The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-30
THE LADIES AND PALANQUINs OF CHINA.

THE LADIES AND PiLANQUINS OF CHINA.
Woman in China is in an anomalous con-
dition. She is regarded simply as of no ac-
count. Though, in view of the multitudinous
population of these regions, don't exactly
see how they could well get along without
them. Still, women are not ill used by their
"lords and masters" The latter, to all APP
pearances simply give them "terrible
letting alone" l have never witnessed the
slightest act of gallantry shown by China
man towards Chinawoman nor have l
ever seen the slightest abuse of them. The
little footed" woman are simply objects OF
pity in my mind They are voluntary Grip
pies 1t is merely a mark of aristocracy OF
breeding. Rich men will never marry
large footed woman. And yet the same men
condemn the practice of COMPRISING the
feet. But, if the Chinese err in COMPRISING
the foot, they are certainly guiltless of such
improperly as to the waist. Women IN
China have no waists; they are actually
formless. Their style of dress utterly con-
ceales every line of the figure. Their dress
is system of sacks and bags-sacks tor the
body, bags for the limbs.
They dress very richly; but never in varie
gated colors: hence, calico is unknown in
China as material for dress. The trowsers,
voluminous as you know, may be of a color
different from the coat, which they call
shirt but the same garment has never but
one color The hair is dressed in the most
exaggerated manner conceivable. I have
seen it stuck out at the back of the head full
ten inches from the scalp. They spend
hours in its arrangement, and they have won
lerfully luxurant suits of hair. l have seen
them. when the hair was down, stand erect
with their heels upon the hair. In order to
make it keep its place when fully dressed,
instead of resorting to "rats," mice" and
"such small deer" they use kind of gum,
wood used by carpenters. They are ex-
travagantly fond of parading their umbrellas;
I often see Chinese women walking together
in beautiful starlight evenings with umbrel-
las at full spread! They are blessed with
entire exemption from the wearing of bon
nets. Their only head covering is a gay
Madras handkerchief, which they frequently
embroitler very deliberately for this purpose.
They are. in common with their sex every
where, fond of jewelry, but it must be none
of your gold nonsense" nothing meaner
than pure porcelain, or yade stone will suf-
fee for celestial tastes. Glass is admissible
if it be a particularly bright green. The
Chinese are exceedingly modest in their
manners, and perfectly so in their dress. In
the heat of the summer laboring men fire.
quently GO almost utterly naked, but l never
saw China woman, even of the laboring
classes make the slightest exposure of person
even under the most oppressive heat. The
women are generally very ignorant, it is not
considered needful for them to learn to read
or write; hence but few can write their
names, or read at all.
There is one peculiar institution" here
that ladies delight IN, and which I am sure
you would be pleased with: i. e. the palan-
quin, pronounced, as l n01o learn, "pal-an-
keen accent on last syllable.) Ladies are
uniformly delighted with this mode of To-
comotion; for in their palanquins the dear
creatures are literally transported. The idea
of being carried about on the shoulders of
men seems to have, with them, a peculiar
fascination that h0rsehesh CAN by no means
produce Ladies' palanquins are handsome
" covered with broadcloth richly embroider-
ed, and on the inside are elegantly draped
with damask and lace, and fitted with nova
BILE blinds and shades, so that the fair oc-
cupants may ride out en- mds9ue if so desir-
ing and their characteristic curiosity still be
gratited by seeing all without, themselves
remaining unseen. If two ladies ride out to.
side bv side, and thus move along in CONVEX
sat,on as easily as if sitting in the same car
rage seat, and more so, as the moving carri-
age is noisy, the palanquin is noiseless. Do
you wish to go shopping or calling, your
coolies will bring your palanquin mp stairs
to your dressing room door, if so directed;
will take you up and carry you up stairs,
down stairs, or in my lady's chamber" bear
you from shop to shop, or into the hall or
drawing room of your friends house, Or to
the housetop, if so ordered; Il thing some
what difficult for a carriage to achieve. You
make your call long or short, as you please,
one-half, an hour or one-half day, no diff
ference, your driver never becomes impatient,
your team never grows FESTIVE. On your
summons or approach, they come without
calling, take you upon their stalwart shout
ders, shielded from the sun by their enormous
hats -four feet across the brim,) and if you
are in haste you have only to say fcht-ee
and away they lope at five miles an hour. Is
the road clean, quiet and cool, shaded by
over-arching trees and inviting to walk,
YOU have only to say "man-man," and your
continently walk OFF upon the level ground :;
no slippery carriage steps to descend, no
muddy nor moving wheels to climb over or
10 1aII lTOul LUZ COOlltS Qalelly 1OllOW
your steps till, having exercised on foot long
enough, you halt, and Immediately your
palanquin is at your side, you quietly step
in and on you 60 with nothing to do but
simply to enjoy moving through the air like
a bird, without the trouble of flying. You
have no driving to do, no collisions to guard
against, no breaking down, turning over nor
running away to be fearful Of Your team
is never to be hitched, never frightened at
firing squibs or flying kites, never shy, nor
kick, nor bauIl1, and are apparently incapa-
BILE of being tired out; the brides never
slip off, the lines never become tangled, the
breeching never breaks! And it must be
confessed that these palanquins, though
seemingly "sulky," have marvellous adapta-
tions for flirtations, (perhaps the secret of
their popularity y for when riding out, your
husband, friend, lover, " or any other man "
whom you permit, may accompany on foot,
on horseback, or in another palanquin, and
hold as cozy tete-e-tete as need be desired
All this for twenty cents an hour-no extra
charge for husband Or lover. He is hove
in"
"Van," the excellent correspondent of the
Springfield (Mass) Republican, says in one of
his late letters from Washington to that pa
per
UIt ia On du1l here now that Won will mar.