A Trip Around the World, 1910-1911

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expected for the launch. The judge and I took a long street car ride getting out of a town and after nightfall I bade him goodbye as he caught a sampan to go back to his ship.

After dinner went with Mr. Peters to see the Seftons at the Strand Hotel. Not a young fellow there from Ispahan of which he talked most interestingly.

December 29th.

Got up early again to find the "Southern Cross" which I was delighted to see near the Southern horison too plain to be mistaken, although the stars of course are somewhat out of line. It is about the size of the Great Bear. Had two or three hours before breakfast seeing the natives and Hindoos and for a farewell call on the Shwe Dagon, where a bright little Burmese boy acted as my guide. Fed the elephant of the temple, which he says will turn white later and which came from Mandalay. After buying some ties, a belt, etc., and Penfield's "East of Suez" and planning my return home by the aid of Thomas Cook, I boarded the ship at 11:00 o'clock. Three hundred Hindoo passengers then came on board, presenting a unique sight.

December 30th.

Wrote article on Singapore, Penang, and Rangoon. My room-mate is Mr. Eugene Hildebrand, a Chicago lawyer born in Switzerland. A delightful sea and our boat is a beauty -- like a private yacht, though it is too light for a sea. Was interested in seeing the Mohammedans in the second-class turn their faces towards Mecca and prostrate themselves repeatedly in prayer. One steerage passenger has his beard dyed a brilliant red in honor of the Prophet.

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December 31st. The sea is like a millpond and the temperature delightful. Dr. Peters, a rubber planter, has been telling me interesting stories of his jungle experiences. Had a good game of "Hearts" last night, the first time I have played cards for weeks. Hildebrand is a fine, good-natured fellow and I have been playing more pranks on him and with him that the law allows. "You will live long," he laughed this afternoon. "Why do you say so?" I asked. "Because," he said, "if you are such a kid at thurty, you ought never to get old."

January 1st. Hildebrand and I got up just before midnight and saw the old year out and the new in. Finding no other prank to play, we found a man's cot on deck and elevated it perpindicularly against the rail. Landed in Calcutta at 1 p. m. All hotels full, went to Mrs. Monk's Boarding House with Hildebrand and his niece. In afternoon went to Zoological Gardens, where the chief feature was the most savage tiger I have ever seen, recently caught in the jungle, after having killed several people. Later visisted the famous "Black Hole."

January 2nd. Started immediately after breakfast to Cook's to get mail. En route saw procession, dazzling in its gorgeous coloring, escorting the Viceroy to his Palace. The red coats with their plumes and the beautiful grounds, white arches, and gree foliage made a memorable view. Yhence to Botanical Gardens, after getting mail. The Hindoos are blacker than I thought but with Caucasian features. Ash-smeared fanatics, naked babies

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of both sexes, be-jewelled women in their dirty ex-white or brilliant robes--the streets present an odd sight. The great banyan tree is 906 feet in circumference. In afternoon went to Jain Temple and made some purchases. Saw monument "in Honor of the Most Noble, the Marquis of Hastings, K. G."

January 3rd. Spent sometime consulting Cook as to trip. Called to see American Consul. Find Sheik Jamaldin, my guide and servant pro tem, unsatisfactory and will get another. Bought $40 worth of stuff for presents, getting cheated, I am sure, on afterthought. Tonight Dr. Hildebrand and Miss Shobinger left for Benares, and I went to depot with them. Hildebrand and I got on famously together and I am sorry to see them go.

January 4th. Engaged Sheik Mogul, an English-speading Mohammedan as my guide. He usually addresses me as "Your honor" or "Your honors" though sometimes as "master". Called at Goverment House, where the Secretary to the Viceroy arranged some letters of introduction for me.

Tiffined with Consul and Mrs. Michael, who told me some interesting Indian incidents.

In afternoon started for Darjeeling, crossing the sacred Ganges where we had dinner on shipboard.

January 5th. Got off at Siliguai and boarded the narrow-gauge railway--the crookedest in the world--for Darjeeling, arriving there about noon. Was sorry to find it rather cloudy, but felt repaid even by the partial view of the snow-clad summits of the Himalayas (their bases invisible) higher up among the clouds.

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The Nepalese women are the prettiest I have seen in the Orient but they are doing fearfully hard work; many employed in carrying heavy stone on their backs for miles.

January 6th. Got up at 3:45 and started with two other men on horseback to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise. There I was rewarded by one of the sublimest sights mortal eye has ever gazed upon--a perfect view of the great ampitheater of "the snows", including Everest and Kinchinjunga, the loftiest peaks formed by the Almighty's hand. I have never felt about any other spectacle so utterly at a loss for language to describe my emotions.

January 7th. Had chotohazree on the Ganges and reached Calcutta about noon. Decided to cut our Egypt and the Holy Land from my trip and had Cook engage passage for me on the Franconia from London February 25th. Cabled Raleigh: "Home March 4th. Inform sister."

Called on Rev. Mr. Grose, a Methodist pastor whom I found interesting, had a long walk with an Irish laborer, and at night heard a lecture on "The Moslem World" at the Y. M. C. A.

January 8th. Visited the Kalighat, the temple of "Mother Kali" and saw the hideous sacrifices of kids, and the prayers to the terrible goddess. Also shrines for Juggernaut, for the god of the smallpox, and others. Many pilgrims bathing in the Ganges. Later visited "burning ghats" where corpses were in various stages

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of burning. The chief priest at Kalighat marked my forehead with Kali's sign, but I soon rubbes it off.

Called to see Mr. & Mrs. Lee of the Lee Memorial Home, and at 6 p. m. heard Mr. Zwiemor on Mohammedanish again.

January 9th. Called to see Viceroy's Secretary and got letters of introduction to officials, after which I had interesting interview with T. Wynne, Dr. Holmes, Mr. Paton and Mr. Porter.

In afternoon also saw Mohammedan seremonies for the Muharram in anniversary of the deaths of Husain and Hassain. Streets crowded with followers of the Prophet bewailing and carrying banners. Left tonight for Benares.

January 10th. Spent my 30th birthday in Benares. View from the river is marvelously imposing and impressive, but the disgusting monkeys at the Durga Temple, the vile obscenity of the Nepalese, the filth and vulgarity of the Golden, and the crowds of fakirs, snake-charmers, and mercenary priests, to say nothing of the questionavle women that surround all thetemples--what a disgusting conglomeration is Hinduism!

Called to see a Weslyan missionary, whose wife told me some interesting stories of their work.

January 11th.--About 6:00 o'clock started for the river again. The view of the riverside was no less impressive than yesterday from an architectural standpoint, while the unabridged display of colors in the garments of the crowds made a picture to delight the soul of an artist. I should like never to forget it. Last