Peeps Into China Part 3

"Why do so many Chinese rivers end in ho and kiang?" he then asked, looking over Sybil's map.

"Both words mean river--the Yantze and the Hw.a.n.g rivers. And the Chinese have all kinds of boats for use on their rivers. Here, my boy, is a picture of a Chinese junk. Look at it well, and see if you can discover anything peculiar about it."

Leonard looked for some time. "It has sails," he answered, "like b.u.t.terflies' wings."

"Yes; that is how the Chinese make many of their sails."

"But the kites are what I want to see so much," said Leonard, as though the sails had reminded him of them again. "What are the most peculiar of them like?"

"Like birds, insects, animals, cl.u.s.ters of birds, G.o.ds on clouds: all kinds of things, in fact, are represented by these kites, which the Chinese are most clever in making, and also in flying. I have seen old men, of about seventy years of age, thoroughly enjoying flying their kites. The Chinese do not care much for your, and my, favourite games, Leonard: cricket and football."

"What games do they like?"

"They are very fond of battledore and shuttlec.o.c.k, but instead of using a battledore they hit the shuttlec.o.c.k with their heads, elbows, or feet.

Seven or eight children play together, and nearly always aim the shuttlec.o.c.k rightly. Girls play at this game too, in spite of their small feet. Tops, b.a.l.l.s, see-saws, and quoits are also favourite toys and games amongst the Chinese."

"I remember," Sybil said, "a girl at school having a Chinese shuttlec.o.c.k, and that was like a bird."

"Well, father, go on, please. What other amus.e.m.e.nts have they?" asked Leonard.

"Puppet-shows for one thing I remember, which they exhibit in the streets, as we do 'Punch and Judy.' The pictures in these shows are exhibited by means of strings, which are either worked from behind or from above the stand, and as the people look through a gla.s.s, the views are displayed to them. A man standing at the side calls out loudly, and beats a little gong to summon people to attend the show. And now I think, as I am rather tired for to-day, I shall beat a little gong to dismiss you from the show," Mr. Graham said, smiling, as he turned towards his children, who never seemed to grow tired of listening.

"Very well, father; we will go now, and let you rest," Sybil replied, standing up. "Thank you so much. To-morrow, you know, we shall come to the show again, so please remember to sound the gong in good time." And off they bounded, leaving Mr. Graham at liberty to go and seek his wife, who was then lying down in her cabin.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER III.

THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LI-HUNG.]

"WILL you please tell us to-day, father, something about the religion of the Chinese? I know they worship idols, but how do they believe in them?" Sybil asked, as soon as their "Peep-show," as the children continued to call their father's stories, began the next afternoon.

During the morning she had sat and read to her mother, who still felt the motion of the vessel very much, and had therefore to lie down part of the day.

"I will try to do so," was the answer; "but I think what you hear may puzzle you a good deal, for they have very strange creeds."

"Did grandfather make many converts?"

"Very few indeed; but then he was one of our very first missionaries to Peking, so was most thankful for the very little which he was enabled to do.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A CITIZEN OF TIENT-SIN.]

"I remember two men for whose conversion from Buddhism he often gave thanks. One was a citizen of Tientsin, where we landed on our way to the capital.

"This good fellow, who was then a very questionable character, was smoking his pipe in a most indifferent manner, when my father, through his teacher, first addressed him. Missionaries in China, you know, have teachers of the dialects."

"Shall you have one?"

"Of course. Well, this man would not listen at all at first, and was very angry at my father's interference; but after a while we met him again at Peking, and in time both he and his wife learnt to believe, and to long for Christian baptism, before receiving which they not only left off worshipping their family idols, but even destroyed them. A short time ago I heard that this man had become a native lay teacher, and was a great help to the mission, as he could, of course, always make himself understood to his own countrymen, who were also not unlikely to be won by his example."

"What was his name?" asked Leonard.

"Tung-Sean."

"And that of the other convert?"

"Li-Hung. He was a much older man, and was sitting, I remember, the day we first saw him, in a field, resting from his work, and as he caught sight of my father he began to call him all sorts of names, amongst which was to be heard very often that of 'foreign devil.' I believe he even looked for stones to throw at us. Your grandfather--always a very quiet, self-possessed man--just dropped some tracts at his side, translated into Chinese. We often saw Li-Hung again, and though he gave us much trouble, a month before my father died he had the happiness also of witnessing this man's conversion to the true faith."

"Grandfather must have been very pleased," Sybil said.

"He was; but I think now I have something rather interesting to tell you of our journey from Tientsin to Peking. We went in carts drawn by two mules, one in front of the other, and at night we slept at inns, where, I think, you would like to hear about our sleeping accommodation. It was winter, and as the Peking winter is cold, people there, to make themselves warm at night, sleep on kangs. As these were different at both inns to which we went, I will tell you about both.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A KANG.]

"In one the kang consisted of a platform built of brick, so much larger than a bed that several people could sleep on it at once. A kind of tunnel pa.s.sed through the platform, which had a chimney at one end, whilst at the other end, a little while before bed-time, a small quant.i.ty of dry fuel was set on fire, when the flame pa.s.sed through the tunnel and out of the chimney. In this way the kang was warmed, when felt matting was put upon it. Here we lay down, and were covered over with a kind of cotton-wool counterpane.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOATS ON THE RIVER PEI-HO AT TIENT-SIN.]

"The kang in the other inn was warmed by a little stove from underneath, which also served in the day-time for cooking purposes, when the bed-clothes were removed from the kang, on which mats, and even little tables, were also sometimes put, until it became a sofa; so it was very useful."

The children laughed.

"We are not hearing about the religion yet, though," Sybil said.

"Oh, do let us hear just a little more about Peking and Tientsin first,"

Leonard answered. "How far is Tientsin from the capital?"

"Eighty miles. And do you know what river it is on?"

Leonard considered. "It must be an important one, I should think, as it carries things, doesn't it, from the sea-coast to near to Peking?"

"It is only a river of secondary importance, but the princ.i.p.al one of the province of Pe-chili. Now for its name." Sybil referred to her map.

"The Pei-ho, of course," they exclaimed together. "And I suppose there is ever so much traffic on it?" Leonard said; "with no end of ships to be seen?"

"Yes, a good many may be seen there. I have a picture of boats on the River Pei-ho."

"What sort of flags do Chinese boats have, father? I do not see any hoisted here."

"The Imperial Navy is divided into river and sea-going vessels, the former consisting of 1,900 ships, the latter of 918; and there are 188,000 sailors. Ships in the Imperial Navy generally fly a flag at the main, on which red lines are drawn, or sometimes a tri-colour is hoisted there instead. Red would, I suppose, be for safety, as this is the 'lucky' colour of the Chinese. At the stern of the vessel I remember seeing the name of the official who directs and superintends the ship."

"Isn't Tientsin noted for something?" Sybil then asked.