ABSTRACT
Habarovsk is a town of large area, scattered over three hills and the intervening valleys, and overlooks the Amur at its junction with the Ussuri. It is laid out on the American block system, with wide streets running north and south, and numerous cross streets with the usual narrow wooden pavements. Most of the buildings are of wood, but here and there in prominent positions red-brick blocks are springing up— the residences and’offices of Government officials. The population amounts to 16,000, exclusive of the garrison, which numbers anything from 2,000 to 3,000 men. There is a considerable number of Chinese, who are preferred as carpenters and artisans generally. They are also small shopkeepers, and at street crossings tiny wooden erections, like railway ticket offices, have been run up where they dispense matches, kerosene oil, fruit and other articles. I stopped at one of these places to invest in a box of matches, and the lad in charge was quite overcome when I named my wants in his own tongue. Instead of at once supplying me he hastened to inform his partner in my hearing, “Come, here is a foreigner who speaks Chinese,” and it was only after I had answered many questions, not only about myself but also regarding the probabilities of the death of the Emperor of China, of which they had heard a report, that I secured my box of matches. I was an object of curiosity every time I passed that shop, and I gather from this that very few foreigners in Habarovsk speak Chinese. Many fish-skin Tartars (Yu-p’i-ta-tzǔ) 98live in the neighbourhood, but, as they visit the town only during the winter, we were denied a sight of this interesting people. We witnessed a Japanese funeral, which was attended by about fifty Japanese men who walked bareheaded in procession past our quarters. They all wore European clothes and appeared to belong to the better class. We saw several Russian processions, composed of men, women and children, preceded by a horseman with bared head. Following the horseman were a primitive instrumental band, banners held aloft, several priests chanting, and a motley crowd bringing up the rear and joining in the chorus.
