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A Wayfarer in China Impressions of a trip across West China and Mongolia
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- GenresTravelNonfiction
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 1, 2012
Miss(?) Kendall traveled across western China and up into Mongolia during 1911. I was unable to find anything on the internet about her, but she seems to have been a veteran traveler, having previously been through India and Tibet. I'm not sure of her age, but she refers to having gray hair. She came up through what is now Viet Nam, traveled across China and up to Mongolia. From there she traveled through Russia on home to America, eventually. Like Isabella Bird before her, she traveled as a lone foreigner with native interpreters, cooks, and coolies to help her. She doesn't describe the country-side as thoroughly as did Mrs. Bird, but she describes her travels, her impressions, and the peoples she encounters. Unlike Mrs. Bird, she was never stoned for being a "foreign devil." A great read.
February 18, 2019
I was wandering through hyperlink wormholes across cyberspace late one night when I stumbled upon this title, mentioned several times in the Wikipedia article “Horse Culture in Mongolia”. I did a little cursory searching for this self-described wayfarer Elizabeth Kendall. The book had clearly entered public domain years ago and a quick google turned up catalog entries and e-copies from every platform out there, but scant info on the content or on Kendall herself. Intrigued, I picked up a beautiful original copy from the library, complete with vivid photographs of people, architecture,and landscapes, (it had to be retrieved from the Minitex vault at the University of Minnesota). The faded library card glued inside was completely filled with stamped dates ranging from 1914-1925.
The book is a detailed log of Elizabeth Kendall’s travels across China in 1911, mere weeks before the Xinhai Revolution which would end imperial rule and establish the Republic of China. Her dog Jack is her only western companion. Her hired caravan is composed of a rotating cast of hired laborers or “coolies”, her interpreter, and a two-person military escort imposed by the government. Specifically, she travels from northern Vietnam, through central China up to Peking (Beijing), and from there northwest through Mongolia, before catching the Moscow Express near Lake Baikal.
Kendall’s observations and geographical descriptions paint a picture of a fascinating and rugged land. Though her prose is at turns dry, and her observations colored by Western preconceptions, she captures a number of small, beautiful, human moments. She exhibits an exciting boldness and curiosity, and remains undeterred by advice that the trip is too dangerous for a woman to make. The planning for her Mongolian leg of the journey yields a particular telling anecdote:
Kendall keeps her observations mostly centered on culture, geography, politics, and the logistics of travel. She offers very little details on herself - only that she is a scholar and in an off-handed comment, that she is gray-haired. She does mention that she is an experienced traveler and has already spent time in the East, though she has never before made this overland journey through the interior .
There is a strange delight in stumbling across a little known book, especially if it’s a good one. As a reader, it feels more personal - less like being another anonymous member of a crowded audience, and more like engaging in a deep (albeit one-sided) conversation with a stranger in a diner. Anyway, it was a fine trip and Kendall a wonderful guide.
Update - 02.08.19
Through some internet and library sleuthing I’ve uncovered a bit more on Elizabeth Kimball Kendall (1855-1952).
She was born to Rev. Safford Kimball and Lucretia Kendall Kimball née Hasseltine. Safford served as American consul in several European countries. Elizabeth’s mother Lucretia was an educator and an outspoken proponent of women’s education, abolition, and black education. International travel was a part of Elizabeth’s life from a young age, and she studied and lived in Austria, Germany, and France. In 1873 her father died in Geneva.
After studying at Oxford in 1885 she went on to become a professor of history at Wellesley College. She earned a law degree from Boston University in 1892, and a Masters in History from Radcliffe in 1899. She taught courses on English constitutional history, political history of America, and the history of the British Empire with particular focus on India, the Near East and the Far East. She lived with her mother at Wellesley as was not uncommon at the time and never married.
She was part of the tight-knit group of intellectual powerhouses associated with Wellesley College at the turn of the century. Her colleagues included Katharine Lee Bates (writer who penned “America the Beautiful”), Emily Greene Balch (who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946), and Katharine Colman (influential economist). This excerpt from “In Adamless Eden: The Community of Women Faculty at Wellesley” illustrates the depth of her professional friendships:
Elizabeth continued to travel for the rest of her life. According to “In Adamless Eden” she was the first Caucasian women to cross Tibet. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. I’ll end with one last excerpt from “In Adamless Eden”
Sources:
Palmieri, Patricia Ann. In Adamless Eden: the Community of Women Faculty at Wellesley. Yale University Press, 1997.
St. Anne's College Oxford Wordpress
The Kimball Family News Volumes 3-4
Image from Boston University website
The book is a detailed log of Elizabeth Kendall’s travels across China in 1911, mere weeks before the Xinhai Revolution which would end imperial rule and establish the Republic of China. Her dog Jack is her only western companion. Her hired caravan is composed of a rotating cast of hired laborers or “coolies”, her interpreter, and a two-person military escort imposed by the government. Specifically, she travels from northern Vietnam, through central China up to Peking (Beijing), and from there northwest through Mongolia, before catching the Moscow Express near Lake Baikal.
Kendall’s observations and geographical descriptions paint a picture of a fascinating and rugged land. Though her prose is at turns dry, and her observations colored by Western preconceptions, she captures a number of small, beautiful, human moments. She exhibits an exciting boldness and curiosity, and remains undeterred by advice that the trip is too dangerous for a woman to make. The planning for her Mongolian leg of the journey yields a particular telling anecdote:
"One gentleman to whom I wrote began his reply by saying that he answered my inquiries ‘with much pleasure’; and then continued, ‘Frankly, I do not think the trip from Kalgan to Urga should be taken by a lady alone at any time.’ Then followed ten good reasons why I should not go, and first and foremost that I should have to leave behind me all inns, and would have to camp out.
That settled it. There was nothing I should be so glad to leave behind as inns, and for months I had been longing to sleep in a tent. So I fell to making my preparations with good heart. But the enemy had not reached the end of his resources (the enemy was usually a well-bred, intelligent European or American with charming manners and the kindest intentions.) An English officer just returned from Mongolia assured me I could never get my dog across, the savage Mongol brutes would tear him in pieces; but I knew my dog and he did not, so I put that aside. The last shot was the hardest to meet: ‘It will not be worth while.’ Almost I gave in, but I had reached the pig-headed stage, and I could not, though I wanted to." p.239
Kendall keeps her observations mostly centered on culture, geography, politics, and the logistics of travel. She offers very little details on herself - only that she is a scholar and in an off-handed comment, that she is gray-haired. She does mention that she is an experienced traveler and has already spent time in the East, though she has never before made this overland journey through the interior .
There is a strange delight in stumbling across a little known book, especially if it’s a good one. As a reader, it feels more personal - less like being another anonymous member of a crowded audience, and more like engaging in a deep (albeit one-sided) conversation with a stranger in a diner. Anyway, it was a fine trip and Kendall a wonderful guide.
Update - 02.08.19
Through some internet and library sleuthing I’ve uncovered a bit more on Elizabeth Kimball Kendall (1855-1952).
She was born to Rev. Safford Kimball and Lucretia Kendall Kimball née Hasseltine. Safford served as American consul in several European countries. Elizabeth’s mother Lucretia was an educator and an outspoken proponent of women’s education, abolition, and black education. International travel was a part of Elizabeth’s life from a young age, and she studied and lived in Austria, Germany, and France. In 1873 her father died in Geneva.
After studying at Oxford in 1885 she went on to become a professor of history at Wellesley College. She earned a law degree from Boston University in 1892, and a Masters in History from Radcliffe in 1899. She taught courses on English constitutional history, political history of America, and the history of the British Empire with particular focus on India, the Near East and the Far East. She lived with her mother at Wellesley as was not uncommon at the time and never married.
She was part of the tight-knit group of intellectual powerhouses associated with Wellesley College at the turn of the century. Her colleagues included Katharine Lee Bates (writer who penned “America the Beautiful”), Emily Greene Balch (who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946), and Katharine Colman (influential economist). This excerpt from “In Adamless Eden: The Community of Women Faculty at Wellesley” illustrates the depth of her professional friendships:
In return for being a model of independence and daring, Kendall earned the admiration of her colleagues. Bates, Scudder, Coman, and Balch kept vigilant track of their friend; each time Kendall left on a trip a slew of letters followed her. Besides expressing concern about Kendall’s welfare, these letters kept her abreast of events within the college community. Katharine Lee Bates addressed Kendall in China: “Dear Adventurer: My, but we are glad to know that you are alive and well! ...Miss Eastman …called me ...to say in the most distressed and plaintive voice: O Katharine, you don’t think Miss Kendall is dead, do you? ...I told her we all expected to see you ...bob over the edge of the horizon ...almost any time.
Elizabeth continued to travel for the rest of her life. According to “In Adamless Eden” she was the first Caucasian women to cross Tibet. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. I’ll end with one last excerpt from “In Adamless Eden”
At the age of ninety-six, Elizabeth Kendall finally responded to her niece’s pleas and went to live with her in England. The Boston Herald reported that Miss Kendall’s “one regret about the voyage was that her 10 o’clock bedtime rule prevented her from watching the midnight dancing.” Fellow passengers reported that on a rough day of sailing she was one of the few who remained on deck.
Sources:
Palmieri, Patricia Ann. In Adamless Eden: the Community of Women Faculty at Wellesley. Yale University Press, 1997.
St. Anne's College Oxford Wordpress
The Kimball Family News Volumes 3-4
Image from Boston University website
Want to read
October 27, 2016A good read
Surprisingly interesting read and well written. But why an older woman would want to cross China and the Gobi back before 1915, is beyond me. Guess the adventure spirit had hold of her. I had to look up a few of the town names since they have changed. Urga is now Ulan Bator, for example, but it adds to the history, which is what I wanted.
Surprisingly interesting read and well written. But why an older woman would want to cross China and the Gobi back before 1915, is beyond me. Guess the adventure spirit had hold of her. I had to look up a few of the town names since they have changed. Urga is now Ulan Bator, for example, but it adds to the history, which is what I wanted.
July 6, 2012
I really love this book. In my opinion, it's well written, informative, and fascinating.
I admire Ms. Kendall for having the courage to travel across a foreign country by herself.
Lovely book and one of my all time favorites!
I admire Ms. Kendall for having the courage to travel across a foreign country by herself.
Lovely book and one of my all time favorites!
March 12, 2016
I like this kind of book and wonder if any fellow readers have similar books to recommend. One in this vein that I really enjoyed was A Girl's Ride in Iceland
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews