CHAPTER IV.
THE INNKEEPER.--ALARMING NEWS.
For six more days the boys sailed along this canal till they came toHang-tcheou-fou, the terrestrial paradise of China, of which, inconjunction with another great city, the people have a saying, "Heavenis above, but Hang-tcheou and Foo-tcheou are below." As a combination ofwork and pleasure, a great manufacturing city, and a fashionable andhealthful watering-place, this spot has not its equal in the world; foras the province of Tche-Kiang is the most celebrated in the empire forits growth of mulberry-trees and the finest silk-worms, so is itscapital, Hang-tcheou, celebrated for its looms and the quality andquantity of those rare silks, satins, and taffetas, which no lessgladdened the eyes of the moderns than they surprised and delighted thewealthy Romans, who, not knowing from whence they came, believed them tobe the handiwork of "furthest Ind."
Not alone the Manchester, but the Bath or Cheltenham of China, this cityis also famous for its scholars, and as being the residence of thefashionables, if such a term may be used to a people who are proverbialfor having kept in manners, customs, laws, religion, and dress, andeven ideas, with little exception, to the pattern men and women,fashioned and shaped by their early Emperors, Yaou and Yu, some fourthousand years ago; for the latter perhaps Hang-tcheou is chieflyindebted to its vicinage to the celebrated lake See-ho. The waters areso clear that the smallest pebbles may be seen shining like crystalsfrom the bottom. In the middle are two islands adorned with temples andhouses, wherein water parties, after taking their pleasure upon thelake, resort for rest and refreshment. Upon piles driven into the bed ofthe lake are large stone walks or pathways for pedestrians, which stretchfrom the banks to the islands, with openings for boats, across which arethrown fancifully wrought bridges. The banks are studded with temples,mansions, monasteries, for the bonzes or priests of Buddah, as also asmall but beautiful palace for the use of the Emperor, when he makes atour through his southern provinces.
Near to this lake, and reposing in a valley beneath the foot of amountain, upon the summit of which, as if in guard over the dead for thepast forty centuries, the huge Lui-fung-ta, or tower of thunderingwinds, is the great cemetery, or vale of tombs, a city in size, which iskept reverentially clean, and strewn at stated periods with freshflowers, over which forests of willows weep for the departed.
One of the chief beauties of this famous lake I had almost forgotten tomention. Its sides, where the water is shallow, are covered with theclustering and rare flowers, lien-hoa, a plant so choice that it isfostered in the innermost recesses of the houses of the great andwealthy. Not unlike our own tulips, the Lien-hoa has a little ballsupported by a small filament similar to that formed in lilies; itscolor varies, being at times violet, white, or a mixture of red andwhite; it emits a fragrant odor; the fruit is as big as a small nut, andthe kernel is white and of good taste. The physicians esteem it, andprescribe it for weak patients. The leaves are long, and swim upon thewater, communicating with the root by long strings. The densepopulation, which has rendered it necessary to turn every atom toaccount, has led the busy-bee genius of the people to make everyparticle of this plant useful. The before-mentioned strings are used bythe gardeners to wrap round their goods, and the white and pulpy root iseaten in summer for its cooling properties.
Although mid-day when they arrived at this city, you will not wonderthat it was nearly dark by the time they reached the gates, when I tellyou that the river was one vast floating town of vessels, the greaterpart of which were arranged into streets, crowded with passing mandarinjunks laden with pleasure parties, and decorated with japan, gilding,silk streamers, and that emblem of rank, the umbrella; government junks,some of war, and others freighted with rice, silks, and other matters,which had been given by the different townspeople as taxes in lieu ofmoney; then numerous junks laden with salt and other commodities, to saynothing of the many thousands of San-pans or egg-house boats, in whicha vast portion of the poorer section of the Chinese reside, never beingpermitted to come ashore without especial permission from the governor;then again, the floating islands of trees, with their huts formed ofpoles and matting of bamboo. Indeed just such a scene is a picture ofthe every-day life presented on the canals and rivers of this country;but particularly in the southern provinces, which so swarm with humanbeings, that thousands are compelled from want of room on land to takerefuge on the water, where they not only live, but carry on theirvarious avocations.
Notwithstanding the haste of the boys to enter the city, as they passedthrough the gates the great bell above them began to sound the first ofthe five watches or divisions into which the night is divided, and thecrowds who thronged the narrow streets began to scamper in everydirection to their homes, for the law of China very wisely holds "thatthe daylight is for labor and the night for repose." Greatly fatigued,the young travelers sought the first inn where they regaled themselveswith a plentiful meal, foolishly forgetting the passing time: indeed,before they had finished, they heard the sound of the second watch, whenthe landlord made his appearance and begged of his honorable guests totake their departure, much to the surprise of Nicholas, who had resolvedto go no further that night. "Surely," said he, "the perfection ofinnkeepers would not turn away travelers who are willing to pay fortheir entertainment and lodging."
"From what distant province can the honorable youth have journeyed, thathe knows not that the inns are full of the servants and officers of theillustrious Ching-Ti, who has this day arrived, to fill with his form offull measure the governor's sedan, and judgment seat?" said theinnkeeper.
"Truly the worthy innkeeper will pardon his younger brother forobserving that the name of the Mandarin of Hang-tcheou is Yang-ti, orthe eyeballs of his humble guest have become twisted, for Yang-ti is thename upon this chop," replied Chow, producing a kind of passport whichhad been given to him at the custom-house before entering the city.
"Where have been the ears of my honorable guest that he has not heardthat the noble Yang has completed the measure of his joys and sorrows inthis world?"
"Surely the noble governor cannot have passed so suddenly to the yellowstream or the shadow kingdom of Yen-Vang," said Chow.
"There can be no doubt that it is a sad history, for greatly was thegood Yang loved, not only in this his last province, but in all thoseover which he had ruled, never having retired from a government withoutreceiving the boots of honor," replied the innkeeper.
It may be as well to explain to you, that when the governor of a cityremoves to another province, the people exhibit their approbation of hiswisdom and justice by paying him great honor. When he commences hisjourney he finds, for a considerable distance along the road, tablescovered with silk placed at certain intervals, upon some of which arelaid burnt perfumes, candlesticks, waxlights, meats, pulse, and fruits;and upon others, wine, and tea, ready for use. As soon as the popularmandarin appears, the people fall upon their knees, bow their heads andweep, offer him the things upon the tables, and present him with a pairof new boots; they then pull off his old ones, and preserve them asrelics in a small cage, which they hang over the gates of the citythrough which he passed.
"Will the worthy innkeeper relate the ill-doings that could have broughtthis good magistrate to misfortune?" said Nicholas, guessing at theinnkeeper's meaning.
"Truly it was no less than a fondness for the religion of the Fan-Kwi."
"Surely that could be no crime under our good Emperor, who hasbefriended the Christians, even to permitting the members of his familyto become followers of the Lord of Heaven," said Nicholas.
"It is true that the information may be incorrect, but such has falleninto thy servant's ears; moreover it is said that the great Yang'sconduct has offended the bonzes at Pekin, who are all-powerful in thepalace of the Son of Heaven, whom they persuaded to send theChristian-exterminating Lord Ching-Ti, with an order signed by thevermilion pencil, to put Yang to death."
"Has the vile deed been performed?" said Nicholas hastily.
"Hush!" said the host in
a low tone. "Surely such language will bring aheavy punishment upon thy head."
"Has the noble mandarin suffered, O worthy man?" said Nicholas, whoserising indignation outweighed his prudence.
"It has been wisely said, that it is of little use to repine at whatcan't be recalled," replied the innkeeper, adding, "The soul of thegreat Yang is now in search of a better habitation, but he left thisworld with dignity, for the Son of Heaven, _may he continue the circleof succession_, remembering his servant's good deeds, mercifullypermitted him to be his own executioner, and, moreover, gave him thechoice either of the silken cord, the gold leaf, or his own statenecklace."
"Truly if the great lords esteem these things as favors, thanks be toTien that thy servant is but a small weasel of a personage," said Chow,making some very remarkable grimaces.
"When the noble Yang received the message, he called for the incensetable, burned perfume in honor of his royal master, chose the silkencord, and having held it high above his head in token of his willingnessto obey the royal will, immediately strangled himself," said theinnkeeper, without noticing Chow's interruption.
That the boys did not shudder at this recital, may surprise you who arenot perhaps aware that this is a common method of showing the royalgratitude for past services in the middle kingdom. Not only are thesethree methods used as punishments, but as a means of suicide, which inChina, as in most unchristianized countries, is esteemed a meritoriousmeans of slipping through a difficulty. The gold leaf being taken in theform of a pill, is washed down with water, which is supposed so toexpand the leaf and extend the stomach that life soon becomes extinct.The death by the necklace is more uncommon. There is a bird of the cranekind, on the crown of whose head is a scarlet tuft of down or velvetskin, to which the Chinese believe the poison of the serpents which iteats determines. This crest is frequently formed into a bead which isconcealed in the ornamental necklaces worn by the high officers of theempire, for the express purpose of surmounting worldly difficulties, forlet this venom but touch the lip, and death instantaneously ensues.
There is a legend that the life of this bird extends to one thousandyears, that it is in its prime at sixty, when it can sing regularly andbeautifully every hour of the day, but that it cannot mount trees tillit reaches its thousandth year.
When the innkeeper had finished, the clanging of the watchman's bamboorattle in the streets reminded Nicholas of the lateness of the hour, andhe said, "But, even now, the worthy innkeeper has not informed hisyounger brothers where they may find a lodging for the night.
"Thy servant, noble youth, must have been born in an unfortunate hour,that he cannot offer the advantages of his inn, but the truth has beenspoken, none but the servants and officers of the great Ching-Ti canrest here to-night."
"Surely taels of silver are not so plentiful in this city that all willrefuse," said Chow.
"Truly for less than an ounce of silver two travelers might find alodging in the house of the bonzes."
"The priests of Fo are rogues," said Nicholas, giving utterance to anopinion that has been popular in China from all time.
"The noble youth possesses a tongue that will place him in the cangue,or procure him a branded cheek by this hour to-morrow, if he rules it nobetter," said the innkeeper; but before the boy could reply, the man'swife ran into the room, crying and beating her breast, and implored ofher husband to follow her to the bedside of their dying daughter.
Shocked that they had been the means of keeping the man from so holy aduty. Nicholas apologized, and was about leaving the house, when with anhysterical laugh, the man said, "See, O honorable youths, this woman hasbut little faith in the power of the holy bonzes, who have been offeringsacrifices to Fo, to save the life of this pearl of my existence."
"By what means, O foolish man, can these bonzes save thy child's life?Are not the physicians of Hang-tcheou famous for their skill?"
"Truly they are less than mice; they could not save my child, and I havedismissed them for a holy bonze, whose influence over the god whoprotects the lives of the young, has made him promise that my pearlshall not become dissolved in death."
"She is passing from us now, O my husband," said the unhappy wife.
"It cannot be, woman; the god is but chastising you with a terriblefear, for your want of faith; for how is it possible he can refuse sotrifling a favor as the life of a young girl, when I have daily offeredsacrifices of animals, and money, and burned incense at his altar?"
Shocked at the man's superstitious belief in the power of Fo, and hisbrother idols, Nicholas made one other effort to shake it; finding,however, that it was useless, he paid the bill, purchased a lantern forhimself and another for Chow, and they went on their way to the Buddhistmonastery, the only house wherein he could find shelter for that night.