The Antipodes and round the World; or, Travels in Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, China, Japan, and California. With ... illustrations

Front matter

THE ANTIPODES AND ROUND THE WORLD. JAPANESE BETTOE Horse Keeper). From ,i Sketch taken in Japan hy an English Artist THE ANTIPODES AND ROUND THE WORLD; OR, TRAVELS IN AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CEYLON, CHINA, JAPAN, AND CALIFORNIA. BY ALICE M. FRERE (Mrs. Godfrey Clerk). Mtitb lranunms Illustrations. LONDON: HATCHARDS, 187 PICCADILLY, W. 1870. LONDON : Strangewats and Walden, Printers Castle St. Leicester Sq. TO THE DEAR FATHER ■) WITH WHOM &jms* SSJanbmitgs WERE UNDERTAKEN AND ACCOMPLISHED, I OFFER THIS RECORD OF THOSE HAPPY DAYS. A. M. C. CONTENTS. CHAs. TAGE I. INTRODUCTORY ....... 1 II. MELBOURNE ........ 14 III. BALLARAT ........ 27 IV. SYDNEY ........ 45 V. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ...... 57 VI. BRISBANE ........ 71 VII. WESTBROOK ........ 85 VIII. NEW ZEALAND . . . . . . . 101 IX. P1CTON HARBOUR WELLINGTON LYTTELTON — CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN . . . . 118 X. TASMANIA . . . . . . . . 128 XI.

ADELAIDE ........ 136 XII. CEYLON ........ 144 XIII. CHINA ......... 192 XIV. SHANGHAI ........ 254 302 XV. MANCHURIA — MONGOLIA XVI. TIENTSING PEKING ...... 323 XVII. JAPAN ......... 386 XVIII. YOKOHAMA AND YEDO . . . . . . 412 XIX. SAN FRANCISCO 499 XX. NEW YORK ........ LIST OF PLATES. Japanese bettoe (horse-keeper) Frontispiece. TAGE VIEW FROM THE BRITISH CONSUL'S RESIDENCE, CANTON . 204 CANAL SCENE NEAR NINGPO ...... 262 SUNRISE ON THE TUNG HOO (TUNG LAKE) .... 272 THE INN OF GLORY AND FELICITY*, MANCHU, TARTARY . 315 GREAT WALL OF CHINA, FROM ONE OF THE TOWERS . . 370 PAVILION IN THE GROUNDS OF THE SUMMER PALACE, PEKIN . THE ANTIPODES AND ROUND THE WORLD.

Chapter I. Introductory

' A 'spose whun ye gut horn', like cdl foolish people, y' intend t' write a buke?' was the halfquestioning remark made to me in Pekin by a young man fresh from the wilds of Scotland, who was hoping, in the course of years, to grow into a diplomatist ! He was one of those Scotchmen of whom Sydney Smith used to say, that ' it would take a surgical operation to get a joke into their heads,' and seemed on this occasion to consider his little joke a great achievement, and that he had said something ' very funny.' I thought so too ! At the time I had no intention of classing myself among that vast multitude generally designated by my friend under such a complimentary title. On returning to England I was, however, persuaded to do so by the advice of friends, who, finding interest themselves in the accounts of our wanderings — regularly and lengthily B INTRODUCTORY. sent home for the amusement of two ' old aunts — thought that others might likewise find pleasure in their perusal, particularly as many of the letters contained descriptions of places, and people, but little known and rarely visited.

My letters had been carefully preserved, but they were in the form of diaries. As such, judging by my own feelings in reading the published diaries of others, they woidd be tedious and uninteresting to all except immediate friends. Not to mention the 'slip -shod' style which is, I fear, only too commonly employed in letter-writing, and which it is almost impossible to avoid, when the letters are written under the circumstances, amid the scenes, and in the positions, in which travellers in out-of-the-way places often find themselves. At the same time, I wished to leave the substance of these letters, as much as possible, in the original form, so as to fulfil the original intent, viz. to convey to the mind of the reader the impression left upon that of the writer, by things seen, heard, and felt, in the course of short visits paid to comparatively unknown parts of the world.

I am aware of having been very minute in some descriptions, — unnecessarily so, many may consider. But, having often found myself at a loss when reading books of travels, by the mention of things which neither I nor others to whom I applied could recognise by name, though the author seemed to take it for granted -that every one would do so, I have studied to prevent those who may peruse the fodowing pages from suffering in this respect. This is all I wish to say in the way of explanation. INTRODUCTORY. 3 The conventional apology, so mercilessly treated by critics and reviewers, for publishing ' what was never intended for publication,' I do not attempt to offer. That the original letters, of which the following pages are the substance, were not meant for the public is true ; but then present form has been given to them solely on account of that worthy body.

If any of its members find interest or amusement therein, I shall feel pleasure in thinking that the troublesome and un grateful task of rewriting and rearranging has had some good residt. If not, I shall feel regret, but shall console myself with the thought of having done my best, and that, as a phdosophical old woman in our village used constantly to affirm, ' We can't do no more than we can do — can us V Saying ' good-bye ' is always unpleasant, even if those to whom it is addressed are not the dearest friends one has in the world, and if the place to be left has but few associations to render the leaving it a regret. In our case, we were bidding farewell to those nearest and dearest to us, some of whom, alas ! we were never to see again ; and we were leaving a country in which, from having lived in it, and held responsible posts in its government, for five-and-thirty years, my father's best affections and interests were naturally centred.

It was, therefore, with sad and melancholy feelings that we parted from the many relations and friends, who had come to take leave of us, when quitting Bombay, on the 15th of Aprd, 1865. For fear of its proving impracticable, we had not said very much about our cherished scheme of visiting- Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and California, on our way home ; and I do not think that many of our friends believed in the reality of our intentions until they saw us on board the ' Jeddo,' bound for Point de Galle, whence radiate P. and 0. steamers to ad parts of the globe, except direct to England. So it was, how ever ; and in one more hour we could no longer distin guish the figure of the last of our friends, who with the pdot quitted us at the outer light, leaving us fairly on our way. Our party consisted of my father, myself, and an Indo - Portuguese servant, 'Lucien,' who, from having been one of our table-servants (i.e. footmen) in Bombay, was now promoted to be factotum.

He was lady's maid, valet, boots, cook, groom, messenger, barber, car penter, tador, in short, anything and everything as occasion required, and performed his various duties as only a Goanese, or one of those rare treasures sometimes met with in the South of Europe, can perform them. Four days' steaming down the coast with a calm sea, brought us to Point de Gade. What a change the lovely green of luxuriant vegetation — that in Ceylon, more than in any other place I know, realizes one's ideal of tropical scenery — was, from the parched, burnt up appearance of Bombay, where, for the past month, ad green things had been growing browner and browner, tid it was hard to believe they ever had been, or ever could resume, their natural colom. Though it must be admitted that the harbour at Gade is not well sheltered, it is very pretty, with huge green waves continuady rolling in, and making the vessels rock in a way that they certainly have no business to do in harbour.

The land surrounds it like a horseshoe. The garrisoned town, with its wads and ramparts, is at one end ; at the other, a promontory, on which stand houses belonging to some of the P. and O. Co.'s employes, a mission-house, school, and a few other buildings, almost hidden in a mass of cocoa-nut palms and dense undergrowth. On casting anchor, we were surrounded by the crowd of natives in their picturesque canoe-like boats, with enormous outriggers, who always appear on the arrival of steamers, ever ready to carry off any luckless wight, who is weak enough to trust himself to their tender mercies. We found that the Australian steamer was waiting for the English mad, and would not leave for two or three days, so we had plenty of time to become acquainted with the beauties of Galle, which, as far as concerns the town itself, are soon exhausted.

We took up our quarters in the Pa vdion Hotel, a clean and comparatively comfortable boarding-house, close to the sea, at the extremity of the horseshoe. The sea-breeze, so longed for, and courted in the damp heat of the sea-board, was shut out of the lower rooms by the city ramparts, but blew refreshingly into those of the upper story nearly ad day. The city is very smad, with narrow streets, low houses, and bad shops. As soon as a. steamer arrives, all the hotels (which are numerous) are besieged by natives, offering for sale bad tortoise-shell ornaments, bits of glass caded by the names of the precious stones of the country, lace, and all manner of trash besides. Certain things are pretty, such as basket-boxes, cigar-cases, &c, made of a very strong though fine grass, and coloured in different bright shades of red and yellow.

This is caded Kalkura work, and is supposed to be all made at a place of that name between Galle and Colombo. At Galle may also be had very well-made furniture of ebony, beautifully carved, and inlaid with coloured woods in perfect taste. The best specimens, however, are not produced for those whom Don Simon, the largest furniture-dealer in Galle, cha racterizes as ' those fools of passengers ! ' and the huck sters and pedlars, who haunt every dweding wherein victims may be found, provide themselves with the refuse only, of what the large dealers consider good enough for those who appear and vanish like figures in a magic lantern. The one drive, which it is deemed essential that everybody who remains an afternoon at Galle should take, is to Wakwella. This is a little ' rest-house,' about six or seven mdes off, standing on rising ground, over looking the Baddegam river, and the rich green plain through which it flows, bounded in the distance by hills, and showing valleys, groups of trees, picturesque fore ground, and, in short, every accessory required to render a view of the kind perfect.

The drive itself is pretty. On leaving the town, the road almost immediately enters a thick cocoa-nut grove. Cocoa-nuts being the chief source of wealth to the inhabitants, the palms are care fully cultivated, and present a far finer appearance than do those in the neighbourhood of Bombay. Growing amongst them are many areca-palms, the most graceful THE CINNAMON GARDENS. 7 of that graceful tribe, with slender white stems, gleaming like pillars of the purest ivory, among the dark, drooping leaves around. The highroads are of a rich, red colour, and are in admirable order. By the roadside, under the shade of the cocoa-nut groves, are, at very short inter vals, picturesque cottages, surrounded by creepers and shrubs, bearing brilliant blossoms. ' Spicy breezes ' is here no mere figure of speech.

Outside the city, the air is laden with delicious perfume : only too much so, for one cannot help fearing, that fever and malaria must lurk in the recesses of those dense groves, and amid that wdd tangle of tropical loveliness. Small boys suc ceeded each other in running beside the carriage, almost continuously from Galle to Wakwella, offering for sale bunches of flowers, and (so called) precious stones. When we reached the 'rest-house,' those who had taken up the running for the last stage set to work to weave split cocoa-nut leaves into all sorts of curious and ingenious little toys. A good deal of imagination was necessary to enable one to perceive the resemblance ; but the cleverness and ingenuity with which the small fingers split the leaves, and twisted them into representations of birds fluttering inside a cage, or dangling like fish on a hook, were most remarkable.

Another place, which it is deemed the duty of every one to visit, is ' The Cinnamon Gardens.' As gardens they are a delusion ; but the drive to them is pretty, passing through the same kind of scenery as that on the way to Wakwella. Far more interesting as gardens, are those attached to the house of a gentleman living in the immediate neighbourhood. They are situated on the top of a high hdl, so steep that the horse in our light American waggon seemed to find it almost insur mountable, notwithstanding that we got out to relieve him. On the slope of the hill-side nutmeg-trees were in full bearing-. I had never before seen the fresh fruit, and had no idea of its beauty. The tree itself is some thing like a young orange-tree, and the fruit externady resembles the nectarine, both in size and colour.

YVdien cut the interior displays a greenish-yedow pulp, in the centre of which stands the deep, rich, brown-coloured stone, laced over with mace, which when fresh is of a brilliant crimson colour, instead of yellow. The nutmeg used as spice is a kernel, found inside the shiny brown stone. There were also many cinnamon-trees here ; and the gardener assured us that three ods, viz. of camphor, of cloves, and of cinnamon, were all made from one and the self-same tree. Whether this is a true statement I had no opportunity of ascertaining. Near Wakweda are large fields of ' lemon-grass,' from which is extracted lemon-grass od, said to be very efficacious for curing sprains, rheumatism, and similar adments. The scent is powerful, and unpleasantly resembles bergamot. During the four days we remained at Gade, we saw a good deal of the country round, in the course of early morning and evening drives.

The mornings were delightful, and we used to get out of the waggon, and wander into the jungle to gather bouquets of lovely flowers : Ixora, Gloriosa superba, Bignonia velutina, the fragrant Plumeria from which frangipanni is made, and many others. But in spite of the beauties of Galle, and the profusion of floral treasures to be found there, the THE ' NORTHAM.' 9 climate is not pleasant to live in. It is always very damp, and remains at the same hot-house temperature throughout the year. On the 22nd we were warned that our steamer would leave in the evening, the English mad having arrived. About sunset we left the harbour, and com menced our voyage to Melbourne ; and a very long, weary voyage it proved. Not all the civdity of the captain and officers could render the ' Northam ' any thing but most uncomfortable.

Neither could the con fidence, which every one ought to have felt in the captain, prevent a certain amount of uneasiness being experienced by those who found themselves on board an old steamer, the engines of which had proved out of order before she had left the harbour twenty-four hours. This uneasiness was not lessened, when, later in the voyage, the weather was such that the fodowing entries were made in the ship's log, — ' Terrific gale ' — ' Heavy squalls' — 'Mountainous sea.' So bad, indeed, was it, that the captain deemed it advisable, on approaching the coast of Australia, to lay-to for twelve hours. I hope it may never again be my lot to undergo the same misery in such a sea, and when occupying one of the aftermost cabins. Two very small stern-cabins, in which the rattle of rudder-chains rendered sleep almost impossible, being all that we could hope should be given us to ourselves, and more than at first it seemed likely we should obtain.

For such a long run as from Galle to King George's Sound (3330 miles, without touching, or even sighting, land) we were obliged to carry 100 tons of coal on deck. KING GEORGES SOUND. This made everything horridly dirty, and also caused the vessel to be so low in the water, that we were un able, even once, to have the ports open, notwithstanding the great heat of the first week. Our progress was very slow. The discharge-pipe of the engine, which had burst almost before we were wed out of sight of Galle, was patched up, but burst again two days after. This hardly increased our mental comfort, when informed that we had run into the tad of a cyclone. Paradoxical as it may appear, our only amusement was that of listening to the lugubrious anticipations of a melancholy man on board, who was possessed with a fixed idea that every sea which washed over us would inevitably swamp the vessel.

Under this notion he, on one occasion, when a huge wave came rushing aft, heroically regardless of aught but saving the ship, darted to the lee-scuppers, and tried' to lift up one of the gratings ' to let the' water out ; ' and, subsequently, asked one of his fedow suflerers, who was speaking of typhoons in the China Seas, 'how, when a ship's going down, does she begins in order to be quite prepared ! The only break we had in the voyage was at King- George's Sound (Albany is the name of the httle village, or town as it wishes to be considered), which we reached in sixteen days. It is a dreary, dismal-looking place, but it was such a relief to get out of our prison, if only for a short time, that we were inclined to look upon it, and its inhabitants, with lenient eyes. The neat cottage bonnets and rosy faces of certain small chddren we met, trotting along the road on their way from school, were refreshing to those who had for some time seen nothing CONVICTS AND NATIVES. 11 but the sallow, wan faces, and dirty finery, of the few chddren of English parentage, who in India occupy a somewhat simdar position in the social scale.

There were gangs of evil-looking convicts at work on a road ; and in front of the hotel, near the landing-place, many natives were lounging about, hoping to earn an easy shilling or sixpence by throwing the boomerang or jumping about, hi what, for the benefit of the passengers, they call a 'cor roboree,' i. e. the native dance ; to which, we were told by those who knew, it bore as much resemblance as it did to a deux-temps valse ! A wretched-looking set of beings they were, clad in kangaroo-skins pded one over the other, with the heads and legs dangling in a ghastly sort of frmge. Then faces were smeared with oil and red ochre, and their hair matted and knotted. I never saw a more painfully degraded appearance than these miserable creatures presented. We climbed to the top of a steep hill, behind the vdlage, to gain as extensive a view as possible, of this, our first halting-place on Australian ground.

But the prospect was not cheerful. For the first time we beheld, in the distance, the apparently interminable forest of dull dead green, or rather greenish grey, gum-trees, with which, before long, we were to become so familiar. We found, however, that amongst the shrubs and ' scrub,' through which, in preference to the beaten path, we clambered to the top of the hill, there were many curious plants entirely new to us ; and on returning to the vil lage, we were shown a very perfect ' hortus siccus,' containing some very strange, some very lovely, flowers. They had been collected by a little old man, who, I A SAIL BLOWN AWAY. believe, literally ' for his sins,' had here spent the greater portion of his life, and, being a good naturalist, had chiefly occupied himself in making collections of dried plants, skins of animals, and other curiosities, which he sent to all parts of the world.

He was well known to all naturalists and the curators of museums in Australia, and by them acknowledged as the person to discover or entrap any rare plant or animal. Looking landwards from the top of the hill, a dreary prairie lay stretched at our feet, a flat of stunted underwood, and waste sand. Seawards the view was rather less dismal, for the harbour itself is fine, and so landdocked, that it almost resembles a lake, with the whitest of white sand edging the Httle bays, and shining through the transparent water. We required this refreshing run on shore to help us to contend against the miseries of the ensuing week. The temperature had become cold and raw, and the weather was very bad. One afternoon I was sitting at the head of the companion-ladder whde all the rest of the passengers, who were wed enough to be up at aU, were at dinner ; soon a loud report was heard, fodowed by a flapping sound ; and then a hurry-scurry among the sadors announced the pleasing intelligence that a sad had been blown away.

A little whde after, I saw some sailors carrying a man forward, evidently much hurt. This was one of the three steersmen ; he had been lifted completely over the wheel, after which four men at a time were considered necessary at the helm. Presently the captain came up, and recommended my going below, as he had made up his mind to lay-to for the night, and thought that while the steamer was beino- PORT PHILLIP HEADS. 13 put about, the chances were in favour of our shipping a good many seas, which proved to be the case. The waves continued to break over the deck ad through the night, dashing down into the cabin in a way that, even in remembrance, is very unpleasant. Right glad, there fore, were we when we arrived at Port Phidip Heads ; and yet gladder when, after a long steam up the Yarra yarra river, in a dirty little steamer, with a thick drizzle constantly falling, and everything wet and muddy, we at last found ourselves in a comfortable but veiy small room, in the ' Port Phidip Club Hotel,' Melbourne.

Chapter II. Melbourne

I do not know whether, after visiting America, the manner of servants, shopkeepers, and persons generally in that rank of life in Australia, would strike strangers as being so extremely free-and-easy, brusque, and inde pendent, as it appeared to us, who had but just left a country where a deferential, not to say obsequious, bearing prevads among the same classes. The patron ising air of the waiter at our hotel, and his tone, which seemed to imply, ' Where can you have lived not to know that?' — when we asked for information upon any subject — was most amusing. No less so was the con descension of a young woman, who, on my inquiring for a workwoman, had been recommended by the head chambermaid as a ' young lady ' who woidd do ad I required. Nobody, I imagine, coidd be found less like ' a young lady ' than this impudent, wdd, Irish girl, who, with her deft Irish fingers, seemed to have discovered in Melbourne ' El Dorado.' Having but few warm clothes with us, I set to work the day after our arrival to pro cure some, and suggested to this young woman that she should go to one of the large shops near and bring me TOORAK. some warm cloaks, and woollen patterns to look at.

This suggestion she met by a proposal, that I should put on my bonnet, and under her guidance go myself to the shop, as Mr. What-ever-his-name-was would be sure to produce the best of his goods for any one introduced by her ! On finding that I did not approve of this measure, she then proposed that I should put on her cloak, to see how it became me, as, if it fitted, I ' might have one made just like it !' The day after our arrival my father went to Toorak, about four and a half miles from Melbourne, to pay his respects to Sir Charles Darling, atthat time Governor of Victoria, and an old friend. He immediately invited us to come and stay at Government House. This we were only too glad to do, remaining there for nearly two months, and, thanks to his and Lady Darling's kind hospitality, making Toorak our head-quarters all the time we were in the country.

How small the world is, and how few the inhabitants thereof! We had not been twenty-four hours in Mel bourne before my father had met three old acquaintances, by chance, in the streets. One of these was the manager of the Oriental Bank, who invited us to visit the bank some day when they would be melting gold, though systematic people might consider our doing so as be ginning at the conclusion of the subject. I presume that much the same process is used in the actual fusing of all metals. The gold-dust is put into small fire-clay pots, which are placed in a furious furnace. The gold soon becomes well fused, and powdered borax is thrown in to codecs all the dross, which then rises to the surface ; on MELBOURNE. ground beef-bones being added, it becomes quite thick, and is easdy drawn out. The molten gold (which is as beautiful as the skies that are so often likened to it) is then pom-ed into iron moulds, varying in size according to the amount and quality of the gold.

They are very particular in keeping each kind separate. Those we saw were about four inches long by two and a half inches wide, and one inch deep, and contained metal for about two hundred sovereigns. When the gold has stood for a few seconds, it is turned out of the mould, and the block is plunged into sulphuric acid. In a few minutes it is taken out, stamped ' Oriental Bank,' and whatever its number may be, and then a small piece is scooped off and put aside, with the number of the block attached to it, untd the day for assaying the gold, when ad these samples are produced, and most carefully assayed. I do not know what Brahmins would do were they aware that beef-bones are used in gold-melting ; whether they would consider, as many who are not Brahmins appear to do, that gold purifies everything.

All refuse from the gold melting, and every vessel in which any process connected with it has been carried on, are carefudy preserved. When a certain quantity has been codected, all is broken up, ground in mills with sand and ashes, and put through the same process of washing as the virgin gold. To show how much metal remains in the refuse, and works its way into the clay vessels, &c, we were told that, after this process had been thrice repeated, enough gold stdl remains in the clay and sand to make it worth buying, at 40Z. per ton, for shipment to England, where, by the aid of finer machinery than is available in Australia, suf-. GOLD DUST. 17 ficient gold is extracted to repay the purchaser. The dust of the best and purest gold is so fine, that it will float on water. While being washed, much of the valuable gold would be lost, unless great care were taken not to throw away as refuse any sand or mud which had not been subjected to the most careful and minute inspection.

This was not known, or thought of, in the early days of gold-digging; and at Castlemaine, a town a few hours by rail from Melbourne, and one of the richest gold-fields in Australia, the Chinamen used to extract large quantities of gold from the sweepings of the streets and dust-heaps. This is now forbidden by Government. At Sandhurst, another very rich gold-field, farther off, but stid in Victoria, houses were actually being pulled down, that the ' tailings ' (as the refuse from gold-washing is called), upon which the houses were budt, might be dug out, and the large quantity of gold contained in them extracted. The scales, in which the gold is weighed, are so delicate, that some of them are kept under glass cases, which allow only the lever to pass through, lest the assayist's breathing should disturb the air, and affect the balance.

Melbourne is a wonderful city for its age. When passing through its wide streets, and seeing the public buddings and institutions, large houses and shops with plate -glass windows, it seems scarcely credible, that in 1839 the whole space was a dreary swamp. At that time, the few settlers and Government servants used to shoot snipe and wild duck over the ground upon which the city now stands. It was bought from the aborigines for two blankets and a bottle of whisky. c M MELBOURNE. The city is built on the plan generally adopted in the United States. The houses are budt in square blocks, and all the streets, consequently, run at right angles. This gives a neat, though formal and unpicturesque appearance, and has the advantage of rendering it very easy to find the way, when the general direction and position of the principal streets are once known.

One indication of the rapidity of its growth appears in the method of draining the streets. In such a 'go-ahead' region as this, the time and labour necessary to make underground drains could be profitably employed in so many other ways, and could produce so much more effect, that such unimportant matters seem to have been left for the consideration of future municipalities, who might be anxious to distinguish themselves by improvements and adornments when Melbourne shall have become an old city. At present, the drains on either side of the streets are simply deep, open, paved ditches, which tra verse the streets at the end of each block of houses. A smad bridge is built over them for foot-passengers. But when driving, the crossing is a trial to the nerves, if in a 'jingle' (as the light, high, hack -carriages, resembling Irish cars, are called), and to the springs, if in a carriage.