Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-08-31

| the end OF it, and the boat owner drops ia
q cash lone tenth of cent-or in lieu
! thereof a gill OF rice. The revenue from
such source must be a considerable one
for Chinaman, and happy is the farmer
who happens to own the mouth of Iazy
rilI
We reached this place, Pix Lok, on Sun
day night. T1e village of Pix Lok is a
+ miserable little place, more poverty -strick-
en- and desolate than any other 1 have Wis
tied IN China. The population is about
| three hundred, and the only branch of in
! dustry which the inhabitants seem to be
engaged IN Is quarrying limestone from the
hill which directly overhangs the town,
| conveying 1t, broken into small pieces, in
squeaking, wooden-axled wheel. barrows,
down the hill side, and across the narrow
plain on which the houses stand and
placing it in little piles, row after row, each
mans product by itself, whence it is taken
up by others and loaded into boats which
| carry it down the riYer-even as far as
4 Canton sometimes-to be burned into lime
! Nov. the first question that will oc-
chr to the American is: "Why don't
these people build kiln and burn
shefT lime a5 home, thus increasing the
T.tsge OF their products fye-foid or more
! tfebling the varieties u labor for them TO
engage in, ard benefting themselves in
many other ways?' I asked this question
almGst as soon as I arrived. Here stepped
in the ''paterpal government" in the shape
Of Mandarin. The Chinanaan to whom I
spoke replied that there was a large lime
kiln here before the war, and that for a
little town, the place was rich and prosper
oug, bat the rebels destroyed the kiln and
/ the greater part Of the town. but why
don't y0u build another kiln, and you
/ will soon be as rich as before" 80,
before a man can build one ne must
/ get q license from the Mandarin to
DO ss, Tor WElca he must pay thousand
dollars, and 40 man or company of men
! here could raise tfat much and then build
! the kiln afterwards" 'sAfter the license is
obtained, how much would it cost ?'
ABOUT one hundred and fifty or two hun
dreti dollars" L will here say con-
fidentially that the Chinese system of gov
eminent and its practical workings and
everything of Chinese institutions seen
from the standpoint of fine, hospitable,
polite Mandarlan's spacious yamun, with
its kind owner ever at your side, and from
the lower ground of such observations as
those [ am now making among the com.
mon people, are totally different things.
Yesterday morning, when we arrived at
tAA6 IOF61J epOt5 NY hF6G liuEJttiS0 was 10
exclaim that We would stay here couple
Of days and make this the end of our Jour
ney. A coolie Was despatched back to the
boat to bring up the cooking utensils and
some provisions, while we explored little
further the handsome valley down which
the stream came winding. The road skirt
ed along the base OF a tall mountain, and
then crossed TIE bright stream dived
through O grove Of bamboes and banYan
trees, coquetted with the bright water
again, then through little farming vii
lage, and under another grove of bamboo,
vines and banyans, over the stream again
and again, while all around lay terrace
above terrace, tiny little rice patches and
peanut gardens. Presently we came be.
tween two little villages a quarter Of a mile
apart, to delicious spot such as the Chi
nese always select fer their wayside shrines.
Two Or three grandfatherly-looking ban
yans stretched their protecting arms out
over level piece Of ground fringed with
the smaller growth which is SO luxuriant
in this country. Making our way into the
center, we found the inevitable, fat, smil-
ing little stone god, fanked and protected
By his granite blocks, looking complacent-
ly down on the earthern pot of half-burnt
jOss-sticks and ashes at his feet. These
ashes had probably been the accumulation
Of years. As we were growing hungry, We
determined to wait here for our cody, in
stead of returning to the bridge for we
knew that he would follow until he found
US. I suggested Gaat boiled egg or two
with some salt would be acceptable at
the moment. Our Yankeeized cook
q returned Californian of fifteen years
experience in the land Of gold--soon
improyised fire by the aid Of some of the
joss-sticks, and snch twigs and sticks as he
could gather up he has lost all respect for
Chinese superstitions and Chinese divini-
ties. Some Of the Chinese, who by this
time had gathered around, seemed slightly
astonished at this movement on the part
Of a man wearing pig-tail, but the facile
All Quong had an answer for every remon-
STRANGE, and made things all right with
them. My chair-bearers had been des-
patched to one OF the villages to borrow
pan and TO buy some eggs. They now re-
turned with the news that they could get
neither. An Quong started off with thu
assurance that he could 'sraise something" 4"
| cautioned him to be very polite, and to
pay well for everything he got, and to buv,.
o cooking utensil, If ne could not borrow
one. He soon returned with two dozen
eggs, and some execrably dirty salt,
but no pan. The villagers were Door, had
none to sell, and were afraid to loan one
lest we should not return it. All Quong's
wits did not desert him. Seeing the pot
Of ashes and joss sticks which the little not
god was contemplating with so much satis-
faction, he was about to empty it's contents
upon the ground, saying, ''I'll have some
thing to bile EN- in," when an old man
who was standing by, interfeTed Ia the
most earnest manner. After a war of
I q 7go{s nd
tons Of the queerest kind, which made me
shout with laughter; the old man said
something TO boy, who darted off and re-
turned in a few minutes with small
| earthe., pot. By the time our eggs were
boiled our cody had come, and we aoon
| made substantial repast.
After dinner we distributed some books
! TO the crowd gathered about las, spent our
tine making friends with them, threw some
''cash" to rhe children, sent the borrowed
pot back, with ten cents for it's use, which
was about foar times its original COST
and had the satisfaction to see that we we're
rapidly growing in public favor. 1t occur
red 10 me that nap in that shady place on
81 bed of hot rice straw would be desira-
BILE appendix TO our dinner. I suggested
some straw for the purpose, but it
appeared that it could not easily be
obtained. We soon, therefore, pursued
our way further up the valley, and re-
| turned after the middle of the after
noon, Hating at this same spot again we
found two beds of sweet. warm rice straw
spread carefully upon the ground. Not .
| Chinaman was near, although hundred
were within sight-at their work Surpris-
ed at this piece Of delicate hospitality, we
| joyfully aYailed ourselves of it; but while
we slept, and when We woke and prepared
/ to leave, no one came near 10 claim any
reward. i foW minutes brought us to our
| bridge, where a delicious bath and 8 sup
| per ended the pleasant day.
| We left the boat early this morning and
returned here. With an occasional short
respite for bath, for meals, or 10 entertain
| some Chinese gentleman, who has come
to see the strange foreigners, have sat
! pen ia hand all day, and this is the result.
Twilight will soon deepen upon us, sup
per is ready, and that despatched, with
! another plunge in this precious pool. We
shall bid farewell TO the hospitabIe