In the September, 1931, issue of National Geographic Magazine, Bernard R. Hubbard, S.J., writes, "We had thought ourselves sated with years of Alaskan exploration, yet Aniakchak Volcano revealed to us new wonders. . . it encircles with its 3,000-foot walls a variety of scenic features and an abounding bird, animal, fish, and plant life that make it a world in itself - a world inside a mountain" ("A World Inside a Mountain: Aniakchak, the New Volcanic Wonderland of the Alaska Peninsula, is Explored," p. 319).
Mount Aniakchak is situated on the southwestern peninsula of Alaska. It was discovered in 1922. At that time three volcanoes to the north were sending up plumes of smoke: Martin, Mageik, and Kukuk. Aniakchak has a rim 21 miles in circumference - BIG!
Mr. Bernard, chair of the Geology Department at University of Santa Clara, California, U.S.A., ("S.J." after his name means he is a member of the religious Jesuit order) took an exploring party and their supplies up the Aniakchak River in a motorboat, then set out on foot with 100-pound backpacks to reach the volcano.
The hikers followed bear tracks (much larger than the men's bootprints in the snow!) into the Aniakchak volcano's crater. It was still "smoking" from the fumaroles (vents). "Tufts of fur about the vents prove that the animals use these natural Turkish baths to help them shed their winter fur" (photo caption, p. 328).
They found "a majestic Vent Mountain, with snow-covered truncated top, rising 2,200 feet from the 30-square-mile floor of the crater - volcano within a volcano!" (p. 329). They also found the source of a river in a cave in the hardened lava.
Hubbard continues his account, "We had expected to find nothing but sterile wastes inside the volcano, and the amount and variety of life astonished us." There were many kinds of birds, including eagles and sea gulls. The lake was a spawning bed for salmon. In addition to bears were foxes. "The fish, game, and bird life was even surpassed by the variety and profusion of flowers, particularly orchids" (p. 332). The Chignik Aleutian natives lived nearby.
The party found a part of the crater with so many smoking vents, they called it "The little Valley of a Hundred Smokes." This was considered their greatest discovery since Aniakchak was supposed to be a dead volcano. "Our finding of activity not only changed its classification but identifies it as the largest explosive active crater in the world" (p. 340). The colors of the hardened lava were terra cotta red, black, and vivid red, made even brighter by the surrounding snow. At one point they found a tall column of obsidian, black glass tubes, 600 feet tall and one mile long. Many prehistoric fossils were found in the volcano.
The stream bed and rocks are colored a deep orange by the iron-soda-bicarbonate water of the springs, and the near-by shores of the lake look as if strewn with a bargeload of oranges. . . following the example of our bear friends, we drank freely" from the lake. (p. 341).
Mr. Hubbard concludes, "After living two weeks inside its protecting walls, we were loathe to leave our volcanic wonder world" (p. 342).
My mother considered the cruise she and dad made to Alaska as her favorite. Those of my friends who have traveled to the Alaska mainland agree. Perhaps someday I, too, will be able to venture to this beautiful State of America!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
New Hampshire, the Granite State
The history of how each of the 48 continental states was carved out of the coast-to-coast American territory is most interesting. In northeastern New England, New Hampshire was originally a part of Massachusetts. The southern boundary with Massachusetts was set by the King of England. At one point, both New York state and New Hampshire claimed Vermont but it was made a separate state. Then there was the matter of the 58-mile border New Hampshire shares with Quebec, Canada, resolved after only two or three wars. New Hampshire was one of the original thirteen colonies in the United States, deep into the Revolutionary War to separate from England. New Hampshire has only a small coastline on the Atlantic Ocean north of Massachusetts.
Franklin Pierce, born in Hillsboro Town, New Hampshire, was the 14th president of the United States. His father, Benjamin, was a farmer there during the American Revolution. At the news of the battle at Lexington, he "hitched his oxen to a stump and set off with his uncle's gun. He became an officer in the Revolutionary Army and later a governor of New Hampshire" (photo caption, p. 276). In 1774, "it was on New Hampshire soil that the first armed blow was struck at British domination, when a band of patriots. . . overpowered the small garrison at Fort William and Mary, in Portsmouth Harbor" (p. 307).
New Hampshire is called "The Granite State" due to the White Mountains. "With 86 peaks in an area of 1,270 square miles, New Hampshire's White Mountains contain the highest elevation in the northeastern states" ("New Hampshire, the Granite State," George Higgins Moses, National Geographic Magazine, September, 1931, p. 304). The residents take full advantage of The White Mountain National Forest. In 1931, there were 160 girls and boys camps. Campers came from many corners of the country. Hunters also love this rugged country and come to hunt the Big Game of bears and deer. New Hampshire is a land of 400 lakes. There were 225 forest industries in 1931.
The people of this state prided themselves on religious tolerance and were extremely productive in 1931. One-quarter of the farmland was devoted to hay crops. Other major crops were ferns, apples, flowers and bulbs. There were many dairy farms. Mica and fellspar were mined. In the town of Peterboro was established the country's first tax-supported free public library. In 1776, New Hampshire drew up the first state constitution.
Some of the names of the New Hampshire towns were taken directly from England: Manchester, Concord, and Canterbury. Other towns have Native American names: Sunapee, Pemigewasset, Pasquhey, Cocheco, Piscataqu, Winnepesaukee, Waukewan, Asquam, and Opeechee.
"New Hampshire winters are usually long and severe, but, instead of considering the months of cold and deep snows as liabilities, the state has converted them into assets, with communities holding winter carnivals every year and more hotels offering facilities for winter sports" (photo caption, p. 299).
A few years ago, daughter #5, Mary, and I drove from Boston north along the coast to Portland, Maine and stopped at the lighthouse in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There were many beautiful lighthouses along the rocky coast, as you can imagine. We hope to make this trek again soon.
Franklin Pierce, born in Hillsboro Town, New Hampshire, was the 14th president of the United States. His father, Benjamin, was a farmer there during the American Revolution. At the news of the battle at Lexington, he "hitched his oxen to a stump and set off with his uncle's gun. He became an officer in the Revolutionary Army and later a governor of New Hampshire" (photo caption, p. 276). In 1774, "it was on New Hampshire soil that the first armed blow was struck at British domination, when a band of patriots. . . overpowered the small garrison at Fort William and Mary, in Portsmouth Harbor" (p. 307).
New Hampshire is called "The Granite State" due to the White Mountains. "With 86 peaks in an area of 1,270 square miles, New Hampshire's White Mountains contain the highest elevation in the northeastern states" ("New Hampshire, the Granite State," George Higgins Moses, National Geographic Magazine, September, 1931, p. 304). The residents take full advantage of The White Mountain National Forest. In 1931, there were 160 girls and boys camps. Campers came from many corners of the country. Hunters also love this rugged country and come to hunt the Big Game of bears and deer. New Hampshire is a land of 400 lakes. There were 225 forest industries in 1931.
The people of this state prided themselves on religious tolerance and were extremely productive in 1931. One-quarter of the farmland was devoted to hay crops. Other major crops were ferns, apples, flowers and bulbs. There were many dairy farms. Mica and fellspar were mined. In the town of Peterboro was established the country's first tax-supported free public library. In 1776, New Hampshire drew up the first state constitution.
Some of the names of the New Hampshire towns were taken directly from England: Manchester, Concord, and Canterbury. Other towns have Native American names: Sunapee, Pemigewasset, Pasquhey, Cocheco, Piscataqu, Winnepesaukee, Waukewan, Asquam, and Opeechee.
"New Hampshire winters are usually long and severe, but, instead of considering the months of cold and deep snows as liabilities, the state has converted them into assets, with communities holding winter carnivals every year and more hotels offering facilities for winter sports" (photo caption, p. 299).
A few years ago, daughter #5, Mary, and I drove from Boston north along the coast to Portland, Maine and stopped at the lighthouse in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There were many beautiful lighthouses along the rocky coast, as you can imagine. We hope to make this trek again soon.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
To Hot Madrid!
"Midsummer and high noon! I stood by the parapet of a castle in Spain and looked out over a treeless plain," ("Madrid Out-of-Doors," Harriet Chalmers Adams, National Geographic Magazine, August, 1931, p. 225). I want to be there, too! From the castle, Ms. Adams traveled south to the capital city of Madrid, "approximately in the geographical center of Spain" (p. 225).
Ms. Chalmers reports that at one time 900 years ago, Christian Spain had been largely conquered by the Moslem invaders. Armored knights battled hard to win back their country.
In 1931, "Madrid's outstanding feature is the great avenue, Gran Avenida de la Libertad, one of the finest boulevards in all Europe" (p. 225). Temperature in the summer resembled that of Sacramento, California, U.S.A.: very hot, but dry. "Shops close every afternoon from one or two o'clock until four or five. . . Madrilenos know how to enjoy the magic hours of early evening" (p. 231).
Someday I would like to visit the Prado Museum, where are kept masterpiece paintings from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. "In the opinion of many, this is the finest art gallery in existence" (p. 233).
Spain was the only country in the world allowed to send letters to the United States at domestic rates iin 1931. The Spanish were quite proud of their efficient mail service.
The Madrid citizens were formal and prided themselves on being mannerly and courteous. "Spain is, above all, a country where the wishes of others are respected, the land of personal liberty, of a democracy which is practical" (p. 235).
Madrid was as modern as any other large European or American city of 1931, with movie houses, tall buildings, a subway, telephones, and plenty of automobiles.
Here's a cultural habit that surprised and enlightened me: The Spanish take 'siestas' in the afternoon, not to escape the heat, but because they stay up at night so late - frequently until dawn!
No article about Spain would be complete without mention of bullfights. When the bull is in a good position, the matador "will attempt to drive home a death stroke between the bull's shoulders" (photo caption, p. 243). Even the little boys pretended to be bulls or matadors.
During my recent trip to Italy, our tour group was warned about gypsies: "Don't leet yourselves be surrounded by them; they might steal your wallet or purse." We had no problems. Gypsies in Spain have been there since the fifteenth centure, "coming in at the northeast from France" (p. 246).
In the Royal Armory were kept a great collection of knights' shields and swords, "and the arms of lesser conquistadors who, sailing under the banner of Castile, won a New World for Spain" (p. 248).
Ms. Adams also writes about cities close to Madrid,: Segovia, Avila, and Toledo. There is, as in most of Europe, ruins of the ever-present Roman aqueducts, near Segovia. She concludes that "these country people, who toil in the fields so near the capital, will be slow to change. Generation on generation they have clung to old customs" (p. 256). I submit that therein lies their charm.
As a university student in the early 1960s, I learned to love all things Spanish. I studied the language, met friends from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Barcelona, Spain. One evening we watched a show of Flamenco Dancers. I must travel to Spain one of these years!
Ms. Chalmers reports that at one time 900 years ago, Christian Spain had been largely conquered by the Moslem invaders. Armored knights battled hard to win back their country.
In 1931, "Madrid's outstanding feature is the great avenue, Gran Avenida de la Libertad, one of the finest boulevards in all Europe" (p. 225). Temperature in the summer resembled that of Sacramento, California, U.S.A.: very hot, but dry. "Shops close every afternoon from one or two o'clock until four or five. . . Madrilenos know how to enjoy the magic hours of early evening" (p. 231).
Someday I would like to visit the Prado Museum, where are kept masterpiece paintings from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. "In the opinion of many, this is the finest art gallery in existence" (p. 233).
Spain was the only country in the world allowed to send letters to the United States at domestic rates iin 1931. The Spanish were quite proud of their efficient mail service.
The Madrid citizens were formal and prided themselves on being mannerly and courteous. "Spain is, above all, a country where the wishes of others are respected, the land of personal liberty, of a democracy which is practical" (p. 235).
Madrid was as modern as any other large European or American city of 1931, with movie houses, tall buildings, a subway, telephones, and plenty of automobiles.
Here's a cultural habit that surprised and enlightened me: The Spanish take 'siestas' in the afternoon, not to escape the heat, but because they stay up at night so late - frequently until dawn!
No article about Spain would be complete without mention of bullfights. When the bull is in a good position, the matador "will attempt to drive home a death stroke between the bull's shoulders" (photo caption, p. 243). Even the little boys pretended to be bulls or matadors.
During my recent trip to Italy, our tour group was warned about gypsies: "Don't leet yourselves be surrounded by them; they might steal your wallet or purse." We had no problems. Gypsies in Spain have been there since the fifteenth centure, "coming in at the northeast from France" (p. 246).
In the Royal Armory were kept a great collection of knights' shields and swords, "and the arms of lesser conquistadors who, sailing under the banner of Castile, won a New World for Spain" (p. 248).
Ms. Adams also writes about cities close to Madrid,: Segovia, Avila, and Toledo. There is, as in most of Europe, ruins of the ever-present Roman aqueducts, near Segovia. She concludes that "these country people, who toil in the fields so near the capital, will be slow to change. Generation on generation they have clung to old customs" (p. 256). I submit that therein lies their charm.
As a university student in the early 1960s, I learned to love all things Spanish. I studied the language, met friends from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Barcelona, Spain. One evening we watched a show of Flamenco Dancers. I must travel to Spain one of these years!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Oh, Good, A New, WARM Island!
Mabel Cook Cole, author of "The Island of Nias, at the Edge of the World," National Geographic Magazine, August, 1931, was lured to this island from reports of an ancient civilization. Thus she traveled some 15,000 miles to a small eighty-mile long island off the west coast of Sumatra, in the Dutch East Indies, presently called Indonesia.
Nias, an island little known in 1931, was called the "Island of Gold." A visiting Mohammedan merchant reported in 851 A.D., "The people are rich in gold; they eat coconuts and cover their bodies with the oil; that when a man wishes to marry he must take the head of an enemy. If he takes two heads, he may take two wives; if he obtains fifty, he may have that many wives" (p. 201). Yes, we can see why Mrs. Cole was intrigued by this unique society!
Due to earthquakes destroying coastal villages, the Dutch were not interested in this island. "It is only during the last twenty years that the white man has really ruled the land" (p. 201).
In 1931, there were no cable or wireless connections in Nias, only contact by boats. Mrs. Cole landed "at Goenoeng Sitoli, a pretty little village with a palm-fringed beach." (p. 201). Then she realized her last connection, the supply steamer that brought her, had left. Mrs. Cole was traveling with her husband.
She told a Dutch official she wanted to travel to the other end of Nias. He was friendly and flatly refused. "It is impossible, especially for a lady," she was told (p. 202). He discouraged her in every way possible. Mrs. Cole wrote, "He never had come into such close contact with the undaunted strenuousness of America" (p. 203).
Finally, the Coles found three horses, hired a young native interpreter, and took with them their former auto mechanic. Soon they passed native villages and noticed that the native peoples appeared sickly and malnourished. The Coles wished to hire some as carriers but the natives "did not want money and could see no use in working" (p. 208).
In North Nias, the round houses "are built chiefly of bamboo and are raised high above the ground on posts. Their inhabitants live half the year on rice and half on sweet potato" (photo caption, p. 207). The travelers found a friendly chief who educated them about the particulars of their ancestor worship, the work of their magicians and meaning of their ancestors' skulls under the outdoor stone benches.
The group paid their respects to the chief and moved on. "The water in our canteens was tepid, and frequently we stopped by a clump of coconut trees, the Nias substitute for a soda fountain . . . It was not especially good, but it was wet and safe" (p. 209).
The next day they wanted to cross a rickety bridge over a river. As they noticed crocodiles infesting the river, they sent the horses back and crossed on foot. They soon came to a series of villages and were treated very well. The first village chief insisted on having his men carry the four visitors to the next village. "For many years these people resisted the white man's rule, and even now, though head-hunting and warfare have diminished, they lead very much their own lives" (p. 213). The village chiefs were quite resplendent with gold ornaments. The architecture of their large houses was amazing in its complexity and fine craftsmanship. Some of the village streets were paved with stone.
Sadly, with foreign rule, the ancient ways in Nias were disintegrating in 1931. When the Coles were on an outbound steamer, Mrs. Cole reminisced, as she looked back on the island, "We forgot the heat, the moisture, and the malaria that had marred our first picture of Nias. We saw, in our mind's eye, only that strange city on the hill, and we breathed a prayer that it might long survive" (p. 224). A worthy trip it was, for such staunch adventurers!
Nias, an island little known in 1931, was called the "Island of Gold." A visiting Mohammedan merchant reported in 851 A.D., "The people are rich in gold; they eat coconuts and cover their bodies with the oil; that when a man wishes to marry he must take the head of an enemy. If he takes two heads, he may take two wives; if he obtains fifty, he may have that many wives" (p. 201). Yes, we can see why Mrs. Cole was intrigued by this unique society!
Due to earthquakes destroying coastal villages, the Dutch were not interested in this island. "It is only during the last twenty years that the white man has really ruled the land" (p. 201).
In 1931, there were no cable or wireless connections in Nias, only contact by boats. Mrs. Cole landed "at Goenoeng Sitoli, a pretty little village with a palm-fringed beach." (p. 201). Then she realized her last connection, the supply steamer that brought her, had left. Mrs. Cole was traveling with her husband.
She told a Dutch official she wanted to travel to the other end of Nias. He was friendly and flatly refused. "It is impossible, especially for a lady," she was told (p. 202). He discouraged her in every way possible. Mrs. Cole wrote, "He never had come into such close contact with the undaunted strenuousness of America" (p. 203).
Finally, the Coles found three horses, hired a young native interpreter, and took with them their former auto mechanic. Soon they passed native villages and noticed that the native peoples appeared sickly and malnourished. The Coles wished to hire some as carriers but the natives "did not want money and could see no use in working" (p. 208).
In North Nias, the round houses "are built chiefly of bamboo and are raised high above the ground on posts. Their inhabitants live half the year on rice and half on sweet potato" (photo caption, p. 207). The travelers found a friendly chief who educated them about the particulars of their ancestor worship, the work of their magicians and meaning of their ancestors' skulls under the outdoor stone benches.
The group paid their respects to the chief and moved on. "The water in our canteens was tepid, and frequently we stopped by a clump of coconut trees, the Nias substitute for a soda fountain . . . It was not especially good, but it was wet and safe" (p. 209).
The next day they wanted to cross a rickety bridge over a river. As they noticed crocodiles infesting the river, they sent the horses back and crossed on foot. They soon came to a series of villages and were treated very well. The first village chief insisted on having his men carry the four visitors to the next village. "For many years these people resisted the white man's rule, and even now, though head-hunting and warfare have diminished, they lead very much their own lives" (p. 213). The village chiefs were quite resplendent with gold ornaments. The architecture of their large houses was amazing in its complexity and fine craftsmanship. Some of the village streets were paved with stone.
Sadly, with foreign rule, the ancient ways in Nias were disintegrating in 1931. When the Coles were on an outbound steamer, Mrs. Cole reminisced, as she looked back on the island, "We forgot the heat, the moisture, and the malaria that had marred our first picture of Nias. We saw, in our mind's eye, only that strange city on the hill, and we breathed a prayer that it might long survive" (p. 224). A worthy trip it was, for such staunch adventurers!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Indo-China Visited
Once, my friend Rosemary thought she might move to Hong-Kong, China, to join her husband, Jeff, who traveled there so frequently on business he might move there permanently. "Would you come to visit me if we moved there?" Rosemary asked. "Oh, yes," I enthusiastically replied. But alas, neither their plans nor mine came to be.
I had to return to my world map before I got very far into the next National Geographic Article, "Along the Old Mandarin Road of Indo-China," W. Robert Moore, August, 1931. In that year, the country we now know as Vietnam was called French Indo-China and Cochin-China. The cities of Hanoi, Phnom Penh, and Hue will be familiar to anyone who was an adult during the "Vietnam Conflict." What was different? The city known as Saigon is now Ho Chi Minh City, to honor the North Vietnamese Communist dictator. The countries of Laos and Cambodia have the same names. Siam is now called Thailand.
Mr. Moore's journey began on the western border of Cambodia, then a French colony, in the town of Poipet. Moore and his group took a side trip to Angkor Vat, site of an ancient temple. "The great Khmer temple remains in a remarkable state of preservation, despite the fact that for centuries it was engulfed by the jungle" (photo caption, p. 158). "Whether by moonlight, in the searching glare of noonday, or at eventide, as long queues of winging bats pour out like wisps of smoke from its darkened towers, Angkor grips one with its spell of grandeur" (p. 159).
The French used part of the old Mandarin Road for their Coloniale Number One Road, 1,600 miles long from Poipet to China. Rice fields were everywhere, covering more than 13 1/2 million acres. "The whole length of the Mandarin Road is a story of rice, and every stage of its cultivation may be seen simultaneously" (p. 163). Primitive agricultural methods were used throughout Indo-China, very labor-intensive.
In the countryside were groves of coconut trees and kapok (tree cotton), plus rubber plantations amidst areas of jungle. Fishing was the main coastal industry. Surface coal mines were worked. There was a substantial silk industry. Native wood carving was fine and very intricate.
Similar to the ruins of castles, churches, and forts in Europe were the ruins of ancient religious monuments in Indo-China. "At various times, among the country's racial groups, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Naturism, Confucianism, Animism, some Mohammedanism, and of late, Christianity have found adherents" (photo caption, p. 168).
Some of the mountain tribes were matriarchal, the first such society I have encountered in National Geographic Magazine. "The women of these tribespeople are the leaders of the family; the property is at their disposition, they care for the family, buy at market, and otherwise hold the purse strings. The men show them respect, and if they want to drink rice wine or make purchases they must obtain permission from their wives" (p. 175).
Hunting of wild animals was very popular due to the abundance of tigers, leopards, deer and wild buffalo in the hills. Elephant travel was gradually being replaced by cars and buses due to the new roads built by the French government.
"The city of Hue is located a few miles inland from the sea, on the banks of the winding River of Perfumes - a name given because of the sweet scented flowering trees growing along its banks" (p. 180).
There must have been a complicated government in French Indo-China. "Royalty still lives in Hue even though French authority may stand somewhat ill-concealed in the background." Mr. Moore visited the royal princess in her home. At that time, "the young emperor, Bao-Dai (Greatness Sustained) was studying in France" (p. 181).
The city of Hanoi, on the banks of the Son Koi, or Red River, was the French capital. The French fought the Chinese who were the previous rulers. At last Mr. Moore "rounded a curve and before us stood the "Porte de Chino," with its stone walls, like sinuous Chinese dragons, mounting the hills on each side" (p. 199). This was a very interesting mix of Oriental and European cultures!
I had to return to my world map before I got very far into the next National Geographic Article, "Along the Old Mandarin Road of Indo-China," W. Robert Moore, August, 1931. In that year, the country we now know as Vietnam was called French Indo-China and Cochin-China. The cities of Hanoi, Phnom Penh, and Hue will be familiar to anyone who was an adult during the "Vietnam Conflict." What was different? The city known as Saigon is now Ho Chi Minh City, to honor the North Vietnamese Communist dictator. The countries of Laos and Cambodia have the same names. Siam is now called Thailand.
Mr. Moore's journey began on the western border of Cambodia, then a French colony, in the town of Poipet. Moore and his group took a side trip to Angkor Vat, site of an ancient temple. "The great Khmer temple remains in a remarkable state of preservation, despite the fact that for centuries it was engulfed by the jungle" (photo caption, p. 158). "Whether by moonlight, in the searching glare of noonday, or at eventide, as long queues of winging bats pour out like wisps of smoke from its darkened towers, Angkor grips one with its spell of grandeur" (p. 159).
The French used part of the old Mandarin Road for their Coloniale Number One Road, 1,600 miles long from Poipet to China. Rice fields were everywhere, covering more than 13 1/2 million acres. "The whole length of the Mandarin Road is a story of rice, and every stage of its cultivation may be seen simultaneously" (p. 163). Primitive agricultural methods were used throughout Indo-China, very labor-intensive.
In the countryside were groves of coconut trees and kapok (tree cotton), plus rubber plantations amidst areas of jungle. Fishing was the main coastal industry. Surface coal mines were worked. There was a substantial silk industry. Native wood carving was fine and very intricate.
Similar to the ruins of castles, churches, and forts in Europe were the ruins of ancient religious monuments in Indo-China. "At various times, among the country's racial groups, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Naturism, Confucianism, Animism, some Mohammedanism, and of late, Christianity have found adherents" (photo caption, p. 168).
Some of the mountain tribes were matriarchal, the first such society I have encountered in National Geographic Magazine. "The women of these tribespeople are the leaders of the family; the property is at their disposition, they care for the family, buy at market, and otherwise hold the purse strings. The men show them respect, and if they want to drink rice wine or make purchases they must obtain permission from their wives" (p. 175).
Hunting of wild animals was very popular due to the abundance of tigers, leopards, deer and wild buffalo in the hills. Elephant travel was gradually being replaced by cars and buses due to the new roads built by the French government.
"The city of Hue is located a few miles inland from the sea, on the banks of the winding River of Perfumes - a name given because of the sweet scented flowering trees growing along its banks" (p. 180).
There must have been a complicated government in French Indo-China. "Royalty still lives in Hue even though French authority may stand somewhat ill-concealed in the background." Mr. Moore visited the royal princess in her home. At that time, "the young emperor, Bao-Dai (Greatness Sustained) was studying in France" (p. 181).
The city of Hanoi, on the banks of the Son Koi, or Red River, was the French capital. The French fought the Chinese who were the previous rulers. At last Mr. Moore "rounded a curve and before us stood the "Porte de Chino," with its stone walls, like sinuous Chinese dragons, mounting the hills on each side" (p. 199). This was a very interesting mix of Oriental and European cultures!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Serious Ice and Snow
Out of my treasured collection of maps from my National Geographic Magazine collection going back to 1927, I pulled out "The Making of Canada: Yukon and Northwest Territories (1997)." I wanted to know more details about where I'll be heading on my next virtual trip.
Amos Burg was interested in traveling through northwestern Canada by canoe. He and his friend, George Rebec, "stowed three months' supplies of hard-tack and bacon, into our canoe for our 1,800 mile voyage to the Arctic Ocean . . . we were to traverse wind-swept lakes, descend the treacherous rapids of the Slave (River), cut through the Arctic Circle, cross the snowy passes of the northern Rockies, and go through the territories of seven semi-civilized Indian nations," ("On Mackenzie's Trail to the Polar Sea," National Geographic Magazine, August 1931, p. 127).
The two started their adventure on a June 18 day, on the Clearwater River in northern Alberta, the Canadian province north of the American state of Montana. On the shores of the large Lake Athabasca, they joined a mining party to boat north on the Slave River to the Great Slave Lake. Ever-present in Canada on the rivers and lakes were huge mosquitoes, swarms of which were so thick that sometimes they almost blocked out the sun.
At the town of Resolution, Burg and Rebec parted company with the miners. As they paddled their canoe, they encountered small settlements of friendly native Indians - the Slaves, Yellow Knives, Crows, Loucheux, and the Dog Rib tribes - along the way. Particularly welcome was a short stop at the Police Station at Fort Smith; they were fed well. "Fewer than a hundred men of all ranks, scattered among the twenty-four Royal Canadian Mounted Police posts maintain law and order in a region one-third as large as the United States" (p. 136).
The two had to carry the canoe on shore on stretches of the MacKenzie River where the wind whipped up the water, and to avoid rapids. At the village of Norman, Rebec had to leave to return to work in Oregon (U.S.A.) Mr. Burg reported that soon thereafter, he "had the good fortune to gain another companion," Hans, a young trapper, who came with two canoes and three dogs. Burg "soon found that Hans was willing to eat anything, sleep in any place, and complain about nothing" (p. 149).
FYI: How are log cabins kept warm in the north? By chinking the spaces between the logs with mud mixed with moose hair.
Two weeks and many miles later, Hans thought the Mackenzie River delta was too crowded with trappers and left to strike out on his own. Burg found the solitude to be a joy. "This was a big moment for me. There was no life to be seen - only that life I had come to know in the wind that chilled me and in the sun that gave warmth. In the silence I could hear my watch ticking" (p. 151).
At the village of McPherson, Burg decided to sell his canoe, hire a Loucheux Indian guide, and hike across the Rocky Mountains to the Yukon River. It was late August and the weather was icy and windy. Even the guide, Abe, commented, "It is bad." (p. 151).
The wilderness inhabitants were all busy preparing for the coming winter by hunting from the abundant herds of caribou and drying fish. When Burg reached Old Crow Village, all 154 men, women, and children came out to shake hands with him.
The last leg of this journey was made as a passenger on the motorboat launch of an Indian named Bully Joe. Several hundred miles and many shore adventures later, in late September, they reached the waters of the mighty Yukon River. "Looking back from the scow, I could see Bully Joe throwing his helm to starboard, as we swung upstream for the whitewashed buildings of Fort Yukon, where rugged arms of chimney smoke curling skyward waved welcome to journey's end" (p. 156).
Recently on a TV weather report, I saw a map of Canada displaying below zero temperatures: -36, -56, etc. My daddy's Tennessee blood flowing through my brain tells me that probably that is too cold for humans, especially ME! Therefore I have no desire, at this time, to travel to see the Yukon River in person.
Amos Burg was interested in traveling through northwestern Canada by canoe. He and his friend, George Rebec, "stowed three months' supplies of hard-tack and bacon, into our canoe for our 1,800 mile voyage to the Arctic Ocean . . . we were to traverse wind-swept lakes, descend the treacherous rapids of the Slave (River), cut through the Arctic Circle, cross the snowy passes of the northern Rockies, and go through the territories of seven semi-civilized Indian nations," ("On Mackenzie's Trail to the Polar Sea," National Geographic Magazine, August 1931, p. 127).
The two started their adventure on a June 18 day, on the Clearwater River in northern Alberta, the Canadian province north of the American state of Montana. On the shores of the large Lake Athabasca, they joined a mining party to boat north on the Slave River to the Great Slave Lake. Ever-present in Canada on the rivers and lakes were huge mosquitoes, swarms of which were so thick that sometimes they almost blocked out the sun.
At the town of Resolution, Burg and Rebec parted company with the miners. As they paddled their canoe, they encountered small settlements of friendly native Indians - the Slaves, Yellow Knives, Crows, Loucheux, and the Dog Rib tribes - along the way. Particularly welcome was a short stop at the Police Station at Fort Smith; they were fed well. "Fewer than a hundred men of all ranks, scattered among the twenty-four Royal Canadian Mounted Police posts maintain law and order in a region one-third as large as the United States" (p. 136).
The two had to carry the canoe on shore on stretches of the MacKenzie River where the wind whipped up the water, and to avoid rapids. At the village of Norman, Rebec had to leave to return to work in Oregon (U.S.A.) Mr. Burg reported that soon thereafter, he "had the good fortune to gain another companion," Hans, a young trapper, who came with two canoes and three dogs. Burg "soon found that Hans was willing to eat anything, sleep in any place, and complain about nothing" (p. 149).
FYI: How are log cabins kept warm in the north? By chinking the spaces between the logs with mud mixed with moose hair.
Two weeks and many miles later, Hans thought the Mackenzie River delta was too crowded with trappers and left to strike out on his own. Burg found the solitude to be a joy. "This was a big moment for me. There was no life to be seen - only that life I had come to know in the wind that chilled me and in the sun that gave warmth. In the silence I could hear my watch ticking" (p. 151).
At the village of McPherson, Burg decided to sell his canoe, hire a Loucheux Indian guide, and hike across the Rocky Mountains to the Yukon River. It was late August and the weather was icy and windy. Even the guide, Abe, commented, "It is bad." (p. 151).
The wilderness inhabitants were all busy preparing for the coming winter by hunting from the abundant herds of caribou and drying fish. When Burg reached Old Crow Village, all 154 men, women, and children came out to shake hands with him.
The last leg of this journey was made as a passenger on the motorboat launch of an Indian named Bully Joe. Several hundred miles and many shore adventures later, in late September, they reached the waters of the mighty Yukon River. "Looking back from the scow, I could see Bully Joe throwing his helm to starboard, as we swung upstream for the whitewashed buildings of Fort Yukon, where rugged arms of chimney smoke curling skyward waved welcome to journey's end" (p. 156).
Recently on a TV weather report, I saw a map of Canada displaying below zero temperatures: -36, -56, etc. My daddy's Tennessee blood flowing through my brain tells me that probably that is too cold for humans, especially ME! Therefore I have no desire, at this time, to travel to see the Yukon River in person.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
American Excavation
In "Unearthing America's Ancient History: Investigation Suggests That the Maya May Have Designed the First Astronomical Observatory in the New World in Order to Cultivate Corn," Mr. Sylvanus Griswold Morley first tutors us on the difference between archeology and history. "Archeology brings man's record forward from the remotest past to the dawn of history . . . begins when man as a species had become a biologic fact, 500,000, a million years ago." "History carries on this strong story through written records - hieroglyphic inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, papyri, codices, chronicles, books, and documents of a description - down to the present day . . . not more than 7,000 years old at the outside, the closing chapter only in the story as a whole" (National Geographic Magazine, July, 1931, p. 99). This is important knowledge for us travelers through time and continents.
"Just as rice is the food staple of Asia, and wheat of Europe, so in ancient times Indian corn . . .was the food staple of America" (p. 100). The cultivation of corn brought about a change in the way native peoples lived. Instead of the nomadic life of hunting and moving on after an area was hunted out, cultivation of corn required staying in a fixed area. Permanent homes then could be built.
It was the Maya Indians who widely cultivated corn and thus needed a reliable calendar for planting and harvesting. "Perhaps as early as the beginning of the first millennium B.C. a number of time periods, especially the length of the year and of a lunation, had been accurately measured" (p. 108). Next, they developed simple writing to record their calendar and religious ceremonies. "The birth of the New World history was at hand" (p. 109).
"They seemed to have moved southeastward into the great forests of what is now northern Guatemala" (p. 109). Then the Mayans founded cities, built stone pyramid temples by the hundreds. Many crafts were created: painting, pottery, weaving, and wood carving, to name several.
The Maya moved on for the second time to the Yucatan Peninsula where they reached a period of brilliance "in the 11th to 14th centuries. Architecture, for example, reached a development never before attained" (p. 112). Chichen Itza became their capital.
"The Temple of the Warriors is the most imposing structure excavated at Chichen Itza. From a state of almost hopeless ruin it has been restored in a manner worthy of its original importance" (photo caption, p. 117). I find it amazing that this ruin was even discovered, let alone excavated, in 1931, since it was covered by dense jungle after being abandoned in the middle of the 15th century!
The city of Uaxactun, "on the basis of the dated monuments. . . is the oldest center of the Mayan civilization. . .The arrangement of temples and pyramids . .formed a sort of giant sundial for determining the positions of the equinoxes and solstices in the year" (p. 114). This information was used by the agricultural population of the surrounding country in regulating the different activities of their agricultural year, the felling and burning of the bush, planting and harvesting, with the ceremonies appropriate to each occasion" (p. 115).
Unfortunately, a civil war weakened their empire that "when the Spaniards arrived, a hundred years later, the warring remnants of this once great people fell an easy victim to the shock of foreign conquer" (p. 113).
The author concludes that "It is far too early to write the final history of this period." I look forward to reading more recent reports of this ancient American civilization.
"Just as rice is the food staple of Asia, and wheat of Europe, so in ancient times Indian corn . . .was the food staple of America" (p. 100). The cultivation of corn brought about a change in the way native peoples lived. Instead of the nomadic life of hunting and moving on after an area was hunted out, cultivation of corn required staying in a fixed area. Permanent homes then could be built.
It was the Maya Indians who widely cultivated corn and thus needed a reliable calendar for planting and harvesting. "Perhaps as early as the beginning of the first millennium B.C. a number of time periods, especially the length of the year and of a lunation, had been accurately measured" (p. 108). Next, they developed simple writing to record their calendar and religious ceremonies. "The birth of the New World history was at hand" (p. 109).
"They seemed to have moved southeastward into the great forests of what is now northern Guatemala" (p. 109). Then the Mayans founded cities, built stone pyramid temples by the hundreds. Many crafts were created: painting, pottery, weaving, and wood carving, to name several.
The Maya moved on for the second time to the Yucatan Peninsula where they reached a period of brilliance "in the 11th to 14th centuries. Architecture, for example, reached a development never before attained" (p. 112). Chichen Itza became their capital.
"The Temple of the Warriors is the most imposing structure excavated at Chichen Itza. From a state of almost hopeless ruin it has been restored in a manner worthy of its original importance" (photo caption, p. 117). I find it amazing that this ruin was even discovered, let alone excavated, in 1931, since it was covered by dense jungle after being abandoned in the middle of the 15th century!
The city of Uaxactun, "on the basis of the dated monuments. . . is the oldest center of the Mayan civilization. . .The arrangement of temples and pyramids . .formed a sort of giant sundial for determining the positions of the equinoxes and solstices in the year" (p. 114). This information was used by the agricultural population of the surrounding country in regulating the different activities of their agricultural year, the felling and burning of the bush, planting and harvesting, with the ceremonies appropriate to each occasion" (p. 115).
Unfortunately, a civil war weakened their empire that "when the Spaniards arrived, a hundred years later, the warring remnants of this once great people fell an easy victim to the shock of foreign conquer" (p. 113).
The author concludes that "It is far too early to write the final history of this period." I look forward to reading more recent reports of this ancient American civilization.
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