New-York daily tribune., 1854-07-11
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS.
CANTON-ITS STREETS AND SHOPS-THE
HONAN TEMPLE-A WALK AROUND THE
WALLS-OPIUM SMOKING-THE FEAST OF

Ipoudence Of rhe v. Y. Tribune.

WALLS-OPIUM SMOkING-THE FEAST OF
LANTERNS
Editorial Correspondence Of rhe Ny Tribune
CANTON, China, Thursday Sept 5, 1853
Tie steamer in which lett Macao on Monday last
did not reach here until daybreak, the next morning
Consequently whatever there may be othe picturesque
or striking in the approach to Canton, lost to me-
rs the rapid dawn Of the South frightened into sun.
rse found that We anchored in the middle of
the stream between the foreign Factories and the "a
nous temple of HoDan. The Pearl River, at this
place is not more than quarter Of mile wide, and
thickly studded with junks, hower.bolts and those
crowded hulks which contain the " floating popula-
"tion-an important item in the census of the city.
What little can be OF the native part OF Canton
from this point, is low and mean, pnreeved by sin
gle pagoda The fore gn Factories, on the contrary,
inclosirg parallelogram OF three or four acres.
which extends down to the river, are substantial
oks Of buildings, four stories in hight. The open
space has been turned into Botanical Garden. which
is kept in excellent order it affords tue residents
their only chance for agreeable exercise except that
OF boating the river In this garden four lofty flag
stas planted at regular intervals display the coors OF
America, France, England and Denmark, and in the
center a neat Gothic Chapel stands the site of
tie old Hog Lane, renowned during tie troubles of
loil The factories are divided into different hOngS
English, American, Danish &c.-but the foreign
munity is crowded into narrow bounds, hemmed In
all sides by the Jealousy of the native authorities, aud
FIVE minutes walk will embrace its utmost limits
Adjacent to tie factories the streets occupied by
the Chinese hong merchants" whose dealings al,
most wholly with foreigners, and the markets and
shops Of mechanics, which depend on foreign custom
The most noted th0roughtares are Old ana New Chna-
streets and Looking and streets, which
in their quaint forms ard brilliant c0orng their gay.
Iue anil Gvplx haZInrs
Oriental cities. They narrow, the houses two sto-
ries in hight, with projecting roofs the fronts oi
dark blue or green color, with mixture oi bright red
and still further relieved by the glded herogl pdics
which cover the vertical swinging signs. In Old and
New China-st there also English signs whch
inform YOU that AKow lIu-ping deals in silks, or
porcelain or lacquered ware, ivory, or mother0i-
pearl or sandal-wood, silver. The predominant tai.
.nt of the Chinese is their faculty OF Imitation, and
since cir intercourse with foreigners has become less
restricted they have been obliged to abandon many OF
their former groo que models and accept others more
cOnsonant with civilized taste. This is shown IN the
patterns of their silks the form and style OF their art
cles in silver and ivory, and their furniture The dis
play in their shops is tempting TO stranger but pur-
ctases are ruinous at the present crisis when money
commands fifty per cent premium here, and seventy
Eve per cent. at Shanghai. .
Whoever first invented the pigeon English as it
is caed-the jargon used by foreigners in their inter
course with Chinese-deseryes Immortality OF ridi
cne The iargon has now become fixed, that t will
take several generations 10 eradicate IT, lhe Cnina,
man requires much practice to learn II as he would
TO learn correct English, while the Engshman, IN his
turn, must pick it up as lie would new language
Fancy for instance going into one OF the silver
ware shops in NewChina-street, and saying, My
"wantye two piece snuff box: can secure I" when his
meaning is simply want two snuif-bOxesi can you
get them I" TO which A-Wng grayely answers:
can secure" Or, another declaring: My no sayey
"thst pieeon'--which signifies in English: dent
understand the business" If you make Enquiries at
hotel you must ask: what man have got top-sidc ~
(who are up stairs y and the Chinese servant VIII
make answer 1.-TWO piece captain, one piece Jossinan,
have got" (lhere are two captains and clergy
manO 1t was sometime before | could bring my sell
10 make use OF this absurd and barbar0us lingo and it
is even yet very unpleasant 10 hear it spoken by
lady.
A. far as sight seeing is concerned Canton has very
little to offer the traveller, and am thoroughly sur
ieed with China that have made no effort to see
uorc than the most prominent objects. Mr.. Wells
Williams and the Rev. Mr. BOnney were kind enough
TO accompany me yesterday through the Temple oil
Honan the opposite side OF the river This Is
place of great sancity embracing within its bounds
welLendowed college of Boodhist priests There are a
number OF temples or rather shnes Of the gods, stand
Ing within incosed courts which shaded by large
and venerable trees We first passed through portal,
placed in advance, like the pylOn Of Egyptian tenn
ple with colossal figure on each sde OF the watchers
or guardians of the edhce. With their dstended alb
dOmels, copper faces and fierce black eyeballs, they
might very well have passed for Cog and Magog The
temples massive square structures, with peaked
roc containing colossal gded statues Of various diyn
tiles most OF fwhom seated legged, with their
hands on their stomachs and grin Of ineiabc good
humOr on their faces. They no doubt repre-
sented as having dined wel and therefore the
easily to be prOpitiaed. We reached the main temple
in time to witness the rites Of the BOOdhst priests
Numerous candles and jOss-sticks' of sandalwOod
were burning at the feet OF the vast statues and the
shayen-headed priests, thirty or forty in number,
walked soemnly in a circle around the open space be-
fore them, chanting their hymns. The character Of
the chsnts very similar to Of those used in
the Roman Catholic service, aud there other fec
lures in the ceremonies of the priests which showed
tie same resemblance believe this fact has been
noticed by other travellers.
After the chanting was concluded the priests came
cut in single hle aud passed into the large building
which they inhabit in common. Some of them paused
to speak with MIR. H0nney, who was known TO them,
and whom they seemed to regard without the least AMI
mostly, notwithstanding his Missionary character We
then entered labyrinth of smaller buildings, in one Of
which printing establishment, whore the legends
Of BoOdhism multiplied in great quantities Many
Of the books were illustrated with curious woOdcuts
little further, upon the stable Of the sacred
hogs ard were allowed look at the yenerated animals
Alas like many humans their swlnsh nature was only
ncrea ed and intensified By their exalted station Very
slothiul ard greedy were they.
The temple, with it various attendant edifces, courts
and gardens, covers an of iorty-twO The
garden, however, is mere vegetable patch, with a
pend Of the sacred lotus in the midst Several Of these
superb plants in bloom, and bribed laborsr
10 wade out in the Shiny pool and procure few
blossoms The slender stem, five feet in length, up
holds broad cup, elegant in form the Warwick
Vase and about eight inches 10 diameter, when fully
expanded. The leaves have the yevety whiteness OF
abaster vened with delicate pencilings of the purest
nd in liaa tha tad