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ASIA W ,t, ROUND ^H THE ^ ^WORLD ON A WMEL. Foster Iraser Gr44tf (Qdtnell Httiueratta Slibratg CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE THE GIFT OF CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918 LIBRARY ANFSEX DATE DUE The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023252707 ROUND TtTE WORLD ON A WHEEL '^ *ti ROUND THE WORLD ON A WHEEL BEING THE NARRATIVE OF A BICYCLE RIDE OF NINETEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN MILES THROUGH SEVENTEEN COUNTRIES AND ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS BY JOHN FOSTER ERASER S. EDWARD LUNN, AND F. H. LOWE WRITTEN BY JOHN FOSTER FRASER WITH ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS FIFTH EDITION METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON \f\laSf: PREFACE ' ""HIS is a book of travel. But, unlike other books I J- of travel, it is not clever or wise or scientific. There is nothing about anthropology or biology or archaeology. There are no theories about the trans- mission of language or about Sanskrit grammar. Sanskrit has ever been the last refuge of the learned. We took this trip round the world on bicycles because we are more or less conceited, like to be talked about, and see our names in the newspapers. We didn't go into training. We took things easy. We jogged through Europe, had sundry experiences in Asia, and survived the criticisms of our country from the Americans. For two years we bicycled in strange lands, and came home a great disappointment to our friends. We were not haggard or worn, or tottering in our gait. We had never been scalped, or had hooks through our spines ; never been tortured, or had our eyes gouged ; never been rescued after living for a fortnight on our shoes. And we had never killed a man. It was evident we were not real travellers. Still, away somewhere at the back of our heads, we are rather proud of what we have done. We have accomplished the longest bicycle ride ever attempted, Just 19,237 miles over continuous new ground. We vi ROUND THE WORLD ON A WHEEL were stoned by the Mohammedans because they alleged we were Christians, and we were pelted with mud in China because the Celestials were certain we were devils. We slept in wet clothes, subsisted on eggs, went hungry, and were enforced teetotalers. We had small-pox, fever, and other ailments. There were less than a dozen fights with Chinese mobs. We never shaved for five months, and only occasionally washed. Our adventures therefore were of a humdrum sort. If only one of us had been killed, or if we had ridden back into London each minus a limb, some excitement would have been caused. As it was we came home quietly. JOHN FOSTER FRASER The Authors' Club, Whitehall Court, London, S.W. January, 1899. —A CONTENTS CHAPTER I. rACE The Start—Equipment—Comments in Cheapside—Last afternoon in England — Arrival in Belgium—Invitation from King Leopold— Impressing the Belgians —Across Holland—Entering Germany—Along by the Rhine -side—Germans and Beer—Wagner and " Daisy Bell"—Bible and Horse-radish—Arrival at the Lager Capital . , . i CHAPTER II. Entering Austria-Bother with Custom Officials— Sweltering weather and toilsome roads—Ovation in Vienna—Playing at royalty—Over the Hungarian frontier- Rain and swamp—Reaching Buda-Pesth— Skirting the Carpathian Mountains— In a quaint inn —Among the gipsies—Reception by the mayor of Nyergyhaza —The freedom of the city—Through miles of sand—An old man's hospitality —His kiss and blessing—In the ravines of Transylvania— Counts and countesses ii CHAPTER III. Into Roumania—Row with an innkeeper—Gendarmes called Russian frontier — —The ^"No dealings with Nihilists I "—A land of no roads—Over the desolate steppes—Losing our way—A Russian Cockney—Eggs and bread as continuous diet—^At Odessa—The Muscovite in authority—We grovel . 25 CHAPTER IV. Again on the steppes—Telegraph poles the guide— Sleeping on the floor—What Russians drink—^A night in a police-station—Dismal weather— Entering the Crimea^The almond-eyed Tartars—Uncomfortable night in a stench-fuming den—Palace of the Khans—A sweet infidel—Adventure in a tunnel—Sevastopol —Seeking peace and finding a furnace— Cycling over the field of Balaclava South coast of the Crimea- Russians at play . > • • 37 CHAPTER V. How Russians wash—Sleeping Muscovite style —Raising an appetite—Cycling up Snowdon and down—An evening in dreamland—The ways of Russian wheel- men—How we sang " God save the Queen " —Among the fearful Cossacks— region of break-jaw names— " Stumped," without money—Siberia in prospect friendly . —Saved by a Teuton , , ... 50 CHAPTER VI. Engulphed In a sand-storm—A fearful experience—Longing for home— Our bad Russian-Cycling the railway track—A new-style wedding—Arrested as spies —Attacked by Cossacks—Pistols and blood—Calming a drunken rufiian— spurious Cossack and his fate—At the foot of the Caucasus • 60 — viii ROUND THE WORLD ON A WHEEL CHAPTER VII. PACB Over the Caucasus mountains—Through the Dariel Pass—Tribesmen by the way — Horrific scenery—The jaws ot hell—In the shadow of Mount Kasbec—Among the snows—Summit of the Caucasus—Where Europe and Asia meet—The descent into Asia—A twelve hours' ride—Tiflis reached—Why the Georgians are Christians—Away toward Armenia—A land of brigandage—A night with the Kurds—Mount Ararat in view . • 70 CHAPTER VIII. The oldest monastery in the world—Wine from Noah's vine—Cycling m the Garden of Eden—A real Persian tea-house— " Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay " In Persian — 1" —The tomb of Noah—Entering Persia to the knees in water " Robbers — —Up — Turki hospitality—An eerie scene " Isn't it like hell ? "—Attacked by fever —At the mercy of the natives—Arrival at Tavriz • . 84 CHAPTER IX. — A loathsome place—The heir to the Peacock Throne—Thrashing a mob "Prince " Bismarck Grand Vizier to the Sultaneh Victoria I — In the snow on the moun- tains — Stoned — The Mianeh bug — A cyclopean artist running ^muck — Sheltering in a cave—Riding the high horse—A chapter of accidents—In a vermin-infested dungeon— Quiet visit to a harem , . • • 97 CHAPTER X. Sinking in slush—Amusing the Persian damsels—A public tooth-brush—Meeting a bride—Hyde Park oratory in Kasvin—A brush with the soldiery—Arrival in Teheran, the capital—An Iranic firework display—Lunn's adventures—A nasty Christmas-day—Two revolvers stolen—Punishment of the thieves , . 109 CHAPTER XI. The Shah—A royal review—The King of Kings at home—His ordinary day What he eats—English boxing—The monarch and his ladies— A diplomatic audience . , , ... 120 CHAPTER XII. Visiting the palace—Our reception—Gimcrack curios—Staggering an Aladdin— The royal jewels—Leaving Teheran—The Valley of Death—The great Salt Desert— At Kum— Mobbed as Christians—Stoned from the city—In the Kurud Pass- Two strange tongues— in Caught a snow-storm—A despairing climb . 132 CHAPTER XIII. Why cyclists leave England—Spinning across the desert—The Armenians of Julfa —A scriptural artist—Ispahan in sackcloth and ashes—Playing the coward- Received by the Zil-i-Sultan-A human monster—Mad Britishers !—A rude dismissal—Good riding— Mystifying the Moslems—The wonderful town of Yezdikhast— Fighting a mob—Threatening to behead the chief man , . 148 CHAPTER XIV. Abadeh in excitement—Treated as doctors—Persian love story—Public exhibition of cycling— Persian A luncheon—The dread Pass of Koli Kush—Lost on a mountain of snow — A fearful night — Abandoning the bicycles — Prowling wolves— Fighting with death—Found by horsemen—Among the savage gipsies —Persia's ancient grandeur—Where Xerxes ruled and Alexander feasted . .139 — CONTENTS ix CHAPTER XV. PAGE A night in a hovel Doctoring a fair patient—At Shiraz, garden of Persia-The origin of sheiry—The poets Hafiz and Sadi— Bradlaugh Nob—Toward the coast—Down the rocky Itotals—Carrying the bicycles—Adventure with eleven bears—Reaching the land of myrtle groves—The coast at last, and arrival in I"dia . ... 174 CHAPTER XVI. A kiss of gladness — Our vagabond appearance — Mistaken for dynamitards — Kurachee, the Surbiton of India—Dignity and liver—Heat, dust, beggars, and tombs —The overrated Indus — Kaleidoscopic group of Hindus — Learning eating . Hindustani by curry . ... 186 CHAPTER XVH. Cycling through the jungle by moonlight—Race with a camel—Bringing choia hazra—Three hundred miles in six days—The Indian " purs " — Losing the way— A talk with a Hindu—The transmigrated guinea-fowl—A garrulous Londoner—Anglo-Indian idea of the natives—Thomas Atkins at church , iqi CHAPTER XVIII. Trundling the railroad track for eight hundred miles—The Grand Trunk Road Lahore—A gloriiied Kensington Gardens—The naughty nautch—A soldier as guide — Tommy's opinions — Umritsar — The Golden Temple — A poetical spectacle— Showing off—The lady in the blue blouse—The respectability of Umballa — No food for a day — Indian heat — Flummuxing a Hindu — A suggestion regarding Delhi—A city with a past—The red hair of the Prophet Paradise on eai th—The Taj Mahal in full moonlight . ^ . 198 CHAPTER XIX. Early cyclists catching the salaams—Laid up with small-pox—One's brain in a pulp—Joe Lee, of Cawnpore—The black treachery—At Lucknow—Playing the woman—A midnight dance—Across the Ganges—Benares—Through the Bengaljungle—Looking for tigers—A bit of French territory , . 211 CHAPTER XX. Friends from Calcutta—Reception at Bally—A triumphant entry— FStes, feasts, and swollen heads—Mahommedans stark staring mad—What an earthquake feels like—Our popularity snuffed out—Off to Burma .

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