Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-05

Behalf of FOreigners-Act1vttV in Cht
 nese Secret socisties-A False Local
 System-BackslidingA Americans.
 CANTON, China, Jan. 24, 1884.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 "Oat's flesh, one basin, ten cents.
 Black cats flesh, one small basin, cents. Black dogs grease, one tail, cents. Black cats eyes, one pair, cents. That is the horrid translation of signboard, as it WAS read of to nae the other day in the course of my peregrinations about this remarkable city. Near by Carlo and Tabby were sizzling in the frying pan, while on spits hanging over the fire were other fayed victims waiting for like treatment. The cats had been skinned whole, and the meat was winter than any chicken meat that I ever saw. In cages in the rear part of the restaurant, could also see quiss 8 number of other cats of assorted sizes and colors, some of whom were moving piteously, while others sat in dumpish atti- tude. as the effect of hunger I suppose, wait ing for their turn. There were two upon the floor with their feet tied together. I am told that it is not 1nfrequently that cats are hung up alive by the tail, to suffer for hours, perhaps days, and finally die lingering death Chinese sensibiIities do not seem to revolt at such cruelties. It would hardly be fair to assert that cat and dog flesh are uni. versal articles of diet in China, for think their consumption is mainly restrict ed to the | poorer classes. The flesh is cut into small slices and fried in oil, with garlic and horse | chestnuts. The meat of black dogs and cats seems to be preferred. It is customary on 8 certain day in the early part of summer in | Southern China for the people to feast CD | dog's flesh for the sake of fortifying them l selves against disease. In some provinces l doe-hans are cured and exported at extrava | gsnt prices. More offensive to my mind | than this, however, is the eating of rats and 1 cockroachss, which is also practiced to con l siderable extent.
 Since my last letter war preparations have 1 been going on steadily at and near Canton | Nothing can seem more superhuous than aD l attempt to defend Canton, according to my l mind The Chinese should pray that tn French may come here and attempt to | blockade port at which so many other na ! tions are largely interested. Such courst | would offend every government represented l in the trade of Canton, and for the sake of | bringing about such consummation, tht Chinese could afford to be besieged for few I days But even in case the French were | foolishly cycling Canton, the preparations al ready made are ample. Not satisfied, how ever, with having scores of junks laden with | stone below the city ready to be sunk at a moments notice, in case hostile fleet sue cesded in passing the Bogue forts, from l which point there is telegraphic communica | tion to Canton, the orders have now been l given that the junks shall be sunk and bar | rier created across the river, with passage way of but about sevsnty-five feet for steam | CTS That these orders are authoritative Is I hR hQk l published under the signature and seal of Ping-Yu Ling, commander in-chief of the Chinese forces in Southern China. The vari ous coHsuls here have also received official notification that this procedure is contem plated, together with maps of the river show ing the proposed changes, and memorial asking that the shipping interests of the va rious nations be acquainted with the plan There are many objectionable features to this scheme, which the consuls have not been 1 slow to discover. aud I am half inclined to think that when he reads the various remon- strances that are being prepared, Yu-Ling will either abandon the matter altogether or l else modify materially the original plans As set forth in the communications to the consuls the movement determined upon i5 as follows: The north or principal channel of the river will be entirely closed at 8 point about twelve miles below this city, just below the fort on the island upon which Whampoa
 
 ssldom used because it is half an hour longer, will be almost closed, as has been intimated, the narrow passage-way being reserved in the middle of the stream. This is to be complished by sinking the stoneladen junks across the river and then filling up the barrier thus formed until it is transformed into huge bridge of granite boulders. Each chan nel is thus to be injured ostensibly for a special reason. The one from the island to tue north side of the stream Is to be closed so as to provide safe place for torpedo practice away from all shipping The one l from the island to the south side of the l stream is to be nearly closed in order to have l bridge affording easy communication be tween the Whampoa fort and certain camps 1 across the river. It is not necessary to state that such partial bridge is of no more service than no bridge at all, to point out any other facts tending to prove that these prep | arations made simply and solely because the Chinese are thoroughly alarmed.
 l. Competent pilots on the river look askanee at the whole project. They say that in the first place some of the river steamers are 1 fully seventy-fve feet wide, and would have | to rub hard to get through the ridiculously small gate which is to be provided. Steamers | could never adapt themselves to such row entrance. Then again, the establishment | of bar completely across the north channel l would cause deposit of earth which would | create tremendous barrier to navigation for all time to come for the Chinese can never be persuaded to dredge their waters. Besides this, in short time the pent up waters l would force out new passage for themselves, l across the lowlands. The difficulty which We have in keeping the river properly dredged ] at home in the vicinity of our well-built | bridges, where there are no tides to contend | with, is abundant proof of this.
 The very last proclamation of the Vicsroy l is all that the resident foreigners could ask. l Tk aava that eff fhe anaDV come ' the GbjnaRa l must all band together to repulse them, but | that the interests of disinterested foreigners must be studiously protected. This is some l comfort, though of course when it comes to a supreme moment. the Chinese masses will | only recognize the one division of people into | westerns and easterns.
 1 There is apparently good deal of activity just at present in the Chinese secret societies | which have for their object the unseating of the freigning Manchee dynasty at Pekin. Of I course these societies have to work with the greatest secrecy owing to the strict surveil- lance exercised by the government, and the strength of the Chinese detective system; but it is pretty generally believed, although nc one can point to single person and say that he is identified with one of these societies that the membership has been materially in creased of late. There is the Triad society, the White Lily, and oRe other, the name oi which has escaped my mind, which are all
 l.boring toward the common end of deposine the present despotism The Chinese triad, from which the first of these organizations takes it's name, consists of earth, heaven and man It is even rumored now that the three societies have consolidated, and are about to make some remarkable demonstration during the approaching New Years holidays. I believe that some such revoluti n as that contemplat
 ed by these societies might have salutarJ influence upon the future of China but doubt if enough independence ard daring exists in the whole empire to attempt the
 work now.
 It is really saddening to contemplate the false social system which has grown up ir many of these Oriental cities, notably Hong Kong I may have alluded to this before
 but 1t is a matter which has been forced home to my notice so much that I cannot
 keep it out of mind. We sometimes talk oi caste as characteristic of American society
 and used myself to say and think much
 But it was an illusion. Relatively caste ii
 unknown in America. man must possess
 wealth. and conform to certain rules Whict