Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-28

we found ltall 70 be true afterWard.
A moon-faced, almond-eyCd young fell
low-there are two hundred millions
Of other young fellows in that country
\ who answer to Observation-Disclosures
whose name / have forgotten, but
whom / know to keep a shop where
very good portraits are painted, So
lieits your patronage. Sandry shoe
makers and others are equally in the
way, for you are I'm q hurry to
be on terra firma. We embark in a
soa-pdu boat for the shore; our craft
is probably thirty feet long; abaft we
have cushioned seats and canopy over
head; fol ward it is decked, with hatch
ways or scuttIes with covers fitted.
1t has also a mast, and Chinese
fashioned sails. The crew consists of
five grown persons and sundry chill
| dren, who We're born and raised thus
far afioat, as were their parents before
them. The head of the concern is q
woman, who takes the fares andgene-
rally manages the boat. As soon as
you are aboard she hoists the baby
they dltcdgS have a babylon her back
and places him in a kind of nest like
the straps of a soldiers knapSack,
which she tightens up in front and
secures by tying a knot. She pulls
the after, or stroke Oar-the other oars,
four in number, are pulled by men.
The boat is steered by a five-year-O old
| chap, whilst the fellow who is inter-
mediate between the steersman aud
the one aback is mOOred to the mast
by a string about his waist-or, in
stead of being tethered to the mast,
he is permitted to roll about the deck,
having a couple of gOurds fastened to
his back tn prevent ais sinking in case
he should fall overheard. Under the
deck is kept all the property this
family owns; there they nave pro-
visions and apparatus for cooking, in
fact they are at home. You are
landed for ten cents. The regular
charge, per G0y, for a ive-oared boat,
is seventy-fve cents! We land in a
few minutes on the wharf and meet
another noisy, enterprising crowd
seeking employment. Fifty or more
sedan chairs 1.-THE word "sedan " is
not used in referring to these convey
ances, they are simply called
" chairs ~, are backed up, piled up,
and jammed up, with the hope OF
getting a fare. You select a fellow
and get in, and IN an instant the two
bearers hoist the shafts on their
shoulders and stride away at a pace
truly marVelous-nOt less than four
and a half UileS per hour on good
ground. Whilst we are under way
we will describe this vehicle. The
shafts areabOut twelvefee long, made
| of light, tough wood. The chair is 3
square bOx-shaped seat, with sides,
back and bottom. The shafts are
fastened to the outside of the chair
and flush with the arms. The ends
of the shafts are bent together to fit
on the mans shoulders, and held to
their places by cross pieces Of wood.
They have light waterproof tops,
with shades all around TO keep off
sun and rain. -
Up Queens road we go at a spank
ing pace to the Hong Kong Hotel.
The swinging, jumping motion of the
chair is at first somewhat ~disagreeable,
but after a little experience no incon-
venienee is felt. The hotel is about
as large as our "Peabody," and much
better arranged for the comfort of the
guests. Wide verandahs extend
around the four sides Of the house,
whilst two wide halls interseet each
other in the center, dividing the build
ing into four grand divisions-an ar
rangement which people living in our
hot climate seemto ignbre entirely,
preferring to follow plans Of buildings
furnished at secondhand by architects
ifom the North, which are about IS
much out of place here as the Hong
Kong Hotel would be in Quebec.
There are two more excellent hotels,
where the fare was much better, but
the rooms less cOmmOdiOus. AT this
hotel we locate at $50 per month, and
heneefOrth we will tell of things IS
they cOme up in our memory.
[ forgot to mention at the proper
place that the fare from San Francisco
to Hong Kong is $500, gold, first cabin;
500 geld, second class; S45 gold for
Chinese. q
After getting Iocat; d ut the hotel,
the first thing WIS TO get my drafts
or the Oriental Bank corporation ac-
copied. This bank occupies, 1 think,
the handsomest building on Queens
road. 1t is about fifty feet front and
probably 100 or 125 deep, with elegant
and tasteful verandahs in front, and
flower garden in rear. On entering
the bank you are astouished at the
quiet which prevails-no rushing or
hurrying, mott cuStOIaerSR sight On
the right of the entrance half a dozen
European (this term European p
means in the East all who are not
Chinese or Portuguese clerks are quiz
city working at their desks, one of
whom informed me that the manager
would be found on the same side of
the building in the rear. This per-
sonage YVES found at his desk quietly
going over papers and enjoying the
breeze made by the punkn, an institu-
ton we will describe hereafter. /
found him a polite, aEable gentleman,
who readily n pOndcd d to the demands
of the Bank of California. i pro-
pose to oDen an account, which was
agreed to, but l was informed that my
book would be semitic my lodgings the
merit dag. Slow people, these, thought
1; but still, in Rome we must do as
the Romans do. 1t may be that there
are some who may imagine that /
have been dealing with a Chinaman!
Bless your soul, no. This is the
branch of a great london bank, and
the manager IS business man train / |
at the very center of the worlds COM
meree. But the bank employs Chi
nose. On the opposite side of the
building, surrounded by piles Of dol
lars, c~ontainC1 in sacks made of
matting-$1OO0 in a saek-is
the c~omDruder, who, with his
IS busily engaged with
the cash. as o comprader is
to be found in every business house,
and it is deemed impossible to get !
along without him, it may be inter-
to know what he is. He is a
shreWd Ghiuaman, who is
ready to do you, and is little likely to
be done, es any person you will find
in a years traVeEouHe gets q fixed
of no great amOunt, depending
perquisites and chances princi-
patly for his emoluments. He exc
cutes q sufficient bond to his employer
as security against loss by d~efalcation,
and he is not allowed to have more
money in his hands than his security
amounts TO. All moneys paid in to |
the bank or house go to the eompra-
der, who likewise makes all pay
You takea check to book
keeper, who Endorses it "pay,n and
you pass over to theicomprador; now /,
Is his chance to make an honest (2E
penny, for he knows you to be ver-
liant, or you would not come to col
leet a check in person. You are in
want of only a small amount and he
Ut once turns out lot of Carolus dol
lars which have been chopped and !
until they'are PROBABLY not
worth more than eighty cents each. |!
You know no better and take them,
Is. he assures you that they are per. !