The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1835-02-28
M MISOELLANY Y.
CHINESE CUSTOMS.
China Sea, July 7, l8S

this season of the year is long we have
been out more than four weeks aud shall
not probably reach Singapore in less than
two moro. / spend my time chiefly in
the study Of Chinese, but not to the bes,
advantage, as l have no teacher.
l send you few lines from my common
place book ! inserted there from time
to time notice Of such peculiarities
of the Chinese as happened to attract my
attention. They will amuse your readers,
while they ncquaint them with this strange
peoples character.
/. The Chinese suppose the abdomen
to be the seat of the mind-the place OF
thought we, the head. =
2. They make the left hand the place
Of honor ; we, the right.
3. They play shuttlecoek with the foot ;
we, with the hand.
4. They unnaturally compress the feet
of females for the sake Of beauty we,
the waist.
5. They change the outer garments
most frequently 1--WE, those next the body.
6. Their color for mourning is white /;
ours, black.
7. They give ladies the lowest place ;
we, the highest.
8. Among them widow must obey
the Oldest son among us, the sou must
obey the widow.
9. We provide for the living poor
they, for the dead-provide them coffins
and a grave.
10. They regard the emperor's hnppi-
ness aud that Of other rulers as the great
object to be sought we, the peoples.
IL. Their nurses carry chileren upon
the back ours, in the arms.
l2. When thoy meet and salute a
friend, they join and shake their own
hands we, each others.
10. They consider 1t polite to be GOV.
ered-tO wear cap at a table aud r
company we, to be uncovered.
IA. They drink (wine) at the begin
ming Of feast we, at the end.
is. They drink wine hot we, cold Il
at all.
I6. They take the principal dish (rice'
IdSt , we, HISt.
II. Among them, the traveller furnish
es bed among us, the inn-keeper.
ls. ALIong them, the buyer furnishe,
scales ; among US, the seller. Every
one carries his own scales to market fol
fear Of being cheated.)
ls. They sell wood by weight we
by measure. $50 with many other arli
cles.)
90. They read and write perpcndicu
lar We, horizontally they from right t
Loft we from left to right.
2l. They place the text at the bottom
of the page, and the notes or commets a
the top we, cice cersa.
%. They wear the boards long nnt
shave the head we, rice persa. (They
however, leave a circular space aboI
three inches in diameter on the crown un
shaven, and wear the hair braided ane
dangling on the back.
%. Among them, thousands die OF eat
ing and drinking too little, because they
cannot get food ; among us, Of eating ant
drinking too much.
"a. They say that men are by nature
good ; we, that they are evil.
95. Among them thero is want of worl
to be done among US, Of men to do it.
26. They despise priests and lawyers
(for there are despicabls We homo
them.
27. They worship the serpent ; we XII
il.
This list might be greatly extended
but the above will serve as specimen
and tend to show in some degree, hov
vastly the Chinese differ from the peopl,
Of the west. VT. Chron.
Hon. PELEo SPRAoUE, late Senaotr il
Congress from Maine, has removed I.
Boston, for the purpose of pursuing the
practice OF law.
The Bunstable N. IL. Gazette states
several cases Of the small pox occurred
at New Boston two deaths were report
ed.
Our squadron IN the Mediterranean
now CONSISTS oi 'ne De'HWaIe ~, Toto-
mac, Al, John Adams "a, and Shark 10.
The Constitution ID, j, is understood has
been ordered to the same station.
The Rev c. S. Stewart has been as
signed as Chaplain to the Navy Yard a,
Brooklyn.
The u. s. ship Delaware was at Port
Mahon, Dec. 10Th. The Cholsrs was
,osing on board.