American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-20
[From the United States Gazette.
CHINESE CUSTOMS

Looking over the Review Franeas, we found
an account of Chimes manners, which may have
found its way into or out of English before, but
we eoaxed little of it out of the French, by
way of amusement:
The Chinaman ofgood family rises about l |
o'cleck in the morning. His breakfast is COM
posed O.. several ragoutS, Of meat, of fish, and
vegetables, served up in a dozen saucers, with
a cup or two of Chinese nct tar, the Suci-hert-
sou, which is always drunk warm. This bev-
erage, slightly acidulated, is extracted from
common Indian corn. 1t has quite an agreea-
BILE taste, rarely produces intoxication, and
rather adds to the vgor of the body. The re-
past finishes with plate of rice, which is usu-
ally eaten with sailed fish. Then comes the
tea prepared in the usual manner-that is, by
pouring boiling water upon the leaves. 1t is
served in large cups, and drunk by the Chinese
without either sugar or cream.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, collation.
is served of the fruits of the season; after which,
tea is again rtaken. Usually in genteel families,
dinner is served about six O'Clock in the even
lug, and if guests are expected, it is accom-
panied with music, vocal or instrumental, or
some exhibition. The repast is not concluded
until nearly three o'clock in the morning
Among the less fashionable, the company
breaks up at midnight.
The Chinese are so fond of a cigar or pipe,
that they sometimes smoke at the table between
the services Each person brings with him one
or two pipe servants. This function is per-
formed by young persons, from Is to IL years
of age, richly bedizened. They put the pipe
into their masters mouth-and as they know
the moment at which they habtually smoke,
they present the pipe without waiting to have
it asked fer.
When dinner party is to be given, the host
sends, several days IN advance, his invitations,
written upon large sheets of letter paper, and
couched in the most forid style. He hires a
company of the best actors for price equiva-
lent to about one hundred dollars-common
actors could be procured for a quarter of that
sum- Opposite the stage are placed small
square tables, at which about four persons may
sit. In the most stylish houses, only two per-
sons are placed at each table. No one sits at
che side next the stage.
On the evening before the dinner, the host
sends second inyation, written upon rose
colored paper, to remind the guests that the
feast will take place on the next day. And the
next day, the invitation is renewed, with no.
tice that all s ready to receive the guests.
As soon as the company is assembled, the
milk of almonds is served in large cups. Then
come the meats, which are absolutely the same
at all tables. The tables, usually of ebony or
some other rich wood, have double leaves, or
tops-no table cloths are used-and the first
service is removed by taking away the upper
leaves, and the second service is placed upon
the lower or under table. The table is supplied
with rich spoons of various wares, cups for
wine, with plates of fruit, with nuts, and 9TH
er similar articles There is placed, also, for
each guest, stick, which the Chinese use in
stead of forks, eight or ten inches long, usually
made ofbone or ebony, the ends round, and tip
ped with silver, excepting the upper end is
sometimes square. These sticks are held
and fore-fnger. The food is taken with two
sticks. A spoon is held in the left hand, under
the food, to catch any juice or gravy that might
fall. Then come in turn great variety of
dishes, meats, fish, fruits conserves, SC.
When the guests come to the table, every glass
is filled with sion-hen-tson. The master of the
house rises, and then his guests. He takes his
cup with both hands, and bows respectfully to-
wards his guests. Then all drink, and sit down.
Although grapes are abundant in China, no
wine is made there. The Chinese employ their
pine apples, their oranges,a and many other kinds
fruit, in making various nfusons, and strong
cordials, which are presented to the guests at
the beginning ofthe second service.
After each dish, a glass of son-hen-tson is
drunk. The first service consists of divers dish
es, rice, fricassee chickens, mouton, beef, pork,
fresh beans, liver pies, frogs, fish, cartridges,
&c., all cut up into little pieces, to be easily ta-
ken up with the chop sticks
Besides the different occasions at dinner, in
which etiquette prescrbes formal drinking of
healths, the guests take liquor with each other
as the English do the wines. Following the
rigorous rules of politeness, the two persons
who arc to drink each others health, take their
dceanters i'll both hands, go into the middle of