The Penn's Grove record., 1884-06-07
Chinese Chou-ChOv.

hAC " EVhAAA ICSf
of their Buddhist professions, in spite
of thousands Of Buddhist tracts en-
Joining vegetarianism, fasting and
modification of the flesh a the only
road to the Western paradise, the
heather Chinee will have to take his
place amongst the depraved class
''whOse god is their stomach" The
number of fat, oily priests one g in
monasteries convinces the visitor that
their diet is regulated by anything but
Pythagorean principles. Their very
delties are sadly inclined to corpnlency,
while their pet. image Of the Buddab
in a merry mood is one undulating mass
of obesity as he lounges on his pedestal.
There is no object upon which a China
mans eyes rest with 80 much pleasure
as upon some well-fed, b~eefy-faced,
barrel-bodied Falstaff. When a mar
who is inclined to embonpoint meets an
old acquaintance he is greeted with the
compliment. "Why, how your blessed
ness is increasingly" the idea being that
fairness is the outward and visible sign
Of inward happiness and contentment,
while leanness is always associated with
worry, care and sorrow.
The great mass of the people have
only two meals a day, though laborlng
men while hard at work insist upon
three square meals. Bowls and chop
sticks are arranged on the bare board.
In the center of the table are arranged
dishes containing picked fish, boiled
pork, some salt vegetables and perhaps
a Curd made of lentils. The smell of
garlic and oil is enough to knock one
down. The men SIT on stools around
the table, and if the weather is hot,
divest themselves of every stitch of
clothing save the tucked-up pants,
When they are ready for the fray, in
comes a serving man, bearing a huge
bucket of rice steaming hot, the con-
tents of which he commences to shovel
into the bowls on the table. Each mar
takes his chopsticks and digs into the
central dishes and fishes out several
Jumps of meat into his bowl. Raising
the bowl to his face, he pokes the rice
and meat into his gaping mouth The
chOpsticks are piled so rapidly and con-
tinuously and maStication occupies so
little part of the process, that the
whole basinful of rice soon disappears
as il by magic. Once, twice. three
times, perhaps, is that bowl ~replenished
and as quickly emptied as before.
Having reached the limits of his
capacity, be takes half a dozen whiffs
from a brass hubble-bubble pipe, drinks
a cup or two of tea, and resumes his
task or make the night hideous by I'M
earthly snoring.
Among the well-to-do classes fresh
fish, fowl and pork are the main articles
of diet. Beef is seldom tasted, the
trausmigration fate of the beef eater
aud butcher i'll the next life being
sufficient to deter all right-n.inded
people from encouraging the slaughter
Of the noble animal that plows their
fields. Mutton is expensive and lacks
the flavor of our home breeds. Cattle
are imported for foreigners use, ami
even if there were no beef and mutton,
the Canton market abOunds with deli
ciOus fish, poultry, game and all kinds
of luscious tropical fruits. which makes
the retired merchant almost sigh for
the fiesh-pOts of China. A banquet at
the house of a Chinese gentleman is
something to be dreaded. Were the
sight or smell of the various dishes at
all tempting, the dread of offending his
hosts prejudices, or transgressing the
prOprieties by some awkward move
ment OF trivial blupder, is sufficiently,
embarrassing to take away the guests
appetite. Woe to the uncOuth foreign
er who uncerem )niously sits down
when invited to do so, or who drinks
up his tea as SOC as it is poured out,
or takes his seat in the place of honor
offered him without duly protesting
his unworthiness and showing his
reluctance to accept the honored posi-
ton. There are, OF course, no ladies
present, the denizens OF the thinner
apartments" being content with peep
ing through the curtains at their lords
guests.
In the banqueting- Dom Is a red,
%lacquered ''eight-fairy table" destitute
of any approach to a tabie-cloth, for
who but a barbarian would spread the
festal board with a white cloth, associ-
ated only with mourning, death
and the grave. On this table are
arranged in symmetrical rows dishes
of ripe and preserved fruits and four
plates containing sailed eggs, picked
fish, sliced ham and salt vegetables.
The feast is opened by the host pouring
out to each guest a cup of wine, the
guest placing n hand TO the cup,
bending forward and exclaiming. "In
kOi. in kOi!'-"I don't deserve, | don't
deserved The hos makes a move and
amidst many graceful bowings and
tuTnings the cups are dralned at one
lift. Fruits are eaten first, after which
ONE a waiter with a rinse-bowl and a
pipe.of tobacco, which he prepares and
lights for the guests. These are only
minor performances to the dinner. The
first comes in, consisting per-
haps of a rich soup made of the edible
birds nest, a glutinous substance found
in some islands far out at sea; sharks
fin and sea-slug, with mushrooms and
pigeons eggs floating ON the top. If
II could 10 get the ~sickening ingredi-
ents, the Ngfimy hands that prepared
the dish aud the dirty kitchen where it
was cooked, he would probably say
that it was the finest soup he had ever
tasted. BY the time the guests have
smoked a few whiffS from their hubble
bubbles, the next course is ready.