Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-06
Life in the Celestial BmpIre-Soene in a
NbiuaaP Civ

Life in the Celestial EmpIre-S0ene in
Chinese City.
The special correspondent of the London
Times in China gives the following account
of what he saw in Chinese city:
Let us walk down "the Street of Everlast-
ing Prosperity" the Regent-street of the
north suburb. At its entrance is crowd of
Cinnamon, which, constantly renewed from
dawn to sunset, stands gaping through a
gateway at the headquarters, horses picketed
in large courtyard. Forcing our way
through these unsavOry Celestials we find
ourselves in a small square occupied by the
"eel-pie" and "baked potato" men of the
place. Your workingman dimes in the
street. and this square is favorable al fresco
restaurant. Ii, on our right, deals in meat
pies. He has small charcoal fire below his
oven, and in trice his pate is compounded
and cooked before the public. Ho, by his
side, supplies vegetable diet, turnips, onions,
pumpkins, yams, cut into small slices and
served in the water wherein they are boiled.
Here Is a man with sweetstuf, pastry aRl
stuck There another with fruit-grapes
peaches, lotas fruit, water. melons, apples and
pears. An tastes are supplied. But even in
dining the ineradicable love Oft the Chinaman
for gsmbling is evinced. Every one of these
dealers has box like dice-box, in which
sticks are prizes, the remainder blanks.
Each portion Of food is supposed to be
worth ten cash, and on stalking one cash
every conner may try his luck. From morn
ing 10 night is the rattle of these sticks to be
heard in the square as the dealers invite their
customers; from morning 10 Id 5bt may the
ChiDaman be seen yielding to the invitation
Here is an old fellow, "bargee" on the
river. He has but two cash, which he stakes,
and loses one after the other. His face is
rueiul, and his belly empty, so we give him
ten cash, with which he may insure the meal
be covets. He takes the cash. but, instead
OF buy ing his food, he recommences to gam
bic for it. One cash after another is drawn
from him, and when he loses his last he
walks away dinerless. The fishmonger is
perpambulatiBg about. His fish, ina shallow
round wooden bowl, lie gasping in three or
four inches of water. Here are eels, brown
and silver, large fat muddy carp, soes, and
speckled fish like trout, and of much the
same flavor. At an open cook-shop Chinese
drtistss are preparing the dinner of the day.
The favorite dish is stew composed of
chopped pork, onions, seaweed, shrimps and
eggs. We taste, but its flavor is by no means
agreeable to the western palate.
81 AND now, in quiet secluded nook is q
good-bumored laughing crowd, enjoying the
feats Of a juggler A wonderful man He
takes two pieces of sharp wire O couple of
feet long inserts them in his nostrils and
passes them thence down his throat. There
is no deception, for he open his mouth
wide, and we see the wires down his oullet.
Then he takes two leaden bullets, one the
81 'e of an ordinary uske'-bail, the other
eighing twelve ounces He swallows the
little one first. With many contortions he
brings them up again, and the small one is
the frs t re app'a'. He draws the wires back
through his nose and spits blood. A shower
of cash rewards this feat. Then he swallows
swoard, Grams o'nted sticks in his ears
and eyes, and Performs variety oftricks too
numerous to be detailed.
We enter periumers shop, full of l1nick-
knacks and necessaries for my lady's toilet.
Pearl powder is made up in neat little pack
ages and with rouge and paints of various
hues. Lotions for the complexion, perfumes,
dyes for the hair, and here, in corner,
shine Incompatible oil, Macassar." A bar
Der is plying his trade. He shaYes the head,
combs and plaits the tail, and extracts wax
from the ears. The latter operation is evil
deht'y a favorite with the Celest;als. Alas
'false tails are common here as they are
said TO be in England. The shop is full of
them at 81 the half dozen. A distinguished
officer of irregulars bought few to make a
plume for his helmet. A fcurio" stall con-
tains very ordinary china at very exorbitant
prices, Among its prizes are common
English earthenware plate, with "Swiss
scenes" paiuted thereon, for which double
that amount is demanded Here, also, are
small boxes, labeled Superior Con yreve
matches, without smell or sulphur They
would cost a halfpenny at home; their price
at Tien.tsin is two and one-half pence. We
come TO a linen diapers, and find Man
chester and American goods-linen, cotton
aud calico, Here is blue stuff for the COM
mon tunics and trowseFs. II is labeled
'ManChester, John Pender & Co." By its
side are calicOes, marked Saunders" and
printed cottons from the Manchester looms
in great abundance. The prices are 100 per
cent. higher than at Shanghai. Immense
quantities of Russian cloth, both red and
blue, are to be found in every shop. This
cloth is OF double width, thick and coarse.
1t IS sold at twenty-five shllings yard, the
price being hxeasby the Russian Govern
ment. Coming by land all the way fIO m
Mini NoYgorod, such price can never pay;
hut the government is careless as TO profit,
for this cloth forms the principal object of
barter for tea and silk.
have seen enough, however, TO feel salts
fed that the opening of Tien-tsin TO foreign
commerce will encourage an enormous trade
in all the main branches of English manu-
factuIe. The crowd at our heels laugh as
we enter pawnbroker's shop. IL is full Oi
depositors, old clothes being the principal
articles in pledge. We ask the head man Ia
see the establishment. He would be de-
lighted, but it is against rule. He deeply
regrets that he must refuse our Majesties but
his orders are explicit. After little press
ing he yields, and we are conducted through
one court after another, the buildings con-
tanning all that man can imagine, from
pocket-handkerebiefs to junks' anchors. The
goods may be pledged for thirty moons 1.-TWO
years and half when they are sold, If un-
redeemed. The rate of Interest is twelve
per cent. per annum. Here is a large ice
house, very long, very deep, very wei
drained. The ice is in blocks full two fee
thick, and gives abundant evidence of a Sc
we're winter in this district. Returning
home we enter tea shop. The cheering
beverage is contained in large brass kettle
brass butterfly with extended wings on IL
spout. We drink, are refreshed, and bid
adieu 20 'the Street Of Everlasting Pros
Terity."
A SToEE-CRUsHIEG MAcHIEB.--Atthe grea
mon works Of CreusOt a machine has beel