[2]
[4]
From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[5]
JOGGING ROUND THE WORLD
RIDERS AND DRIVERS, WITH CURIOUS STEEDS OR VEHICLES, IN STRANGE LANDS AND AT HOME
WITH STORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS
By EDITH DUNHAM
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM COPYRIGHTED STEREOGRAPHS BY UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK, PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
NEW YORK - FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY - PUBLISHERS
[6]
Copyright, 1905, by
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
Published in October, 1905
[7]
PAGE | ||
---|---|---|
IN THE LAND OF THE ESKIMOS | 9 | |
IN THE OLD PARK AT NARA | 10 | |
A JAPANESE LADY IN A YAMA-KAGO | 12 | |
THE UNICYCLE OF KOREA | 14 | |
A KOREAN LADY IN HER PALANQUIN | 16 | |
A KOREAN GENERAL IN THE STREETS OF SEOUL | 18 | |
CEBU, IN THE PHILIPPINES | 20 | |
A CARABAO TANDEM IN LUZON | 22 | |
GOING INTO SHANGHAI | 24 | |
IN CANTON, CHINA | 26 | |
THE HANSOM CAB OF COLUMBO, CEYLON | 28 | |
RIDING IN A PALANQUIN IN CALCUTTA | 30 | |
A TWO-STORIED CAMEL WAGON AT AGRA | 32 | |
AN ELEPHANT FROM KHAIPUR | 34 | |
A BULLOCK CART IN AGRA | 36 | |
THE ROYAL CARRIAGE OF REWAH | 38 | |
ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO | 40 | |
THE TOMBS OF THE KHALIFS, EGYPT | 42 | |
THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX IN EGYPT | 44 | |
ON THE DESERT OF SAHARA | 46 | |
BEFORE THE PETROFSKI PALACE IN A TROIKA | 48 | |
NEAR VILLEFRANCHE | 50 | |
IN SEVILLE | 52 | |
RETURN FROM GRAPE-PICKING, MALAGA | 54 | |
DRIVING A DOG-TEAM IN HOLLAND | 56 | |
A CARRIAGE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SWEDEN | 58[8] | |
TAKING A RIDE IN THURSO, SCOTLAND | 60 | |
OFF FOR A HOLIDAY IN A JAUNTING-CAR | 62 | |
IN PORTO RICO | 64 | |
IN CUBA | 66 | |
ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA | 68 | |
THE OLD CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE | 70 | |
IN NORTH CAROLINA | 72 | |
AN OX-CART IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI | 74 | |
IN CENTRAL PARK | 76 | |
ON AN OSTRICH FARM | 78 |
Isn’t this a strange playmate? Would you like to have a bear to play with?
The little Eskimo children on the sledge are having a very happy time. They are merry little children, always smiling and happy, even in the long winter nights when the sun does not shine for months at a time. Wouldn’t you think it queer to have such a long night as that?
When winter is coming their father builds a low, dome-shaped house of ice and snow, with a funny little door, through which one goes into a passageway, then into a big room where the whole family lives. A lamp burns in there, filled with whale blubber or fat, and having a wick of dried turf. This makes a smoky light, but it warms the house, and the Eskimos think their winter home very comfortable.
In the long, cold season the father sometimes makes a sledge like the one in the picture. It is made of pieces of wood, with runners of ivory from the tusks of walrus, and sometimes with pieces of reindeer horn. The whole is fastened together with straps made of skin either from the reindeer or seal. It takes a long time to make a sledge, for the Eskimos do not have very good tools to work with, and have to work slowly. Usually the sledges are drawn by dogs. You have seen pictures of them, haven’t you? As many as twelve often draw a sledge, and they run very rapidly over the ice and snow, while their master keeps them in order with his long-lashed whip.
[10]
See these happy Japanese girls enjoying their ride through the park, in ’rickshaws. They look very comfortable and cool in their kimonos, don’t they?
The park they are riding in is at Nara and is such a beautiful place! It is there that a very tame herd of sacred deer is kept. Nara is on the island of Hondo, Japan, and is a very old city, famous for its carvings, cutlery and toys. You would enjoy seeing the toys that are made there, wouldn’t you?
India ink and fans come from there, too; perhaps your little fan, or your sister’s, was made in Nara. Did you know that all the figures on a Japanese fan mean something, and sometimes a whole story is connected with them? The parasols, too, are interesting, and the designs on them are not arranged simply to look pretty, but each has its meaning to the Japanese people.
In Nara, as in most of the Japanese cities, there are some noted temples, and the carving in a few of them is said to be the finest in Japan. In one of the temples is a huge bell over thirteen feet high. Would you like to hear it? In another is a statue of Buddha more than ten times as tall as you are, the biggest one in Japan. In Nara, too, are storehouses in which there are specimens of articles used in the Imperial household hundreds of years before our grandfathers lived.
[11]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[12]
This does not look like a very safe way of travelling, does it? The bridge is so narrow and the water rushes by so rapidly that we should not enjoy crossing in a yama-kago (mountain chair).
The Japanese people are used to going this way over mountain roads and rough places, so they do not mind. This little bridge is near Nikko (“Sunny Splendour”), a very beautiful city at the foot of a great mountain range in Japan.
A long avenue lined with cryptomerias, a kind of cypress tree, leads to the city, making a picture worth seeing, with the tall, pinkish trunks and masses of green against the blue sky. Often one gets a glimpse of some temple wonderfully carved and coloured, or a waterfall rushing down.
The temples and waterfalls are famous, and also the mausoleum of Iyeyasee, the most wonderful man in Japanese history. A long flight of stone steps leads to a marvellously carved gate, inside of which is a court with storehouses full of ancient treasures, and a stable with a wonderful frieze of monkeys. In the stable is the sacred steed said to bear away the spirit of Iyeyasee. Through a bronze gate, then through another gate of white and gold, one passes through court after court until the shrine is reached.
Another interesting thing in Nikko is the red lacquered bridge over the river Daiya. Only the Emperor is allowed to cross this bridge.
[13]
From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[14]
We very often see bicycles and tricycles, but did you ever before see a unicycle like this? The uncomfortable looking vehicle can only be used by very high officials in Korea, and it is a mark of great distinction to have four coolies instead of two. See the very elaborate robes of the high general. I should think he would have to sit very still on his high seat. A coolie marches ahead of him carrying his robe of state when he goes to the royal palace.
Korea is a strange country; the people look like the Japanese; the customs are somewhat like those of the Chinese; and yet the Koreans are quite different from either. The country is hilly, and when walking one no sooner gets to the bottom of one hill than he begins to go up another. Korea is famous for its paper, which is very strong and does not tear easily. The houses have partitions and windows of oiled paper. Glass is quite uncommon.
Looking down into Seoul, the chief city, from the wall one is reminded of a bed of mushrooms. The houses are one-storied, with sloping roofs tiled or covered with turf, and very close together. The wall has eight gates, each with a name, as, “Gate of Amiability,” “Gate of Everlasting Ceremony.” The Northern Gate is up on a high hill, from which at night signal lights shine out to let the people know if all is well with Korea.
[15]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[16]
If we were in Seoul, we could not see this lady in the palanquin, because the curtains would be closely shut.
The Korean ladies of the higher classes are seldom seen by anyone outside of their households, and the middle-class women, if they have to walk on the street, have a peculiar garment, with long, loose sleeves, which they put over their heads. The sleeves hang down, looking like a curious kind of ears, and the cloak is held closely before the face so that it cannot be seen.
Would you like to take a walk through the streets of Seoul, and see the crowds of strangely dressed people, the many one-storied houses and the booths? Perhaps we should meet the water-coolie who goes about all day carrying water to anyone who wants it. He has a queer way of carrying it, too: a long pole is fastened cross-wise on his shoulders by straps going under and around his arms. From this pole hang two buckets or pails.
There are many beautiful palaces in Seoul, with pretty little lakes and ponds in the gardens. Some of these lakes are covered with lotus flowers, and there is usually a tiny island in the centre with a tree on it, under which one can sit and enjoy the pretty garden. One of the very interesting things to see in Seoul is an old, old marble pagoda which has been built so long that the people cannot remember who built it.
[17]
From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[18]
The Korean general in this palanquin must be a very important person indeed. See the large number of attendants he has. An ordinary palanquin is carried by two coolies. Only high officials, foreign consuls, or legal advisers of the emperor are supposed to have four, and in the pictures we see at least eight men taking this general through the streets of Seoul. Only four seem to be really carrying the chair, so the men at the side are probably not coolies. See, their hats and clothing are different from those of the coolies.
The streets of Seoul are very wide, but look narrow because the shopkeepers put up booths in front of their houses, and spread out their wares before them, on mats or trays, so that there is not much room left. One very wide street has two rows of houses or booths down the middle; so it seems as though there were three narrow streets instead of one wide one.
When the emperor passes through in procession all these booths are taken down, and the street is swept and decorated in his honour. The next day the booths are put up again and affairs go on in quite the usual way.
There is an interesting old bronze bell in Seoul, which used to be rung in the morning and at sunset. The gates of the city were closed at dark, and all the men had to stay at home and could not be out on the street, except at festival times.
[Pg 19]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[20]
In Cebu the carriages of the natives are evidently not built for comfort, and the ones we see in the picture we should not find very agreeable to ride in, I am sure.
This is the Public Square of Cebu, an old, old city on the island of Cebu, in the Philippines. Hundreds of years ago some Spanish people made a settlement there, and after that it was the capital city of the Philippines. Now it is still an important city, and large quantities of hemp are sent out from it to other parts of the world. Hemp, you know, is used to make ropes and sail-cloth and that strong yellow wrapping-paper called Manilla paper.
When growing, the hemp plant looks something like a banana tree, with big leaves in which is the fibre used to make rope. The native people have a rude sort of knife with which they scrape the pulp from the fibre, after which it is dried in the sun and then prepared for shipping.
There is also a very fine fibre that the natives sometimes get in small quantities, out of which they weave a soft material that looks something like silk. This fibre brings higher prices than the coarser, but there is not so much of it to be had.
It is very interesting to see the people at work, getting the hemp ready for market: almost everything is done by hand, for no machinery has yet been made which can do the work so well.
[21]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[22]
Oh, look at these strange animals with such wide-spreading horns! Do you know what they are? They are named “carabaos,” and are sometimes called “water buffaloes” because they are so fond of the water. Often through the day they go into the rivers or lakes and splash about; and if they are kept too long from their bath they are likely to go mad and become dangerous. They are very powerful animals and are used a great deal in the Philippine Islands in place of horses, to do farm work and draw carts.
Do you see this queer carriage with the woven canopy top and the wooden wheels? Carts like this are used in the southern part of Luzon, which is the largest of the Philippine Islands. It is a beautiful island with many rivers and mountains, and there are also volcanoes. Do you know what a volcano is? It is a mountain with a deep hole or crater in it, in which there is a mass of fire, and gases which sometimes explode. When there is an explosion great quantities of molten stuff called lava pour from the mouth of the volcano, sometimes burying villages at the foot of the mountain. A volcano is not a very pleasant neighbour, should you think so? Many of the islands of the Philippines were formed by volcanoes under the sea, that have thrown up masses of lava until a new island was made.
[23]
From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[24]
This is a strange-looking thing to ride on, don’t you think? It looks something like the wheelbarrows we use in our gardens, but the wheel is very large. Do you see how it goes up in the middle of the barrow?
These Chinese people are going into Shanghai. They have come along a very sunny road; wouldn’t you think their heads would ache? The Chinese women do not wear hats and they do not mind the heat. See how small their feet are, and yet they are very large compared with the feet of the ladies in higher classes, who could easily wear dolls’ shoes. Chinese shoes, the ordinary ones, are made of cloth; so when it rains the Chinese do not like to go out and get them wet.
Let us follow these people to Shanghai and see what the city is like. It is a great shipping place, and the harbour is filled with queer-looking boats called junks. Shanghai is a busy place, and the streets are always crowded; in the native part they are extremely narrow and dirty.
In the afternoons there is a great deal of driving on the chief road, Maloo. Here we should see all kinds of carriages, ’rickshaws and barrows like the one in the picture.
If we should meet a Chinese friend he would say, “Have you eaten rice?” instead of “How do you do?” They think our clothing very queer, and the men would not know what to do with pockets.
[25]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[26]
If we were in Canton we should probably have a ride in a palanquin something like this one. Do you think you would like it?
This Chinese lady is evidently of a very rich family. See her silken robes, and her tiny foot. The women of the higher classes are seldom seen on the streets of Canton; they stay at home or are carried in closely curtained palanquins. Do you see the curtains in the picture? They are raised so that we can get a look at the Cantonese lady; if she were on a crowded street they would all be down.
The streets of Canton are very fascinating; they have a long row of shops on either side, with wares all displayed. Some of the streets are only about six feet wide, and many of the shops have large signs at the sides, either upright or hung like the signs of old English inns, so that there is not much space for passers-by.
The signs are sometimes black, sometimes scarlet, blue or green, with characters of gold or scarlet, so the street is full of colour. The street tradesmen are picturesque, particularly the barber, who carries over his shoulders a pole from which is suspended a bright scarlet stand with a brass basin resting on it. He wears loose trousers and blouse of dark blue and a broad-brimmed straw hat.
The streets are almost always crowded, night and day. At night lanterns of painted glass or horn, and sometimes paper lanterns give a touch of colour and make the streets look gay.
[27]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[28]
Have you ever, when out in the country, seen an ox-cart with two patient oxen drawing a load of hay or stones?
Here we have a cab drawn by a little bullock, or zebu, which looks somewhat like those big oxen, but has a queer hump on his back and is very tiny. He looks gentle and kind, and no doubt trots about all day taking travellers through the streets of Columbo, in Ceylon.
Do you know where that is? It is an island ever so far away in the Indian Ocean, and is the place where many pearls and precious stones are found. It is a very beautiful island, and the roads, winding along between palms of many kinds and strange plants, with bright coloured birds and butterflies fluttering in and out among the leaves, are wonderful. Little bright green lizards dart here and there over the beautiful plants, looking like rare jewels, and very pretty ferns and flowers are all around.
Ceylon is such an interesting place to visit! There are ever and ever so many plantations where tea is grown, and rice, too. The labourers who work in the fields, and who draw the ’rickshaws we see in the picture, are called Tamils. The part of Columbo where they live is named Pettah and is very picturesque.
Their fruit shops look tempting and there are many kinds of fruit with curious names, as “papaws,” “lovi-lovis” and “rambutans.” Would [29]you like to taste them?
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[30]
What a beautiful road this is! Wouldn’t you like to take a peep around the curve and see what is beyond? But such a queer way of travelling!
These men can go very rapidly, but they have stopped here to let us look at them. The lady seems to be enjoying her ride very much in her palanquin. Isn’t that a funny thing to ride in?
This road is in one of the beautiful parks in Calcutta, the city in India where the Governor General lives. It is such an attractive city, with oh, so many parks and gardens! one where there are numberless kinds of animals, another filled with rare trees and plants. There are also many private gardens. There are so many fine buildings that Calcutta is sometimes called the “City of Palaces.” The most beautiful part of the city has a queer name, Chowringhee. Here there is a large park where there is much driving; sometimes the band plays and it is very gay.
“Black Town,” where the natives live, is not so attractive, but very dirty, with narrow streets and ugly little houses of mud or bamboo. Here and there are idols made of plaster or painted wood, looking like those we sometimes see in pictures. The natives of Calcutta make many useful things, among them gunny-bags, the very coarse bags that coffee and cotton are packed in. These bags are used by people all over the world.
[31]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[32]
This is almost like a house on wheels, isn’t it? There seem to be two stories in the wagon or carriage. We can see someone sitting in the upper part, and the lower floor appears to be filled with all sorts of things. How proud and haughty the camels look, with their noses up in the air!
In what country would you expect to see this carriage? Yes, it is in India, at Agra, a very beautiful city. There are such wonderful buildings in Agra that we should want to stay there a long time and admire them. One is called the Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, and travellers say that it is exquisite. It is all of marble and has three beautiful domes like immense bubbles floating in the air.
The gem of Agra, though, is the Taj Mahal, a big tomb built centuries ago by one of the rulers, Shah Jehan, for his wife, whom he dearly loved. Just think, this building is standing now, after all these hundreds of years, and is still perfect! It has a beautiful big dome and a number of little ones, besides minarets and towers, and it looks like a marvellous dream building or a palace made by the fairies. Every little part of it is as perfect as a bit of jewellery. There are flowers inlaid in many colours, and exquisite mosaic work in different patterns; and in the dome is a wonderful echo that repeats a note again and again until it sounds like fairy music. Wouldn’t you like to visit this wonderful place?
[33]
From Stereograph, Copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[34]
Here is another elephant dressed in elaborate trappings. His saddle cloth is very gorgeously embroidered and fringed, and he has a cloth over his head, which seems to cover up his eyes, but perhaps he can see through the fringe. He even has a bracelet or anklet around one of his fore feet—do you see it? The owner of all this magnificence sits on the elephant’s back in a howdah, a very much ornamented sort of chair.
With all its splendour, I am sure we should not find this a comfortable way of travelling, for as the elephant lumbers along, the howdah pitches first in one direction, then in another. We should feel as though we were at sea; and in the hot sun, without the bracing air we get on the water, it might be an unpleasant motion.
This elephant comes from Khaipur, a state in the western part of India. It is a very hot part of the country, and we should probably not be able to live there more than four months in the year, as the rest of the time it is intensely hot. Many of the Hindu people of Khaipur own large numbers of oxen, camels, sheep and goats; so they do not settle in one place to live, but go about, stopping wherever they find good pasture-lands. The chief man is called the mir; isn’t that a strange name? He has a very large estate, with big parks, and, I suppose, owns several elephants.
[35]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[36]
Here are some more bullocks, drawing quite a different kind of cart from any we have seen before. What fine-looking animals they are, and how patient they seem, in spite of the fact that the rope harness goes right through their nostrils and over their ears, which must be uncomfortable, to say the least.
See what a very elaborate canopy the carriage has, in the shape of a dome; but the wheels, somehow, do not seem to belong to the top, for they are made of wood and are very clumsy. We should know at once that this was in India, the land of sharp contrasts. Travellers in India often say that in that country the most magnificent and the meanest objects are found side by side. A beautiful palace and a miserable little hut are seen together, or a wonderful bit of carving beside cheap red or yellow glass ornaments.
Carts like the one in the picture are very often seen at Agra, the city where so many wonderful buildings are found. There are many interesting things in India that we should like to see; you know it is a very large country, and there are many different kinds of scenery; and in some places it is very beautiful. The different castes or classes of people each have manners and customs of their own, and the dress of the natives tells at once to what caste they belong; but it would be hard for us to remember all the differences.
[37]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[38]
Surely the owner of this gorgeous turnout must be a very important person in India. See the magnificent trappings of the elephants and the many mahouts, or drivers. To own an elephant is quite a distinction, and only titled or extremely wealthy people have carriages drawn by the huge animals. Would you like to ride after them? It seems to me it would be a very slow way of getting about, but no doubt it would be impressive.
The elephants in the picture belong to a Maharaja or great prince, and they have come from Rewah, a little state somewhat north from the centre of India. You know India is a very large country and it is divided into states, some large, some small, each of which has a native ruler. These rulers live in great splendour and dress in magnificent fashion, with jewels and many coloured garments.
Look at these elephants and see how gay they are. Their trunks are painted, a big medallion hangs between their eyes and a gorgeously embroidered cloth covers their backs and hangs down almost to the ground on both sides of them. In addition to this they have big chains around their necks, which I should think would be in the way when they walked, shouldn’t you? Can you imagine how all this would look in blues and greens and reds, with the glitter of gold and silver sparkling in the bright sunlight?
[39]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[40]
Dear me, this donkey seems to have a heavy load on his back, don’t you think so? These women have come from Bethlehem, the place where the baby Jesus was born hundreds of years ago. You know that beautiful story, don’t you?
The road that we see in the picture is the way to Jericho, which was once a very prosperous city, with rich fields all about, and springs of water bubbling up and keeping the fields moist and green. Now all that is left of the old city is a heap of ruins; the springs are there and the fields are green and beautiful, and covered with wild flowers, but there are no gardens. Tribes of people called Bedouins live around there; they do not settle in any one place to live, however, but roam about from one part of the wilderness to another. They sometimes act as guides to show travellers the country. The men on the burros in the picture look like Bedouins.
The hills near Jericho are not very attractive to look at: they are covered with stones, and not many trees or flowers grow on them; but some of the hills in Palestine are beautiful, with large groves of olive trees, and masses of green foliage. Do you know where Palestine is? Look on your map of Asia and you will see it by the Red Sea, and you will find many stories in the Bible about the old cities and places there. It is the land where Jesus lived, and is wonderfully interesting to visit.
[41]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[42]
These camels seem very much dressed up, don’t they, with their richly ornamented coverings; and see, the front one has a net over his head with tassels hanging from it. The carriage, too, is very elaborately carved. See the women in it, with veils over their faces. The Egyptian women of the higher classes always wear veils like these out of doors, so that only their eyes can be seen.
The buildings that these “ships of the desert” (as camels are sometimes called) are passing are the tombs of the Khalifs, just outside of Cairo, Egypt. They were built centuries ago, for you know Egyptian history goes back farther than that of almost any other country in the world, and many interesting old buildings still remain. In the tombs shown in the picture are buried some of the Khalifs, or rulers, of Egypt, who lived thousands of years ago. The tomb of Keit Bey, which we see in the middle of the picture, has a beautiful minaret or tower with three balconies. Can you count them? The top of the tower is shaped something like a pear, with a straight spire at the top. Most of the other domes have a half-moon at the top. Do you see them, and do you notice the lace-like patterns carved on the domes? In olden times the Egyptian people did much carving, and painted a great deal too, so their houses and buildings were all beautifully decorated and coloured. You have probably seen Egyptian designs many times in the museums near your home, or in books, haven’t you?
[43]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[44]
Here are more camels, which have brought these men to the pyramids and the great Sphinx of Egypt. Have you ever heard of them? That enormous head that you see in the picture belongs to the Sphinx; isn’t it strange-looking? It is of stone and has stood there so many ages that no one knows when it was carved. The Sphinx has a body like a lion’s, which could be seen a long time ago, but now the sand has covered up most of it.
See the big pyramids in the picture. They are wonderful to look at; it seems as though they must always have been there, like the big rocks and hills; but men built them many, many years ago—long before the invention of any of the machinery that people use now to lift stones. The biggest pyramid of all was built for the tomb of a king. Travellers often climb this large pyramid, but it is not very easy, as one has to step from one big stone to another. If you go to Cairo, in Egypt, some day, you will go out and see these wonderful things.
There are many other strange sights in Cairo. The life there is quite different from that of any other country, and the people have customs which have come down through thousands of years. In the museum there we should see an interesting collection of old toys and paintings, and so many other things that it would be hard to name them all.
[45]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[46]
Now we are on the great Desert of Sahara, in Egypt. Isn’t this a queer way of riding? That looks like a little house on the camel’s back; but it does not look as though it would be very comfortable to ride in. This camel is dressed up too, with a net and saddle-cloth. Do you suppose he likes all this covering?
The desert is a strange place. For miles and miles there is no water, nothing but great stretches of sand with queer plants growing in it, and pebbles all about, blue, pink, green, and other colours. Some people think that long ago there was a sea where the desert is now, and often travellers find shells, which make it seem as though water must have been there once. The Arabs, the people who live on the desert, are shepherds with big flocks of sheep and goats, and many camels and horses. They have no homes to live in always, but have to move about from place to place, wherever they can find water. Of course, living in this way, they can have no houses, but have to live in tents, which can be easily carried whenever they move.
Sometimes a terrible storm comes up on the desert; the wind blows, and drives great clouds of sand before it, making it almost impossible for a person to see. In a storm like this the people have to keep moving and to try to get out of the storm, for if they stayed in one place the sand would soon cover them.
[47]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[48]
We do not often see carriages in America with three horses, do we? In Russia, however, they are used a great deal, and go very rapidly indeed, the middle horse trotting while the others gallop. This gives a peculiar motion to the carriage, as you might suppose. The Russian people are fond of driving extremely fast, and urge their horses on to the greatest speed. See the arch over the middle horse; it is very much ornamented, and the harness is quite gay with all its tassels and bells.
A carriage like this with three horses is called a troika. This troika has come out from Moscow to the old Petrofski Palace, which was once the residence of the royal family. You know that Moscow was, a long time ago, the capital of Russia, and it is still one of the principal cities in manufactures and commerce.
Going towards it one sees the mass of roofs like a dark green sea; nearer, many spires and domes attract the eye. The spires seem like a network of gold; the domes are in some cases gilded, in others a deep blue, covered with gold stars, and in still others are tiled with green.
In the centre of the city is the Kremlin, a hill where the buildings are particularly beautiful, among the shrubs and trees, with the tower of Ivan the Great rising above them all. At the foot of this tower is the great bell of Moscow, the largest in the world. There are hundreds and hundreds of bells in Moscow of all sizes and kinds.
[49]
From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
[50]
Here is the grandpa of some little French children, out for a drive with his fine pair of dogs. See how patiently they stand and wait until their master is ready to start. Then they will trot along very soberly, making the queer little cart jolt over the roads about Villefranche.
For many, many years this little town has nestled down in its valley among the hills of southern France, and of course one sees there some fine old houses, built centuries ago. Besides these old houses there are a big Gothic cathedral and an old monastery which is now used as a hospital or asylum. Both these buildings are interesting to see.
I wonder if you know what kinds of things grow in southern France. They have a great deal of warm weather there. Grapes, did you say? Yes, grapes grow there in profusion, and olives and mulberries. It is on mulberry leaves that the silk-worm feeds, and ever so much silk is made in France and sent all over the world. Then there are numberless little farms or gardens where vegetables and fruits of various kinds are raised.
Market-day is a great event; everyone must go, and of course all the people in the country places try to grow the choicest vegetables and fruits, and raise the very best fowls. The flowers, too, offered for sale, are beautiful and very fragrant; we should like to see them, and to bring some home with us.
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From a Stereograph, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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There has been a wedding in Seville, and now the bride and bridegroom are going off with all the good wishes of their friends. The beautiful horse seems to know that he is taking part in an important event, and he stands very still while the good-byes are being said.
Seville is a very attractive and important city in Spain, on a river with such a long, hard name to say—Guadalquiver. Some parts of the city are below high-water level, so that often the river overflows and causes much suffering. Seville has many interesting old Moorish houses, because long, long ago the Moors came over the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain and settled there, building houses in their own style.
Some of these houses and palaces are beautiful, with double arches and carved patterns like lacework. The Alcazar was the palace of the Moorish kings and is wonderful to see, although not so marvellous as the Alhambra, at Granada, which the Moors also built. Some day you will read what Washington Irving wrote about it.
The Moors were driven out of Spain about the time of Columbus, when Ferdinand and Isabella came to the throne. Most of the houses in Seville are built in the Moorish style, around a court which often has a marble fountain in the centre, with beautiful shrubs and orange trees here and there. The streets are very narrow; in some places so narrow that two little burros could not pass if their panniers were full.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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What quantities of grapes we see here! Baskets, barrels and the panniers on the little burro are filled. These people have just come from the vineyards about Malaga, in Spain.
Malaga is at the foot of a large range of mountains the sides of which are covered with vineyards. You know that those delicious white grapes that we get in the markets come from Malaga. Do you know how they grow? The vineyards on the sides of hills or mountains are planted row after row, only a few feet apart, and each row a little higher than the one before it. Every vine is like a little tree by itself, with a trench dug around it to catch the water when it rains. The soil of the vineyards is red. After the grapes are picked, they are packed in cork dust and sent to other parts of Europe and to America.
Raisins and wine also come from Malaga in large quantities. They are both made from grapes—raisins by drying the grapes in the sun, and wine from the juice of grapes; so you see how many must be picked every year. Figs and almonds grow in Malaga, and olives. All these things, you know, grow only where it is very warm and sunny. If we went to Spain we should see many olive trees. They look something like plum trees, but are knotty and gnarled and the leaves are a darker green. When the olives are ripe they are a dark glossy purple.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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See these good old dogs harnessed like horses, drawing the strange-looking cart! Do you think your dog would run quietly along the street if you harnessed him this way? I do not believe he would, but these dogs are used to being driven, so they do not mind it at all; in fact they expect to draw a cart, as the dogs in Holland often do.
To-day is market-day, and the Dutch peasant woman is just coming from town where she has sold all her vegetables and flowers. See the garden just beyond the fence in the picture. What do you think these flowers are? A great many tulips, hyacinths and crocuses are grown in Holland. It is a great gardening country; every bit of ground is cultivated, and the kingdom is like one big garden crossed by many canals like silver threads.
There is a high tower in Utrecht, one of the cities, from which one can see almost the whole country spread out like a map, and it is such a pretty view. The meadows are bright green, and along the canals willow trees, elms and poplars are seen. Dotted here and there are pretty little villages with houses painted in bright colours, and everywhere are windmills with huge sails. They are used to grind corn and to pump the water from the canals, and in addition to being so useful are very picturesque.
The people of Holland are very neat; every day their houses, sidewalks, and streets are cleaned, and everything put in its best condition.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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This quaint little carriage was owned by a rich man in Sweden, three or four hundred years ago. Do you see what a peculiar harness the horse has on? That queer arrangement on his back I should think would be very uncomfortable, shouldn’t you? The man’s clothing, too, looks strange. Do you see his big funny-looking hat? If we should take a drive in this old, old carriage, what kind of country do you think we should go through?
Sweden is one of the countries that have many different kinds of climate and scenery, so you can understand that it would take a great many days to see it all. In the northern part we should find the winters very long and cold, and the summers short. We should see high mountains, and rivers on which vessels can sail for two or three hundred miles. Doesn’t that seem a long distance? Then we should see thick woods with very big trees in them which are cut down for timber. There are not many cities in the north, and if we kept going toward the middle of the country we should still see only a few, but we should see many farms where beetroot is grown, from which they make sugar. We should see fields of grain, and cows grazing in the meadows. Often we should pass a beautiful lake, blue as the sky, reflecting the country like a mirror. Here the winters are not so cold or long, and as we approached the coast we should find a much warmer climate. Most of the large cities and towns are along the coast.
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From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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See this dear, shaggy little donkey; doesn’t he look full of mischief? Many a happy drive these children have over the roads about Thurso, in Scotland. They are on their way now to the village store. This looks like a very pleasant road, with its long stretches of field and meadow.
From Thurso are sent out cattle and sheep and grain, so you see it is a farming country around there. Do you know where Thurso is? Look on your map of Scotland and you will find it, away up in the very northern part on the sea-coast. Like many places near the water it is very rocky, and many paving stones come from there.
Scotland is an interesting place; the scenery is beautiful, and there are many wonderful old castles famous in history. Perhaps you have read the stories written by Sir Walter Scott about some of them. His home was in Scotland, and Robert Burns lived there, too. Have you read any of Burns’s poems?
In olden times the northern part of Scotland was owned by the Highlanders, who lived by raising sheep and cattle, and by hunting. They were divided into clans, or large families of relatives, and were very loyal to one another. Many stirring tales are told of these old times; probably you will read them some time. Now most of the large estates in the Highlands are owned by English or American people, who spend a short time there every year in shooting and fishing.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Here is a happy family, off for a long holiday. Grandfather usually has to take passengers about in his jaunting-car; but to-day is a holiday for him too, and he is going to take the family all off for a long drive. Have you ever seen a jaunting-car? They are used a great deal in Ireland, and sometimes we see them in America—at Newport or other summer resorts. Before one gets accustomed to riding in them he has to hold on tightly when going around corners; but after a while he gets used to the jolting motion and is not afraid of being tipped out.
See the house in the picture. Many cottages in Ireland are like this, of stone or earth with the roof thatched with straw; but a great many have no windows except holes cut in the walls, and the door is so low that one has to stoop to go in. Of course the houses in the cities are different.
Dublin is the principal city and is a very beautiful one, with fine houses and buildings. Exquisite lace, made by the peasant women, comes from there, and a kind of cloth called Irish poplin, made of silk and wool. It rains very often in Ireland, so the grass and foliage are bright green, for which reason the island is sometimes called the Emerald Isle. The Irish people say, “In England it rains all day; in Scotland it rains all night; but in Ireland it rains both day and night.”
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Here is a whole family out for a drive in their cart drawn by four bullocks. This “horseless carriage” is in Porto Rico, which means “rich harbour.” Did you know that Columbus discovered the island of Porto Rico? It is called the “land of perpetual June,” because the weather is so fine through the whole year. To be sure, they sometimes have terrible earthquakes and hurricanes; but the people are prepared for these and have cellars or caves to which they go when they see signs of a hurricane coming. They have to take food with them, of course, to last until the storm is over, and sometimes whole villages are destroyed.
Except at these times Porto Rico is a beautiful place; flowers bloom all the year and the fields are full of growing things. A great deal of coffee grows there on large plantations. You know that Porto Rico belongs now to the United States, and every afternoon at sunset in the large cities a band plays “The Star Spangled Banner.” While it is being played the flag is lowered and the men take off their hats. It is an impressive sight.
There are many interesting things to see in the city streets. The men who sell bananas carry them fastened to a pole; the milk-man sometimes carries his large open can of milk on his head; and all of the native people, if they have anything to carry, balance it on their heads, no matter what it is. They are very expert at balancing things in this way.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Surely this is a queer-looking street-car! Did you ever ride in one like it? Perhaps if we were in Cuba we might take a ride; but if we were in a hurry it would be better to find some other way of travelling. The car seems to be well filled with passengers. I wonder where they are all going! See the boy at the side of the car, with an odd-shaped basket in his hand. Perhaps all these people are going to the tobacco fields, for as you know, a great deal of tobacco is raised in Cuba, and cigars and cigarettes are made in large quantities. Many other things grow there, too. Some plants which belong to tropical or very hot countries grow close beside those found also in colder climates; so there is great variety of plant life.
Some fish with very queer names are found in Cuba: there is the “giant aguja,” a great big fish that sometimes weighs as much as five hundred pounds; the “snoring ronco,” the “galligo,” the “garfish,” and several others with names as funny. Do you know what all these fish look like? I’m sure I don’t, but if they are like their names they must be strange-looking objects.
There are many kinds of animals and insects in Cuba, too; some of the insects are quite troublesome and we should not care to have them come near us. If one is making a collection of insects, Cuba is a good place in which to find different varieties.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Isn’t this a fine long beach? Can you see how far it stretches? The sand is just as firm and hard as a floor, so the beach is often used to race on. Automobiles have made unusual records here: the sand is so smooth that they can go at great speed over it. Can you imagine how strange these automobiles would look to a child who had never seen one? We sometimes think the carriages of other countries are queer to look at, but if we had never seen an automobile before, perhaps it would look the strangest of all to us. Indeed, just after dark when the lamps are lighted they look like great monsters with shining eyes and open mouths coming towards one. Did you ever notice it?
Wouldn’t you love to have a run along this beach, and to paddle in the water? Perhaps some time you will be in Florida and go to Ormond Beach; perhaps you have already been there. Florida has water on three sides and there are many beaches of course, but the coast is flat and sandy, with reefs and sand bars that go way out into the ocean, so there are not many good harbours for vessels. On the side where the Atlantic is there are very few. Something grows in Florida that you like very much; I wonder if you know what it is? It grows on trees with dark, glossy leaves; it is round and the colour is between a red and yellow. The colour has the same name as the fruit, so I can’t tell you what it is without telling the name of the fruit. Do you know what it is now?
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From Stereograph, Copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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This funny little cart with enormous wheels has stopped in front of the old gate at St. Augustine, in Florida. Would you like to take a ride through the town?
First let us look at the old gate. Hundreds of years ago the city had a wall across one end, and this old gate guarded the entrance. See the sentry boxes where the men on guard used to stay. The door to one of them is right in back of the cart in the picture. Now, if we go through the gate we shall find an interesting old city, quite different from any other in America, for St. Augustine was built by Spanish people many, many years ago; and some of the quaint old houses are still there to remind us of the times before our grandfathers lived. The streets are very narrow and the houses peculiarly built, most of them made of coquina, a combination of shells and sand, cut into bricks. At the end of the town near the sea is an old fort, also built with coquina walls, and in going through it we should hear from our guide many strange stories of things that happened long ago. Several times the fort was besieged, but the coquina walls were soft enough so that bullets became embedded in them, and the fort did not receive much injury; but the walls are crumbling now. Another interesting old building is the cathedral with its odd-shaped belfry with four bells in it.
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From Stereograph, copyright 1905, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Here is a happy farmer taking his family out for a drive in his big ox-cart. He is very proud of his cart, and of his little farm where he raises vegetables and melons for the market. When he was a little boy his father and mother were slaves on a large plantation, and although they were treated kindly they belonged, like the horses and dogs, to the white people who owned the plantation.
This man is happy to think he is free, and he works hard to keep his family supplied with all they need. See the dear little baby in his mother’s lap. Perhaps when he grows up he will go to one of the schools in North Carolina, where the negroes learn to be good farmers, able to take care of themselves and their families. Perhaps he will be a teacher.
This road looks very sandy, doesn’t it? You know it is in what is called the Sand Belt of North Carolina. All along the eastern part of the state the country is low and flat, much of it sandy, with here and there a swamp; but farther inland it is good farming country with fine soil. North Carolina has a wonderful climate, and it is so warm and pleasant that a bigger variety of plants grow there than in almost any other state. We should like to see peanuts growing, shouldn’t we? They grow in great abundance here.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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This father is taking his family out too; it is a good large family, isn’t it? All these pickaninnies live in the house we see in the picture, way down in southern Mississippi. Before the Civil War the coloured people in Mississippi were slaves, but now they are free, and many of them live quite happily and contentedly in their little cabins. Numbers of them own small farms and grow cotton and corn, or sometimes sugar-cane, from which syrup and molasses are made.
Mississippi is one of the states where it is warm weather most of the year; the Gulf of Mexico is just south of it, and the breeze across the water is soft and mild. It rains a great deal in the southern part of the state, and there are many rivers, so the land is overflowed very often. Along the Mississippi River in some places banks called levees have been built, to keep the water in its place, but often after a heavy rain there is so much water in the river that the levees are broken, and then great damage is done. If the river did not sometimes carry off houses these overflows would not be so bad, for the water leaves a kind of mud on the fields, which makes things grow faster and better.
There are large numbers of trees in Mississippi: the holly that we use at Christmas time grows there, the fragrant magnolia, the persimmon with its queer puckery fruit, and many other varieties.
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From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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These dear little goats give a great deal of pleasure to children in Central Park, New York City. Would you like to take a drive now and see some of the interesting things in the park? It is such a large place that it would take quite a long time to drive about and see everything.
Where would you like to go first? Why, of course, you want to see the animals, so we will pay a visit to them. What do you like to see—the monkeys? Well, they are funny, with their wrinkled little faces and paws like tiny hands. Do you like to give them peanuts, and then watch their solemn faces while they crack the shells open? We mustn’t stay watching them too long, for there is much in Central Park that we want to see. As we go along we will look at the trees, because here are found all the different kinds that will grow in this climate, and some of them are very beautiful.
There is a very famous “Needle” in Central Park; have you ever seen it? Don’t look astonished, for it is quite different from the needles we are accustomed to seeing. Perhaps you would know it better by its other name, obelisk. It is a very tall shaft of stone with curious inscriptions on it, and it is very, very old. First it stood in Heliopolis, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, then it was moved to Alexandria, Egypt. Several years ago it was given to the United States by the Khedive of Egypt. It is now called “Cleopatra’s Needle.”
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From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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Would you like to try a race with this ostrich? I am afraid you would be beaten, for this is a famous trotter, Oliver W., who has made a record for great speed. It looks strange to see an ostrich harnessed into a racing gig, doesn’t it? But you know they can go very rapidly, and easily run faster than horses. Do you see all the ostriches in the picture on the other side of the fence? This is a farm in Jacksonville, Florida, where ostriches are raised. You know so many people want ostrich plumes that it takes a great many to supply them all, and there are ostrich farms in Florida and California, as well as in Mexico and other countries. The first plumes are cut from the birds when they are about six or seven months old, and then about twice a year until they are very old. Ostriches are queer-looking birds, aren’t they? See Oliver W.’s long neck, and his feet with only two toes, the outside one having no claw. It is wise to keep away from those feet, for ostriches sometimes kick, and very powerfully, too. They are strange birds and do many funny things; so a visit to an ostrich farm is very entertaining. You have heard, haven’t you, how they hide their heads in the sand and think no one can see them? When the Arabs of the desert want to catch a wild ostrich they find it quite easy, for the birds are very apt to run around in circles instead of straight ahead, so the horses soon catch up with them.
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From Stereograph, Copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York
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