and fussing until we had safely passed the way being too narrow for both trains to move at once in safety Cooley number two of my chair was a source of great discomfort to me all the day he had a strap spanning the poles by which he upheld his chair of the chair this band or strap was just where the prominent bone is the skin was worn white and hard looking from the rubbing of the band but still it worried me and I watched all the day expecting to see it blister his long pigtail was twisted around his head so I had an unobstructed view of the spot he was not an easy traveller this Cooley there being as much difference in the gate of carriers as there is in the gate of horses many times he shifted the strap much to my misery he would turn and by motions convey to me that I was sitting more to one side than to the other as a result I made such an effort to sit straight and not to move that when we alighted at the shops I would be cramped almost into a paralytic state before the day was over I had a sick headache all from thinking too much about the comfort of the Chinaman a disagreeable thing about the Cooleys is that they grunt like pigs when carrying one let's say whether the grunt has any special significance to them or not but they will grunt one after the other along the train and it is anything but pleasant I was very anxious to see the execution ground so we were carried there we went in through a gate where a stand erected for gambling was surrounded by a crowd of filthy people some few idle ones left it to saunter lazily after us the place is very unlike what one would naturally suppose it to be at first sight it looked like a crooked back alley in a country town there were several rows of half dried pottery a woman who was molding in a shed at one side stopped her work to gossip about us with another female who had been arranging the pottery in rows the place is probably 75 feet long by 25 feet wide at the front and narrowing down at the other end I noticed the ground in one place was very red and when I asked I'll come about it he said indifferently as he kicked the red colored earth with his white sold shoe it's blood 11 men were beheaded here yesterday he added that it was an ordinary thing for 10 to 20 criminals to be executed at one time the average number per annum is something like 400 the guide also told us that in one year 1855 over 50,000 rebels were beheaded in this narrow alley while he was talking I noticed some roughly fashioned wooden crosses leaned up against high stone wall and supposing they were used in some manner for religious purposes before and during executions I asked I'll come about them a shiver waggled its way down my spinal cord when he answered when women are condemned to death in China they are bound to wooden crosses and cut to pieces men are beheaded with one stroke unless they are the worst kind of criminals the guide added then they are given the death of a woman to make it the more discreditable they tie them to the crosses and strangle into pieces when they are cut to bits it is done so deathly they are entirely dismembered and disemboweled before they are dead would you like to see some heads? I thought that Chinese guide could tell as large stories as any other guides and who could equal a guide for highly colored and exaggerated tales so I said coldly certainly bring on your heads I tipped the man as he told me who with the clay of the pottery on his hands went to some barrels which stood near to the wooden crosses put in his hand and pulled out a head those barrels are filled with lime and as the criminals are beheaded their heads are thrown into the barrels and when the barrels become full they empty them out and get a fresh supply if a man of wealth is condemned to death in China he can with little effort by a substitute China men are very indifferent about death it seems to have no terror for them I went to the jail and was surprised to see all the doors open the doors were rather narrow and when I got inside and saw the prisoners with thick heavy boards fastened about their necks I no longer felt surprised at the doors being unbarred there was no need of locking them I went to the court a large square stone paved building in a small room off one side I was presented to some judges who were lounging about smoking opium in another room I met others playing Phantan at the entrance I found a large gambling establishment they took me into a room to see the instruments of punishment split bamboo to whip with thumb screws pulleys on which people are hanged by their thumbs and such pleasant things while I was there they brought in two men who had been caught stealing the thieves were chained with their knees meeting their chins and in that distressing position were carried in baskets suspended on a pole between two coolies the judges explained to me that as these offenders had been caught in the act of taking what belonged not to them their hands would be spread upon flat stones and with smaller stones every bone in their hands would be broken afterwards they would be sent to the hospital to be cured prisoners dying in jail are always beheaded before burial an American who has lived many years near Phantan told me there is a small bridge spanning a stream in the city where it is customary to hang criminals in a fine wire hammock first removing all their clothing a number of sharp knives are laid at the end of the bridge and everyone crossing while the man is there is compelled to take a knife and give a slash to the wire imprisoned rich as I saw none of this myself I only give these stories as they were given to me they tell me of bamboo punishment I cannot now recall the name they gave it is not as uncommon in China as one would naturally suppose from its extreme brutality for some crimes offenders and his opinion in standing position with their legs astride fastened to stakes in the earth this is done directly above a bamboo sprout to realize this punishment and all its dreadfulness it is necessary to give a little explanation of the bamboo a bamboo sprout looks not unlike the delicious asparagus but it is of a hardness and strength not equaled by iron when it starts to come up nothing can stop its progress it is so hard that it will go through anything on its way up let that anything be asphalt or what it will the bamboo goes through it as readily as though the obstruction didn't exist the bamboo grows with marvelous rapidity straight up into the air for 30 days and then it stops when its growth is finished it throws off a shell like bark its branches slowly unfolding and falling into place they are covered with a soft airy foliage finer than the leafage of a willow from a distance a bamboo forest something exquisitely soft and fine in appearance but adamant is not harder in reality as I have said nothing can stop a bamboo sprout when it intends to come up nothing ever equal the rapidity of its growth it being affirmed that it can really be seen growing in the 30 days that it grows it may reach a height of 75 feet picture then a convict pinioned above a bamboo sprout and in such a position that he cannot get away from it it starts on its upward course never caring for what is in its way on it goes through the man who stands there dying dying worse than by inches conscious for a while then fever mercifully kills knowledge and at last after days of suffering his head drops forward and he is dead but that is not any worse than tying a man in the boiling sun to a stake covering him with quick lime and giving him nothing but water to quench hunger and thirst he is out and out for it means life but at last he takes the water that is always within his reach he drinks he perspires and the line begins to eat they also have a habit of suspending a criminal by his arms twisting them back of him as long as a man keeps his muscles tense he can live but the moment he relaxes and falls it ruptures blood vessels and his life floats out in the crimson stream the unfortunate is always suspended in a place where magistrates watch so that no one may release him friends of the condemned flock around the man of authority bargaining for the man's life if they can pay the price extorted by him the man is taken down and set free if not he merely hangs until the muscles give out and he drops to his death they also have a way of burying the whole of criminals except their heads the eyelids are fastened back so that they cannot close them facing the sun they are left to die sticking bamboo splints under the fingernails and then setting fire to them is another happy way of punishing wrongdoers I had no idea what I was to see when we mounted the filthy stone steps leading to the temple of horrors I concluded it must be an exhibition of human monstrosities the steps were filled with dirty Mongolians of all sizes ages shapes and afflictions when they heard our steps those who could see and walk rushed up to us crying for alms and those who were blind and powerless raised their voices the louder because they could not move inside a filthy stone court was crowded with a mass of humanity there were lepers peddlers monstrosities fortune tellers gamblers quacks dentists with strings of horrid teeth and even pastry cooks it is said the Chinese worship here and consult idols in little dirty cells were dirty figures representing the punishment of the Buddhist hell they were being whipped ground to death oil and oil beheaded put under red hot bells being sawed in twain and undergoing similar agreeable things Canton is noted for its many curious and interesting temples there are over 800 temples in the city the most interesting one I saw during my flying trip was the temple of the 500 gods while there the guide asked me if I was superstitious and upon my answering in the affirmative he said he would show me how to try my luck placing some jaw sticks in a copper jar before the luck god he took from the table two pieces of wood weren't smooth and dirty from frequent use which placed together were not unlike a pair in shape with this wood he called it the luck pigeon held with the flat sides together he made circling motions over the smoldering jaw sticks once twice thrice and drop the luck pigeon to the floor he explained if one side of the luck pigeon turned up and the other turned down it meant good luck while if they both fell in the same position it meant bad luck when he dropped it they both turned the one way and he knew he would have bad luck I took the luck pigeon then and I was so superstitious that my arm trembled and my heart beat in little palpitating jumps as I made the motions over the burning jaw sticks I dropped the wood to the floor and one piece turned one way and one the other and I was perfectly happy I knew I was going to have good luck I saw the examination hall where there are accommodations for the simultaneous examination of 11,616 celestial students all male we went to the entrance gate through a dirty park-like space where a few studded trees grew feebly and a number of thin black pigs rooted energetically dirty children and large numbers followed us demanding alms and boisterous tones and a few women who, by the aid of canes were hobbling about on their cramped small feet stopped to look after us with grins of curiosity and amusement the open space is the principal entrance then we go through a small gate called the gate of equity and later still another called the dragon gate which leads into the great avenue a most strange and curious site this avenue gives an open space with a tower on the end known as the watch tower has a god of literature in the second story on each side of the open green space are rows of whitewashed buildings not unlike railway cattle yards in appearance in these ranges of cells cells that measure five and a half by three and two-thirds feet eleven thousand six hundred and sixteen pigtailed students undergo their written examination on the sides facing the avenue are Chinese inscriptions showing what study is examined in that range and each cell is a board to sit on and one a little higher for a desk this roughly improvised desk must be slid out to allow the student to enter or depart unless he crawls under or jumps over the same texts are given to all at daylight and very often when essays are not finished at night the students are kept overnight in their cells the hall is about one thousand three hundred and eighty feet long by six hundred and fifty feet wide and is really a strangely interesting place well worth a visit it is said the examinations are very severe and from the large number of candidates examined sometimes only one hundred and fifty will be passed the place in which the essays are examined is called the hall of auspicious stars and the Chinese inscription over the avenue translated reads the opening heavens circulate literature I had a great curiosity to see the Lepper village which is commonly supposed to contain hundreds of Chinese lepers the village consists of numbers of bamboo huts and the lepers present a site appalling in its squalor and filth some told us to smoke cigarettes while in the village so that the frightful odors would be less perceptible he set the example by lighting one and we all followed his lead the lepers were simply ghastly in their misery there are men women and children of all ages and conditions the few filthy rags which they endeavored to hide their nakedness presented no shape of any garment or any color so dirty and ragged were they on the ground floors of the bamboo huts were little else than a few old rags dried grass and things of that kind furniture there was none it is useless to attempt a description of the loathsome appearance of the lepers many were featureless some were blind some had lost fingers others a foot some a leg but all were equally dirty disgusting and miserable those able to work cultivate a really prosperous looking garden which is near the village Akama assured me they sold their vegetables in the city market I felt glad to know we had brought our luncheon from the ship those lepers able to walk spend the day in Canton begging but are always compelled to sleep in their village still I could not help wondering what was the benefit of a leper village if the lepers are allowed to mingle with the other people on my return to the city I met several lepers begging in the market the sight of them among the food was enough to make me vow never to eat anything in Canton the lepers are also permitted to marry and a surprising number of diseased children are brought into a cursed and unhappy existence as we left the leper city I was conscious of an inward feeling of emptiness it was Christmas day and I thought with regret of dinner at home although one of the men in the party said it was about midnight in New York the guide said there was a building nearby which he wanted to show us and then we would eat our luncheon once within a high wall we came upon a pretty scene there was a mournful sheet of water undisturbed by a breath of wind in the background the branches of low overhanging trees kissed the still water just where stood some long legged storks made so familiar to us by pictures on Chinese fans Akam led us to a room which was shut off from the court by a large carved gate inside were hardwood chairs and tables while eating I heard chanting to the weird plaintive sound of a tom-tom and a shrill pipe when I had less appetite and more curiosity I asked Akam where we were and he replied in the temple of the dead and in the temple of the dead I was eating my Christmas luncheon but that did not interfere with the luncheon before we had finished a number of Chinaman crowded around the gate and looked curiously at me they held up several children well clad cleanly children to see me thinking to be agreeable I went forward to shake hands with them but they kicked and screamed and getting down rushed back in great fright which amused us intensely their companions succeeded after a while and quieting them they were persuaded to take my hand the ice once broken they became so interested in me my gloves, my bracelets and my dress that I soon regretted my friendliness at the outset it is customary at the death of a person to build a bonfire after night and cast into the fire household articles such as money boxes ladies dressing cases etc composed of gilt paper the priests meanwhile playing upon shrill pipes they claimed the devil which inhabits all bodies leaves the body to save the property of the dead and once they play him out he can never re-enter so souls are saved I climbed high and dirty stone steps to the water clock which they say is over five hundred years old and has never run down or been repaired and little niches in the stone walls were small gods before them the smouldering jostics the water clock consists of four copper jars about the size of wooden pales placed on steps one above the other each one has a spout from which comes a steady drop drop in the last and bottom jar is an indicator very much like a foot rule which rises with the water showing the hour on a blackboard hanging outside they mark the time for the benefit of the town people the upper jar is filled once every 24 hours and that is all the attention the clock requires on our return to the Powan I found some beautiful presents from Consul Seymour and the cards of a number of Europeans who had called to see me suffering from a sick headache I went to my cabin and shortly we were on our way to Hong Kong my visit to Canton on Christmas Day being of the past End of Chapter 13 This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Around the World in 72 Days by Nellie Bly Read by Mary Reagan Chapter 14 To the Land of the Makado Shortly after my return to Hong Kong I sailed for Japan on the Oceanic a number of friends who had contributed so much towards my pleasure and comfort during my stay in British China came to the ship to say farewell and most regretfully did I take leave of them Captain Smith took us into his cabin where we all touched glasses and wished one another success happiness and all the other good things of this earth The last moment having come the final goodbye being said we parted and I was started on my way to the Land of the Makado The Oceanic on which I traveled from Hong Kong to San Francisco has quite a history When it was designed and launched 20 years ago by Mr. Harland of Belfast it startled the shipping world The designer was the first to introduce improvements for the comfort of passengers such as the saloon amid ships avoiding the noise of the engines and especially the racing of the screw in rough weather Before that time ships were gloomy and constructed without a thought of the happiness of passengers Mr. Harland in The Oceanic was the first to provide a promenade deck and to give the saloon and state rooms a light and cheerful appearance In fact The Oceanic was such a new departure that it aroused the jealousy of other ship companies and was actually condemned by them as unseaworthy It is said that so great was the outcry against the ship that sailors and firemen were given extra prices to induce them to make the first trip Instead of being the predicted failure The Oceanic proved a great success She became the greyhound of the Atlantic afterwards being transferred to the Pacific in 1875 She is the favorite ship of the O and O line making her voyages with speed and regularity She retains a look of positive newness and seems to grow younger with years In November 1889 she made the fastest trip on record between Yokohama and San Francisco No expense is spared to make this ship comfortable for the passengers The catering would be hard to excel by even a first class hotel Passengers are accorded every liberty and the officers do their utmost to make their guests feel at home So that in the Orient The Oceanic is the favorite ship and people wait for months to follow us to travel on her When I first went to the ship the monkey had been transferred from the Oriental meeting the stewardess I asked how the monkey was to which she replied dryly We have met She had her arm bandaged from the wrist to the shoulder What did you do? I asked in consternation I did nothing but scream The monkey did the rest The day had been so warm that we wore no wraps In the four part of the evening the passengers sat together in social hall talking telling stories and laughing at them The captain owned an organette which he brought into the hall and he and the doctor took turns grinding out the music Later in the evening we went to the dining hall where the purser had punched and champagne and oysters for us a rare treat which he had prepared in America just for this occasion The children we all became on board a ship After oysters we were up to all sorts of childish tricks As we sat around the table the doctor gave us each a word to say such as ish, ash, ash Then when we were sure of our word it coming in rotation around the circle he told us to shout the words in unison when he gave the signal We did and it made one great big sneeze the most gigantic and absurd sneeze I have ever heard in my life The jolly man from Yokohama whose wife was equally jolly and lively spirited taught us a song consisting of one line to a melody quite simple and catching Sweetly sings the donkey when he goes to grass Sweetly sings the donkey when he goes to grass Echo, echo, echo When eight bells rang we rose and sang odd lang syne with glasses in hand and on the last echo of the good old song toasted the death of the old year we shook hands around each wishing the other a happy new year 1889 was ended and 1890 with its pleasures and pains began shortly after the women passengers retired I went to sleep lulled by the sounds of familiar negro melodies sung by the men in the smoking room beneath my cabin End of chapter 14 This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Around the world in 72 days by Nelly Bly Chapter 15 120 hours in Japan After seeing Hong Kong with its wharfs crowded with dirty boats manned by still dirtier people and its streets packed with a filthy crowd Yokohama has a cleaned up Sunday appearance Travelers are taken from the ships which anchor some distance out in the bay to the land in small steam launches The first class hotels in the different ports have their individual launches but like American hotel omnibuses while being run by the hotel to assist in procuring patrons the traveler pays for them just the same An import as well as an export duty is charged in Japan but we pass the custom inspectors unmolested I found the Japanese generic Shaman a gratifying improvement upon those I had seen from salon to China They presented no sight of filthy rags nor naked bodies nor smell of grease clad in neat navy blue garments the little pudgy legs encased in unwrinkled tights upper half of their bodies in short jackets with wide flowing sleeves their clean good-natured faces peeping from beneath comical mushroom-shaped hats their blue-black wiry locks cropped just above the nape of the neck they offered a striking contrast to the generic Shaman of other countries their crests were embroidered upon the back and sleeves of their top garment as are the crests of every man, woman and child in Japan Raid the night previous had left its muddy and the air cool and crisp but the sun creeping through the mistiness of early morning fell upon us with most gratifying warmth Wrapping our knees with rugs the Rick Shaman started off in a lively trot to the Pacific Mail and O&O Company's office where I met discourteous people for the first time since I left the P&O Victoria and these were Americans too The most generous excuse that can be offered for them is that they have held their position so long that they feel they are masters instead of a steamship company's servants A man going into the office to buy a ticket to America was answered in the following manner by one of the head men You'll have to come back later if you want a ticket I'm going to lunch now I stayed at the Grand Hotel while in Japan It is a large building with long verandas wide halls and airy rooms finding an exquisite view of the lake in front Barring an enormous and monotonous collection of rats the grand would be considered a good hotel even in America The food is splendid and the service excellent The jabs, noiseless, swift, anxious to please stand at the head of all the servants I encountered from New York to New York and then they look so neat in their blue tights and white linen jackets I always have an inclination to laugh when I looked at the Japanese men in their native dress Their legs are small and their trousers are skin tight The upper garment with its great wide sleeves is as loose as the lower is tight When they finish their get up by placing their dishpan shaped hat upon their heads the wonder grows how such small legs can carry it all Stick two straws in one end of a potato a mushroom in the other set it up on straws and you have a Japanese in outline talk about French heels The Japanese sandal is a small board elevated on two pieces of thin wood fully five inches in height They make the people look exactly as if they were on stilts These queer shoes are fastened to the foot by a single strap running between toes number one and two the wearer when walking necessarily maintaining a sliding instead of an up and down movement in order to keep the shoe on On a cold day imagine the Japanese were a nation of armless people they fold their arms up in their long loose sleeves a Japanese woman's sleeves are to her what a boy's pockets are to him her cards money, combs, hairpins ornaments and rice paper are carried in her sleeves her rice paper is her handkerchief and she notes with horror and disgust that after using we return our handkerchiefs to our pockets I think the Japanese women carry everything in their sleeves even their hearts not that they are fickle none are more true more devoted more loyal more constant than Japanese women but they are so guileless and artless that almost anyone if opportunity offers can pick at their trusting hearts if I loved and married I would say to my mate come I know where Eden is and like Edwin Arnold desert the land of my birth for Japan the land of love beauty poetry cleanliness I somehow always connected Japan and its people with China and its people believing the one no improvement on the other I could not have made a greater mistake Japan is beautiful its women are charmingly sweet I know little about the men except that they do not go far as we judge manly beauty being undersized dark and far from dressing they have the reputation of being extremely clever so I do not speak of them as a whole only of those I came in contact with I saw one a giant in frame a god in features but he was a public wrestler the Japanese are the direct opposite to the Chinese the Japanese are the cleanliest people on earth the Chinese are the filthiest the Japanese are always happy and cheerful the Chinese are always grumpy and morose the Japanese are the most graceful of people the Chinese the most awkward the Japanese have few vices the Chinese have all the vices in the world in short the Japanese are the most delightful of people the Chinese the most disagreeable the majority of the Europeans live on the bluff in low white bungalows with great rooms and breezy verandas built in the hearts of oriental gardens where one can have an unsurpassed view of the Mississippi Bay or can play tennis or cricket or lull and hammocks guarded from public gaze by luxurious green hedges the Japanese homes form a great contrast to the bungalows they are daintily small like playhouses indeed built of a thin shingle-like board fine and texture chimneys and fireplaces are unknown the inside wall is set back allowing the upper floor and side walls to extend over the lower flooring making it a portico built in instead of on the house light window frames with their minute openings covered with fine rice paper instead of glass are the doors and windows in one they do not swing open and shut as do our doors nor do they move up and down like our windows but slide like rolling doors they form the partitions of the houses inside and can be removed at any time throwing the floor into one room they have two very pretty customs in Japan the one is decorating their houses in honor of the new year and the other celebrating the blossoming of the cherry trees bamboo saplings covered with light airy foliage and pinions so as to incline towards the middle of the street where meeting they form an arch make very effective decorations rice trimmings mixed with seaweed orange lobster and ferns are hung over every door to ensure a plentiful year while as sentinels on either side are large tubs in which are three thick bamboo stalks with small evergreen trees for background in the cool of the evening we went to a house that had been specially engaged to see the dancing or geisha girls at the door we saw all the wooden shoes of the household and we were asked to take off our shoes before entering a proceeding rather disliked by some of the party who refused absolutely to do as requested we affected a compromise however by putting cloth slippers over our shoes the second floor had been converted into one room with nothing in it except the matting covering the floor and a Japanese screen here and there we sat upon the floor for chairs there are none in Japan but the exquisite matting is padded until it is soft as velvet it was laughable to see us trying to sit down and yet more so to see us endeavour to find a posture of ease for our limbs we were about as graceful as an elephant dancing a smiling woman in a black kimono set several round and square charcoal boxes containing burning charcoal before us these are the only Japanese stove afterwards she brought a tray containing a number of long stemmed pipes Japanese women smoke constantly a pot of tea and several small cups impatiently I awaited the geisha girls in the tiny maidens glided at last clad in exquisite trailing angel-sleeved kimonos the girls bow gracefully bending down until their heads touch their knees then kneeling before us murmur gently a greeting which sounds like koinbanwa drawing their breath in with a long hissing suction which is a token of great honour the musicians sat down on the floor and began an alarming dim upon the semisons drums and gongs singing meanwhile through their pretty noses if the noses were not so pretty I'm sure the music would be unbearable to one who has ever heard a chest note the geisha girls stand posed with open fan in hand above their heads ready to begin the dance they are very short with the slunderest of slunder wastes their soft and tender eyes are made blacker by painted lashes and brows their midnight hair stiffened with a gummy wash is most wonderfully dressed in large coils and ornamented with gold and silver flowers and guilt paper pom ponds the younger the girl the more gay is her hair their kimonos of the most exquisite material trail all about them and are loosely held together at the waist with an obi sash their long flowing sleeves fall back showing their dimpled arms and baby hands upon their tiny feet they were cunning white linen socks cut with a place with a great toe when they go out they wear wooden sandals the Japanese are the only women I ever saw who could rouge and powder and be not repulsive but the more charming because of it they powder their faces and have a way of reddening their underlip just at the tip that gives them a most tempting look the lips look like two luxurious cherries the musicians begin a long chanting strain and these bits of beauty begin the dance with a grace simply enchanting they twirl their little fans sway their dainty bodies in a hundred different poses each one more intoxicating than the other all the while looking so childish and shy with an innocent smile lurking about their lips dimpling their soft cheeks and their black eyes twinkling with the pleasure of the dance after the dance the geisha girls turns with me examining with surprise delight my dress my bracelets my rings my boots to them the most wonderful and extraordinary things my hair my gloves indeed they missed very little and they approved of all they said I was very sweet and urged me to come again and in honor of the custom of my land the Japanese never kiss they press their soft pouting lips to mine in parting Japanese women know nothing whatever it's and may they never on rainy days they tie white scarves over their wonderful hairdressing but at other times they waddle bareheaded with fan and umbrella along the streets on their wooden clogs they have absolutely no furniture their bed is a piece of matting their pillows narrow blocks of wood probably six inches in length too wide and six high they rest the back of the neck and the velvet covered top so their wonderful hair remains dressed for weeks at a time their tea and pipe always stand beside them so they can partake of their comforts the last thing before sleep and the first thing after a Japanese reporter from Tokyo came to interview me his newspaper having translated and published the story of my visit to Jules Verne carefully he read the questions which he wished to ask me I thought it was ridiculous until I returned and became an interviewee then I concluded it would be humane for us to adopt the Japanese system of interviewing I went to Kemukura to see the great bronze god the image of Buddha familiarly called Diabutsu it stands in a verdant valley at the foot of two mountains it was built in 1250 by Onogoro Yuzuru 1250 by Onogoro Yaman a famous bronze caster and is 50 feet in height it is sitting Japanese style 98 feet being his waist circumference the face is 8 feet long the eye is 4 feet the ear 6 feet 6 and 1 half inches the nose 3 feet 8 and 1 half inches the mouth is 3 feet 2 and 1 half inches the diameter of the lap is 36 feet and the circumference of the thumb is over 3 feet I had my photograph taken sitting on its thumb with two friends one of whom offered $50,000 for the god years ago at the feast of the god sacrifices were made to Diabutsu quite frequently the hollow and interior would be heated to a white heat and hundreds of victims were cast into the seething furnace in honor of the god it is different now sacrifices being not the custom interior is harmlessly fitted up with tiny altars and a ladder stairway by which visitors can climb up into Diabutsu's eye and from that height view the surrounding lovely country we also visited a very pretty temple nearby saw a famous fan tree and lotus pond and spent some time at the most delightful tea house where two little young girls served us with tea and sweets I also spent one day at Tokyo where I saw the Tato's Japanese and European castles which are enclosed by a 50 foot stone wall and three wide moats the people in Tokyo are trying to ape the style of the Europeans I saw several men in native costume riding bicycles their roads are superb there is a street car line in Tokyo a novelty in the east and carriages of all descriptions the European clothing sent to Japan is at least ready made if not secondhand one woman I saw was considered very stylish the bodice of a European dress she wore had been cut to fit a slender tapering waist the Japanese never saw a corset and their waists are enormous the woman was able to fasten one button at the neck and from that point the bodice was permitted to spread she was considered very swell at dinner one night I saw a Jap woman in a low cut evening dress with nothing but white socks on her feet it would fill a large book if I attempted to describe all I saw during my stay in Japan going to the great Shiba temple I saw a forest of superb trees at the carved gate leading to the temple were hundreds of stone and bronze lanterns which alone were worth a fortune on one side of the gate were gigantic carved images of ferocious aspect they were covered with wads of chewed paper it was marked that the school children must have made very free with the images a gentleman explained that the Japanese believed if they chewed paper and threw it at these gods and it stuck their prayers would be answered if not their prayers would pass unheeded a great many prayers must have been answered at another gate I saw the most disreputable looking god it had no nose the Japanese believe if they have a pain or ache and they rub their hands in the place of that god and then where the pain is located they will straight away be cured I can't say whether it cured them or not but I know they rubbed away the nose of the god the Japanese are very progressive people they cling to their religion and their modes of life which in many ways are superior to ours but they readily adopt any trade or habit that is an improvement upon their own finding the European style attire more serviceable than their native dress for some trades they promptly adopted it the women tested the European dress and finding it barbarously uncomfortable and inartistic went back to their exquisite kimonos retaining the use of European underwear which they found more helpful and comfortable than the utter absence of it to which they had been accustomed the best proof of the comfort of kimonos lies in the fact that the European dress adopted them entirely for indoor wear only their long subjection to fashion prevents their wearing them in public Japanese patriotism should serve as a model for us careless Americans no foreigner can go to Japan and monopolize a trade it is true that a little while ago they were totally ignorant of modern conveniences they knew nothing of railroads or street cars or engines or electric lighting they were too clever though to waste in efforts to rediscover inventions known to other nations but they had to have them straight away they sent to other countries for men who understood the secret of such things and at fabulous prices and under contracts of three five and occasionally 10 years duration brought them to their land they were set to work the work they had been hired to do and with them toiled steadily and watchfully the cleverest of Japanese when the contract is up it is no longer necessary to fill the coffers of a foreigner the employee was released and their own man fully qualified for the work stepped into the position and so in this way they command all business in their country kimonos are made in three parts each part an inch or so longer than the other I saw a kimono a Japanese woman bought for the holidays it was a suit gray silk crepe with pink peach blossoms dotting it here and there the hole was lined with the softest pink silk and the him which trails was thickly padded with a delicate perfume sachet the under clothing was of the flimsiest white silk the whole thing cost $60 a dollar and a half of which paid for the making Japanese clothing is so with what we call a basting stitch but it is as durable as it could be if so with the smallest of stitches Japanese women have mirrors in which they view their numerous charms their mirrors are round highly polished steel plates and they know nothing whatever of glass mirrors all the women carry silk card cases in their long sleeves in which are their own diminutive cards English is taught in the Japan schools and so is gracefulness the girls are taught graceful movements how to receive entertain and part with visitors how to serve tea and sweets gracefully and the proper and graceful way to use chopsticks it is a pretty sight to see a lovely woman use chopsticks at a tea house or at an ordinary dinner a long paper laid at one's place contains a pair of chopsticks probably 12 inches in length but no thicker than the thinner size of lead pencils the sticks are usually whittled in one piece and split only half a part to prove that they have never been used everyone breaks the sticks apart before eating and after the meal they are destroyed an American resident of Japan told me of his going to see a cremation the Japanese graveyard is a strange affair with the headstone set close together leaving the space for the graves less than the size of a baby's grave in America as soon as the breath has left a body it is undressed and doubled up head to feet and is made to go in a very small bamboo box built in imitation of a Japanese house may cost a great deal of money it is carried along the streets on two poles to the place where it is to be cremated where it is given in charge of the cremator and the friends go back to their homes until the following day when they return for the ashes which are generally placed in an urn and buried the American of whom I spoke made arrangements with the cremator and accompanied by a friend walked to the place in the country and waited out of sight until the mourners had vanished before they dared to draw near enough to see the cremation they had walked quite a distance tenderless and said naively that the odor was like that of veal and it made him ravenously hungry a small hole about three feet long is made in the earth and in it the fire is built when it was the proper heat the box was set over it and in an instant it was consumed the body released from its doubled position straightened out the lower half being over the fire was soon cremated accepting the feet and knee joints the man in charge carefully pulled the upper part of the body over the fire and with the same large fork put the half consumed feet and knee joints under the arms in less than an hour all that remained of the body was a few ashes in the bottom of the pit while the cremator was explaining it all to the gentleman he repeatedly filled his little pipe and lit it with the fire from the burning body at his urgent request the gentleman considered to take tea with him when his task was done they entered his neat little home where he jumped into a boiling bath in the open garden from which he emerged later as red as a lobster meanwhile his charming and pretty daughters were dispensing the hospitalities of their home to their guests and the father desires of enjoying their society came in and stood in the doorway talking to them and watching them eat while he wiped his naked body with a towel the prettiest site in Japan I think is the native streets in the afternoons men women and children turn out to play shuttlecock and fly kites can you imagine what an enchanting sight it is to see pretty women with cherry lips bright black eyes ornamented glistening hair exquisitely graceful gowns tidy white stocking feet thrust into wooden sandals dimple cheeks dimpled arms dimple baby hands lovely innocent artless happy playing shuttlecock in the streets of Yokohama Japanese children are unlike any other children I ever saw at play they always look happy and never seem to quarrel or cry little Japanese girls elevated on wooden sandals and with babies almost as large as themselves tied on their backs play shuttlecock with abandon that is terrifying until one grows confident of the fact that they move with as much agility as they could if their little backs were free from nursemaid burdens Japanese babies are such comical little fellows they wear such wonderfully padded clothing that they are as shapeless as a feather pillow others may think as I did that the funny little shaven spots on their heads was a queer style of ornamentation but it is not I am assured the spots are shaven to keep their baby heads cool the Japanese are not only pretty and artistic but most obliging a friend of mine who guided us in Japan had a Kodak and whenever we came upon an interesting group he was always taking snapshots no one objected and especially were the children pleasant about being photographed when he placed them in position or asked them to stand as they were they would pose like little drum majors until he gave them permission to move the only regret of my trip and one I can never cease to deplore was that in my hasty departure I forgot to take a Kodak on every ship and at every port I met others and envied them with Kodaks they could photograph everything that pleased them the light in those lands is excellent and many were the pleasant mementos of their acquaintances and themselves they carried home on their plates I met a German who was spending two years going around the world and he carried two Kodaks a large and a small size and his collection of photographs was the most interesting I ever saw at the different ports he had professional photographers develop his plates the Japanese thoughtfully reserve a trade for their blind they are all taught massage bathing and none but the blind are allowed to follow this calling these people go through the streets uttering to a plaintive melody these words I'll give you a bath from head to toe for two cents at Ueno Park where they point out a tree planted by General Grant when on his tour around the world I saw a most amusing monkey which belonged to the very interesting menagerie he was very large and had a scarlet face and gray fur it was changed to the fence and when one of the young men in our party went up and talked to him the monkey looked very sagacious and wise in the little crowd that gathered around quite out of the monkey's reach was a young chap who in a spirit of mischief cost a pebble at the red faced mystery who turned with a grieved and inquiring air to my friend go for him my friend responded sympathetically to the look and the monkey turned and with its utmost strength endeavored to free itself so it could obey to do the bidding the chap made his escape and the monkey quieted down looking expressively at the place where the chap had stood and then at my friend for approval which he obtained the keeper gave the monkey its dinner which consisted of two large boiled sweet potatoes my friend broke one and two and the monkey greedily ate the inside placing the remainder with the other potato on the fence between his feet suddenly he looked up and quick as a flash he flung with his entire force which was something terrific the remaining potato at the head of someone in the crowd there was some loud screaming and a scattering but the potato missing all heads went crashing with such force against a board fence that every particle of it remained sticking there in one shapeless blotch the chap who had tossed the pebble at the monkey and so earned his enmity quietly shrunk away with the whitened face he had returned unnoticed by all except the monkey who tried to revenge himself with the potato I admired the monkey's cleverness so much that I would have tried to buy him if I had not already owned one in Yokohama I went to hundred steps at the top of which lives a Japanese bell or Ushisan who is the theme for artist and poet and the admiration of tourists one of the pleasant events of my stay was the luncheon given for me on the Omaha the American war vessel lying at Yokohama I took several drives enjoying the novelty of having a Japanese running by the horse's heads all the while I ate rice and eel I visited the curio shops one of which is built in imitation of a Japanese house and was charmed with the exquisite art I saw there in short I found nothing but what delighted the finer senses while in Japan end of chapter 15 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org around the world in 72 days by Nelly Bly chapter 16 across the Pacific it was a bright sunny morning when I left Yokohama a number of new friends in launches escorted me to the oceanic and when we hoisted anchor the steam launches blew loud blasts upon their whistles and farewell to me and the band upon the Omaha played Home Sweet Home Hail Columbia the girl I left behind me in my honor and I waved my handkerchief so long out of sight that my arms were sore for days my feverish eagerness to be off again on my race around the world was strongly mingled with regret at living such charming friends and such a lovely land everything promised well for a pleasant and rapid voyage anticipating this chief engineer Alan caused to be written over the engines and throughout the engine room this date and couplet Nelly Bly will win or die January 20th 1890 it was their motto and was all very sweet to me the runs were marvelous until the third day out and then a storm came upon us they tried to cheer me saying it would only last that day but the next day found it worse and it continued never abating a moment headwinds, head sea until I fretfully waited for noon when I would slip off to the dining room to see the run hoping that it would have gained a few miles on the day before and always being disappointed and they were all so good to me bless them for it if possible they suffered more over the prospect of my failure than I did if I fail I will never return to New York I would say despondently I would rather go in dead peaceful than alive and behind time don't talk that way child chief Allen would plead I would do anything for you in my power I have worked the engines as they were never worked before I have sworn at this storm until I have no words left I have even prayed I haven't prayed before for years but I prayed that this storm may pass over and that we may get you in on time a sinner I laughed hysterically day and night my plea has been be merciful to me a sinner and as the mercy has not been forthcoming the natural conclusion is that I'm not a sinner it's hopeless it's hopeless don't think so the purser would beg don't be so disheartened why child if by jumping overboard I could bring you happiness and success I should do so in a moment never mind little girl you're all right the jolly happy hearted captain would laugh I've bet every cent I have in the bank that you'll get in before you are due just take my word for it you'll be in New York at least three days ahead of time why do you try to cheat me you know we are way behind time now I urged longing to be still farther cheated into fresh hope to which the doctor would say if you don't stop talking so I'll make you take some pills for your liver you mean wretch you know I can't help being blue it's head sea and head winds and low runs not liver and then I would laugh and so would they and Mr. Allen who had been pleading for me to smile just once give them but one glimpse of my old jolly smile would go away content this is but a repetition of the way in which I was coaxed out of my unhappiness every day by those great hearted strong tender men at last a rumor became current that there was a Jonah on board the ship it was thought over and talked over and much to my dismay I was told the sailors said monkeys were Jonas monkeys brought bad weather to ships and as long as the monkey was on board we would have storms someone asked if I would consent to the monkey being thrown overboard a little struggle between superstition and a feeling of justice for the monkey followed chief Allen when I spoke to him on the subject told me not to do it he said the monkey had just gotten outside of a hundred weight of cement and had washed it down with a quart of lamp oil and he for one did not want to interfere with the monkey's happiness and digestion just then someone told me that the ministers were Jonas they always brought bad weather to ships we had two ministers on board so I said quietly if the ministers were thrown overboard I'd say nothing about the monkey thus the monkey's life was saved Mr. Allen had a boy Walter who was very clever at tricks one day Walter said he would show that he could lift a bottle merely by placing his open hand to the side of the bottle he put everybody out of the cabin as he said if they remained in it broke the influence they watched intently through the open door as he rolled up his sleeve and rubbed his arm downward quite vigorously as if trying to get all the blood in his hand catching the wrist with the other hand as if to hold all the blood there he placed his open hand to the side of the bottle and much to the amazement of his audience the bottle went up with his hand an urge to tell how to do the wonderful trick he said it's all very easy all you do is rub your arm that's just for show then you lay hold of your wrist just as if you wanted to keep all the blood in your hand you keep one finger free no one notices that and you take the neck of the bottle between the hand and the finger and the bottle goes up with the hand see one evening when the ship was rolling frightfully everybody was gathered in the dining hall an Englishman urged Walter to do some tricks but Walter did not want to be bothered then so he said yes sir in a moment sir and went on putting the things upon the table he had put down the mustard pot the salt cellar and various things and was wiping a plate as he went to put the plate down the ship gave a great roll the plate knocked against the mustard pot and the mustard flew all over the Englishman much to the horror of the others sitting up stiffly the mustard dotting him from head to knees he said sternly Walter what's this that sir is the first trick Walter replied softly and he glided silently and swiftly off to the regions of the cook but Walter was caught one day a sailor told him that he could hide an egg on him so no one would be able to find it Walter had his doubts but he willingly gave the sailor a test the egg was hidden and a man called in to find it he searched Walter all over without once coming upon the egg the sailor suggested another trial to which Walter, now an interested and firm believer in the sailor's ability gladly considered the sailor opened Walter's shirt and placed the egg next to the skin in the region of his heart carefully buttoning the shirt up afterwards the man was called in he went up to Walter and hid him a resounding smack and he hit kill rain he found the egg and so did Walter Japanese boys serve in the dining hall on the oceanic but the sailors are Chinese they chant in a musical manner when hoisting the sails it sounds as if they say a-o-e-o a-o-e-a-o the boys shake the tablecloth into a plate they put a plate in the tablecloth they move them shake once or twice and then slide the plate to the floor the plate will be seen to have gathered all the crumbs one Chinaman and one Japanese traveled first class coming over the Chinaman was confined to his cabinet with seasickness all the time so we saw very little of him the Japanese wore European dress and endeavored to ape the manners of the Europeans evidently he thought it the custom to use toothpicks is with some people after every meal he used a toothpick so that the whole table might see as if wishing to show he was civilized then after a great amount of gorging he always placed the toothpick pin-like behind his ear where it stayed until the next meal but even with low runs our trip was bound to come to an end one night it was announced that the next day we would be in San Francisco I felt a feverish excitement and many were the speculation as to whether there would be a snow blockade to hinder my trip across the continent a hopefulist that had not known me for many days came back when enraged the purser his face snow white crying my god the bill of health was left behind in Yokohama well well what does that mean I demanded fearing some misfortune I knew not what it means he said I was jumping nervous into a chair that no one will be permitted to land until the next ship arrives from Japan that will be two weeks the thought of being held two weeks inside of San Francisco inside of New York almost and the goal for which I had been striving and powerless to move was maddening I would cut my throat for I could not live and endure it I said quietly I put him on to make another search which resulted in finding the report safely lodged in the doctor's desk later came a scare about a smallpox case on board but it proved to be only a rumor and early in the morning the revenue officers came aboard bringing the newspapers I read of the impassable snow blockade which for a week had put a stop to all railroad traffic and my despair knew no bounds the mechanic was waiting for the quarantine doctor some men came out on a tug to take me ashore there was no time for farewells the monkey was taken on the tug with me and my baggage which had increased by gifts from friends was thrown after me just as the tug steamed off the quarantine doctor called to me that he had forgotten to examine my tongue and I could not land until he did I stuck it out and he called out all right the others laugh I wave farewell and in another moment I was parted from my good friends on the oceanic end of chapter 16 this is the LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org around the world in 72 days by Nellie Bly Chapter 17 Across the Continent I only remember my trip across the continent as one maze of happy greetings, happy wishes congratulating telegrams fruit, flowers loud cheers, wild hurrahs rapid handshaking and a beautiful car filled with fragrant flowers attached to a swift engine that was tearing like mad through flower dotted valley and over snow tipped mountain on, on, on it was glorious a ride worthy a queen they say no man or woman in America ever received ovations like those given me during my flying trip across the continent the Americans turned out to do honor to an American girl who had been the first to make a record of a flying trip around the world and I rejoiced with them that it was an American girl who had done it it seemed as if my greatest success was the personal interest of everyone who greeted me they were also kind, anxious that I should finish the trip in time as if their personal reputations were at stake a special train had been waiting for my arrival in readiness to start the moment I boarded it the deputy collector of the port of San Francisco the inspector of customs the quarantine officer the captain of the O&O steamer set up all the night preceding my arrival so that there should be no delay in my transfer from the oceanic to the special train nor were they the only ones to wait for me one poor little newspaper woman did not see bed that night so anxious was she for an interview which she did not get I was so entirely ignorant about what was to be done with me on my landing that I thought I was someone's guest until I was many miles away from San Francisco had I known in advance the special train was mine every newspaper man and woman who cared to should have been my guest my train consisted of one handsome sleeping car the San Lorenzo and the engine, the queen was one of the fastest on the southern Pacific what time do you want to reach New York, Miss Bly? Mr. Bissell general passenger agent of the Atlantic and Pacific system asked me not later than Saturday evening I said never thinking they could get me there in that time very well we will put you there on time, he said quietly and I rested satisfied that he would keep his word it did not seem long after we left Oakland mole until we reached the great San Joaquin Valley a level green plane through which the railroad track ran for probably 300 miles as straight as the sun beam the road bed was so perfect that though we were traveling a mile a minute the car was as easy as if it were traveling over a bed of velvet at Merced our second stop I saw a great crowd of people dressed in their best Sunday clothes gathered about the station I suppose they were having a picnic and made some such remark to be told in reply that the people had come there to see me amazed at this information I got up and answered to calls for me and went out on the back platform a loud cheer which almost frightened me to death greeted my appearance and the band began to play by Nellie's blue eyes a large tray of fruit and candy and nuts the tribute of a dear little news boy was passed to me for which I was more grateful than had it been a gift of a king we started on again and the three of us on the train had nothing to do but admire the beautiful country of which we were passing as swiftly as cloud along the sky to read or count telegraph poles or pamper and pet the monkey I felt little inclination to do anything but sit quietly in rest bodily and mentally there was nothing left for me to do now I could hurry nothing I could change nothing I could only sit and wait until the train landed me at the end of my journey I enjoyed the rapid motion of the train so much that I dreaded to think of the end at Fresno the next station the town turned out to do me honor and I was the happy recipient of exquisite fruits wines and flowers all the product of Fresno County California the men who spoke to me were interested in my sunburnt nose the delays I had experienced the number of miles I had traveled the women wanted to examine my one dress in which I had traveled around the cloak and cap I had worn were anxious to know what was in the bag and all about the monkey while we were doing some fine running the first day I heard the whistle blow wildly and then I felt the train strike something brakes were put on and we went out to see what had occurred it was hailing just then and we saw two men coming up the track the conductor came back to tell us that we had struck a hand car and pointed to a piece of twisted iron splintered board all that remained of it lying alongside when the men came up one remarked with a mingled expression of wonder and disgust upon his face well you are running like thank you I am glad to hear it I said and then we all laughed I inquired if they had been hurt they assured me not in good humor being restored all around we said goodbye the engineer pulled the lever and we were off again at one station where we stopped there was a large crowd and when I appeared on the platform one yell went up from them there was one man on the outskirts of the crowd who shouted Nellie Bly I must get up close to you the crowd evidently felt as much curiosity as I did about the man's object for they made a way and he came up to the platform Nellie Bly you must touch my hand he said excitedly please the man I reached over and touched his hand and then he shouted now you will be successful I have in my hand the left hind foot of a rabbit well I don't know anything about the left hind foot of a rabbit when I knew that my train had run safely across a bridge which was held in place only by jack screws and which fell the moment we were across and when I heard that in another place the engine had just switched off from us in a wheel then I thought of the left hind foot of a rabbit and I wondered if there was anything in it one place where a large crowd greeted me a man on the limits of it yelled did you ride on an elephant Nellie and when I said I had not he dropped his head and went away at another place the policeman fought to keep the crowd back everybody was wanting to shake hands with me but at last one officer was shoved and the other seeing the fate of his comrade turned to me saying I guess I'll give up and take a shake and while reaching for my hand was swept on with the crowd I leaned over the platform and shook hands with both hands at every station and when the train pulled out crowds would run after grabbing for my hands as long as they could my arms ached for almost a month afterwards but I did not mind the ache if by such little acts I could give pleasure to my own people whom I was so glad to be among once more come out here and will elect you governor a Kansas man said and I believe they would have done it if the splendid welcomes they gave me are any criterion telegrams addressed merely to Nellie Bly Nellie Bly's train came from all parts of the country filled with words of cheer and praise at all hours of the day and night I could not mention one place that was kinder than another over 10,000 people greeted me at Topeka the mayor of Dodge City presented me in behalf of the citizens with resolutions of praise I was very anxious to go to Kansas City but we only went to the station outside of the limits in order to save 30 minutes at Hutchinson a large crowd and the Ringgold Coronet Band greeted me and at another place the man assured me that the band had been brought down to play they merely shouted like the rest forgetting in the excitement all about their music I was up until four o'clock talking first with the little newspaper girl from Kierney, Nebraska who had traveled 600 miles to meet and interview me and later dictating an account of my trip to a stenographer who was seasick from the motion of the train I had probably slept two hours when the porter came to me saying we would soon be in Chicago I dressed myself leisurely and drank the last drop of coffee there was left on our train for we had been liberally entertaining everybody who cared to travel any distance with us I was surprised on opening the door of my state room to see the car quite filled with good-looking men they were newspaper men members of the Chicago Press Club I found a moment later who had come out to Joliet to meet me and to escort me to their city Mr. Cornelius Gardner the vice president of the club in absence of the president took charge of our little party before we were in I had answered all their questions and we joked about my sunburst nose and discussed the merits of my one dress the cleverness of the monkey and I was feeling happy and at home and wishing I could stay all day in Chicago carriages were waiting to take us to the rooms of the press club I went there in a coop with vice president Gardner who said in a published narration of my visit afterwards that he was strongly tempted to steal me which clever idea so amused me that had the case been reversed I know I should have acted on it much to the confusion of a waiting public in New York in the beautiful rooms of the press club I met the president Stanley Waterloo and a number of clever newspaper men I had not been expected in Chicago until noon and the club had arranged an informal reception for me and when they were notified of my speedy trip and consequently earlier arrival it was too late to notify the members after a most delightfully informal reception I was escorted to Kinsley's where the club had a breakfast prepared and then I learned that owing to some misunderstanding none of the men had anything to eat since the night before after breakfast the members of the press club acting as my escort took me to visit the Chicago Board of Trade when we went in the pandemonium which seems to reign during business hours was at its height my escorts took me to the gallery and just as we got there a man raised his arm to yell something to the roaring crowd when he saw me and yelled instead there's Nellie Bly in one instant the crowd that had been yelling like mad became so silent a pin could have been heard fall to the floor every face bright and eager was turned up towards us and instantly every hat came off and then a burst of applause resounded through the immense hall people can say what they pleased about Chicago but I do not believe that anywhere else in the United States a woman can get a greeting which will equal that given by the Chicago Board of Trade the applause was followed by a cheer after cheer and cries of speech but I took off my little cap and shook my head at them which only served to increase their cheers shortly afterwards the press club escorted me to the Pennsylvania station where I reluctantly bowed them goodbye unable to thank them heartily enough for the royal manner in which they had treated a little sunburnt stranger now I was on a regular train which seemed to creep so noticeable was the difference in the speed of traveling instead of a fine sleeping car at my disposal I had but a state room and my space was so limited that floral and fruit offerings had to be left behind in Chicago a cable which afforded me much pleasure reached me having missed me at San Francisco Mr. Vern wishes the following message to be handed to Nellie Bly the moment she touches American soil Monsieur and Madame Jules Van addressed their sincere felicitations to Miss Nellie Bly at the moment when that intrepid young lady sets foot on the soil of America the train was rather poorly appointed and it was necessary for us to get off for our meals when we stopped at Logan's port for dinner I being the last in the car was the last to get off when I reached the platform a young man whom I never saw before or since sprang upon the other platform and waving his hat shouted hurrah for Nellie Bly the crowd clapped hands and cheered and after making way for me to pass to the dining room pressed forward and cheered again crowding to the windows at last to watch me eat on several dishes were put before me bearing the inscription success Nellie Bly it was after dark when we reached Columbus where the depot was packed with men and women waiting for me a delegation of railroad men waited upon me and presented me with beautiful flowers and candy as did a number of private people I did not go to bed until after we had passed Pittsburgh and only got up in the morning in time to greet the thousands of good people I welcomed me at Harrisburg where the Harrisburg Wheelman's Club sent a floral offering in remembrance of my being a Wheelman a number of Philadelphia newspaper men joined me there and at Lancaster I received an enthusiastic reception almost before I knew it I was at Philadelphia and all too soon to please me for my trip was so pleasant and I dreaded the finish of it a number of newspaper men and a few friends joined me at Philadelphia to New York speechmaking was the order from Philadelphia on to Jersey City I was told when we were almost home to jump to the platform the moment the train stopped at Jersey City for that made my time around the world the station was packed with thousands of people and the moment I landed on the platform one yell went up from them and the cannons at the battery and Fort Green boomed out the news of my arrival I took off my cap and wanted to yell with the crowd not because I had gone around the world in 72 days but because I was home again end of chapter 17 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org around the world in 72 days by Nellie Bly chapter 18 the record I started from Hoboken on my trip around the world November 14th, 1889 I finished it in Jersey January 25th, 1890 the itinerary of my trip published the morning I started and the itinerary as I found it were as follows November 14th leave New York by August Victoria 9 30 a.m November 21st do Southampton London by rail in 3 hours November 22nd leave Victoria station London 8 p.m. on India Mail November 23rd Calais, Paris and Turin November 24th Rendizzi at 10.14 p.m. November 25th leave Rendizzi Steamship Cathay 9 a.m. November 27th Ismailia December 3rd Odin December 10th Colombo Salon December 16th Penang December 18th Singapore December 25th Hong Kong December 28th leave Hong Kong for Yokohama Japan January 7th leave Yokohama via Pacific mail Steamship January 22nd do San Francisco January 27th do New York November 14th to January 27th 75 days the itinerary as I found it November 14th left New York via Augusta Victoria November 22nd 2.30 a.m. arrived Southampton London November 22nd left London chairing cross station November 23rd 1.30 a.m. left Calais November 25th 1.30 a.m. arrived Rendizzi 3.00 a.m. left Rendizzi Steamship Victoria November 27th 3.30 p.m. arrived Port Said November 28th 11.00 a.m. arrived Victoria 9.00 p.m. Suez December 3rd 11.00 a.m. arrived Aden December 8th 11.00 a.m. arrived Colombo Salon December 16th 7.00 a.m. arrived Penang December 18th 5.00 a.m. arrived Singapore December 25th 7.00 a.m. arrived Hong Kong 2.30 p.m. left Hong Kong for Yokohama January 7th 10.55 a.m. left Yokohama via Occidental and Oriental Steamship January 21st 8.00 a.m. arrived San Francisco January 23rd 7.05 a.m. arrived Chicago January 25th 3.51 p.m. arrived New York January 25th 72 days The names of the steamers and the different routes by which I traveled were the Augusta Victoria of the Hamburg American Steamship Line the London and Southwestern Railway the Southeastern Railway the India Mail the Victoria and the Oriental of the Peninsula an Oriental Steamship Line the Oceanic of the Occidental an Oriental Steamship Line the Southern Pacific Railway the Atlantic and Pacific Railway the Acheson Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Pennsylvania Railway I spent 56 days 12 hours and 41 minutes in actual travel and lost by delay 15 days, 17 hours and 30 minutes the second table shows the miles traveled hours spent in traveling and hours delayed the hours delayed marked by a star shows the time spent in diverging from my original line of travel to visit Monsieur Madame Jules Van at Amiens I traveled 179 and a half miles out of my way to visit the great novelist which is not considered in my number of miles traveled nor do I count the miles traveled at the ports where I was detained which taken together would not fall short of 1500 miles Hoboken to Southampton 3041 miles 184 hours 50 minutes traveling 50 minutes delayed to London 90 miles 2 hours 15 minutes traveling 14 hours 25 minutes delayed asterisk to Brindisi 1450 miles 53 hours 30 minutes traveling 1 hour 30 minutes delayed to Port Said 930 miles 62 hours 30 minutes traveling 3 hours 30 minutes delayed to Odden 1394 miles 110 hours traveling 6 hours delayed to Colombo 2093 miles 138 hours traveling 98 hours 5 minutes delayed to Penang 1278 miles 89 hours 55 minutes traveling 7 hours delayed to Singapore 381 miles 39 hours traveling 11 hours delayed to Hong Kong 1437 miles 111 hours traveling 127 hours 20 minutes delayed to Yokohama 1597 miles 131 hours 40 minutes traveling 104 hours 55 minutes delayed to San Francisco 4525 miles 333 hours 5 minutes traveling to Chicago 2573 miles 71 hours 5 minutes 2 hours 55 minutes delayed to Jersey City 951 miles 29 hours 51 minutes traveling total 21740 miles 1356 hours 41 minutes traveling 300 miles 35 minutes traveling 377 hours 30 minutes delayed total time occupied in tour 1734 hours and 11 minutes being 72 days 6 hours and 11 minutes average rate of speed per hour exclusive of stops 22.47 miles average rate of speed including stops 28.71 miles per hour Up to date my trip is the fastest on record between San Francisco and Chicago one run was 250 miles and 250 minutes and that counting the minutes lost stopping at half a dozen different towns another run was 59 miles in 50 minutes between Topeka and Kansas City we ran 13 miles in 11 minutes later we ran a mile in 16 minutes and again 26 miles in 23 minutes we made 2566 miles in 69 hours which is the fastest time I am informed that has been made for this distance although the Santa Fe route is over 500 miles longer than the Union Pacific we beat the time of the fastest mail to Chicago by 10 hours if we had had the same distance to travel we would have beaten it by 24 hours the Santa Fe had only one day to prepare for my trip and yet everything was perfect they tell me when the Palmer Jarrett across the Continent trip was made they had been preparing for it for six months in advance and when the start was made a flagman was posted at every switch in crossing between New York and San Francisco and yet without any preparations my train traveled 500 miles farther and beat their time by 24 hours it is not possible to quote my fairs and expenses as a criterion for prospective tourists as I was traveling for a newspaper and what it cost is their secret not counting the extra train if first class tickets had been bought from New York to New York it would only have cost $805 by using economy outside expenses should not exceed $300 on my tour I traversed the following waters New York Bay Atlantic Ocean English Channel Adriatic Sea Ionian Sea Mediterranean Sea Suez Canal Gulf of Suez Red Sea Straits of Bob Elmandeb Gulf of Aden Arabian Sea Indian Ocean Straits of Malacca following countries England, France Italy, Egypt, Japan the United States and the following British possessions Aden, Arabia Colombo, Isle of Ceylon Penang, Prince of Wales Island Singapore Mele Peninsula and the island of Hong Kong Lanvois to so many people this wide world over am I indebted for kindnesses that I cannot in a little book like this thank them all individually they form a chain around the earth to each and all of you men women and children in my land and in the lands I visited I am most truly grateful every kind act and thought if but an unuttered wish a cheer a tiny flower my memory as one of the pleasant things of my novel tour from you and from all those who read the chronicle of my trip I beg indulgence these pages have been written in a spare moment snatched from the exactions of a busy life end of chapter 18 end of Around the World in 72 days by Nellie Bly


Why don't you first talk let's let's start off with a bang, okay? Why don't you share some numbers of some producers that you know for a fact or pulling home with some with some tele-sales? And and you know what I'm talking about. You know where I'm leading this conversation Are you leading to what we just learned about? Yes. Yeah, I mean I was amazed that There's a lady we met that has put it over 50k two months in a row Say that again for the people 50,000 dollars $50,000 a month two months in a row by Hand-dialing leads and making cells unbelievable super impressive. I mean it's public knowledge that you know, they put it up on Facebook So it's like we can share it. It's not see it's not a secret, but it is unbelievable like 50,000 yes, but she's she's also Calling more people. Yeah, she's working hard She's staying in the office till 10 11 o'clock at night eastern time so that she can talk to people 7 8 9 o'clock at night Pacific time, you know, like it's just It's it's mind-blowing. Well, let's unpack that a little bit more so, you know, we got the chance to sit down with this young lady and You know, what are some specific things that she's doing besides just working hard and grinding it out And she's got a good attitude. What are some specific things that you feel that have led her to be that kind of producer? She's a relentless high activity and super aggressive on the phone. I mean No lead is ever dead and She's extremely aggressive on the phone at getting someone to do what she wants and There's just something about You can't get the one thing with tele-sales to that. She's great at is most agents will get ran over She ain't getting run over. No, she's driving the car And but most agents are or not they're in the passenger seat and They don't know how to get in the driver's seat and yes, you want to be in the passenger seat as in the driver's talking more than you But somebody's got to ask those questions and lead that conversation. How do you think she got? Okay, so do you think that's a natural talent that you're just born with and the particular organization that we Got to work with lucked out and got her or was there something that drew that out of her? I think it's a combination. Yeah. I mean, yes, I think there's which 20s I was listening to podcast Cardone and Belford recently and they like differed, you know Cardone doesn't think that people are like natural born salespeople which I disagree with I truly believe I'm a natural born salesperson now. Have can you improve? Can you add skill to the equation? You know, can you learn? Can you implement? Can you plug in and actually like role-play and do it a lot high activity and get really great at it? But like my first, you know first year in the business I was doing things that most people weren't able to do because I felt like maybe I wasn't a natural born closer I don't know that anyone's like a natural born closer per se, but I was Natural in the fact that I understood I had to listen and I don't talk a lot, which is great I understood that had to build a relationship with people and I was really good at like Warming people up and getting them to open up and share and I still am same thing with her And so I think there's a combination. I think naturally she's very gifted But also the company has a great system and the third level to it is she's Constantly improving and still believe she could do more than 50k. Oh, yeah, she said it out loud Multiple times. It wasn't even like and yeah, well most people don't get easy there. You're thinking, okay that's amazing most agents would Almost get complete. Most people will get complacent. Oh, yeah All I know is if if you're out there right now and you're doing 10k a month You have not reached your full potential If you did 10k Guess what you can do 20. I was talking to a dude named Joey from out in South Carolina. Good dude I get to coach him a little bit and He was doing 12k a month 10 12k a month and my dude you ought to be doing at least 20 so then he shifted that mindset and is instantly doing 20 20k a month. That's awesome. It's kind of funny how that works, right? I'm like, I actually think he's a 40,000 a month producer though


Reggie Feeza may man I'm this frustrates me well let's just get into what happens so Reggie Feeza may has been doing a slew of interviews he's kind of back in the media after being out of the media almost since the launch of the switch really maybe it was around a little bit back during E3 but for the most part Reggie has not been doing a lot of PR or interviews or events for the switch since lunch maybe that's because he's been focused on efforts in Japan and trying to encourage supply chains to get improved well I know Nintendo has other employees to do it but since Reggie kind of got promoted he's got other things to do besides just be the big PR person in North America anyways in an issue of Forbes they did a Forbes magazine did an interview with Reggie Feeza may and asked him what Nintendo switches online is going to look like when it launches next year the paid service not the way it looks now here's what Reggie said I'm not going to tell you exactly what it's going to look like we'll share more about that next year but what I can't tell you is that our vision is to have a robust online environment that not only provides the mechanisms for you to have your multiplayer experiences and matchmaking those elements are minimum our goal is to provide the extra Nintendo twist and that's what makes our company historically so effective we don't do things the same way everyone else does we relish being different we see that difference as an element that makes us more compelling to the consumer and so having that differentiated experience is what we are focused on and we'll unveil more next year as we're closer to the launch of the service oh boy so he's not telling us exactly what's going on so everything I'm about to say now it's gonna sound like an overreaction and I know that but this is very concerning to me now realize I understand Nintendo's online service is going to be cheap we're talking $20 per year I'm going to pay that because I'm going to want to play multiplayer games online and that's going to be locked behind a paywall just like it has been on other systems in the market but I mean when he talks about the bare minimum being multiplayer experiences and matchmaking that's not the bare minimum that's like below the bare minimum the bare minimum not only includes that it also includes clear communication be able to message your friends lobbies standard standardized voice chat that's all these things that the other companies are doing are basically the bare minimum of what an online system should be in 2017 now beyond that like Nintendo could do something beyond the bare minimum and more value more whatever that their own Nintendo twist which they've already done by making you voice chat through an app and that app sucks I'm sorry I'm just gonna come out and say it I know full functionality hasn't launched on it yet supposedly at least we believe full functionality hasn't launched on it yet we really don't know because we're not Nintendo we have no idea what they're thinking but the voice chat they do have in Splatoon 2 is terrible it sucks and now that the switch supports USB headsets and technically wired headsets because you can use a you Bluetooth dongle through USB or through the headphone jack port I think at this point it's time to kiss goodbye that application in terms of it being required for voice chat but what do I know I'm just a person who's been online gaming for basically most of my gaming life since the mid 90s Nintendo they have Reggie's correct in one way they don't always go with the trends that the industry is currently in they like to be trend setters I think that's what Reggie should have said is instead of doing whatever else does they like to set trends and then have everyone else copy them that happened with the Wiimote that happened with arguably the d-pad that happened with shoulder buttons blah blah blah and I'm not giving credit like oh my god Nintendo did all the stuff first no but Nintendo standardized and popularized it in the wider community of gamers and then other companies adapted that technology to their own methods of controllers in this case I don't think that Nintendo knows what they're doing if I'm being honest here the problem I have with Nintendo wanting to do something different wanting to what things here they relish being different and so we see that difference as an element that makes us more compelling to the consumer and so having a differentiated experience is what we're focused on I here's the thing Nintendo and I'm talking to Nintendo here forget I know what you guys are listening in and I'm talking directly to you but I'm sorry this message is for Nintendo and for Reggie fees of me before you do something different get the basics right I don't think that's much to ask you can't try to do something different when you've never ever in the history of your online experiences 3ds and we you and we and DS have ever had a full online experience that comes remotely close to your competition when you talk about doing things different than your competition first you need to be able to match your competition with that functionality in the first place the fact that that Netflix isn't launched yet who lose that launch makes people think well maybe that's gonna be locked behind your service even though the other companies when they did that decided to stop doing that because people complain why am I paying to just watch Netflix on Xbox I'll just watch it on something else that doesn't charge me money on top of the money I already have to pay to Netflix so Microsoft and Sony like hey we're sorry we're not going to keep that behind a paywall anymore is that what you mean by something different going back to the ancient ways of doing things and again we don't know that that's going to be the case but I can't think of any other reason those apps haven't launched then otherwise the switch has a video app in Nico Nico launched in Japan that's basically their YouTube I mean come on if they could do it in Japan there's no reason that YouTube and Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime and all these video on demand services have not launched on switch besides Nintendo just telling them you can't sorry you're you might have it ready but we don't want you launching it yet wait for our online service it's going to help you a lot I don't know how it's going to help you a lot but there's that to consider on top of that we've never had a way to directly message people Washington never that there was there were some methods in the past but we don't have a great way to directly message or a great way to make lobbies a great way to voice chat across games and if you talk about doing something different in that you're not going to enable any of that and you're just going to focus everything into that application and force people to have to drain their batteries force people to have to use their phones at a time when phones are starting to take away headphone jacks oh man this is going to be a mess it's almost like Nintendo's behind the times right as phones are starting to take away the headphone jack and though it doesn't mean you can't use headphones or headsets with it with your device but it's becoming more complicated to use the ones that you probably already own especially if you're getting newer devices Nintendo society hey we're all in on this medium that people are already starting to struggle with I just I don't know what they're thinking I think all Nintendo would have to do is actually offer the bare minimum and that's not the ability to play games online because they've given us that over the past you know decade we've been able to play games dating back to like what we and what we Mario Kart or something and I know there was an online adapter actually our modem thing you could get for the Gamecube that let you play fantasy star online the bare minimum isn't enough especially when the bare minimum on this matchmaking stuff doesn't necessarily cost Nintendo anything because they could do it all through the call of duty servers or the the individual servers for each game can handle all that traffic and it doesn't cost Nintendo anything so why would I be charged for it the reason that Microsoft and Sony get away with charging for it is one because Microsoft has just always done it so it's just always the way it's fine with them and two because they offer services and experiences with their online system that sets them apart it makes it so yes we are paywalling the ability to play online but in doing so we're giving you all this added functionality on top of what the games offer you and if you can't even give us the bare basics of that functionality you can't let me message my friends or even have achievements of any kind or virtual console at this point and you're just gonna cut us off and say look we know what we're doing and we know what we're doing better than everybody else that's what you thought when you put the TV button on the Wii U that's when you thought when you launch the Nintendo TV service hey we're not gonna actually run real TV through your system like I'm like Microsoft is doing we're gonna give you this all-encompassing system and here's the thing I actually think the all encompassing team like Nintendo TV idea was really really cool an idea to combine Netflix Amazon and Hulu all into a single search so I actually thought that was great oh I want to look up a movie let me look it up through a single service and start it through my preferred so I actually thought that was great unfortunately it didn't work very well because maybe the hardware couldn't handle it at the time maybe it was just a poorly crafted application I don't know and then you have the dedicated TV button as if people need it I use that dedicated TV button all the time so it's really weird to hear me criticize it right now just in my head I'm like really my criticize something I used but it didn't need to be there it was Nintendo makes baffling decisions at time when they talk about different you already are different you have the only like successful hybrid platform in the world right now the only one there is literally zero direct competition for the Nintendo switch so you don't need to differentiate beyond what the switch already does to differentiate itself from the rest of the gaming world all you have to do is just give us the basic functionality of an online system that everybody else has that PCs and phones and playstations and Xboxes every system has a spare basic functionality and if you're going to cut that out and try to use your unique spin on it which you think makes consumers more compelled to use it when actually your Nintendo voice chat app has made people less compelled to even attempt to voice chat during it or even compelled them to be like hey look we're just going to use discord because it's a heck of a lot simpler and we can have lobbies and talk cross game everything is solved by using a third-party application that cost us nothing Nintendo Nintendo Nintendo and I understand people gonna think I'm raging over nothing you're right we don't know anything and I want to be proven wrong but man it comes to online Nintendo's risk-taking Nintendo's ideas have never been great we're in 2017 and we're using friend codes just think about that they got rid of it and then they brought it back they thought for some reason bringing friend codes back was a good idea this is the Nintendo that we're trusting with a paid online service we're trusting a Nintendo that decided hey look we're gonna put voice chat on your phone I just this is a Nintendo that couldn't even put a headphone jack on the pro controller or on a joy con so you just listen to the game while sitting on the couch through headphones or for an on-the-go platform I guess I understand having the headphone jack on the unit but like when you're at home and you're docked it's more complicated to use a headphone at oh Nintendo Reggie and and all I want to know I want to cut you got some slack I want to give you guys a fair shot at this but man you have a lot of proving to do if you're holding back this service for this differentiated experience and that differentiated experience basically just makes nobody want to use your service yeah sometimes you just don't ignore your consumers and don't ignore what everyone else is doing sometimes that works well for you I think the switch itself what it is was a calculated smart risk I don't think what you're doing with online is a calculated smart risk when you have zero track record of ever getting the bare basics of online correct in fact it some people might argue until the switch it was really hard to even play games online think about the lag people experience playing smash bros on Wii U and 3ds online and that's what people are gonna pay for a service like that man anyways folks I'm Nathaniel of a judge from the Jennifer let me know what you think about this in in the comments below do you think like Reggie they need to do this big unique thing that's that's very Nintendo with their online service to differentiate it and make it I guess was ready to say it more compelling to the consumer or do they just need to focus on actually getting the basics of an online system a paid online system correct before they worry about trying to tack on things like the phone app or or new these quote-unquote new ideas they have let me know obviously I've been against what they've been doing with their online ever since they announced that app and now that it's out there I'm even more against it but yes let me know what you think obviously I'm not the be all end all here we're a giant Nintendo community maybe you guys have some ideas here that can make this work or a way that Nintendo can do this and still have that basic functionality that Reggie didn't actually include in the basic functionality of what they think they need bare minimum anyways I'm Nathaniel of a chance if you like this video give it a like if you dislike the video that's alright I understand hit that dislike button subscribe for more content and I will just catch you in the next one