In the Yellow Sea Part 12

As no one molested me, I became more easy in my mind as the day wore on, and I began to look about me with more interest. From the fine parade along the river,--the Bund it is called,--with its turfed slopes, Shanghai is alive, right away to the men-of-war, local steamers, and launches. The streets are full, even crowded, with pa.s.sers-by and rickshas--the original "Pull-man car of Shanghai." On the Bund the business is performed, and its occupants are indeed busy.

It is a wonderful sight for the stranger from Europe, who expects things to be Chinese-like. In the Maloo, or chief road, cabs, broughams, barrows, and hors.e.m.e.n jostle each other daily.

This is not China! It is London, Paris, New York. Fine houses and broad pavements; banks, hotels, imposing buildings, a cathedral. Great ships and little boats, sampans. Vessels loading and unloading, noise and bustle, cranes and steam-whistles. Babel of language, and the never-ceasing chatter of the Chinaman and his friends. _Cash! cash!

cash!_ Merchants, coolies, rickshas, runners, porters; Chinese dodging the carts, and avoiding the "foreign devils"; yet, at times, driving in British landaus driven by a Chinese. Such a confusion, such fun and variety; yet all over it, for me, hung the shadow of the crime of the Corean which led to War!

I crossed the bridge, and visited the Chinese-European sections,--not the city of Shanghai,--and the French Quai des Fosses, and the familiar notice of the continent of Europe--"defendu!" The Chinese possess in their section no landaus, they hire wheelbarrows like Mr. Pickwick's.

Here one can examine the shops and the natives at leisure. You may see the deformed feet, and the really unpleasant supplies of food which the Chinaman consumes, and the frequent coffin which he will occupy later when he dies of "carrion dishes."

And all this primitive, conservative, old-world practice in the midst of modern civilisation--electric light, steam, and even comparatively broad streets, high houses, and wide roads,--but not China.

I put in the three last items because Chinese natives have no roads, as we called them, no high houses as in Europe, and no _streets_. The streets are alleys; the houses deep, not high; the roads, paths! All is topsy-turvy; even the house-roof is made and put up before the walls; and politeness consists in depreciating oneself to the visitor.

The lady of the house is a nonent.i.ty, and the meaning of "wife" is merely "_the woman who uses the broom_" or servant! In Shanghai Anglo-China you may be amused and interested, but in a Chinese town, such as Amoy, or Shanghai, or Hankow, you will be disgusted, and unless strong in all ways, come away absolutely sick and ill. The sights, the smells, the open drains, the filth, the putrid food, and the personal dirtiness, will, in a quarter of an hour, repel all but the devoted seeker and the confirmed and robust smoker.[1]

[1] The wealthy Chinese are yearly becoming less conservative in their habits, and their wives are now in evidence in carriages.

But when within European districts one may see something, and satisfy legitimate curiosity; perhaps even in the peep-shows, though here again the taste of the native is for "high" meats; and "blue" incidents, as in the theatre and such places, are evident.

When I arose next morning I heard that Lung had been arrested, and that the inquest was to be held at once. Lung did not seem in any way interested, and declared that he had acted under directions from high authority in Corea. However that may have been, he was not hanged nor imprisoned, but handed by the consuls to the Chinese, and departed in a man-of-war.

Being much interested in the case, I kept watch, and discovered that the man would be conveyed away by night to Corea. As I was wondering how I could find out the fact, and conceal myself from the police, I saw a well-known figure making for the Consulate, near which I was seated. I rushed up and accosted the new-comer.

"Captain Goldheugh! This _is_ luck!"

"Julius! By thunder! is it yourself entirely? Well now, look at that!

I was going to the Consulate for ye. Look at that!"

This was an apostrophe, a favourite expression with the skipper.

"And ye're not dead at all?" he asked, after a hearty shake, twice repeated.

"Not at all," I replied, laughing. "Delighted to see you, captain."

"So am I, bedad! Why, the steamer was _crying_ for ye, and wouldn't steam scarcely, and we declared it was the name did it--_Feng Shui_, no less. I am thinking of changing it. I am so!"

"Why, sir? Surely _Feng Shui_ is no harm?"

"No harm, is it? Bedad, it may mean anything--in China; and as we're Chinese now--a Chinese transport I think I'll make it, bedad!--I'm going to the Consul to _report_ the _Kowshing_. I never did like the name _Feng Shui_--in China. I was told it was unlucky."

"Why? What does it mean?" I asked, as we continued our way.

"_Feng Shui_? I told ye it means 'wind and weather,'--but also their influences; things which cannot be exactly understood, but which, like electricity, are evident. In China _Feng Shui_ generally means a grave."

"That's cheerful, anyway," I muttered.

"And whether the place is 'good' or 'bad' depends very much upon the imagination or estimation of the persons interested. There are 'professors' who profess to understand _Feng Shui_, but I needn't say they are mostly humbugs, and only try to make money out of ye. But I think China is getting much wiser, and less conservative in many ways.

Ye'll see ladies on bicycles soon--I mean Chinese women; and when ye _do_, ye may depend the old restrictions are broken away."

"Then the _Feng Shui_ is doomed, you mean?"

"Yes, it will be; and the steamer must change her name. Look here, Julius, between you and me and the bedpost, the mate and myself have made up our minds to stand the racket for the Company, and chance it.

The agent holds off, but I see my way to profit by the fuss."

"What fuss? This murder?"

"Bosh!" exclaimed the captain. "The _war_! The Chinese and j.a.ps are already at loggerheads about Corea. This murder business will cause the j.a.ps to interfere. China has already sent soldiers to Corea, and the j.a.ps have the right to do the same. Now ye'll see sparks fly!"

"I'm afraid I do not quite understand it."

"Well, well! Can't ye understand the difference between Conservatives and Progressives? Yes! Then j.a.pan is progressive, and the Chinese the other way. The Johnnies objected to Corea being made progressive, as the j.a.panese tried to make it, because j.a.pan is advancing to European perfections. That very fellow who was killed two days ago was an adherent of j.a.panese advance, and the old Coreans' style opposed him.

Some years ago (in 1882) the j.a.panese had to fly out of Corea; they sent troops to punish the natives, the Chinese did the same, for the sake of making peace. But the Corean Progressives attacked the Corean Conservatives, who retaliated, and drove the Progressive party out in 1884.

"Then it was arranged that both China and j.a.pan, the Conservative and Progressive motive-powers, should each send troops to Corea if the other did, and the treaty between Li Hung Chang and Count Ito lasted for nine years, till now--1894. And _now_," concluded the skipper, "Mr. Oh Sing, or Kim, has again thrown the fat into the fire. He's been killed,--he was a 'Progressive,' ye understand,--and the consuls, or one of them, has caused the murderer to be sent by the Chinese to Corea to the king, free and unpunished! Bedad, my lad, we'll see more sparks out o' these flints yet!"

"Then the Conservative Corean has killed the Progressive Corean?"

"Just so; and the Chinese, being Conservative, have saved the murderer, and sent him home in a _man-of-war_! In a Government ship! Sent him home with honours! Sure the j.a.ps won't stand that."

"I suppose it was a planned thing?"

"Certainly; a plot,--a decoy. You, somehow, came in the vessel, and, I hear, got into trouble almost. If the King of Corea instructed the man Lung, or Hung, and if he goes back unpunished, then ye'll see some 'fun,' as people call it."

"And the Chinese expect something?" I asked.

"Yes, they do. They're searching for transports on the quiet; and when I have changed the _Feng Shui_ to _Kowshing_, and settled the bad luck, then we'll just go up to the Yellow Sea, and look in at Taku."

"Why at Taku?'

"Because I _hear_, quite by accident (accidentally on purpose, as my uncle used to say), that the troops for Corea will embark there, if anywhere at all. My game is ready, and the steamer will be there. If I can get the job, I makee much cash; if not, then perhaps one catchee die, and get one piecee coffin, as Johnny Coolie might say. But alle samee some day. Are ye hungry, Julius? Let's chow-chow, eh?"

"Indeed I am, sir; very hungry."

"So'm I. I'm a'most dying with the _forgortha_--the hunger, ye know,--myself. Come on then, and have bird's-nest soup and roast rat."

"No thank you," I replied with a shudder,

"Oh, come on, boy! Have lunch with me, and drink good luck to the _Kowshing_ and peace to the _Feng Shui_. Come!"

CHAPTER VII

THE _FeNG SHUI_ CHANGES HER NAME FOR LUCK--THE TRANSPORT--THE j.a.pANESE MAN-OF-WAR--SURRENDER OF THE _KOWSHING_

We were compelled by circ.u.mstances to remain a few days at Shanghai, and almost every hour begat new rumours. Sunday itself was no day of rest for the Spirit of Conjecture; she was busier than ever, and whether on the Bund or on the concession road, where everybody met all the world and his wife and family, the speculations were numerous and important. Only the ugly Amas (Chinese "ayahs"), and their usually pale European charges, were exempted from the general discussions. The Chinese, too, were quite quiet, but also perfectly alive to the situation. Those of the settlers who played lawn tennis or other games, or cycled,--as most of the "foreign" men did,--paused to discuss late events on the grounds, or on the Marine Parade. The Chinese drove, or perhaps walked, but did not "go in for games" as the "foreign devils" do; it is better, they think, to pay people to do all this to amuse them.