Chapter 7--A Trip to China
"Come, little girl, I've got another dose for you. I fancy you won'ttake it as well as you did the last, but you will like it better after awhile," said Dr. Alec, about a week after the grand surprise.
Rose was sitting in her pretty room, where she would gladly have spentall her time if it had been allowed; but she looked up with a smile, forshe had ceased to fear her uncle's remedies, and was always ready to trya new one. The last had been a set of light gardening tools, with whichshe had helped him put the flower-beds in order, learning all sorts ofnew and pleasant things about the plants as she worked, for, though shehad studied botany at school, it seemed very dry stuff compared withUncle Alec's lively lesson.
"What is it now?" she asked, shutting her work-box without a murmur.
"Salt-water."
"How must I take it?"
"Put on the new suit Miss Hemming sent home yesterday, and come down tothe beach; then I'll show you."
"Yes, sir," answered Rose obediently, adding to herself, with a shiver,as he went off: "It is too early for bathing, so I know it is somethingto do with a dreadful boat."
Putting on the new suit of blue flannel, prettily trimmed with white,and the little sailor-hat with long streamers, diverted her mind fromthe approaching trial, till a shrill whistle reminded her that her unclewas waiting. Away she ran through the garden, down the sandy path, outupon the strip of beach that belonged to the house, and here she foundDr. Alec busy with a slender red and white boat that lay rocking on therising tide.
"That is a dear little boat; and 'Bonnie Belle' is a pretty name," shesaid, trying not to show how nervous she felt.
"It is for you; so sit in the stern and learn to steer, till you areready to learn to row."
"Do all boats wiggle about in that way?" she asked, lingering as if totie her hat more firmly.
"Oh, yes, pitch about like nutshells when the sea is a bit rough,"answered her sailor uncle, never guessing her secret woe.
"Is it rough to-day?"
"Not very; it looks a trifle squally to the eastward, but we are allright till the wind changes. Come."
"Can you swim, uncle?" asked Rose, clutching at his arm as he took herhand.
"Like a fish. Now then."
"Oh, please hold me very tight till I get there! Why do you have thestern so far away?" and, stifling several squeaks of alarm in herpassage, Rose crept to the distant seat, and sat there holding on withboth hands and looking as if she expected every wave to bring a suddenshipwreck.
Uncle Alec took no notice of her fear, but patiently instructed her inthe art of steering, till she was so absorbed in remembering which wasstarboard and which larboard, that she forgot to say "OW!" every time abig wave slapped against the boat.
"Now where shall we go?" she asked, as the wind blew freshly in herface, and a few, long swift strokes sent them half across the littlebay.
"Suppose we go to China?"
"Isn't that rather a long voyage?"
"Not as I go. Steer round the Point into the harbour, and I'll give youa glimpse of China in twenty minutes or so."
"I should like that!" and Rose sat wondering what he meant, while sheenjoyed the new sights all about her.
Behind them the green Aunt-hill sloped gently upward to the grove atthe top, and all along the seaward side stood familiar houses, stately,cosy, or picturesque. As they rounded the Point, the great bay openedbefore them full of shipping, and the city lay beyond, its spires risingabove the tall masts with their gay streamers.
"Are we going there?" she asked, for she had never seen this aspect ofthe rich and busy old city before.
"Yes. Uncle Mac has a ship just in from Hong Kong, and I thought youwould like to go and see it."
"Oh, I should. I love dearly to go poking about in the warehouses withUncle Mac; everything is so curious and new to me; and I'm speciallyinterested in China because you have been there."
"I'll show you two genuine Chinamen who have just arrived. You will liketo welcome Whang Lo and Fun See, I'm sure."
"Don't ask me to speak to them, uncle; I shall be sure to laugh at theodd names and the pig-tails and the slanting eyes. Please let me justtrot round after you; I like that best."
"Very well; now steer toward the wharf where the big ship with the queerflag is. That's the 'Rajah,' and we will go aboard if we can."
In among the ships they went, by the wharves where the water was greenand still, and queer barnacles grew on the slippery piles. Odd smellssaluted her nose, and odd sights met her eyes, but Rose liked it all,and played she was really landing in Hong Kong when they glided up tothe steps in the shadow of the tall "Rajah." Boxes and bales were risingout of the hold and being carried into the warehouse by stout porters,who tugged and bawled and clattered about with small trucks, or workedcranes with iron claws that came down and clutched heavy weights,whisking them aloft to where wide doors like mouths swallowed them up.
Dr. Alec took her aboard the ship, and she had the satisfaction ofpoking her inquisitive little nose into every available corner, at therisk of being crushed, lost, or drowned.
"Well, child, how would you like to take a voyage round the world withme in a jolly old craft like this?" asked her uncle, as they rested aminute in the captain's cabin.
"I should like to see the world, but not in such a small, untidy, smellyplace as this. We would go in a yacht all clean and comfortable;Charlie says that is the proper way," answered Rose, surveying the closequarters with little favour.
"You are not a true Campbell if you don't like the smell of tar andsalt-water, nor Charlie either, with his luxurious yacht. Now comeashore and chin-chin with the Celestials."
After a delightful progress through the great warehouse, peeping andpicking as they went, they found Uncle Mac and the yellow gentlemen inhis private room, where samples, gifts, curiosities, and newly arrivedtreasures of all sorts were piled up in pleasing pro-fusion andcon-fusion.
As soon as possible Rose retired to a corner, with a porcelain godon one side, a green dragon on the other, and, what was still moreembarrassing, Fun See sat on a tea-chest in front, and stared at herwith his beady black eyes till she did not know where to look.
Mr. Whang Lo was an elderly gentleman in American costume, with hispig-tail neatly wound round his head. He spoke English, and was talkingbusily with Uncle Mac in the most commonplace way so Rose considered hima failure. But Fun See was delightfully Chinese from his junk-like shoesto the button on his pagoda hat; for he had got himself up in style, andwas a mass of silk jackets and slouchy trousers. He was short and fat,and waddled comically; his eyes were very "slanting," as Rose said; hisqueue was long, so were his nails; his yellow face was plump and shiny,and he was altogether a highly satisfactory Chinaman.
Uncle Alec told her that Fun See had come out to be educated and couldonly speak a little pigeon English; so she must be kind to the poorfellow, for he was only a lad, though he looked nearly as old as Mr.Whang Lo. Rose said she would be kind; but had not the least idea how toentertain the queer guest, who looked as if he had walked out of one ofthe rice-paper landscapes on the wall, and sat nodding at her so like atoy Mandarin that she could hardly keep sober.
In the midst of her polite perplexity, Uncle Mac saw the two youngpeople gazing wistfully at one another, and seemed to enjoy the jokeof this making acquaintance under difficulties. Taking a box from histable, he gave it to Fun See, with an order that seemed to please himvery much.
Descending from his perch, he fell to unpacking it with great neatnessand despatch, while Rose watched him, wondering what was going tohappen. Presently, out from the wrappings came a teapot, which causedher to clasp her hands with delight, for it was made in the likeness ofa plump little Chinaman. His hat was the cover, his queue the handle,and his pipe the nose. It stood upon feet in shoes turned up at thetoes, and the smile on the fat, sleepy face was so like that on Fun'swhen he displayed the teapot, that Rose couldn't help laughing, whichpleased him much.
Two pretty cups with covers, and a fine scarlet tray completed theset, and made one long to have a "dish of tea," even in Chinese style,without cream or sugar.
When he had arranged them on a little table before her, Fun signified inpantomime that they were hers, from her uncle. She returned her thanksin the same way, whereupon he returned to his tea-chest, and, havingno other means of communication, they sat smiling and nodding at oneanother in an absurd sort of way till a new idea seemed to strikeFun. Tumbling off his seat, he waddled away as fast as his petticoatspermitted, leaving Rose hoping that he had not gone to get a roastedrat, a stewed puppy, or any other foreign mess which civility wouldoblige her to eat.
While she waited for her funny new friend, she improved her mind in away that would have charmed Aunt Jane. The gentlemen were talking overall sorts of things, and she listened attentively, storing up muchof what she heard, for she had an excellent memory, and longed todistinguish herself by being able to produce some useful informationwhen reproached with her ignorance.
She was just trying to impress upon her mind that Amoy was two hundredand eighty miles from Hong Kong, when Fun came scuffling back, bearingwhat she thought was a small sword, till he unfurled an immense fan, andpresented it with a string of Chinese compliments, the meaning ofwhich would have amused her even more than the sound, if she could haveunderstood it.
She had never seen such an astonishing fan, and at once became absorbedin examining it. Of course, there was no perspective whatever, whichonly gave it a peculiar charm to Rose, for in one place a lovely lady,with blue knitting-needles in her hair, sat directly upon the spire of astately pagoda. In another charming view a brook appeared to flow in atthe front door of a stout gentleman's house, and out at his chimney. Ina third a zig-zag wall went up into the sky like a flash of lightning,and a bird with two tails was apparently brooding over a fisherman whoseboat was just going aground upon the moon.
It was altogether a fascinating thing, and she would have sat wafting itto and fro all the afternoon, to Fun's great satisfaction, if Dr. Alec'sattention had not suddenly been called to her by a breeze from the bigfan that blew his hair into his eyes, and reminded him that they mustgo. So the pretty china was repacked, Rose furled her fan, and withseveral parcels of choice teas for the old ladies stowed away in Dr.Alec's pockets, they took their leave, after Fun had saluted them with"the three bendings and the nine knockings," as they salute the Emperor,or "Son of Heaven," at home.
"I feel as if I had really been to China, and I'm sure I look so," saidRose, as they glided out of the shadow of the "Rajah."
She certainly did, for Mr. Whang Lo had given her a Chinese umbrella;Uncle Alec had got some lanterns to light up her balcony; the great fanlay in her lap, and the tea-set reposed at her feet.
"This is not a bad way to study geography, is it?" asked her uncle, whohad observed her attention to the talk.
"It is a very pleasant way, and I really think I have learned more aboutChina to-day than in all the lessons I had at school, though I used torattle off the answers as fast as I could go. No one explained anythingto us, so all I remember is that tea and silk come from there, and thewomen have little bits of feet. I saw Fun looking at mine, and he musthave thought them perfectly immense," answered Rose, surveying her stoutboots with sudden contempt.
"We will have out the maps and the globe, and I'll show you some of myjourneys, telling stories as we go. That will be next best to doing itactually."
"You are so fond of travelling, I should think it would be very dull foryou here, uncle. Do you know, Aunt Plenty says she is sure you will beoff in a year or two."
"Very likely."
"Oh, me! what shall I do then?" sighed Rose, in a tone of despair thatmade Uncle Alec's face brighten with a look of genuine pleasure as hesaid significantly,
"Next time I go I shall take my little anchor with me. How will thatsuit?"
"Really, uncle?"
"Really, niece."
Rose gave a little bounce of rapture which caused the boat to "wiggle"in a way that speedily quieted her down. But she sat beaming joyfullyand trying to think which of some hundred questions she would ask first,when Dr. Alec said, pointing to a boat that was coming up behind them ingreat style,
"How well those fellows row! Look at them, and take notes for your ownuse by and by."
The "Stormy Petrel" was manned by half a dozen jaunty looking sailors,who made a fine display of blue shirts and shiny hats, with stars andanchors in every direction.
"How beautifully they go, and they are only boys. Why, I do believe theyare our boys! Yes, I see Charlie laughing over his shoulder. Row, uncle,row! Oh, please do, and not let them catch up with us!" cried Rose, insuch a state of excitement that the new umbrella nearly went overboard.
"All right, here we go!" and away they did go with a long steady sweepof the oars that carried the "Bonnie Belle" through the water with arush.
The lads pulled their prettiest, but Dr. Alec would have reached thePoint first, if Rose, in her flurry, had not retarded him by jerking therudder ropes in a most unseamanlike way, and just as she got right againher hat blew off. That put an end to the race, and while they were stillfishing for the hat the other boat came alongside, with all the oars inthe air, and the jolly young tars ready for a frolic.
"Did you catch a crab, uncle?"
"No, a blue-fish," he answered, as the dripping hat was landed on a seatto dry.
"What have you been doing?"
"Seeing Fun."
"Good for you, Rose! I know what you mean. We are going to have him upto show us how to fly the big kite, for we can't get the hang of it.Isn't he great fun, though?"
"No, little Fun."
"Come, stop joking, and show us what you've got."
"You'd better hoist that fan for a sail."
"Lend Dandy your umbrella; he hates to burn his pretty nose."
"I say, uncle, are you going to have a Feast of Lanterns?"
"No, I'm going to have a feast of bread and butter, for it's tea-time.If that black cloud doesn't lie, we shall have a gust before long,so you had better get home as soon as you can, or your mother will beanxious, Archie."
"Ay, ay, skipper. Good-night, Rose; come out often, and we'll teach youall there is to know about rowing," was Charlie's modest invitation.
Then the boats parted company, and across the water from the "Petrel's"crew came a verse from one of the Nonsense songs in which the boysdelighted.
"Oh, Timballoo! how happy we are, We live in a sieve and a crockery jar! And all night long, in the starlight pale, We sail away, with a pea-green sail, And whistle and warble a moony song To the echoing sound of a coppery gong. Far and few, far and few Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a sieve."