The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-01
LETTER FROM INDIA.

LETTER FROM INDIA.
Through the kindness of Mrs. Hannah Rich
ardson we are permitted to publish the following |
letter from her daughter Flora. who
started last May on trip around the World.
BOMBAY, INDIA. Nov. r. 1889.
DEAR MoTHER:A last wrote you from Hong
Kong. and before this you have doubtless receiv-
ed my letter. will try to tell you something of
China. After first sight of China we come to the
Yangtse Kiang. or Yellow river. This mighty
river often overfows, carrying desolation and
ruin inconceivable. to millions. Along its banks
browse water buffalo, cranes and goats. We
passed many Chinese Man -of-war junks and gaiiy
painted sampans All their boats have fish eyes
in their bows. to see with. as they say. No got
eye. no can see; no can see no can walkee." The
mode of conveyance in this section is the wheel
barrow. and it is very amusing to ride in one.
Hong Kong, which means " Fragrant Streams
is built on what was once barren and desolate
island. 1t was formerly the home of the chinese
pirate and centipede. and even now they are.more
plentiful than is at all pleasant. A captain of a
vessel came in to dinner one day. where we were
staying and said that he and three others had
just ped having their heads cut off by pirates
who had come aboard as passengers, but were
discovered just in time. Their plan is to kill the
white men. rob the ship and then burn it. They
were sent to Foochow, as it occurred in Chinese
waters. and the next day had their heads chopped
of, put in cages and placed in a public position.
as a warning to others.
The Chinese are not nearly so picturesque as
the japanese. Where the one is liberal. joyous
and approachable the other is sordid. morose and
isfa Thair sofn 80 oil
ship. They say. THE good God is too good to
harm u.s. it is the bad god must try to please" !"
Every boat and house has shrine before which
joss sticks constan tly burn. On the bank of the
Canton river we saw a woman and family dancing
and yelling like mad around pole. at the top of
which was fastened rooster. and lower down
some very disreputabIe looking clothes the en-
tire concern she was offering Qui (the deviD for
good crop of rice.
Their funerals are very noisy affairs. The devil
is supposed to be watching at the door for the
soul of the deceased. and to outwit him a bamboo
scafold is built up to the window, which is some
times three stories high. and the corpse taken out
that way; the cortege then starts. with live
white rooster fastened to the coffin, the hired
mourners crying and wailing. the man in front
footing his horn, the corpse with a canopy of
violet silk high bamboo scaffold, carried by
about sixty coolies; lastly. roasted meat-if
wealthy roast pig-fruit and other refreshments
All this is done at a little dog-trot. The cofins
are made of heavy plank and cost sometimes as
high as $4,000. and are frequently bought by the
future occupant and used as an ornament to his
home until wanted. &--.
Labor is considered degraded and as mark of
being exempt from it. both sexes wear finger
nails almost as long as their fingers. in fact. l
saw one have his little finger nail wrapped around
his wrist. Small feet among women are also
signs of gentilty, being from three to four inches
long. but disgusting looking.
The Chinese are cry cruel in all their punish
ments; for parricide. criminals sliced to death
for robbery they are placed in casks. with only
the head out, and allowed to starve unless some
one through charity feeds them. Petty criminals
have board collars about four feet square around
their necks. Witnesses are confined" in jail the
same as a criminal. They are naturally cruel.
While we were there commander of one of the
regiments caught his servant in the act of steal
ing his watch. whereupon he had one of the poor
unfortunate's eyes torn out and the other blinded
by hot iron.
Here you can realize what the word poverty
means. The ordinary coolie is as homeless as q
wild bird. and with as few possessions. Thousands
lie down where night overtakes them, and SUBJ
sist on what chance throws in their way. The
only thing picturesque in China is the Sedan
chair. When you are borne by eight coolies with
stately. rythmatic step. the chair uuduating with
the step. you have feeling ofluxuriousness that
no other mode of conveyance can produce.
After leaving hong Kong we next anchored ut
Singapore. another English port. almost On the
equator. where vegetation revels in exuberance.
As far as the eye Gin reach groves of cocoanut
trees and pineapple plants extend in profuse ar
ray. When our vessel reached the wharf we were
surrounded by black. naked Malays. in small
canoes. all shouting 'Habadibe," "habadibe, u
which means. have a dive Throw piece OF
silver into the water and instantly fifty pairs OF
black legs are thrown into the air. Down into
the water they CO. and sure as fate one of them
has it whe he comes to the surface. and then
they resume the cry of Habadibe."
But it is at Ceylon, the " Isle of Spices" and
the home of fbalmy breezes. where the picturesque
Orient begins to be seen. Color is the prevailing
feature everywhere. red predominating. Their
clothes ars very much as if they had wrapped a
tablecloth around them. You see here the mild
looking Cingalese. whom you cannot possibly
tell from women, with his hair in knot behind.
and a round tortoise comb on top of his head.
The martial looking Tamil strides along, his eb-
ony skin, velvety. glistening and set off with gold
and silver ornaments; the Hndoo. with white
paint on his forehead; the fierce looking Sighks
from Northern India. all in different eolors. all
ornamen ted. as they crowd and surge along. make
wonderful panorama. 1t is like a page from
the Arabian Nights. and you fad yourself look
ing for Ali Baba or Cassim. Bullock carts are
everywhere. the Indian cattle are used. We also
saw small horses in ghurries, which we rode in.
Some bullocks are as fast as the horse
Here nature does her utmost in the way of veg
etation. Cinnamon tthe leaf and bark which
enclosed tea. coffee. pepper, india rubber tree,
castor oil beans. chocolate tree (cocoa) and bread
fruit, besides many more grow here as common
as our plebean potatoes.
The islands of HongKong, Singapore and Cey-
Ion are composed of decomposed granite of a
pinkish color, and with the luxurious vegetation
and their roads. which are as level as a floor.
make the place heaven on earth. We drove
out to the Cinnamon gardens and called on ARABIA
Pasha. the Egyptian patriot. He is state pris
oner. but of course lives like Prince. He was
much pleased to see US. and after showing US his
beautiful place. gave US bouquets. Ifhe has been
ousted from Egyptian politics, he has the salts
faction of living in as near earthly Paradise as
our trouble-ladened planet will permit. There
is legend among the natives that Adam and
Eve were banished to this island after being
turned out of the Garden of Eden.
1 have piece of the palace of the King eff Siam.
given me by lady to whom he gave six pieces /:
it is gold leaf
Yours lovingly.
LETTER FROM OREGON.