St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-04-14
SCENES IN HoNG-koNG.
Hfndoo Policemen, fesafonal Mendora
and Female H0d- Carriers.

Kong streets are the Sikh policemen
tall, fnely-built Hindoos, with tn
classic finely-cut features of that race
In summer they wear a military uni
form of white duck, and at this tim
coat and trousers of dark blue clot
with silver buttons. At all other time
their heads are wrapped up in the hug
turbans of bright red muslin. broa,
courtyard strip being wound arount
their heads in some way that they onl,
can do. The Sikhs have great au
thority over the Chinese. and at fire
they keep the schreeching heather.
roped off at good distance, and
maintain order that "our finest
might envy. Other Hindoos, in les.
snowy and more primitive clothes
pass by with the multitude, ane
on the higher terrace roads one see:
Indian ayahs, or nurses, out will
focks of little children. The ayahs'
scant winding-gowns and head cloths
are generally white. and there il
something ghostly in these slender
silent figures. The ayahs carry them
selves well. and their fipely-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
camePs 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 straight sack, buttoned
from the chin to the hem in front, and
falling straight and tight at the back
without a flap. a cross line, or 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 Parsees 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
round hair comb set on their heads
like coronet set backwards, are
matched by the Malays, who wear any
sort OF 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 a basket
Of rags and SIT by the curbstones or
in archways, recesses or doorways,
and sew away all day long. They do
not exactly darn stockings and sew on
buttons, but their labors correspond
to that. and for irifle 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 CHIT with the
professional members. and Of all Chi. |
nese women the mtnders seem to have
the pleasantest lot They are wis
looking old Bettys. all Of them. and
sometimes they wear huge horn
trimmed snectacles that make them
look like Minerals bird. To watch
them planning. and turning, and
twisting their garments and rags is
most diverting; and two old members
down the road here are beginning to
look upon me as an intending Gus
TONER from the way in which they Try
to further engage my attention each
time and display their skill The
members look down the social ladder
q great ways at the coolie women en-
ployed on public works in the streets.
but the coolie women probably find
some one further below to drop their
superior gaze upon. It jars one a
little to see women and children
carrying baskets of earth slung from
pole balanced over one shoulder. but
in this way all the digging out and
filing up of the Hong Kong hillsides
and terraces have been done. These
burden-bearers are not above the
small vanities OF the sex either, and
hey wear bracelets and anklets Of
white metal. earrings and hair orna-
nents Of imitation jade-stone. poor
Kings. One mightexpect these female
to be careless OF. on in
liferent to. the charm of a delicate
but they are human and
eminine even in that point, and to
he edge of their fat coolie hats they
ew deep founce of blue cotton that
lutters about their ugly faces after the
anne manner as the priceless lace
uffie Of her garden hat that shades
he face of the Empress Eugene in
Vinterhalter's famous portrait Of that
ovely woman. Cor 81. Louss Globe
Democrat. Fl
What looked like the largest,
soundest. and longest
valnut log ever foated down the Cum
o..1o nj nI,o5 N,.l.r:lf. II. -