Notes of Travel. Extracts from home letters written during a two year's tour round the world, 1879-1881

Front matter

TRAVEL. TEAVEL EXTRACTS FROM HOME LETTERS WRITTEN DURING A TWO YEARS' TOUR ROUND THE WORLD, 1879—1881. BY W. TOWEES BEOWN. "Our memories may retrace Each circumstance of time and place, Season and scene come back again." " Golden Legend. "— Lonufellotf. PRINTED FOE PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 1882. LONDON : R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor, BREAD STREET HILL. PEEFACE. Books of Travel are so numerous now-a-days, that it has only been at the express wish of some of my friends that I have consented to put these letters in print for private circulation. My travels were fahly extensive, but they were more or less over beaten tracks, with the exception, perhaps, of the Philippine Islands, and consequently there may be nothing very fresh or novel to be found in these pages. The record, however, of a two years' tour, ex tending over a considerable part of the globe, may possibly contain, in a somewhat comprehensive form, information which can generally only be met with scattered through different books. The letters are printed as they were originally written, and being then intended only for those to whom they VI

Preface

. were addressed, the composition, no doubt, was not as studied as it might have been had their present fate been foreseen. Much that appears in them would certainly not have been written now, but as such passages gave, to the best of my belief, an accurate impression of things and people at the time I wrote, I have retained them in print. I must ask my readers therefore, not to criticise too severely, and to bear also in mind that the circumstances under which I wrote were often far from favourable : viz., after long days of travelling by rail, by coach, on horseback, or on foot; on board ship, in rough seas ; in Japanese tea-houses, where the writing-table was one's knees, or in Chinese inns, in the midst of dust and dirt ; not to mention the hindrance to any exertion, letter-writing included, caused by the enervating heat of the tropics.

With regard to the form in which the letters appear*, I should say that I have arranged them into chapters, as being, perhaps, the most readable one in which they can be presented ; extracts from several letters being usually condensed into one chapter. I began and ended my journey alone, but I was fortunate in meeting at different times with fellow PREFACE, VII travellers whose companionship added greatly to its success and enjoyment. Although exposed to every variety of climate, I am thankful to be able to say that I did not suffer from a day's illness, and that I was kept from all accident or misadventure, and my two years' wanderings have left upon my mind only pleasant memories. W. T. B. St. Paul's Rectory, Wokingham, May, 1882. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

June 5 to June 23, 1879. PAGE Voyage from Liverpool to Quebec — Fastest Trip on record — Ice-bergs — Eiver St. Lawrence — City of Quebec — Festival of the Corpus Ghristi at Montreal — Rapids of Lachine — Ottawa — Trip round Lakes Huron and Michigan. 1 — 11

Chapter II

June 24 to July 7, 1879. By Rail to San Feancisco and the Yosemite Valley. Chicago — New settled States of Illinois and Iowa — The Prairies — Storm on them at night — Prairie Dogs — The Rocky Mountains — Utah — Salt Lake City — The Mormons — The " Mirage " on the Nevada Desert — The Sierras — Journey to the Y osemite Valley from San Francisco — The Californian Mountains — Rough Roads —The "Big Trees "— The " Valley "—Beautiful Effects by Moonlight — Timber Flumes — San Francisco — Chinese Quarter 12 — 27

Chapter III

July 7 to November, 3, 1879. Voyage to Sydney from San Francisco — Fellow Passengers — Honolulu — Auckland — Arrive at Sydney — The Harbour — A Trip up the Hawkesbury — Opening of the Exhibition — The Colonial Church — Bishops' Court — The Blue Mountains — Opening of the Colonial Parliament 28 — CONTENTS. X ■72

Chapter IV

November 5 to December 5, 1879. PAGE Ride along the coast to Bega, and inland through Monaro to Tumut — The Bulli Pass — Kangaroo Falls — A meeting with an Italian Communist — On to Moruya by Shoalhaven and Milton — Solitude of the Bush— Bega — Table-land of Monaro — Cooma — First View of Australian Alps — Up in the Mountains — Kiandra — Lose my way — A Night in the Bush — YarrangobiUy — Reach Tumut — Few Travellers in Up-Country Districts — Return to Sydney 45—62

Chapter V

December 17, 1879, to January 15, 1880. An Up-country Sheep Station — Christmas in the Bush — Kangaroo Hunting — Mustering Sheep — A Dingo — Scarcity of Rain in Summer — Return to Sydney 63 CHAPTEE VI. January 15 to February 8, 1880. Reach Auckland by steamer from Sydney — Visit Thames Gold Fields — Process of extracting Gold from Quartz — The Waikato — Journey thence on horseback to the Lakes — Introduction to the Maoris — The Native Dress — Curious Scene on return of long-absent members of the Village — A Maori Dinner — Ohinemutu and its Boiling Springs and Geysers — A native Dance at Wairoa — The Terraces of Rotoniahana — Ride with Native Guide to Tikiteri — Maoris on their way to the Races — Abundance of Wild Peach-trees — Lake Roto Iti — Curious Carvings on Temple .... 73 — 94

Chapter VII

February 8 to March 4, 1880. Ride to Lake Taupo — Falls of the River Waikato — Ride to Napier through mountain ranges about Tarawera — Grand scenery — My horse a good investment — Napier — By rail and road to Wellington — The Manawatu gorge — Through the Forty Mile Bush — Scandinavian settlements — An uncomfortable night — Masterton — The railway over the mountains into the Hutt Valley — Arrive at Wellington — Wanganui — Our disputes with the Maoris — Cross to Middle Island — Christchurch 95 — CONTENTS. XI ■143 •182

Chapter VIII

March 4 to April 13, 1880. PAGE A coach journey to the West Coast — Misadventures on the road — Arrival two days late at Hokitika — A deserted mining town — Keemara and its gold diggings — Return to Christchurch — Start for Nelson — Delayed by rain for six days at Jollies Pass — A night in a wool shed — Rough travelling — Fine scenery in the Wairau Valley — Reach Nelson — By steamer and rail to Invercargill — Lake Wakatipu — Its beauties — Queenstown — By steamer to Kinlock 111—132

Chapter IX

April 17 to July 13, 1880. Voyage to Tasmania — By rail to Launceston from Hobart Town — Reach Melbourne — Ballarat — Sydney again — Coach journey through New England — Brisbane — A Queensland Station . 133-

Chapter X

July 13 to August 9, 1880. Voyage from Queensland to China — Go on board the Brisbane in Keppel Bay — A man overboard — Coast of North Australia — The Coral Reefs — Thursday Island and its Pearl Fisheries — Port Darwin — Its future — The Land Laws of Queensland — "Kanaka" labour on the Sugar Plantations — Voyage from Port Darwin by Singapore to Hong-Kong — The beauty of Hong-Kong Harbour — Strange scenes — "Pidgin" English 149 — 162

Chapter XI

August 9 to September 1, 1880. Voyage from Hong-Kong to Japan — Arrival at Nagasaki — A Ride through the city — Dutch Settlement at Decima — A Meal in a Tea-house — Native Musicians — The Inland Sea — Kob^ — Reach Yokohama — Strange and Novel Scenes — Visit Tokio — The Temples of Shiba — A Japanese Theatre — A Trip Up Country — Mianoshta — A View of Fujiyaama — Native Bathing Houses — Lake Hakone — Our Quarters there — A Jinricksha Ride to Enoshima — Great Bronze Figure of Buddha — Return to Yokohama 163- CONTENTS.

Chapter XII

September 2 to September 28, 1880. PAGE A Journey on foot through Japan — City of Tokio — The Shiro — Temple of Asakusa — Journey to Nikko — Start Walking — Beauty of the Scenery — Village School — Primitive Arrangements as to Bathing — Reach Zenko — Pilgrimages — Continue Journey down the Kisogawa Valley — A Village Holiday — Shintoism — Lake Biwa — Reach Kioto — Its Temples — Mikado's Palace — A Night at a Theatre — Reach Kobe — Wrestling Matches 183 — 215

Chapter XIII

September 29 to October 28, 1880. Voyage to Shanghai — Through the Inland Sea again — Description of Japanese Food, &c. — Last sight of Japan — Fellow -passengers — Make acquaintance with two young Chinamen — Shanghai — Trip up the Yang-tsze- Kiang to Hankow — Rough Voyage from Shanghai to Tien-tzin — A Chinaman's antipathy to anything foreign — Arrive at Tien-tzin — Arrangements for Journey by road to Peking 216—235

Chapter XIV

October 30 to November 7, 1880. By road from Tien-tzin to Peking — Fellow-travellers — Chinese Hostelries — Incidents on the Journey — Reach Peking — A Funeral Procession — Sight-seeing in the Capital — Ride to the Great Wall — Its appearance, &c. — The Ming Tombs — The Avenue of Stone Figures — Wan-shou-shan — Return to Peking — Description of the City— My " Guide " 236—254

Chapter XV

November 7 to November 30, 1880. Return from Peking to Hong-Kong — Calmer Voyage between Tien-tzin and Shanghai than before — Foochow — Beauty of its River — Upset of a "Sampan" — Hong-Kong again — Visit Canton — Its Temples — The Execution Ground — Examination under Torture — Portuguese Colony of Macao 255 — CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XVI

December 1, 1880, to January 6, 1881. PAGE Visit to the Philippine Islands— Manila — A Cruise round the Islands — Cebu — Catbalogan — Mode of levying Tribute — A pleasant evening — Curious Entertainment at Surigao — Volcano at Kama guin — Misamis — Sleep at the Priests' house — Cebu again- Grand Procession — Ilo Ilo — Introduction to Mestiso Society — Return to Manila — Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve — A Cock pit — Trip inland from Manila — Santa Cruz — Majayjay — Musical Talent of Natives — Leave Manila — Voyage to Singapore . 266 — 291

Chapter XVII

January 7 to February 5, 1881. Voyage to Java from Singapore — Meet with Fellow-travellers — Batavia — Trip up country to Buitenzorg and Sindanglaya — Ascend Mount Gedeh at Night — By Sea to Samarang — " Solo" and " Djocja " — Native Etiquette — Curious Scenes — Old Buddhist Temples — Boer Buddha and Moendoet — Travelling by Road in Java — Return to Samarang and Batavia — Fortunate in Weather — Leave Java for Singapore 292 — 309

Chapter XVIII

February 6 to February 23, 1881. Leave Singapore — Voyage thence to Calcutta — Penang — Reach British Burmah — Moulmein — Its Unprosperous Appearance — Pagodas, &c. — The Census — Wonderful Caves — A Native Theatrical Performance — Reach Rangoon — The Golden Pagoda 310 — 319

Chapter XIX

February 24 to March 24, 1881. Arrival in India — Calcutta — The View of it from the Hooghly — Among the Himalayas — First Sight of them — Darjeeling — A View of Mount Everest — A Chinchona Plantation — Return to Calcutta — By Rail to Benares — The Holy Ganges — Scenes by the River side — The Burning Ghaut — Temples — Native Jugglers — Lucknow — Ruins of Residency — Lucknow's many Palaces — Cawnpore — Wheeler's Entrenchment — The Well and Memorial Church— Reach Agra— The Taj Mahal— The Fort— To Fnttepur Sikri — Arrive at Delhi — Its many Mosques, &c. — A Nautch Dance — Part company with Fellow-travellers — Return to Cawnpore 320—340 CONTENTS. XIV

Chapter XX

March 25 to July 27, 1881. PAGE By Rail from Cawnpore by Allahabad and Jubbulpore to Nagpore — An Indian Station — Electric Light at Cotton Mills — Reach Bombay — The Fort and Malabar Hill — In Camp for Easter — An Official Inspection of a Native Town — Hot Journey to Madras — Bangalore — By Bullock-cart to Mysore and the Neilgherries — Ootacamund — By Steamer to Colombo from Madras — The Coffee Districts — Beauty of Country — A Visit to a Coffee Planter — The J" Tamils — Voyage to Bombay by a Coasting Steamer — Visit to Poona — Return Home 341—360