Item #26432 Soochow: The Capital of Kiangsu or A Guide to Soochow - 2 copies, manuscript notes and addenda bound into one with four vernacular photographs. Rev. Hampden C. Brush Du Bose, M. D., George R.
Soochow: The Capital of Kiangsu or A Guide to Soochow - 2 copies, manuscript notes and addenda bound into one with four vernacular photographs.
Soochow: The Capital of Kiangsu or A Guide to Soochow - 2 copies, manuscript notes and addenda bound into one with four vernacular photographs.
Soochow: The Capital of Kiangsu or A Guide to Soochow - 2 copies, manuscript notes and addenda bound into one with four vernacular photographs.

Soochow: The Capital of Kiangsu or A Guide to Soochow - 2 copies, manuscript notes and addenda bound into one with four vernacular photographs.

Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press; Messrs. Kelly & Walsh. W. Brewer, Esq. Jan. 5th 1888. Paperback. Two copies of this guide, one with manuscript additions and vernacular albumen photographs by George R. Brush M.D., recounting his trip to 'Suchau. Kiangsu. China Dec.: 16th and 17th 1888' and visit with the author Du Bose.

Dr. George R. Brush was a ship's doctor for the American Squadron in the China Seas. Brush purchased many pamphlets on his trip to the East and was in the habit of carrying them around with him in his breast pocket, which results in a slight vertical fold in the pamphlets. This pamphlet bears his faint ownership stamp "Geo. R. Brush MD. U.S. Navy Sayville, L.I. N. York". Brush meets Du Bose and uses his pamphlet as a guide to his sight seeing. He writes on a sheet inserted into the pamphlet, describing his trip and fellow travelers, Chief Engineer Butterworth & Lt. Murdock. The entry starts on Dec. 14th, ending 7 days later with his return to Shanghai. Details include ... "18th a.m. to old pagoda and on hill near granite quarry. Cyclopeaen Wall. P.m. at Goodman's Bridge and up mountain to Taoist temple... Wed. 19 At Pagoda Hill, Kwang fish & around mountain monastery Uon-mio-kwan near the border of the lake..." Also inserted is a Christmas poem for 1888 "To the Ward Room Mess of the U.S.S. 'Omaha'", 34 lines of poetry, signed "C.F."

The images depict an overview of Soochow; at the river's edge with a pagoda in the distance; river boats from the bank; and one of a Chinese man plowing his field with a bullock. 4 photographs, 4 1/4 x 3 1/4", slightly faded. Each has a slight fold corresponding with the fold in the pamphlet.

The pamphlet is the work of the Rev. Hampden Coit Du Bose, a Presbyterian missionary in China with the American Presbyterian Mission (South) and founder of the Anti-Opium League in China. Born in South Carolina, DuBose & his wife Pauline "went to China as missionaries with the Southern Presbyterian Church in 1872 and settled in Suzhou along the Grand Canal of China. His Chinese name is Du Buxi... " Observing the devastating effect of opium usage in China, he founded the Anti-Opium League. "In 1899 the League published a seminal book called "Opinions of Over 100 Physicians on the Use of Opium in China." It was influential in moving public opinion against the trade and garnered the support of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. Congress, and the International Opium Commission. "In 1906 the League achieved success when the British Parliament declared that the trade was "morally indefensible." DuBose circulated a petition signed by over a thousand missionaries in China and it was presented to the Guangxu Emperor. In turn the Emperor issued an imperial edict, following verbatim the petition Dubose had drafted, which prohibited the trade and abuse of opium." The opium trade was a blight on China perpetrated by foreign powers intent on subduing indebting them to the West, who were massively indebted to China from tea importation. "DuBose was memorialized in Suzhou by a stone tablet and in the United States by being elected moderator of the General Assembly of the Southern Presbyterian Church in 1891. DuBose's missionary career in Suzhou lasted 38 years until his death in 1910." (Wikipedia)

The pamphlet is a description of Soochow by Du Bose, then a 16 year resident. It is prefaced with the Chinese proverb: "Above is Heaven; below, Soochow and Hangchow." It describes the physical environs and cultural interests including missions and opium.
8vo, 26pp, woodcut map on p.21 in Chinese with an English key underneath locating churches, a mosque, gardens, palace, temples, etc. Lacking the publishers printed pink paper wrappers, corners slightly trimmed at a 45 degree angle, pp 12-13, internally very clean.
[WITH] a second copy of the pamphlet. This copy includes the publishers printed pink paper wrappers, minor foxing pp 12-13, internally very bright. Also from Dr. Brush's collection, but without his ownership stamp.

No copies located on OCLC; one copy at auction in 2006 (RareBookHub). Rare in the trade. Very good condition. Item #26432

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