Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-28

chanting some kind Of invocation all the
while; but this Is more 70 conciliate the
devils than to propitiate joss like the
offerings OF the copperheads OF Ohio, more
to ccnciliate the rebel devils than to propiti-
ate government and lawl. But these demon
strations are sometimes interesting, and are
always clamorous. Indeed, my interpreter
twho is Christian, tells me that nearly ali
the Chinese worship Is 20 keep ON the rsga
SIDE of the dtriis as for Joss they think he
can take care OF himself, and miH do tkela no
harm.
Many Of the private residencesare slagni-
ficent and spacious. The architecture is
generally heavy and massive, not 50 cheerful
and elegant as with us. They abound in
outer verandahs and little courts ard various
arcades that seem TO take up the room with
out contributing to convenience. But the
! aim is to secure GOODNESS under tn summer
| heat They are cmbowered in dense foliage
and shade, and present a delightful appear
ance, as the slrubbery remains green and
blooming throughout the wear.
The household work is all done BY Chr
nese men, (coolies, cooking, Washing IRON
ing, sweeping, Sc. II is a rather singular
sight to see solemn looking Chinaman sit
ting at work in lady's room, mending her
stockings and making her petticoats and 80
forth But 80 it is. The China women are
really useless institutions in European
circles. They are, however, employed as
nurses 10 children, and are called sAmars"
or mothers. China women are never ena-
ployed in household work among foreigners.
The men pick 1t up very readily. The table
servants are particularly apt in their duties.
AT our hotel table, all the languages OF
christendom are sometimes spoken at once,
and the Chinese waiter understands none OF
them, yet he manages to supply all calls
very promptly. Near me German asks
for "wasser,' Frenchman opposite calls for
eau Spaniard on the other side OF me
wants aqua" and want water" and all
are served with water by waiter who I'M
derstands the language Of neither.
Sometimes, however, laughable mistakes
occur, for instance; few days since called
for beef-steak, and the waiter brought me
tooth-picks
The Chinese are the most clamorous peo-
pleo the face Of the globe-their whisper
| is equivalent to Camanche's yell, and their
common street conversation is equal to the
shrieking of 10 many locomotives. At sun
set, when she streets are thronged by thous-
ands OF these ceiestiais, the uproar SOUNDS
IKE some popular outbreak; ont on running
70 the WihaoW 70 see .he row. eehoio IL Is
only .ne eninese saiutatiohs ana greeuhgs.
= III III De true, as some one mas saiu, ina.
when the sun goes GOWN All Airica uances,
IL is equalIy true that al sunset az Chssd
cfdaaors! but tney are very peaceiui IN thelr
manners among themselves. In popuia-
tion so crowded as they are, at nome ngnts
and brawis would be continual. But the
Chpese entFd among themselves and pack
together with degree OF density such as our
most crowded ciiy streets never conceived,
ana yet All are yleiaing ana peaceful
iheir aomesiie aiiecIion seems unooundeo-
toward ehiiahood and oid age there Is
notmng pat tenderness SHOWN seldom Is a
child heard 70 cry.
Ihe Island Of Hong-hong Is about sixteen
miles long, ana about seven miles proaa-
Inc arm OF tne sea separating nong- hohg
Island rom lne mainland Is ABOUT as VIDE
as the onio hiyer, a. high wafer, between
Oihcihhau anu Sosihg'on. lhueeu, .ne
winaing, Peaceiii enahhe. lying opposi'e
the eity mere, nileo WIN SHIPS ana steamers
and the shore beyond backed py towering
NILS not unirequenly fenhne me q Clhelh,
nan, tne sievee, the river, eoSihglon, ana
the highianas peyono-
The masts Of the msn-of-war here are
someirhat more lofty, however, than the spars
! seen from the Cincinnati levee. And truly
i think the most beautiful scene ofiiumina-
ton ever beheid anywhere, I,behold here
every evening" The terrace of our versn-
tlah looks full out upon and over the whole
harbor--that is over the whole channel,
/ which is occupied by shipping riding at an
chor some distance from each other, and
never close in upon the shore; all this in
order to avoid collision from storms and
change of tide. Each ship is required, at
six o'clock {dark) to show three lights. red,
white and green, one on each side and one
aloft; as dark approaches these lights begin
to glimmer. About half past six o'clock we
set down to dinner; We are usually about an
hour at the table, but return, having dined,
i to our yerandah about eight o'clock. Then
we go out and sit on our arm chairs, smoke
our manila and enjoy the beauty of the won-
derful scene. The lights of the shipping
are now all in full glow, and you can inn
agine, perhaps, the splendor shed over the
harbor by the triple lights of four hundred
ships. extending from the two points Of the
harbor full four miles in extent, and which
are four miles of illumination and tie whole
reflected again from the calm surface Of the
water, duplicating themselves therein. Be
hind all this splendor rise the huge, bare
and dark mountain of Kanloon, las the OPP
posite coast of the mainland is called, form
ing grand and sombre background to this
magnificent panorama OF night.
While thus Illuminated all is silence and
stiffness on the whole harbor; the moment
the hands of the city clock point TO eight
lightning-lixe fash spreads athwart the hori-
zon, and immediately thereafter comes the
heavy boom" Of the eight o'clock gan from
the battery ON the shore, which il echoed
and re-echoed like the reverbration Of roll
ing thunder, from Victoria Peak and Kan
loon Mountains opposite, sounding much as
though the whole battery had fired in sue
eessiye shots. The ships-of-Sar respond in
laundering guns, and at the same instant
every vessel rings her bell for "eight teIis,n
the setting of the watch. When one minute
before, all was stiffness, now all Is firing of
guns and ringing Of beIls--a most fit accom-
paniment Of the illumination that is she'd
ding It's splendors around At first after my
arrival here, whenythus looking and listen
ing TO all this, l could scarcely refrain from
fancying that the telegraph had brought
some glosious news" that Richmond was
taken,p that Lee had surrendered !" Bat
sober reflection soon led me TO consider that
oceans are between me and teiegraphs. But,
Independent Of any associated thought, the
scene is nevertheless indescribably beautiful
and grand. And this Is repeated every