The Placer herald., 1858-09-04
The Floating CITY Of Canton.

Iu light and lively book, just published
in London, the author Of which is DR.. Yvan,
we find the following picture of Canton:
The town Of boats occupies space OF
several leagues Of the Tchou-kiang; it is d.
vided into quarters like London and Paris,
and like our great cities has its commercial
streets and its fashionable districts. The
suburbs-that is to say, the part of the river
which is inhabited by the lowest class-are
composed of narrow, winding streets, all
very much alike. They consist of lines of
tankas, with their coverings of bamboo, moor
ed sideways and presenting all the appear
ance Of the vessels l have described else
where in speaking Of Macao.
During the day you never see a man in
those boats; the women and children alone
remain in the wretched dwelling, while the
father is engaged up the river loading the
vessels of the barbarians, or disembarking
the merchandise contained in the junks which
furnish Canton with its enormous supplies.
The fshermen's street adjoins the quarter
inhabited by those laborious classes; their
habitatons are more vast than those of the
poor carriers and there is much more ami
nation in the place. AS soon as they return
from fishing, anchor has scarcely been cast
when the children with naked feet, run along
the shore; they pass from one boat to another
to stretch out the nets. The men sitting
down upon the ground examine the nets
mend the holes made in the preceding expe
diton, and the women at the back of the
little house prepare the family dinner on
portable stove made of plaster
The fishermen in this amphibious society
represent the horticulturists and gardeners
who supply the large towns. Every morning
they plough the inexhaustible plains of the
ocean, and furnish the market with the prin-
ciple article of consumption. The fisher
mems street has certainly the most varied
aspect of any in the universe. When the
weather is fine, each habitation becomes de-
tached from the one next to it, and this
part of the floating city is sometimes absent
for days together Then. when the fishing
is over, the rising tide brings back the travel
ing abode to its starting place, and the two
floating city. For the rest, on this liquid
soil the appearance of the street changes
every moment. A movement Of the tide,
gust Of wind, a sudden decrease in the pres
sure of the atmosphere, and the position Of
the town is completely charged.
For instance, at the appearance of tenn
pest, the large vessels turn round, ard pre-
sent to the wind the least assailable portion
Of their hull. The little boats gather to-
gether, and place themselves under the shell
ter Of the large ones; and these changes are
sufficient to render a quarter unrecognlzabe
even to person who has passed it only an
instant before. There are, however, a few
rows of houses which always preserve their
habitual physiognomy. These telong to
merchants, private persons, and sometimes
to public institutions. These peaceful habi-
board Of which it would be very difficult to
make use of oars, seldom change their posi-
ton. They are real houses, with only one
side to the water, and placed on the hull Of a
vessel. The entrance is at the back 1t is
left wide open so as to let tire Air circulate
freely, and the rooms have windows furnish
ed viii nankecn blinds. The pediment cf
the outer door is adorned with scul lpture, and
with large characters written on red paper
or cut-in relief
These nscriptions generally signify happi
who are naturally very mystical, do not care
| LOT hlucn oeyohu tle happiness OF th's wofId
These trading districts, with their floating
habitations painted ali kinds and colors, and
adorned in artistic style, have really all the
appearance of Chinese streets on dry land
The illusion would, indeed. be complete, were
it not for the fact that you proceed though
these streets in boat, when you may see
the largest of these edfces agitated by the
current and the rise and fall of the waves
Here, however as in Physic street, there are
shops of all kinds and trades Of every nature.
In the city Of Tchou kang have seen not
only carpenters and tailors' shops, but drug
gists' laboratories ready-made clothing ware
houses, fortunetellers' and professional letter
writer's stalls, and even pawnbroker's
establishment.
The Stub-Toed Boots.
A certain uartV whose mama if ia unNacex.