New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-12-27
A Cricket Match In Canton.

Preceded by Whang, whose long black tail and
dark dress gave him the appearance of huge tad
pole, we set out one evening after sunset to visit
one of the most fashionable of the thousand-and-
one gaming houses with which Canton is infested
After about fifteen minutes smart walking, we ar
rived at low, narrow door, in dark street, into
which we stopped and squeezed ourselves, and,
keeping close to our conductors "tail,' entered
small room lit by three lanterns as large as regi-
mental double drums, and of the same shape, and
seven or eight oblate sphcroids, which were dang
led about in the hands Of the gamesters' attend
ants, and by some of the sporting gentlemen them
selves, so anxious were they about the game.
"1seag-to,c-kei' cried our conductor, which, being
interpreted, means, "Clear the way!" But we
checked his rudeness, and declared we only came
as visitors, and did not intend to bet
In the center of the room was round table,
ornamented at the edges with richly carved ivory
rim; in the center of this table was large porce-
lain bowl, Of delicate white color, veined and
couded with very pale tints of purple; round this
bowl were assembled some fifteen or twenty Chi
nese gentlemen, evidently in state of intense
expectation and impatience. At opposite sides Of
the bowl stood two Chinese attendants, who acted
as hackers of the respective combatants. each
being armed with straw. The play was now
ordered to begin. $s
Two other attendants Immediately made their
way through the crowd, each with o little carved
ivory case having gold top of open work, like an
aromatic scent-box. Out Of the cases were pro-
duced two large crickets. These fighting insects
are regularly trained for the contest by variety
of curious processes They are of a dusky color,
with strong legsand thighs, thick bodies and broad
bull-heads, and have mouths that bite like the
front claw Of a little crab. The combatants were
placed at the same time on the inside surface Of the
bowl, and, sliding down quickly, came against
each other head foremost, with dry crisp, crack
ing sound But they Immediately drew back, and
began to maneuyer in the air with their front legs
At sight OF this, great applause was elected from
the company.
The gamesters, however, soon became too impa-
IN haa with nf mn
the hackers were ordered to make them go to
work. These gentry accordingly advanced their
straws and stirred and turned and poked the crck-
ets till the poor creatures became so eXasperated
at what they evidently thought to be strong provo
cation given by each other, that they reared them
selves their hind legs, and danced, and Bit and
wrestled with their front legs, and pulled, and
scratched, and tore, and rolled over and over, and
jumped up and down, and slid about, and bled and
foamed at the mouth, until pieces of skin and
joints of legs were strewn quivering over the bot
tom of the bowl.
The Chinese gentlemen were all excited to the
highest degree; they also capered, and slid, and
jumped up and down, and pulled, scratched, and
screamed and frothed at the mouth, while their
eyes were all like glittering beads. They betted
for fy-cakes-cakes in which small black flies are
baked by way OF currants but the thing hazarded
is only nominal, gambling for money being con-
trary to law. These nice cakes, however, are pri-
vately understood to represent money.
/ confess was at last so abjured rs to become
several bets of ten cakes, with the understanding
that my cakes meant dollars. My friend, Captain
Bowling, in order to prevent me being "done,"
hedged all my bets. l felt certain as to which of
the crckets would win, for of them had by this
time no atom of wing left, and scarcely half leg
to stand upon while the other had one ragged
wing quite entire at the shoulder, and three good
stumps of thighs.
NY bets had by this time amounted to one hun
dred dollars, Captain Bowling having carefully
shedged" to the same amount with different sport
ing gentlemen in the room. No sooner, however,
had made my bet of the last ten cakes, than the
cricket which was reduced to a mere trunk, and
which, of course, had betted against bit the head
of his adversary completely oft! There lay the
vanquished cricket, and there lay its head, with
the mouth opening and shutting. | have not the
slightest idea how it done. 1t all seemed fair
enough, and may add, with shame in my partici-
cock-fghting But hon did it happen that my
cricket lost? Surely some backleg longtail must
have done the deed with an invisible pair of nip
pers.
Howbet, paid the hundred dollars. Captain
Bowling then went laughing round the room to
collect his bets, which would just have got the
money back again, when suddenly servant
three mandarns and troop of soldiers were
about to surround the house. Down came the
lanterns from the ceing-1ou went those in the
hand-smash went the porcelain basin-and amid
the scrambling rush of the crowd and the crash
ing sound of china under foot, was pushed about
in the dark-frst one way, then another, till event
ually fought my way out into the street by some
fell over the PROSTATE body of Captain Bowling,
who was lying with his head in a broken lantern,
but not hurt, with the exception of few pretty
severe bruises.