The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-26
WEDNESDAY, MAY g. 1853
PRICE TWO CENTS

thrown away so nothing was left but to hope almost
against hope that the Mandarin himself is free from
| vermin, and to continue to scrub the attendants
The southern Chinese are for the most part of clean
~ habits; but the northerns dirty Yek is from
llupch which is one of the five northern provinces
! lek sleeps in recess in the Captains cabin
which he prefers to a separate sleeping berth. He
goes to bed about o'clock and while we are read
ing or writing, or playing chess, he sleeps the sleep
OF intancy-an unbroken slumber, apparently un-
/ disturbed by visions of widowed women or waing
! orphans. This man-killer, after Staying his hun
dred thousand human beings, enjoys swecter sleep
than an innocent London Alderman after a turtle
dinner.
But. although our great Mandarin is at peace
with his own Chinese conscience, he has an evident
horror of his living countrymen He has ''lost ace'
with thcm and the greatest fear he has is the being
made an exhibition to a Chinese rabble We were
malicious enough to ask whether he would like to
90 to the Hong Kong Races lie answered, just as
the father of serious family might answer that it
never had been the custom of his family to 90 to
the races
On Monday the 23d of February. tbe InfexibIe
steamed out of Hong Kong harbor, and elk might,
II he had pleased, have taken his last look for some
time of the shores of his native land Ii he felt any
OF the bitterness OF exile. he was successful in
ccaling it, for he was entirely occuDied in smoking
his pipe and settling himself comfortably. A few
minutes after and we had rounded the green island
and the steamer danced to the piping of the strong
north h-west monsoon. was on deck watching the
familiar objects of the harbOr as they rpceded and
thinking regrctfully that friendships which |
most valued there had been dimmed by the strong
line had felt it my duty to take upon some public
questions, when sounds through the cabin sky
light like the strains and groans of Etna.
For three days this condition of things continued
Judging from the sounds, the Niceroy might be
throwing up his two provinces of Ouangsi and
Quangtung. 1t must be admitted, however, that
he struggled manfully with his maady. To use his
own expression, his stomach was excruciated and
his bowels required nursing; but he manifested all
Chinaman's courage of endurance. On the fourth
day he even returned to his pipe, and required his
sewly-recovering cook to prepare him breakfast.
He does not love muttOn-ti is Tartar food: he does
not eat beef for it is written by Confucius ''Thou
shalt not slaughter the laboring on"
/ This is not a superstition, but an ethical and eco
nomical observance. 1t is ungratcfu to slaughter
the animal that produces rice, and it is contrary to
Chinese notions of good policy to kill creatures
that till the earth Iek does not drink milk, nor
will he eat butscuits prepared with milk: but he
explains that this is not blcaus he is Buddhist
for that many who not Buddhsts do not drink
milk, while the Buddhsts of Mantchouria are fond
OF 1t. (which very much doubt-he is of any
religion, he belongs to that higher sect of Budi-
hists who are above all forms OF abstinence or idol
worship, and place their devotons in intense inner
aspirations for perfection
As he recovered from his sea-sickness he grew
more communicative and conversational than he
had ever been before. Aswe left Singapore harbor
he looked like man who had load removed from
his mind. ! believe his feeling was that he had got
away for time from his own countrymen, and was
nv III u'ihItT vi meeting people Ill WEOSe
eyes he had ''lost face" He now talked fuently
upon every subject to which we led him. and shall
best convey his opinions by transcribng these con-
versations discoursively as | noted them.
Let me remark here once for all, that Mr.. Ala
baser is, so far my experience goes, unique in
stance of youth who has learnt to converse fluent
ly in Mandarin after only two years study In
terms of philosophy and art difficulties of transa-
ton must of necessity occur, but apart from these
never hear the Interpreter obliged to ask Yck to re-
peat what he has said, very rarely find that Yek
requires the interpreter to repeat. ] consider my
self very fortunate in my medium of conversation
! with this rrcat Cnnfncian