Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-04-15

hold god The principal room appears ra-
Their gay, when the lanterns and other furni-
ture are new; but when faded, it looks
cherries and gloomy, the floor being oftiles,
or sand and lime, and the walls of the room
unbroken by windows, the light coming in
from above. In summer, however, the front
OF the room is left open, and in the winter
closed by folding doors. At the head of the
hall is the altar, behind which is the tutela-
ry divinity--an image or a picture. The
host receives the guest at the entrance ofthe
hall, and conducts him to a broad sofa. On
each side of the room are usually four chairs,
and table between each. The furniture
is not beautiful, though rich and heavy, be-
ing of a species of ebony. On the wall arc
hung scrolls containing passages from their
classics, between which are landscape pain
tings. Their gardens display much skill
and taste. Some years since kare was one
in Canton, including two acres, said to have
cost Sl25, 900; having its meandering
stream,-ts little lake,-rocks scattered in
wild dsorder-artifcal hills and valleys, and
winding walks. The imperial gardens are
said to be much larger, containing five or
six square miles, having fields, mountains,
forests, dells, and caves. Temples are con-
structed similar to their houses,--the god
placed in niche in the first room; before
him is a mat on which devotees kneel, and
the priest strikes drum to rouse his god
ships attention; also bell The priests
live in the rear of the principal hall and the
grounds about the temples are much improv-
ed.
The general appearance of Chinese
town is very plain,-a long succession Of
red-tied roofs indicating the officers hous-
es flag stats rising up, which on gala days
have five or six banners suspended on them.
The streets, however, are more lively, the
shops being open, and the counters project
ing into the streets, which are never more
than ten feet wide. The average width OF
those in Canton is not more than seven feet,
having no carriages, or ladies visible, using
the sedan chair Shops are not numbered
The streets are divided by gates, and the
sections differently named Small towers
rise every fifteen or twenty rods, from which
the watch give the alarm of fires, and cry
the hours. The government quarters the
poor upon the different streets, beyond the
limits of which they must not pass. Here
they are allowed to 60 from shop to shop and
beg. The shop-keeper is induced to give
them a cash, (the 18th part ola cent? to get
rid of the terrible clamor they set up. The
beggars from the country resort to the tenn
pies, to importune the votares.
Thesdress of the Chinese is comfortable
and imposing, of silk or cotton, blue and
purple being favorite colors; furs are highly
priced, being handed down from generation
to generation having no fire-places, they
keep warm by garments, and sometimes they
have on ten or twelve. Their caps are Of
bamboo or felt covered with silk, and THEN
shoes are of silk with wooden soles an inch
thck-instead of having a floor they carry
it under their feet. They carry two watch.
es-one to keep the other straight; they Car.
nv a pouch for the betel nut and tobacco
both men and women The dress of the fe
males is modest and elegant-the compress
sion of their feet is almost universal, done
in infancy-the great toe is bent back, lay
ing flat on the foot, the others bent under
the foot, and the smallest laid across the 9th
ers-done by bandages, with little pain, anc
so as not to prevent the circulation of the
blood the foot is thus 3 ID inches long
making the gait awkward, though the fe
males walk quite fast; the origin of this Gus
tom is unknown to themselves or foreigners
Their diet is nutritious and abundant, o.
hulled rice steamed, and wheat is GROUND
and boiled, never making bread; the dairy
not in use. They have most of our varie
ties of fruit, grapes, but never make wine
raise the peanut and castor bean for oil
sugar is much used; for drinks they have
tea, and spirits from rice, but they know
nothing of coffee, having no name for it.
Their meats are poultry and bacon. The
Chinese eat every thing that comes from the
sea except kind of porpoise ABOUT which
they have some superstition besides this
they eat any thing, water snakes and all. Al
to marriage, this is arranged by parents ii
infancy The procession of rs or 100 take
the bride in howery sedan to the bride
groom, who unlocks the sedan with a key
and for the first time beholds his BRIDE
They then worship his ancestors together
and bow before his parents-a goose, thu
emblem of love, is present. She is consd
cred dead to her parents, and afterwards
goes formally to renew her acquaintance
with them, The result is, that suicides of
ten occur from unhappy connections, but ye
there are few unmarried persons, and thu
welfare of the community is much promot
ed by the universally of this relation.