Chapter 7 - A Trip to China

by Louisa May Alcott

　　"Come, little girl, I've got another dose for you. I fancy you won't takeit as well as you did the last, but you will like it better after a while,"said Dr. Alec, about a week after the grand surprise.Rose was sitting in her pretty room, where she would gladly have spent allher time if it had been allowed; but she looked up with a smile, for shehad ceased to fear her uncle's remedies, and was always ready to try a newone. The last had been a set of light gardening tools, with which she hadhelped him put the flower-beds in order, learning all sorts of new andpleasant things about the plants as she worked, for, though she had studiedbotany at school, it seemed very dry stuff compared with Uncle Alec'slively lesson."What is it now?" she asked, shutting her work-box without a murmur."Salt-water.""How must I take it?""Put on the new suit Miss Hemming sent home yesterday, and come down to thebeach; then I'll show you.""Yes, sir," answered Rose obediently, adding to herself, with a shiver, ashe went off: "It is too early for bathing, so I know it is something to dowith a dreadful boat."Putting on the new suit of blue flannel, prettily trimmed with white, andthe little sailor-hat with long streamers, diverted her mind from theapproaching trial, till a shrill whistle reminded her that her uncle waswaiting. Away she ran through the garden, down the sandy path, out upon thestrip of beach that belonged to the house, and here she found Dr. Alec busywith a slender red and white boat that lay rocking on the rising tide."That is a dear little boat; and 'Bonnie Belle' is a pretty name," shesaid, trying not to show how nervous she felt."It is for you; so sit in the stern and learn to steer, till you are readyto learn to row.""Do all boats wiggle about in that way?" she asked, lingering as if to tieher hat more firmly."Oh, yes, pitch about like nutshells when the sea is a bit rough," answeredher sailor uncle, never guessing her secret woe."Is it rough to-day?""Not very; it looks a trifle squally to the eastward, but we are all righttill the wind changes. Come.""Can you swim, uncle?" asked Rose, clutching at his arm as he took herhand."Like a fish. Now then.""Oh, please hold me very tight till I get there! Why do you have the sternso far away?" and, stifling several squeaks of alarm in her passage, Rosecrept to the distant seat, and sat there holding on with both hands andlooking as if she expected every wave to bring a sudden shipwreck.Uncle Alec took no notice of her fear, but patiently instructed her in theart of steering, till she was so absorbed in remembering which wasstarboard and which larboard, that she forgot to say "OW!" every time a bigwave slapped against the boat."Now where shall we go?" she asked, as the wind blew freshly in her face,and a few, long swift strokes sent them half across the little bay."Suppose we go to China?""Isn't that rather a long voyage?""Not as I go. Steer round the Point into the harbour, and I'll give you aglimpse of China in twenty minutes or so.""I should like that!" and Rose sat wondering what he meant, while sheenjoyed the new sights all about her.Behind them the green Aunt-hill sloped gently upward to the grove at thetop, and all along the seaward side stood familiar houses, stately, cosy,or picturesque. As they rounded the Point, the great bay opened before themfull of shipping, and the city lay beyond, its spires rising above the tallmasts with their gay streamers."Are we going there?" she asked, for she had never seen this aspect of therich and busy old city before."Yes. Uncle Mac has a ship just in from Hong Kong, and I thought you wouldlike to go and see it.""Oh, I should. I love dearly to go poking about in the warehouses withUncle Mac; everything is so curious and new to me; and I'm speciallyinterested in China because you have been there.""I'll show you two genuine Chinamen who have just arrived. You will like towelcome Whang Lo and Fun See, I'm sure.""Don't ask me to speak to them, uncle; I shall be sure to laugh at the oddnames and the pig-tails and the slanting eyes. Please let me just trotround after you; I like that best.""Very well; now steer toward the wharf where the big ship with the queerflag is. That's the 'Rajah,' and we will go aboard if we can."In among the ships they went, by the wharves where the water was green andstill, and queer barnacles grew on the slippery piles. Odd smells salutedher nose, and odd sights met her eyes, but Rose liked it all, and playedshe was really landing in Hong Kong when they glided up to the steps in theshadow of the tall "Rajah." Boxes and bales were rising out of the hold andbeing carried into the warehouse by stout porters, who tugged and bawledand clattered about with small trucks, or worked cranes with iron clawsthat came down and clutched heavy weights, whisking them aloft to wherewide doors like mouths swallowed them up.Dr. Alec took her aboard the ship, and she had the satisfaction of pokingher inquisitive little nose into every available corner, at the risk ofbeing crushed, lost, or drowned."Well, child, how would you like to take a voyage round the world with mein a jolly old craft like this?" asked her uncle, as they rested a minutein the captain's cabin."I should like to see the world, but not in such a small, untidy, smellyplace as this. We would go in a yacht all clean and comfortable; Charliesays that is the proper way," answered Rose, surveying the close quarterswith little favour."You are not a true Campbell if you don't like the smell of tar andsalt-water, nor Charlie either, with his luxurious yacht. Now come ashoreand chin-chin with the Celestials."After a delightful progress through the great warehouse, peeping andpicking as they went, they found Uncle Mac and the yellow gentlemen in hisprivate room, where samples, gifts, curiosities, and newly arrivedtreasures of all sorts were piled up in pleasing pro-fusion and con-fusion.As soon as possible Rose retired to a corner, with a porcelain god on oneside, a green dragon on the other, and, what was still more embarrassing,Fun See sat on a tea-chest in front, and stared at her with his beady blackeyes till she did not know where to look.Mr. Whang Lo was an elderly gentleman in American costume, with hispig-tail neatly wound round his head. He spoke English, and was talkingbusily with Uncle Mac in the most commonplace way so Rose considered him afailure. But Fun See was delightfully Chinese from his junk-like shoes tothe button on his pagoda hat; for he had got himself up in style, and was amass of silk jackets and slouchy trousers. He was short and fat, andwaddled comically; his eyes were very "slanting," as Rose said; his queuewas long, so were his nails; his yellow face was plump and shiny, and hewas altogether a highly satisfactory Chinaman.Uncle Alec told her that Fun See had come out to be educated and could onlyspeak a little pigeon English; so she must be kind to the poor fellow, forhe was only a lad, though he looked nearly as old as Mr. Whang Lo. Rosesaid she would be kind; but had not the least idea how to entertain thequeer guest, who looked as if he had walked out of one of the rice-paperlandscapes on the wall, and sat nodding at her so like a toy Mandarin thatshe could hardly keep sober.In the midst of her polite perplexity, Uncle Mac saw the two young peoplegazing wistfully at one another, and seemed to enjoy the joke of thismaking acquaintance under difficulties. Taking a box from his table, hegave it to Fun See, with an order that seemed to please him very much.Descending from his perch, he fell to unpacking it with great neatness anddespatch, while Rose watched him, wondering what was going to happen.Presently, out from the wrappings came a teapot, which caused her to claspher hands with delight, for it was made in the likeness of a plump littleChinaman. His hat was the cover, his queue the handle, and his pipe thenose. It stood upon feet in shoes turned up at the toes, and the smile onthe fat, sleepy face was so like that on Fun's when he displayed theteapot, that Rose couldn't help laughing, which pleased him much.Two pretty cups with covers, and a fine scarlet tray completed the set, andmade one long to have a "dish of tea," even in Chinese style, without creamor sugar.When he had arranged them on a little table before her, Fun signified inpantomime that they were hers, from her uncle. She returned her thanks inthe same way, whereupon he returned to his tea-chest, and, having no othermeans of communication, they sat smiling and nodding at one another in anabsurd sort of way till a new idea seemed to strike Fun. Tumbling off hisseat, he waddled away as fast as his petticoats permitted, leaving Rosehoping that he had not gone to get a roasted rat, a stewed puppy, or anyother foreign mess which civility would oblige her to eat.While she waited for her funny new friend, she improved her mind in a waythat would have charmed Aunt Jane. The gentlemen were talking over allsorts of things, and she listened attentively, storing up much of what sheheard, for she had an excellent memory, and longed to distinguish herselfby being able to produce some useful information when reproached with herignorance.She was just trying to impress upon her mind that Amoy was two hundred andeighty miles from Hong Kong, when Fun came scuffling back, bearing what shethought was a small sword, till he unfurled an immense fan, and presentedit with a string of Chinese compliments, the meaning of which would haveamused her even more than the sound, if she could have understood it.She had never seen such an astonishing fan, and at once became absorbed inexamining it. Of course, there was no perspective whatever, which only gaveit a peculiar charm to Rose, for in one place a lovely lady, with blueknitting-needles in her hair, sat directly upon the spire of a statelypagoda. In another charming view a brook appeared to flow in at the frontdoor of a stout gentleman's house, and out at his chimney. In a third azig-zag wall went up into the sky like a flash of lightning, and a birdwith two tails was apparently brooding over a fisherman whose boat was justgoing aground upon the moon.It was altogether a fascinating thing, and she would have sat wafting it toand fro all the afternoon, to Fun's great satisfaction, if Dr. Alec'sattention had not suddenly been called to her by a breeze from the big fanthat blew his hair into his eyes, and reminded him that they must go. Sothe pretty china was repacked, Rose furled her fan, and with severalparcels of choice teas for the old ladies stowed away in Dr. Alec'spockets, they took their leave, after Fun had saluted them with "the threebendings and the nine knockings," as they salute the Emperor, or "Son ofHeaven," at home."I feel as if I had really been to China, and I'm sure I look so," saidRose, as they glided out of the shadow of the "Rajah."She certainly did, for Mr. Whang Lo had given her a Chinese umbrella; UncleAlec had got some lanterns to light up her balcony; the great fan lay inher lap, and the tea-set reposed at her feet."This is not a bad way to study geography, is it?" asked her uncle, who hadobserved her attention to the talk."It is a very pleasant way, and I really think I have learned more aboutChina to-day than in all the lessons I had at school, though I used torattle off the answers as fast as I could go. No one explained anything tous, so all I remember is that tea and silk come from there, and the womenhave little bits of feet. I saw Fun looking at mine, and he must havethought them perfectly immense," answered Rose, surveying her stout bootswith sudden contempt."We will have out the maps and the globe, and I'll show you some of myjourneys, telling stories as we go. That will be next best to doing itactually.""You are so fond of travelling, I should think it would be very dull foryou here, uncle. Do you know, Aunt Plenty says she is sure you will be offin a year or two.""Very likely.""Oh, me! what shall I do then?" sighed Rose, in a tone of despair that madeUncle Alec's face brighten with a look of genuine pleasure as he saidsignificantly"Next time I go I shall take my little anchor with me. How will that suit?""Really, uncle?""Really, niece."Rose gave a little bounce of rapture which caused the boat to "wiggle" in away that speedily quieted her down. But she sat beaming joyfully and tryingto think which of some hundred questions she would ask first, when Dr. Alecsaid, pointing to a boat that was coming up behind them in great style"How well those fellows row! Look at them, and take notes for your own useby and by."The "Stormy Petrel" was manned by half a dozen jaunty looking sailors, whomade a fine display of blue shirts and shiny hats, with stars and anchorsin every direction."How beautifully they go, and they are only boys. Why, I do believe theyare our boys! Yes, I see Charlie laughing over his shoulder. Row, uncle,row! Oh, please do, and not let them catch up with us!" cried Rose, in sucha state of excitement that the new umbrella nearly went overboard."All right, here we go!" and away they did go with a long steady sweep ofthe oars that carried the "Bonnie Belle" through the water with a rush.The lads pulled their prettiest, but Dr. Alec would have reached the Pointfirst, if Rose, in her flurry, had not retarded him by jerking the rudderropes in a most unseamanlike way, and just as she got right again her hatblew off. That put an end to the race, and while they were still fishingfor the hat the other boat came alongside, with all the oars in the air,and the jolly young tars ready for a frolic."Did you catch a crab, uncle?""No, a blue-fish," he answered, as the dripping hat was landed on a seat todry."What have you been doing?""Seeing Fun.""Good for you, Rose! I know what you mean. We are going to have him up toshow us how to fly the big kite, for we can't get the hang of it. Isn't hegreat fun, though?""No, little Fun.""Come, stop joking, and show us what you've got.""You'd better hoist that fan for a sail.""Lend Dandy your umbrella; he hates to burn his pretty nose.""I say, uncle, are you going to have a Feast of Lanterns?""No, I'm going to have a feast of bread and butter, for it's tea-time. Ifthat black cloud doesn't lie, we shall have a gust before long, so you hadbetter get home as soon as you can, or your mother will be anxious,Archie.""Ay, ay, skipper. Good-night, Rose; come out often, and we'll teach you allthere is to know about rowing," was Charlie's modest invitation.Then the boats parted company, and across the water from the "Petrel's"crew came a verse from one of the Nonsense songs in which the boysdelighted."Oh, Timballoo! how happy we are, We live in a sieve and a crockery jar!And all night long, in the starlight pale, We sail away, with a pea-greensail, And whistle and warble a moony song To the echoing sound of a copperygong. Far and few, far and few Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Theirheads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in asieve."