From the Italy to China on the steamboat Java 1900

The evening of July 19th 1900 I embarked myself on board of the steamboat Java of the Italian Navigation that followed the line of Suez and that had to carry me in China.
China! This word alone evoked in me an exotic and mysterious world, a fantastic country in the most distant East. I was very young and full of enthusiasm, still shaken from news that came from those distant lands of missions burnt, Western people deceased, women and children besieged in the diplomatic Legations of Beijing.
Already, but what I'll have found in reality?

Me, poor boy of the peaceful Piedmontese lands, of the sweet hills of the Langhe, of the vintages, of the "Freisa". I did not know. The mysterious and terrible China what was in reality? What dangers, mysteries, opportunity represented for me?A mix of curiosity and fear put me in a weird state of mind. I was directed in China with my books, my maps mostly drawn by me and took bythe cards of the Geographic Society, my Goertz, my precious slabs of glass "Ilford", and who knows how would I find new or find the silver to develop them to make photographs.
I was perhaps sad having close in the memory the shouting of the my parents and friends and the recommendations of my brother Michele, of always boiling the water before drinking, of being always on my guard, of not giving in to drunkenness and avoid brawls and discords.
Dear, good so serious Michele with his grey eyes and his now grey beard, I seem to see him read every day the newspaper in search of news of mine, drinking the coffee with his napkin in his lap, he veterinarian appreciated and considered in the lands near Chieri. Then visiting the friends in the restaurant of Angelo, so proud of the "Bottiglieria" that has just open and to discuss of my journey with everyone those who know of my journey like if China was a little country a little farther away than Buttigliera or Asti. Serious and calm, perfectly master of himself, with his grey and calm eyes, but unyielding and insisted many times.

Poor Ministry when it will find itself bombarded by his telegrams, to know how I am and what I do, when will I return, all the things he does not dare to ask me directly in the letters.
The strange things you end up doing in the name of the affection and of the responsibility that tie the older brothers to the minor... While appeared on the bridge of the steamboat I observed the profile of the coasts of Naples to remove itself, besides the nostalgia, I felt really that I was in the beginning of a great adventure that would have changed all my life.
I was directed towards a land that, in the good and the bad, with its ancient civility ruled in Asia from immemorial times. Land for the most unknown, visited by the west voyagers very few times, land full of new itineraries to trace.
Above of me the stars glistened quiet, distant like China, and in the same indecipherable manner, and filled me with a weird one... solitude! Could I return home? I would have seen again my brothers, my mother, the friends, "Barba" (Uncle) Angelo. I did not know it. I was espected to stay in China months and instead I stayed here five years.
Five long years in which I saw things that with difficulty I could be believed if I told them.
But I have my photographs that document that it is all truth!!
The following relation is the story of my journey and of my adventures during these five years in China!

For my beloved daughter Anna, my grandchilds Eugenio and Laurel, that plays always between the "papaveri da oppium" of the garden and make frighten my poor wife Giorgina.

I will omit something, I'm so sorry, but I am old, and and it is inevitable when the time separates us from the memories, to forget but for how much I will do it will be very difficult for you not understanding how much I loved China and the people that I met here, above all my Japanese wife that I was not be able to bring in Italy with me. In some manner I will carry all always inside of me wherever find myself and for how much time it is me still granted to live.

This man is an artisan that repairs dishes! Really strange!

Letter to his mother

From boat "Giava"

Three days out of Hong Kong

17th August 1900

Dear beloved mother,

from Singapore I wrote you a letter that I'll send you in three days from Hong Kong.

How many new things I saw in attractive Singapore!

For the first time I saw the Chinese with their pigtails. They are really ugly, but then not much, large, big and good. They work a lot, they are quiet and curious for nothing. It is understood, however, because their town is so large and attended from travelers from all of the world. But one of the things more new and unusual that I see is the horse-men. Instead of tranvai and public cars there are much small drivers and to ride on one or two seats that are called "risciò" pulled by a man, and with only 50 cent you could go wherever you want.

And you should see how they run!

They endure for an incredible time and their force is unbelievable .

The large and right roads are full of these small cars. Like our carsthey are numbered and I saw of it with the number 10.000!!

The Chineses do all of the jobs, have shops like us, and work pretty well and they are honest.

I saw too a Chinese procession it seemed to be in the middle of Carnival with the masquerade people on foot on horseback, above oxen, that sang and played, carried banners with weird writing.

Really the more weird thing than I have ever seen.

There are many attractive palaces and English shops a lot richer than ours.

Singapore is an island surrounded by other small islands covered by vegetation very warm and damp. They are so much fruits and much vegetables !

How I see that all of the world is country but always our own country is the better!

In three days I hope to arrive in Hong Kong an English town, however, but the first really Chinese one. In 10 days I hope to be in place.

I embrace you.

Your Luigi.