Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-02-21
AChinese Emperor's Life.

\ The Hong Kong DAILY Press gives the
following account Of the education of
the sons of the Chinese Emperors, and
of the domestic arrangements of the
royal family. = % rJ4f3$s
-. The sons of the Manchu EmperorS
(hwang-tsz) undergo from their tender
est youth n system of the strictest edu-
cation. Rising at about 8 O'Clock in the
morning, they first take their lesson in
Chinese literature, under the superin-
tendence of the only tutor who has the
title of shih-fu or master The tutor
rises from his chair AS soon as the i'm
perial pupils enter and receives from the
latter a courtesy (ta-ch'ten) which is
then returned in the same form. The
tutor takes the seat of honor, and when
the lesson is learned the pupil brings up
his book, deposits it before his teacher
and returns to his seat to repeat the
task by heart. Ii the lesson is not
learned, the tutor requests a eunuch in
attendance to bring the ferule Ching
PAM and makes show of administer
ing correction.
.But each imperial pupil is accom-
panied by eight fellow-students (pwan-
tub), known in the Manchu language as
ha-ha-chu, who study the same book As
their young master. When it becomes
necessary to admonish the latter more
seriously the ha-ha-chu are beaten with
the ferule vicariously; but when the i'm
perial pupil acquits himself well they
are, on the other hand, commended or
rewarded A recalcitrant and obstinate
Prince is as the last resort actually HIM
self flogged, though probably only nom-
inally, by the teacher; or taken before
the Emperor, who directs a eunuch to
pinch his cheeks (ch III pa jou). The
late Emperor T'ung Chih was frequent
ly tweaked in this way by order of the
Expresses. The Chinese lesson occu-
pies two hours; after this come the
Manchu and Mongol lessons in compost
ton. given by the teachers who enjoy
the less honorable title of se-fu, and who
are obliged to meet their pupil at the
door and make the first obeisance.
Then come lessons in various spoken
languages, Manchu, Mongol, T'aDgat
and in local Chinese dialects. After
these come courses of instruction in foot
and horse archery (ma -pu-chien). under
the guidance OF class of instructors
called anita. The whole of the Young
Princes day is taken up with mental
or physical exercises, and they retire to
rest at very early hour. At suitable
intervals their meals are weighed out to
them, and on no account are they al
lowed to indulge in the pleasures of the
table. At the age of 10 they must
marry. ----
.'The Emperor sleeps with eight
hand-maids (ch'ang-tsaD sitting upon
the bed, all of them girls
from the imperial household (nei-wu-fy).
Their functions are to keep watch over
His Majesty, and they are not allowed
to cough, spit or utter any sound. The
of the Emperor after awak-
ing in the morning are signalized ny a
of hands on the part of the
eunuch on guard. Once a year-on
New Years Day = the Emperor and
Empress preside at grand banquet,
the Empress sitting on the Emperor's
left hand. This is the only occasion
during the year on which the Emperor
can see his wives together and compare
their respective merits. The Empress
presents articles of food (k'e-shib) to
the eunuchs, who receive it from her
majesty on their knees, and the Emper-
or performs the same politeness TO the
women. The Emperor is spoken OF and
to as hwangchang-' Majesty by all
but members of the inner banners, who
use the term 'chu-tsz :. dominus.' +
The Emperor, Empress and concubines
are called by the eunuchs 'fo-ye,' or
chu-tsz,' i. e., Buddha,' or 'domi-
nus and the imperial Princes .ye'-f
he latter term equivalent to sire
They are spoken of as 'ako.'
''The three inner gates of the imperial