Peeps Into China Part 10

"I think it's my turn to ask a question now," Mrs. Graham said. "I wonder if you and Sybil can tell me what grows princ.i.p.ally in Formosa?"

"Rice," Sybil began, "sugar, wheat, beans, tea, coffee, pepper."

"Cotton, tobacco, silk, oranges, peaches, and plums," Leonard ended. "We saw most of these things growing ourselves, so we ought to know."

"Yes; and flax, indigo, camphor, and many fruits that you have not mentioned."

"The Chinese part of the island, I suppose, belongs to f.u.kien?" Sybil said, "as it is painted the same colour on my map."

"Yes."

What religion had the aborigines? she then wanted to know.

Mr. Graham answered this question by telling her that he believed they had no priesthood at all.

"What a pity it is," Sybil said, "that a number of missionaries could not be sent out there. I do so like the Pepohoans!"

"How long is it now since the Dutch were driven away?" Leonard asked.

"And how long were they in Formosa?"

"About 1634 the Dutch took possession of the island, and built several forts, but a Chinese pirate drove them out in 1662, and made himself king of the western part. In 1683 his descendants submitted to the authority of the Chinese Emperor, to whom they are now tributary. The Chinese colonists, however, often rebel."

"People have not known very long, have they, that the island of Formosa is important?"

"No; only since about 1852."

"About how many inhabitants has Tha-ouan, the capital?" Leonard asked.

"I should think about 70,000, but it is now decreasing in population."

"How much you know, father," Sybil said. "I wish I knew all you did!"

"I am afraid that is not very much; but if you notice things that you come across, and try to remember what you hear and what you read, you will soon gain plenty of knowledge and useful information."

[Ill.u.s.tration: SWATOW.]

"I wonder what Swatow is like?" Leonard then said; but he had not long to wait to find out, for a week after leaving Formosa they landed at Swatow, the port of Chaou-Chou-foo, in the province of Kw.a.n.g-tung, where once again, for a fortnight, they were made very welcome: this time by some friends of the missionary with whom they had stayed at Amoy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: E-CHUNG.]

Their home, for the present, was very prettily situated on a range of low hills. Many pieces of granite were scattered about on the summit of these hills, as they were about Amoy, which some people say have been caused to appear through volcanic irruptions. On them also were Chinese inscriptions. Leonard was delighted because the Chinese teacher cut his name on one of these pieces of granite. The houses of Swatow were built with a kind of mortar, made of China clay, and attached to some of them were very pretty gardens.

In front of the Consulate, which was a very large building, was a flag-staff, with a flag flying.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WOMAN OF SWATOW.]

The ceilings of the house, in which the Grahams stayed, was painted with flowers and birds, and some of the windows were also painted so as to look like open fans. The Chinese are fond of decorating their rooms and painting their ornaments, and the people of Swatow seemed to be better painters than the Chinese; but they kept their pictures hidden, only a very few of them producing any to show our friends. The people of Swatow are also noted for fan-painting.

Sybil thought some of the women of Swatow rather nice-looking, but, like other ladies of the "Flowery Land," they had a wonderful way of dressing their hair. One woman, Leonard declared, had hers done to represent a large sh.e.l.l. A young lady, to whom Sybil was introduced, had the thickest hair that she had ever seen. She and other Chinese girls wore it hanging down their backs in twists. She was just fifteen, and Sybil was told that she was going to be married in about a year's time, so she would soon have to begin to let her fringe grow. She was the daughter of a rich man, and had such pretty, dark eyes.

Round a girl's and woman's head, or to fasten up her back hair, ornaments are generally worn. E-Chung wore rather a large one round her head. Sybil was allowed to spend an afternoon, and take some tea, with this young lady, but they could not talk much together. E-Chung knew, and spoke, a little of what is called pidgin, or business English, because many business, or shop, people and those who mix most with the English, speak this strange language to them; but Sybil could understand hardly any of it. Before E-Chung heard that Sybil had a brother, she said to her, "You one piecee chilo?" meaning to ask if she were the only child. Then she was trying to describe somebody to Sybil whose appearance did not please her, so she made an ugly grimace and said, "That number one ugly man all-same so fas.h.i.+on," meaning "just like this." Another time she meant to ask Sybil if she were not very rich, so she said, "You can muchee money?"

The hair down Sybil's back was such a contrast to her friend's, as was also her rather pale complexion. E-Chung wished very much to enamel Sybil's face, as she did her own, and could not understand why she should so persistently refuse to have it done.

Chinese ladies seldom do without their rouge, and often keep their amahs, or maids, from three to four hours at a time doing their hair.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SYBIL.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BOAT POPULATION.

MR. GRAHAM had thought of visiting Chaou-chou, a very fertile city on the river Han, but was advised not to do so, as foreigners are disliked by its inhabitants; and he was therefore told that they might have cause to regret going thither. It used not to be an uncommon thing for these people to greet an Englishman with a shower of stones. People have tried to establish an English consulate there, but have not succeeded, although the city is open to foreign commerce; and Jui Lin, the late viceroy of Canton, succeeded in making people in the neighbourhood much more orderly.

A very large bridge crosses the Han River at this place, a picture of which the teacher had, and showed to the children. It is made of stone, and composed of many arches, or rather square gateways, under which s.h.i.+ps pa.s.s to and fro. On the bridge, on each side of the causeway, are houses and shops.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BRIDGE OF CHAOU CHOU.]

"I should not care much to live in them," said Leonard.

Nor would the teacher, he replied; for they did not look, and were not supposed to be, at all safe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ARCH OF THE BRIDGE OF CHAOU-CHOU.]

Two pieces of wood are suspended between the arches, which the inhabitants take up in the day-time and let down at night, to prevent, as they say, evil spirits pa.s.sing under their homes and playing them tricks.

It was a very happy fortnight that was spent at Swatow, and Sybil was sorry to leave this port to go on to Hong-Kong. Somehow, although they were not going to settle down now, and had still Macao and Canton to visit, it seemed like bringing the end nearer--going much nearer to it, when they went to Hong-Kong even for a few days, for there her parents were to be left behind when she and Leonard returned to England. This English colony, the little island of Hong-Kong, about eight miles in length, is separated from the mainland by a very narrow strait, in the midst of a number of small islands.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHINESE BOAT-CHILDREN.]

The Bishop of Hong-Kong had kindly invited Mr. Graham and his family to stay at his residence, St. Paul's College, during the few days that they now remained at Hong-Kong, before continuing their tour and returning to settle down, and the kind invitation had been gladly and gratefully accepted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHAIR-MEN OF HONG-KONG.]

The missionary's party landed in a boat, or rather, in a floating house, for the people to whom it belonged lived here, and it was their only home.

The children had heard that there were so many inhabitants in China that for very many of them there was no house accommodation, and that these lived in boats, and were called the boat population; and Leonard was delighted to be travelling in one of these house-boats himself, and seeing the homes of the boat people. Their very little children were tied to doors, and other parts of the boat, by long ropes. Those who were three or four years old had floats round their backs, so that if they fell overboard they would not sink, and their parents could jump in after them. Most care seemed to be taken of the boys. Instead of being dedicated to "Mother," boat-children, soon after they are born, are dedicated to Kow-wong, or Nine Kings, and for three days and nights before they marry, which ceremony takes place in the middle of the night, Taouist priests chant prayers to the Kow-wong.

The boats in which live the Taouist priests, for the boat population, are called Nam-Mo-Teng. These are anch.o.r.ed in certain parts, that the priests may be sent for when needed. Their boats look partly like temples, and have altars and idols, also incense burning within them.

The names of the priests who live there, and the rites they perform, are written up in the boats. The boat people can have everything they require without going on sh.o.r.e at all. There are even river barbers and policemen, which latter are very necessary, considering that there are so many pirates.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A PORTRAIT-PAINTER OF HONG-KONG.]