Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-16
AROUND The WORLD.

AkuUND Int WUklU.
The Hong Kong SmuggIers-Opfum-Th
, Plgt@il-Dtshonesty OF Chinese Ser
vamts-The Heathenish Bang-A We'd
dang PrOcessfOn-Chfness COurtship and
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Meeting al
Temperance Hail-A Lively and kcdl-
Client Secretary.
HoNa KoNa, Dec. 81.
To the Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
believe Hong Kong is sometimes called
the greatest smuggling depot in the world.
However this may be, think there is some
thing of significance in the way in which
fortunes have been built up here in the past.
This theory offers enc explanation of the
sudden and rapid growth which characterized
the colony planted by the English upon this
barren island of rock, and of the air OF opu-
lence which still pervsdes the place despite
the more rapid modern growth of Shanghai.
Il is gravely limited, and always has been,
that the obnoxius drug opium is brought
here in immense quantities, and stored to
await an opportunity of its being smuggled
to the mainland, where it finds speedy
market. In this way has grown up an illicit
reciprocal trade, cargoes of foreign goods
upon which China has the right to levy an
import tariff being smuggled into every
creek and bay along the coast, and Chinese
merchants sending tea, camphor, sugar, cas-
STA and other native products into Hong Kong
free Of the duty which should attach to
them. OF course China has made every ef-
fort to break up this illegitimate business,
and especially to resist the introduction of
opium within her borders; but what could
virtuous heathenism effect, when brought
into conflict with civilized lawlessness Be-
sides this, there is general suspicion that
| the genus custom house official is inherently
| susceptible to bribe the world over and
those in charge of China posts have proved
| no exception to the rule.
AS would be expected, every one here
| takes the position that opium is not an inju-
| rious drug; which is, take it, another tacit
admission as to the questionable method by
which Hong Kong fortune is acquired.
The newspapers are especially loud in virtu-
Gus denunciation of the Anti-Opium society.
I have yet TO meet disinterested person
| from the interior who would not testify that
| opium Is injurious per Sc, and, when taken to
excess, most disastrous in it's consequences
upon the human system. prefer to take
such disinterestsd testimony, especially when
it comedies with the testimony of my own
nose in denouneing the all-pervading drug
| for this blot upon its fair name, but it must
be conceded that expressions of penitence
and regret are common even among all class
es now.
It is curious that what was at first the
token of Chinese subjugation at the hands of
the Tartars, the pigtail, has now become the
pride and glory of the race. Cut Off the
queue of Celestial, and suicide is the only
honorable course open to him. If he is es-
| pecially tenacious of life, however, he may
don false article until his hair has grown
again. While at work the coolies wear their
pigtails wound up on the back of their heads;
but when they have occasion to present
themselves before You it is invariably un
wound. For q Ohinaman to appear in your
presence wearing his pigtail in a knot would
be equivalent to your entering a drawing
room in America with your hat on and your
pants tucked in your boots
One very seldom sees the color yellow upon
the Streets and upon making inquiry I find
the explanation of this to be that yellow is
the Imperial color. Only the emperor and
men who are eighty years of age have the
right to wear this color.
'Squeeza" is literally the gospel OF the
East. It is universal. The best servants in
the employ of foreigner here practice it
Indeed the test of servant is not integrity
in his personal dealings with his employer,
but his fidelity in curbing the rapaeity of
others who would by stealing profit at the
expense of his employer. The ideal Chinese
| servant is one who will squeeze his employer
Just little. but who will see TO it religiousIy
that no one else does If he did not exact
| trifle from the man whom he serves, say fif
| teen or twenty cents week, the suspicious
of the latter would be at once aroused
At night in Chinese city everybody who
| goes out on the streets carries a paper lau-
| tern with his name and address upon it. The
| Law requires this.
One thing I notice among the Chinese, as
well as among the Japanese; the prevalence
of the female ''bang" system. Hereafter
| when bangs are criticised as being heathen-
| ish shall understand that the criticism is an
| intelligent and just one, containing the lite
| raj truth. The very autotype of the Ameri-
can bang may be seen any day on heather
brows here. and these Chinese lasses have
had the originality to invent number of va
riations of the same barbarism which are not
to be seen in America.
I had not been to the hotel here in Hong
Kong Ave minutes before my attention was
distracted by a terrific noise. Rushing to
the front balcony, was just in time to see
quite remarkable wedding procession At
first from the noise and general style of the
affair. thought it was funeral, but soon
discovered the difference. A funeral pro-
cession is a more cheerful institution than
wedding procession-with the possible ex-
csption, perhaps, of the hired mourners
Besides this there is one other difference
the corpse at wed ling is live one instead
of dead one. think if I had my choice
would rather be the dead than the I've CORPSE
The inferiority of the female sex is one of
the fundamental principles to which the Chi
nese hold. Even Oontucius does not seem
to have had very broad and elevated ssnti
ment in this regard, for he is quoted as hav
ing said ''Of all people, women are the
most difficult to manage IF you are famil- |
lar with them they become forward, and if |
you keep them at distance they become |
discontented.' Many women here are in the |
habit of praying that they may be born men |
in the next world
But this wedding procession. First came |
dozen musicians who were beating got gs and |
blowing fisf-horns, each apparently without |
any reference to the rest Then followed |
company of men and boys bearing fags and |
lanterns, after which came series of gilded |
tables with elaborately carved and painted |
canopies over them, and all sorts of eatables |
upon them. The display of fruits was quite |
tempting, and I longed for alise of the |
roast pig and the roast sheep But there |
we're also native dishes which by experiment |
I had previously found to be faF from sppa |
tizing Thus far ever. thing was arranged |
just as funeral procession would be, and |
was composed of the same features. But |
now there was slight departure from the |
funeral order of things. There came mag
nifcent sedan chair, the windows of which |
were thoroughly curtained, but which was
told contained the happy ID bride This |
and ALSO by gafly decorated jinrikishas, in |
which were seated the relatives of both the /
contracting parties. More SO called musi- /
clans followed, and the procession wound up |
with load of boxes which I inferred CON |
tanned the marriage offerings, and perhaps /
the trosseeu OF the bride.
In the north of Mongolia it is customary /
for the native to capture his wife after a |
chase, and in any part of the empire the lat
ter becomes his property when the twain
have formally been made one flesh Ear |
riage usually takes place at an ..nmature age
In the great majority of cases the bride |
groom never sees his intended wife until the
wedding night. all negotiations being con
Quoted by go beiweens This intercessor
lays the suit before the girls father, who re-
iects or encourages it, just as he pleases In
case of favorable response. presents are ex
changed, and after consulting the auguries an
engagement is entered into. In case piece
of china are should be broken in either
home, or an article be lost within three days
of the engagement, this is considered ample
ground for the immediate dissolution of the
engagement Astrologers determine the