The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-03
HOTEL LIFE IN CHINA.
COMPANIONS WHO SMOKE AND
EAT PEANUTS.

Sleeping OH a Ride Bench Covered with
Reed Mats and Provided with Wooden
PilIow-Biif Of Fare for supper--A
Wakeful Night.
An official in big tortoise shell spectacleS
examines my passport, reading II slowly
and deliberately aloud in peculiar sing
song tones 10 the crowd who listen with
all absorbing attention He then orders
the people 10 direct me toa certain hlttlm,
or inn This iun blossoms forth upon my,
AS vet, unaccustOmed vision as pecu-
liarly vile and dingy little howell, smoke
blackened and untidy as village smithy
Half dozen rude benches covered with
reed mats and provided with uheomi0rt-
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 industrionsiy
emitting the pipe The combined fumes
Of opium and tobacco are well nigh I'M
bearable, but there is 10 alternative. The
next bench to mine IS occupied by peri
patetic vendor OF drugs and medicines.
Most OF his time is consumed in smoking
)pium in dreamy oblivion 10 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 or
pigeon English 10 a dozen Of simon pure
Cantonese In q spirit Of friendlness he
tenders me the freedom Of his pipe and It
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
and smoke aud eat peanuts Mosquitoes
likewise contribute 10 the general induce
ment 10 keep awake, and after the others
have finally lain down my ancient next
neighbor produces a small mortar and
pestle and buses himself in pounding
drugs. For this operation lac assumes a
pair of large round epcctacie5 that m
the dimly lighted apartment and its noe
turnal associations are highly suggestive
of owls and CWlish 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 10 indulge IA the
luxury Of peanut
The proprietor OF the hittm seems
oyerjoyed at my hberalty as ! present
him ten cent string of tsiu for the
night l0dgin-, small a. il sounds,
this amount j. probably three or four
times more than he obtains from his Chi
nese guests.
AT ANOTHEE HOTEL.
The hittim oil Lo.pow is somewhat SUI
perior to that oi yesterday it Is two
storied building, and the proprietor nus
ties me up stairs In short order. and locks
me in. This is % prevent any possible
hostility from the crowd that Immediately
gwarns the place. for while in his house
he is ia measure held responsible iormy
treatment The bicycle is kept down
stairs. where it performs the Office Of q
vent for the rampant curiosity Of the
thousands who besiege the proprietor for
Il 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 "a limited
written vocabulary proving Invaluable As
an aid toward making ny gastrOa0mic
preferences understood \ dish Of boiled
fish, picked ginger chicken entrees,
Young onions, together with rice enough
to feed a pig, form the ingredients OF u
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 ana SO
my pocket knife performs the dual office
of knife aud fork for the roe, ole can
use, after a manner, the little porcelain
dipper, provided Tor ladlmg an evil smell
Ing liquid over that staple.
Bread, there is none ia China; rice IS
the bread Of both this country and Japan.
During the night one gets reminder OF
the bek iees OF ConstantinOple IN the per
formances of Night policeman, who
passes by al intervals loudly beating a
drum This, together with registering
mosquitoes. and too liberal indulgence
in strong tea. banshes sleep tonight
almost rs enectually as the pounding OF
the old drug vendors pestle dit nc Chun-
Kong-hoi. Thomas StG%ens in Outing