Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-28
AROUND THE WORLD.

fttSOEEb EsS1AbB
 Experiences on the Pacinc-Ths Chinese steerage PassengerG-The1r Gambling and Opium Smoking-Chinese Sailors Cooks and Wsiters-some of the s'Characters'' Among the Cabin Pas sengers-Some Hard QueatIons-Ftrst Sight of the Land of the Risfng Sun. YOKOHAMA, Japan, Oct 20. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 My last letter left me in the middle of the
 Pacific ocean, headed Jspanwards. The sub sequent portion of the voyage WAS unevent- ful, in the sense that it was made up of the
 experiences and changes of weather character
 istfc of voyage across the Pacific. At no
 time was it tedious so far as I was concerned,
 for when every other occupation failed there
 was the ships library to go to, and apparent
 ly there was no excuse for not knowing Ja-
 pan and the other oriental countries almost
 by heart before reaching them, through the
 medium of literature. In the way of games
 there WAS especial interest in cricket. The
 s'port table, would challenge the ''starboard
 table, the married men the unmarried, and
 the fats the leans. There were evening
 dances concerts and other entertainments on
 
 on Sundays. Altogether, the passenger who
 failed to find the trip restful, with plenty to
 do and enjoy, is to be set down az 8 very
 helpless sort of person.
 I could not help wondering from day to
 day what sustained the flock of sea gulls that
 attended our steamer on her westward cruise.
 had read of their pursuit of Atlantic boats,
 but here the distance was trsblsd, with no
 show of food of any sort in the way of fish.
 Their endurance is mysterious. I suppose
 they are able to subsist on the food thrown
 overheard, and follow the ship for the sake
 Of picking up this rsfuse. Several birds fol loved us 1000 miles.
 I was much interested in the study of the
 Chinese aboard, d,-the 700 steerage passengers
 in the hold. What would the steamboat and
 railroad companies do but for this patronage
 What would many of the mills and factories
 on the Pacific slope do but for them Every
 train that leaves Sacramento for San Francis
 co carries four Chinamen to one American
 Of course the condition of these steerage
 passengers was not very inviting, huddled together as they were in their quarters below deck. Canvas fumes were provided, how ever, for supplying them with fresh air con stantly, but they appeared to relish squalor rather than otherwise. They get seasick moro easily than most other peoples, and many of them were confined to their beds for half the voyage. The remaining portion spent the day from morning till night in gambling, using a peculiar sort of dominoes for this purpose. They were to be seen everywhere seated on mats and chatteEing over the game. It is against the rule for them to gamble for money on shipboard, so they substitute tickets buttons, tin medal ! lions and other symbols for lacre, and make l khn nf O piohffan Wa , stood and watched them in a rather imperti- l nent way, but they took no notice whatever of us. Said the ship purser ''Sometimes these Chinaman reach Hong Kong utterly ! bankrupt. Each one is supposed to have with him his little fortune of several hun though they live frugslly they cannot resist l the temptation to gamble, which vice is their | one besetting enemy. One thing you will ! notice, however; they never get into dis l putes and rows over the game, like English | speaking gamblers. Not all of them are | poor, by any means. There goes tea mer- chant of Dupont street, San Francisco, who | is said to have balance in his favor of about ! $40, GOO in the bank, and frequently VIC have l those on board worth much more than that. l But they never take cabins. I never knew l of an instance in which Chinaman took | first cabin passage. The wealthy ones put | on common teggery and stay down below | until they reach Hong Kong when they ap | pear on deck in their fine raiment ready to l disembark in real style. As for food, they l content themselves with the rice, sea biscuit l and stews with which we furnish the eom- | mon herd, with such additional rich gourds | and fancy dishes as they may bring on board | with them"
 The opium den on shipboard was an inter- 1 esting place. Every boat furnishes some | such place for the accommodation of it's l Mongolian patrons. On the Oceanic 1t was room with four large berths, and here the Chinese were literally slowed away in layers, 1 in all degrees of stupor. some Chinamen are scarcely conscious from the time they leave San Francisco till they arrive at their destination. The patronage of this den is only limited by it's capacity to accommodate In the center of each group of smokers was a small lamp for igniting purposes, which l burned day and night. Had not seen how careful the Chinese are as 8 rule, I should not have slept so soundly for the knowledge of these perpetual fires below. Opium smoking and gambling are the two evils which most threaten the Chinese people to- day. The opium evil Is so insidious and irre sistible that it is perhaps the most to be feared. With bamboo pipe about the di- snneter and two thirds the length of flute, tho smoker stretches himself beside the lamp, puts some of the drug into the tiny, thim ble-like receptacle at the end of his pipe, fires the opium and settles back to 8 delirium 1 which is blissful enough until the waking l comes, but leaves it's victim the slave to an 1 infinitely more tyrannical master than strong drink. 1
 As sailors the Chinese are about as 1.-the as l Yankees, and much more obedient and teach l abIe It is decidedly interesting to watch l them reef topsail or run up the top main i sail. shall never forget the experience of l hearing their peculiar sing song wall, say at | as they bent their united strength | to the task before them. But the supreme | usefulness of the Chinaman is found in the 1 role of caterer. These Pacific steamers take | pride in their cuisine and to the Chinese the glory is all due. They are ideal walters. 1 They know by intuition what you want and supply every need in advance. When joke is cracked at the table they see and appreci- ate 1t, but they do not change facial mus cle They never speak aloud, and do not even whisper together throughout whole meal They are stolid and you cannot get them to exhibit any kind of emotion. If you thrust 8 pin into the arm of one of them his expression would be just as vacant after as before the experience. They are method
 c beyond criticism. They never remove the sover of dish so that there shall be noise- As to the cooking, which is entirely in their hands suffice it to say that almost every meal during our long voyage found several new and appetizing dishes spread before us. In | the way of decorative art they excel. Eve " article of foed, even to bread, is moulded ornamented in some unique way with foliage, Bowers, Sc. Said lady of Oakland to me Ehile in CaIifornia,-and she is the mistress of one of the most elegant homes in el- ,gant city: 'I have just two hired Chinese