Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31
LIKE ANTS In A HILL.
ONE CAN SCARCELY REALIZE THE
POPULATION OF CHINA.

Consul Bedloe's Impressions-MarvelIo
Manner in Which Everything Fit for
Food Is Utilized-Domestic Life of
women-Held Almost as Captiyes.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPATcH.I
Annoy, CHINA, May 1 or 23d day, Sd
moon, 17th year of Kwangsu.-I am settled
down in Annoy, and in that particular quar-
ter section known as the Island Of Ku-lang-
su. To pronounce this Oriental name cor
rectly render the first syllable of the word
like the call of dove in love; the second as
if it were the middle word of the good Scotch
phrase Auld Lang Syne, and the third like
the terminating vowel in Mountain Dew.
1t will be seen from this that the Annoy
language is simple and euphonious. In fact,
it is the simplest of the many Mongolian
dialects, and to the ears of all Europeans,
the most musical. Any word may have
eight tones, three of which are indistin-
guishable by our race and five of which are
clear-cut and effective. To hear an Annoy
gentleman talking would drive an amateur
elocutionist to despair with envy. It is
like chime of bells. Every syllable in
the tongue closes with a vowel, and none Of
the compound consonants so common to
European languages is ever employed
Americas Enormous Shipping Interests.
American commerce is not as lively as in
former years nor as I might wish. take
personal as well as patriotic interest in the
matter, as every Yankee craft increases con.
sular income. There were only six here in
the year 1890, and thus far 1891 has. seen
none. These figures seem small, but they
are larger than those of Corea, Honolulu,
Samoa, Kamschatka, and several other great
maritime powers. But it is very lucky for
the hardy mariners of Europe that we do
not engage more largely in seafaring.
At the present moment we are giving
profitable employment to British, German,
Chinese, Malay, Dutch, Lascar, Scandinav-
ian and other races in transporting millions
of pounds of tea, sugar, rice, silk, frecrack-
ers and works of art from the effete East to
the land of the Stars and Stripes. Were
we to do it ourselves it would throw these
industrious foreigners out of job and put
an end to two-thirds of the commerce of
Europe. In days when Commodore Perry
and his fleet sailed the Asiatic seas, our
ships dotted these waters and our flag foated
everywhere. Our merchants controlled the
markets and amassed the great fortunes
which their descendants are now ENJOYING.
But this is ancient history and the thrifty
Yankee is.now practical stranger in the
Flowery kingdom.
Sea Business Of the Cinnamon.
The giant commerce between this Empire
and our own land and the magnificent
profits derived thereupon belong to nations
who have nothing in common with the |
Chinese or with us. Contrary to the state
ments of mendacious travellers, the Chinese |
do as much maritime commerce as any |
European nation. The bay Of Annoy is al |
ways crowded with native craft. The YES |
sells are not very handsome, but they are |
very cheap. They begin with the sampan, |
which is half scow and half gondola. 1t |
carries from to 20 passengers and can |
neither capsize nor founder It's owner |
lives in it, having miniature stove and |
pantry, using the floor as bed and making |
a nightly roof out of a bamboo mat. He |
pays $12 for the sampan when new, spends |
81 year in Frightening up the scarlet,
gold and green paint with |
which it is decorated, and charges cents to |
ferry passenger mile.
Then come the freight sampans, which |
range in size from a Whitehall boat to an !
SO-foot lighter. They bring tea, brick, tiles,
terra Gotta and produce to Annoy and carry !
away merchandise A vast fleet of fishing |
boats is the next to be noticed. They are |
clumsy and fragile things in appearance, |
but in reality are strong, swift and sea-
going. Their occupants fish with trawl or |
dragnets, which they fasten to the stern, and |
are always successful. What they catch is |
thrown into water tanks aboard and
Delivered Alive at the Fish Market.
A coolie, with bamboo red gently, but !
constantly, stirs the fish to keep them alive
till sold. Still larger than the fishing
smaeks are the great trading junks, which I
in build and rig resemble the Spanish gal |
vast structures of bamboo, rattan and soft,
light wood. The sails are constructed Of |
grass mating, stifened with bamboo ribs,
and, when set, look like bats wings These