CHINA IN THE MELTING POT

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 136, 5 March 1927, Page 24

CHINA IN THE MELTING POT

AMONG THE BRIGAND ARMIES

(By

Mrs. Malcolm King,

in the “English Review.”)

In tlie first “great heat,” as the Chinese term that period of the summer, I found myself steaming into the little tieaty port of Ichang'on my way up the Yangtse, through the great gorges, to the rock city of Chungking. These rugged gorges extend for five hundred miles throuh the brigandhaunted provinces of Hupeh an 1 Szechuan, and their wild, rockv sides only begin to fall ‘"away into low-peak-ed hills as the waters widen and Chungking comes in sight. This treaty port of Ichang, which stands at the head of the lower river, is a thousand miles from the sea, and is of considerable trade importance, being the channel through -which passes all the silk and oil trade of Szechuan, perhaps the richest province in China. It is also a hotbed of illicit opium smuggling, and the streets are in consequence usually full of ragged soldiers, who take to looting everything that they can lay hands on if they are kept more than eight or nine months in arrears with their pay.

Here I discovered that there were no upper river boats due for several days, but, thanks to a British oil company, I was offered a free passage in their small tanker; and accordingly, about 5 a.nt. next day, before the sun had driven away the pearly mists, we slipped into midstream, and very soon had left the sleeping river world of Ichang

behind, and were swallowed up in the narrow portals of the first gorge. The trip passed without any of the exciting incidents of my previous journeys, and, beyond an ominous quiet, anil a strange" absence o! junk traffic, we steamed past the danger zones without sighting a brigand and without a.shot being fired. At Wan Hsien, however, where we anchored for the second night, wt learned that the Chinese had cut the telegraph wires, and that consequently the message to the Consul at Chungking announcing the day of my arrival hail not got through. 'This was awkward, especially as on the fifth morning, when we reached the •oil installation, nine miles below the citv, I discovered that the tanker unloaded her oil there, and dill not go on to Chungking as 1 hail expected. However, after a good deal of delay, the difficulty was overcome by the manager lending me his chair, collecting .seven coolies, and sending me up thi. last few miles in his launch. Chungking breasts the swirling waters of the Yangtse like some ancient galleon. It is impossible to describe the strange fascination and desolate splendour of this city built on a rod:, rising, „as it does, almost sheer out of tile river. Kight down its grey sides cling a thousand mat huts, sup-

ported in front by stilt-like poles; and flights of steps (between three and four hundred) lead up to the first natrow shelf of roek, which does duty for a street. The river frontage is lined with junks and sampans, and in order to land one has to cling to anvthing that comes handy, and clamber over sometimes a dozen boats to reach the steps which form the main arteries of the citv. From the lane-.

ing-place on the opposite side of the river I could see an endless mass of moving figures winding ceaselessly up and down with their burdens —looking across the wide waters like ants laboriously working out their allotted tasks. Three of the coolies having slung mv luggage to their poles. 1 settled into mv chair, and was raised on to the shoulders of the remaining four. They padded up the steep mud bank, their bare feet" swift and sure, ami then entered the village that ineandetcd up the base of the hills. There was more room here than in the cramped citv across the river, and the dark mat-roofed streets, lined with shops full of smoking foods, were unusually wide. Ponies, mostly ridden by soldiers, clattered up and down the frequent flights of steps, careless if itinerant pedlars beating their gongs, of professional ear-clealiefs and barbers, who ph their trade in public, and tlv children who swarm in every Chinese village. Soldiers were everywhere—they lay asleep in rows on bare tables, or sat chattering in the teahouses, shovelling rice into their mouths from tiny bowls. It, the midst of Uns verminous medley of humanity wc suddenly came upon the figure of a woman, standing alone, like an exquisite jewel against her filthy surroundings. She was neatly clothed in the old Chinese fashion of pink silk bodice mid black trousers, hei delicate little head of glistening black hair was dressed with seed-pearl I pins, and her tapering lingers were stained with Vermillion at the tips. She may have been the wife, or more likely a concubine, of one of the Chinese generals who had his quarters in the town.

It was not long before we emerged from the dark, alleyed street, hot with swarms of people, into the open air, and began to wind along a narrow paved path that led up to the first

range of hills. On the slopes were scattered groves of cypres trees marking where the honoured scholars were laid to rest, whilst hundreds of tiny mounds told where the poor were buried. As we mounted above the leaden humidity of the river, the ait grew fresh and sweet, and the long shadows of late afternoon were spreading in the wooded hollows. It was delicious to swing through the air to the smooth glide of the chair, to dip into dark groves of pines, and then to-wind up amongst the feathery bamboos, often catching a glimpse of the river s now burnished gold by the setting sun.

L'p and up we climbed, until tingrey crags that hail looked so far ahead were actually under the coolies’ feet, and we had entered a small hamlet that lay on the crest of the first range, commanding a view over both valleys. It also was occupied by an army, and I noticed that the soldiers were wearing the same blue tabs on their arms as those we bad passed in the town below. A sentry stopped my chair, but one of the coolies said something in Chinese, and I was allowed to pass into the evil-smelling, matcovered street. It was packed with well-armed men, and I did not quite like the way my chair coolies had to push their way among the ragged soldiers, who hanjlled their rifles none soo

: carefully. But we got through safely, and by the help of a hastily-lit cigar- : ette I soon forgot the awful stench and intimate, but not pleasant, sights I had , unwillingly witnessed. Down the narrow flagged path we ■ went, into the lovely green valley, and then up again towards the peaks of ■ the second range. Half-way up the : coolies stopped and set down my ehair, " and I gathered that it was a halt for ■ ■ est. Emerging again from under the ■ dark foliage on to the open hills, I : noticed with some concern that the • valley below was now all in shadow, " and that it would not be long before ; [ dankness descended. Then the worst happened—we -lost the way; but at | last we stumbled upon a tiny pathway, and soon after rounding a sharp : bend came upon the back premises of a ’ > small building. Jumping out of mv chair T burst unceremoniously into a dimly-lit room, where a missionary and his family were supping. They were very kind, and sent one of their servants with a lantern to show my chair-bearers the wav, and we eventually arrived at the little white moonlit bungalow belonging to my friends. All was in -darkness; but a bang or two on the door brought the "number one’’ boy, and, fortunatey, he knew me and let me in. For an hour I sat alone by the light of one candle, in a stillness and quiet so intense that it could almost be felt, till I heard steps mid English voices outside, and rushed iovfullv to meet my surprised hosts. On waking next morning I rose and strolled on to the veranda that rqn round three sides of the house, anxious fo sec +jv dar light where it lay. I • found it was perched on the lop of a crag, the rock and earth falling away oil all sides: on one hand a narrow cativon separated us from the second range of hills, whilst on another the windows overlooked a glorious sweeping valley, stretching away for miles to a bend of the Yaiigl.se far down the gorges. The river shone like a silver lake in the still morning light, c”d the blue hills surrounding it rose faintlv against a white, luminous sky. Eor a few days nothing unusual happened. though wild rumours had been living about for some time that three armies were mustering on the frontier of the next province, Honan, prepara- | tore to marching on Chungking. \Vc explored the lovely hills in the cool of the evenings, played tennis at the few bungalows perilled on the second range, and dined in one or other of them at night. But one night soon the trouble came. Ender cover of darkness an army from the interior had silently streamed up the Kwei Jo road, which stretched away into Honan, and daylight found it in- ; stalled on the ridge of the first range, between us mid the city. It had all hap- i pened so quickly that I and my hostess ' found ourselves alone in the bungalow, 1 completely cut off. the river traffic across 1 to Chungking being perforce suspend- 1 ed and the city under siege. All day I 1 we could hear the intermittent rattle : of the machine-guns, and as news slow- :i Iv filtered through we learned that the f besieging armv under General Chou 1 had taken up its quarters in the little 1 hamlet through which 1 had passed on 1 mv journey lip the hills. 'Hie troops T I had seen there had apparently fled * down to the river at the first alarm R and had crossed in a fleet of sampans s to the comparative safety of the city. 11 I'roni there they retaliated, the base of 0 the rock being posted with snipers, who ° picked off anyone rash enough to come into the open or attempting to get 11

■ down the mud bank to the river. On the second day of the siege two adventurous men, cut off like ourselves from the city, decided, to go down in their chairs and. cull on the General, to discover if possible his intentions. He received them with great courtesy, apologising for the presence of his army, and promising to give strict orders to his soldiers not to disturb or harm au'v foreigners in the bungalows j around. Our friends described him as i a good-looking man of’about 21, wear- | ing a light blue uniform and patent | leather pumps, lie was very friendly, I and affected what he imagined to be an easy foreign manner by putting his strangely-clad feet on the table while he chatted through the medium of an interpreter. Before they left he insisted that his visitors should watch a machine-gun, of which he was very | proud, firing off a few rounds in the general direction of the city. After the first days of rumours and excitement life in the hills resumed its normal course, and undisturbed by intermittent firing we played our evening tennis and visited our friends behind the lines. On the fourth day of the siege things began to be more serious, for our supplies were running dangerously low, and the last bag of fldur had been pooled. So again a deputation went across the valley and arranged with the friendly General that, if his rival in the city would agree, firing should cease on both sides for two hours whilst a few foreigners crossed the river to collect mails and bring back some badly-needed provisions. This was arranged, and so well were the orders carried out that not a single rifle shot cracked across the deserted river, and the launch returned in safety. We were very much relieved to get word that the Consul was quite safe, though a shell had found its way amongst the tangle of flowers in his garden, and that there was plenty of food to be obtained.

For the, next three days it became the

custom of some of us to go down through the village where the attacking army was quartered, and under cover of the wall creep into the little club right below on the river bqnk and watch the firing. It was foolish, and unfair to the Chinese in case someone had been killed, but we wpre lucky and no one was hit. 'The poles of one chair were grazed by a bullet, and all the windows of the club wete smashed, but this only added to the excitement and' gave an extra flavour to the drinks.

The siege lasted for a week, and we sooti discovered that under cover of his machine-gun our debonnair friend was looting the Mint. Behind the Hue of fire coolies and soldiers could be seen clay after day with loaded ponies journeying to and fro, rifling the Mint of its copper cash—an occupation more

congenial to the brigand soldiers than fighting. After seven days the investing army

disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as it had come, and the river traffic spread once more like a swarm of flics across to the city. The villager and the coolie no longer went in dread of the Jafoo, and our servants could cross to the city to shop without danger of a rope being thrown round their shoulders. For the lafco is the rope of compulsion, and is used by the armies to impress labour without payment. Sometimes when their ranks are thin, they put these miserable prisoners into ragged uniforms and place in their unwilling hands rifles which they have not the slightest idea how to use. When there is no further need for them, they are just left by the wayside, often far from home, without monev or food. Next day we were returning along the top of the second range after a swim in a cool, green lake, when, we came suddenly upon a strange and pietur- , esque sight. Right along the Kwei Jo road, winding across the valley almost to our leet, straggled a long blue line. It was the citv troops pursuing the retreating force’s. Along the flagged

path the .ragged army streamed, hot and weary, sheltering under their orange umbrellas, burnt to a brilliant flame by the ray of the setting sun. I sat down a few yards from the road and watched this absurd procession, humour and pathos struggling for mastery. Although most of their uniforms were mere rags tide up with string, the rank and file were well supplied with ammunition, and each man carried an umbrella, a rifle, and a fan, as part of his regulation outfit. Except the officers, who rode on ponies, none of them wore shoes, and very few boasted hats; they looked halfstarved, and very different f-om the bold looking soldiers of the bandit armv.

After a fortnight of peace, rumours crept along the hills that General Chou was biding somewhere near in preparation for another attack on Chungking. These rumours were coloured bv the fact that the tea-house at the cross roads was filled with city troops and pickets placed at vantage spots along the range. Even the little Mission church had been annexed, and a crowd of dirty soldiers slept there at night and gambled by daylight, all the time keeping a wary eye on the path running like a white ribbon into the next province. Every night before going to bed we used to -troll out to search the darkness for stray'lanterns moving in the valley below', but the only light was from fireflies, and the only sound the barking of frogs. As so often happens, the obvious did not occur, and trouble appeared from an entirely unexpected quarter. It was a

hot, moonless night, and we were due to dine at one of the neighbouring bungalows, so taking sticks and a “chin ping” to carry a lantern, we started off. Up and down the tiny path meandered on the top of the range, dipping through thick pine woods and undergrowth, and never once breaking cover and emerging under the open sky. Feathery bamboos brushed our faces as we stumbled along by the patchy light of the lantern, and there was no sound to be heard even from the usually noisy crickets. At length we arrived, and were not sorry to sink into comfortable chairs, and stp the refreshingly iced cocktails. After dinner we wandered out on the veranda and settled down to play bridge in the mosquito-netted enclosure which is attached to every bungalow. Presently I became conscious of a faint noise coming, up from the blackness of the valley, but at first did not take much notice, thinking it to be the sound of fire crackers lit by some villager to keep the devils away. But very soon I became acutely conscious that it was nothing more nor less than firing, mingled with the dull roar of a mass’ of men coming gradually nearer. Strangely enough no one said a word, each determined not to be the first to give the alarm, and we continued our game as if nothing were happening, stupidly sitting exposed in the concen- j trated glare of two oil-lamps. The roar pressed closer, and still we sat shouting our declaration above the now tremendous noise—absurdly. British in an extremely un-British setting. It was, of course, the bandit army passing along the lattle path that lay twenty yards below where we sat.

.Suddenly the sharp ping of a bullet fired from the back of the bungalow whistled past the mosquito netting, and we guessed that one of the pickets had slipped down from the rock above and was utilising our walls as a cover from which to fire down on the advancing enemy. This as last forced us to abandon our pretence of a game, and retreating into the livingroom we sat on the table looking out of the open windows, thoroughly enjoying the danger and excitement. The noise of firing and shouting was terriffic, and it was a curious sensation to know that we could be seen by, yet could not ourselves see, the army that was pouring past

For half-an-hour pandemonium raged, then suddenly ceased as the last of the soldiers scrambled over the top of the range, and began to trail down the opposite valley towards their old quarters on the outer hills. So completely did the rocks cut off all sound I of the disappearing army that the silence that followed was intense—no one spoke—until the liquid notes of a flute broke out into the night like a shower of silver bells. Where the music came from wc could not tell, but it was strange and sweet after the tortured clamour, and seemed to be a message saying that all was well and that we could go safely home to bed. At anv rate, we said “good-night,” and started along the footpath that the soldiers had iust taken, branching off into the woods to our bungalow. Next day wc heard that otlw'.s had' not fared so well, for some of the houses had been stormed and food and clothes taken, whilst two had been used as positions from which to fire down on the city outposts. Luckily only one foreigner had been hurt by a bullet, which had hit the woodwork of his lighted doorway, sending a splinter into his eye. Only in one place, too, had the opposing forces come to grips, and that was probably merely by accident, as rhe

Chinese, in spite of their supposed bloodthirsty character, are not a fighting race. This “scrap” occurred on a tennis court on which we frequently played, and was watched from above with much interest by the owner and his family. After a few wild shots, a scuffle or two. and no loss of life, the battle was', over, and the blue-banded soldiers' were' allowed to escape down the hills. This second siege happened during the week-end, so that the Consul and the few men who lived in Chungking during the week were with us, and were only too glad of the excuse to stay away from the intolerably hot and fetid city. We had many parties, therefore, and tennis and the presence of danger only added a keener edge to our enjoyment. There was serious talk of the city falling this time, but in reality everyone knew that it was only a question of bribery. The generals regularly threw in their lot with the side that paid the best, and our brigand friend himself had only two months before been attached to the Northern army, which was now holding Chungking. He soon turned traitor, however, and used against the city the arms that Wu Pei Fit had given him, retiring afterwards to the stronghold of the hills. We were awakened the morning after our disturbed bridge party by repeated knocks at the door, and as the servants did not appear to hear or were frightened, the Consul in his pyjamas went to find out who it was. A young Chinese officer stood on the veranda, and explained with many apologies that he had been sent by General Chou to inform us that he was once more in his old quarters besieging the city, but that he had instructed his soldiers to inconvenience us as little as possible. With that he bowed again, and jumping on his pony galloped out of sight down the steep path. Later in the day the Consul and the captain of a British gunboat who was staying with us put on their uniforms and paid a formal call on the rebel chief. At the entrance of the dark evil-smelling village they were stopped by an officer with an armed guard, but on explaining in Chinese that they had come to pay their respects to the General, were con-

ducted through the narrow streets to his quarters. The chair coolies had to push their way through a seething mass of soldiers, with rifles pointed dangerously in all directions, but finally the visitors arrived safely to find the General surrounded, in great state, by his staff. One could hardly call it a room, as it only had three sides, the fourth being open to the street, and the only furniture it contained was a wooden table, two chairs, and a bench.

The General was apparently delighted to sec them, and asked a lot of amusing questions, evidently deeply curious as to foreign ways. He had none of the social stiffness of the educated Chinese, and it was therefore possible to get a better idea of his character as a man| Although unwashed, his delicately-cut features and exquisite long fingers gave him the appearance of fine quality that so many of the Chinese possess, and about his eyes and forehead he had that touch of asceticism and inherent culture noticeable in some of the temple priests. 1” reality he was a daring’ soldier of fortune with but one absorbing aim, the desire for wealth. For this end he carelessly ran enormous risks, knowing full well that, if he failed, the Chile war lord, Wu Pei Fu. who had been his former Commander-in-Chicf. would without a moment’s hesitation have him beheaded. He told his visitors frankly that his.ambition was to amass sufficient riches to enable him to slip quietly down the great river to Shanghai, and there, in the safety of international protection, enjoy kinemas and theatres, and contact with foreign life. With this end in view, no doubt, his men were again rifling the Mint, and as the two white men were getting into their chairs, a string of coolies passed, bearing heavy wooden boxes full of cash. Once more the siege lasted a week, and on the seventh night lines of tiny lights, like glow-worms, moved slcwly along the Kwei Jo road below. It wa i " the lanterns of the brigand army retiring

with the spoil, to their unknown reirc in the distant hills.