The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-27
brazier, a chopping-block, table, and ,

praIler, d -DlOck, CaDle, ana !
few culinary utensils. Here the meal
are prepared and the crude opium o
commerce converted into q smoker
paste. Here also in the early morning
each guest takes his tub bath and washe
his daily supply of linen and cotton.
Life begins in these strange caravan
series at 6, when the proprietor or CLERK
opens the front door and sends out fol-
the breakfast material. These comprise
rice, fish, pork, bread, and vegetables.
The dodgers next put in an appearance,
crawling out of their hunks, still drowsJ
with sleep or sleep-giving drugs. A pail
of water and a coarse rag in the kitchen
soon restore the circulation of the body
and fit one and all for the morning
meal. This is made of the articles de.
scribed, but cooked in ways very differ.
ent from those employed in civilized
circles. The rice is plain boiled, the FISK
boiled or stewed and served with IN ar.
omatic sauce in which ginger, cloves,
n red pepper are prominent factors;
the pork and vegetables are chopped
into thin pieces and sewcd together.
The drinks employed are hot md cold
tea, and sometimes minute quantities OF
strong arrack or rice brandy. After
breakfast many Of the dodgers depart fol-
their daily work. Among these early
birds are cigar-makers, clerks, peddlers,
and shipping nncr Those who re.
main are usually seamen, merchants, gam.
blers, and agents. These after their re-
past light a cigar or cigarette, opium OF
hasheesh, and take ''solid comfort" TO-,
an hour or more. Those who have liter.
airy tastes lie down in their hunks and
read, for, strange to say, most orientals
assume a r~ccumbent attitude when read.
ing or studying; those who desire ex.
element resort to dominoes and other
games Of chance, while the majority
simply smoke and "swap Stories" At
noon a second meal is served similar to
breakfast, but including besides soups
and stews, in which macaroni and YER
micelli are chief features. At 5 O'Clock
dinner is given. It is like it's predeccs-
sors in the articles served, on there is
moro Of them and all are more highly
spiccd and seasoned. housekeeping
and bed-making occur usually between
breakfast and lunch, and arc very prim-
tive in character. The beds rs described
are hunks or shelves covered wi tn
white Canton mating and the pillows
wooden footrests. The man of all work
simply spongcs off bed and pillow alike
with a sponge dipped in water contain
ing a little chloride of lime or eau de
j~avelle, and allows the heat of the room
to dry them off. This novel way Of
making beds has one advantage. 1t
dlsinfects room and inmate and DESTROYS
whatever vermin there may be about.
In the evening the guests resort, one
after one, to narcotics, and at midnight
nearly all arc sound asleep.
No sight is more impressive or fesrful
than one of these living-rooms ut 10 or
10 p. IN. The dark floor and ceilings,
the gloomy and grimy furniture, the
single lamp, Pickering and smoking on
the table, the silence, md everywhere
the hunks, each containing a man co urt,
ing slumber through some narcotic drug
make up a strange picture. You enter
the apartment and each inmate turns
towards you-the Javanese fcrccly and
swiftly, the Hindu curiously and
slowly, and the Cochlnese with the
lethargy of death. Every face belongs
to an unfamiliar or unknown race; every
article is a sealed book. A word from
the proprietor and the eyes leave your
face and resume their former occupa-
tions.
Here and there at times are attempts
at ornament. The black statue of Rama,
worshipped in Ceylon, the bronze image
of Buddha, the allegorical portraits of
Health, Plenty, and Strength of Confu-
cius, the c~rucifix of European faith, and
even the sharks and tigers teeth of the
Malay, are attached to the wall or dis
played on some ~fragmcntary mantelpiece.
The proprietor of n of these places
said: eft dosen't cost much to live. ]
can board a man for 81. rs a week-pcr-
! haps even less. I don't make much
money on my board, but do on to-
bacco, opium, and hasheesh. My folks
drink a very little; not so much as
10 cents a day. When they go off on a
spree they order a fashionable din
ner and eat all they can hold. Then they