Chapter 1 of 3 · 3966 words · ~20 min read

Part 1

JOGGING ROUND THE WORLD

[Illustration: _Play-fellows of the frozen Arctic. Eskimo Children and their tame Bear_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

JOGGING ROUND THE WORLD

RIDERS AND DRIVERS, WITH CURIOUS STEEDS OR VEHICLES, IN STRANGE LANDS AND AT HOME

WITH STORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS

By EDITH DUNHAM

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM COPYRIGHTED STEREOGRAPHS BY UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK, PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

[Illustration]

_NEW YORK_ - FREDERICK A._ _STOKES COMPANY - _PUBLISHERS_

CONTENTS

PAGE

IN THE LAND OF THE ESKIMOS 9

IN THE OLD PARK AT NARA 10

A JAPANESE LADY IN A YAMA-KAGO 12

THE UNICYCLE OF KOREA 14

A KOREAN LADY IN HER PALANQUIN 16

A KOREAN GENERAL IN THE STREETS OF SEOUL 18

CEBU, IN THE PHILIPPINES 20

A CARABAO TANDEM IN LUZON 22

GOING INTO SHANGHAI 24

IN CANTON, CHINA 26

THE HANSOM CAB OF COLUMBO, CEYLON 28

RIDING IN A PALANQUIN IN CALCUTTA 30

A TWO-STORIED CAMEL WAGON AT AGRA 32

AN ELEPHANT FROM KHAIPUR 34

A BULLOCK CART IN AGRA 36

THE ROYAL CARRIAGE OF REWAH 38

ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO 40

THE TOMBS OF THE KHALIFS, EGYPT 42

THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX IN EGYPT 44

ON THE DESERT OF SAHARA 46

BEFORE THE PETROFSKI PALACE IN A TROIKA 48

NEAR VILLEFRANCHE 50

IN SEVILLE 52

RETURN FROM GRAPE-PICKING, MALAGA 54

DRIVING A DOG-TEAM IN HOLLAND 56

A CARRIAGE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SWEDEN 58

TAKING A RIDE IN THURSO, SCOTLAND 60

OFF FOR A HOLIDAY IN A JAUNTING-CAR 62

IN PORTO RICO 64

IN CUBA 66

ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA 68

THE OLD CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE 70

IN NORTH CAROLINA 72

AN OX-CART IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 74

IN CENTRAL PARK 76

ON AN OSTRICH FARM 78

IN THE LAND OF THE ESKIMOS

Isn’t this a strange playmate? Would you like to have a bear to play with?

The little Eskimo children on the sledge are having a very happy time. They are merry little children, always smiling and happy, even in the long winter nights when the sun does not shine for months at a time. Wouldn’t you think it queer to have such a long night as that?

When winter is coming their father builds a low, dome-shaped house of ice and snow, with a funny little door, through which one goes into a passageway, then into a big room where the whole family lives. A lamp burns in there, filled with whale blubber or fat, and having a wick of dried turf. This makes a smoky light, but it warms the house, and the Eskimos think their winter home very comfortable.

In the long, cold season the father sometimes makes a sledge like the one in the picture. It is made of pieces of wood, with runners of ivory from the tusks of walrus, and sometimes with pieces of reindeer horn. The whole is fastened together with straps made of skin either from the reindeer or seal. It takes a long time to make a sledge, for the Eskimos do not have very good tools to work with, and have to work slowly. Usually the sledges are drawn by dogs. You have seen pictures of them, haven’t you? As many as twelve often draw a sledge, and they run very rapidly over the ice and snow, while their master keeps them in order with his long-lashed whip.

IN THE OLD PARK AT NARA

See these happy Japanese girls enjoying their ride through the park, in ’rickshaws. They look very comfortable and cool in their kimonos, don’t they?

The park they are riding in is at Nara and is such a beautiful place! It is there that a very tame herd of sacred deer is kept. Nara is on the island of Hondo, Japan, and is a very old city, famous for its carvings, cutlery and toys. You would enjoy seeing the toys that are made there, wouldn’t you?

India ink and fans come from there, too; perhaps your little fan, or your sister’s, was made in Nara. Did you know that all the figures on a Japanese fan mean something, and sometimes a whole story is connected with them? The parasols, too, are interesting, and the designs on them are not arranged simply to look pretty, but each has its meaning to the Japanese people.

In Nara, as in most of the Japanese cities, there are some noted temples, and the carving in a few of them is said to be the finest in Japan. In one of the temples is a huge bell over thirteen feet high. Would you like to hear it? In another is a statue of Buddha more than ten times as tall as you are, the biggest one in Japan. In Nara, too, are storehouses in which there are specimens of articles used in the Imperial household hundreds of years before our grandfathers lived.

[Illustration: _A Ride in the old Park at Nara, Japan. Pretty Japanese Maidens in ’Rickshaws_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

A JAPANESE LADY IN A YAMA-KAGO

This does not look like a very safe way of travelling, does it? The bridge is so narrow and the water rushes by so rapidly that we should not enjoy crossing in a yama-kago (mountain chair).

The Japanese people are used to going this way over mountain roads and rough places, so they do not mind. This little bridge is near Nikko (“Sunny Splendour”), a very beautiful city at the foot of a great mountain range in Japan.

A long avenue lined with cryptomerias, a kind of cypress tree, leads to the city, making a picture worth seeing, with the tall, pinkish trunks and masses of green against the blue sky. Often one gets a glimpse of some temple wonderfully carved and coloured, or a waterfall rushing down.

The temples and waterfalls are famous, and also the mausoleum of Iyeyasee, the most wonderful man in Japanese history. A long flight of stone steps leads to a marvellously carved gate, inside of which is a court with storehouses full of ancient treasures, and a stable with a wonderful frieze of monkeys. In the stable is the sacred steed said to bear away the spirit of Iyeyasee. Through a bronze gate, then through another gate of white and gold, one passes through court after court until the shrine is reached.

Another interesting thing in Nikko is the red lacquered bridge over the river Daiya. Only the Emperor is allowed to cross this bridge.

[Illustration: _Japanese Lady in a Yama-kago (Mountain Chair) crossing the Daiya River near Nikko, Japan_

THE UNICYCLE OF KOREA

We very often see bicycles and tricycles, but did you ever before see a unicycle like this? The uncomfortable looking vehicle can only be used by very high officials in Korea, and it is a mark of great distinction to have four coolies instead of two. See the very elaborate robes of the high general. I should think he would have to sit very still on his high seat. A coolie marches ahead of him carrying his robe of state when he goes to the royal palace.

Korea is a strange country; the people look like the Japanese; the customs are somewhat like those of the Chinese; and yet the Koreans are quite different from either. The country is hilly, and when walking one no sooner gets to the bottom of one hill than he begins to go up another. Korea is famous for its paper, which is very strong and does not tear easily. The houses have partitions and windows of oiled paper. Glass is quite uncommon.

Looking down into Seoul, the chief city, from the wall one is reminded of a bed of mushrooms. The houses are one-storied, with sloping roofs tiled or covered with turf, and very close together. The wall has eight gates, each with a name, as, “Gate of Amiability,” “Gate of Everlasting Ceremony.” The Northern Gate is up on a high hill, from which at night signal lights shine out to let the people know if all is well with Korea.

[Illustration: _One of the most curious Vehicles of the World: the Unicycle of Korea. Used for High Generals_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

A KOREAN LADY IN HER PALANQUIN

If we were in Seoul, we could not see this lady in the palanquin, because the curtains would be closely shut.

The Korean ladies of the higher classes are seldom seen by anyone outside of their households, and the middle-class women, if they have to walk on the street, have a peculiar garment, with long, loose sleeves, which they put over their heads. The sleeves hang down, looking like a curious kind of ears, and the cloak is held closely before the face so that it cannot be seen.

Would you like to take a walk through the streets of Seoul, and see the crowds of strangely dressed people, the many one-storied houses and the booths? Perhaps we should meet the water-coolie who goes about all day carrying water to anyone who wants it. He has a queer way of carrying it, too: a long pole is fastened cross-wise on his shoulders by straps going under and around his arms. From this pole hang two buckets or pails.

There are many beautiful palaces in Seoul, with pretty little lakes and ponds in the gardens. Some of these lakes are covered with lotus flowers, and there is usually a tiny island in the centre with a tree on it, under which one can sit and enjoy the pretty garden. One of the very interesting things to see in Seoul is an old, old marble pagoda which has been built so long that the people cannot remember who built it.

[Illustration: _Korean Lady and Maid, in the Streets of Seoul, Korea._ (_The Curtain is seldom raised._)

A KOREAN GENERAL IN THE STREETS OF SEOUL

The Korean general in this palanquin must be a very important person indeed. See the large number of attendants he has. An ordinary palanquin is carried by two coolies. Only high officials, foreign consuls, or legal advisers of the emperor are supposed to have four, and in the pictures we see at least eight men taking this general through the streets of Seoul. Only four seem to be really carrying the chair, so the men at the side are probably not coolies. See, their hats and clothing are different from those of the coolies.

The streets of Seoul are very wide, but look narrow because the shopkeepers put up booths in front of their houses, and spread out their wares before them, on mats or trays, so that there is not much room left. One very wide street has two rows of houses or booths down the middle; so it seems as though there were three narrow streets instead of one wide one.

When the emperor passes through in procession all these booths are taken down, and the street is swept and decorated in his honour. The next day the booths are put up again and affairs go on in quite the usual way.

There is an interesting old bronze bell in Seoul, which used to be rung in the morning and at sunset. The gates of the city were closed at dark, and all the men had to stay at home and could not be out on the street, except at festival times.

[Illustration: _A Korean General carried in an official Chair through the Streets of Seoul, Korea_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

CEBU, IN THE PHILIPPINES

In Cebu the carriages of the natives are evidently not built for comfort, and the ones we see in the picture we should not find very agreeable to ride in, I am sure.

This is the Public Square of Cebu, an old, old city on the island of Cebu, in the Philippines. Hundreds of years ago some Spanish people made a settlement there, and after that it was the capital city of the Philippines. Now it is still an important city, and large quantities of hemp are sent out from it to other parts of the world. Hemp, you know, is used to make ropes and sail-cloth and that strong yellow wrapping-paper called Manilla paper.

When growing, the hemp plant looks something like a banana tree, with big leaves in which is the fibre used to make rope. The native people have a rude sort of knife with which they scrape the pulp from the fibre, after which it is dried in the sun and then prepared for shipping.

There is also a very fine fibre that the natives sometimes get in small quantities, out of which they weave a soft material that looks something like silk. This fibre brings higher prices than the coarser, but there is not so much of it to be had.

It is very interesting to see the people at work, getting the hemp ready for market: almost everything is done by hand, for no machinery has yet been made which can do the work so well.

[Illustration: _A Family “Turn-out” in the Public Square, Cebu, Philippine Islands_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

A CARABAO TANDEM IN LUZON

Oh, look at these strange animals with such wide-spreading horns! Do you know what they are? They are named “carabaos,” and are sometimes called “water buffaloes” because they are so fond of the water. Often through the day they go into the rivers or lakes and splash about; and if they are kept too long from their bath they are likely to go mad and become dangerous. They are very powerful animals and are used a great deal in the Philippine Islands in place of horses, to do farm work and draw carts.

Do you see this queer carriage with the woven canopy top and the wooden wheels? Carts like this are used in the southern part of Luzon, which is the largest of the Philippine Islands. It is a beautiful island with many rivers and mountains, and there are also volcanoes. Do you know what a volcano is? It is a mountain with a deep hole or crater in it, in which there is a mass of fire, and gases which sometimes explode. When there is an explosion great quantities of molten stuff called lava pour from the mouth of the volcano, sometimes burying villages at the foot of the mountain. A volcano is not a very pleasant neighbour, should you think so? Many of the islands of the Philippines were formed by volcanoes under the sea, that have thrown up masses of lava until a new island was made.

[Illustration: _A Tagalog Tandem, Bambam, Luzon, Philippine Islands_

GOING INTO SHANGHAI

This is a strange-looking thing to ride on, don’t you think? It looks something like the wheelbarrows we use in our gardens, but the wheel is very large. Do you see how it goes up in the middle of the barrow?

These Chinese people are going into Shanghai. They have come along a very sunny road; wouldn’t you think their heads would ache? The Chinese women do not wear hats and they do not mind the heat. See how small their feet are, and yet they are very large compared with the feet of the ladies in higher classes, who could easily wear dolls’ shoes. Chinese shoes, the ordinary ones, are made of cloth; so when it rains the Chinese do not like to go out and get them wet.

Let us follow these people to Shanghai and see what the city is like. It is a great shipping place, and the harbour is filled with queer-looking boats called junks. Shanghai is a busy place, and the streets are always crowded; in the native part they are extremely narrow and dirty.

In the afternoons there is a great deal of driving on the chief road, Maloo. Here we should see all kinds of carriages, ’rickshaws and barrows like the one in the picture.

If we should meet a Chinese friend he would say, “Have you eaten rice?” instead of “How do you do?” They think our clothing very queer, and the men would not know what to do with pockets.

[Illustration: _Coming into Town, Shanghai, China_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

IN CANTON, CHINA

If we were in Canton we should probably have a ride in a palanquin something like this one. Do you think you would like it?

This Chinese lady is evidently of a very rich family. See her silken robes, and her tiny foot. The women of the higher classes are seldom seen on the streets of Canton; they stay at home or are carried in closely curtained palanquins. Do you see the curtains in the picture? They are raised so that we can get a look at the Cantonese lady; if she were on a crowded street they would all be down.

The streets of Canton are very fascinating; they have a long row of shops on either side, with wares all displayed. Some of the streets are only about six feet wide, and many of the shops have large signs at the sides, either upright or hung like the signs of old English inns, so that there is not much space for passers-by.

The signs are sometimes black, sometimes scarlet, blue or green, with characters of gold or scarlet, so the street is full of colour. The street tradesmen are picturesque, particularly the barber, who carries over his shoulders a pole from which is suspended a bright scarlet stand with a brass basin resting on it. He wears loose trousers and blouse of dark blue and a broad-brimmed straw hat.

The streets are almost always crowded, night and day. At night lanterns of painted glass or horn, and sometimes paper lanterns give a touch of colour and make the streets look gay.

[Illustration: _A beautiful Cantonese Girl in her Palanquin, with Maid Attendant, Canton, China_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

THE HANSOM CAB OF COLUMBO, CEYLON

Have you ever, when out in the country, seen an ox-cart with two patient oxen drawing a load of hay or stones?

Here we have a cab drawn by a little bullock, or zebu, which looks somewhat like those big oxen, but has a queer hump on his back and is very tiny. He looks gentle and kind, and no doubt trots about all day taking travellers through the streets of Columbo, in Ceylon.

Do you know where that is? It is an island ever so far away in the Indian Ocean, and is the place where many pearls and precious stones are found. It is a very beautiful island, and the roads, winding along between palms of many kinds and strange plants, with bright coloured birds and butterflies fluttering in and out among the leaves, are wonderful. Little bright green lizards dart here and there over the beautiful plants, looking like rare jewels, and very pretty ferns and flowers are all around.

Ceylon is such an interesting place to visit! There are ever and ever so many plantations where tea is grown, and rice, too. The labourers who work in the fields, and who draw the ’rickshaws we see in the picture, are called Tamils. The part of Columbo where they live is named Pettah and is very picturesque.

Their fruit shops look tempting and there are many kinds of fruit with curious names, as “papaws,” “lovi-lovis” and “rambutans.” Would you like to taste them?

[Illustration: _The Hansom Cab of Columbo, Ceylon_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

RIDING IN A PALANQUIN IN CALCUTTA

What a beautiful road this is! Wouldn’t you like to take a peep around the curve and see what is beyond? But such a queer way of travelling!

These men can go very rapidly, but they have stopped here to let us look at them. The lady seems to be enjoying her ride very much in her palanquin. Isn’t that a funny thing to ride in?

This road is in one of the beautiful parks in Calcutta, the city in India where the Governor General lives. It is such an attractive city, with oh, so many parks and gardens! one where there are numberless kinds of animals, another filled with rare trees and plants. There are also many private gardens. There are so many fine buildings that Calcutta is sometimes called the “City of Palaces.” The most beautiful part of the city has a queer name, Chowringhee. Here there is a large park where there is much driving; sometimes the band plays and it is very gay.

“Black Town,” where the natives live, is not so attractive, but very dirty, with narrow streets and ugly little houses of mud or bamboo. Here and there are idols made of plaster or painted wood, looking like those we sometimes see in pictures. The natives of Calcutta make many useful things, among them gunny-bags, the very coarse bags that coffee and cotton are packed in. These bags are used by people all over the world.

[Illustration: _A Lady in her Palanquin going through the Geological Gardens, Calcutta_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

A TWO-STORIED CAMEL WAGON AT AGRA

This is almost like a house on wheels, isn’t it? There seem to be two stories in the wagon or carriage. We can see someone sitting in the upper part, and the lower floor appears to be filled with all sorts of things. How proud and haughty the camels look, with their noses up in the air!

In what country would you expect to see this carriage? Yes, it is in India, at Agra, a very beautiful city. There are such wonderful buildings in Agra that we should want to stay there a long time and admire them. One is called the Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, and travellers say that it is exquisite. It is all of marble and has three beautiful domes like immense bubbles floating in the air.

The gem of Agra, though, is the Taj Mahal, a big tomb built centuries ago by one of the rulers, Shah Jehan, for his wife, whom he dearly loved. Just think, this building is standing now, after all these hundreds of years, and is still perfect! It has a beautiful big dome and a number of little ones, besides minarets and towers, and it looks like a marvellous dream building or a palace made by the fairies. Every little part of it is as perfect as a bit of jewellery. There are flowers inlaid in many colours, and exquisite mosaic work in different patterns; and in the dome is a wonderful echo that repeats a note again and again until it sounds like fairy music. Wouldn’t you like to visit this wonderful place?

[Illustration: _Two-story Camel Wagons at Agra, India_

_From Stereograph, Copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]

AN ELEPHANT FROM KHAIPUR

Here is another elephant dressed in elaborate trappings. His saddle cloth is very gorgeously embroidered and fringed, and he has a cloth over his head, which seems to cover up his eyes, but perhaps he can see through the fringe. He even has a bracelet or anklet around one of his fore feet--do you see it? The owner of all this magnificence sits on the elephant’s back in a howdah, a very much ornamented sort of chair.