The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-04-16
IN. wonder. Of Canton.


When called upon once to name the most
wonderful city which she had ever visited,
Miss Bird, the gifted lady traveller, promptly
responded:
Canton is at once the most novel, fascinat-
ing and startling Of all the places l ever Wis
tied" After a residence here Of little over
two weeks am prepared TO indorse this state
msnt, If indeed, a statement coming IRON
such a source needs any endorsement. II viii
be observed that this is bot ascribing TO Can
ton pre-eminence for anything like beauty, not
by any "rnanner 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 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 eItravagances 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 TO 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 &C
companied by guide.
Soon We are being hurried along tue narrow
streets, which are densely packed with peo-
pie. Our sweating and painting coolies keep
up an incessant yelling to warn the pedes-
TRANS to make passage for us; and 50 de1-
ferrous are they and so obliging are the people
on foot that the swinging dog-trot is seldom
relaxed. Whenever We meet another char,
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 tacit
recognition as to the vehicle which shall 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 to the extreme narrow
ness Of the street
II is, indeed, a 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 arc two things for which they
can be heartily admired. No more industrious
and temperate people are to be iOund any
where. They have reduced the cost OF living
to it's 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
all he Fr,nt "A lirafp
china ware up Tor DOWN to live hogs. We
Americans, who have so much difficulty in
carrying a small umbrella in crowd, might
takes lesson from the heather who bob
along 80 rapidly in a four-foot street, with
two two-bushel baskets dangling from the
ends Of a pole.
Here comes the chair Of some public official.
Of course we barbariuns must give way be-
fore such an august parsonage, and our chairs
are wedged close up against wall to allow
the procession to pass.-PhiladepLia Press.