Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-03-24
BRATTLEBORO, VI: MARCH "a, 1860.

for him to gain admission into the barracoon
lie is now stripped of his old tattercd garments,
receives pure white or blue suit, consisting of
pair of loose pGjahmds or loose trousers, jack
ct, shoes, bamboo-hat, and a long reed pipe,
tobacco-pouch, chop-sticks, &c. lie is then
shown his sleeping-place, given his sleeping
mat, blanket and pillow. The Chinese sleeping
apparatus is of the simplest description, con-
sisting merely of plated mat to sleep ON, a
bamboo pillow, and one warm blanket. In the
northern part of China they have stone plat
forms to sleep upon with ovens beneath, where
they build fires, and thus give pleasant tenn
perature to their beds. The cooie is assigned
his mess These mcsses consist of ten men
each, one of their number having charge of and
being responsible for the utensils used while
eating.
No work save that of necessary cleanliness is
required of the coolies, either in barracoons or
in the ships transporting them; and, when not
washing, eating or sleeping. gambling, theatre
cal representations, or acrobatic exercises afford
them plenty of amusement. So universal is
gambling, much part of Chinaman's be-
ing, that the companies have found it necessary
to allow them so much "cash" per day to play
with. "Fan-tan," or the game of quadrating
cash, appears to be the most popular game OF
chance. The banker places pile of cash un-
der bowl and calls upon the players to guess
the remainder that will be left after the pile has
been divided by four, whether /, ., 3, or moth
ing this gives the coolies great delight, and as
they bet heavily, the profits to the banker arc
large.
Theatrical representations also constitute a
common source Of amusement, and the compa-
nies have erected stages in their barracoons for
such purposes. Boys take the female charac-
fore ION t.rx- ,,nla tpn
and though the scenery is very simple, requir-
ing much to be suggested by the Imagination
still, as the acting is chiefly pantomine, and the
initiative faculties of the players excellent, the
general effect is very good.
The Chinese are very passionately fond oil
music, and are supplied with all the native in
struments by the companies and, although
their music sounds harshly at first to western
ears, yet there is a wild sweetness in it at times
The "Sin-fa,' one of their national airs, would
pass muster with even some of the sweet melo-
dies Of Norma.
Though those coolies are sometimes one OF
two months in barracoon, they manage to
amuse themselves vastly, and without much
disagreement. Two of them will sometime,
fall out, and 90 at it, with great variety of ges-
ticuation and loud yocferation of opprobrium
but soon blow off their wrath, and separate
without much damage. In the height of a quar-
rel, the disputants bring their faces close to-
gether and jabber their gutteral sounds into
each others mouth, each with the blatart moist
of an auctioneer selling goods to a large crowd
in the open air. Of sudden they will turr
about and make set speeches to the audience
in which the whole head and front of theii
grievances are explained. If either thinks tc
have enlisted sympathzers, he turns about again
to face his opponent, the faces come together
and the taunts and defances are again shouted
in wild confusion, into the irate faces of eacl
other.