Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-04-09

STATE OF AFFAIRS IN CANToN.-The cor
respondent of the London Tunes writes that
he bad traversed the whole city of Canton,
and found the people going on with their ac-
customed occupations. Along the great East
and West thoroughfare closed shop has be-
come a rare exception; and the only difficulty
was to push our way through the crowd.
The people wsre cutting up their pigs and
their fish 1.-THE abundance of immense carp.
tench, anG zach in the streets Of this city is
wonderful, and cooking their comestlbles in
full business like security. ldlers were play
ing at Chinese hazard, and exhibiting their
piles of coin on the board. The curiosity
shops in incredible nSmbers, were spread with
curious antiques of the newest fashions. The
crowds ate not even afraid to manifest ehri-
osity at the clothes and features of their Eu-
ropean guests, and the shop keepers invite
you into their shops with politeness that
proves they have no misgiving that you will
exercise any right of conquest except a con
quest of purchase. Yes, The spirit of inso-
lence has departed out of them. Neither In
word nor gesture is there auy symptom of
hostility OF even dislike. l have seen two
people frightened very much by scolding for
using the word "fau quei,' (foreign DEVIL
but l believe they used it in all Innocence,
having never heard US called by any other
name.
So far from there being any notion of retak-
ing this city, believe that no ten Cinnamon
within sight of Canton, would dare to raise a
stick in the presence of British or French
soldier or sailor.
The street of the Triumphal Arches is the
only exception TO the general re-opening
movement
The commercial parts of Canton have been
much over estimated We have believed that
there must be some grain of truth in the bonn
bast and brRg of the Cinnamon. Canton is
big and popuious; that is all. In other re.
spects it is q very ordinary China city. Its
temples are numerous. and the Coniueian TEN.
pie, and the temple of Five Hundred Gods.
are good of their kind, but most OF the others
are miserable and dilapidated
How different are all the realities of Chi
nese life from our English notions of Oriental
magnihcence Their ridiculous M4ndarins
live in houses in which an English gentleman
would be ashamed to lodge his stew ard, and
keep their retainers in places which an Eng
lish farmer would think quite unworthy Of
his cows 1t is explained that they allow their
vass vamuns to fall to decay, because their te-
nure OF office seldom exceeds three years;
their luxurles, therefore, are fun dresses en-
oioluefeo TUNES Jadestuhe sceptresi loose SILK
chair covers, and such like movables.
The new court has established a new Can
ton police 1t is composed OF one hundrt
English and thirty French soldiers. and the
same number OF Tartars associated with them
Five English aud two French stations have
been established in convenient parts of the
city and suburbs, and the shop-keeping com
munity are likely to obtain under British and
French rule security they have never before
hoped for. Things were proceeding so hap
plyi that Peh kwe the other day wrote a
note to Lord Elgin, compImenting him very
much upon the state of affairs and suggest.
ing that we were all now such very good
friends, that it was quite unnecessary to keep
soldiers in the city. This polite impertinence
produced all answer which Peh-K wei has not
yet shown to his most intimate advisers.