Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-20
:U]l)]. statesman. h |,
from Chambers Journal
A Tree of All.WOrk.

D y
If trees took rank according to their use
fulness, the bamboo might fairly claim the
crown Of the vegetable Kingdom. Tried by
the test of utility to man, there Is no plant
the earth produces worthy to enter into COM
petition with it. The Chinese say, and tru-
ly say, the bamboo is all profit. Seasoned
with chillies, its tender young shoots make
favorite SANDAL of the Malay; sliced and
boiled, they are served at the tables of the
wealthiest japanese; and when salted dried,
and prepared in vinegar, they make pickle
ever welcome to the Siamese gourmand.
AS the plant grows older, fluid is secretel
in its hollow joints which affords q refresh
ing beverage, and If it is allowed to remain
untapped, the valuable medicine tablscheer
said to resist alike fire and acids-is pro-
duced. The leaves of the bamboo are reck-
oned q sovereign remedy for sore throat, as
the bark is all-powerful against fever, and
other useful medicaments are obtained
from the buds and the roots.
Entire houses are constructed out of the
bamboo, the stouter parts OF the tree sup
plying ready-turned pillars, while the
slenderer joints are combined together to
form the walls. Split into laths, and beat
EN- out, 1t makes an excellent flooring; and
for the roof, the canes are arranged side by
side across the building, with their concave
sides uppermost to catch the rain; the
edges of these are covered with another
row with the convex side outwards, and
thus the roof is rendered perfectly water,
tight. Should the householder be lucky
enough to own the land surrounding his
domicile, a bamboo palisade forms his best
protection against intruders, whetherQuad-
ruped or biped. Does he want to bring the
waters of the neighboring river into his
service for domestic purposes-in the hol-
low stems of the bamboo he has pipes ready
to his hand; pipes easily converted into
cutters and spouts, to get rid Of the water
he does not want. Then, inside this bam-
boo house will be found chairs to sit upon,
benches to recllne upon, mattresses to lie
upon, pillows to rest the head upon, and
mats to put the feet upon, all and each of
the same material as the tube through
which their owner inhales the fragrant
weed at home, and the cane he leans upon,
as he takes his walks abroad, with bam-
boo basket on his arm, bamboo hat upon
his head, and possibly bamboo splints athis
finger ends to protect his long uncut nails.
The tea-crops of the inland districts of
China find their way to the seaports upon
the shoulders of the coolies. Two strong
bamboo canes are fastened to the sides of
the load, their ends resting on the shoulders
of the carriers. When the load is too much
for four men, room is made for any addi-
tional number bearers, by joining shorter
bamboos to cross-piece fixed to the ends
of the longer canes. The palanquins of the
mandarins are borne through the streets in
a similar manner, just as sedan-chairs used
to be carried through London thoroughfares
in the days Of our great grandfathers. The
bamboo is applied to trausit-purposes in
many other ways. "The cany wagons light"
of Milton are still used in Cathay the Dyak
propels his light canoe by means of the
bamboo; the river-rafts of the Chinese are
made of nothing else; and give Hindoo
boatbuilder three penny-worth of bamboo,
and he will turn out four-tOn vessel, with
mast and sails complete. isI
The japanese separate the heads of their
corn from the stalks by beating it over a
bamboo grating, which, having a sharp
edge, cuts off the grain at every stroke,
leaving them to fall through the grating to
the ground: or after being thrashed with
bamboo. fail, the grain is sifted through a
bamboo sieve. '...... ..t.... ...,.. ..... ... ..
When about to erect house, the first
proceeding Oh the part of Chinese builder
Is the raising of a strong but light scaffold-
ing of bamboo, and inside this the house is
built up. When a building is to be pulled
down. the bamboo is again called into re-
quisition; the roof having been taken off,
each of the end-walls is attacked by par
ty of coolies, who fix their bamboos as
high up the wall as possible and push
steadily together till it topples over with
loud crash and a smothering DUST This
PROCESS is often performed at lire, in order
to stay the progress OF the destroyer. The
Cantonese possess tire-engine, but for all
that, still press the bamboo into service, the
hose being held over the peoples heads on
long bamboos, and by their agency, carried
quickly to any desired spot. The watch
towers, too. from whence the police discern
the whereabouts of a fire as soon as it breaks
out, are merely skeletons of bamboo.
Lieutenant Colonel Fisher bears witness to
the ingenuity of the Chinese bamboo
workers, and the strength of their work
when done. When a verandah was requir-
ed for an English mess-room, it was some
time before, the bamboo-worker could be
made to comprehend exactly what was
wanted. At last, he was told romake zone
piecey makey walkey topside, makey look
see;" and the verandah soon proved that
this extraordinary specimen of the English
language was Ineligible enough to him.
The Chineseman of letters writes with a
bamboo pen upon paper OF the same mate
rial, the musician extracts sounds sweet to,
the artist is indebted to the same source for
his brushes. ~. . '-. '.'' 7''
Besides serving so many uses in commerce,
industry, and art the bamboo performs its
part warlike operations supplyinglanceA
bows, and those wonderful grotesque Shields,
with which the braves of the Celestial En-
pire seek to frightep their foes. The earliest
attempt in the way Of cannon on the part of
the Chinese was a weapon of bamboo. In
the war OF '5S, one Of our sepoy, regiments
was startled, BY tremendous shower Of
rockets falling into their encampment at
night, and Killing a -conmissariat Sheep.
Next morning, a party ~ was despatched
across the creek in search Of the battery,
and succeeded in capturing number, Of
novel machines, consisting of stout bamboos
lasbed together, which had evidently been
used for the discharge of the rockets that,
had CAUSED such commotion among the
guardians of the government stores. The,
bamboo did good Service on our side in the
hands of the coolies, acting as land-tran-
sport corps, and earned them the popular
designation ofthe. Bamboo Rifles y While,
on the other hand, its employment in the
shape ofstakes driven deep in the mud before
the forts OF Taku, cost England the lives, Of
many brave men, and entailed an eXpe14
siVe campaign to oblterate the memory Of
an untiniely disaster.