Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-30

In the China corresp ondence of the London
Times we find some inter esting sketches of the So
cial condition of the c~elestials, which, drawn as
they are from personal observation, seem to con-
vey a more precise and satisfactory impression than
anything yet written about the Chinese people.
Here, for example, is a description of
A FUNERAL PROCESSION AT HONG KONG.
There is q sound of gongs and a crepitation Of
small crackers at the north end Of the bund, and
the coolies are leaving their work to look on. AS
it is a day for sightseeing, and sightseeing is our
business, let US follow the crowd.
1t is a burial procession. The mother of q
Chinese opium broker is going to her last home.
She carries with her all her little comforts and ne
~cessities wherewith to begin life in the next world.
Many palanquins appear at unequal distances pre-
ceded and followed by coolies marching four
abreast. These litters contain small joss-houses,
and basins holding fruits and s~weetmeats. and
bean cakes, and other orthodox Buddhist comes
tibles. There is good store also of silvered and
gilded paper, made to resemble solid ingots of gold
and silver. This is the wealth wherew with she is
to appear in the land of ghosts as a respectable,
well.to-do matron. But if this bullion pass cur
rent among the ghosts, they have lost the qualities
which most distinguish them in the flesh, In life
a Chinaman can distinguish the exact tneness OF
a piece of silver by the touch, 30 much so that the
word "touch" is used as a technical term to indi-
cate the quality of each description of bullion; il
must be very narrowing to the feelings of the ghost
of a Chinese compradOr to find himself obliged to
deal in these shadowy ingots. On marches the
procession. There are little boys blowing shrill
trumpets and other strange wind Instruments, men
excruciating our ears with cymbals and gongs.
and grave adults exploding strings of crackers,
Then comes the cofin-a strong wooden case like a
carved and ornamented trunk of a tree. 1t is hall
covered by draperies, and is born twelve coolies.
1t is h Theoretically sealed with that tenacious plas.
ter the Chinese call ",hunam." It will be borne
to a joss-house in the city, and thence to q spot in
one of her sons fields. Here it will rest on the
surface of the ground. After the time of mourn.
ing is past, a few spadefuls Of earth will be shovel.
led upon it, then year by year a few more, till a
mound arises and rank grass and Chinese lilies
spring up, and this old lady's habitation adds ano.
Their unit 10 the myriads of sacred burrows which
eumber the rich soil, and serve no purpose but a
harbor for the pheasants when the crops are cut.
Our English books upon China say that only hills
are set apart for this purpose. Sir John Davis falls
into this error. But our English writer's, for the
most part, write only of what they have seen ON
thei banks of the Canton river. Between Shang,
hai and Keeling, | have seen thousands of acres
of alluyial soil, which the plough never turne
because it is sacred to the dead.
Nor did wo ever before read SO satifactory az
explanation of
TIE UNNATURAL PROCESS BY WHICH THE CHINESE
WOMEN SECURE SUCH SMALL FEET.
There are small footed ladies at Hong Kong who
gain q veey fair livelihood by exhibiting theil
pedal extremities to sea captains and other curious
Europeans at a dollar ahead; but, as so suner6,
cial an examination of this national REGULARITY
did not satisfy Inc, | had recourse to some of nv
good friends among the missionaries. By theiI
aid l obtained that some poor Chinese women
should bring me q complete gamut of little girls
from the missionary schools. Many of these fe.
male children probably owed their lives to the per.
suasion (aided by opportune donations Of rice1 Of
my missionary friend and his lady, but their infu,
ence had been powerless to preven. the torture Of
their feet. On the appointed day they were ali
seated in n row in my friends library, and their
feet, which ] suspec, had undergone a preparatory
washing, were unbound by their mammas. The
first was q child of two years old. Her penance
had just commenced. When the bandaee of blue
cotton was taken off ! found that the great toe had
been left untouched but the other four had been
forced down under the ball of tho foot, and closely
bound in that position. The child, therefore, walk
ed upon the knuckle joints of her four toes. The
toes were red and inhamed, AMI the ~ligature caus.
ed evident pain. In the next three children (al
OF ages advancing at small interyals) the prepara
ton was only to the lame extent; 1t was confined
TO the four toes; gradually, however, these foul
toes, cediDg 10 the continual pressure, lost theil