -monsoons just having ended. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -The sail from Tuticorin to Colombo, Ceylon, is 147 miles. The first -thing one notices in Colombo, the capital of Ceylon, is the large -number of natives wearing very little clothing. Ricksha pullers are as -numerous as flies and very annoying, as they follow one about the -streets for an hour in the hope that the visitor will patronize the -two-wheeled sulky. Where men and women are dressed, it is hard to tell -which from which, as a large number of the men wear long hair, tied at -the back in a knot. In addition, the high-caste Singhalese wears an -amber-colored comb just under the crown of his head; it is what women -call a backcomb. A great many of these are made from turtle shell and -are very expensive, based on the wealth of the wearer. Men's clothes -look more like a dress than man's apparel, so, when men are seen -wearing long hair, a backcomb, and a sort of dress, one looks on them -as half-women. The women are much given to wearing clothes of -flaring-colored cloth, but there is still a strong reflection of India -on all sides. The best way to appreciate Ceylon is to visit that -island before visiting India, for after one has passed through India -and then visits the lesser country he will not absorb some of the -beautiful and interesting things for which Ceylon is famed, because of -the noted mosques, temples, mountains, and teeming millions found in -the greater country. - -The congested population of Ceylon may be inferred from its -area--25,000 square miles--containing over 4,000,000 people. The -island is 270 miles long and 140 miles wide at its broadest part. -Since 1796 the island has been under British control. The exports are -interesting, as they include tea, coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, cocoanut -oil and rubber, besides other tropical products. Ceylon is -administered by a governor, who is subject to the Secretary of State -for the Colonies in London. - -Scaffolding used in Ceylon and other Eastern countries when erecting -buildings is odd. The supports to which the floors of the scaffolding -rest are bamboo poles, and the crosspieces and other material used to -work on are held together by rope, no nails being used. The -scaffolding is so bulky, crude and shaky that the walls of a building -look as if they were out of plumb, but the scaffolding nearly always -hides the new building entirely from view. - -Most of the ships plying Eastern seas stop at Colombo, and, with the -exception of Port Said, it is perhaps one of the most popular maritime -stations in the world. - -The buildings of Colombo would not suggest being in far-off Ceylon. -They are composed of brick, stone, and mortar, several stories in -height. The streets are clean. Colombo, however, is the rosy apple -with the decayed center, as a mile from the European or business -center is the Pettah, or native town, with its squalid quarters, -narrow streets, ox carts, absence of sidewalks, people barefooted, and -many of untidy appearance. More English is spoken in Ceylon than in -India. The population of Colombo is nearly 200,000. - -A splendid driveway and promenade runs along the ocean front, and is -paved from the city to a well-known hotel. Also a good park and museum -that is interesting. Cinnamon trees grow in the park, and from the -bark of the trees a cinnamon odor arises. There are two qualities of -the cinnamon, known as quills and bark. The quills look like bark -strips taken from a sapling, and are over a foot in length, tied in -bundles. The export of cinnamon from Ceylon is 120,000,000 pounds of -bark a year. All the vegetation about Colombo is tropical. - -One of the social gauges by which a European is measured is the class -of railway coach in which he travels. If it be a second-class coach he -is thought little of by the natives, and is apt to get the cold -shoulder from Europeans. When a white man has become a victim to the -liquor habit and loses self-respect in the black countries a -collection is generally taken up among Europeans to buy his passage to -some other country. - -Some 6,000 Europeans live in Ceylon, which accounts for the -newspapers being well patronized, both in the city and throughout the -island. - -One of the prettiest trips in the world is from Colombo to Kandy, 75 -miles separating the two cities. One meets with cocoanut palms and -other tropical growths in the hot countries along the sea coast, but -to travel through a tropical section on a railway train for that -distance is unusual. The train passes through a stretch of heavy -vegetation, then an open strip of country, with bright green-colored -rice paddies (fields or patches) on both sides of the track. Next the -train is flanked by groves of cocoanut palms, which disappear when the -train darts into a tunnel. Emerging, on the side of the hill will be -seen growing the broad-leafed breadfruit tree, and a similar looking -one, the jacfruit tree, with large, rough-looking shuck, is also a -product of the soil. Down in the valley the pale-green paddies will be -found, the rice growing in a foot of water. Into another tunnel the -train suddenly disappears, and an upward grade is traveled, when -short, stubby rows of tea bushes appear. Then, looking to the right, -rise mountains to a height of 2,000 feet. On another side natives may -be seen in a large grove, with small tin cups in their hands, devoting -their time to the trees; these are rubber-tree tappers and sap -collectors. The air has now become clearer and cooler than the humid -atmosphere of Colombo. Along the roads that parallel the railway track -may be seen a light wagon, or trap, with two fast-stepping bullocks -hitched to the vehicle. These are known as "trotting bullocks," and -are the fastest means of passenger transportation away from the more -populous centers. All landscape scenes and vistas on the route from -Colombo to Kandy are luxuriantly tropical. - -Kandy has a population of 25,000, but if the same place were located -in Europe or in the United States, considering its attractiveness, -half a million people would occupy one-story bungalows on the -verdure-drooping hillsides and the pretty valley would be lined by -homes of wealthy people far beyond the limited space now built upon. -Splendid roadways and paths, embowered with tropical leaves, have been -cut into the hillsides, and from these one looks down on a pretty -lake in the valley. When the beauty and attractiveness of places -cannot be truly portrayed by modern photographic appliances, it is -difficult to reflect their characteristics with the pen. The altitude -of Kandy is nearly 2,000 feet above sea-level, which insures a better -atmosphere than is usually found on the coast in tropical climes. - -Kandy was the capital of what was known as the Kandy Kingdom, and was -subjected to attacks by both the Portuguese and Dutch from the -sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, when England added that section -of Ceylon to her possessions, in 1815. - -Buddha's tooth and other sacred Hindu relics having been brought to -Kandy at an earlier date was the means of bringing that pretty place -in Ceylon to the fore. It has not been made clear whether Buddha had -but one molar or a full set, but the inference is that he had but one -tooth, as the sacred bone is referred to as Buddha's tooth. There is -no question about Buddha having been quite a traveler, as the imprints -of his foot will be shown visitors at places separated by many -hundreds of miles. And in connection with the foot imprint, it is -always designated as Buddha's foot, so, if the one-tooth theory is to -be entertained, his having but one foot, or one leg, would be equally -as tenable. The tooth, anyway, like the Koh-i-Noor diamond, was -considered a treasure, and for that precious reason it had been stolen -on several occasions, but the original molar seems to have got lost, -or some one is secreting it until the price of that particular bone -advances to a fabulous figure. But the Hindus of Ceylon had to have a -Buddha tooth, so an imitation "grinder" was made--a piece of -discolored ivory two inches long and about an inch in diameter, which -looks more like a crocodile's tooth than that of a man. The sacred -tooth is said to repose now under a golden lotus flower, and the -flower is hidden by seven metal shrines containing jewels in a sacred -building in the courtyard of Maligawa Temple. In front of the temple -is a tank containing tortoises, from whose "coverings," perhaps, the -Singhalese will make haircombs later. - -Taking a short trip from Kandy, a river was reached, and the ferry -boat was slowly pulled from one side to the other by men with ropes. -The boat was crowded with ox teams and almost naked natives. A short -distance from the ferry landing seven elephants were seen bathing in -the river. Continuing along a tropical overgrown road, at a bend we -were confronted with three elephants in charge of mahouts, each -carrying by its teeth four sacks of copra. A rope had been placed -around the center of the bags, was pulled tight, and a short end of it -was held by the elephants' grinders. The products were being brought -to the ferry by the big beasts, and oxen would then draw this to -Kandy, the nearest railroad center. By the same means tea and other -products are transported, and provisions from Kandy are delivered at -the other side of the river, from which point elephants advance the -wares beyond. The elephants are owned by an heir of the old Kandy -rulers, and on certain holidays they are brought to the city, when -they parade about the former capital fifteen times. - -Women standing in water nearly to their knees were engaged at -transplanting rice stalks in paddies. The paddies, or beds, which are -banked with earth from 6 to 12 inches on all sides to retain water, -range in area from a space six feet square to a plot containing acres. -In these the rice is sown, and when the stalks have grown to about a -foot high most of them are transplanted. In some parts of the paddy -the rice will be too thickly sowed, and in other sections not thick -enough. The stalks in the thickets will then be pulled out, those left -being the regular growth. The surplus stalks will next be transplanted -in thinly sowed places of the bed. By this means the paddy would be -equally sown; and it was interesting to observe the alertness with -which the work progressed. At a place in India a dozen men were seen -baling water from a ditch into a paddy with their hands, illustrating -the crude methods in use. Rice is the staple food of natives in -Ceylon. - -In both India and Ceylon one never sees a woman servant engaged at -housework in European homes or hotels. Men are exclusively employed at -this occupation, women doing the harder work in the fields, carrying -water, bricks, etc. - -The Royal Botanical Garden, located a few miles from Kandy, was the -most interesting one seen. We had visited the clove groves at -Zanzibar, and specimens were growing in the Kandy garden, but we had -not seen the nutmeg tree before. The nutmeg grows on a tree as large -as the buckeye, or horse chestnut, and is of the same nature, -differing in one respect, however, the nutmeg being protected by an -inner shuck. It falls from the tree, when the outer shuck cracks, but -is protected by the inner or second covering. It is then the size and -color of a pink peach, but when the second shuck has been removed the -nutmeg of commerce is seen. The vanilla bean hung from vines in the -garden; the pepper vine was seen among the plants growing; the sago -palm grew there, also the "candlestick" tree, besides other rare -growths. Some of the larger trees in this garden were bare of leaves, -which tropical oddity was accounted for by the presence of flying -foxes--the same as those mentioned in Leg Four--hanging by the claws -of one leg from the limbs during the day. There were thousands of -these large bats, and, as in Tonga, they were considered sacred, and -no one would kill them. - -In this part of Ceylon most of the land was under tea cultivation. Tea -exports from the island are nearly 190,000,000 pounds a year. - -While oxen are the means of transportation in both India and Ceylon, -automobiles may be seen skimming about the good roads in both -countries. - -A return was made to Colombo, where a ship, on which passage had been -engaged, was about due to leave that port. I had sailed on English, -Swedish and German vessels till I had reached Bombay; but from Colombo -I started east on a Japanese ship. - - - - -LEG SEVEN - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Hearing passengers refer to incidents that took place aboard ship -"three weeks ago" sounded far-fetched in these days of speedy travel, -yet those on this Japanese ship had been at sea over four weeks when -the vessel sailed from Colombo on her Far Eastern voyage. The European -passengers were nearly all English, and not a single American was met -with. Some Japanese and Chinese were traveling second-class, but -Europeans were assigned certain tables and the "yellow" men had tables -to themselves. Steamship fare is reasonable for long voyages, but the -fare from intermediate ports in this section of the world is -expensive. The ship was loaded to the water-line with cargo, and every -berth was occupied. The deck was covered with a double canvas as we -traveled through a tropical sun over the Indian Ocean. Some of the -passengers were going to Siam and Cochin-China, others to the -Federated Malay States, a few to Borneo, and a number to Java; also -others bound for Hongkong, Manila, and Shanghai, the southern Japanese -ports, and the remainder for Yokohama, Japan, the last stop. The -voyage was from Antwerp, Belgium, to Yokohama, a nine weeks' journey. - -Until recently marine insurance companies would not take any risk with -Japanese-manned ships, for which reason the merchant fleet of Japan -had been under the direction of British captains and chief engineers. -In order that Japanese could command Japanese ships, examinations for -the position of captain or chief engineer was made more severe than -that required by other countries. By this means the services of -British officers are gradually being dispensed with, insurance -companies now recognizing the efficiency of Japanese navigators. - -Three days out from Colombo land was seen to the south--Sumatra, a -Dutch possession, where the natives cause much trouble. Entering the -Straits of Malacca, bounded on the north by the Malay Peninsula and on -the south by Sumatra, for 500 miles--the length of the Straits--we -sailed in sight of land. (The Indian Ocean had been crossed and -recrossed on the trip to Australia and back to South Africa, then to -Mombasa and over to Bombay.) We have now left the Straits and the -Indian Ocean, and the ship is sailing through an island-dotted stretch -of sea; a city appears ahead--Singapore, the maritime junction of the -Far East. - -What a difference in the condition of the people in this city to those -seen in India and Ceylon! None looked starved, there were no deformed -people, no beggars, and the natives were tidier and better dressed. -The native Malay is much lighter in color than the Indian and -Singhalese. Though the Malay is the native of Singapore, Chinese far -outnumber them or any other race. - -The business section of Singapore is as flat as the Indian plains, and -when a heavy shower of rain falls some of the streets are under water -two feet. The population of the Straits Settlements metropolis is over -300,000 and, as in India, there is no sewerage in the city. The -streets in the native and Chinese quarters were better looked after -than those in Indian cities in similar sections. Some of the business -buildings are good and substantial, with elevators in the larger -structures. Many of the sidewalks are covered by balconies to -buildings in the business district, which is accounted for by the hot -weather in that section the year round, Singapore being located 80 -miles north of the equator. - -All vessels sailing in that part of the world stop at Singapore--those -going to Java, Borneo, Siam, Cochin-China, south or north of the -Philippine group, and vessels that continue to China and Japan. Some -vessels go no further east than Singapore, and again start from that -point west. - -The Straits Settlements comprise the island of Singapore, the Province -of Malacca and a number of other islands in that district. The -Federated Malay States are embraced in the Malay Peninsula, all of -which is under British rule. The governor of the Straits Settlements -also has jurisdiction over the Federated States. The city of Singapore -was selected as an English settlement by Stamford Raffles in 1819, at -that time a small native colony. Singapore island is 28 miles long and -14 miles wide. - -Irish potatoes do not grow in that section, and one seldom has fresh -milk, condensed milk being the lacteal generally used in many sections -of the tropics. It looked strange to see a big ship unloading for days -cases containing tins of milk, brought from Europe, to a country where -grass is always green. - -Thousands of acres of Singapore Island are under pineapple -cultivation, and large quantities of that fruit are shipped from this -port. The bountiful yield of this product has been brought about -almost entirely through the industriousness of Chinese. - -Passing a cocoanut grove, trees, almost uprooted, will be seen lying -flat on the ground, the fronds being as fresh and green as those -standing. Nothing can inspire hope so much as the cocoanut palm. It is -often blown down by storms, twisted and wrecked, but as long as there -is left even a thread of root the palm will continue to grow. As soon -as it has recovered from the shock, so to speak, the bushy top that -had been flattened on the earth from the fall will be seen pointing -upward. Pass the same dethroned palm later, and the fronds will be -found to be in a direct line with the rays of the sun at midday. Under -any adversity its head will be pointed straight upward. A large -tonnage of copra is also shipped from this port, there being extensive -cocoanut plantations on Singapore and adjacent islands. - -This part of the world is rubber mad. Rubber grows in some sections of -the Federated States better than anywhere else. Questionable rubber -companies operate here, however, stock being issued and dealt in, -after which the "sharpers" get aboard-ship and disappear. As much as -400 pounds of rubber an acre is gathered yearly, the price running -from $3 to $4 a pound. Much of the tin used in the world is mined in -this district, which, with rubber, are also staple exports from this -port. - -The currency of the Straits Settlements is the dollar, which in that -country equals 56 American cents; small coins are also termed cents. -Straits Settlements paper money--one-dollar, five-dollar bills, -etc.--is the dirtiest met with. The color of the bills is dark green, -and they are so soiled that it is often difficult to see the -denomination on the face. - -Hotel rates were higher here than we had been charged since leaving -Johannesburg. The cheapest accommodation in the city was $5 a day -($2.80 in American money). In Australasia hotel expenses did not -exceed $1.50 a day, and in India and Ceylon the same sum was not -exceeded. Singapore is what is termed a free port, which makes high -hotel rates even more difficult to understand. Articles generally were -more costly than in countries visited which levy a heavy import -tariff. - -A winter tourist ship stopped here which had among its passengers a -greater number of Americans than of any other nationality. A dinner -was served at the best hotel in the city, and a goodly stock of wine -and liquors had been provided for the occasion. To the surprise of the -boniface, most of the passengers asked for ice water when eating. The -small sum the tourists spent for liquids caused a general laugh in -that city. - -"Stengha," a word that sounds like "stinger," is spoken to a waiter -when ordering refreshments. Few persons living in the hot countries -drink water, so whisky and soda is very apt to be a "stengha." - -Some sections of Singapore are well shaded, and the streets are good. -Recreation grounds are very good, and churches are seen at every turn. -In addition, there is an interesting museum, and a short distance from -the city is located an attractive botanical garden. Rickshas are -numerous, drawn by Chinese, and the fare is reasonable. No one walks -in Singapore. To offset the glare of the sun, some of the sidewalks -have been covered with red soil. A good street-car system has been -installed, and the place is lighted by electricity. - -A load of live hogs, drawn by oxen yoked to a two-wheeled cart and -driven by a Chinaman, passed along a street. Each hog was encased in a -bamboo basket or barrel, with grass rope tied across the opening to -keep the porker from getting out of his "stall." There were ten hogs -to the load, stacked one on top of the other. - -A large number of wealthy Chinese live in the Straits Settlements. -When traveling through the islands there may be seen, carved on the -posts of large entrance gates of the Mongols' homes, peacocks, lions, -birds, and fantastic, hideous-looking figures. These residents may be -seen any time of day or evening riding about the city and island in -modern and sumptuous motor-cars. - -Some years ago a young American diplomat had been appointed consul at -Bangkok, Siam. A merchant of the Siamese capital owed an American a -large sum of money. Through the young consul the American sought to -recover the debt, whereupon the diplomat threatened the Siamese -merchant with the power of America. An American battleship later -anchored in Singapore harbor. Down from Siam came the young and ardent -consul, with but one aim in view--to persuade the captain of the -battleship to proceed to Bangkok with his vessel and scare the money -out of the debtor. The captain told the consul he had no objection to -doing so if he (the consul) would cable the War Department at -Washington, D. C., for instructions to that effect. A cable was sent -immediately, and a reply soon received, which read: "Explain why you -are absent from your post of duty." The consul walked floors, fearing -recall, and had to write several letters to the State Department -before he could entertain hope of retaining his post. - -What looks like a round bolster is found at the foot of every bed. -This equipment is to put under the body, to allow air to pass between -the body and mattress, as the nights are very hot. In other ways the -bolster is used to protect the flesh. This article of utility is -called a "Dutch wife." - -In the government printing office in Singapore were 150 printers, and -out of that number there was but one white man, the overseer. The -wages were $10 to $14 a month, which was $3 to $5 a month more than -was paid in India for similar work. There is much room for improvement -in the Singapore offices, although the hours worked are but seven a -day, the business hours of that city. - -Every one has his "boy" servant in Singapore. While getting money at a -bank the clerk had a "boy" to blot any writing he (the clerk) did. -Unmarried men often eat their meals in their room, which are brought -from the kitchen by a "boy" servant. Many have a ricksha puller for -their own use. Single men often have as many as three servants. - -Malaria and other tropical fevers impair the health of many settlers. -The heavy rainfall, hot sun, and low-lying land account for the -absence of fat men in that section of the world. - -Every one wears white clothes and helmet. Starched or dress shirts are -little worn. A high collar is attached to the white jacket, and under -the jacket is generally worn a thin woolen undershirt. - -As in India, one seldom sees a white child here. As soon as children -become able to run about they are sent to Europe to be educated and to -acquire a sound constitution. Nearly all the Europeans living in the -Straits Settlements and Federated States are Britishers. - -A great many Chinese find employment in carrying small restaurants -about the city on split bamboo poles. They shout as they travel along, -and stop when a customer indicates that he wants to eat. Chopsticks -are used in lieu of knife and fork. "Makan" is the Malays' word for -food. The Malay language is spoken by all classes. The native is not -burdened with energy, the prosperous condition of that country having -been brought about mainly by Chinamen. - -Singapore holds ninth place in the principal shipping ports of the -world, the harbor being crowded with large and small craft. - -An effort was made to travel direct from Singapore to Manila, but, -after waiting two weeks for a ship going to the Philippines' capital, -the plan was abandoned. A start was then made for Hongkong on a German -ship. Like the Japanese vessel that had brought me to Singapore from -Colombo, the German ship was weighed down to the water-line with -cargo, every berth in the cabins being occupied. The distance from -Singapore to Hongkong is 1,440 miles, and the fare, second-class, was -$31.50. - -Seeing a drawling American on this ship, a Britisher sized him up as -one who might be twitted. "What is your business, may I ask?" began -the Britisher. "Oh! I generally follow mining," drawled the "Yank." -"Is there much money in it?" asked the Britisher. "Oh, the usual thing -in mining--chicken one day and feathers the next," sluggishly answered -the American. "By the way," said the "Yank," perking up, "may I ask -what your business is?" "Oh, I'm a missionary," promptly answered John -Bull's subject. "Is there much money in it?" whipped back the -"Yankee." - -For two days out from Singapore the German ship rode the seas as -smoothly as a motor-car running over a well-tarred road. Then the -weather grew stormy and the ocean rough. We had entered the China Sea. -The time of year was the day before Christmas, and a Christmas tree -had been erected in the dining saloon, ornamented with bright-colored -tinsel balls, chocolate bars wrapped in tinfoil, colored candy -hatchets, lions, dogs and dolls; sprigs of holly with red berries, -rosy red apples hanging from bending boughs, candy wrapped in -vari-colored and fringed papers, wax candles hanging from limbs, with -medicated cotton and white powder scattered over the pine tree to -indicate snow. The sea had become rougher, and the steady ship of a -few days earlier was now rolling and pitching her heavy tonnage -against powerful waves, the propellers often revolving in unwatered -space. Few had interest in the tree this Christmas Eve, as most of the -passengers had become seasick. As a result, and the storm not having -abated, only half a dozen of the big list of passengers ate turkey -with cranberry sauce, mince pie, raisins, and nuts that Christmas Day -while sailing over the China Sea. The day following the sea became -quieter, and an island came in view, then more islands. The sea having -calmed, passengers became numerous on deck. Buildings, on the side of -a high, green island, were now seen--we had reached the island of -Hongkong, China. As the vessel neared the harbor, the city, resting -comfortably at the base of the mountain and stretching along the -shore, was clearly outlined. Being our initial visit to a Chinese -city, Johnson's lines came to mind-- - - "Let observation, with extensive view, - Survey mankind from China to Peru." - -Ho! There was an American flag flying from the mast of a ship at -anchor in the harbor--the fourth time the United States emblem was -seen waving from a ship's mast during a journey of over 60,000 miles, -most of which was by water. At Dunedin, N. Z., the first flag was seen -flying from a dilapidated schooner, and the other two from small -vessels at Apia, Samoa. - -Hongkong is a horseless and oxless town. This island city is far up in -the list of ports--perhaps fourth--and it is difficult to believe that -the cargo of great vessels could be moved almost entirely by human aid -alone; yet such is the fact. There would seem to be no obstacles that -the Chinaman cannot surmount. On a split bamboo pole Chinamen have -been known to carry 500 pounds' weight. Generally, what one man cannot -carry two will; but any weight too much for two would be moved along -by four Chinese, two at each end of a bamboo pole. Heavy loads that -cannot be moved by poles are placed on to a two-wheeled hand truck. -India and Ceylon looked unprogressive with the two-wheeled ox carts, -but when one reaches an important seaport city and finds neither -mules, horses, oxen or donkeys to move heavy traffic, that feature -must be classed among the world's oddities. - -The mountain behind the city rises to a height of nearly 2,000 feet. -Buildings have been built on the mountainside, and on the summit stand -the barracks, or fort, and the Governor-General's residence. Some of -these buildings, used for hospitals and other purposes, are big; yet -every brick, stone, pound of mortar, furniture--everything of which -the buildings and fort are made--had been carried up the roads and -footpaths cut in the sides of the mountain on the backs, shoulders, -or heads of Chinese, mostly women. A cable railway runs from nearly -the bottom to the top, but the company that built the line is -forbidden to carry other than passengers up the slope. That -restriction was placed on the company in order that the Chinese would -not be deprived of work necessitated by the demand for supplies and -provisions by those living in that section of Hongkong Island. - -The city appears on maps as the City of Victoria, but Hongkong is the -only name one hears. The island comprises an area of 29 square miles, -and was ceded to Great Britain in 1843. But England has acquired an -additional area of 380 square miles on the mainland opposite. The city -has a population of 300,000, but half a million inhabitants reside on -the island. Of this number 6,000 are Europeans, the remainder largely -Chinese. The water channel separating Hongkong from the mainland is a -mile wide, and opposite the city is Kowloon, where large vessels put -in at wharves and from which place the railway starts for Canton. - -Hongkong is reputed to have the most picturesque setting of any city -in the world, and the view seemed better than that offered by -Capetown, South Africa. A perpetually green mountain rises steeply -nearly 2,000 feet from the seashore, and the splendid roads and walks -cut in the sides might, seen from a distance, resemble the threads on -a mammoth screw. White brick buildings, covered with red-tile roofing, -rise from the verdured sides at frequent intervals. This -attractiveness continues to the summit, which is capped, as it were, -with the official residence and forts. From the summit the view seems -superior to that from below, as the ornamentation of the steep slope, -both by nature and man, with the city at the base, ships lolling at -anchor in the harbor and pretty islands dotting the haven from three -sides, all unite in maintaining the reputation the island bears. - -A boycott was issued by the Chinese against the street railway system -of Hongkong. The trouble came about through the railway company -refusing to accept Canton money for fares on the cars, and the boycott -resulted. The cars ran back and forth without Chinese passengers -during the period of the strike. - -Sedan chairs are the means of conveyance for people living on the -mountainside. The chair is box-shape with a seat, fastened to two long -bamboo poles. The passenger steps in, a Chinaman between the poles at -each end, and grunts are heard while raising the poles to their -shoulders. Off they start up the steep incline, no matter whether the -passenger be light or heavy, with as apparent ease as if a chicken -were inside the box. The charge for a long ride is 15 to 25 cents, -divided between the Chinamen. Rickshas are the conveyances used in the -city. A short ride costs three cents, and if hired by the hour the -charge is 15 cents. The rickshas in Hongkong, Colombo, and Singapore -are made to carry but one person, while the sulkies drawn by the Zulus -in Durban, South Africa, are built to hold two persons. Zulus go as -fast and as far with two fares as the pullers of other countries do -with one passenger. Both chair carriers and ricksha pullers are in -their bare feet. - -Hongkong is very substantially built, and it is doubtful if there is a -frame house on the island. No one who has not seen that city would -expect to find the splendid business blocks that so creditably adorn -the place. Some of these are seven and eight stories high. Most of the -sidewalks are covered with cement roofing, giving the walks a -half-arcade appearance, which is done when erecting buildings, as the -sun is hot in summer. - -Porcelain bath tubs and running hot water were found in Hongkong, the -first we noted since leaving South Africa. In British-East Africa, -Uganda, India, Ceylon, and Singapore round wooden tubs were in use, -and hot water was carried to the bath room by servants. - -The water-front of Hongkong was crowded with crudely designed boats, -called sampans. The craft has a mast, and when in use sails--sometimes -made of reeds--are pulled to the breeze. The quaint craft has a cabin, -and large families are born and reared on board, it being their home. -A large oar at the stern, rolled from one side to the other when the -craft is moving, helps to advance the sampan and acts as a rudder -besides; it has two oars at the sides also. In most cases the craft is -manned by women and their children. Frequently a Chinese woman, who -looks like a hunchback, is seen pulling an oar. The apparent deformity -proves to be a delusion, however, as, when she has reached shore and -secured the sampan, she unwraps a cloth and a ruddy-faced baby rolls -into her arms. What would be a heavy burden to women of other races a -Chinese woman does not seem to mind. - -The Hongkong policeman is unique. He wears a bright, yellow-colored -helmet, a jacket with brass buttons, knickerbockers, white leggings, -and the scow-shaped Chinese shoes. His bearing is decidedly military, -and he is unassuming when on duty. The Indian Sikh is also employed -for police duty, but is not so interesting as the native. - -Daily English newspapers are published in Hongkong, and linotype -machines are in use in some offices. In one place a Chinese linotype -operator could not speak a word of English, yet he could read English -copy and set a clean proof. The wage paid was $15 a month. Europeans -were in charge of the printing departments, but the mechanics were -Chinese. - -Mock Duck, Duck Mock, Fat Duck, Duck Fat, Wa Duck, Ho Duck were common -names observed on signs above the doors of business houses in -Hongkong. - -Chinamen seem to be eating most of the time, the portable restaurant, -as in Singapore, being in use here. Their food appeared to be mostly -fish, vegetables, and what looked like spaghetti, and tea was drunk at -eating-time. As all eat with chopsticks, table cutlery is little in -demand among the natives. "Chou" is their name for food. - -The dollar is the unit of money in Hongkong, but its value is much -lower than the Straits Settlements dollar, being that of the Mexican -dollar, which varies from 44 to 50 cents. Fractional coins are on the -cent basis, and are made of silver, nickel, and copper. - -When visiting a bank in Hongkong, hundreds of natives were seen at the -rear, with a clerk shouting something in Chinese. Inquiry as to what -occasioned so large a number of visitors at the bank, brought forth -the information "They had just come from America and were having -checks cashed." Every nation takes money out of America, the feeding -ground of the world. - -There is a large photograph gallery, or archive, in the American -consulate in Hongkong, which contains the portrait of every Chinaman -who has been to America and returned to China. - -A good botanical garden is located just above the business center of -the city, and parks, good public buildings, a museum, libraries, -churches and schools, and other public features are well represented. - -Mail from Europe will be longer traveling to Hongkong than to any -other port in the world, and vice versa. From centers north of -Hongkong mail is sent by way of Siberia, and the larger amount of mail -even from this city is, perhaps, carried over the Siberian railway. -Were one, however, to mail a letter in London, Paris, or Berlin to -Hongkong, by way of the Suez Canal--the main route from Europe to the -Far East--it would not reach the Chinese port earlier than six weeks' -time from date of mailing. From 40 days to six weeks is the regular -time required for passenger ships to travel from Europe to Hongkong. - -Hotel expenses were cheaper than at Singapore, being only two dollars -a day. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -A trip was made up the West River to Canton, a stretch of water in -which vessels are sometimes sacked by Chinese pirates. A half-dozen or -more of these daring Mongols will board a boat at the starting place -as passengers did, and when an opportunity offers they will overpower -the officers, when the ship will be at their mercy. Not long ago an -effective weapon called "stinkpot" was in use. These bad smelling -crocks were thrown about the decks of a boat, bursting, and the -nauseating odor from them would partly suffocate any who happened to -be near. The pirates well knew where to burst them to the best -advantage. To prevent successful piratical attacks to river craft, -English gunboats have been stationed at certain places of this large -river. Hongkong is the port for Canton and the great population in -Southern China, and no one who has not taken a sail up that river can -form a correct idea of the large number of people who crowd on the -boats, particularly in the third-class section. - -When the boat reaches Canton, and before it is alongside the wharf, -Chinese, emerging from rowboats, will be seen scaling the sides of the -vessel from stem to stern with the agility of monkeys. In a very short -time they throw their legs across the deck rails, every one of them on -the alert to earn a few cents by carrying a valise, directing a -passenger to his ricksha or sedan chair, or presenting to the visitors -business cards of silk, damascene, ivory, or other merchants. Guides -are also much in evidence, and if there is any city in the world where -a guide is needed it is surely Canton, China. - -Soon we are in a sedan chair--the only means, except afoot, of getting -about the city--with a Chinaman at each end, the poles resting on -their shoulders. The guide was in front, and in a short time we had -passed through an entrance in the city wall. All was different then, -and it is doubtful if a stranger could find his way out after having -gone not more than two city squares in Canton. The streets are from -three to fifteen feet wide, and boxes, tubs, tanks and pails, used by -storekeepers to show their goods, encroach even on this limited space. -Were one to go to a large ant-hill on a hot day, when the insects are -thick and moving about quickly, the mound would afford a fair -illustration of Canton within the walls. The city is one great human -ant-hill. We had been through the teeming streets of the native -quarters of some Indian cities, and concluded there could not be more -density of population anywhere, but that opinion soon changed after -stepping inside the walls of the metropolis of Southern China. Any one -who has visited Hongkong and thinks he has seen a typical Chinese city -would do well to pay a visit to Canton. - -"Hey-ho, ho-hey, yay-he-ho, ho-ye-hay," sounds something like what a -Chinaman sings or chants to make known his coming in the human-packed -streets. Bear in mind, there is neither horse, ox, mule, nor ricksha -puller traversing the streets--only men and women, with loads carried -on split bamboo poles. They all have a song, grunt or yawn to give -warning of their coming. Some of the streets are so narrow that two -sedan chairs, carried in opposite directions, cannot pass. On such -occasions the carriers of one chair must stop until the others squeeze -their way between the wall of a store and the people, who are -constantly passing to and fro. It is natural, when carrying burdens on -poles, to have poles resting on both shoulders, but the crowded -streets here will not permit of that. The load has to be carried on -one shoulder, the pole pointing in front. While the narrow streets and -teeming crowds make it much harder for men to bear loads in that -manner, how much more inconvenient it must be for a woman carrying the -same weight, with a baby tied to her back! There appeared to be as -many women as men with the weight-carrying poles over their shoulders, -and with both sexes coolie custom seemed to forbid walking, as all -moved at a trot when space permitted. - -Roasted pork, dried fish, and dried fowl were much in evidence in the -shops; and for long distances wooden tubs containing water and live -fish line a street. Butcher shops and vegetable stores are also seen -at every turn. Garbage from each store or dwelling is placed in the -street, and this is often kicked about before the garbage man takes it -away. Hydrants are numerous, and lines of people wait their turn to -get water. Wide boards, on which are written Chinese characters, often -meet from each side, and a reed covering placed above, and extending -across the street, drawn by ropes, shades people from the sun. Between -the grunts, yawns, and songs of the laborers, together with the -general conversation and the shouts from others at intruders on the -dried fish and fowl, it is dampness, noise, stench and jam from the -time one enters until he emerges outside the wall. In this large city -there is no sewerage. - -The street paving is composed of stones from two to three feet wide, -and in length the width of the street. As there are neither horses nor -wagons used in the city, most of the people in their bare feet, and, -as the sandals worn by others have soft soles, the pavement lasts a -long time, although some of the thick stones show signs of wear from -the millions of feet passing over them. Between the broad signs, other -signs printed on wide strips of canvas, together with the curtains -that cover the thoroughfares above the cramped space, the streets of -Canton resemble tunnels more than anything else. - -The City of the Dead, a burying place in Canton, differed from any -before seen. The coffins are logs, hewed out for a body, are of -cylindrical shape, with four corners, and appear as if four pieces of -lumber had been sealed together. The top quarter-piece is loose and -serves as the lid. Some of these odd-appearing coffins are expensive, -as they are heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold leaf. The -first resting-place consists of two rooms, and these are separated by -a matting curtain. In the second, or inside, chamber the coffin rests -on two supports as large as a washtub. In the outer, or reception -chamber, stands a table with flowers, an incense-stick pot, and a -glass containing oil, with a wick. The incense-stick was burning and -the wick was casting a dim flame. Every morning and afternoon a fresh -cup of tea is placed on the stand, together with fruit and fresh -flowers. The light was kept burning so the spirit of the dead could -find its way about, and, if it felt like eating, the food was ready. -The corpse rests in that place for six months, when the remains are -removed to a permanent burial ground and put under the earth. The -temporary--or six months'--resting place rents for $10 a month, or $60 -for the time allowed. Formerly the corpse remained in these -lying-in-state, or ancestral halls, for years, but that has been -changed to a six months' period. Only well-to-do Chinese are so laid -to rest. - -The wall encircling Canton is six miles round, but the city has -outgrown the old lines. At one place, just inside the wall, is the old -execution ground, where offenders against the law were beheaded, but -it is now used as a pottery. - -A hundred and twenty-four temples of the Confucius and Buddhist faiths -were found here, but, when visiting some of these, the growing grass, -dilapidated walks, dusty images, and general lack of care in evidence -at every turn suggested that the Chinaman has broken loose from old -religious moorings. In the Geneii Temple were 500 figures on one side -of the building, badly in need of dusting. A very good pagoda, five -stories high, is a feature of Canton. All the pagodas of China are of -odd stories--three, five or seven. - -The various manufacturing industries of the city are situated in one -quarter. A big business is done in jadestone, mostly made into rings, -and used as bracelets; but the stone is used also for other ornaments. -The jadestone industry is situated in a certain district; furniture -manufacturing is also centralized; the mother-of-pearl workers are -located in still another section; this applies also to the ivory, -damascene, jewelry, and tinware industries. Little or no machinery is -used, most of the work being done by hand. - -The city seemed to be free of loafers, everybody doing something. -Talking with a Chinese acquaintance on this point, he stated that the -only men out of work were gamblers, whose "occupation" had been taken -from them by official decree. They had never learned to do anything -else. The opium houses had also been closed. Not a queue was seen -hanging down the back of the males one met, the cutting off of the -pigtails being in compliance with a government edict. The hair from -the queues was shipped to other countries. - -"Sweating money" is a custom said to be much practiced in China. Gold -coins are placed in a sheet or cloth, which is then vigorously shaken. -The coins, clashing against each other, wear off the milling, which -remains in the sheet. When the coins are "sweated" to the satisfaction -of the "sweaters" the cloth is put in a kettle or retort, when the -gold dust, or milling, remains at the bottom. It is owing to this -"sweating" process that, when gold is required in transactions of -fifty dollars and much greater sums, bankers often determine the value -of the metal by weighing it rather than by accepting the coins at -their face value. - -Concerning the population of Canton, there seemed to be no official -figures. Some give the number at a million, others at two millions, -and even three millions of people are said to be residents of the -metropolis of Southern China. Statements of the Pearl River -population, however, seem to be authentic. Just think of half a -million people living on the water! The river is partly blocked with -native craft--sampans--and these are the homes of people numbering as -many as comprise the city of Baltimore, Md. Each owner of a sampan -pays a small license fee to the city; but they have no water rent to -pay or house rent bills. The sampan is the home of a great many -Chinese from birth until they die, generally at a ripe old age. The -Pearl River is called the West River at Hongkong. - -Missionaries living in the interior have enough bread baked at one -baking to last them a month. The bread is sliced, then toasted, and -taken to the mission. Toasting the bread keeps it from getting mouldy. - -An island, separated by a fork of the Pearl River, is known as the -Shameen, and here the few Europeans of Canton reside. The Shameen has -been leased from China by both France and England for a term of 99 -years. The area of the concession is but 69 acres, and 300 Europeans -make their home in that pretty place. The consulates of other European -countries also are located on the island, and the only European hotel -in Canton is among the few modern buildings seen in the old Chinese -city. Two bridges span the branch of water that forms the island on -the city side, and high, strong gates are located at each end of these -bridges. The approaches to the Shameen are guarded by policemen day -and night, and Chinese not employed by residents of that district, or -who have no business to attend to on the island, are not allowed to -cross the bridges. The gates are opened at 6 o'clock in the morning, -and are closed at 9 o'clock in the evening. Native servants or -employees having occasion to go out after dark must carry a light, and -among these one sees some odd designs. A small lantern but little -larger than a goose egg will be carried by one Chinaman, another will -be seen with a light burning in what looks like a soup bowl, the -regular European lantern will be carried by another, and the square, -colored-paper Chinese lantern will be lighting the way of still -another native. A Chinaman has no right to live in the Shameen; those -who do live on the island are there by sufferance of the two powers -who leased the land. - -The homes and business buildings of Canton do not exceed three -stories, most of them but one or two stories in height. The doors are -heavy, and iron bars protect some of the windows. Brick, stone, and -mortar are the material used in construction, with black tiling for -roofs. A marked air of privacy pervades the exterior of Chinese homes. - -Stones, pear-shaped, are used as seats by the Chinese. These may be -seen in tea gardens and places of quiet recreation. This custom of -using stones as seats is because they are cooler than any other -material. Occupants sit astride the stones. - -Canton, the capital of the Province of Kwangtung, is styled the "City -of Rams" from the legend of the five immortals who rode into the city -on the backs of five rams during the Chow dynasty, which ruled from -1112-255 B. C. The metropolis was made a treaty port in 1842. - - [Illustration: SMALL COLONY OF HALF A MILLION SAMPAN DWELLERS OF - PEARL RIVER; THESE WATER HOMES SAVE HOUSE RENT. CANTON, CHINA.] - -Two kinds of dollars are in use--the Hongkong and the Kwangtung--the -former in the Shameen and the latter in the city and province. The -Hongkong dollar is worth more than the Kwangtung, as the former is -backed by England and the other by the present unsettled China. The -cheapest hotel rate was $4 a day, and only Hongkong money was accepted -in payment. - -First-, second- and third-class cars are used on the railway line -running from Kowloon to Canton. The first-class coaches are of -European style--compartments--and the second- and third-class cars are -open, with an aisle and seats on both sides, like the American cars, -but without cushions. The fare for first-class travel was six cents a -mile, and three cents for second-class accommodation. The water -pirates, like hippopotami on a foraging expedition, sometimes take a -stroll from their river haunts and succeed in plundering the -passengers of the railway train. Along the line could be seen small, -level patches of ground, not over four feet in length in some -instances, banked on a hillside by stones to keep the soil from -washing away, on which grain and vegetables grew. Little land is -allowed to go to waste in China. - -Back I went to Hongkong. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -An American ship was boarded at Hongkong for Manila, P. I., but the -vessel had been built in Glasgow, Scotland. The distance from Hongkong -to Manila is 630 miles, and 60 hours' time is required to sail between -the two points. The fare, first-class, was $25--four cents a mile for -sea travel. One has little choice anent "class" on these boats, as -second-class is very inferior. First-class accommodation, however, was -good. After two days of rough sailing land was sighted, and next -morning the ship passed through the right channel of Corregidor Island -into Manila harbor. Thirty miles from the entrance is Manila. After -leaving the ship, it was the first time I had been on American -territory for nearly three years. - -What a marked difference in the appearance of streets in Manila to -other cities of the Far East. Instead of Chinese or natives moving -merchandise and other wares on split bamboo sticks or by ox carts, or -donkeys drawing two-wheeled vehicles, large, fat mules and horses were -hitched to big, four-wheeled trucks loaded with heavy wares, together -with big motor trucks taking part in the healthy business scene. -Besides, flitting about the streets were light, neat-appearing, -two-wheeled vehicles drawn by smart-moving ponies. The two-wheeled -trap, called a calesa, is the chief conveyance. The men driving these -were certainly a strange class of "cabbies," for they did not seem to -care whether they secured a fare or not. The calesas, numbering 3,000, -are both a handy and a cheap conveyance, the charge being 20 cents for -the first and 15 cents for each additional hour. - -The principal business street is known as the Escolta, and little can -be said in its favor. Most of the business houses are conducted by -Chinese, Indians and Arabs; and a great many of the buildings are -owned by these merchants, who would be satisfied to do business in a -pig pen so long as money came over the stye. The street is well paved, -well policed, and a good street-car line has been laid in the center. -But it is the lop-sided appearance of the thoroughfare that grates on -one. The sidewalk at the head of the street is eight feet wide, and -gets narrower and narrower until the walking space has been reduced to -eight inches. The Escolta being the Broadway of Manila, it is well -crowded with Filipinos, Chinamen and Americans. A better street might -be substituted for the Escolta, but that thoroughfare is owned by -Chinese. - -The only way to make a modern town out of Manila would be to destroy -the relics of Spanish "art" and rebuild on scientific lines. The best -way to accomplish this would be to have fires started in sections of -the city when a tornado is blowing a gale of 60 miles an hour, the -firemen devoting their energies to protecting people, but not putting -a hand to a hose to combat the ravages of the flames. - -A good street-car system courses the city and outlying districts, but -the fare, like the steamship charge, is too high. There are -first-class and second-class cars, and the fare for first-class is six -cents and second-class five cents. The United States and her colonies -are the only territories we have traveled in where a receipt is not -given a passenger for his street car fare. - -Manila has few good buildings, in which respect the Philippine capital -differs from cities in British colonies, but after Manila has been -under American control from 50 to 100 years there will no doubt be a -better showing in this respect. - -We had reached another place where potatoes do not grow, where one -gets only condensed milk for his coffee, where meat and flour are -imported from Australia, and cabbage, onions, celery and cauliflower -come from other countries; where vaccination is the first precaution -suggested for the preservation of life; where one is apt to become -sick if he drinks water that has not been boiled; where one dare not, -if life should be dear to him, eat a piece of raw carrot or other -vegetable, or even fruit, that grows near the earth; where every one -sleeps under netting at night to keep the mosquito from injecting -into his system malaria fever germs, and where one must not forget to -keep a weather-eye out for the bubonic flea. Everything unerringly -suggests that the tropics have been reached. - -Doctors say it is not necessary to drink whisky in the Philippines to -ward off disease, but as cooks are liable to forget to boil the water, -few of the old "tropicalians," while in sympathy with medical oracles, -seem to place faith in the mindfulness of island cooks. Convulsions -and consumption are, in order, the causes from which most people die -in Manila. The death rate per 1,000 of the total population is 39.61. - -New Year's eve was celebrated in the usual American style, with floats -on motor-cars and wagons moving about the streets. On one motor-car -was a large barrel, which looked like a street sprinkler. A white -canvas covered the sides and there was printed on the cloth in large -black letters, "Keep off the water wagon!" - -The hours of work are too long in that climate. In most hot countries -the working time does not exceed eight hours a day, and in other -tropical climes seven hours is the rule. But Americans work nine and -ten hours a day. - -On the Luneta, an inviting stretch of green sward, located along the -shore of the bay and between the walls of the old city and a -residential section, concerts are given by a good band six evenings -during the week. The entertainments continue for an hour, from 6 to 7 -o'clock, and, judging by the crowds in attendance, are much -appreciated. At these concerts the Filipino appears at his best, so -far as clothes go. He is vain as a negro in show of clothes, and if -European clothes meant advancement for native races the Filipino would -claim first place. He often appears much neater than the European. - -As with most colored races, the Filipinos are ingrates. They were -neglected under Spanish rule, it is safe to presume, and now, when a -stable system of government has been fixed, and schools, sound money, -sewerage, better water, better wages, better treatment, and a brighter -future have been provided, they still ask, "What is the United States -going to do for us?" All the governors of the provinces are natives, -but the treasurers of provinces are mostly Americans. This may be -changed in the future, but a return to the former custom--a white man -to handle the money--would soon follow, for very good reasons. - -The worst railroad trains ever ridden on were those running from -Manila. I traveled as far as San Fernando, 38 miles from the capital, -and the time required to cover that distance was 3 hours and 48 -minutes. Another trip was made from Cavite to Manila, 25 miles -separating the two points, and two and a half hours was the time it -took to cover that distance. In both instances the track was level. -The ten-ton engine drawing a train over a two-foot gauge up the -Himalaya mountains made as good time. Third-class fare is too high for -poor natives; two cents a mile is too much. Steamship fare for -coastwise ships is exorbitant. If the owners of railroad lines and -coastwise ship owners do not make money in the Philippines, it will -not be because they do not charge enough. - -Native women walking about smoking big, black cigars do not look very -edifying. They may be seen any time in the streets, puffing rings of -smoke from cigars or cigarettes. - -Unlike other countries visited, few of the natives in Manila were in -their bare feet--even the children wore neat-looking sandals. - -A starched, springy cloth is worn about the neck of the women, shaped -like a horse-collar. The "collar" is tied in front with a knot, and -rests on the shoulders and neck. In size and design it is larger than -a horse-collar, and the women are constantly touching it, first on one -side and next on the other, to keep it straight or in right position. -The "collars" are sometimes of silk and of varied colors. - -Windows without panes of glass are seen here, formed by upright -panels, an inch wide, nailed to a crosspiece three inches wide, each -having four such crosspieces. Intersecting the spaces made by the -panels and crosspieces are smaller pieces of lath, which form -three-inch squares in the window. In these three-inch squares flat -pieces of light-colored seashell are placed, which admit light, but -through which the hot sun cannot penetrate. The windows do not raise -or swing, but slide from side to side, when closing or opening. Panes -of glass are seen occasionally, but these are often painted a dark -color to keep out the sun. Sunshine seldom reaches a room, as windows -are closed on the sunny sides during the day. - -The natives' homes put one in mind of a squirrel's nest in a tree. -Often they are hid with banana bushes and other growths from every -side. The huts are built on poles from three to ten feet from the -ground. The frame is composed of round and split bamboo, and the -covering is generally of what is commonly known as nipa palm. They all -have a few chickens and a pig. Their food is mostly fish and rice. - -The presence of chickens about natives' homes is accounted for by -their weakness for cock fights. Cockpits are no longer allowed within -the city limits, but, as Manila does not cover a large area, from 15 -minutes to half an hour's ride in a calesa will find one at a pit -where the native sport is taking place. Gambling is the incentive for -that sport, and so long as a Filipino can gamble he will not work. - -Prize fights are not permitted in the Philippines, and it is a -criminal offense for a newspaper to publish a challenge for bouts. -Americans of sporting ilk find Manila an uncomfortable place to live -in. Every once in a while groups of free-and-easy characters are -rounded up by the authorities, taken to a ship sailing for the United -States, when they unwillingly bid good-by to Manila's shores. - -The climate of Manila differs from that of other countries the same -distance from the equator. A majority of Europeans wear the same kind -of hats as are worn in the States. Neither were white clothes much -worn. In other sections close to the equator one would fall from -sunstroke did he not wear a helmet or some other heavy head-covering. - -The city and country around Manila is flat and swampy. When a season -of heavy rain occurs the suburbs are partly under water, many of the -streets being in a deplorable condition. Both the sewerage and water -systems are modern, however, but some of the business streets are -poorly paved. - -Several daily newspapers are printed in the capital, but, aside from a -white man being in charge, the printers are mostly natives. The same -applies to the island printing office located in Manila. Wages paid -the native printers are from $18 to $25 a month. Laborers receive from -50 to 75 cents a day. American mechanics receive about the same wages -as those paid in the States. - -Soldiers, in khaki uniforms, are always to be seen about the streets -of Manila, a fort being located just outside the city. A similar -uniform is worn by the British troops in some of their colonies, but -the uniform worn by the American soldier looks neater, for the reason -that the American uniform is starched, while the Britisher's is -ironed. Both police and soldiers are gentlemanly fellows. - -Evicting the dead sounds strange, but this takes place in Paco -Cemetery, in Manila. The dead are placed in niches built in a wall, -from six to seven feet thick, which encloses an area of three acres of -land. The wall is perhaps eight feet high, and three niches, or burial -places, are built one under the other, with a wall partition between. -Rent must be paid for these niches, and when friends fail to meet the -bills the remains are taken out and placed in a heap with others -formerly evicted. One may pay rent for these burial vaults as long as -he wishes, but from five to ten years seemed to be the length of time -relatives retained regard for the departed. The graveyard is over a -hundred years old, but the dates appearing on the slabs of the vaults -bear record only of deaths within five to ten years. All the burial -places are not like Paco, however, as in a number of cemeteries the -dead are placed underground. The total number of vaults in Paco -Cemetery will accommodate 1,782 bodies. - -Hotel accommodation can be had for $2 a day. Boarding houses charge -from $40 to $60 a month. Similar articles cost considerably more in -Manila than they do in the States. No duty is levied on American -imports when brought to the islands in American ships. - -Manila is divided by the Pasig River, and a busy shipping place it is. -North of the Pasig is the business center of the city, and, save for -some shipping, there is little business on the other side of the -dividing water. The old walled city, however, is located south of the -Pasig. The wall itself is the oldest on American soil. Compared with -that at Canton, it is limited, as the Manila wall contains an area of -less than a mile. Its construction was started in 1591, but was not -completed until 1872. The Spaniards did not seem to be in much of a -hurry to finish the work. However, it served as a protection from -assaults by Chinese and by the Moros; but in 1762 the English led a -successful attack on this defense. Built in the walls are numerous -chambers which had been used as cells for prisoners, and in some of -these, after American occupation, were found instruments of torture, -and even human bones. The churches and convents still stand behind the -strong walls, and bear witness to the suffering, bravery and endurance -in the early history of the Philippines. Some of the buildings in -Intramuros are used as government offices. Originally seven gates led -to the enclosure, but the Americans decided these were not enough, and -two more openings were made. The fort and enclosure were built to -command a wide view of Manila Bay, allowing a good stretch of land to -intervene between the historic wall and the shore. - -Manila has a splendid fire department, good schools, numerous -churches, museums and libraries, theaters, sports grounds, hospitals, -charities organizations, a very good municipal ice manufacturing -plant, and club buildings. One will find in that far-off possession -most of the advantages to be had in the cities of the United States. - -Baseball games are played here the year round, and the Filipino clubs -make a good showing. - -Good steamship accommodation could formerly be had for $125 on -intermediate ships from Manila to San Francisco, but recently the rate -has advanced $50. On the larger ships, first-class, the fare is $250. -The sailing time between the two points is about a month, the distance -being 8,000 miles. Much cheaper rates can be had on Japanese ships, -second-class, but if one can afford the difference in price the $175 -rate is worth the increased sum in accommodation. The increase of $50 -on the intermediate vessels has diverted considerable travel from -American to Japanese ships, because many people cannot afford to pay -the higher sum. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -We left Manila with passage paid to San Francisco. Out through the -splendid bay we sailed, when the ship was headed for Hongkong, where -ships were changed. Leaving at night, a flare of light in the business -center of Hongkong gradually tapered up the side of the mountain to -the fort on the summit, nearly 2,000 feet. We had started for -Shanghai, China. Every ship that leaves Hongkong for San Francisco, of -whatever nationality, has Americans aboard. After two and a half days' -sailing the ship anchored off Wusung, where the sea was yellow with -the muddy water of the great Yangtse River delta. A ship tender was -boarded and a start made up the Huangpu River, which was crowded with -ships, and along and away from the banks smoke-stacks towered for 14 -miles, when the boat was made fast to a wharf at Shanghai. From the -wharf, looking over a strip of green, there rose a wall of big, solid, -clean-looking business buildings, nearly as good as one will find in -any city of the world. - -One has a varied choice of post offices in Shanghai, as there are -seven, representing as many nationalities. These are French, Russian, -German, American, British, Japanese and Chinese. Shanghai is another -Chinese city known as a "treaty port," which signifies that China had -granted land concessions to one or more nations, on which to build -cities--forts, if necessary--and collect revenues from imports, and in -some instances from exports, passing through the treaty port. Chinese -live in some of the concessions, but they make their home in these -districts only by sufferance of the country, or countries, to whom -these tracts have been granted. The Chinese residents have neither -voice nor vote in the smallest matters pertaining to the general -government of treaty settlements. Large numbers of Chinese living in -both the French and International Settlements found protection under -these flags during native wars, when their own country could not offer -them a place of safety. - -In 1843 British troops occupied Shanghai, and by that means a land -concession was gained from China. About the same time the United -States was granted a similar concession, and seven years later France -had also acquired a land grant there. The American and British -concessions were amalgamated in 1863, but France would not join the -two English-speaking nations in the formation of one foreign -settlement. The title of the American and English land tract is "The -Foreign Community of Shanghai North of the Yangkingpang," but the -territory is commonly termed "The International Settlement." Since the -pooling of interests by England and the United States additional -territory has been acquired from China, until the International -Settlement now comprises an area of 6,000 acres of land; while France, -choosing independence, has only the original concession, 358 acres. -Self-governing powers are exercised by the International Settlement, -which includes imposing taxation and policing the territory. A council -governs the Settlement, and the members are elected by European -residents who pay a house rental of $400 and by landowners whose -property valuation would bring that sum annually if rented. Land -cannot be bought outright for building or speculative purposes, as the -land was conceded on terms of perpetual lease. No matter how much -interests a Chinaman may have within the Settlement boundary he cannot -vote on municipal matters. Harbor dues, import and export taxes--any -revenue from commerce passing in or going out through the section of -the harbor owned by the respective countries--is collected by the -officials of that country. The United States has the better section of -the water-front, but English and Japanese ships practically control -the trade of that important port. - -Shanghai is the distributing center for the commerce of the thickly -populated sections on the Yangtse River. Large ships can travel on the -Yangtse in certain seasons of the year as far inland as Hankow, 600 -miles from the delta. Then smaller vessels go on to Ichang, 400 miles -still further inland, and river craft from there carry cargoes to -Soufu, 500 miles further, or 1,500 miles inland from Shanghai. The -total length of the Yangste, which rises in the mountains of Thibet, -with its tributaries, is 3,000 miles. The width of the river at the -delta is 30 miles. Shanghai is mentioned in history dating back 2,000 -years. - -Professional mourners, or weepers, at funerals is an occupation in -China that brings in a good fee, if the weeper be a good crier. -Preceding a funeral is what one may term a band, the instruments -producing noise being brass pans or trays, beaten by men. After the -pan-beaters come several Chinese, wearing high, fluffy hats. The -coffin, which is generally a log of wood shaped out and of cylindrical -form, follows the men wearing the strange headgear. The coffin is -borne on two bamboo poles, two Chinamen at each end--four carriers in -all. Relatives and friends of the deceased follow, either walking or -riding in a ricksha, wheelbarrow, or carriage. Among this group a -woman will be heard crying lustily. It is really touching to hear the -deep intonations of grief as vented in a loud, mournful sound, until -it becomes known that the apparently grief-stricken woman is a -professional mourner, never having known the deceased in life. - -Women and men do not play parts together on a Chinese theatrical -stage. The actresses generally wear long beards and mope around the -stage, showing no more life than that of a snake when the frost is -being thawed out of his body by an early springtime sun. To a European -the plot is long drawn out, lifeless, and even tedious. But the -Chinese have a way of overcoming this, as tea drinking seems to be as -much a factor of the playhouse as the performance. Small tables -resting on bamboo-pole legs are placed about the seating space of the -theater. One will no sooner have got settled in the seat than a waiter -will appear and place a teapot and cup and saucer before the -attendant. Neither milk nor sugar accompanies the tea, and the charge -is ten cents. In a short time another waiter, carrying in his hand a -stack of steaming towels, will stop at the table and lay a hot cloth -over the teapot. He pauses, for the price of the towel is five cents. -Later, still another towel fellow stops, removes the one the first man -placed over the teapot, puts a fresh steaming cloth over it, waits -until he has received the five cents, and walks on. The hot towel -serves a dual purpose--keeps the tea warm, and is used on the face and -hands to regale the weary theatergoers while enduring the mopy -performance. In the cheaper section of a theater, what looks like a -store counter is built, from which the "gallery gods" drink tea. - -The Chinese of Shanghai appeared to be in better circumstances than -those in Canton. The young women are very distinctive, and were seen -to better advantage than in other places. The millinery era has not -reached China, so far as applies to Chinese women, and for that reason -most of them go about without head covering. When one is seen wearing -anything on the head, it is generally a man's cap. Chinese women are -very particular about their hair, and, when not all combed back, it -rests on the forehead, like bangs. Hundreds of young women may be seen -with bare head, wearing a shiny silk jacket and snug-fitting trousers. -They are straight as an arrow, and their rosy cheeks, unassuming -manners, tidy hair, and generally neat appearance unite to their -credit. The Chinese boys are mischievous little fellows, and all the -children seemed fat and strong, with rosy cheeks. The "Chink kid" was -the most attractive we had met. All the children seemed to have double -the amount of clothes necessary, and most of them wore bulky shoes, -made of grass and reeds. - -Chinese cooks, as a rule, are paid no regular salary. They agree to -feed a family for a certain sum a month, and the money not used out of -the fixed food allowance is his. He does the marketing, and it is -needless to add there is some sharp bargaining between grocer and -butcher and the cook. For a European family of six a cook would agree -to furnish food for from $50 to $60 a month. Beef and mutton sold at -15 cents a pound. Vegetables, however, were proportionately cheaper. - -One of the courts of the Settlement is known as "the Mixed Court." A -Chinese judge presides, but there is always an American or an English -official sitting on the bench with the native judge. Punishment is -meted out to the native not as the Chinese authority would have it, -but as the white officials suggest. Most of the black and yellow races -prefer to be adjudged by a white man, for a white judge will have more -of the milk of human kindness in his heart than a colored official. -Like Indians, the upper class of Chinese seem to be little concerned -about the condition of the poor and starving. The well-to-do Chinese -give alms to the needy often, to be sure, but that apparently laudable -trait is practiced more out of fear of a beggar's curse, when evil -days would befall him. The high-caste Indian also gives to mendicants -to ward off evil days. - -The Native City is located outside the bounds of the Settlements -concession, where Chinese were as numerous, and the streets as narrow, -as some in Canton, but of much smaller area. Some of the territory -within the wall was under water--a pond--over which a bridge had been -built. The bridge was purposely built nearly zigzag to foil the Evil -One if he should pursue any of them. Beggars were very numerous in -that section of Shanghai, and the mothers, like those seen in Canton, -begged, at the same time holding up the little hand of a babe, in -which one might put any offering. The Long-Hau pagoda, seven stories -in height, located outside the city, is a credit to Chinese skill. - -Few horses were seen drawing loads in Shanghai. Most of the cartage -and trucking is done on bamboo poles by Chinamen and with hand trucks, -pulled by ropes and shoved. Five Chinese pull the same load a horse -would draw. - -The condition of the ricksha pullers of Shanghai is pitiable. Fifteen -thousand Chinese are engaged in this occupation, some of them so weak -that they frequently fall to the ground from exhaustion, caused by an -empty stomach. When a Chinaman quails under hard work it is because he -has not a fighting chance to make a showing. Chinese pay them two and -three cents for a ride, while Europeans pay five cents and over. The -owners of the rickshas pay 75 cents a month to the Settlement as a -license fee, and the puller must pay the owner 40 cents a day. Often, -when a puller has not earned the rental sum, 40 cents, he will remain -in the streets all day and most of the night in the hope of at least -earning the required charge. If he cannot pay the 40 cents he is -deprived of his occupation until he has settled for the last ricksha. - -The wheelbarrow of this city, used to carry passengers and move goods, -is the oddest device in use the world over. It differs from similar -vehicles in that the wheel is in the center of the frame instead of in -front. Above the wheel is also a frame, on which to carry articles of -light weight. A rope is tied to each end of the barrow handles, and -the loop rests on the Chinaman's neck, passing under his arms. A -Chinaman will wheel a weight of half a ton for miles on this crude -device. An article may weigh 500 pounds which cannot be divided--must -be carried on one side, the other side free of weight--yet he will -short-step along with the one-sided load until he has reached his -destination. The barrow will not tip over. On each side of the wheel -may often be seen sitting Chinese women with bare heads, wearing white -blouses with pink stripes about the sleeves, with baggy velvet -trousers, and snow-white stockings showing over neat, boat-shaped, -black or colored velvet shoes. Passengers get a long ride on the -wheelbarrow for from two to five cents. The owner pays a license fee -of 40 cents a month for his crude vehicle. - -Windows of Chinese temples, and sometimes other buildings, are the -same as those seen in Manila--light colored seashell. - -Both the dollar and the tael are in use in Shanghai, the former worth -from 40 to 50 cents and the tael about 65 cents. - -Chinese mechanics are paid from 20 to 40 cents a day. Printers receive -$10 to $18 a month. The working time is eight or nine hours a day. -Carpenters were on strike for an increase of from two to five cents a -day. If a Chinaman hod-carrier, or one working at unskilled labor, -should be taken sick, the wife will often take his place until her -husband is able to resume work. - -An unfriendly feeling seemed to be harbored toward Americans by other -Europeans living in the Chinese coast cities. It was claimed that -since American occupation of the Philippines the cost of living had -advanced 50 per cent., as the influx of Europeans to the islands had -created a greater demand for Chinese meat, vegetables and other -necessities. Hotel expenses were very reasonable in Shanghai, however, -as $1.50 a day only was paid. - -Bombay, India, was the most attractive city visited in the East, and -Shanghai, China, with a population of a million inhabitants, was the -second best city. Between the landing place on the river and the -splendid front of buildings that give a visitor his first impression -of the metropolis of the Yangtse is a stretch of green, grass-covered -land, known as the Bund. To the right, opening off the park strip, are -the Public Gardens. A good street car system is a feature of the city, -and electric lights are numerous. In any direction one may look, -enterprise and good management are in evidence. The river is teeming -with craft, large and small vessels loading and unloading at each side -of the waterway, and high smoke-stacks, rising from cotton and paper -mills and shipbuilding yards, add much to the thrifty surroundings; -then large oil tanks, busy warehouses, and the gunboats of great -nations anchored in the river give the place a metropolitan -appearance, while the buildings at every turn are good. The streets -are crowded with people, and the stores filled with purchasers, most -of the merchants in that section of the city being Europeans. The -attractive buildings on the Bund do not comprise all of the good -buildings of Shanghai, for some of the homes, built of red and -gray-colored brick, two and three stories in height, are good to look -at. Then there are sidewalks to the Shanghai streets, which are well -paved with asphalt and granite blocks, and these are kept clean. Many -churches are to be seen. Schools are frequently met with, and parks -have been placed at convenient sections; also a horse racecourse, -sports grounds, and good hospitals. In fact, both English and United -States officials have done well in the upbuilding of the International -Settlement. - -Down the Huangpu River, the channel walled by merchant ships and -gunboats, we sail to Wusung, where an American ship was boarded for -Japan. Most of the passengers came from Manila, and were returning to -the States to regain their health and seek employment in a country -where people can drink water and eat raw fruit or vegetables, whether -grown in the ground or on trees. The first thing noticed among the -passengers was the absence of strong drink during meals. Stimulants -are a feature at mealtime with almost every other nationality -traveling in the Far East. A day and a half's sail through the base of -the Yellow Sea brought us to Nagasaki, Japan. - -After the vessel had anchored, flat boats or scows loaded with coal, -and also with Japanese men and women, were seen heading toward her. -The women were to help load the ship with bunker coal. Each woman and -girl had over her head a white cloth, with large, black Japanese -characters stamped in the print. Grass baskets, that hold but a -shovelful, are used to coal ships at this Japanese port. The scows -have been made fast to the ship, the baskets are being filled, the -coal passing line is formed from the barge to the vessel, extending up -a ladder to a hatch over the bunkers. The tidy looking women are now -passing baskets from one to the other as quickly as one would hand a -plate to another if needed at once. A stream of these is constantly -being tossed from one to the other, and small girls are engaged at -returning the empty ones to the scow. Two, and even three, streams of -coal run into the bunkers from one scow by means of the handleless -baskets, and, as from three to five scows will be unloading at the -same time from both sides of the vessel, it will be understood what a -large quantity of fuel can be emptied into a ship from ten to fifteen -of these coal lines. The time required to furnish a vessel with bunker -coal in this manner is from four to five hours. The wages of the coal -passers are based on the amount of coal a ship takes on, as an equal -sum is paid the coalers. This amounts to from 15 to 25 cents each. As -many as 500 Japanese--mostly women--keep life in their bodies by this -means of employment. - -The harbor was attractively dotted with partly green islands, and in -front the country was hilly and mostly terraced. The terraced hills -are the "farms" of the people. Every inch of land that can be built up -with rock to a level surface is used to grow vegetables and other -products. - -Oxen, hitched to carts and wearing grass shoes, was something that had -not been seen--the grass shoes--in other countries. A grass string -passed between the hoofs, which was connected with another grass -string or rope wound about the fetlock. These held on the shoe, or -grass mat, protecting the hoofs from wear on the roads. - -In India boards are sawed from logs while sticking in the air at an -angle of 35 degrees, with one man on the log pulling a crosscut saw, -and another under, on a platform, pulling the saw downward after the -fellow on top had pulled the saw up. At Nagasaki boards were being cut -from logs by hand also, but the sawyer stood on the ground and ripped -the log from the side, in the same way that meat is carved. The saw -was two feet long and a foot wide, with deep teeth, and with that -implement slabs were being ripped off logs 20 feet in length. Like the -Indian, the Jap pulls a plane toward him, while a white carpenter -shoves a plane from him. Still, one may see any day in New York City -men "chopping" wood with granite blocks. - -While the rest of Japan was closed to foreigners, Nagasaki, for 200 -years before the country was thrown open to the world, was an open -port, and even then life was none too safe, as missionaries had been -killed in that section. Nagasaki has a population of 150,000, and most -of the people are engaged at coaling ships, working in a shipyard, or -in pottery works. The streets are narrow, but tidier than those seen -in some cities left behind, and the homes small, none higher than two -stories, mostly of wood construction. Ricksha pullers in this place -were a pest. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Nagasaki was left behind when a start was made through the Inland Sea -for Kobe, a day's sail separating the two ports. The sail is an -attractive one, as this stretch of water is thickly dotted with -islands. Were the vegetation tropical it would favorably compare with -the journey through the Fiji group. The Inland Sea is generally calm, -and foreign ships, together with those of Japan's large fleet of -merchantmen, were winding and twisting about the islands in every -section of the noted land-locked waterway. The vessel we boarded at -Shanghai was the third one since leaving Manila. Our journey through -Japan from Kobe will be by rail. - -The ship anchored in the bay, and passengers were brought to the -wharves in tenders. Modern buildings were in evidence, and street cars -and railroad trains were running through the city. In general, Kobe -presents a much better appearance than Nagasaki. - -Almost every woman seen in Japan has a child on her back, the mother's -custom of carrying her babe, and most of the girls also wear a bulky -piece of cloth likewise, which is tied about the waist. On a farm -where there are no reckless boys, and the head of the family is -satisfied with the easier ways of life, a colt may be seen walking -about a pasture or enclosure with a sack of grain tied to its back; -this is put on the colt's back to break it in to ride. The bundles on -the girls' backs looked as if they had been placed there for the -initial lesson in carrying a baby. The knapsack-like cloth is called -the obi. Japanese fathers seemed to take more interest in their -children than Chinese parents, as we cannot recall seeing a Chinaman -carrying a child. - -The Japanese home is the flimsiest anywhere. Thin pine boards, with -paper windows and doors, generally one-story and attic, constitute -their shell-like dwelling. Low stools and mats are prominent household -accessories, but no chairs or tables. A mat on the floor serves as the -seat in a Japanese home, which is neat, and the people present a -favorable appearance. The roof is its most substantial feature, being -covered with black tiles. The doors slide to one side. Crosspieces and -upright panels compose the frames of doors, and the squares in -windows, which in Manila are of seashell, are covered with paper in -Japan. The paper is frequently broken, when new "window panes" replace -the torn ones. - -The household stove of Japan is a portable earthen bucket, generally -white in color, with a handle. Charcoal is the fuel generally used. -This stove cooks the food of the family and also provides heat in cold -weather. The family may be seen squatting about the white earthen -bucket with twice as many hands over the fire as there are members of -the household. A fan serves to coax the charcoal along. - -While the Japanese are poor, they seem to be well supplied with -clothing. The flimsy character of the homes may account for the -thickness of cloth worn, as the weather gets cold in Japan, ice and -snow being in evidence. The kimono is worn entirely by women, and -generally by men. Occasionally a man will be seen wearing European -clothes, but Japanese women are always dressed in the native garb. -Some of the small boys wear a helmet after the style worn with a coat -of mail, and look really warlike in them. - -Both Nagasaki and Kobe are located on hilly ground, which necessitates -the building of walls in frequent sections of the cities. These walls -are very sound, and a feature of them worth mentioning is that no -mortar appears to have been used in their construction. - -Most of the modern buildings here were built by firms from other -countries, but there are also modern native structures. The business -quarters have sidewalks, but away from that section there are none. No -street paving was seen either in Kobe or Nagasaki. On the hillsides -the soil seemed to be hard, and in the level sections loose gravel was -used for paving. - -No cabs were seen in Kobe, but street cars and rickshas were -plentiful. Street-car fare ranged from one and one-half to four cents. -The ricksha pullers of Kobe were an improvement on some of the starved -Chinese pullers of Shanghai. A great many of the pullers of Japan have -no shoes on their feet, but wear cloth, generally white, for -protection. Walking over gravel roads did not seem to bother the -Japanese ricksha pullers. - -Kobe has a population of nearly half a million, and is second to -Yokohama in importance as a seaport, much tea being exported from this -port. Behind the city rises a range of high hills, covered with pine -trees--a natural park. In front is a splendid bay, from which rises -many masts and smoke funnels from vessels at anchor. Some of the -streets are of good width and others are very narrow, but all are -clean. Attractive homes have been built on the hillsides, but the high -gates and fenced and walled enclosures lend to the dwellings the air -of a prison. - -Cloth grain sacks are never seen in the Orient. Anything of that -nature which contains goods is made of grass. - -In the railway stations of Japan are kept on file publications of -current dates. This unusual custom seems to be appreciated by the -traveling public, as many passengers may be seen turning page after -page of the periodicals while waiting for a train. The railways are -government owned, and the fare, first-class, is two cents, -second-class one cent, and third-class one half cent a mile. Some of -the first-class coaches contain wicker chairs, with observation -platform at the rear. Second- and third-class coaches are provided -with cushioned seats at the side of the car. The width of the tracks -is from three to four feet, and the fastest schedule is 35 miles an -hour. Meals on trains cost 50 cents. By paying a small additional sum, -through steamship passengers may travel by rail on their steamship -ticket from either Nagasaki or Kobe to Yokohama, or vice versa, with -stop-over privileges at any point. Many passengers take advantage of -this liberal concession. No stations are announced, but the name is -printed in big letters on a wide board. Strangers are informed of -their destination by a trainman shortly after the train has pulled -away from the preceding station. The signs at stations prove a better -guide to foreigners, as Europeans are termed in Japan, than announcing -them, for words sound so much different when spoken in the native -tongue. - -We have reached Osaka, the second largest city in Japan. This city has -a million inhabitants, and is a very important commercial center. Few -horses or oxen were seen here, most of the cartage being done on -two-wheeled trucks by men, women, and boys. Chinese truckmen pull -their loads with a rope passed over the shoulder, but the Japanese -pulls his load by his breast. A pad is laid across his chest and a -rope is put over, the ends of which are generally fastened to the axle -of the truck. It is hard to believe that human beings can do the work -of horses, mules, and motor trucks in a manufacturing city of a -million inhabitants, but they really do so. - -Carriages or taxicabs were not seen in the city. Ricksha is the means -by which luggage is carried and places reached when traveling other -than by street car. Street cars in Osaka are crowded all day. Unless a -car is boarded at its starting point, it is generally a case of -holding on to a strap. Four and a half cents is charged for a -street-car ticket, but there is a coupon to each, which is good for a -return journey--two and one-quarter cents a ride. Cars are numerous, -single-decked, and they travel fast. Traffic is so heavy that two -conductors are required to collect the fares. - -The theater district of Broadway, New York City, is termed the "Great -White Way," but some of the streets on which bioscope and other -theaters are located in Osaka also cast a great flare of light at -night. The attractions are printed on cloth of bright color, secured -to poles extending from buildings on each side. These signs, all -printed in Japanese characters, meet in the center of the street, and -large arc lights, some of them red instead of white, illuminate the -surroundings. This, together with music, noise, and the crowds packing -the streets from curb to curb, may appropriately be termed "The Great -Colored Way." It is a sidelight of life in another part of the world -that has to be seen to be understood. No expense is spared in lighting -in front of amusement buildings in Osaka. The price of admission is -five and ten cents, and the places are jammed during opening hours. - -The unit of money in Japan is the yen, which is 50 cents in American -coin. The half-yen is a silver piece; some of the lower coins are also -silver, others nickel and copper. Sen is used as the American cent, -and 100 sen makes a yen. The plural is never used in yen or sen, -always 30 sen and 20 yen. A sen is one-half of a cent. - -A few wide streets course the city, and modern business buildings show -up here and there, but aside from these the buildings are of wood and -the streets narrow. No paving, however, covered the streets, neither -were sidewalks in evidence. A river flows through the city, which -serves as good drainage to this populous center. - -The price of food is much higher in Japan than in India and China. -With the exception of Singapore and Canton, hotel expenses did not -exceed $2 a day, but $2.50 was the cheapest for accommodation in most -Japanese cities. Though all wanted $3 a day, a little haggling brought -the price down a yen. In our hotel in Osaka the room was heated by a -small charcoal stove, of an upright gas-stove shape, instead of the -bucket kind. On first sight it seemed a joke, but it took the chill -off the room in a short time nevertheless. - -A pleasant change in hotel service was met with here. With the -exception of Australia and New Zealand, and one place in Durban, South -Africa, at every place we stopped male servants were the rule. After -leaving South America these were black men. With two exceptions, Delhi -and Benares, there was no such personage as a woman housekeeper seen -about the hotels--men, men, men at every place. But in Osaka, a -rosy-cheeked Japanese girl, with the "training saddle" tied to her -back, placed the charcoal in the stove, and fiery embers were slid on -top from a dustpan shovel; in the dining-room, also, the girls, in -their counterless slippers, would shuffle, shuffle, shuffle their feet -from the dining-room to the kitchen, and soon shuffle back with the -ordered food--the sound of the girls' feet more amusing than annoying. -One wonders how hotels in some countries exist, for often not more -than half a dozen guests are living in a big hostelry. The trade seems -to come from foreigners only, for seldom is a Japanese seen about. - -Osaka was my first stop from Kobe, and, inquiring from a young man how -I might reach a certain point, he volunteered to show me about the -city. His kind offer was accepted. He proved to be a professional man, -could speak some English, and seemed to take delight in doing me the -slightest kindness. He took me to a splendid park and other places of -interest, and insisted on paying his own street car and ricksha fares. - -The working hours in Japan are ten a day. Mechanics receive 75 cents -and laborers from 30 to 40 cents a day. Rice, fish, and tea seemed to -be the principal food, and if the quantities of food were no larger in -proportion than some of the teacups in use, people live cheaply. A man -seen eating a bowl of fish and rice with chopsticks was asked what he -had paid for it, a vendor having just sold it; he said 30 sen--15 -cents. Ten cents would seem a big price for the same portion in -America. - -Osaka is intersected by canals, and over a thousand bridges within the -city lines cross these waterways, resembling Amsterdam, Holland, in -this respect. There are nearly 2,000 places of worship, hundreds of -schools, colleges, and academies, five daily newspapers, paper mills, -machine shops, and an arsenal. Tea, silk, and copper figure largely in -the exports from that busy center. - -If few modern buildings, narrow streets, latticed front and part paper -homes, one story in height, and shops located in these buildings, -illustrate Japanese progress, then Kyoto, next visited, is to the -fore. The old west capital, as Kyoto is termed, puts one in mind of a -pile of wood boxes that have been gathered together to make a bonfire. -This city is one huge tinder box. In size Kyoto is the third city of -Japan, with a population of half a million people, and it is the -bucket stove alone that saves the residents from becoming homeless -through the ravages of fire, for if wood and coal stoves were used -there would be frequent conflagrations. The roofs are covered with -black tiling, and the houses have no chimneys. - -The bazaars or shopping centers of these cities are busy places, and -resemble an arcade. These are formed by reed blinds being placed above -the street, which, pulled by ropes, roll on wires and stretch across, -preventing the sun from shining below--similar to those in Canton. -Meat is scarce about these shopping places, but rice, beans, dried -fish, and vegetables are much in evidence. Radishes serve the same -purpose in Japan as potatoes in America; they grow as large as a big -cucumber, and when numerous in vegetable stalls an unpleasant odor -arises from them. - -When a horse or an ox was seen drawing a truck, the driver was always -found at the side, or leading it by a rope; it seemed to be the custom -not to ride in a loaded vehicle. Cabs are not seen in the city, -ricksha pullers doing the hack work. A great many of the public -streets are too narrow for a carriage to pass through. Men do most of -the trucking. - -Pulling a rope depending from a bell, to warn the spirits that a -devotee has come to worship at a shrine, is a national religious -custom of Japan. In front of each temple a thick rope dangles from a -bell above, and, as the finger-soiled Bible indicates the owner's -studious religious tendencies, so does the frayed ropes attest the -frequency with which worshippers summon the spirits to bear witness to -the supplicant's invocations. - -Kyoto is well provided with attractive temples, built during the -residence in that city of the governing powers. These buildings, like -the homes, are constructed of wood, and as one walks about the -churches the floors often squeak. As in India, shoes must be covered -with canvas slippers before entering. The Japanese, also like Indian -worshipers, leave their clogs or sandals outside. Priests are in -attendance, and one of these escorts a stranger through the building. -If the temple be a Shinto place of worship the priests are considered -descendants of the Sun. In one respect there is no similarity between -the priests here and those met in India, as the Japanese officials -were free of the spirit of beggary. A fee is charged on -entering--generally from 10 to 25 cents--and that is all that is -expected. - -No seats, pianos or organs were seen in the temples, but the floors -were covered with mats, on which the worshipers kneel. Off the main -church are rooms, where tapestry, with holy figures outlined, hang on -the walls, and shrines are sometimes found in the cloisters. The -temples are generally located in attractive grounds, often used by -children at play. About the buildings are stone or cement posts, on -top of which is a four-cornered cap, with a roof or covering larger -than the pillar; these represent square lanterns. Under the roof the -inside is hollow, with four corners as supports. Lights, put in these, -radiate from the four openings. It is one of the sacred emblems of -Japan, and hundreds of these lanterns stand in temple enclosures, each -one the gift of a well-to-do adherent of the faith. The temples are -covered by a roof which seems out of proportion to the building. The -eaves are very deep, the supports often richly carved, the designs -generally typifying some feature of the religion. The entrance to a -Shinto temple is always marked by two stone or wood posts, one on each -side, from 12 to 18 feet in height. About two feet below the top a -long, straight beam of stone, from a foot to eighteen inches wide, -rests in mortises of the upright posts. As the cross stone is solid, -one end is placed in the mortise of one pillar and placed across to -enter the mortise in the opposite one, the ends extending from two to -four feet from the pillars. On top of these posts rest a wide stone -cap piece of warped appearance. The whole is called a torii, and -appears only at the entrance of a Shinto temple. For walks, the -enclosures are covered with gravel, like the streets, or the natural -soil serves the purpose of tiling or pavement. They bear no -resemblance to temples seen in the other countries visited, neither -are they as expensively fitted as some of the mosques and temples in -India. - -Poor people of other countries do not, as a rule, have two pairs of -shoes, but every Japanese seemed to possess that coveted number. When -we say shoes, we mean something--anything--to keep the feet from the -ground. The Japanese "shoes" are pieces of wood, a trifle longer than -the foot, arched at a point between the joint of the toes and instep, -with heavy braid. Another strip of braid, coming from the point of the -shapened wood on which the foot rests, is secured to the cross braid, -which fits in between the big toe and the next. Under the footboard -are fastened two other thin pieces of wood, two to three inches apart, -and sometimes three inches high, resembling the bridge of a violin. In -wet weather, high-bridged clogs are worn to keep the feet from the -ground, and in dry weather low-bridged clogs are used. Sandals are -worn by some Japanese, but the bridge clog is the shoe of Japan. -High-bridge clogs make more noise than low-bridge ones, and when a -dozen persons walk on a sidewalk wearing this footgear one knows the -Japanese are coming. The clogs cost from 30 to 50 cents a pair. - -Bathing in Japan is a custom that must not be overlooked. In the -country districts one tub--of wood--is used by a family. Often the -bathing takes place in a yard, and the members go through with the -custom, one after the other, while steam is on the water. The same -water answers the purpose of all. - -Small hens' eggs and two-wheeled vehicles go hand in hand in the -Orient, as in both respects, particularly in pigeon-sized eggs, the -Japanese products are the same as first met with in Bombay, India. - -Kyoto is flat, with a pine-tree covered hill behind, on which a number -of temples stand. Looking over the city from this elevation, it -reminds one of a huge lumber yard. By reason of fires having occurred -frequently, a few wide streets course the flat site, and not more than -half a dozen modern buildings rise above the one-story, flimsy homes. -Without these fire-swept tracts there would be no street cars in some -Japanese cities. In Osaka and other cities the ravages by fire are -being taken advantage of to replace the alleys with wide streets. -Dwarfed pines, fruit trees, bulbs, and other plants are seen at many -homes. The Japanese are poor, and are taxed heavily by the -government; still, the full, rosy cheeks of both women and children -would not suggest the hard conditions they are forced to endure to -keep body and soul together. - -Kyoto, the literary center of Japan, is also noted for its porcelain, -lacquer goods, cutlery, hardware, and silk manufactories. - -Comfortable chairs in a clean passenger coach, with an observation -compartment at the rear, and but four foreigners as passengers, was -the agreeable manner in which we started for Yokohama. At nearly every -stop the platforms of the coaches were not only swept but washed. -Nothing was lacking to insure comfort, and the train traveled at a -speed of 30 miles an hour; but, like the flimsy homes of the people, -the coach, which was a first-class one, was not the solid car that one -is accustomed to in other countries. The railway stations were of good -construction, however, being clean and tidy. - -Along the route women and girls were seen carrying bundles of coarse -grass and reeds from the hills. In China men are seen carrying on -their shoulders large numbers of shoes made from such material. In -rice fields, and where other grain had been cut, the stubble was level -with the ground--nothing allowed to go to waste. A great many of the -hills were terraced with stone walls in order to raise food to live -on. At one section of the road the train passed through a valley, -hills rising from each side. The soil was naturally rich and of -considerable depth. Women and men were engaged here in shoveling dirt -into grass baskets, which was carried up steep hills and deposited -near the top on small patches of land that had been made level by -building stone walls to prevent storms from washing the soil back -again into the valley. Often a Shinto shrine appeared, and peasants as -they passed bowed, bent their knees, and moved their lips. All seemed -to be warmly clad, had rosy cheeks, and none looked untidy; nor was -there any begging at the railway stations. On we went, winding about -hills, then through valleys, until, after rounding a sharp turn, a -white mountain loomed up in front and to the left--Mount Fujiyama, the -sacred mountain of Japan, which rises to a height of 12,365 feet, -located 86 miles from Yokohama. By early evening we had reached the -cradle of modern Japan. - -To Commodore M. C. Perry, of the United States Navy, credit is given -for starting a new era in the history of Japan, at Yokohama, in 1854. -Yokohama is to Japan what Shanghai and other cities are to China--a -world treaty port. Commodore Perry practically forced Japan to open -her gates to other nations of the world, after they had been locked -for 2,000 years against all, except the Dutch at Nagasaki. As in the -treaty ports of China, the hand of the white man is in evidence at -every turn in the good docks, warehouses, customs houses, splendid -postoffice building, good bank building, racecourse, public gardens; -wide streets, with pavement, some having walks; gas, electricity, -street cars, and other signs of progress. A short distance from the -concession strip of land the native city is located, with the usual -small frame dwellings and narrow, unpaved streets. In 1859 a foreign -settlement was established, where only a fishing village had stood -previously, but to-day Yokohama is the leading seaport city of Japan -and the terminus of ships sailing from European and American ports. - -Beyond the business center of the city, on an elevation known as the -Bluff, foreigners live. These residents have their churches, -libraries, clubs and societies, and are free from any interference. -Horses and oxen, instead of human beings, were found pulling loads of -merchandise, and cranes at the docks were used to load and unload the -thousands of vessels that come and go. A good railway station adds to -the appearance of this foreign city, but there is little native -interest to be observed compared to other typical Japanese centers. - -At Kamakura, an hour's ride from Yokohama, is located the great -Daibutsu, the Japanese Buddha, 49 1/2 feet high, with a circumference of -nearly a hundred feet. The Daibutsu is composed of bronze plates, -brazed together, and has eyes, four feet in length, of gold. In the -center of the forehead is a silver ball, denoting wisdom. The ear -lobes are very long and the hair curly. This great image rests on a -stone foundation, and the position of the Buddha is that of sitting -down, hands folded, in reverential meditation, the feet being partly -under. It is hollow inside, and a shrine has been erected within for -worshipers. A ladder leads to the top of the Daibutsu. Kamakura has -been sacked by warfare, racked by volcanoes, and ravaged by fires on -various occasions, but for 600 years the great image has remained in -the same position. It is a striking work of art. From the twelfth to -the fifteenth centuries Kamakura was the capital of the Shogunate, and -at one time had a population of a million people, but to-day it is but -a seaside village. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -An hour's ride from Yokohama, Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is reached. -The water here is shallow, Yokohama being practically the port for the -official city of Japan. Tokyo has more open space than other native -cities, and street cars, rickshas and crowds of people about the -railway station gave ample evidence of having reached a large center. -One of the main streets of the capital city is wide, with sidewalks, -and good business buildings rise at frequent sections along the -thoroughfare. Goods were displayed in the windows, and clerks were on -their feet; whereas in other cities Japanese merchants, like the -Indians, were seen sitting down on an elevation or low counter, with -feet partly under and the sandals or clogs on the floor. Away from the -business street, however, are the one-story frame dwellings, with -latticed-like doors, having white paper in the window squares to admit -light. Outside the home are several pairs of clogs, as, again like the -East Indian, Japanese enter in stockinged feet. The same sliding doors -were here, too, and the streets were as narrow and as free of pavement -as those of Kyoto and other cities. The charcoal buckets were -surrounded by members of the family, each one seeming to take turn in -fanning the embers to a stronger heat. - -A visitor would find difficulty in getting about Tokyo, as the street -signs, where they appear, are printed in Japanese, and the same -applies to those on street cars. Large, modern street cars were in -use, and the travel was so heavy that two conductors, as in Osaka, -were kept busy collecting fares. The fare was the same as that in -other cities--4 1/2 cents with a return coupon, or 2 1/4 cents a single -ride. Traffic keeps up from morning until late at night. A stranger -would do well to have written down in the Japanese language on a piece -of paper where he wishes to leave the car, as no English is spoken by -conductors, and the pronunciation of the names of places is not at all -as the spelling of the word would suggest in English. As many people -held on to the straps as were seated. - -Japanese believe in the merit of water, as was evidenced in the -sprinkling of streets, these being partly muddy all the time, which -suggests that high-bridge clogs are generally worn. Very few of the -streets were paved with asphalt or blocks, the paving peculiar to -Japan--loose gravel--being in evidence on most of them. Many canals -and a few rivers run through the city, and bridges are frequently met -with; some of these are of iron. - -One misses restaurants, bakeries, and similar stores when traveling -through the Far East. Not enough foreigners live in these parts of the -world to create a demand for such eating places. Rice is the principal -food, and one never sees a loaf of bread or a cake displayed in store -windows. Eating is confined to the home or hotel. - -Tokyo covers an area of 100 square miles, and good parks are included -within its boundaries. The grounds about the Mikado's palace and the -government buildings, the latter of European design, are in keeping -with a national capital. A high wall surrounds the grounds in which -the palace is situated, and a moat, containing clear water, separates -the wall from streets on each side. The effect that should accompany -an imperial residence is marred, however, as the entrance to the -passageway leading to the grounds was enclosed with an unshapely frame -structure, guarded by soldiers. The streets through that section of -the city were paved with loose gravel. Green stretches of grass and -park spaces, together with splendid vistas, characterize the scene -about the location of the imperial palace. Visitors are not allowed to -enter. - -The police and military systems of Japan are so perfect that a -foreigner's whereabouts while in the country will be accounted for by -the authorities to the minute. The officers have shelters to stand in -throughout the city, in which a telephone is placed. None seemed -officious, but they can put their hands on a visitor any time they -have occasion to do so. - -At one end of the city is located what is familiarly known as Asakusa -Temple, the church of the poor, the grounds and buildings of which are -nearly always crowded with people. On and near the grounds are seen -fortune tellers, fakirs, toy vendors, flaring advertisements, -observation towers, side shows, idols and altars, and the clatter of -clogs is loudly heard. In front of this temple are shrines, one of -them erected to Binguru, the helper of the sick. Binguru is made of -stone, and wears a pink bib. The people believe that by rubbing an -affected part of the body on the stone image they will be cured. As a -result, Binguru is growing less in weight from year to year by reason -of so many hands coming in contact with the stone god. Priests sell -pictures of the goddess Kwannon, which, the people believe, will bring -them good fortune--a baby boy to a home, for instance--and, in a -general sense, keep away evil days. Then the church treasury is -replenished by priests telling fortunes. The contribution box is -different to those seen in any other temple, being 6 feet long and 18 -inches deep, with strips of wood nailed across the top, one side -higher than the other. Between the strips over the top were openings -of two inches. A railing separates the money trough from worshipers. -Though the people are not burdened with money, the coins rattling in -that cattle-guard-like money-box sounded like rain dropping on a tin -roof. - -The amusement center of Tokyo is located a few squares from Asakusa -Temple. Hundreds of theaters stand within a short radius, and the life -of the Chinese and Japanese peoples reaches its zenith in these -districts. The streets are literally emblazoned from both sides with -vari-colored canvas, containing, in Japanese, an account of what is -going on inside the buildings. Pictures of the show are painted on -sheets of cloth in red, yellow, orange, black, blue--in fact, all -colors--and large lights hang thickly above these--truly a striking -combination of light and hues. The charge for these performances is -from 2 1/2 to 10 cents. - -At one theater, where admission was five cents, foreigners' shoes had -to be covered with cloth. It seemed as if religious custom was being -carried too far to be halted by an attendant with a pair of canvas -slippers to conceal leather from the floor of a five-cent show house. -After leaving and walking a square's distance from the building, a man -stepped in front and offered 10 sen, the sum paid for admission, but, -having forfeited all claim to it, I continued on my way. But that -would not do, the usher refusing to leave until I had accepted the 10 -sen. Thereupon I returned to the theater, bought another ticket, and -submitted to slippers custom. - -A trench was being dug on one of the main streets away from the -business center, and a pile driver was used to drive heavy scantlings -for shoring. The iron weight was raised by ropes, pulled by women. -Pulleys were fastened to the top of the derrick, and ropes ran over -these. A dozen women were engaged at the work, each one with a rope in -her hand, and if the ropes had been colored the scene would have -resembled that of a Maypole gathering. They all pulled together when -the weight was to be raised, and some of the pullers, stepping back as -the weight came nearer the top, danced, hummed a keep-step song, and -joined in laughter at the same time. When the weight reached the top -of the derrick, all let go the ropes, and gave a shout as it hit the -top of the shoring post. - -Celebrating the advent of cherry blossoms is a religious custom of -Japan. One would naturally think cherries were a common luxury in that -country, but it happens that the trees only flower, and do not bear -fruit. In a general sense, flowers and trees figure largely in the -life of the Japanese nation, which suggests the deep-rooted growth -Shintoism has taken. In January, when it is cold, even plum and other -trees blossom, which proves a source of joy to the people. The pine -tree typifies long life, and the bamboo uprightness. The lotus is -another sacred plant of the Land of the Rising Sun, and the lesson -taught from that flower is that purity comes out of impurity. The -lotus will grow in dirty pools, but the open flower will be as pure as -if grown in a clear mountain stream. But the greatest nature festivals -take place during the cherry blossom season, and later, when the -chrysanthemum is in bloom. The wistaria is another sacred flower. -Girls and women dress themselves in their best kimonos and fasten on -their back their richest obi, all taking keen delight in parading -under the bowers of flowering trees and vines. - -In Japan a stranger will always find some one to speak to him, to bow, -to give him a smile, as in India. A card may be handed the visitor, -with an invitation to call at a certain address--a store, for -instance. The Japanese have acquired the highest science in lacquer -and in damascene work. Lacquer work is done by a varnish made of -dissolved shellac and other chemicals, and woodwork of various designs -are finished in a highly polished manner. Gold, silver, ivory, bronze, -and mother-of-pearl are often inlaid on the designs offered for sale. -The damascene work is ornamented metal, done by inlaying or -incorporating patterns, usually of another metal, and smoothing and -polishing the whole surface; or in engraving designs, with deep-cut -lines, inlaying gold wires, and rubbing these down level. Another form -of damascening is the making of small holes in a base metal, filling -these with gold, and then burnishing the article. There are also other -forms, and the Japanese and Chinese seem to have mastered that art to -a higher degree than other races. Runners for these merchants seldom -fail in meeting visitors. - -"Look," said a Japanese acquaintance, pointing to a small girl of the -same race. As Japanese bear a resemblance from one end of the islands -to the other, no difference could be seen in that particular girl from -others passing by. He then explained. The girl wore a long apron, the -sort American girls wear at school and about the home. Children -wearing aprons was an innovation in clothes, and American women -teachers in that country introduced the "style." - -Men with pads across their chests work like truck horses in Tokyo. -Women also were seen engaged at the same hard work. Aside from street -cars, rickshas were the conveyances mostly used to get about the city. -A great many of the pullers wear neither clogs nor sandals, their feet -being covered with a cloth slipper. Still, they seemed to be in better -circumstances than those seen in Shanghai. Fare, however, is higher -than in other countries passed through. Few automobiles were seen in -Japan. - -Tokyo is supplied with good temples, and the skill of the Japanese in -the lacquer art is shown in these buildings. The supports in some of -the churches have been treated to dozens of coats of lacquer, and the -ceilings richly inlaid with gold leaf, often worked in flower designs. -The carving on the enclosures and doors is good, but the more noted is -the handicraft of Chinese. Mats are used on the floors of the temples, -and valuable Japanese tapestry is shown to visitors. Some of the -church enclosures contain hundreds of stone lanterns. As in other -Japanese cities, there were no beggars. - -In one of several creditable city parks is a good museum, the building -being very imposing. The same ground, containing temples, has an -interesting zoo. In this park the principal cherry blossom -celebrations take place. Industrial museums are also found in other -sections of the city. A visit to the capital of the Mikado proves -interesting. - -The geisha is composed of women whose occupation is dancing and -entertaining. Through the artfulness of this class, the hand of the -geisha often reaches to the legislative halls of Parliament. - -Hari-kiri--one form of suicide in Japan--is putting one's self to -death at the suggestion of the government, to save disgrace, brought -about by his own acts, and the scorn of his countrymen. Disemboweling -is generally the method of hari-kiri. Self-destruction in this manner -mitigates, to a large extent, the disgrace that his family would -otherwise bear. - -Diamios are the landed class of Japan, and during the feudal system of -government they wielded much power with the Mikado and the Shogun. -Most of the stone lanterns seen about the temple grounds are gifts -from diamios. Samurai is the term used for the army. - -Women with blackened teeth are met with frequently in Japan. As an -even row of white molars often proves the means of gaining the -affections of a man, the green-eyed monster, jealousy, in the -Japanese husband prevents attention being paid to his wife by another -man by his making the teeth black. Yet it is better for a woman to -have her teeth blackened than to have her eyes dug out, as is the -custom in India. A husband goes and comes when he so desires, as his -liberty is not questioned by his wife. Everything is in favor of the -man in Japan; the woman must breast an opposing current of inferiority -almost from the time of birth until death. - -A saucy child is seldom met with in Japan, and it is a rare thing to -see a parent chastising one. Obedience of children--and women also--is -a national characteristic. Both Japanese and Chinese children are the -picture of health. The Japanese woman is the model wife and mother. - -After being invited to a home, and not seeing the hostess about, would -naturally seem very strange in most countries, but this is a custom in -Japan, lived up to in a great many instances. Only in the homes of -Japanese families where European customs have supplanted native -tradition does the hostess and daughters take part in entertaining -guests. Geisha girls are engaged to entertain visitors, the host and -hostess taking a very small part in the entertaining. Guests, whether -wearing shoes, clogs, or sandals, leave these outside, as it is a -universal custom to enter a home or temple in bare or cloth-covered -feet. - -In some Latin-American countries the customary salute, even by men, is -a hug, but in Japan it is a deliberate bow, then another, still -another, and the bowing does not cease until from eight to ten of -these salutes have been gone through. Judging by the requirements in -acknowledging pleasure at meeting a friend, time would not seem to be -at a premium in the land of the Mikado. - -The Japanese--whether high or low, rich or poor--are very polite. -Should any criticism be in order on this admirable trait, it would be -that the Japanese have a surfeit of politeness, perhaps enough for -themselves and their clever neighbors, the Chinese. But it is better -to have too much than not enough of so good a thing. Meeting some -countrymen away from home, and at home also, the fact bluntly occurs -that many Americans are behind people of other nations in this -attainment. As the fronds of a wrecked cocoanut palm inspires hope in -a greater degree than any other factor we know of, so in like measure -politeness will smooth harsh feelings and contribute more largely to -real happiness in life than any other of our social requirements. - -The island of Nippon is the largest of which the kingdom is formed. -The area of Japan is 150,000 square miles, and the population about -50,000,000. The Mikado (Son of Heaven) exercises monarchical powers, -although the two legislative bodies suggest the laws. Tokyo, with a -population of 3,000,000, has been the capital of the Empire since the -resignation of the late Shogun, in 1868. While Japan has made great -strides in maritime, naval and military affairs, and her schools, -still the home of the Japanese is not as good as the hut of the -Samoan. - -Ninety miles above Tokyo is located Nikko, held in the same degree of -reverence by Japanese as the Hindus do Benares and Mohammedans Mecca. -Temples, mausoleums, mountains, lakes, streams, and trees tend to make -this an attractive place. On leaving Tokyo for Nikko I had settled in -a government official's seat unknowingly. A trainman stood at the -side, his manners suggesting something had gone wrong. I asked him if -a mistake had been made, and just then the official stepped between -the seats and answered, in good English, "No mistake whatever." He -proved good company during the journey, and when I had quit the first -train to make connections for Nikko he accompanied me to the other one -and saw that I received the best accommodation the train afforded. Not -until I had reached my destination had it occurred to me that I had -occupied his seat. - -The lacquer merchants, damascene workers, and brass dealers were all -on hand, each extending invitations to give them a call before leaving -the city. - -Aside from the natural attractiveness of Nikko, the first object of -interest that meets the eye is a bridge, 40 feet long, spanning a -river. This is arched in design, painted a bright red color, but is -not generally used for crossing the stream. It is known as the Sacred -Bridge, and was originally built in 638 B. C. Only Shoguns were -privileged to use it, with the exception of twice a year, when -pilgrims to the shrines were allowed to pass over. The original bridge -was destroyed by a flood in 1902, but the same reverence is maintained -for the new one. Only the imperial family is now allowed to tread the -sacred boards. - -The gods of Japan range from dove-like images to demons of the most -savage type. A great many, much in evidence, have been carved out of -wood and are painted in flaring colors. The god of thunder is a -fierce-looking image, and monkeys and other images are brought plainly -to view with lavishness of bright-colored varnish. The tomb of -Iyeyasu, the great Shogun of Japan, is located in Nikko. It rests on a -stone base, with a bronze base above, is cylindrical in form, and -capped with a bronze cover representing the design of a roof over some -of the shrines. Another tomb, nearly as famous, is that of the great -Shogun's grandson, Iemitsu. It is over 300 years since these notables -were laid to rest in that attractive section. - -From some of the temples radiate a dazzling light when the sun is -shining, by reason of the rich gold-lacquering and the wood carving -being painted in flaring colors. Standing at the base of a pine -tree-covered hill, these temples are not imposing, yet, by reason of -no expense being spared in their embellishment, they are conspicuous, -and even famous. The greater wealth, contained in the holy of holies -section of the buildings, a stranger does not see. The colors are so -glaring and some of the gods so fierce looking, that, while -appreciating the great expense in creating the structures and images, -one would be safe in regarding the scene as depicting a savage art. - -While costly temples prove a magnet to both native and foreigner, -nature has been very liberal in dealing with Nikko. The stately -cryptomeria, or cedar, trees growing at the approach of and in the -temple grounds are admirable. An attractive avenue of these trees -embowers a highway passing through Nikko for 20 miles, some of which -rise to heights of over a hundred feet, and are from two to nine feet -in diameter. Three hundred years ago these trees were laid out and -planted so close that, save for openings above the lower trunk, where -the trees begin to narrow, the space on each side of the roadway is -solidly walled by cedar bases. We have seen nothing to compare, in -uniformity and distance, with the two rows of cryptomeria at and below -Nikko. Pine and other trees grow all about, and rivers, cascades, and -inviting glens all go to make the surroundings very attractive. - -Soap must be furnished by guests in some hotels, and matches as well. -While in India travelers generally furnish their own bedding and shoe -polish, in our Nikko hotel all these accessories were furnished, -together with a bath kimono and mat sandals. - -"Ahayo" is the word one will be greeted with when passing a group of -rosy-cheeked, slant-eyed, clothes-quilted, clog-shod Japanese -children. If the salute be returned a bow will be made by the happy -cherubs, when they will clatter on their noisy way. "Ahayo" is "good -day" in the English language. - -All accounts must be settled before New Year's Day, when a national -settlement takes place, or the debtor will be dishonored. If a -creditor feels disposed to extend debts, the debtor is saved from -disgrace. The most precious thing in a home must be sold to meet -obligations at the close of the year. This custom necessitates a great -fair being held just before New Year's Day, which occupies miles of -space in the larger cities. Both high and low visit these annual -fairs, and purchases are liberal, as every one knows the reason for -which the articles are put on sale. These fair districts are -illuminated with electric lights and native lanterns, and many -indigent Japanese become shopkeepers for the time being. - -In some districts of Japan a funeral, when the deceased is an aged or -respected person, assumes the form of a festival. Friends bring money, -cakes, sake (native drink), plums, sugar, edibles of all kinds, and -flowers. All bow before the home altar and assume a praying attitude -with the hands. Then the offerings are placed before the shrine. When -all the sympathizers have gathered, bowed, and deposited their -offerings, a feast is prepared, which often continues for two days. -The Japanese have no fear of the hereafter, and this custom is -maintained to honor the respectable dead. - -Nikko homes are similar to those seen in other sections of -Japan--small, one-story frame buildings, with paper-square doors. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -Returning to Tokyo, from that city we left for Yokohama, where the -fourth ship we had traveled on since leaving Manila was making ready -to start for Honolulu, 3,400 miles separating the Japanese seaport -from the Hawaiian capital. - -Sailing from Japan on a Japanese ship, second-class was the best -accommodation we could afford, which did not mean anything in the -nature of luxurious living. The butter--well, it was not the kind one -gets on a farm, and seemed to be made of at least three -constituents--olive oil, peanut flour, and colored lard. Twenty -foreigners were on the ship, the other passengers being Chinese, -Japanese, and Filipinos. A request was made of the captain, who was a -Britisher, to oil up the table, as it were, when luxuries like catsup -and pickles improved things somewhat; but the Oriental butter remained -true to its original taste and color. - -For the first two days out the ship sailed through the tail of a -typhoon, after which summery weather prevailed. A number of Chinese -sailors, with collapsible tables, appeared on the deck below, where, -in a half-circular space, on each side of a dividing line, were -printed the words, "High--Low." On the tables were small teacups, a -pair of dice alongside, and small piles of money--silver, gold, bills, -and nickel coins of several countries. A half-dozen of these gaming -tables did business part of the day, and some all day. This form of -gambling is common on most ships sailing in that part of the world. - -Nine days out from Yokohama a green island hove in sight--one of the -Hawaiian group. The next morning the ship lay to in a blue-water bay; -shortly afterwards she was being towed through a channel and was soon -alongside a wharf at Honolulu. - -One would be led to think from the questioning, ticket examination, -passport identification, and other immigration regulations, that the -streets of Honolulu were glistening with diamonds or other precious -material. Immigration officials take passengers' steamship tickets on -their leaving a vessel, and travelers regain them only when about to -enter the gangplank on leaving the islands. Thirty days is the longest -period allowed for a stop-over. Orientals, however, leave a ship by -hundreds. - -The most striking feature of the Hawaiian Islands is its -climate--perpetual summer. Most of the white people seen were -Americans, but whites are much in the minority. The street-car system -is good, the cars modern, and some large and roomy. No color line is -drawn, and Asiatics are seen at every turn. While Chinese and Japanese -merchants control the business in less prominent streets, American -business houses dominate the business center. Some of the stores are -good, although prices are higher than on the mainland, as the United -States is termed. - -Ice and bananas were the cheapest things quoted, the former selling at -half a cent a pound and bananas at 5 cents a dozen. Milk, on the other -hand, costs from 10 to 12 cents a quart, and butter was quoted at 40 -cents a pound. Beef, mutton, pork and veal sold at 22 to 26 cents a -pound. Turkey and chicken, live weight, sold at 35 to 40 cents a -pound. Fresh eggs brought from 50 to 75 cents a dozen. Potatoes are -sold by the pound, and cost 4 cents. At 60 pounds to the bushel, -potatoes cost $2.40. A 50-pound sack of good flour sells at $1.65 to -$1.75. Coal sells at $12 a ton, but little is used, as summer prevails -the year round. A cord of wood costs $14. Gas is $1.50 a thousand -feet, and electric light 17 cents a thousand watts. A furnished room -can be rented for $2 a week, however, and popular priced restaurant -food can be had for a dollar a day. Street-car fare is 5 cents. House -rent ranges in price from $20 a month upward. A house renting for $30 -a month includes ground containing cocoanut palms and other attractive -tropical growths. Wages paid are about the same as those on the -mainland. Street laborers, mainly Portuguese and Russians, are very -well paid, receiving from $1.60 to $2 a day. - -The percentage of motor-cars to population is very high. There are -about 1,200 in Honolulu, and, as the population is 50,000, it works -out an average of one motor-car to every 400 inhabitants. - -"Don't Spit" signs, printed in big type, are posted in rooms and at -public places, suggesting that lung trouble is prevalent. Honolulu is -similar to Los Angeles, Cal., in this respect, as many wealthy people -with that malady make their home in this pleasant climate, which may -account in a measure for the many motor-cars seen. - -With the exception of some business buildings, the later-built of -these being attractive structures, Honolulu is built of wood. The -lumber comes from the Pacific Coast, and, as the price for 1,000 feet -ranges from $37 upward, it is needless to add that it costs a good sum -to erect substantial buildings in the Hawaiian Islands. A great many -of the homes, however, like others in warm climates, offer a very -inviting appearance, as verandas are built all around, and, if two or -more stories in height, each floor has a porch attached. Flowering -vines grow over these, and in the home space is often found the -poinciana regia, a crimson-flowering tree, as gorgeous in color as the -flambeau growing in Durban, South Africa. Cocoanut palms and bamboo -also grow within the grounds, while the streets may be studded with -the trunks and arched with the long fronds of a different specie of -attractive palm tree. Together with flowers, pineapples, banyan and -mango trees, one has a setting nearly as good as that offered in the -metropolis of Natal, between which and Honolulu there is a marked -similarity. - -The temperature varies only about 30 degrees the year round. During -the summer the thermometer seldom rises higher than 90 degrees in the -shade, and rarely drops below 50 degrees during the winter. Wherever -the cocoanut palms are seen growing, one knows there will be no cold -weather. While the sun is hot during the day, one can sleep under bed -clothing at night. Nairobi, British-East Africa, and Entebbe, Uganda, -were other places visited where the nights were cool, though a hot sun -shone during the day. - -As in New Zealand, there are said to be no snakes nor poisonous -plants. Bees and yellow jackets, however, buzz about all day. -Mosquitos were unknown in the group before 1826, when a Mexican -whaling ship, it is said, started a "colony." - -Sugar-cane growing is the most prosperous industry here, -notwithstanding that it requires more care, cultivation and expense -than in other countries. Irrigation and fertilization are necessary to -insure crops in some parts of the group. All the soil is of volcanic -origin. - -The wages paid sugar plantation workers are from $18 to $26 a month, -with free house rent, cooking fuel, and medical attendance. In -addition to wages, a bonus is given to workers who remain to the end -of the season. The homes are built of lumber, rest on posts from two -to four feet above ground, and are whitewashed. We believe many white -persons in the United States would quickly accept an offer of work at -the wages paid, comforts included. - -Pineapple growing, which holds second place to the sugar industry, is -a new venture; and those familiar with the nature of the soil, and the -droughts, blights and pests that have to be combatted have not full -faith in the permanency of the pineapple industry here. Corn would do -well if a bug did not eat the heart out of the stalk when young; -cotton also, but for a pest; fruit would be abundant if trees were not -attacked by the Mediterranean or some other fly, and cattle thrive as -long as feed and water are available; but, owing to frequent droughts, -animals die on some of the islands nearly every year; Irish potatoes -would yield a good crop if a bug did not eat the vines--in short, -pests are so numerous that the government has sent scientists to many -parts of the world to seek parasitic insects that will destroy those -which now devastate the crops. On some islands where wells had been -bored for watering the cattle, it turned out so salty that the animals -would not drink it. - -The streets were full of "Thank you, ma'am." In some instances one -side of a street contained a walk and the other side the Oriental form -of sidewalk, native soil. One might walk about Honolulu for a day -without seeing more than three or four policemen. In such a mixed -population, with bumpty-bump streets the rule, and hop-step-and-jump -sidewalks numerous, it is safe to presume the city management might be -improved on. But a splendid municipal feature is the patrol wagon. -This "Black Maria" is an artistically painted, swift-geared, -smooth-running, attractively screened automobile. The smart appearance -of the "Maria" is enough to tempt poor people to commit an offense -against the law in order to get a ride in the handsome machine. - -No beggars were seen, which indicates there is little distress, -neither are there government almshouses. Refuges for old people to end -their days have been provided, however, maintained by public-spirited -citizens. In very few parts of the world will one find as comfortable -homes as those occupied by the laboring class of Honolulu. - -Save for music from the picking of strings of a guitar or banjo and -sounds of song coming from groups of Kanakas as they pass along the -streets in the evening, there is little native life left. With few -exceptions they wear European clothes, including shoes. Like all -natives living on the islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Kanaka is not -much given to work. When an ambitious feeling does come over him he -then wants to work, but when these moods are absent he cannot be -depended on. Like the negro, there is little push in him, and it is -said that there is not one successful business Kanaka in the group. -Japanese and Chinese have taken advantage of openings that Kanakas -should have accepted. When there is an easy job in sight, however, -Kanakas want to secure it, a majority of territorial positions being -filled by natives. There is little initiative in them, and one is safe -in asserting that it requires two to do one man's work. Withal, the -Kanaka, like other tribes of the Polynesian race, is a very agreeable, -peaceable, good-hearted, care-free person. - - [Illustration: PANORAMA OF HONOLULU, HAWAII.] - -A few of the native customs are still maintained, notably wearing -garlands, and, by way of show, a grass skirt may be seen worn by -women. A garland of white flowers encircles the head, and one of -red, lavender, yellow, or other color is worn about the neck. In -front, under the neck garland, a clump of orange leaves or some other -growth is worn. Their hair is straight, features regular, complexion -swarthy, and they are of good build. The mausoleums of the Kanaka -kings rest in a cemetery a short distance from Honolulu. - -High, pretty hills rise behind the metropolis to the shore on the -other side, and the view of the city obtained from some of these, -stretching out at the base and beyond to the turquoise blue sea, with -light green fields of sugar-cane to the right extending to Pearl -Harbor, and Diamond Head to the left; beautiful verdure and attractive -homes in between, together with the seductiveness of the balmy air and -tropical growth, holds one in Hawaii when better success might be -achieved in a more rugged clime. - -Among the attractions of Honolulu is its aquarium. Some of the -beautifully colored fish swimming about the glass tanks look more like -pretty birds than fish. There is also a good museum; a beach, where -natives, standing on boards, disport themselves while the breakers are -rolling in; parks scattered about the city, in one of which a native -band plays every evening; forts, which may be visited, located close -to the city, and a trip around Oahu Island is a very pleasant one. - -I was offered work at good wages, but as the time at my disposal could -be better utilized in familiarizing myself with the country, and -having no desire to remain, energy was reserved until the mainland was -reached. Two English dailies, four Japanese, one Chinese, and a -semi-weekly Portuguese newspaper are published in Honolulu. - -The Hawaiian Islands were discovered by Captain James Cook, the noted -navigator, in 1778, who had planted the English flag in Botany Bay, -near Sydney, Australia, seven years earlier, and who claimed Tasmania -and New Zealand for England; he also discovered the Tongan group. The -Kanaka, true to Polynesian custom, welcomed the captain and his crew -on their first visit. A year later, however, upon the return of the -skipper, he got in trouble with the natives, who killed him. A -monument is erected to the memory of the great navigator on the Island -of Hawaii. - -David Kalakaua was the last of the native kings; he died in San -Francisco, Cal., in 1891, his sister, Liliuokalani, being proclaimed -Queen. Two years later, in 1893, the Queen was deposed, when the -islands virtually became an American possession. In 1898 it became a -territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as its first -governor. What was once the royal palace of the rulers of Hawaii is -now the capital building. Liliuokalani lived for years in Honolulu in -a white-painted house, built in beautiful grounds. - -Eight islands compose the group, namely, Kauai, Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, -Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii, the latter, from which the -territory takes its name, having an area of 4,015 square miles; the -other seven combined have not the area of Hawaii, the eight totalling -6,449 square miles. Captain James Cook first gave the name Sandwich -Islands--now obsolete--to the group. - -Leaving Honolulu for Kilauea crater, soon we rounded Diamond Head, and -some time later Molokai, on which the territorial leprosy colony is -located, appeared on our left. A portion of this island is utilized -for stock grazing purposes, but the grass was white from drought, and -cattle were dying for want of water. Maui was next reached, where what -should have proved a nice land view also was blighted by the drought. -Later we sailed alongside Hawaii, its vegetation offering a more -inviting scene than those left behind. A number of stops were made -during the journey, passengers leaving and others boarding the vessel. -Most of the white travelers were Americans. After several landings in -Hawaii, Hilo was reached, where all passengers left the ship. Hilo, -next in size to Honolulu, has a population of 7,000, mostly of color. -A large tonnage of sugar is shipped from this port, where the harbor, -the best in the group, has been improved by a good breakwater. - -From Hilo a start was made for Kilauea crater, which may be reached by -train or motor-car. The train was taken, and it proved even slower -than the ones traveled on during the short trips from Manila. Some -excuse might be offered for the Hilo train, as the route is up-grade, -while the railways in Luzon are as flat as a table. Finally the train -"stuck" at a steep grade, and the conductor, who was a Kanaka, did not -know what to do to get it started. He was "waiting for orders from -Hilo," he said. The train was later detached, however, and, when the -parts had been taken over the humpback and linked together again, it -crawled slowly through large sugar plantations, past tree ferns, and -other attractive landscape scenes, until we reached Glenwood, the end -of the railway line, where a mail motor car was ready to take -passengers to the hotel, nine miles beyond. An elevation of 4,000 feet -had been traveled from Hilo to the object of our mission. Many -passengers had wended their way to this place, and it seemed odd, -after having been in black countries for three years, to find every -one at the hotel locking the door to his room at midday. In some -countries passed through the room doors were not closed even at night. - -Looking down upon and over a depression in the earth, bastioned by -deep walls of rocks on each side, 7 3/4 miles in circumference and -containing an area of 4 1/4 square miles, there spreads out for three -miles a fissured, hillocked, corrugated, gnarled, steam-emitting -surface of slate-colored and black lava. This is the first view one -obtains of Kilauea crater. The scene is very unusual, and interest is -sharpened to a keen edge. Later a journey is taken over that strange -lava wake, when the leaven from the fire-boiling underworld suggested -the tremendous force contained below the sphere on which man treads. -We had looked at the teeming volumes of water being ejected from -geysers in Yellowstone Park; but water washes away and will eventually -become purified as the stream it joins leaves the geyser zone. But -here the lake-like, deep, black earth deposit remains, although, like -the water from the geysers, for a time it had been a moving stream -also. An acre of land area with similar deposit would attract -scientists from great distances, but here there are over four square -miles of that subterranean deposit. One obtains a side view, as it -were, of a portion of the world turned inside out by nature's force -at Kilauea crater. There was no soil, no rock, no trees--the substance -under, before, all about us was weirdly foreign to what is natural to -the upper crust of the earth and to the sky above. Further on the -fissures became wider, the hillocks higher, and the substance warm. -Still yet ahead steam--or white smoke--is issuing from the cracks in -the alien deposit, and when these are reached canny, hissing, and -gurgling sounds from underneath are heard. From every side appears -varied formations, molded while the lava was changing from liquid to -solid matter. Some of these resemble mummies, great coils of rope, -petrified trees, columns of iron, and other shapes. Beyond appears a -large volume of smoke, reminding one of a great geyser basin on a -calm, early morning. Approaching, the air becomes sulphur-laden, a -hand is put to the nostrils, and natural breathing for the time is -withheld, to prevent one from choking from the netherworld fumes. The -wind now whirls the noxious odors away, and a still further advance -finds one on the rim of a deep, yawning maw. Unearthly fumes again -envelop the onlooker, but a friendly breeze again wafts the poisonous -vapor to other parts, when the awful vent in Kilauea's deep, leaden -crust reappears. Boom! comes from below, and smoke envelops the gaping -chasm. A draught of wind sweeps the smoke from the pit of the fiery -abyss, and----A black and red stream of fire is seen swirling across -the strange floor below! It is Halemaumau, the greatest active volcano -in the world, termed "the safety valve of the Pacific." The volcano is -about a thousand feet in circumference, and the fire swirls several -hundred feet below the lava-crusted rim. How many persons have had the -rare privilege of looking into an active volcano? There it -was--Halemaumau, in Kilauea crater. - -Locating to the windward of the volcano, the demon-like river of fire -was, for the time being, holding revelry in quiet volcano fashion--but -volcanic fashion. Boom! came from below, as if from ordnance in action -nearby, and fiery rocks were hurled against the lava-scaled sides. Ah! -A clear stream of liquid fire now runs across the base as a river. -Then sulphurous smoke envelops all. There (after the smoke has -lifted) now runs what seems like a river of thick, black dirt; but -small explosions are taking place. A red seam next shows through the -volcanic dross. A clear red river of fire----Boom! The sides of the -crater, like icicles--flushed by the rays of a scarlet sun--on a -rock-faced coast, formed from a surging sea, are gorgeous with -dripping lava. Were a black panel implanted across a morning -aurora--that is how Halemaumau's strange river looks now. The current -runs but one way and comes from the same side of the fomenting maw. -Where does the lava stream come from? Into what outlet does it empty? -Boom! Boom! The burning depths seem to rise on a platform of fire. -Listen to the splash as the red, upheaved rocks fall back into the -furious maelstrom! What a pretty, clear stream of carmine liquid! It -has passed away, and the black, dross-like course has again taken the -red flow's place. - -There was no afterglow in the west, and the shades of evening were -soon enveloped in the scroll of night. See Halemaumau now! How grand -in the darkness! All about is flaming red. There is the same unspecked -fiery river, flowing in the same direction as before. Half black now, -and half red, but coming from the same invisible source and becoming -lost in the invisible outlet. A clear, red stream again, but appearing -further away. The liquid fire seems to have been sucked far below! An -abnormal expansion of the axis on which the world revolves takes -place. Boom! Boom! Boom! The tremendous force from contraction ejects -flaming substance from the nether-world high up against the sides, and -from Halemaumau's flare the sky above is aglow--an esplanade of fire -spanning the space between the infernal abyss and the vault of heaven! - - * * * * * - -The last stop has been reached on the long journey. From Honolulu, -after visiting Kilauea crater, I continued to San Francisco on an -American ship, the fifth vessel traveled on since leaving Manila. -After a stay of several weeks in San Francisco, in order to earn a -portion of the money necessary to secure railway passage to New York, -and borrowing $50, a start was made for the Atlantic seaboard, -stopping off a week at Washington, D. C. New York was reached May 1, -1913, having left Gotham nearly three years and three months earlier. - -In order to point out how cheaply one may travel, if economy be -practiced, this statement is offered: From the time of leaving New -York, February 9, 1910, until my return to New York, May 1, 1913, I -had been away 1,176 days. I had for the journey $1,350. My earnings in -South Africa amounted to $2,400, in San Francisco $60, in Washington, -D. C., $15, which, with the $50 borrowed, makes a total of $3,875 for -the entire time consumed by the tour. By dividing $3,875 by the number -of days--1,176--an average expense for everything of about $3.30 a day -is the result. The distance traveled was 73,689 miles, and the -itinerary and accompanying map indicate the course from place to -place. No wrecks or accidents were encountered--no such experience -having taken place in all my journeyings. I have often thought I -traveled under a lucky star. - - [Illustration] - - - - -ITINERARY - -Places at which stops were made and visited, and miles separating -each: - - 1910. Miles. - - New York to Liverpool 3,100 - Liverpool to London 200 - London to Southampton 81 - Southampton to Lisbon 936 - Lisbon to Madeira 542 - Madeira to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3,775 - Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo, Uruguay 1,094 - Montevideo to Buenos Aires, Argentine 124 - Buenos Aires to Durban, South Africa 4,500 - Durban to Johannesburg 482 - Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Rhodesia, and return 2,416 - Warrenton to Kimberley and return 90 - Johannesburg to Pretoria and return 90 - Johannesburg to Bloemfontein 263 - Bloemfontein to Capetown 749 - Capetown to Durban (by rail) 1,253 - - - 1911. - - Durban to Fremantle, Australia 4,300 - Fremantle to Melbourne 1,700 - Melbourne to Launceston, Tasmania 280 - Launceston to Hobart 133 - Hobart to Dunedin, N. Z. 1,080 - Dunedin to Christchurch 230 - Christchurch to Wellington 175 - Wellington to Rotorua 393 - Rotorua to Auckland 171 - Auckland to Sydney, Australia 1,280 - Sydney to Jenolan Caves and return 224 - Sydney to Lautoka, Fiji 1,694 - Lautoka to Suva 118 - Suva to Levuka 60 - Levuka to Apia, Samoa 616 - Apia to Vavau, Tonga (Friendly Islands) 350 - Vavau to Haapai 80 - Haapai to Nukualofa 120 - Nukualofa to Auckland, N. Z. 1,093 - Auckland to Sydney 1,280 - Sydney to Melbourne 582 - Melbourne to Adelaide 483 - Adelaide to Ballarat 408 - Ballarat to Melbourne 75 - Melbourne to Hobart 464 - Hobart to Albany, West Australia 1,487 - Albany to Durban, South Africa 4,565 - Durban to Johannesburg and Pretoria 527 - Pretoria and Johannesburg to Durban 527 - Durban to Ginginhlovu, Zululand 93 - Ginginhlovu to Eshowe (stage) 17 - Eshowe to Melmoth (stage) 35 - Melmoth to Ginginhlovu (stage) 52 - Ginginhlovu to Durban 93 - - - 1912. - - Durban to East London 262 - East London to Cradock 228 - Cradock to Bloemfontein 269 - Bloemfontein to Kimberley 101 - Kimberley to Johannesburg 309 - Johannesburg to Pretoria and return 90 - Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg 409 - Pietermaritzburg to Durban 73 - Durban to Lourenzo Marques, Portuguese-East Africa 320 - Lourenzo Marques to Beira 455 - Beira to Tanga, German-East Africa 1,210 - Tanga to Zanzibar 75 - Zanzibar to Dar-es-Salaam, German-East Africa 40 - Dar-es-Salaam to Tanga 115 - Tanga to Mombasa, British-East Africa 82 - Mombasa to Nairobi 327 - Nairobi to Port Florence 260 - Port Florence to Entebbe, Uganda 175 - Entebbe to Kampala 21 - Kampala to Jinja 63 - Jinja to Port Florence 132 - Port Florence to Nairobi 260 - Nairobi to Mombasa 327 - Mombasa to Mahe, Seychelles Islands 1,000 - Mahe to Bombay 2,000 - Bombay to Khandala (Thal Gauts) and return 156 - Bombay to Baroda 248 - Baroda to Ahmedabad 62 - Ahmedabad to Agra 539 - Agra to Delhi 120 - Delhi to Aligarh 79 - Aligarh to Cawnpore 192 - Cawnpore to Lucknow 46 - Lucknow to Benares 187 - Benares to Darjeeling 570 - Darjeeling to Calcutta 379 - Calcutta to Madras 1,032 - Madras to Tuticorin 447 - Tuticorin to Colombo, Ceylon 147 - Colombo to Kandy and return 150 - Colombo to Singapore, Straits Settlements 1,570 - Singapore to Hongkong, China 1,440 - Hongkong to Manila, P. I. 630 - - - 1913. - - Manila to Hongkong 630 - Hongkong to Canton and return 175 - Hongkong to Shanghai 820 - Shanghai to Nagasaki, Japan 444 - Nagasaki to Kobe 385 - Kobe to Osaka 20 - Osaka to Kyoto 26 - Kyoto to Yokohama 350 - Yokohama to Tokyo 25 - Tokyo to Nikko 90 - Nikko to Yokohama 115 - Yokohama to Honolulu, T. H. 3,400 - Honolulu to Hilo 200 - Hilo to Volcano Hotel and return 62 - Hilo to Honolulu 200 - Honolulu to San Francisco 2,100 - San Francisco to New York 3,570 - ------ - Total 73,689 - -THE END - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Seven Legs Across the Seas, by Samuel Murray - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SEVEN LEGS ACROSS THE SEAS *** - -***** This file should be named 41508.txt or 41508.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/5/0/41508/ - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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