The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-01-01
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THE DAILY DISPATCH
CHINESE MUSIC

VII CioS het', Va tiio Ct. LOUIS InfelflgenceT.
in letter from San Francisco, gives the fol.
lowing account of the performances of the
company of Chinese Theatr;cals which has r.
Gently arrived at New Orleans:
"One of the most curious exhibitions ever
witnessed by outside barbarians,' has been
going on in this city (San Francisco for 4
week or two past. About fortnight since.
there arrived here Chinese theatrical troupe'
CONSISTING OF I23 actors, male and female: and
embracing, as learn, some of the most distin-
guisneo OF the Celestial histrionic taiept. In
0eeus II Is SAID tnat several of them are to the
Ihinese what kemble and Garrick and Sid
dons are, or rather were, to US 'outsiders.'-
Some days ago it was announced ,ha, thew
would make their first appearance at the Anne.
can Theatre, and confess felt a very greaf
curiosity to see how such exhibitions wera
conducted in China--a country of which Wa
now know so little, but are destined yerv soon
| TO know great deal more. l Yves present
at their first exhibition, and would endeayor TO
describe It, II l were not conscious that ii ia
utterly Impossible to convey any Ineligible
idea OF it. Before the curtain was raised. we
were favored with music from the Chinese or.
| chestra. if that can be called music which was
combination OF the most unearthlv sounds
that ever saluted mortal ears. | cannot de-
scribe the instruments from which these sounds
proceeded, except that one of them was an i'm
| mense gong, whilst several others were yery
dimnutive one-stringed fddles, of peculiar
shape. They had also pair of cymbals and a
| large oval stone, elevated above the floor on a
| framework, and on which they beat time with
| a couple of sticks. Altogether the noise was
| about such as would be produced by dozen
| tin-pans ofdifferent sizes, half dozen cracked
hddies, steamboat bell, the filing of a saw,
| and the squalling of a cat The musicians
| were placed on the afterpart of the stage, in.
stead OF IN front OF IL, and kept up the din du-
ring the most of the performance.
'Of course did not understand word that
| was spoken on the stage; but was completely
amazed at the magniieence of their dresses,
which were all OF silk or satin, and covered
with the most beautiful and costly embroidery
| No company in the United States can at all vie
| with this in the splendor of its wardrobe. In
| deed, had formed no conception previously of
| the immense labor and expense expended in
China upon such fabrics as these. The en-
broidery is wrought into the most beautiful
| figures, representing birds, flowers leaves, &C.,
| in endless variety, and in the most tastefully-
| blended colors. The men, for the most part,
wore on their heads sort of helmet, of unique
shape, and beautifully wrought, whilst the wo-
| men had a profusion of brilliant ornaments
about the head, with the haiI done I'D in the
most singular STYLE, They all wore immense
trousers, of silk or satin, with long, loose robes,
| reaching below the knee, and have enormously
| large sleeves. Their shoes had wooden soles,
| about TWO inches thick and turned up at the
| toe. The play appeared to be sort of opera;
or, at all events, large portion of it consisted
| of singing, if that can be termed singing which
| is something between a screech, vail, and q
negro melody, sung in the most drawling, nasal
tone. They appear to have but one tune, ald
! that with scarcely one of the elements of mu-
sic. Their voices have little or no compass,
| and it is imposs Bile to conceive of more harsh
and grating sounds than they emit"
n The Reading PAL Journal states that
young man, printer, in that vicinity, under
took to descend perpendicular shaft, some
IS feet, into the iron mines, by means Of buck
ct and windlass. When about 10 feet below
the surface, the bucket struck an obstruction,
overturned, and threw the young man out,
feet foremost, which position he kept the whole
Is feet to the bottom, where he alighted upon
some boards covering deep pit Of water. He
was but slightly injured. Who but printer
would have been SO miraculously preserved
from death?
v 1t is stated that Mr.. Osborne has put
down submarine telegraph from Cape Tor.
men,ine, in New Brunswick, across Northum-
berland Strait, distance of fourteen miles to
Cape Traverse, in Prince Edwards Island, and
that ii works perfectly well. It's intended to
form part of his line TO connect New Found
land with the continent.
w The manager OF the Maronette's pup
pet actors, now exhibiting at the st. James's
Theatre, London, has lately introduced set
of f"Ebony Marionettes," an imitation of the
"Ethiopian Serenaders,"' and other Ierforman-
ces of that description. The Daily News says
the imitation was perfect; and some of the
music, accompanied after negro fashion, was
exceedingly characteristic and pleasing.
u. S. COMMISSIONERS CoURT.-The mate
and four seamen, belonging TO the schooner
Advance, sent home from the coast of Africa,
on suspicion of being concerned in the slave
trade, were further examined, and sent on for
trial before the U. 5. Court. The examina-
ton of the two men---Davis and Campbell
sent home from Martinique, under charge of
desertion and theft, was continued until the
necessary documents can be obtained from
the Secretary of the Treasury.
N0TJ0tk Beacon.
EplrApH-The following singular epitaph
is on tomb in the parish church yard of
Pewsey, Dorsetshire, England
"Here lies the body of Lady O'Looney
great neice of Burke, commonly called The
Subime:' she was bland, passionate, and
deeply religious; also she painted in water CO.
Iors and sent several things TO the exhibition;
she was the first cousin of Lady Jones'; and OF
such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
To CURE TIE ToorHAcHg.-Take paper
of Tobacco, pour upon il a wine glass OF warn,
water, squeeze our part of the moisture, and
after placing the pulp upon slice Of bread
apply II as a plaster to the face. There il
nothing like il tor the toothache-and il is the
| only remedy Tor it in its worst form, the agus
| in the face.
| The best cigars made at Havana. called ths
"Ramas," are worth in the city. at The faeto
| ry. $l50 per thousand. Few ever find shei
way TO this country, as they could not be SEX
here for much under 40 cents each.
| DEATH FROM Scissoas.--A day or two sine.
| a Young boy, son Of Isaac Leonard, kourtl
street. South Boston. died from injuries re
ceived by sticking the point OF pair OF scis
~e-s in his forehead, while playing.