The Portland daily press., 1874-08-26
Chinese Indifference to Death.

The Chinese are almost Indifferent to the
phenomenon OF dissolution, and frequently
compass their own end when life becomes
wearsome. A wife sometimes elects to fol-
low her husband on the starlit road of death.
and parents will destroy their offspring in
times of famine and great distress rather than
allow them to suffer. Still more remarkable
is the custom of selling their lives in order
that they may purchase the superior advan-
tages of obsequies, which are considered to
insure the body in safety for future resurrec-
ton. A wealthy man condemned to death
will arrange with his jailor to buy him sub
stitute for certain sum of money, to be spent
upon the poor wretch's interment and the
preservation Of his body. Should he have
parents, so much is usually paid to them in
compensation for their sons life. Cinnamon
invariably help to support their parents. Fill
ial respecta and devotion is the great Chinese
virtue and religious precept, in which they
rarely fail.
Regarding death as inevitable, he makes
the best of bad bargain, and cunningly and
comically gets paid for dying. The wholesal
destruction of life in this country Is greatly
the result of indifference. Hence the massa-
ere of Europeans, so terrible to us, seems TO
them a matter of little moment. and they
cannot comprehend why we should make a
fuss about it. They regard our indignant
protestations very much as we regard our iIate
neighbor whose dog we had shot. "Wel,
well, be pacified; if it was such a favorite
am sorry, but it is only dog and there are
plenty more. How much do you want to be
paid for tP' ''You English think so much
of life,'' argues the Chinese; "Have you not
plenty of people at hOmew Death in China
is awarded as the punishment for the most
trivial oflenses, and frequently for none at all,
being in somebody's way.
A s3ory was told me as fact, that during
Al. q 81 41..ft
was committed of chain or watch belonging
to the royal guest. The unfortunate attend
aut was caught with the property upon him,
and, without further ceremony, his head was
chopped off. The mandarin in attendance
| Immediately announced the tidlngs to the
| Prime as a delicate attention, showing how
| devoted he was in his service. To his aston
| ishment, the Prince expressed his great re-
| eret that the mans head had been taken of.
| "Your Hghness," cried the obsequous man
j DARN, bowling to the ground, lit shall be i'm
| mediately putlon again r so little did he un-
| derstand that the regret was for the lite taken,
/ and not the severed head. In times of insur-
| recti IN or famine, the moving down of hui
! man life is like cornstalks at harvest time, ap-
/ palng to European ideas.
| [ must confess to a nervous shuddering
| when L stood upon the execution ground of
| Canton-a narrow lane, or Potter's Field
| where so many hundreds had been butchered
| per day during weeks together, the exeeu-
toner requiring the aid of two smiths TO
sharpen his swords, for many of the wretch
ed victims were not allowed to be destroyed
| at one fell swoop, but scntencedt to be 'haekeu
to pieces,n by twenty to fifty blows. was
informed by a European who had travelled
much, and seen most of the frishtiul side OF
lie, that witnessing Chinese executions was
more than his iron nerves cou.d stand; and
in some of the details which he was narrauns
I was obliged to beg him to desist. And y. I
he said there was nothing solemn ABOUT II,
and the spectators looked on amused. IL was
the horrible and the grotesque combined
Temple Bar.