The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-04-16
m. wonder of Caution.

When called upon once to name the most
wonderful city which she bad ever visited,
Miss Bird, the gifted lady traveller, promptly
responded: -.
ing and startling Of all the places | ever VS.
tied /" After a residence here OF little over
two weeks am prepared TO indorse this state
msnt, if indeed, statement coming from
such source needs any endorsement. 1t Will
be observed that this is not ascribing to Can
ton pre-eminence for anything like beauty, not
by any "manner Of means" | think there Is
more here that is disgusting than there is that
is attractive; but these sights, sounds and
especially smells that are offensive, are pecu-
liar to every Chinese city, and a tourist must
Law aside all prudish and fastidious notions in
order to understand anything Of the people and
their institutions. Canton is certainly replete
with surprises and extravagances Of every
sort. The methods Of performing the various
industries are constantly interesting; some
times preposterous, sometime worthy OF i'm
itation. One sicksns of the revelations of
cruelty, filth, poverty and ignorance, but
never wearies of these anomalous street sights.
An imaginary specimen tour" this balmy
February afternoon may not fail 10 develop
some interesting views of Cantonese life One
must take sedan chair. Few men who come
here on flying excursion attempt TO thread
their way through the may labyrinth of Can
ton streets on foot, even though they are ac-
oompanied by guide.
Soon We are being hurried along the narrow
streets, which are densely packed with peo-
pie. Our sweating and painting coolies keep
up an incessant yelling to warn the pedes-
trians TO make passage for US; and SO dex-
ferrous are they and so obliging are the people
on foot that the swinging dog-trot is seldom
relaxed. Whenever We meet another chair,
however, one party has to stop entirely to
wait for the other to pass by, and even then
the sides of the cars frequently rub together.
The coolies are trained TO such encounters in
narrow places, and there seems to be a tacit
recognition as to the vehicle which snail de-
fer to the other, which is always according TO
circumstances. So, also, when we turn a
corner, it is frequently difficult to wedge a
chair through, owing 10 the extreme narrow
ness of the street.
1t is, indeed, motley crowd that we meet.
There are all types, from the blind, leprous,
deformed and mendicant mp to the most aristo-
cratic mandarins.
The common people are the most interest
ing. There are two things for which they
can be heartily admired. No more industrious
and temperate people are to be found any
where. They have reduced the cost of living
TO its actual minimum, and for the $500 per
month that it actually requires they will toll
assiduously from morning till night seven days
in the week. Most of those one meets are
busy transporting various kinds of burdens.
These are suspended from the ends Of BAN
boo poles, which are carried over the shoul-
der In this way the most impossible loads
are carried, ranging all the way from delicate
china ware up Tor DOWN to live hogs. We
Americans, who have SO much difficulty In
carrying small umbrella in crowd, might
takes lesson from the heather who bot
along so rapidly in a four-fOot street, with
two two-bushel baskets dangling from the
ends of pole.
Here comes the chair of some public official
OF course we barbariuns must give way be-
fore such an august parsonage, and our chair;
are wedged close up against wall to allow
the procession to pass.-PhiLaielphia Press.