The Grenada gazette., 1888-04-21
SCENES IN HONG.KONG.
Uindoo Policemen, Profexsfonai Members
and Female Hod- Carriers.

Kong streets are the Sikh policemen,
tall, finely-buils Hindoos, with the
classic, finely-cut features Of that race.
In summer they wear military uni
form of white duck, and at this time
coat and trousers of dark blue cloth
with silver buttons At all other times
their heads are wrapped upin the huge
turbans OF bright red muslin. broad
four-yard strip being wound around
their heads in some way that they only
can do. The Sikhs have great au-
thority over the Chinese, and at fires
they keep the schreeching heathens
roped off at a good distance, and
maintain order that ''our finest"
might envy. Other Hindoos, in less
snowy and more primitive clothes,
pass by with the multitude, and
on the higher terrace roads one sees
Indian ayahs. or nurses, out with
focks of little children. The ayahs'
scant winding gowns and ad-cloths
are generally white. and there is
something ghostly in these slender,
silent figures. The ayahs carry them
selves well, and their tinely-cut noses
and gazelle eyes show what fine and
noble race they spring from.
The Parsees, with their black horse
hair, chimney-pot hats with step in
the crown, and their close turbans OF
came's hair exquisitely woven and
embroidered with fine gold thread,
and their protruding eyes. are the
most serious beings in existence, yet
they suggest something comic to one.
1t may be all in the cut of their coats.
which are II straight sack, buttoned
from the chin to the hem in front. and
falling straight and tight at the back
without flap, cross-line, or a curved
seam. This coat reaches nearly
to the knees. and the man has some.
thing the look of wearing coffin. In
each of the side seams under the arms
there is pocket hole. and altogether
the Parsee's Prince Albert is fine
caricature on that garment of day.
light ceremony. Cingalese, with their
one big bandana-sort of handker-
chief or table-cloth wrapped about
them for petticoat. and child's
found hair comb set on their heads
like a coronet set backwards. are
matched by the Malays. who wear any
sort of a costume that they have been
able to gather up.
To my mind the unique feature Of
Hong Kong streets are the profes.
sional members or sewing women.
ugly, old Chinese women. with half.
dwarfed feet. who come out in the
morning with low stools and basket
of rags and sit by the curbstones or
in archways, recesses or doorways,
and sew away all day long. They dc
not exactly darn stockings and sew on
buttons, but their labors correspond
to that. and for trihe y poor work.
man can have his tattered coat
patched and mended or his old
garments made over. Peddlers Of
oranges. of dry goods, lamps, toys and
fancy wares stop bowling their wares
through the streets to chat with the
professional members. and of all Chi.
nese women lhe members seem to have
the pleasan lest lot They are WISE
looking old Bettys, all of them, and
sometimes they wear huge horn
trimmed spectaces that make them
look like I1inerva's bird. To watcl
them planning. and turning, and
twisting their garments and rags is
most diverting; and two Old members
down the road here are beginning tc
look upon me as an intending cas-
toner, from the way in which they Try
to further engage my attention eacl
time and display their skill. The
members look down the social ladder
great ways at the coolie women en-
ployed on pubic works in the streets
but the coolic women probably fine
some one further below to drop thei
superior gaze upon. 1t jars one ;
little to see women and children
carrying baskets of earth slung from
pole balanced over one shoulder, bu
in this way all the digging out ane
filling up of the Hong Kong hillside
and terraces have been done Ihes'
burden-bnarers are not above tn
small vanities of the sex either, an.
they wear bracelets and anklets "
white metal. earrings and hair orna
ments Of imitation jnde-stono. poo
things One might expect these femaI
he'd carriers to be careless OF, or in
different to, the charm of adelicat
complexion; but they are human an'
feminine even in that point. and +
the edge Of their fiat coolie hats the,
\ sew a deep tlounce of blue cotton tina
\ futters about their ugly faces after tn
.N sme manner as the priceless lac
Gle of her garden hat that shade
face of the Empress Eugene il
terhalter's famous portrait Of tina
woman. - Cor. 81. Louis GLOBE
rat