Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-12-11
CHINA.

interesting field of inquiry Than China That
these singular people. whose feetpoins toward
our own, have for so many thousand years in
habi,ed SO large portion of the same ball we
live upon, without our baing able to learn any,
thing abou, them, is wonderful. Now that
China is opened 10 US. we venture In as we
would into vast caiacomb filled with antede-
iuyian mummies. The following is conden-
sed report of all the lectures on China, deliv.
cred BY Mr.. Caleb Gushing. To us. tits more
interesting than the strangest romance.
THE LECTURE.
Before commencing my remarks up
on the subject of the Chinese Empire,
must at the outset beg you not to
feel disappointed if you find my obser-
vations somewhat rambling and desul-
tory. From the nature Of the subject,
the infinite variety of details connected
with il, the immense field OF observa-
ton, the great interest and Importance
Of the topics I am expected to touch, !
must necessarily be, in a measure, SUI
perHcial. Rhetorical ornament, and
eloquent defamation, are likewise out
of my power. A plain statement Of
facts. and few of the many obserya-
tons they naturally would elicit, will
be all that it is in my power 10 offer.
To an American or European, cast .or
the first time into the midst of Chinese
society. everything seems contrary to
his own established usages. Not only
does he find himself at the antipodes,
geographically speaking. but equally
so with respect to manners, customs
and morals. The thronging myriads
everywhere around-their strange cos
tume-the incessant clash of gongs-
the iunks with mat sails-the carts on
shore driven by sails, as we'll as the
craft on the water-every thing COM
bines to make scene of, to him, the
utmost novelty. And the more par
ticular his observation, the more he is
struck with the total dissimilarity from
all he before has witnessed. Does he
look at the pilot directing the vessel
under his charge, he finds the directing
point Of the compass at the south in
stead Of the north pole; does he receive
letter, ne finds the writing running
in lines from top to bottom, instead Of
horizontally, and to be read from right
10 left, instead Of left to right. The
language, too, he perceives to be ideo-
graphic, instead of alphabetic; that is,
the characters, of themselves, repre-
sent distinct ideas, whereas with his
own language combination OF char
acters is resorted to before an idea Is
conveyed. A family mourning for the
death of relative, dresses in white,
instead Of black; shuttlecock is played
with the feet; the saucer is placed in
the cup, instead of the cup in the sau-
GER; shoes are polished with whitening,
and not backing; their ladies compress
and distort the feet-ours the waist;
the upper side of the head is shaved,
notthe 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 Matchbox; a
colonel Of dragons on horseback at
the head of his troops, may be seen
tanning himself very zealously, and
flourishing his fan instead of n sword;
men fly kites rather thai the boys;
mothers carry their infal. on the back
rather than at the breast; all the boat
mon on the rivers are women; as sub
stitute for cock pits and horse races,
the Chinese fight main with two crick-
cts in a howl; friend accosts you in
the street and instead of shaking yonr
hand. he shakes his own at you. Be-
sides all these external differences. the
stranger finds that nobility and forlei-
lures of blood go upward instead of
downward so that If one be ennobled
or degraded it affects his father and
not his son, his ancestors and not his
defendants. The various extraordina-
nv appearances and customs will at
first. most forcibly and ludicrously
strike the foreigner, but he must take
a very different and more serious view
of the topic submitted to him, or other
wise he will do much injustice to a
great and polished people. The por-
celain. the tea. the silks Of China have
rendered her name familiar to our ears,
but few have any adequate idea OF the
stupendous reality of that vast empire.
We. Of America, receiving our Ian