Chapter 2

Between Lake Baikal and Manchuria all food was much dearer, while only American beer could be obtained and that at the exorbitant price of one rouble and a quarter, say half-a-crown, the bottle, which was because of excessive import duty. We crossed many streams, the waters of which were clear, although generally frozen. The Buriat population of this region looked of a low type, fairly large in stature but hideous, and generally badly marked with small-pox. Saw one boy on skates. Bought postage stamps for 40 kopeks at a small station, but had to give another 10 kopeks as commission. Saw a Mongol with pigtail at one of the stations, which showed that we were approaching the borders of the Chinese Empire.

_31st October._--Lovely day, air like champagne. Descended mountains at a good pace, having two engines, one in front and one behind. Were now in country of the nomad Bactrians. No cultivation. Saw mobs of ponies and flocks of black and white sheep, cattle much resembling Scotch breeds, having long, thick hair, and a good many two-humped camels. Observed one man shooting with a gun, another riding with bow and arrows slung on his back. The houses, or wigwams, were square in shape with arching roofs, and looked to be constructed of wicker-work and skins. In many places noticed irregular, flat stones set up on edge and varying in height from three to six feet, forming circles about twenty feet in diameter, in which, presumably, were graves.

At Buriatskaia, which means capital of the Buriats, were two typical Mongols with pigtails and clad in skins. One of them was wearing an official tassel attached to his skin hood, but no official button to show his rank. To-day saw a flock of larks, a hawk and a magpie. From daylight till dark, during which time we travelled a distance of perhaps 300 miles, there was no vestige of either trees, shrubs, banks or hedges, and no cultivation, only the rolling grass lands slightly whitened with snow. Reached the town of Manchuria, which is on the Manchurian frontier, at 8 p.m., and changed one of the 1st Class cars, something having gone wrong with the axles.

_1st November._--A bright morning, but more snow on ground and not so cold. Saw many Mongols and Chinese. The country was hilly and sparsely wooded with silver birch and bushes. At Irekte the Russians have quite a colony, and the line apparently has a branch running South. From Irekte to Boukhedou, a distance of about 25 miles, the line passed over some very steep hills. Two engines to haul us up, and coming down the descent was made in gradients, the train first running a mile or so one way, then stopping, when the engines were shunted to the other end, when we ran about a mile in the opposite direction, and so on, so that we described a perfect zigzag. A tunnel through this range of hills is being bored, and a colony of 150 Italian mechanics, together with their wives, has been imported to do it. Boukhedou is already quite a large place with numbers of substantial Russian houses built of wood, and many more, as well as a station, in course of construction. Sentries armed with rifle and revolver were stationed every here and there along the line. A fair amount of rolling-stock. Saw several long-haired goats, also some Chinese pedlars. Evidently a good deal of ground game in this locality, judging from traces in the snow.

_2nd November._--We arrived at Harbin (or Kharbine) towards noon. I could see tall factory chimneys for some time previously, and then we crossed by a fine iron bridge over the Sungari River, whereon I saw about a dozen river-steamers, of say 1,000 to 1,500 tons, laid up for the winter, and a score or so of barges of perhaps 400 to 600 tons. A large paddle steamer was towing a barge under the bridge against the swift current as we passed over.

This large town, which has entirely sprung up since advent of the railway, looked almost wholly Russian, there being a population of about 64,000 Russians and not so many Chinese. Russians here were even working as labourers, drivers of droskies, etc. Many European houses and several large brick-built factories in course of construction. The Russians are here with the intention of staying, and are making good their hold as quickly as possible.

The station is perhaps a mile from the river and of considerable size, though still in a rough stage, for Harbin is the junction of the line to Vladivostock and the line to Dalny and Port Arthur. Here was a great deal of rolling-stock--scores of cars and many engines.

After leaving Harbin armed guards along the line were more numerous, while every few miles were brick-built block-houses surrounded by loop-holed walls.

The country looked fertile and well cultivated, and the Manchu and Chinese inhabitants more prosperous. Rolling hills and a few trees. Much warmer. No snow.

_3rd November._--Lovely day, bright and warm. No trace of snow. At Tienline saw some rickshas, also good, brick European houses being built. Chinese navvies working on the line, a good deal of rolling-stock, and truck-loads of superior looking bricks. Chinese were _wheeling_ barrow-loads of mud instead of, as is usual, carrying it in baskets, owing, probably, to Muscovite persuasion. Country looked rich, well cultivated and well peopled; the women, being nearly all Manchus, having large feet. Chinese carpenters, bricklayers and joiners at work on many new stations and houses. Pigs, cattle and fowls. Few birds. Thinly wooded. A pleasant looking country. Donkeys, ponies, goats and mules.

At Moukden, which is the capital of Manchuria, the train only stopped for a few minutes, and as the station was outside the city walls, I could get no idea of what the place was like. From Moukden to Dalny I saw many and substantial traces of Russian occupation. At one point a mud fort crowned with guns, at another a large camp with half a dozen field-pieces, and so on.

The line all through seemed to be well laid, though rails far too light, which forbade running at high speeds. There appeared to be too few sidings. On one of the cars I saw the number 2,741, which may be some indication as to the amount of rolling-stock. Along entire length of the line I noticed overhead telegraph wires, which sometimes numbered six or seven and occasionally two or three.

For the whole journey the food on train was good, but owing to the large number of passengers, after giving the order one had oftentimes to wait from an hour to an hour and a half before getting served. After Baikal this considerably improved, there then being two restaurants, one for smokers and one for non-smokers, whereas before, men smoked without restraint while women and children were eating their meals. This dining-car was a perfect babel of tongues, for there were collected Russians, English, French, Japanese, Germans, Swiss, Chinese and Italians, generally all talking at once.

On the whole we rubbed along fairly well, although where so many nationalities were closely packed together for a fortnight, a certain amount of racial antipathy was occasionally bound to appear. When no Russians were about both the Japanese and Chinese would eagerly question me on the chances of war. When a Russian appeared, they immediately seemed to lose all interest in the subject. The Germans affected to despise the Russians, and the Russians said they hated the Germans, while they both suspected the English.

_4th November._--We reached Dalny at 7 a.m., and I drove in a droski from the station to the wharves, a distance of perhaps one mile and a half, and there went on board the Railway Company's steamer "Amour" which was to convey us to Shanghai. It is truly wonderful to what a large European town Dalny has grown from absolutely nothing, in about five years. Good private residences, factories, hotels, shops, public buildings, the beginnings of botanical and zoological gardens, a dry dock measuring, I judged, about 350 feet by 70, wharves, breakwaters, dredgers, tugs, steamers ... everything except the one thing needful, trade. Of the half-dozen fine steamers in port, and others either arriving or preparing to depart, all were practically light. Money has been poured out like water by the Russians in constructing the Railway and in building Dalny, and it is very doubtful if this gigantic enterprise will ever be made to pay. It is said that Dalny, which is identical with Talienwan, can never thrive unless Newchwang be closed to foreign trade. The harbour has a depth of 28 feet and is being dredged. The Railway Company's line of superb steamers carrying mails, passengers and a little cargo between Dalny and Shanghai, is being run at a heavy loss. The naval fortress of Port Arthur, at the extremity of the Liaotung peninsular, is thirty miles by rail from Dalny.

The impression left on me by my journey through Siberia is that Russia has advanced her outposts into Manchuria far beyond range of effective communication, that is, communication by the Siberian railway alone, which is only a single line of light metals some 5,375 miles in length.

Travelling over this line day and night for fourteen consecutive days, passing continuously through bleak, barren and almost unpopulated regions, crossing numerous wide rivers, an enormous lake and several mountain ranges, waiting sometimes for hours in sidings to allow homeward bound trains to pass, and seeing enough snow, even before winter had actually begun, to understand what difficulties heavy falls must occasion, I cannot help feeling that Russia's position in the Far East is unnatural and even precarious.

The railway in its entirety is flimsy and liable to collapse almost everywhere, and I am certain it could never sustain a large volume of rapid traffic. Even, however, supposing that it did not break down, but was worked successfully to its utmost capacity, what would that capacity be--the capacity of a single light line of over 5,000 miles in length? Could a town of 100,000 inhabitants rely _solely_ on it for supplies? Can a Russian army of even 100,000 men rely on it?

The S.S. "Amour" cast off from her wharf at noon on 4th November, and after a quick and calm passage arrived in Shanghai at noon on 6th November, 1903.

This fine vessel, measuring about 2,000 tons, steaming 14 knots, fitted up with every comfort and kept scrupulously clean, was commanded by Russian officers and manned by a mixed crew of Russian and Chinese sailors. Since the outbreak of hostilities, however, she has been transformed into a hospital ship at Port-Arthur.

Approximate Cost of Journey _L s. d._ Passport vised at Russian Consulate in London 4 10 Ticket from London to Moscow, 1st Class 14 4 9 Freight and Insurance on heavy luggage from London to Shanghai by P. & O. steamer 4 0 0 Cab hire at Warsaw and Moscow 1 0 0 Ticket from Moscow to Shanghai 34 10 0 Maintenance _en route_ (including hotels) for 22 days at ten shillings a day 11 0 0 Sundries 5 0 0 --------- Total from London to Shanghai 69 19 7 =========

Length of Journey _Miles_ From London to Moscow about 1,600 " Moscow to Dalny " 5,375 " Dalny to Shanghai (by sea) " 550 ----- Total distance from London to Shanghai 7,525 =====

Time Occupied

_Days_ _hours_

From 10 a.m. on 15th October to noon on 6th November, 1903 22 2

Less 3 days 19 hours stay at Warsaw and Moscow 3 19 --------- Time spent in actual travelling 18 7 =========

The rate of travelling was therefore rather more than seventeen miles an hour, inclusive of all stoppages and delays.

Between Moscow and Dalny the train stopped at 151 stations, thereby losing almost 37 hours.

The rouble is equivalent to about two shillings and a penny. There are 100 kopeks to the rouble.

German is the most useful foreign language for travelling in Russia.

FINIS

SECOND EDITION.

"Life and Sport in China."

(ILLUSTRATED.)

BY OLIVER G. READY, B.A.

PRESS COMMENTS.

_Times_--"A bright popular account of Anglo-Chinese life, and of the characteristics and customs of the Chinese."

_Spectator_--"A very bright contribution to the aspect of animal nature and domestication in the Far East. Is full of keen observation, and lightened by a very pleasant sense of humour." (Topics of the day).

_Standard_--"Of life in China the author has much to tell us. He is a keen and often sympathetic observer." (Leading article).

_Yorkshire Post_--"This book is 'alive' and interesting, and far in advance of the ordinary record of travel."

_Scotsman_--"Entertaining and fair-minded."

_Glasgow Herald_--"Certain to excite the interest and the envy of young men at home."

_Birmingham Gazette_--"One of the Books of the Day. Is pleasantly written, immensely entertaining, and full of information."

_Dundee Advertiser_--"The chapters on Shooting, Riding and Sailing will prove specially interesting to sportsmen and athletes."

(Chapman and Hall, London, 10s. 6d. net).

ERRATA

This type was set up by Chinese compositors.

_Second_ proofs contained 268 errors!

Page 11 for hehind read behind

" 14 " cheep read cheap

" 18 " exhorbitant read exorbitant

" 21 " navies read navvies

Transcriber's Note:

The items mentioned in the errata have been changed, along with the following:

Page 7 general inpression general impression

to strangers, to strangers.

Page 10 gem-studied gem-studded

Page 15 length of whch length of which

300 miles 300 miles.

Page 16 in the the station in the station

Page 17 Petrovski zavod Petrovski Zavod

conspiritors conspirators

Page 19 clad in skins clad in skins.

Page 20 and Chinese and Chinese.

Page 21 chimnies chimneys

we passed over we passed over.

trace of show trace of snow

Page 22 Few birds Few birds.

Page 24 even precarious, even precarious.

Page 25 P & O. steamer P. & O. steamer