Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-16
A CHINESE EMpERoR.s LIFE.

The Hongkong Daily Press gives the
following account of the education of the
sons OF the Chinese Emperors. and of some
OF the domestic arrangements of the royal
family:
1.-The sons of the Manchu Emperors
(hwangtsz) undergo from their tenderest
youth a system of the strictest education.
Rising about O'Clock in the morning, they
flrst take their lesson in Chinese literature,
under the superintendent of the only tu-
tor who has the title of shih-fu or master.
The tutor rises from his chair as soon as
the Imperial pupils enter and receives from
the latter courtesy tta-ch'ien) 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. If the lesson is not
learned, the tutor requests eunuch
In attendance to bring the ferule
lch'lng-p PAM and makes show of admin
isterlng correction. But each Imperial
pupil is accompanied by eight fellow
students (pwan-tub( known in the Manchu
language as ha-ha-chu, who study the same
books as their young master. When 1t be-
comes necessary to admonish the latter
more seriously the ha-ha.chu are beaten
with the ferule vicariously but when the
Imperial pupil acquits himself we'll they
are, on the other hand, commended or re-
warded. A recalcitrant and obstinate
prince is as the last resort actually himself
logged, though probably only nominally,
by the teacher or taken before the EN-
bn 40 60 HE
cheeks (ch'ih pa jou). The late Emperor
T'ung chin was frequently tweaked in this
way by order of the Impresses. The Chi
nese lesson occupies two hours after this
come the Manchu and Mongol lessons in
composition, 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, Man
chu, Mongol, Tangat and in local Chinese
dialects. After these come courses of in
struction in foot and horse archery (ma-pu-
CHEM, athletics, fencing, putting the stone,
etc. (kung-tau-shih), 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 for them, and ON no account are they
allowed to indulge in the pleasures of the
table. At the age Of Is they must marry.
The Emperor sleeps with eight landmarks
(ch'ang-tsai) sitting upon his bed, and six.
teen others tta-ying) underneath the bed,
all of them girls from the Imperial house.
hold (nei-wu-fu). Their function is to
keep watch over his Majesty, and they are
utter any sound. The movements of
the Emperor after awaking in the morn
ing are signaled by clapping of hands
on the part of the eunuch on guard.
Once year-on New Years Day-the
Emperor and Empress preside at grand
banquet, the Empress sitting on the EN-
peror's left hand. This is the only occa-
sion during the year on which the Emperor
can see his wives together and compare
their respective merits. The Empress pre-
sents articles of food shih) to the eu-
nuchs, who receive it from her Majesty on
their knees, and the Emperor performs the
same politeness to the women. The EN-
peror is spoken of and to as hwangcbang-
Majesty by all but members of the
inner banners, who use the term 'chu-tsz'
= dominus.' The Emperor, Empress and
concubines are all called by the eunuchs
'fo-ye, or 'chu. tsz, i. e., Buddha, or
dominus, and the Imperial princes ye'
the latter term equivalent to Sire
They are spoken of as ako. The three
inner gates of the Imperial apartments are
never entered even by eunushs, and, of men,
only eunuchs are allowed to pass the fifth
gate, which is watched by a corps of
Imperial guards lshi-weil, who are au.
therized to strike the shins of even
the highest officer who may approach
without giving the word. If an inmate
of the female apartments wishes to purchase
or communicate with the outer
world, she must send handmade to sound
the iron plate (tien), or the clapper (pang-
tsz), with which the harem is provided, ON
which the head eunuch approaches to in
quire who is in want of assistance Hav-
ing learned who calls, he dispatches the
who addresses the handmald
and takes her orders, either verbally or on
a slip of paper. The Cabinet Ministers
(chun-ch rise every morning at 2, present
themselves at court at 3 A. NJ, and are then
received in audience Theirmeals are served
up gratis from the Emperor's pantry. and the
whole day is spent at the palace until p
NJ on off days, and till 6 P. NJ. on days
when there is military business to discuss.
Thus the only time they can call their own
is from, say, 5 P. NJ. to2A.M If indis-
posed, of course they obtain leave of alb.
sence, which must frequently be great
boon. The chun- chi never return the calls
of any but the most distinguished provin-
cial officers, and even then this is done on
the way from the palace.