The house my friends had taken for the season at Pei-tai-ho was at what is known as West End, dis tinguishing this part from Rocky Point, where I believe various missionaries were the first to establish them selves for the summer months. I do not know how to describe the architecture of this place. There is no style to which it could be likened. Our house, which my host nicknamed " The Cruet," had at a little distance a remarkable resemblance to that useful table requisite ; there were various little domes coloured blue, and it only wanted the handle on the top to lift it by ; but all the same I found it a very comfortable abode, with a fine view of the sea, and grand sands stretching away round the bay. I lived at " The Cruet," but slept at the house of another hospitable friend, a little farther west.
At Pei-tai-ho bathing is the great thing, and is in dulged in by all who can manage it. The water is quite warm, and bathers stay in a much longer time than is usual at home.
It was delightful to find the members of our party, who had been here for some weeks, the children especially, once more looking brown and healthy. And yet it was hot ; for a time we had to remain in the verandahs during the midday hours, but as August wore on the weather became more temperate.
The Boxers were strong in these parts in 19oo, and the property of the foreigners suffered much. One sees ruined homesteads, perhaps only a bit of wall and chimney left standing ; but out of evil came good, and, in rebuilding, the owners mostly have chosen better and more accessible sites nearer to the beach ; and, as I suppose the property owners here (as elsewhere) got some com pensation, perhaps the loss was not very great. Judging by the new houses being built, and others enlarged, I should suppose that Pei-tai-ho may look forward to a time of prosperity. The visitors are largely drawn from Tientsin, which is within easy reach by rail ; but Peking and other places are well represented by not a few, who, like ourselves, took the three days' voyage from Shang hai, in search of fresh sea breezes.
With cooler weather we took some excursions in the neighbourhood, I in search of what might provide me with material for sketching. I was invited one day to join some friends who were going snipe-shooting, and went for the sake of seeing the country. Donkeys were, as usual, our means of travel. We passed many ruined buildings. China seems full of them, old mud walls crumbling away—signs of a time when the population was greater than now. We passed through several villages, but none looked prosperous, and the people were poor-looking and ill-clad. Even the larger houses, such as would belong to the headman of the village, seemed to have been battered about and left unrepaired. The country is hilly and rocky, but the valleys look good and fairly well cultivated, kowliang being the principal crop. The roads were no more than tracks,
with great deep ruts made by the wheels of the carts in use. The depth of the ruts is determined by the hubs of the great wooden wheels. In wet weather these tracks become rushing streams, and in riding one has to exercise considerable care, as even donkeys can stumble ; and, though they rarely hurt themselves, the rider may get an awkward fall into mud or dust.
On this ride we had to ford several small streams, and one large river at which some of us looked askance ; but our leader plunged boldly in, and the water was soon up to his saddle. We others followed more gin gerly. I for one put my legs over the donkey's neck, and just missed a wetting. At last the ground was reached where snipe might be expected, and a few coolies proceeded to beat it out — low-lying, swampy ground, full of reeds and rushes ; but into it, often up to their middles, went the coolies, the guns follow ing up.
I understood then why our leader did not mind getting wet crossing the river. He knew he had to do so in going after the snipe. I was not shooting, so remained on dry land. The guns did better than when at the Tahu, and a few birds were bagged.
My friend bad told me he would show me some thing fine in the way of trees on this trip ; and certainly he did. In a small village of little more than mud huts, almost hiding a small temple, there was an enor mous willow tree, and, to make the picture more complete, underneath, some itinerant blacksmiths were at work at a forge, hammering red-hot iron—quite in the manner we are accustomed to think of, but rarely see at home, when the well-known lines come to mind, " Under a spreading chestnut tree." To one side stood the wheelbarrow which carried the stock-in-trade, a whole outfit for their work, rods, iron, bellows, forge, &c., and probably some of the younger members of his family. In a country where there are almost no roads a vehicle such as this, with only one large wheel, must, of course, be best. With it the people can drive along the merest track through fields or over hills. I felt that such a subject as this, showing a phase of purely rural life in China, must not be missed, and decided to paint it. I was rather glad this fine subject lay on the homeward side of the river, as to have to cross and probably get wet, and then sit and work for some hours, day after day, would have damped . my ardour. Next day saw me ready for the work, and my boy mounted and carrying some of my things. I always carried my drawing, and my boy was very cunning in passing on to the donkey coolies most of the articles. I think he felt that all his attention was required to sit his steed and look important.