Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-05
"CHINA AND THE CHINEsE.,'
DR.. KeiIeyss Lecture.

certain ne cOulQ nOG give LnC Gals Ot ulS
marriage, and be felt sure that he don't
know the ages of his children.
3 The first thing which impresseS stran-
ger visiting China, is the peculiar manner
in which the houses are constructed. They
are usually made of brick, with frame
work inside; and those of the better class
are paved with marble.
A ChiDaman never drinks cold water. Ii
be cannot get tea, he takes hot water. Next
to the houses and farms in China, the very
large number of boats to be seen strikes the
visitor. Many families live entirely on
these boats, and the women make their
living by raising chickens, the coops being
placed all over the boat. The nearest thing
to a forest to be seen within
hundred miles of the sea coast is the
masts of these boats. A Chinanian never
uses wood or coal for fuel. When the
weather gets cold he puts on an additional
coat, and he answers your questions as to
the weather by saying that it is "four coats
cold," or "fVe coats cold" Clothing sup
plies the place of fuel. As for cooking,
they bake nothing-all their food being
either boiled or fried. They have no bread,
and no word in the LANGUAGE which CORE
spends to the word "bread." The place of
bread is supplied chiefly by rice, and rice
straw, wheat straw, cotton stalks and
coarse sort Of grass serves them as fuel.
The process by which the foot of Chi
nese lady is made so small is very painful
one. They begin to cramp and bind the
foot when she is baby. The little toes
are first turned under and securely bounc;
then the heel bone is forced under the foot,
and lastly, the big toe. The
PROCESS IS so PAINFUL
that the child cries constantly until she is
about five years of age, up to which time
you never see female child that she does
not have tears in her eyes.
The favorite mode of travelling in China,
is with Sedan chairs. These are borne on
poles, by two coolies, and is an easy way Of
moving about. You can hire aSedan chair
and two coolies for twenty-five cents day.
They are to be hired at livery stables, as
horses are in this country. Of course, if
you are going on journey, it will be nec'
essary for you to procure relays, but for
moving about the city two coolies are quite
sufficient, They will travel at the rate Of
four or five miles an hour, snd they always
have the right of way, all persons travelling
on foot being required to get out of
The way fol these Sedan chairs. As
the streets are usually very narrow, this
is 3 great advantage when a person IS in a
hurry. In the city of Shanghai there is bu.
one street that IS ten feet wide, and the
streets there are constantly crowded, for
the city contains population of 100000
people, yet when Sedan chair approaches,
the co0lie in front calls out "Chair coming;
take care of your bodiesl chair coming;
take care of your bodiesi" and instantly
room is made for it to pass.
You go into a dining saloon in China
and get good, hearty meal, and you are
charged about three-fourths of a cent, but
the dinner will be made up of but one ar
ticle. Cinnamon dom. believe in eating of
more than one dish at once.
Every literary character wears spactacles,
even though he be young boy. Litera-
ture establishes the grades of society in
China. Ii you are an " a. B." or sn +" A.
NJ" you are just as good as any other " A.
B." or " A. H." and good deal better
than the man who has not taken those de-
grees, or at least degrees which correspond
to these degrees in this country.
YOU DON'T KISS
anybody in China, and people there do
not shake hands with each other. Their
salutations are made by bowing, and each
person shaking bis own hands. The lee
turer witnessed a meeting between a
mother and son who had been separated for
three years, and they only bowed to
each other, and shock their own hands.
Every young man has master who
teaches him manners, and how to receive
and part from guest; also how to talk to
that guest during the first fifteen minutes
of his stay, when the conversation Is of the
most formal character, the host speaking of
his own house and his own affairs in the
most contemp.ous terms, while at the same
time he refers to your house and your af-
fairs in words Of great praise. In this con-
nectiOn, the lecturer described, in minute
and entertaining manner, a formal dinner
by a Chinaman of the better class.
CHINESE MARRIAGES
are brought about by an old go between,
who is an old woman, of course. She
knows two families, one of whom has a
boy, and the other girl, and she introduces
the thing by going first to one family and
then the other. Finally an arrangement is
made by which the boy agrees to pay to
to keep the girl for him until she is eighteen
or twenty years of age. This sum of
money may range from one hundred to one
thousand dollars. Ths girl has only to ask
one question as to her proposed husband,
and that is 'sHas he fine, flowing que?"
He, on his part, also asks but one, and that
is "Has she small feet?" They do not see
each other until after they are married.
When the lime for the marriage comes
the young man notifies the family of the
young lady that be is ready to take her for
his wife, in this way: He sends her a
basket containing perfumery, various kinds
of prese rVes and other things, and the hook
of ham. She calls her young lady friends
about her, divides with them the contents
of the basket Wita The exception of the
hook of ham, which she keeps for herself.
She then returns the basket to the young
man, filed with articles similar to those
she received, TO signify that she is ready
to be married.
THE YOUNG LADIES
remain with her to cry. The young man
then prepares the wedding clothes, for he
has to provide not only his, but the brides
also. A blue ribbon is fastened 10 the right
side of bis robe and the left of hers, aud on
the day before the marriage her clothes are
sent home. The marriage always takes
place at bis house, and he remains at home
until the bride is sent there. A procession
Of several setan chairs is formed, one of
which is lined with red cloth and is richly
embroidered. This oGe is intended for the
bride, and in this she is taken TO tina house
of her future husband, who always runs
and hides when the procession is seen ap-
Hei is hunted up and brought
to his bride. The essential part of the
ceremony consists in tying these blue rib
boDs, one on bis robe, and one on hers, to-
gether. The,bride is taken into room and
seated on the edge of the bed, when her
husband is brought in and is told lie can
raise her vail, which he does, and sees the
face Of his bride for he first time. A grand
FEAST is then given, music, in which the
chief singer gives sort of recitation, be-
ing also furnished as an additional attrac-
ion.