The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-03-23
HOTEL LIFE In CHINA.
COMPANIONS WHO SMOKE AND
EAT PEANUTS.
Sleeping on % Rude Beneh Covered with
Reed Mats and Provided with Wooden
Piiiow--Biu of Fare for Supper-A
wakeful Night.

Sleeping on % Rude Beneh Covered with
Reed Mats and Provided with Wooden
Piiiow--Biu Of Fare for supper-A
wakefui Night.
An official in big tortoise shell spectacles
examines my passport, reading 1t slowly
and deliberately aloud In peculiar sing
song tones to the crowd, who listen with
all absorbing attention. He then orders
the people to direct me to Il certain hittim,
or inn. This inn blossoms forth upon my,
as yet, unaccustomed vision as a pecu-
liarly vile and dingy little hovel, smoke
blackened and untidy as a village smithy.
Half dozen rude benches covered with
reed mats and provide with uncomfort-
able wooden pillows, represent what sleep
ing accommodations the place affords.
Several other dodgers occupy the room
In common with myself; some are smok-
ing tobacco and others are industrously
''hitting the pipe" The combined fumes
Of opium and tobacco are well nigh un-
bearable, but there is no alternative The
next bench to mine is occupied by peri
patetic vendor OF drugs and medicines.
Most of his time is consumed in smoking
opium in dreamy oblivion to all else, save
the sensuous delights embodied in that
operation itself. Occasionally, however,
when preparing for another smoke, he adj
dresses me at length in about one word of
pigeon English to a dozen of simon pure
Cantonese. In spirit Of friendliness he
tenders me the freedom of his pipe and a
| little box of OPIUM, which is, of course,
declined with thanks"
MORTAR AND PEsTLE.
Long into the midnight hours my gar
| rulous companions sit around and talk
| aud smoke and eat peanuts. Mosquitoes
| likewise contribute to the general induce
ment to keep awake; and after the others
| have finally lain down my ancient next
| neighbor produces a small mortar and
| pestle and busies himself in pounding
| drugs. For this operation he assumes a
pair of large, round spectacles that in
| the dimly lighted apartment and its noe
! turnal associations are highly suggestive
of owls and owlish wisdom. The ole
| quack works away at his mortar regard
less of the approach of daybreak now and
then pausing to adjust the wick in his lit
tie saucer of grease, or to indulge in the
luxury of peanut.
The proprietor of the hittim seems
overjoyed at my liberality as j present
him ten cent string of tsin for the
nights lodgings. Small as it sounds,
| this amount is probably three or four
times more than he obtains from his Chi
nese guests.
! AT ANOTHER HOTEL.
The hittim of Lo-pow is somewhat SUI
perior to that of yesterday; it is a two
storied building, and the proprietor hus-
| ties me up stairs in short order, and locks
me in. This is to prevent any possible
hostility from the crowd that Immediately
swarms the place, for while in his house
he Is in measure held responsible for my
treatment. The bicycle is kept down
stairs, where it performs the office of a
vent for the rampant curiosity of the
thousands who besiege the proprietor for
peep at myself.
A little cup and teapot Of hot tea is
brought me at once, and my order taken
for supper; the characters on limited
written vocabulary proving invaluable as
an aid toward making my gastronomic
preferences understood. A dish of boiled
fish, picked ginger, chicken entrees,
young onions together with rice enough
to feed a pig, form the ingredients of a
very good Chinese meal. Chop sticks are,
Of course, provided; but as yet, my dex
terity in the manipulation of these articles
is decidedly of the negative order, and SC
my pocket knife performs the dual Office
of knife and fork; for the rice, one car
use, after manner, the little porcelain
dipper, provided for ladling an evil smell
ing liquid over that staple.
Bread, there is none in China; rice i!
the bread of both this country and Japan
During the night one gets reminder o
the bek-jees of Constantinople in the per
formances of night policeman, whit
passes by at intervals loudly beating
drum. This, together with registering
mosquitoes, and too liberal indulgenc
in strong tea, banishes sleep to-nigh
almost as effectually as the pounding o
the old drug vendors pestle did at Chun
Kong-hoi. Thomas Stevens in Outing