The Nevada journal., 1853-07-01

i'll rewarded, form piratical fleets, con-
sisting of from fifty to hundred ves-
sells. Their numbers are very great ;
and as many as sixty thousand have
banded together as pirates, and not
content with the high seas, have bold
ly landed on the coast and carried fire
and sword far into the interior. Of
late years, the English have destroyed
several of these piratical fleets, and
have in a great measure put an end
to the practice. On these boats, men,
women and children live as on land,
and most of them seldom go ashore
except TO sell their fish. They are
sad to come from the northward, and
are regarded by the Chinese as an in
ferior people to themselves. Entering
the mouths of the rivers, the traveller
sees vast fleets Of vessels Of all kinds
from the stately junk with its gay
streamers. to the small panka which
contains only single family. They
all sail once a year with the simeon to
Siam and the adjacent islands, and re-
turn when the wind changes, loaded
with large and valuable cargoes. The
Chinese regard these people also as
an inferior race, and tyrannize over
them with Asiatic severity and haugh-
tiness. Vast numbers of people live
on the rivers in these trading vessels
and others of every description; and
it is estimated that not less than $780,
600 are thus lodged on the river oppo-
site to the city of Canton. Arrived
at the city. the traveller lands at the
factories of the foreign merchants. In
the street are to be seen multitudes OF
Chinese, dressed similarly to those we
see here, only more neatly; most Of
those WHO are here belonging to the
Iaboring classes. Their dress is gen.
orally of an uniform color, and is well
adapted to the climate and to the COM
fort of the wearer. A slight commo-
ton in the crowd may indicate the ap-
proach of an officer of government. to
whom great respect is invariably paid.
OF these the mandarins--there are
nine ranks, easily distinguishable by
their various dresses and certain orna-
mental al ticles peculiar to each rank.
The higher ranks wear silk dresses,
beautifully embroidered with figures
of animals, &c, on the fronts and
backs. On the top If their caps. which
are also profusely ornamented, the
wear balls Of various colois,
indicative of their rank. Of these, the
highest is of red coral-others Of gold,
green glass and other materials, vari-
ously colored.. The lowest rank is IN
dicated by a plain gilt ball. Persons
of consequence are carried in sedan
chairs by coolies, and hold in their
hands for occasional use beautiful fans,
richly carved and painted--usually the
gifts of friends. One of these fans,
Mr. S. said, had been shown him, (which
had been executed with the ii ps of the
fingers, and was of excessive richness
and beauty. They also wear rings OF
various kinds, for the thumb, wrist,
&c., of gold and other materials. Satin
boots, decorated very handsomly, COM
plete the costume. Boots are never
worn except by gentlemen, which,
said, Mr.. S.. accounts for the earger-
ness which the Chinaman usually man
ifests on his arrival here to get poss-
essiou of as large pair as he can con-
veniently use. Females, continued
Mr.. S., are seldom seen in the streets,
except the lower classes and when
ladies are seen at all, it is in Sedans
The lower orders of females wear
shoes of the natural size, with so'es
about half an inch thick but one some
times sees women in the streets en-
gagged in mending clothes and other
similar occupations, whose diminutive
feet indicate that they have seen bet
ter days. Those Of the Chinese who
can afford it, employ means to cramp
the feet of their daughters SO as to
prevent them from attaining larger
size than is consistent with the well
known Chinese notions of beauty
Mr.. S. here exhibited beautiful little
shoe, not more than three inches long,
and hardly large enough for an infant
a year old, which had been actually
worn by a Chinese lady. (Mr. S., it
should be menti med, in the course Of
his lectures exhibited numerous arti-
cles of Chinese workmanship in illus
tratian of his remarks } The Chinese,
continued Mr.. s., are very polite to
visitors. On entering their houses the
guest is received with various marks
of varied according TO his
rank and consequence. Their saluta
tons remind one of those we read of in
0.r;,{uro aPeace he with Won !"