Show 0 dav a neiping Pei ping the capital of yesterday reached at last 1 CHINA t 0 OUT UT of kobe J japan th through 1 r 0 h f the inland sea three ee h hundred u n d act miles strewn with countless is lands an S emerging emerging at koseki crossing the channel and breasting the yellow sea we arrived about daybreak at the port of taku ta ku china from a flat horizon like some old man arising after a hard night the sun dulled of all luster struggled into the sky mounting slowly into the yellow haze that extended to the very zenith at six four barges laden with coolie stevedores crept into the river and tied to our starboard in the art of deliberation these gentlemen of the waterfront rivaled anything I 1 had ever seen in other lands that a ship had arrived and was preparing to discharge cargo seemed to make no impression whatever upon anybody present the tempo to td which I 1 had become accustomed in japan was null and void at taku ta ku bricklaying brick laying jugglers some chinese masons evidently part of a crew concerned in suspending building operations across the way from the landing dock sauntered into view and took seats on a pile of bricks after careful scrutiny of the lounging dock wal lopers clopers and the indolent bricklayers I 1 decided that the port was in the grip of a building and shipping hipping f strike at seven the panorama suddenly came to life the static spectacle to all intents set for a day of leisure took on a vitality all its own while the native par f did not seem to alter materially teri ally every man jack of them was drawn into the ponderous movement more amazing because once under way there seemed no stopping it the ship spewed skewed cargo in a stream while from the river side two hundred coolies with pan shaped wicker baskets tossed wet nut coal from barges along a human chain through gaping side ports poured a flood of fuel that slithered like rushing water into the bunkers no noise except the rattle iq of the winch gears with the accuracy of vaudeville performers four coolies oseg short handled wooden shovels tossed one at a time from ground to second story a geyser of bricks that fell light as feathers into the hands of the workmen above and like magic grew into a wall A company of noiseless jugglers and every gesture artistic dust bowl of china once off the lugger and my baggage on the heiing mukden train that meets all steamers touching at taku ta ku I 1 thought only of rolling into the ancient capital where marco polo dropped in to pass the day centuries ago whilst waiting for all aboard a somber cloud released from the very dome of heaven began to settle upon the earth it came first like a shadow of brass darkening as it moved stifling oppressive heavy as the advance guard of a thunder shower arrival of the dust storm first indicated in the yellow haze that veiled the morning sky into this shifting mass of land pollen thrown up from a million acres of tilled farm soil drifting across china pursued by gales out of the northwest the train rolled as though it had been waiting tor for such a signal with no mountains between taku and neiping to balk the oncoming cloud no trees with enough foliage to break it up the invading and advancing dust threatened all outdoors pere here was I 1 in despair at having turned up exactly at the wrong time but I 1 knew not the mysterious moods that control china where meteorology natural causes and precedence fail utterly to set the pace the temple of heaven after three hours by slow train through this intolerable cloud we 1 split what seemed to be the lter outer curtain and broke into an atmosphere of crystalline purity that enveloped a glittering landscape shimmering in the garb of spring the yellow stains faded out of the sky soft cool zephyrs took the place of hot siroccos si and cerulean mantled the horizon against which I 1 caught my first glimpse of the great wall winding like a drunken serpent across the hills that encircle neiping Pei ping the capital of yesterday where the pomps and vanities flared under the dragoner drago ned banners of the mongols and the tar tars waned in the face of the advancing western world dipping at last their colors to time tha arch conqueror of au all dynasties pei ping sacred to the memories of the past profaned by the corrod 1 1 k I 1 ing acids of the present her asplen dor dimmed forbidden city a showroom the temple of heaven silent but magnificent the palace of ancestors an entrance and an ex exit it where stran strangers ers arrive and dei part for tees fees paid to guardians of glories gone cop service |