The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-07-13

The New York Observer furnishes
an interesting chapter on the food Sof
the Chinese Tho readers of it will
crafty curiosity, without exciting envy,

crafty curiosity, without exciting envy
| Ode Of the most curious, but not tho
most agreeable parts, Of q traveller = ;ex.
perienee 10 going around tho world, is
to be- found in the great diversity oil
manners aud customs in regard to eat
ing and drinking. Que can accommodate
himself readily to many / new oircum
stances in which he 6nds himself GU
stepping into anew country, but he can
not always make his taste agree with
the tastes Of the people among whom he
is thrown. Happily iu this age Of the
world he finds solno Of tho staples or life
much the same the world over, SO that
he is not obliged practically to put tho
most fastidious of the sense to the strong
test which it had to endure, when
Travelling, as one Of the fine arts, was
more in its infancy bnt no can still in
dulge in observation and speculation to
his hearts content.
The Chinese from time immemorial,
at loast from the days when we studied
the pictorial geography, have been cell
ebrated for the range Of their animal
/ 0tCOS duu IOl cOIuO Vi tuS vi ltlG
which are peculiar to tho celestial king.
dom. To begin with the first course,
soup. All the world knows that in
China they have delicacy which has
not reached other parts, in birds nest
soup. One of my first inquiries, as got
into the streets of Canton, was after this
commodity, or the nests from which it
is made, and / was taken into fine shop,
fitted up il a costly manner, where it
was the only article sold. Birds nest
arc great luxury in China, being
They are sold at prices graduated ac-
cording to the quality Of tho article,
none of any value bringing less price
than their weight in silver, aud some
bringing almost their weight iu gold.
Nests are sold high as $50 or $40
pound.
Tho nests are simply mass of pure
gelatine, secreted iu some way by spc..
cies Of swallow, and deposited against
wal, just as the swallows in our coun>
try stick nest OF mud against beam.
Some naturalists maintain that the
gelatine is formed from sort of sea-
foam which the swallow gathers, and is
exuded from the mouth of the bird. It
closely resembles the gelatine which is
known by the name of isinglass, and the
purer, sort is almost Transparent. There
is nothing rcpulsive in its appearance,
and its origin is just as honorable and
commendatory as that from which our
jellIes are made at home am disposed
to think, more so. The nests como
chiefly from the island of Java, where
they are obtained With great labor and
often at much peril, from deep caves
along the cost. Some of these caves on
the southern coast of tho island are ap
preached only by perpendicular de-
scent Of great depth, by means Of lad
ders, the raging Of the sea below pre-
venting all approach from the water
When collected they are assorted into
different grades, these which have been
occupied by the birds bringing the
highest price and the other grades at
prices according to cleanliness and
quality. I have put ono of the lower
grade, but 6ne specimen of the nest,
into my trunk, / mean my baggage
and presume it will bo one ofth earliest |
importations iuto America.
The Chinese do not have as great |
variety of animal food as the Western
nations, but they make use of some all
imals which most nations reject. / iud
great diversity in the testimony oil
travellers aud residents in regard to the
use Of "rats. cats and puppies" some OF
the latter, I mean the residents,) stout
ly affirming that they are not used at
all, or if so, only in cases Of extremity
where nothing else in tho shape of food
can be obtained. But have seen all
these animals exposed for sale in the
markets Of Cuuton, in the very heart Of
the city.
struggling to escape, while the dead
specimens hanging around him awaited
their destiny with moro composure.-|
There is no moro reason for denying
that such animals are regularly sold in
the markets Of Canton for food, than that
beef and mutton are sold in tho markets
of Yew York. Aud yet, it is neverhc.
less true, shat the mass Of the people DO
not use them for food. Their use is
confined to those who arc unable to
obtain flesh meat that is more expensive.
Another staple in the limo Of fanimal
food is pork. Chinese pigs are cclcbra-
ted tho world over for their excellent
quality, and, as well as Shanghai chick
ems. have long been imported into
America. They arc raised with great
care as carefully, if not moro so, than
the children. They are often kept in
little cages in the shops aud houses
where they receive every attention and
arc fed with the choicest food, instead
of living on what is thrown away. And
a very quiet and well behaved race they
are. They are carricd about the streets
in baskets just largo enough fmihnm to
be slipped into with their legs folded,
and in this state are laid away at the
markots aud other places, but do not
remember ever to have heard in China
a single note Of that dulcet music which
is their peculiar forte in otLer parts Of
the world. Perhaps it is out of graft
l. ,..k II,