The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-28
CANTON, May 3. 1876.


Life in Canton-1he american Hong Worship
of the Celsstials-Des1iptiom of the Streets and
Curiosity Shops Chinese Fair, or Market -
Curious Irees-Pubiic Promenade Usages and
Habits of the Natires-1hs Little Feet of the
Women.
Here am at last in the great city of the Celes-
tial Empire, sitting in the second story Of re-
spectacle grocery.
Let me describe to you how we got up.
We started from the ship about ten o'clock
on Sunday m orning, in an ark, called, per-
haps, out OF rdcule, a fast boat. She was
manned by fifteen Chinese, one of whom could
say" Yes'a and No" in English, which was the
total amount of their attainments in that Ian
guage. We were party OF six, taking with us
PROVISIONS for voyage o. twenty-four hours, ex-
pectng TO be that time on the river; as also fire.
arms OF various descriptions; not forgetting one
Of Colts revolving pistols, for defence against any
attacks nom pirates, who are very common here
abouts. We pushed OIL, and, very soon after, the
tide began to make ia favor, and we came up
without wind at the rate of some four or five miles
an hour. We sailed close along the shore, low,
marshy ground, planted with rice, and abound
ing with teal, snipe, pigeons and pecans, many
OF which fell sacrifice 10 our love ofgood things.
In this manner we sailed, along until we came
upon the hulk OF brig anchored off Whampoa,
which an American mate sort of gene raj
storehouse for little OF everything-slate pencils,
opium, brandy and cigars, school books and tea,
soap, tobacco and steel pens This appears 10 be a
place OF resort for American and English mates,
and officers OF merchant vessels. The first thing
that attracts the strangers notice on approaching
the celestial city, is the innumerable crowd of
boats covering the whole river-they never at
tempt to pull their boats their whole progress is
achieved by sculling, at which they are exceed
lngly expert. You have no doubt often heard OF
a very remarkable waterman who could (but ne.
yer did) soul on the head Of scuPper nail These
people actually scull on al iron pivot, fitted into
a small socket on the oar, which greatly reduces
the friction and N n small boat n xuofn mills
in this way, as fast as two men could in the ordi-
nary manner 1t is one of the most remarkable
features about these river craft, that they keep
them SO scrupulousy clean--the wood work as
white as IS possible TO conceive they are gene
rally manned by an old woman, girl and IN in
FAINT. In each OF these boats they have " Josh
house, little box constructed after the manner
OF temple, decorated with git and red paper, AN
image OF Josh (their delty) before whom they
keep constantly burning sticks Of punk, and set
ont also in the temple Ia large word Tor little ca
noe Of a boaD pyramids of oranges, cakes, can
dies, &c &c: This system is most scrnpuonsly
adhered to throughout the empire, and before
every house or shop in the city of Canton,
there is built of brick little Josh house" where
the same worship is practsed, the only difference
being that, with the richer classes, sandal wood
IS burnt, giving delightful fragrance, and the
otte 'ings OF fruit are more costly.
In one of our perigrinations through the
city, in search OF an hotel, we passed the
Hongs. They are common brick houses,
of them compose the American Hong; in
front of latter, they have had the spirit TO pur-
chase large piece ofground 500 by 600 feet, and
have laid It out beautifully as park for ladies
and foreigners TO promenade, the former espe-
cially, as there is no other place in Canton where
they could walk, without being followed by hum
dreds ofinquisitve Chinese. In the middle off the
Park there IS very high flagstaff, on which is
used to have an arrow to show the direction OF
the wind. At one time there was pestilence at
Honan (across the river) and the wind happen
ing to blow from that direction, the supers.itious
ed en- nasse around the pole, demanding the sur
render or displacement OF the arrow, which they
denounced as the cause Of the sickness. The
Americans resisted their demands for a conside-
rable time, but the disturbances growing greater,
they a, last acceded, and new they depend on the
flag for the direction of the wind.
Whenever | go into the street, observe the
most singular actions carried on in the open air
class, is shaved in the open air, and this shaving
includes all the operations OF the toilet. They
shave every part of their face, excepting eyebrows
and eyelashes. Then you can hardly look in any
direction without noticing gambling going on;
putting down one cash, (about tenth Of a cent?
entities the gambler to a chance for five oranges,
&c.
The streets are very narrow-the two principal,
those used for the sale of curiosites, are fifteen
feet wide, paved with tagging; the houses 'front.'
ing are small, two stories high, built of wood, and
surrounded by low wooden railing, in which, as
have said, IS the Josh house. The great MAORI
along, touching both sides with my hands. Notwith-
standing this great disadvantage, and that result
ing from most cIowded population, the streets
are toeraby clean.
| went TO the market to observe Chinese life
there, and saw for sale cats, dogs, rats crows,
mice, stewed Lizards and snakes, besides fine
fruit and respectable beef priced cat, and
found it to be about fourteen cents: There Was
spirited competition for the skin Of pigs head,
and 1t sold Tor an advance OF one cash over the
previous days quotations, the sum total paid be-
ing four ccnts-deducting the ears.
proceeded a little farther, when Chi naman
beckoned me to "Come, see y" Come, see
| went over to him, where he had a couple oil
little birds, and a lot of wooden cards-the latter
he shuffied, concealing coin in one OF them, and
shufiled again, then gave a bird seed, upon
card with the coin. Such is a specimen of the
tricks that are hourly going forth Oh almost every
corner Of the streets.
Suppose we take stroe through Curiosity
in hand. Do you see how people watch us p
splendid appearance Turn this corner there's
China street! See those shop-keepers leaning
over the ratings" Good morning, all
civiity, for its their interest-we go in. Notice,
they close the door after us, to prevent the crowd
staring at us. This is a regular curiosity shop.
On the shelves around the walls, protected by
glass; you see the ivory work, tortoise shell, WHIST
boxes, little images with shaking heads and,
those shelves back of the counter--do you see
all those fiat paper boxes all of them contain
shawls, worth from four to fifty dollars. How
eager they are to show us everything. Ano-
Their of the many novel things which met our gaze
at every step, was the appearance ofthe pave
ment-it is always covered with exploded fire
crackers, which they fire of by tens of thousands
Ii was singular to observe men forty years OF age,
coming out of their shops gravely, with an I'M
mense bunch of crackers on a pole, and setting
them of with great deiberaton. l several times
Chin. Chin JOSH" meaning an offering to their
wooden god.
l took occasion, with friend, to visit the Faltee
garden on the opposite side of the river, the only
place OF promenade they have. We were sculled
and pulled there by girl and a boy, about four
years old. Imagine piece of ground as large as
our City Hall Park Laid out in labarynthan walks,
about three feet wide, lined by spnted shrubs and
trees trained to grow in thu most fantastic forms ;
sometimes representing a deer. another a frog,