Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-08-01
The People OF China.

nese Christian peasanis, We mel near Ialin
Young lad, who was taking buffalo to Craze a
long our path We asked him carelessly, as W
passed, whether it was yet noon. The chil'
raised his head to look at the sun, but it was hid
den behind thick clouds, and he could read no an
swer there. The sky is SO cloudy" said he
"but wait moments" aud with these words HI
ran toward the farm, and cane back few min
utes aferward with cat in his arms. "Lool
here" said he; ''it is not noon yet" and HI
showed US the cats eyes, by pushing up the lid
with his hands. We looked at the child will
surprise, but he was evidently in earnest: anc
the cat, though astonshed, and not much pleased
at the experiment made on her eyes, behaved
with must exemplary complaisance. "yery
WELL" said we. ''thank you;" and he then le
90 the cat, who made her escape pretty quickly
and we continued our route.
To say the truth, we had not at all understood
the proceeding; but we did not wish to question
the little pagan, lest he should find out that we
were Europeans by our ignorance. AS soon as
ever we reached the farm, however, we made
haste to ask our Christians whether they could
tell the clock by locking fnto catseyes. They
seemed surprised at tie question; but as there
was no danger in confessiLg TO them our lgno-
rance of the properties of the cats eyes, we rela.
ted what mad just taken place. That was sil
that was necessary; our complasant neophyfes
Immediately gave chase to all the cats in the
ueghborhood. They brought US three or four,
and expained in what manner they might be
made use of for watches. They pointed out that
the pupil of their eyes went on constantly grow
ing narrower until twelve o'clock, when they be-
care like fine line, as thin as hair, drawn
perpendcularly across the eye, and that after
Twelve the dilataton recommended.
When we had attentvely examined the eyes
of all the cats at our disposal, we concluded that
ii was past noon, as all the eyes perfectly agreed
upon the point.
We have had some hesitation ir speaking OF
this Chinese discovery, as it may doubtless, tend
to iniure the interests of the clock making trade,
and interfere with the sale of watches; but all
considerations must give way TO the spirit OF pro
press. All important discoveries tend in the first
instance 10 injure private interests and we hope,
nevertheless, that watches will continue to be
made, because, among the number OF persons " no
NAV wish to know the hour, there will, most
likely, be some who will not give themselves The
trouble to run after the cat, or who may lear
some danger to their own eyes from too close an
examination of hers.
The Chinese have also given US the benefit OF
their experience in another similar case, which
is not liable to the Inconvenience of the prece-
ding, and has no tendency to compromise any IN
dustrial interest. At most it could only be dlsa-
greeable to asses, by somewhat restraining them
in the exercise of their free will. in The north OF
China, where travelling by water is not SO easy
as in the south, it is very common to make jour
news in wagons, or on the backs of asses or mules
You stop every evening, and pass the night at
one of the more or less comfortable hostelries
which, such as they are, you never fail to meet
with on every road. The great Inconvenience Of
these inns is their intoerable nolsiness, which
makes it very hard matter to get nights rest
in them. If, unfortunately, there should be any
asses in the court yard Of the establishment, you
NAV as well make up your mind at once not to
close your eyes, for these terrible animals douot-
less under pretense that music has always been
held in honor in the Empire, think themselves
obliged, as good Chinese subjects. to sing the
whole night long, and yield 10 all the capEces OF
their philharmonic instincts.
In 1910, we were once making journey ia
wagon in the province of Pekin Our equipage
was under the guidance Of one of our catechIsts,
an old schoolmaster, mounted on magnificent
ass, SO full of ardor and agility, that the two
mules who completed our team had all the diff
Guilty in the world to keep up with him. This
ass, however, was SO filled with the sense of his
own superiority, and 50 proud of 1t that whenev-
er he became aware of the presence of any OF his
brethren, lei them be at ever 50 great distance,
he never failed to begin boasting of 1t in such
loud and sonorous tones, that his folly became
quite insupportable When we got to an inn,
instead OF trying to rest himself, this indefatiga
Bile beast passed the whole night in practcing his
music; and there appeared to be something so Pc
culiarly provoking in the tones of his voice, that
all the asses within hearing, influenced, II would
seem, by the power of some magnetic fluid, were
quite sure TO respond in magnificent bravura, so
that altogether, it became impossible to close our
eyes.
One evening, when our catechist was vaunting
the qualities of his ass, we could not help inter-
ruptng him. "Your ass" saic we, sis an abom-
Unable brute. During the whole journey he has
prevented our getting wink of sleep"
."'Nhy did not you tell me so before|' said
the ca,echist; 81 would soon have stopped his
singing" As the ancient schoolmaster was
of wag, and INDUCED occasionally in
a small joke, we took little notice of his reply,
but that night we slept quite soundly.
"Well, did the ass make a noise last nightW
said he, when we met in the morning.
"Perhaps not; at all events we certainly did
not hear him."
"No, no; think not; saw TO that before
went TO bed. You must have noticed" he con-
tinued, 'that when all ass is going to bray, he
always begins by raising his tail, and he keeps 1t
extended horizontally as long as his song lasts
To insure his silence, therefore, you have only
to lie large stone to the end of his tail, SO that
he cannot raise it."
We smiled, without reply, thinking this was
another piece of pleasantly but he cried, "Come,
now, and see; you can easily convince your
selves" And accordingly we followed him TO
the courtyard, where we beheld, sure enough,
the poor ass with large stone attached to his
tail. and with the air of having entirely lost his
accustomed spirits. His eyes were fixed on the
ground, his ears hung down, his whole appear
ance denoted humility and detection. We fell
quite compassionate toward him, and begged his
master to unite the stone directly and, as soon
as ever he felt his musical appendage at liberty,
the creature raised, first his head, then his ears
then his tail, and at last began to bray with all
his wonted enthusiasm.
CHINESE GAMBLERs.-The Chinese are, as
we have said, industrious and economical, but
their cupidity, their immOderate love of lucre,
and their decided taste for stockjobbing and spec
ulation, easily tempt them to gambling. when
thew are not engaged in traffic. They seek ca
yerly fol- strong excitemens, and when once they
have got into the habit of gambling they seldom
,r never recover from it. They cast aside every
obligation of station, duty, and family, to live on
" for cards and dice, and this iata! passion gains
such an empire over them, that they proceed proceed
even to the most revolirg extretnilles, When
they have lost all their money, they VIII pray 'of
their houses, their LAND, and their wives res even
ybose destiny often depends on cast of the dice.
Nav the Chinese gambler does not stop here, for
40 wili stake the very clothes he has on for one
yame more. and this horrisle custom gives rise to
'cenos - that would not be credible, did we not
Know that the passion always tend to render men
4 II ;nhu