The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-23
Canton and its Population.

A correspondent writes from Canton,
China, AZ follows: As we arrive in front
of the city the famous boat population
presents itself. The river is covered
with boats of many sizes and shapes, and
as we look at them we can readily believe
what is told us, that go, 900 people live
on these boats. The statement is literal,
not fgurative. They are born, they are
reared, they live, they grow to old age.
they die in these boats. So lived their
ancestors, and so will live their descend
ants. Here is a boat rowed by two
women. A child sits in a little conpart-
ment provided for him, or creeps atout
the deck. A cord is around his waist anl
fastened to the boat or q billet of wood,
and as he knows that he cannot receive
any attention, he does not demand it.
The hotel runners that board the steam
er on our arrival are women, and they
carry our baggage without the slightest
intimation that we are wanting in defer
ence to their sex. Of the small boats
on the river, I think at least half are
manned by women, (you see the Joke ,
and sometimes there are whole crews of
them. From the boat population of
Canton comethe men whoserve as sailors
in junks and other craft along the coast,
and a large majority Of the Chinese sea-
men on foreign ships are, doubtless,
from the same source. It is said that
these people are not allowed to live on
shore either at Canton or elsewhere, but
I cannot say if the statement be true or
not. I have inquired of several persons
who ought to know about it, but as no
two tell the same story, the reader may
believe whatever he likes.
The strange sights that greet ones
eyes on shore are so numerous and
varied that a mere list would be hope
less. The streets are so narrow that
carriages are out of the question, and
even the sedan chairs in which We ride
find occasional difficulty in passing other
chairs bound in the opposite direction.
Burdens great and small are carried by
coolies, and some of these burdens are
novel indeed. A coolie carries his load,
or rather his two loads, balanced on a
bamboo pole across his shoulder, and
sometimes a baby in one basket pre-
serves the equilibrium of a quantity of
vegetables in another. Here comes a
man transporting a couple Of live pigs,
each in a case so very small that the
animal cannot move, and possibly cannot,
as he certainly does not, squeal. Boxes
and bags and baskets are thus borne
along, and though the crowd is dense,
nobody is run down; and though our
chair bearers walk at a good pace, they
do not overturn q single pedestrian.
The principal streets are little else than
rows of shops, whose entire fronts are
thrown open to speak a welcome to the
possible visitor. The shops are gayer,
brighter and cleaner than in any other
part of China, and if we enter we are
pretty certain to be received with the
utmost politeness. Silk-weavers are
busy at their looms, and ivory carvers at
their benches; in fact, all the trades Of
Canton seemed to be maintained without
mystery, and we may steal the art of any
one of them, and carry it home with US,
if so disposed. Everybody appears
happy and contented, with the exception
of an occasional beggar, who is gotten
up in a style of wretchedness regardless
of expense. Canton is a veritable kaleido-
scope of sights.