In the old days, and not so very long ago either, one had to go to Hanoi from Haiphong by a tedious journey on the river steamers, They have changed all that and one can travel between the two cities now in three or four hours. There are three trains daily in both directions. To two of the trains, which lap over the dinner hour, s "wagon-restaurant" or dining car is attached. between certain stations. What would the shade of Francis Garnier say to 2 journey on an express train to Hanoi in three and a-half hours with the opportunity of a dinner en route! Not that I would wish to imply that the dinner is at all shadows, though it may be a trifle dusty. An "ho-miro" or time table of the trains can be obtained at the station and there is a choice of four classes. The Annamites in swarms seems to patronise fourth class, French soldiers third—class, the majority of people second class, and vacant places first class. Some suggest that third class is even Better than second class, for there are open spaces instead of windows and so one finds more of a breeze. But, second-lass will do for most people. Baggage must be weighed at the station. excess above a certain number of kilos must be paid for. A receipt is given and then one need have no further care until Hanoi station is reached.
All these preliminaries take. a little while, however, £0 that the traveller must "take time by the fetlock," as the oid horse-trader said, and arrive at the station in good season.
arioi the hotels may be crowded so that one should write from Shanghai mail in advance to his chosen hotel at Hanoi and then send a wire from Haiphong informing them of his exact time of arrival. The Hotel Metropole is the largest hotel and is opposite the great Residence Supérieure. Two largo wings have been recently constructed to accommodate any overflow of visitors. The cuisine is good and' the sanitation is in splendid condition. Rates are by no means exorbitant in Hanoi on account of the Exposition, and the traveller will find about the same scale of charges as in other Far Eastern cities. The Hanoi Hotel is also a fine hotel and the Hotel Birot is well patronised.
The Exposition, We will suppose our traveller refreshed is journey and ready to "do" the Exposition. Hanoi is well supplied with means of street travel, carriages, jinrieshas (ponse-posses) of first and Second quality, and electric tramcars. I even sar a hansom cab, and the wonder. was so great that it would not even have surprised mo to sce, then and there, a bus running from the Bank to Mandalay and on to Hanoi. The hansom, however, was a private luxury, I judged, Will one find English spoken? Just as much as one will find it spoken in most parts of France outside of Paris. In travelling, even if one is unacquainted with a language, ie soon picks up the sine qua non of journeying and Bacdcker's Traveller's Manual of Conversation or any French handbook will help him if that part of his education lias been neglected. Then there is the similar of so many words in French and English which helps one. As a witty Frenchman said: © English is only French pronounced Our traveller will find on the Rue Pant Bert at Hanoi an office of the Gorernment where full information can be him in regard to the Exposition, lodgings, ete., ete. A courteous American gentleman is in charge, so that the traveller wi find "English spoken " in real fact. There a corps of interpreters, also, at. this ime is not sufficient to give more than the barest outlines of the Exposition. By the marvellous generosity of the Government it is free to all, and great crowds of the Annamites avail themselves of it, during the hours when they are admitted to sce the sights. The Exposition Buildings are near the railway station. M. Thorne, the Commissaire General of the Exposition, has certainly achieved a great success in bringing together so many of the products of Franco and of Asia in this wonderful and huge object lesson. The large central building is the Palais Central, where are exhibits of archaeology, fine arts, science, industry, and other groups of exhibits too numerous to mention. Two great wings of buildings sweep outward from the Palais Central. On the left are the exhibits of Asia, the Philippines, Siam, India, and Indo-China, including Tongking, Cochin China, Cambodia, Laos, and Annam. The right wing contains the exhibits of France and of the other French colonies (not Asiatic), fas Algeria, Madagascar, and Tunis. In the rear of this imposing front of palaces, there are important groups of buildings. Here are the exhibits of China under the distinguished direction of Sir Robert Hart, for the Chinese Government's exhibit is in charge of the Imperial Customs service. And a marvellous exhibit it is with the silks and silver, the carved woods and jade and ivory, and many other products of Cathay. Near by, one finds Huang Taotai of the Peking Industrial Institution with fourteen workmen, showing the mysteries of the manufacture of cloisonne enamel, as it is conducted in that justly famous institution. Japan's building is also near at hand and the Pavilion de la Presse is a charming treat, which is the headquarters of the press, both French and foreign, and where one can read various newspapers from all the world. To the left and further off are the Philippine and Negrito and Laotien native villages. is still lacking and some of the exhibits A general catalogue of the Expositi are still in "an unfinished shape, but special catalogues of certain parts will soon be ready and the difficulties in the Far East of arranging such an tnprecedented array must have been enormous, Simply to wander through the Halls of the Exposition is to see the industry and customs and life of Asia exhibited in a way which is equal to many voyages to the countries from which these products have come.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.