Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-05-07
list RICAL.
From the London Patriot.
China and the Chinese.

MIR. Milne, the Chinese missionary has late
ly been giving course of lectures on the &C.
lestlal Empire, at the Mechanics Institute,
Bradford. We will avail ourselves of brief
report of these lectures, published in the Brad
ford Observer, to furnish few of the more in
terestng extracts Mr. Milne was accompanied
by Chinese friend of the name of Woo con-
corning whom he gave the following informa-
ton -
"They we're thrown into company about the
middle of the Chinese war, and since then had
been mutual teachers, companions, guides, and
friends, each having the utmost confidence in
the other; they had travelled in company over
three provinces, a distance of 10000 miles,
and they intended to continue their alfectionae
relation until separated by death About eigh-
teen months ago, when he (Mr. Milne) was com
ing to England, the offer was made TO Woo to
accompany him; he accepted that offer, and he
had been more than gratiied by what he had
seen and heard lie had brought Woo over, not
SO much to be furthered in the study of Chinese
as to let him see the English as they really were,
to afford him the means of observation, so that
at his return he might promulgate his views a.
mong his own countrymen."
FEMALE CUSTOMS.
"The females of China we're described by
their own people as chalkedfaced creatures, ,
for to obtain the color of the English they ap-
piled to their faces a mixture of white lead and
chalk and oily-headed creatures from the
glossiness of their hair They were also called
sk-worm eye-browed ladies' or willow leaf
eye-browed ladies' for it was their aim to APP
pear, when in full dress, with their eyebrows so
shaded as to resemble the willow leaf or the APP
pearance of the silk-worm The hobbling gait
of the women was remarked by all strangers in
China this arose from the custom of compress
ing the feet, so as to form what are called small
feet Up to about seven years of age the fe-
bildren we're allowed to romp and play a.
with their feet free, but then the torture
was applied, the smaller toes were forced under
the sole, and thus bandaged for life The GUS
tom was only prevalent among the ladies', and
was not universal with them; obtaining more
in some provinces than in others in one prov
nce, containing 29,000,000 of people, he did
not see single compressed foot-ln another,
all the women, even the beggafs, had them
The occasion of this custom was the following
About 100 years ago an emperor of China
had a favorte coucubine, who had been brought
up in dancing school, and had had her feet
compressed by the master On one occasion
she danced before his Majesty, who was SO
pleased with her, that he intimated to the empire
his qualification at seeing such small compressed
female feet, and every lady who had not feet
small enough already had them instantly COM
pressed to about three inches long as general
average The ladies were fond of smoking
each lady carried pipe nearly as long as her
self and they had particular manner of show
ing attention and honor to gucsts-that of TAX
ing their pipes from their mouths and putting
them into the mouths of those they desired to
distinguish"
CURIOUS MANNERS AND FOOD OF THE CHINESE.
GA very general feature in Chinese manners
was the cohtrariety to English customs. To &C
to a party we chose the thinnest pumps for our
feet, they the thickest white-soled shoes, say an
inch and half thick. If the sun were shining
in the street, person so visiting would take of
his hat and give 1t to servant, contenting him
self with the use of fan to shade off the sun
arrived at the threshold of his friends mansion
he claps his hat on his own head and walks in
to the drawing-room, where he stands till hi;
host appears; they courtesy (Ae ladies bow,
and he sits down with his hat on; instead o
shaking hands with each other, as we do, eacl
shakes his own hands in compliment to his friend
Dinner, when served, would consist of desser
first, then meat and end with fish and SOUP
Chop sticks "a corruption of the Chinese wore
or quick sticks9 were used to eat with uten
sis more like ladies' ivory knitting needless but
awkward as they might seem, the Chinese ca
with them with great rapdty Their food con
sists of fish, pork, mutton, and sometimes beef
(but the believers in the Buddhist religion wer'
forbidden to eat beef and rice) Among thei
dainties were birds nests, and the palm of al
ape or baboons hand, and donkey's head. A
one entertainment he was invited to, there wa
covered dish on the table, which, when open
ed, was found to contain several live crabs
these quickly crawlcd to all parts of the table
when the cover of the dish was removed, AM
each guest then employed himself in picking NJ
the fish, mmersing them in dish of vinega
which stood by his side, in order to make then
more lively, and then throwing them into thei
mouths, they crushed and swallowed them. Or
each table stood one dish out Of which all wer
expected to eat at the same time and as in tn
r custom of the ladies' pipe, that guest was mos
honored who had morse thrust into his mout
by the host with his chop sticks. The study {
these habits had been of great use to him dul
) ing his residence in the country
HONORARY DEGREES.
y "The degrees are Elegant shoots of fin
S talent, equal to our B. A Elevated men,