Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-02-19
A. Chinese Emperor's Life.

The Hong Kong Daily Press
gives the following account of the
education of the sons of the Chi
nese Emperors, and of some of the
domestic arrangements of the royal
family:
"The sons OF the Manchu Emp
or's undergo from their tenderest
youth system OF the strictest edu-
cation Rising at about 3 O'Clock
in the morning., they FIRST take their
lesson in Chinese literature, under
the superintendeuce of the only
tutor who has the title of shin-tu
or master The tutor rises from
bis char as soon as the imE eriul
pupils enter and receives from the
latter courtesy, which is then re-
turned In the same form. The tu
tor takes the seat of honor, and
when the lesson is learned the pu-
pill brings up his book, aud deposits
1T before his teacher ard returns to
his seat to repent the task by heart.
Ii the lesson is not learned, the
tutor ,elues's a enuuch in attend
ance to bring the ferule (ch'ing-
PAM and makes a show of admin .
isteling correction. But each i'm :
periai pupil is accompanied by
eight fellow w>students, known in the
Mauchu language as ha ha-chu,
who study the same books as their
young master. When it becomes
necessary to admonish the latter
more seriously the ha -ha chu are
beaten with the ferul quite vicari-
ously; but when the imperial pupil
acquits himself well they are, Oh
the other hand, commended or re-
warded. A recalcitran., an obsti-
nate prince, is, as the last resort,
actually himself flogged, though
probably only nominally, by the
teacher, or taken before the En-
peror, who directs q eunuch to
pirch his cheeks. The late Empero,
Tungchih, was frequently tweaked
in this way by order of the EN-
presses. The Chinese lesson cccu.
pies Two hours; after This comes
the Manchu and Mongol lessons il
composition, given by the teachers
who enjoy the less honorable it'll
OF se-fu, aud who are obliged t,
meet their pupil at the door ant
make the first obeisance. Ihel
comes the lessons in various spok
ep languages, Manchu, MongcI
Yangat and in local Chinese dia
; lects. After these come courses @
instruction in foot and horse arch
cry, athletics, fehcing, putting tn
stone, ETC., under the guidance G
class of instructors called an-t.
The whole of the young prime,
day is taken up with mental O
physical exc, cises, and they retir
to rest at IL very eaily hour. A
suitable intervals their meals ar
weighed out ior them, and on u
account are they allowed to indulg
: ir the pleasures of the table. A
the age of fifteen they must marry
The Emperor sleeps with eigl
! handmaids sitting upon his be
:. . and sixteen others underneath tn
= bed, all of them girls from the i'm
: perial household Their functio
, is to keep watch over his Majrst,
: : and they are not allowed toszeez
. cough. spit or utter any sound .TE
movements of the Emperor nftt
awaking in the morning are sis
= nnlized by cla2ping of hands {
! the s.art of the eunuch on guar
= Ouce year-on New Years d.
: the Emperor and Empress pr
: : side at grand banquet, The En-
press sitting on the Emperor's J.
hand. This is the only occasi.
during the year OF which tho En-
peror can see his wives togetE
aud compare their respective me
its. The impress presents articl
: of food to the: nuchs, who rec. i
'e it from Her Majesty on their knee
and the Emperor performs +
. same politeness to the women.