Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-05-09
A VERMOyTER's TRIP ROUND THE
WORLD,
Leaves from DIR. Thsyer's journal
From HOng-KOng TO Singapore.

pursued the same course in religion. politics
and business, only slightly modified from time
10 time by the circumstances which have sur
rounded them. With all the influences Of 4
religious, political and moral character which
have been brought TO bear upon them. they are
Cinnamon now ~ they have always been and
always will he whenever seen in any part ol
the world. They are wonderfully >uper~liti"us
believing in the influence of spirits, and the
traditions of their ancestors. They are 10y nt
means 4 universally ignorant people. 4 very
large proportion of them can read and write
sufficiently TO enable them 10 transact the
ordinary business OF life. The higher ranks O
society are most thoroughly educated. They
spend many wears of life in study. and pass
through the most trying examinations; and moi
more than two or three in u thousand ultimately
succeed in gaining admission 10 the Emperor
court and participate III the management O
government affairs. An educational l,alilica-
ton is indispensable 10 the highest rank among
the mobiles. Great wealth gives them the same
kind Of position ~ i acquired by show and
blustcr elsewhere in the world. The Chinese
are not blu>tereT> nor bra"gart>. They are mol
an expressive people. | never know. even,
when they are satisfied with the usage they re-
ceive or compensation made them for services.
They are Il Shrcwd,cunnlng, none y-nl1kln@ peo-
pie. possessed of extraordinary business quail
ties and the most successful bankers in the
world. The Jews, even. have hal Ia yield the
palm 10 them, and have closed their bankin"
and trading establishments IN the open ports.
or have entered into business with them. All
money used in trade and commerce, in pa >>ing
the one way or the other through bank, goes
through the hands OF a thiuaman, and rarely
without some of it sticking to his hands
whether legitimatcly or not matters less with
him than any other man. In NIL the islands bOr-
deTnc the straits of Malacca and. am inform
ed by the pilot of our steamer twhp i AN old
salt and. more than all. an educated mani. in
all the important ports Of Asia there are suc-
ceSsiul Cinnamon connected with the most
profitable business enterprises. These people
are ramifying throughout the world. establish
ing business houses in many Of the commercial
cities in every quarter of the globe. In
>warms they 90 wherever railroads are 10 be
built. mines worked or service demanded.
Wherever they 20. i'll whatever service they
arr engaged, or whatever influences may be
brought TO bear upon them or circumstances
surround them, they will never be made cit-
zers of any country but China. 1t i u que>-
ton which has begun 10 Igitate the people of
our country and puzzle our statesman, W hat
shall be done with the Chinaman: Other
countries and provinces are disturbed on ac-
count of them. Australia has already taken
action by imposing heavy per eapitum tax
upon their landing in ports II i neither the
representatives of the better nor the poorest
claSse. that emigrate to America, a. a general
rule. but it Is u class of industrious. provident
people. who make most excellent servants and
cool mechanics, and would he greatly missed
hv their employers if driven from the country.
We do not want them among Us. The more |
see of them, the less ] think of them n a
material that will in the end be OF good in any
country but their own, and certainly they are
not OF much good in that. ! have often
thought, since nv short visit here. what sad
reflection il must he to those earnest, good. self
Sacrificing missionaries who have spent their
whole lives in Christian service among these
people, when they look around among them In
search oi the fruits Vi their lite labor. Even
in shanghai and Hong Kong. " hici have been
for nearly forty years open ports for trade and
the settlement of Europeans and Americans,
who have built fine houses, erected churcheS.
hospitals snd school houses, endowed libraries,
museums and many charitable institutions, the
example has had very little influence upon the
Cinnamon. Money making schemes and tricks
have been initiated Nv them and improved
upon. In al business transactions. however
tritling the amount, there is 4 middle man
termed ''compodore,' who has his per centage
of profits. In stores. hotels and mechanics
shops the cOmpodore comes in between pur-
chaser and seller. They lmas> fortunes, and
MANY of them exceed their employers in
wealth. The silk and tea merchants are rarely
seen bv the purchaser. Ii is through cOmpO-
Jores they exchange their valuable comrnodi-
ties for drafts on London. Even III their
costumes the Chinese have made no change for
many centuries. The men wear long, loose
GOWNS with flowing sleeves. which extend to
The tcp Of the foot below. >lit open on either
side a, high Is the knee. nderneath are
worn pantaloons loosely made, secured around
the ankle with cord and tassle. They shave
the head In from, 10 the crown AMI the back i
gathered up and braided into Il queue, which
extends nearly 10 the ground. 4 small cap
ornamented with gold braid is worn On the
back of the head. The women wear loose
iro-s msde full, closely fitting the neck and
extending to The knees. secured about the
waist with an Orna.ented belt. ndernc1ti
they wear trOw>er- with bag, lSgst which eN-
tend 10 the top OF the foot. On their feet ithe
pride of their hearts, they wear shoes exceed
ingy >ma!l-so small that ii i only by system
of c0mpro>sion III infancy and in their youth. by
which the toes and front vi tie foot are forced
r sT IL H." tt,ih11ss that the AN wear
THE members forces them TO walk awkwardly
upon their heels. They dress their hair, Destow
ing upon il great care and attention, by
cOmbiug i backwards into Il mass which i
compressed from side TO si'lc secured in place
bv pins in such a way rs 10 resemble small
fan with its borders above and below. | have
seen them reclining on the sicerage deck Of our
ship. with = piece of wood IN the shape Of an
ordinary brick, but larger, beautifully orna-
menteI placed beneath the neck for n pillow.
which guards against the disturbance Of the
hair when sleeping. The quality OF material
wrought into their dresses varies according 10
rank and means. Tho highest in rank wear
embroidered silk and velvet >raris over
ALL bcSpanged with Jewels and orna-
lnents. The middle class wear >ilk and
Ia heir
The dress OF the lower, and the poorer
people, 1 they wear any dress at all, i made
Of blue cotton in the same fashion. The dress
makers are men. Very few Cinnamon learn
10 speak our language. but m1ny more do than
OF Europeans who speak ihtlr-. phv>lrlan
OF Hong Kong who has for eighteen wears lived
and practI>ed among them, told me TINT he did
not know the meaning of dozen words OF their
language. II Is difficult language 10 learn 10
read and To speak; in fact they have written
Language consisting of upwards OF MY ihou-
sand characters, which ha- no connection
whatever with tile one they speak. There are
eighteen provinces in China. in fifteen ut which
dwelt people of different dialects.
saturday, Feb. 10, ls-9.-During our stay in
China the weather has been comparatively
cool, but rs we were preparing 10 embark for
the equatorial regions. We provided ourselves
with "pyumis' Ia suit Of fine texture made
Ui silk and grass and i" sola tapec' "a cork
iiI fONrFtl WIN W llllt SIN. VIII uNlfN lbl
yentimtionl, basket of oranges and a box Of
l.s At three O'Clock, We went ON board the
steamer 'ArrutoOn Agar" bound for I Ill
cutta, thirty-twO hundred miles from Hong
Kong. We did not take steamer Of The mail
inc for the reason that we should hr detained
one week on the island OF 'cllUn in order 10
make connection for one bound la Calcutta.
ThrreUpon, We secured passage on board tins
steamer nich is in the opium trade. \ good
ship she is, indeed, and commanded by
Scotchman, with crew made ~ vi mixed
races in all sorts Of costume. scN eril oi them IN
the same closely fitting suits in which they
first made their appearance in this world.
With the sailors and Chinese paSsascrN,
We are afforded Il good opportunity
for the study of types and hybrld> Of the
human rare. 10 give Won something of an idea
of the extent Of thu opium traffic between
India and China, | will mention that four
steamers are engaged in no other business
than its transfer between the two places. This
ship ON her previous trip had for her cargo
four thousand two hundred eases Uf opium. of
two hundred pounds each, for aina-whirh l.
but small part of what is used for smoking
by the elestial-. II Is = sight I" look upon 4
party Oi opium smokers, that is sad indeed.
We have witnessed the effects Ot alcohol upon
our race, the total destruction Of some of our
best intellects, the breaking up and dispersion
of families, hlghted hopes, degradation and
misery. In seeing those directly suffering
seen among them anything more disgusting,
or more compromising To mental AMI physical
\ igor, health aud lite than he confirmed opium
smoker. II i. a habit the idler will mol acquire
Is general rule. II requires mlhh work 10
prepare the opium for the pipe, much more
labor 10 apply it To the pipe in - proper way,
and peculiar pipe and attachment and =
spirit lamp 10 conduct the process of smoking
successfully. An opium smoker requires
box large violin ca-e 10 convey hl~
opium smoking apparatus.
On leaving Hong Kong we steamed along
the headlands out into The China sea. 1t
seemed like parting with old friends lu take
leave OF Capt. Berry and the steamship ils Of
Pekinr Of The Pacific Mail steamship line. \
better master uta ship, OF a more Intelligent
agreeable and accommodating gentleman, II l. |
rare To meet, even IN -liling around Tho world |
~ the ship herself am proud - an Amrri- |
an craft. Looming up amongst Steam 1ud |
sailing vessels OF every nation, she bears the |
palm above them all. our last glimpse OF her |
sent a thrill through every nerve II was tn" |
sight Of the ''Stars AMI strip Ny friend ami |
my self together exclaimed, long may the ll@ |
II our country wave L. the hrtrIr> Of heaven.