, 1888-09-27
CHINESE ODDITIES
THE EXCITEMENT CAUSED BY THE
ADVENT OF a FOREIGNER

Houses-Beds and Furniture,
1 called them good humored, but a
stranger would not think SO, if he saw
them for the first time. On the contrary,
the, state of things seems to be bordering
ma riot. The amount of energy that
lies latent in a Chinaman, waiting to be
developed and manifested by a discussion
of cash, is simply ~incalculable. AS we
coolly regard this throng of half dressed,
yellow colored people, we see chance &C
quaintances who nave run against one
another for half an hour, screaming their
loudest, with distorted cou~ntenances and
violent gesticulations, apparently threat
ening immediate death to those who differ
from them. 1t seems incredible that the
subject is of no more Importance han
whether a sack of potatoes or basket of
fish shall be half a farthing more or less.
Imagine our coming suddenly into such
a crowd III a short serge jacket and big
sun hat, under which is a pale face and
beard. If the place is one where foreign
ers are occasionally seen, they will look
up, say "Hwan-kui" Foreign ghost(, and
after a few moments resume their en-
ployment as though we were not there.
II, however, foreigners are almost I'M
known in those parts, we know perfectly
well that we shall have no peace except
such as we can secure by means of a little
maneuvering. Sometimes the landlord
appears pleased to receive us. but now
and then he seems to think we take up
too much room, with the crowd who stand
round to look at us. 1t is very entertain
ing to observe how excited such a crowd
often becomes by the advent of a for
eigner. and how rapidly the news spreads
to neighboring houses tina a foreign
ghost" has arrived. Mine host stands
and threatens terrible things, which he
has not the smallest intention of carrying
into execution. For half an hour he will
shout and gesticulate, entreating the IN
tutored herd to remember the proprieties
and not crowd in SO much upon the for
eign gentleman.
A FOREIGNER AT HIS MEAL.
The point of greatest interest is always
reached when the traveller begins his meal.
he has carried with him all he wants with
the exception of rice, potatoes, hot water
and one or two other things. The laying
out of plates, knives and forks is a great
mystery. Much questioning goes on as
to the way of using them. They beg to
know the reason why we prefer to employ
a man to carry all our apparatus for din
ner, instead of using their bowls and
chop sticks. The spoon and fork. appar-
emily made of solid silver, greatly aston
ishes them, and the traveller is ready
enough to own that they are not silver at
all. When we lift our food to our mouth,
many hands move in a similar way, as
they say quietly to one another, Look
He is doing like thisl" Standing so
closely around our small table that we
feel Inconvenience, we entreat them to
give us breathing room while we dine, and
afterward we will talk to them. Many
voices break forth with pleasure at our
speaking to them. THE foreigner
speaks our words, says one; Yes, let
him eat" says another; Stand back, you
man without propriety," says a third,
whose zeal for good manners is evidently
due only to his desire to secure a front
place.
AT such a time one is almost always
questioned in the same way. The most
trivial and ridiculous questions are asked.
The inquiries they make of a foreigner are
u as they commonly make among
themselves. How far is it to your an
cestral home? Are your venerable parents
hving2 How many sons ave your Was
your linen made in China or in England?
How do you get it SO whiteP How are
marriages arranged among the foreign
children2 What is your income2"
A little mild banter is much appreciated
by the crowd, but brings out a more rapid
fusillade of questions. In the country
places about Annoy l AVE been asked very
frequently, Where is the country wher7
the people nave one leg?-one arm?-one
wv bAA4 NAASAo NhCl o4O OlAI "
Have you seen these lands?" What the
origin of these notions is it is hard to say.
Perhaps some Chinese Baron Munchausen
or Dean Swift wrote q burlesque boob of
travels, which has in the course of time
been accepted as authentic by a people
who have for so many centuries stayed at
home.
INNS on THE E ROADS.
In China every traveller carries his bed
1inn with HIM. Il, {ha lor4ir,n ~ In1-1 -
pack the cart, or is laid, by way of sad
die, upon the ass. The traveller may
count himself fortunate if he can find in
some Mutual Prosperity or Heavenly
Union hostel a tolerable room in which to
rest. On the great roads, and the recog-
nized stages, the ms are pretty sure to
be decent, but elsewhere they are often
wretched.
In those of the better sort there is gen
orally an eating house or tea shop on one
side of the large door leading into the
yard. The shop faces the street, and is
connected with the cook house and pri-
vate rooms of the landlord. At this end,
too, are the rooms occupied by the carriers
and others. Passing through the great
door, the visitor finds himself in n large
unpaved yard with buildings all round it.
On one side are, perhaps, six or eight
guest rooms, little boxes about twelve
feet square,, with paper in place of glass
for windows, doors which do not fit, and
through the openings of which wind and
dust find their way.
A very rickety old chair and an equally
decrepit table are the only furniture, the
bed being simply a brick or mud plat
form filing nearly half the little room
and raised about two feet from the floor.
Underneath it is a fue, into which, In
cold weather, dry grass or other fuel ia
pushed and fred, the heat and smoke pass
ing in a zigzag line just under the sur
face of the couch, and finally escaping up
q vent in the wall. Other fireplace there
is none; and if, as often happens, the
chimney should be foul the warmed bed
is but a poor compensation for smarting
ewes and partial suffocation. But thern