The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-12-05

CHINA AND THE CHINESE.
prruE Hon. CALEB CUSHING.

The Hon. Caleb Gushing, the late minister to
China, has lately delivered three lcc,ures--onc
in Nevburyport, one in Boston, and one in Sa.
Lemon the character and policy of China and
the Chinese. Wesent special reporter to attend
them, and the following is full and exclusive
report Of Mr. C.'s remarks on each lecture, which
we have thrown into one IN. Y, Herald
THE LECTURE.
Before commencing my remarks
upon the subject of the Chinese EN-
pire, must at the outset beg you
not to feel disappointed if you find
my observations somewhat rambling
and desultory. From the nature OF
the subject, the infinite variety OF
details connected with it, the i'm
mense field Of observation, the great
interest and Importance of the top
les am expected to touch, | must
necessarily be, in measure, super
fetal. Rhetorical ornament, and
eloquent defamation, are likewise
out ofmy power. A plain statement
Of facts, and few Of the many OBJ
servations they naturally would eli
cit, will be all that it is in my power
to effect. To an American or Euro
pean, cast Tor the first time into the
midst of Chinese society, everything
seems contrary to his own establish
ed usages. Not only does he find
himself at the antipodes, geographi-
cally speaking, but equally so with
respect to manners. customs, and
morals. The thronging myriads
every where around-their strange
costume-the incessant clash of
gongs-the junks with mat sails
the carts on shore driven by sails,
as well as the craft on the water
every thing combines to make a
scene Of, to him, the utmost novelty.
And the more particular his obser-
walton, the more is he struck with
the total dissimilarity from all he
before has witnessed. Does he look
at the pilot directing the vessel un-
der his charge, he finds the directing
point of the compass at the south
instead of the north pole; does he
receive letter he finds the writ
ing running in lines from top to bot
tom, instead of horizontally, and to
be read from right to left, instead
of from left to right. The language,
too, he perceives to be topographic,
instead Of alphabetic; that is, the
characters, of themselves, represent
distinct ideas, whereas with his own
language combination of charac-
tiers is resortcd to before an idea is
conveyed. A family mourning for I
the death of relative, dresses in
white instead of black; shuttlecock
is played with tie feet the saucer
is placed in the cup instead of the
cup in the saucer; shoes are polish
ed with whiting, and not backing
their ladies compress and distort the
feet-ours the waist; the upper side
of the head is shaved, not the lower:
in their books, the leaves are cut
and trimmed in binding, on the back |
instead of the front in swimming,
the hands and arms are moved up
and down, instead of sideways; the |
cavalry are armed with the bow and
arrow, the infantry with the match
lock; a colonel of dragons on
horseback at the head of his troops,
may be seen tanning himself very
zcalously, and ilourishing his fan in
stead of a sword men fly kites ra-
Their than the boys; mothers carry
their infants or their backs rather
than at the breast all the bodtmen
on. the rivers are Vomen; as a sub
stitute for cock pits and horse races,
the Chinese fight main with two
crickets in bowl a friend accosts
you in the street, and instead of
shaking your hand, he snakes his
own at you. Besides all these exter-
nal differences, the stranger finds
that nobility and forfeiture of blood
go upward instead of downward, so
that if one be enobled or degraded
it effects his father and not his son,
his ancestors and not his descend
ants. The various extraordinary
appearances and customs will at
first, most forcibly strike the for
eigner, but he must take a very diff
ferent and more serious view of the
topic submitted to him, or 9TH
erwise he will do much injustice
to great and polished people. The
porcelain, the tea, the silk of China
have rendered her name familiar
to our ears, but few have any ade-
7uate idea of the stupendous reality
2f that vast empire. We, of Ameri-
"a, receive our language, and many
-four ideas from Europe, speek of
ourselves, as if we, and our brethren
IN Europe, where the eldest, nay,
the only great collection of civilized
men on the globe. Every thing we
regard from this one point of view,
and fh;nr, ko,ool Al 4 -.