CHAPTER XII.
OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY--AND OTHER THINGS.
The country is so small, that, riding in the swift steam-chariots, it is traversed in an incredibly short time.
In those parts not disfigured by the smoke vomited out from the huge fire-chimneys of factories, mines, and the like, nor by the nearness of great towns, the country presents a green and cultivated look; nearly as well tilled as our provinces, Quang-tun and Chiang-su. The villages, Temples with lofty towers, great Houses of the High-Castes, here and there; trees, gardens, smooth fields of fine verdure, over which cattle and sheep are feeding; rising hills and sheltered valleys, rich with copses, orchards, and groves--all seen in moving views--give an aspect of peace, comfort, and wealth. You do not see the poverty, nor, too closely, observe the dwellings of the poor.
In winter it is cold, and the whole appearance changes. Far to the North, the sun gives but little light--and, like the climate of our provinces by the great Northern Wall, the cold is severe, and the gloom deeper. Ice is formed upon the streams and canals, and snow frequently covers the ground.
In approaching great towns, you often catch glimpses of the crowded, wretched streets, where misery only thrives. In some places, in the winter cold, smoke and darkness, life becomes intolerable to many. Out of doors you can hardly find your way, and thieves and beggars emerge from covert to ply their trades. In the night, at such times, it is only possible to move by the glare of many torches; and people are often robbed, or bewildered and lost. At this season of darkness many go mad. There is a strong vein of _horror_ in the Barbarian imagination, derived from their ferocious ancestors, from their old idolatries, and deepened by the new. In the gloom, the misery, the wretchedness--sometimes in sheer disgust of life--many rush upon self-destruction--throwing themselves under the wheels of the steam-chariots, and from the bridges into the canals and rivers. Many persons are thrown down, maimed or killed in the highways, by horses or by vehicles moving along. Yet, in the grim humour of these barbarians, this is the very time when the High-Castes begin their _revelries_, and the Low-Castes most indulge in drink and riot.
In travelling through the country, you will occasionally notice, seated upon an eminence, some strong Castle, or Place, of hewn stone, belonging to a High-Caste. It will be approached through long avenues of lofty trees, and stand pre-eminent among fine groves, surrounded by broad lands. These wide Parks contain many thousands of acres [met-si], left untilled and unproductive; merely with their green slopes and spaces, interspersed with trees, to give grandeur to the Castle and its Lord. Still, if you look closely, you will discover near by, the squalid huts where _huddle_ the _Serfs_, who are starving in the midst of this rich profusion--Serfs, who never have an _inch_ [toe] of land of their own, and to whose wornout _carcases_ is begrudged a pauper grave!
The inequality between Castes is quite as conspicuous in country as in town. One is born to an abundance, the other to hunger; one to a life of self-indulgence, the other to one of enforced and hard-worked self-sacrifice. The one, at last, is covered by a tomb, emblazoned with Honour; the other is cast into an obscure corner of despised dead, to rot in forgetfulness--though, often, judged upon a true measure of merit, the resting-places should be exchanged--and the idle and vicious _Lord_ [chiang-se] descend into ignominious neglect!
You will see deer, pheasants, partridges, hares, and the like, almost tame, in the meadows and copses; but the tillers of the soil must not touch them, though starving--they are carefully _preserved_ for the Lord [Tchou]. Not that he needs them, or cares for them for food--_sometimes_ he likes to shoot them for idle diversion!
You will notice sturdy _tramps_ (beggars) resting, or lazily slouching along by the ways, with heavy staves in their hands; and, if you suddenly come upon these in a secluded place, very likely you will be accosted--"Master, I be'se hungry--will ye give me tuppence?" You do not like the bearing of the man--and would not notice him. But you observe his face and the clutch of his thick stick--and you hurry to hand him a sixpence, and get away! These scamps prowl about, idle, ready for mischief, scornful of honest work--the terror of women and children who meet them, unexpectedly, without protection.
Sometimes the Iron-roads for Steam-chariots are carried over the housetops, in entering towns; sometimes, through long tunnels under the houses, or under hills--and the works in connection with these roads are surprising. The Barbarians of the Low-Castes are forced to incessant labours, to prevent starvation. These must be greatly directed to mines of iron, coal, copper, and tin; and to various things made from these, and from wool and cotton. For the fruits of the land cannot feed the population. The amount of food which must be brought from beyond seas is very great--and to pay for this, the products of industry must be given. Now, other Barbarian tribes make these things also, and; having them, do not require the English; in fact, in more distant parts, undersell them. From this cause, many are unemployed and turned adrift--they have no land to till; they beg, steal, and starve. Should this inability of the English Barbarians increase, there would be no sufficient employment for the Low-Castes--there would not be the means of paying for the food required--and depopulation must ensue! The wealth of the High-Caste must shrink--_the English tribe must decline in strength_!
Many of the High-Caste, already anticipating danger to themselves--fearing not merely loss of revenue, but the savage ferocity of starving multitudes--promote schemes by which large numbers of the poor are shipped off far beyond the great Seas (so that they never shall return)--to starve, or live, as may chance. "England is well rid of them!" they say.
In the neighbouring island, Ireland, an actual starvation of the people in vast numbers happened a short time since. As in England, the poor _serfs_, tilling the soil and owning none; at _the best_, toiling for the High-Castes for such pittance as would buy the cheapest food--_potatoes_; when these failed, could buy nothing--all else too dear. _These failed, the serfs died_ by thousands and tens of thousands. Not because Ireland was destitute of food; such was the abundance that ample stores were actually sold for other and distant tribes! but because, in the midst of plenty, the starving were powerless to touch it; it was out of _their_ reach--out of the reach of paupers! The potatoes were not--and they must die. The annals of no people record such a depopulation of a fertile land, in the midst of peace and plenty--there is no parallel! A people dying, not from idleness, nor unwillingness to work; not from want of food at hand; not from the ravages of war, nor pestilence; but from sheer poverty! Yet, the English Barbarians boast that no people are so rich, so generous! In our own annals are recorded great sufferings from floods, failures of crops, and natural causes; where our vast populations have been for a time _deficient_ in _food_; but we have nothing to compare with this Barbarian horror!
The _Thames_ is the only considerable river. This flows through the greatest of all the cities of the West--London. It is an insignificant stream--much less than even the _Quang-tun_, in our chief Southern province.
As it flows through the great city it is, in some places, confined by high hewn-stone terraces [kar-tra]. These are truly great works, and useful, worthy of a strong people. On the river bank is the vast _Hall_ of the Grand Council; with its lofty towers, turrets, clocks, and many bells. The architecture is not like anything known to us--it is the _Gothic_, which I have mentioned elsewhere. Why this style, so characteristic and fit in the Temples, is used in this grand Hall, I know not; but probably because this barbarous form was that of the old Hall, destroyed by fire some time since. And the barbaric stolidity sticks to its habit, however inconvenient and unfit. Not far away, may be seen the Dome and Towers of a fine Roman-Grecian Temple, clear and defined, giving expression to an orderly and trained mind, severe in dignity and beauty. But the _Gothic_, expressing, or trying to express, something very different; and, rising in the Temples of a gloomy, dark Superstition, to a horrible and unformed shape! With _that_ the disorderly brain burdened _itself_ and the river bank--a pile at once wonderful and abortive!
London is very large, perhaps equal to some of our greatest cities. For the most part very dirty and grim, and badly built. The river shows its great trade--not inland, but from abroad. You can discern, rising above the buildings, the many tall masts of the ships like forests dried up. And you will observe the numerous vessels with high chimneys; these are the vessels moved by _steam_--and the incredible number of small craft. At one point you will remark the tall white towers and the high prison walls of stone, erected by the Barbarian chief from the Main Land who subdued the English tribes in our dynasty _Song_, and made this huge Castle a stronghold and prison.
Lower down rises, close by the shore, one of the best in style of all the Barbarian monuments. It is a fine Palace in carved stone, built, after the Roman forms, to perpetuate the remembrance of _Victories_ gained over distant tribes. Within are great Paintings of these Victories. Terrible scenes of devastation and cruelty; bloody fights and dreadful conflagrations, by sea and land; rapine, massacre, unbridled fury! These are the most admired of all things by the Barbarians--by the Low-Castes, who are almost entirely the victims, as much as by the High. The sight of these kindles their passion for bloody force. They _Hoorah!_ with an indescribable _yell_ [zung] whenever they wish to show their frantic delight at any exhibition of brutal ferocity. This _yell_ is greatly gloried in, and vaunted to be far more terrible than that of _any other_ tribe--that by it _alone_, when raised upon the air by fierce bands, English Barbarians have routed armed hosts!
When one is in the narrow seas of the English, very many vessels may be seen, and near the coasts fleets of fishing craft. The fishermen live in great poverty, in miserable villages by the seaside. They use lines and snares, sometimes like ours, but are not so ingenious in catching the sea-creatures as are our fishermen. They have never trained birds to the work. Their huts are noisome, and their habits and dress unclean. They wear a curious cover upon the head, like a basin, with a long wide flap behind. This is all besmeared with a thick, black oil--and their clothing is stiff and nasty with the same unctuous stuff. The oil is to exclude the sea-spray and wet. Their speech is nearly unintelligible to the _Literati_, though comprehended by their own _Caste_; they are of the lowest--serfs. Multitudes of these rude and unlettered Barbarians perish amid the waves in the storms of winter--being forced to imperil their lives that they may live _at all_. They are quite a feature in some parts, with their awkward uncouthness. They are addicted to the grossest superstitions of _the_ Superstition. They have many legends about the dark _devil-god_, and swear by _him_ mostly. They seem to think to cheat him--though they cautiously observe those things which may entrap them, and nothing would tempt them to put to sea on the _devil's day_--Friday. To do so, would be to go to the _devil's Locker_ (as they call it) at once! This class is similar to the sailor [mat-le-si] known in our ports, and the character may therefore be fairly judged. The fisherman, in fact, often changes into the ships and goes upon distant voyages.
There are no mountains, only pretty high hills, in the English provinces. The loftiest are in the far Northern parts, where are also some small lakes. In the winter these loftier ridges of land are sometimes white with snow. The inhabitants are savages, having their legs naked and bodies wrapped about in loose robes and skins, secured by a belt, into which a knife is stuck, and to which a long leather pouch is hung. In this pouch they place some dry corn [matze], which, with strong wine in a bottle suspended from the neck, enables them to live for days. Thus equipped, they descend to the valleys, and drive off to their haunts in the rocky hills the cattle of the more civilised people of the plains.
The English Barbarians have never conquered these fierce tribes of the Northern hills, but have contrived gradually to destroy and to remove them. So that, at present, what few remain are quite tamed. A great many, in times past, were cunningly betrayed to the English and put to the sword; but, in latter days, the _head-chiefs_ have been bought by the English, and used to entice their ignorant but devoted serfs to enter into the armed bands to be sent beyond seas. By these methods, those distant Northern parts have been, in good degree, depopulated and made quiet.
The Low-Castes furnish the fierce savages so well known in our Celestial Waters as those who live in the great fire-ships.
Now, when the English tribe, being in need of many men for these ships (just about to go away to plunder and to fight), determines to have them, this follows:--Strong, brutal men, are paid to watch for the poor of the Low-Caste, and seize them. These cruel wretches are armed with clubs and swords and small firearms. They are sent into the places where the poor and friendless abound, to seize any man whom they think they can carry off without much _fuss_ [pung]. The poor cower and hide away; but these savage bands hunt them out, and bear off from wife and children, it may be, or from any chance of succour, some unfriended man to their dreadful dens. Here they are beaten, or put in irons, or otherwise maltreated; or they may have been brutally knocked down when captured. When gangs [twi-sz] are collected, the victims are forced on board the fire-ships to work in the dark, filthy holes, till, completely cowed, they are made to fire the great cannons, and to learn the art of sailing and fighting!
Many of these slaves of selfish, cruel force, never see their own land again, but are killed in fight, or by accident, or by disease. Multitudes sometimes perish by a single disaster. These are, however, fortunate. They have escaped the brutal whipping, the loathsome diseases, the vile contagions, the inexpressible horrors of a continued captivity!
By these _press-gangs_ (so-called) the fire-ships are often supplied with victims snatched from the unprotected Low-Castes; and the Upper enjoy the idle and luxurious security which they rob from the blood and limbs of the friendless and obscure.
This unjust custom, frightful in every aspect, receives the approbation and applause of the Barbarians very generally, who say, "Let the fellows thank their _stars_ that they can receive the Queen's money and fight _for_ her! Then look at the chance for _prize_!" By _prize_, they mean some pitiful fraction of the plunder taken. The _stars_ are referred to, because the Barbarians fancy that everybody is born under the influence of some star!
I once noticed a painting, wherein a young man and maiden were represented as just leaving a Temple, where they had been married. Both were nicely dressed, young and handsome, with roses and _nosegays_ [bong-no]. They were walking arm-in-arm, happily engrossed in each other, when, from an alley, out springs a black-whiskered _bully_ [kob-bo] with drawn cutlass, followed by a band of half-drunken, armed wretches, wearing the sea-garb of the Queen; he grasps the young man roughly by the collar--the picture attempts to show the indignant surprise of the man, the clinging tenderness, fear, and horror of the maid! But more striking to an observing stranger than even these, is the merely passing curiosity of the people moving about! The scene to them is not so novel. It is merely a _press-gang_ doing its lawful work--if, by chance, a wrong sort of man be seized, it is none of the affair of these indifferent passers.
Probably, the picture means to excite some compassionate interest by showing how _very hard_ the press-gang system may work!
It would be vain to call the least attention to the matter, if the victim were merely a common labourer; even the accessories of wife and children would not raise the scene into one of compassion. Nor does the representation, for one moment, cause any reflection upon a _system_ wherein _bullies_ [kob-toe] are employed to waylay and carry off unbefriended and unoffending men, at so much _per head_! For, besides the regular pay, a reward is given for each victim captured!