Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-27
TIE CITY OF CANTON.
Historical Sketch of Famous City Of
China.
Its Temples. Houses, Thoroushfares
and PopuIation---Its CONNER
cIai Importance, INDUS
tries and Growth.
Boston Herald.T

thing III regard to this city and its commerce
may perhaps be OF interest to the worla at
large. The time was, however, when the
closing OF this port would have been equiva-
lent to stopping all foreign trade with China,
but since then there have been opened num-
Der OF other ports, so that very large amount
| Of the export trade of Canton is done by other
cities It's closure, therefore, will have no ma
| terial effect upon the foreign trade of Canton.
Indeed, such is evidently not the intent Of
the Chinese government in the steps said to
have been taken, the same being, no doubt
| in the ilue Of strategic policy, in view of
portending difficulties with Franco, which
| aims to secure the integrity of the important
| but assailable points Of the empire against
| foreign invasion and conquest. The city Of
Canton is the capital of the province of
Kwangtung, one of the western provinces Of
| China. 1t is situated on the south bank Of
| the Pearl river, in north latitude % degrees
| minutes 10 seconds, and east longitude 113
| degrees II minutes 80 seconds, nearly parallel
| with Havana, Muslzat, and Calcutta: but its
climate is colder than any of these. 1t lies
| at the foot of the White Cloud hills, along
| the banks of the river, about seventy miles
north Of Macys in direct line, and ninety
miles northwest Of Hong Kong.
CANTONS ANTIQUITY.
The earliest notices of the city date back
! two centuries before Christ, but traders were
| doubtless located there prior to that time. 1t
| grew in Importance as the country became
| better settled, and in A. d. 700 a regular
market was opened, and collector of GUS
| toms appointed. When the Manchoos over
ran the country in 1850. this city resisted
| their utmost efforts to reduce it for the space
| OF eleven months, and was finally carried by
| treachery. Martini states that 100, 900 men
were killed at its sack, and the whole number
| that lost their lives at the final assault and
| during the siege was 100 600, according to
| the native accounts. Since then it has been
rebuilt and has increased in prosperity until
it is regarded as the second city in the empire
for numbers and is probably at present the
first in wealth The foundations of the city
walls are of sandstone, their upper part being
brick. They are about twenty feet thick,
and from twenty-five to forty feet high, hav-
ing an esplanade on the inside, and pathways
leading to the rampant, on three sides. The
houses are built near the wall on both sides
| of it, so that, except on the north, it can
hardly be seen when walking through the
city. There are twelve outer gates, four in
the partition wall, and two water gates,
through which boats pass into the moat east
| and west A ditch once encompassed the
walls, but it is now dry on the northern side.
On the other three, and within the city, it
and most of the canals are filed by the tide,
which, as it runs out does much to cleanse
the city from its sewage. The gates are all
shut at night, and guard is stationed near
them to preserve order
VIEW OF THE CITY.
The appearance of the city, when viewed
from the hills to the north, is not at all inVit
ing, being an expanse of reddish roofs, often
concealed by frames for drying or dyeing
clothes, or shaded and relieved by few
large trees, and interspersed with high, red
poles used for flagstaffs. Two pagodas shoot
up within the walls far above the watch tow
ers on them, and, with the ffve-storied tower
near the northern gate, form the most con-
spicuous objects in the prospect. To the
spectator, at this elevation, the river is a
prominent feature in the landscape, as it
shines out, covered with great diversity Of
boats of different colors and sizes, some
stationary, others moving, and all re-
sounding with the mingled hum of Ia
borers, sailors, musicians, hucksters, chill
dTen, and boatwomen, pursuing their sew
eral sports and occupations. On low sand
stone ledge, in the channel off the city, once
stood the Sea Pearl fort, called Dutch Folly
by foreigners. Beyond, on its southern shore,
lies the suburb and island Of Honam, and
green fields and low hills are seen still farther
in the distance. At the western angle of this
island the Pearl river divides, at the Macao
passage, the greatest body of water flowing
south, and leaving a comparatively narrow
channel before the city. The hills on the
north rise / 200 feet, their sides for miles be-
ing covered with graves and tombs the
metropolis of this vast city. The streets are
generally narrow, being from six to ten feet
WIDE and are about six hundred in number,
and have names in the Chinese language
signifying, such as Dragon, New Green Pea,
Physic, Spectacle, and Old Clothes streets
STREETS AND BUILDINGS.
Unlike other Chinese and eastern cities,
the streets OF Canton are paved with fat
granite blocks, and the sewerage is concealed.
The houses are generally built Of dark brown
orlck, one or two stories high; are without
Terandas, and are entirely open in front,
closed only by suspended bamboo screens
The windows are small and rarely furnished
with glass-paper, mica, and other transpar-
ent substances being substituted The roofs
are of unequal height, from Chinese super
stition that i'll luck follows caves which con-
meet with each other The houses
contain from three to six apartments.
The dwellings of the poorer classes
are seldom more than mud how
els, containing but a single apartment.
Stone is seldom used except about the gate
ways. The shops are commodious and we'll
stocked with goods, and in the busy part,
every house is a shop Eating houses are
numerous, and furnish great variety of
made dishes, in which rice, pork puppies,
eats, rats, and geese are the staple ingre-
dents. The houses along the water side are
built upon piles, and those portions of the
city are subject to foundations. About four
miles from the city is anchored the boat
town, or the 10000 covered river boats,
which are the constant homes of about
100000 people, called Tankin, a strange,
anphibious, outcast race, who subsist by
tshlng, carrying goods and passengers,
and various other occupations. They
are are also on occasions. pirates
Progress in Physical Training.
t''Macon" in Cincinnati Enquirer
A party of gentlemen were talking about
sporting matters the other day when one of
them Observed. sslt iS rron1a-f,,l -. -