The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-06
CHINESE CUSTOMS.

The Food of the Chinese-Sma1I Feet In
Women.
The following are extracts from Rev. Mr.. Doc
Titles work on China, just published by the
Harpers.
The Chinese at Fuhchau live principally on
rice, fish, and vegetables. They never use bread
at their meals as people do in western lands
wheat Hour Is USED Tor making various klnus OF
luncheon and cakes The most common meats
are pork, the flesh of the mountain goat, aud the
flesh OF the domesticated buffalo or water-ox,
and the COW, ducks, geese, chickens, and fish
from salt water and fresh water. There Is never
any veal OF mutton in the market.
They never salt down beef or pork. tuhchau
bacon and hams are celebrated In Eastern and
Southern ASIA. II is considered hardship and
a mark of excessive poverty to eat potatoes,
except as a luncheon. Immense quantities OF
the eweet potatoes are grated into coarse slips
and dried in the sun, for use as food among the
poor in case rice cannot be procured. This
dried potato is called potsto-rice. Oysters
abound In the winter, and are very cheap, the
usual price of clear oysters being between five
and six cents per pound Shrimps, crabs, and
clans are plentiful. Little wild game can be
obtained at any season OF the year. In the
winter, pheasants, ia small numbers are brought
from the country 70 sell, having been shot or
entrapped upon the hills.
The Chinese at their meals usually have
several small dlshes, fish, etc, prepared, besides
a large quantity OF oofed or steamed rice in
vessel by itself. Each person helps himself to
the rice, putting tonne, means Oh n laule OF
large spoon, into bowl. The bowl, held in the
lett hand, is brought near the chin, whence, by
the use OF pair OF chop-sticks, taken between
the thumb and fore and middle fingers, the rice
is shovelled or pushed into the mouth from time
to time. Whenever any vegetable or fish, ETC.,
is desired, a morscl is taken, by deXterous use
of the chop-stlcks, rom the common dish which
contains the article aud conveyed to the mouth.
The chopsticks are not used separately, one In
each hand, as many suppose. An esrthen spoon
is sometimes used to dip out the gravy or liquor
from the dish OF vegetables or fish, but knives
and forks are never used at meal time.
The common beverage OF the Chinese is
weak decocton OF black tea. According to
common fame, thev never use green tea. At
Fuhchau, the use OF cold water as drink is re-
garded by the natives as decidedly unhealthy,
and most would pr fer to thirst Tor u long time
rather than drink it, though they might venture
to rinse their mouth or wet their lips with
water. A drink OF hot or warm water would be
greatly preferred to q drink of cold water. The
poorest of the poor must have their tea regard
ing it not so much luxury as necessity. They
never use milk or sugar, but always take it
clear, and, if convenient, as hot as they can
drink 1t. They prepare 1T, not by sleeping, but
by pouring boiling water, or water which has
boiled, upon the Tea, letting it stand few
minutes, usually covered over. 1t Is considered
essential on receiving call from friend or
stranger to offer Lim some hot tea as soon after
he enters as possible, and usually he is also
invited to smoke Whit OF tobacco. Unless the
tea should be forthcoming the host would be
regarded as destitute OF good manners, and un-
accustomed to the usages of polite society.
SMALL FEET.
The feet of girls, usually, when about five or
six years OF age, are compressed by bandaging,
to prevent their further growth, and to reduce
them to the form and appearance SO much ad-
mired by the rich and literary people OF China.
For this purpose the foot is extended at the
ankle, the feshy part OF the heel is pressed
dowrwards and forwards, and the entire foot is
carefully wound with long Dandage from the
a. Aha a1rkr ~ ~ khn ox.1 l.nnI
again. 1t will be readily understood that this
process cheeks the circulation Of the blood, and
,retards or entirely prevents the further growth
OF the foot. The smaller toes are naturally, or
rather unnaturally crowded together, and some-
what bent under the foot. The foot is prevented
from spreading out as when the weight of the
body is thrown upon it in a state of freedom.
1t becomes very narrow and tapering to point
at the end of the great toe. The instep becomes
unnaturally prominent, and the 0S cdlCis or
bone which forms the bottom and posterior part
of the heel, is somewhat turned downward. The
foot thus compressed, is placed in short, mar
row shoe, taperin9 to point; and sometimes
block OF wood Is used, 30 supporting the heel
that the body seems to stand on tiptoe, the heel
being from one to two inches higher than the
toes. The heel also extends backwards and up
wards beyond the heel of the shoe, SO that foot
really four or five inches long will stand easily
in and upon shoe only three or three and q
half inches in LEM tn. The ankle remaining
nearly of the natural size, and the 1nstep being
very prominent, the organs Of locomotion pre-
sent TO Western observers very uncouth ap-
pearanCe.
Usually it requires two OF three years, il pro-
perly attended to, Tor the feet to be cramped
into the genteel shape. There is no iron or
wooden shoe used Tor compressing the feet, not
withstandlng the contrary opinion whioh is en-
teriained more or less in Western lands. The
instruments employed are stsips of cloth like
narrow bsndages The foot gradually shrinks
and shIivels up. When the bandages are re-
moved for the sake of washing tae foot or OF
bandaging tighter, the small toes, after months
or years of com preston, are unable to resume
their natural appearance and position, but re-
main cramped up and almost without sensation.
When the process is begun at the proper age,
and the handaging is properly attended to, the
heel sometimes comes down to the ground, or
rather to the level OF the end OF the large toe.
The heel seems under the process of bandaging
to elongate but when the foot is large and
almost tull grown before the COMPRISING of it
down 10 q level with the end of the toe Then a
block is put IN the shoe under the heel so that
the bottom OF the block and the end of the toe
shall be nearly on the same level when the in
diYidUal is standing. Really she walks on her
tptoes and heels. The ankle or instep bulges
outward in 'front.'
The genteel shoe for the bandaged foot is about
three inches on the sole Sometimes the shoes
are even shorter than three English inches. The
toes aud the heels are thrust as mucn possible
into the shoe, and the shoe is then fastened upon
the rest of the foot, leaving the bottom portion
Of the shoe visible. The upper part of the foot
| is always much larger than the shoe, and being
bandaged about with cloth, the whole has the
appearance OF q clubtoot. The toes and the
part of the foot IN the shoe have more or less
| cloth, or strips OF cloth, wrapped around them.
| 1t is manifest that no stockings can be worn by
the ladies who sport such small feet as have
| been described.
THE onerat1on Of handaping is necessarily very