A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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There Is A Large Open Spot Set Apart For This
Purpose In The Garden Of Every Chinese Nobleman.
We noticed an
abundance of running water and ponds, but we did not observe any
fountains.
As everything had passed off so well, Herr von Carlowitz proposed
that we should go and see the garden of the Mandarin Puntiqua, which
I was very anxious to do, as the mandarin had ordered a steam-boat
to be built there by a Chinese, who had resided thirteen years in
North America, where he had studied.
The vessel was so far advanced that it was to be launched in a few
weeks. The artist showed us his work with great satisfaction, and
was evidently very much pleased at the praise we bestowed upon him
for it. He attached great importance to his knowledge of the
English language, for when Herr von Carlowitz addressed him in
Chinese, he answered in English, and requested us to continue the
conversation in that idiom. The machinery struck us as not being
constructed with the usual degree of neatness for which the Chinese
are famous, and also appeared far too large for the small vessel for
which it was intended. Neither I nor my companion would have had
the courage to have gone in her on her experimental trip.
The mandarin who had the vessel built, had gone to Pekin to obtain a
"button" as his reward for being the first person to launch a
steamer in the Chinese empire.
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Page 233 of 708
Words from 62069 to 62318
of 187810
