Part 34

On Victoria Road there are many private residences, and an imposing English Club edifice in the midst of large and attractive grounds.

The morning of the second day was devoted to incidental things; in the afternoon we attended a Chinese theatre which was similar to the one we had seen in Hong-Kong, only actors, who were grotesque acrobats, now took the place of the previous ballet-dancers. In the evening we attended a fine concert in the Public Gardens. The music was furnished by the Cameron Guards in Highland costume. It was a fine opportunity to see the English contingent, and from the Astor House across the way came ladies in evening dress; hats and wraps were also in evidence; and, in the rear, were files of soldiers of various nations from the different concessions.

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SHANHAIKWAN, May 29th: The following morning, we left for Shanhaikwan; we arrived in the evening, and went to a very comfortable railway hotel. The following morning, we made an excursion to the mountains and caught a glimpse of the Great Wall a long distance off; in one direction a valley; beyond that, hills; then mountains extending tier after tier, until the last faded away in the distant horizon. This wall is a continuation of the one visited in Peking, and formerly ended at the sea-line in Shanhaikwan, but the ravages of time and the devastation of man have carried away much of it.

We had left our chairs at a small place, said to be a Taoist temple, and had also passed the ruins of another temple, showing the isolated places selected by the early fathers for their centres of worship. After roaming about, we returned to the first temple, and around an improvised table, in plain view of the altar, we were served with a substantial luncheon brought from the hotel. Our return trip was over a different route, in order to secure a finer view of the Wall, some ruined towers, and parapets.

Later, we passed through two imposing gateways, and noted the great thickness of the Wall which, broken off, showed a brick exterior filled with earth. The way through the native town assured us of the usual Chinese life and bazars, Shanhaikwan having only a small European population. It was the scene of much activity during the Boxer Rebellion, and the regiments of several nations had posts or forts there, the English and Japanese even now continuing to maintain a small body-guard. In the afternoon we took a ride in a diminutive horse-car on a narrow-gauge road to the sea, four miles distant, where we found a sandy beach and bathhouses. This is a favorite resort for the Summer guests of the Shanhaikwan Hotel. Peitaho, which is situated back of Shanhaikwan in the mountains, has a large Summer colony from Peking and Tientsin, many of whom own their homes. At Shanhaikwan we had the pleasure of meeting Judge and Mrs. Charles Smith of Manila, and listened to many interesting experiences connected with life in the Philippines. Shanhaikwan is on the border between China and Manchuria.

We had been in Manchuria all day with an uninteresting landscape as regards variety,--plains, a few trees, and a little verdure stretched far away. Much of the land, however, was tilled, it being Springtime in this far-away country; and an occasional group of trees indicated what time and irrigation may accomplish in the way of agricultural results. At every station armed soldiers were on guard. Various theories were advanced to account for this; one said that brigands infested the country; another claimed that there might be danger of destruction to the track, this being the Southern Japanese-Manchurian Railway, which was running through an alien country. The right to this road and a strip of land each side of the track was secured by Japan either by treaty or by lease from China at the close of the Russian-Japanese war. Chan Chow was the largest station passed. Hsin Min was the scene of a conflict between the Russians and Japanese, and at the present time soldiers are still stationed there.

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MUKDEN, May 30th: Our next point to be visited was Mukden. The trip was not in our original itinerary, and we had some difficulty in securing it, as the Director felt that we could not obtain good hotel accommodations. We all, however, promised to accept uncomplainingly any condition which the situation offered. Nevertheless, we felt a little anxious about the result, as we were the first tourist party to invade Mukden, the capital of Manchuria, and also the old capital when it was an independent country and not, as now, a province.

At the King-jo Hotel, under Japanese management, we found six rooms furnished in supposed European style; these opened on upper and lower galleries and were comfortable. They really formed an annex in order to entice stray European guests. The entire household was Japanese, without any knowledge of the English language, so pantomime became our means of communication, and there were many amusing mistakes made on both sides. The utmost good-humor prevailed, however, and the atmosphere of the place was altogether pleasant.

The morning following our arrival, we rode in jinrikishas to the tomb of a Ming emperor. There are two of these tombs located at Mukden. We visited only one; it is four miles from the city, and beautifully located in a parklike enclosure. We entered at the side, through a long avenue of trees, the front entrance never being opened; there were two tall columns with grotesque figures of animals on top; then a lion on each side, seated on heavy pedestals. A three-arched pailow had a very massive carved cornice and entablature; on the cornice and on each division of the arch were seated immense carved lions; similar ones were also on the reverse side of the arch and on the ends, making ten in all, and adding to the impressiveness of the whole.

We now entered the sacred avenue, lined on each side with ten large stone animals. The path was much shorter than that visited in Nankow, and the carving of the animals was less perfect. The avenue ended with a gateway of three arches, which we did not pass through, but which contained a memorial tablet mounted on a huge tortoise; beyond this there was a long oblong building with an effective terrace roof; doors were placed in each corner of the walled enclosure. At the back rose an immense mound which covers the tomb. From a high tower overlooking the mound, we had a view of the entire enclosure.

The palace at Mukden is a large, imposing pile, built in 1631. There are many different buildings, all in the peculiar Chinese style with upturned eaves; these were barricaded while renovation was going on, and we could obtain glimpses of the interior only through cracks in the wall. The rooms were large and contained some wall decoration, while the whole effect was fine, in spite of all the inconveniences experienced in trying to see them; debris was everywhere. In one building the doors and windows were sealed with paper strips placed over them; this was the receptacle for valuable jewels and fine brocaded robes of royalty. We were first refused admission, but, on our return from the rounds of the palace, by some magical process (probably a large fee), a door was opened, and we entered and saw a wonderful display of rich gems, somewhat barbaric in style, fine swords, daggers, robes, and other paraphernalia.

The bazars in Mukden were not unlike those throughout China in their arrangement, but containing not nearly so attractive a display of goods. The population seemed mixed, judging from the type of faces and from the head-dress of the women, some of them having the plain, smooth arrangement of the hair, while others followed the peculiar Manchu style. Mukden owes its present celebrity to the Russian-Japanese war, as several battles were fought around it.

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June 1st: The following day, we took our departure for Niuchwang. We had been told that our route would be over historic battlegrounds, and we soon realized this, for, after leaving Mukden, we saw the monument erected by the Japanese Government as a memorial to the memory of the Japanese soldiers who fell in a desperate engagement, March 13th, 1905. This was the battle of Shio-ho, one of the worst of the war. General Kuropatkin headed the Russians, while Generals Kuroki and Nogi were on the Japanese side. The Russians were vanquished and were forced to retreat to Karpan. Later we came to a large place, formerly a Russian city, Lara-yang, which was taken by the Japanese, and now seems in a prosperous condition. A large rocky mountain, passed later on, was the scene of a desperate attempt of the Japanese to dislodge the Russians, and here eight thousand of the former lost their lives. At one point a tall granite monument was raised to the memory of ten thousand Japanese soldiers, all of which gave us a realizing sense of the horrors of the conflict. Later, these warlike reminders ceased, and the landscape showed broad, well-cultivated fields; indeed, the Manchuria of to-day, as far as we could determine, seems a fertile plain; and while a coarser cereal is now raised, it seemed possible that this might become a great wheat-producing land with proper cultivation.

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NIUCHWANG: When near Niuchwang, we came to the city of Shai-seng, and saw the long lines of Russian barracks which are now occupied by the Japanese. We reached our destination late in the evening, and had a jinrikisha ride of over an hour before turning to the Central Hotel, which had been greatly damaged by fire, but which we persuaded our Director to select for us. Our surroundings were not luxurious, but a fairly good dinner awaited us.

In the morning we had a delightful surprise. A call of the Director at the English Club the evening previous had resulted in an invitation extended to the entire party to breakfast at the residence of Mr. Henry A. Bush, of Bush Brothers, a noted firm in the East. Never was an invitation more gladly accepted. The mistress of the household was absent, but Mr. Bush, aided by friends, did the honors to perfection. It was a lovely home and full of good cheer. Two hours later we were sent to the station in carriages, and escorted to a junction, nine miles away, by a relative of the family. We learned afterward that this courtesy was often extended to tourists since the burning of the hotel. I am happy to state that both at Mukden and Niuchwang modern hotels will be opened at an early date, both being named the Astor House, a favorite appellation all through the East.

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DALNY: The ride to Dalny (the Japanese wish it called Darien) ended at nine in the evening; the scenery en route was not unlike that of the day previous, except that we observed a higher degree of cultivation, and the plains were more extended, terminating in the distance in low ranges of hills. We found Dalny modern in appearance, save in a few large buildings which showed their early origin; the Russians had planned the place as a model city before the war, which in time might become a flourishing adjunct to Port Arthur. The city was evacuated before the siege of Port Arthur, the Russians concentrating all their strength at the latter point. Dalny is a port of some importance, but we were told there was little local business to speak of. Tourists are beginning to go there, as it is a convenient point to remain if one wishes to visit Port Arthur, which is a long day's excursion, leaving early in the morning and returning on an evening train. This has, heretofore, been the customary plan of procedure, owing to superior hotel facilities at Dalny; but a new hotel was nearly completed at Port Arthur when we were there.

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PORT ARTHUR, June 4th: We left early for a hard day's excursion to Port Arthur. The standpoint of the tourist is that of interest and curiosity to see the port which was so recently the scene of such tragic events. With military knowledge, the interest would be more in observing the strategic position and the methods of defence. Before speaking of the incidents of the day, a brief outline of Port Arthur will be given as a key to the situation. A view of the place from the sea is disappointing, as the hills that circle around the bay are bare and destitute of vegetation and foliage. The foothills of a long mountain range divide the peninsula of Liao-tung (the circle of the hills extending over ten miles); several bays also indent the shore. Viewed from the land side, the town and port lie in an amphitheatre, hidden from the sea by Golden Hill on one side and by the Tiger's Tail Peninsula on the other. This strong position was fortified by the Russians in the newest way.

The defence works are divided into coast and inland groups. The coast section is the Golden Hill position, which stands at the left side of the entrance to the harbor and commands the outer bay. From this hill, toward the sea and to the north, making a semicircle, the line of fortifications extends three miles, including many permanent works; the first of these is called the Silver Hill group, and there are several lines lying east and north of this. That group of forts on the left side is named the Tiger's Tail Peninsula, and is as strong as Golden Hill on the opposite side. The sea just outside of Tiger's Tail was the place where the Japanese fleet attacked the Russian squadron at anchor. Because of the vast strength of each of these two opposite points, and their close communication and support, they have been considered the strongest fortresses ever yet invested.

The city of Port Arthur is divided by Monument Hill into two parts, Old or East Town, and New or West Town. The old town is the real Port Arthur; the new one was formerly a Chinese hamlet, called Tai-yo-ko,--the Russians building this section after its occupation. The old is a business town; the new an official town. Here we have the contrast of a European centre on one side with a Chinese on the other. In the old town are situated the Port Admiralty, Navy Yard, Army Hospital, Red Cross Hospital, Museum, and Fortress Office, formerly General Stoessel's house. In the new town are the Governor General's office and some civil administration buildings, a park, and numberless residences.

On our arrival at Port Arthur, we took carriages, and, after securing a permit, went to the Siege Museum, which is filled with the trophies of war, and models of some of the forts that were taken; we examined these carefully in order the better to understand the methods employed by the Japanese in storming fortifications; tunnelling was the way in which the North Fort was taken. The Siege Museum was interesting from another point, as it had been the mess-house of the Russian officers of the garrison, and the walls were covered with views of the Crimean and other wars; there was also a large collection of pictures of Russian generals.

We then had a long drive to Monument Hill, which is situated between the old and the new town near the railway station. It is a high point, commanding the harbor and the forts, and one can obtain a bird's-eye view of Port Arthur from its top. On account of its advantageous position, General Nogi and Admiral Togo chose the hill for the mausoleum and monument which are built in memory of those who lost their lives. There are two peaks; the mausoleum is situated on one, the monument on the other. The monument, two hundred feet high, was in process of construction when we saw it; stones raised from the sunken ships formed the principal material in building it. On the opposite peak, with a torii in front, as an indication of the Shinto faith, is the mausoleum, where the remains of 22,183 officers and soldiers have been buried with formal ceremonies. It is impossible to convey an idea of the impressiveness of the scene as we stood on this hill, gazing out on a landscape significant of war and carnage on every side.

After luncheon at the almost completed new hotel, we had the roughest ride I have ever taken--a long distance to the outskirts in order to view some of the ruined forts--first, to East Keekwan, the name of a group of defence works. The main fort here was so well defended that it was considered unassailable from any direction; it was also very strongly protected. The assault began on the 18th of August; there was very stubborn resistance, and many attacks were necessary before General Stoessel, on January 1st, proposed to surrender. As the Russians retreated, however, they blew the fort up with dynamite. A scene of desolation greeted us in consequence, and it was almost impossible to walk across the debris.