The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-04-21

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more than 10000 mendicants, organized
as corporation, in the same manner as
the Truants Of the Middle Ages. Camp
ing at the very foot of the Imperial Palace,
as 10 a sort of Oour dss Nirqmles, $50 well
described by Victor Hugo they wander
about in the daytime, through the city,
and obtain BY intimidation, and if neces-
sary, by violence. the aims of the passers-
by. All those beggars are, more or less,
afflicted with horrid diseases and to meet
such call on public charity there are only
dozen asylums, greatly deficient in d.
mansions, where few hundred vagabonds
find a common shelter for the night, and at
certain times, small allowance of rice and
Goals. By special provision, old people
get garment in the winter, and a fan in
the summer The public treasury, poor
as it is, and badly administered, can not
do more, while private charity is smoth-
cred by sel6shness and avarice-two ma
tional defects.
Besides the medical volume, there was
at the Exposition a book on the military
art. The French troops at Palikao had
an easy triumph over Chinese tactics, but
although the Government have been able
to ascertain the superiority Of Europeans,
not only when they had to fight against
them, but also when the auxiliary corps,
commanded and organized by foreign off
cers-English, Americans and French
enabled them to subdue the instruction
of the Taipings, and to retake Nankin,-
despite all this, the Chinese Government,
far from following the example Of the
Japanese, their neighbors, have shown
little desire to initiate European discipline !
or armament.
The Chinese have no military tendency;
their institutions, no less than their Gus |
toms and manners, are favorable to the |
occupations of peace. 1t may also be said
that under the present form of government,
the Council of Regency do not feel them
selves strong enough, or sufficiently pre-
pared, to undertake any change in the
army.
We should be left in complete ignorance
Of Chinese artistic genius, were it not for
some very fine specimens of porcelain ware
exhibited, which differ very little from
hose we are accustomed to see in the
Parlsian shop windows. We know that
he manufacture of porcelain is an indigo
lous art in the Celestial Empire. Thef
Emperor Huang-ti, who lived 200 years
,efore our era, introduced, according to the
of Chinese historians, the manu-
acture of earthenware and bricks; that
# faience and porcelain was discovered,
mt it was in the time of the Tsin dynasty
Sd century A. C.), that the ceramic art
ad attained its perfection in that part of
he East, and it may be said of Chinese
orcelain that it has almost historical
alue. The different dynasties which sue
eeded each other on the throne, adopted
nd patronized certain colors, and We may
race out on the paintings of the old vases
be insensible varieties of costumes and
tanners for a space of time extending
yer 10 centuries. Unhappily the archaic
oecimens are very scarce, although there
re some complete collections said to exist
China, which have rot yet been sufi-
ently studied.
The paintings on porcelain give an idea
nothing but the decorative art, as it is
nderstood in China; the painted or en-
roidered screens do not afford any more
formation on the true state of the art of
limiting in that country, and yet, besides
he artists whose rice-paper colored pic !
Tres are so well known in Europe, there
e some painters who have successfully
gagged in landscape or portrait painting, t
1T of these We had nothing at the Expo
ton wherewith to judge of their talent, 1
of the method in which they exercise
leir art.
The manufacture of glass must have :
zen shown to the Chinese by the Mis- !
onaries. Its origin is recent and they !
I've not developed it. In Canton, they t
AXE some thin panes of glass, the main 5
e Of which is to replace the paper on :
e lanterns that are one of the chief Or /
.ments Of their houses. We saw some =,
these lanterns at the Exposition that a
ere very pretty to look at, with their I
Iuare frames of indented wood, their 2
rived open-work. and the long silken
ssels hanging from their sides. They
so employ glass in the manufacture of '
e colored knobs that are screwed on the h
ne-shaped hats of the Mandarins, in '
der to indicate their rank, for the pea v
ok feather is but kind of decoration ,
anted by the sovereign, outside of the b
visions and classes of Mandarinship." \
the houses, the windows are generally {
thout glass-panes, instead of which Y
Ca, or sort of transparent paper is c
ed. !,
We should, before leaving the Chinese j: