Gradually the scenery changed as we approached British territory, and then, quite suddenly, the vegetation became tropical within a day’s march of the frontier. The trees are much more lofty, and rise as straight as darts up into the blue. Often they are strangled by the huge creepers which wind round and round them, and seem to draw their life-blood from the trees which they kill, becoming almost as large in the trunk, and with great bloated leaves concealing their victims. Long feelers hang down from the tree-tops, and orchids and ferns grow profusely, high up among the branches. Everything possesses a brilliancy and size and vitality which has in it something fearful; indeed, it is as if it were an evil power brooding over everything and crushing weaker things in a relentless grasp. The spider-webs are like gauze handkerchiefs spread over the banks, in the centre of which are gaping doorways, where you see the monster spider sprawling with an insolent, will-you-walk-into-my-parlour air. The monkeys chatter and jabber unseen; some of them—the “gibbons”—are of a large size. Parrots scream, and modest-plumaged familiar birds are replaced by brilliant ones with shrill, unsympathetic voices. We met, too, various tribes-people, such as Shans and Kachins.
Our spirits fell somewhat, too, at the thought of leaving China, of parting from our pleasant company, and ending the most delightful tour we had ever had. The last night we spent at a “head man’s” house, but his Excellency was away from home. We had a pleasant upstairs room overlooking a large courtyard filled with pack-animals, whose driver slept with them in the open, according to custom, despite a terrific thunderstorm in the middle of the night. There was no door to our room, but we hung up a curtain, and a soldier slept just outside. Mr. Ku and Liu slept one on each side of the family altar downstairs. We started next morning at the usual hour, and after some miles our military escort took leave of us, at the edge of the stream which divides the two greatest empires in the world. A rude trunk acted as bridge, and we saw Liu timorously hesitating on the edge, till one of the coolies took pity on him and came and handed him across. As this was the first time that our men had been on British soil (with the exception of two of them), we felt we ought to do something to celebrate the event, and I was very anxious that they should look their best when we came to the British outpost. It was in vain, however, that I had offered to have them all shaved and coiffed, as I found it would practically take a day to get it done; and also there was a difficulty in even procuring a barber in any of the adjoining villages. It is astounding the difference the shaving makes in their appearance, as the larger part of the head is kept shaved. We had to give up the hope of making a brave show, but this did not signify so much when we found that there was no British outpost. In fact, the only thing that marked the difference of territory was that now we came on to a splendid road and found excellent bridges. We promised the men “tooth-worship” (namely, pork-feast) that evening, but there was nothing very attractive to be obtained when we got to the extremely imperfect inn where we halted for the night. It was a bamboo erection, rather like cellular clothing in its porousness, and, as usual, our room lay in the centre. The place was conspicuously large, airy, and clean, but it required all our luggage and the curtains to make any sort of screen. After supper we set out all our empty tins and bottles, as there is nothing which coolies esteem more. They had been begging us all the time to give them our biscuit-tins, which were the greatest prizes, though jam-and butter-tins were useful for cooking purposes. The biscuit-tins had been promised to those who were thought most deserving. When they put them in our chairs for us, they would tap them and give us a wink, as much as to say, “This is going to be mine some day,” or shake them to see if they were nearly empty. By this time we had got a thoroughly large selection, and had an amusing time in distributing them. The men also petitioned for quinine to take with them for recrossing the Salween; each man received two doses, to his great satisfaction.
The last morning dawned; for the last time we heard the familiar awakening cry, “Arise, wash your faces, eat your rice,” and we reluctantly made our way along the beautiful road through the forest, a road such as the coolies had never seen before. We had ordered a gharri (= carriage) to meet us ten miles from the town, as it was too long for a one day’s stage, now that the hot weather had set in; so we arranged for the men and coolies to follow us to Bhamo the next day with our chairs and luggage. We halted at the Dak Bungalow, where we were met by one of our friends from Bhamo, and after tea we transferred our requisites to the gharri and set out for Bhamo. As we rattled along in the noisy and uncomfortable vehicle we longed for our comfortable chairs, but were soon pulled up short by the harness giving way. A piece of cloth proved ineffectual to hold it together for more than about half a mile. I then provided a piece of string which proved more efficacious, but only a few minutes later there was a hopeless crash as the axle split in two between the front wheels. We had to sit down ignominiously by the roadside for at least an hour, while the man rode off on the horse to get another carriage. Oh, to be back in China, where we found things so slow and steady!
Next morning our men arrived with the luggage, and after settling accounts with them and presenting them with the two sedan-chairs and our carrying-poles, we regretfully bade them good-bye. I think the desire was exceedingly strong on both sides that we should meet again and have just such another journey. With many journeys it requires the mellowing distance of time to forget the disagreeables, but we had but one thought in looking back, and that was one of entire satisfaction.
CHAPTER XXIV
The Present Situation in China
Since the preceding chapters were written great changes have taken place in the Chinese Empire, and a new reign has begun. The sudden, simultaneous death of the Emperor and the Dowager Empress at first caused a feeling of general consternation; but it soon became evident that the reins of government had passed into strong and capable hands. The Regent has already shown that he intends to pursue the policy of his predecessor, both with regard to external and internal matters, and reform is the order of the day.
In the concluding pages of this volume I venture to give a brief summary of the special points under consideration at the present time, which foreshadow the changes to be expected in the near future. It is impossible for any one, no matter how intimately acquainted with Chinese affairs, to foretell what will be the outcome of the great constitutional change which is contemplated; but it is of importance that the European public should understand the conditions under which it takes place. It would be presumption on my part to do anything more than call attention to the problems and the difficulties which beset the path of the reformer.
At the present time the government of China is an absolute monarchy, and as the new Emperor is but four years old, the supreme power is vested in a Regent, his father, Prince Chun: he was really appointed by the late Dowager Empress, though nominally by the Emperor. The Regent is assisted by a Grand Council, composed of five leading State officials, and contains some of the ablest statesmen in the Empire. There are, moreover, several boards for the control and management of various State departments, such as the Wai wupu, the Board for Foreign Affairs (formerly called the Tsung Li Yamen); the Lung-kung-shangpu, the Board of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce; the Tuchihpu, the Board of Finance; the Boards of Education, of Justice, of War, of Naval Affairs, &c.; but all these boards are under the absolute control of the Regent. He has the supreme authority, and can depose, banish, or execute at will, and without any form of trial, any official of whatsoever rank, as was seen in the recent case of H.E. Yuan Shih Kai, one of the ablest Chinese statesmen and one of the leading figures in educational reform. The Regent appoints all officials on these several boards, all viceroys and governors of provinces, and all envoys to foreign countries. Since the troubles of 1900 there has been a growing desire for constitutional reform, and a few years ago H.E. Tuan Fang, Viceroy of the Liangkiang, was despatched on a mission of investigation to several large European countries, to America, and to Japan. I cannot do better than quote his own words as to the result of his mission. They form part of a preface written by him (as an introduction) to Green’s “Short History of the English People,” which has recently been translated into Chinese. “In the various civilised countries my object was to select and compare their constitutions. Arriving in London, I saw the excellent order of the constitution in ruler and people. In Japan’s reformation she got much from England; much more will our country by-and-by take England for her model.... Excellent is the word of Dr. Macklin [the translator], ‘If you desire to establish a constitution you must follow England. To follow England you must read English history.’”
The determination has been arrived at to have a representative assembly; other envoys have been sent to Europe to obtain fuller information about constitutional methods, and measures are being taken to prepare the Chinese people for the momentous change. The development of local government is an important step in this direction, and the Regent has strongly commended the successful work done in the Liangkiang provinces, urging others to follow the good example of H. E. Tuan Fang. The elective body will be a very limited one: it will consist of (i) all holders of literary degrees (students only holding degrees granted by Christian colleges are debarred from voting); (ii) all holders of property to the amount of 5000 taels (about £750). Those eligible for the vote are further restricted by the prohibition against opium-smokers, Buddhist monks, &c. The date is not yet fixed for the summoning of the first assembly, but it is proposed that it should take place in the fourth year of the present reign.
The salient characteristic of the present Government is the divorce of the executive from the legislative faculty. Edicts are issued incessantly, but very little is done to give practical effect to the majority of them. Official corruption is almost universal, and the difficulties of combating it are so great that many good men are deterred from entering official life because they feel the impossibility of putting a stop to bribery in their own Yamens. Up to the present time bribery has been legitimatised and nothing done to check it, except in flagrant cases; now there is to be a serious attempt made to put it down, and the fact is recognised that it is a public wrong, as may be seen from the edict quoted on [page 129].