New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-01
A Chinese State Dinner.


' to an official agent of our Government, IN
high capacity, by the governor Keying few
years since:
"The Governor led the way down stairs into large
room the groundhoor, where table was arranged
for dinner The room, which WIS the principal one
the house n sort OF hail. divided into two parts
by row Of pars running across H. and of great height
The division, ia which We dned, was rather narrow
snd about large enough TO hold the table, with rea-
,onabe latitude FOR attendance around it, TIE other
division was much larger, contained a good deal OF
furniture and had several elegant lanterns suspended
from the ceiling The table was Paraleiogram with
rounded ends end large enough TO hold about twenty
persons which war, think the number OF the party
On one side rather long armchairs with seats
Of red cloth large enough 10 hold two persons The
Governor placed me one OF these and then seated
himself on the other ut my right hand thus giving me
the left which Ia here the seat Of honor. Wesat SIDE by
side, each of us having vacant seat between nun ana
the next guest The rest OF the company sat on com
mon chairs. The party consisted, on our eide, oil the
ten persoDs mentioned above
Among the Chinese were PuDtng kwa, the owner OF
| the house; Jung Lean Chou hangllne a. emoer Of
the IarDD College or Privy Council, at Picking, and
one OF the Governors principal ASSISTANTS here she the
mandarin who met us the way; and three or four
other, whose names did not learn The space round
be table was crowded with attendants. Two Chinese
ufufs stood behind the Governor and myself tor the
rvrose of interpreting between Us but a. they under
add only the Canton English, they made but bunglng
work Of IT, and vas obliged to rely mainly upon Or.
Parker.
aYhe tai had no ornaments in the way Of flowers
or plateau 1t wee laid with porcelain plate, and knife,
ork and parof ivory chOpsiicks at each Upon trying
these found that | could use them with more con
vebience than should have supposed in conveying TO
nov mouth the contents OF the Chinese dishes which are
All either soups stews, meat minced into email pieces
The middle OF the table occupied by course OF
huifs contained in twenty thirty small dishes ltis
ueua TO begin with these and the first thing the Cover
nor did after we were seated WIS TO place upon my
plsic pear and caranibolo This is large fruit Of
the size Of pear much liked by the Chinese, and which
hss sonethng oi the freshness and flavor OF JUICY
apple e ,,.,o. ..u,,
en- 10 tie number should think of at least fifty, all
served in porcelain bowla, holding about pint each,
one of which placed before each person i was,
Of course impossible 20 taste tenth part oil these;
and unfortunately had but too good an excuse Tor not
eating and drinking in the state OF my health soon
after we took ] expainet TO the Governor,
through Dr. Parker that wa under medical treatment,
and ~ -permite TO eat much, or drink nytmng
but water The Governor received the suggestion very
kindly, and gave me no trouble lie had had occasion
10 rreke the same excuse himself when ne met Com
mo re Riddle lie was then quite i'll with pulnon.
airy Complaint brought on Dr. Parker, who treated
him thinks BY anxiety about the evacuation oil Chusan,
the retention of which by the British would probably
The dish mos, valued is the birds nest of which we
he'd lsYge supply IN two three different forms Inc
the inner Of the nest carefully ceansed
OF al, matter. As comes to the table, it
appears Ike senitransparcnt whitish Jelly, or the
white part OF an oyster II has little or no taste OF It's
own but when eaten with soy, which is placed by the
eide Of each plate TO be used occasion requires has
very good iekh.
Second only 70 the bird snest In the estimation Of
the Chinese gourmand and separated from 1t by no
very long interval the sincws of the deer. Dogs
sad to occupy the third place. but OF these we had
no specimen at the Governors table IL seems however,
from the high value SET upon heln that they are not as
they have been sometimes represented, the resource Of
extreme poverty, but Of the luxures OF the rch
Sharks fms In great request and were served III TWO
/ three orms Mer' large seasnail or slug
one OF the prime dccaccs and Ia, in fact very good
beng as served much the sort OF thing a. an ter
at rather remarkable that the Chinese przns so
highly M they do several dishes very much like oysters
should not value the oyster itself do not reconect
that VIC bad oysters in any shape onthis occasions and
I'm told that they not much used, although they are
/ found in abundance. Shrimps which are uncommonly
large and tine here, were served in several forms ono
,t Of bowls were filled with the tongues OF slngngbrds
ahers with meats and game OF different sorts generally
II mnccd into small crses favored with various cond
II mcnts, and SOMETIMES wrapped up In paste.
"Oi the dishes that tasted, nearly all had goou
elih and some wore excellent II appeared To me ths
could have diucd very well upon almo- any oiie VI
htm The Chinese cookery Ia rs gehri" i,,,a
liics strongly resembles the French an after iiic
wsre would | fancy, be thought fully equal 70 H. 49,
THE Chinese have no wine, properly socaled lac
Hnshoo which Europeans call wine, is dlstillatlon
on rice IL is served in cups. aud has someth!ng OF the
uxe ef the lighter wines Of spain. Beside tins, we ha
yeinpGgnc and sherry in profusion' Inc Governor
udsnk great quantity, occasionally niNing tue TWO
Iynes but without any effect upon his head The CON
psny challenged each ether to take wine in the English
Ihshion which is ALI believe, Chinese one Aiter
mptyng their gos the Chinese held them mp bottom
upN ars b. show that they were drained to thea drop
Expecting the ether party do the same:
"The plates occasionally changed; but It d not
pptar 10 be thought necessary to go through with TINS
keIeinonv az every clgnge III the contents The Gov
Eruor when anything particularly nice was handed,
kould take quantity in his chopSicks and put upon
bny plate which before changed generally be gan
% ssumo the shape OF pyramid Sometimes, nsteso
bffranSerrng tie delicate mOrse with his chopstcks
h my plate he would take il in his fingers aud put into
hy mouth This ia regarded as the highest possibemark
rcfpect and attention. The PATIENTS, Of course re-
blurred 10 scuue,ce in II with every appearance OF de
tght and gr titudc The Chiuese themselves sometimes
kmploy rather wkword method of getting nd OF the
becesy Of eating :he immense guam that are served
kn these occasions. was told ~ tic French Consul
tst the Cover nor himself dinner given 70 hun by
k5Frepch Minister empei his bowls under the table
kk a. they were handed 70 him. that one OF the a,
fepdsuts was steadily at work in sweeping the door.
AFTER We had been about half an hour at table, rs
knss;ed Or Parker 70 inform The Governor that would
Eopoe As sentiment, 10 be drank standing, inc hcat3
Ntc Emperor OF Chins. TIE suggestion wss receiyed
sth unanimous applause. Veal hlled our glasses WIN
Ihmpsguc and drained them. with the exception OF
Isne % The bocrL The Governor then, before we re-
sned seats proposed the health OF the President OF
se untod S,c,es, which received in the same way
tesAen, SIN before string down proposed my health
&c when this disposed Of l. in turn, gave his ART
I@ there was q general hurr, and we all took our
ah, We had now become not precisely exhilsrstci
srs,her good humorod and the wine circulated pretty
Wy, Vtrous heahs and sentiments were given and
INK some standing and some sitting Among others
IERtAcf oIcrcI Inc prosperity OF the grcs Sniiete
Apre" 10 be drank standing. Upon this We al rose,
the Governor before drinking sddei " and that of
Tie friendly foreign powers," the same tins
afng his ri ht hand upward, and calling Heaven to
aes the sincerity of his expressions ANer drinking
Iswe al Joined in another general hirrs aud once
sse took seats was told by thc'c OF our coun-
Iyssn who had been present on former occasions OF
<nme Kind that there more o; the flow Of soul
uu champagne this ume than there has usually been
W. certainly good deal surprised az the total al.
of foImslty end the unrestTeaed gsyety thst pre-
sd Il the table though present seemed In any
TSe 10 have lost his seifposSessicn.
While these matters were in progress, change Of
~ ieok place upon the table Itself. After we hsd
IN succession of the contents OF az least nifty diff
lut sowls the table partly cleared and another
ISs OF dshes Of more substantial character male
IsTFPeatsnce Among these was small pis roasted