The Bossier banner., 1891-10-22
KrTEs OF THE FAR- EAST.
At Once the Envy and Despair of Civilized
Western Youth.

At Onse the Envy and Despair of Civilized
Western Youth.
One might wander about the national
museum for half a year,without taking
notice of a collection of extraordinary
Chinese Kites which are suspended over
head in the middle OF the west wing.
Nevertheless, they are well worth look
ing at, exhibiting as they do a versatile
ingenuity of device in flying apparatus
undreamed of by Europeans or Amer
leans.
The small boy of the United States,
born an inventor because he is Yam
kee, thinks he Is performing feat if he
succeeds in causing to soar a simple
pentagon of sticks and paper OF most
primitive shape, with tail of rags,
Such eontrivance, in comparison with
the scientific kites of China and Japan,
is the merest crudity, unworthy of
civilization that vaunts itself superior
to hoary and effete east, ..,.g ,rz
Can the youth of this continent afford
to confess a mechanical inferiority to
| Chinese and Japanese of equal age?
Assuredly not. And yet it must be ad-
mitted that the adolescent intelligence
of those races would regard the kites
one sees in this country with an utter
and superior contempt.
The Caucasian kite bears the same re-
lation to the Chinese flyer as is borne
| by the flint hatchet to the modern AK.
1t represents the acknowledgement of
a primary principle, improved upon by
| thought. In the collection spoken of
are kites in the shape of frogs, lizards,
cranes, owls, gigantic flies and enor-
nous locusts.
! Speaking ofSlocusts, one is reminded
of certain novel, translated from the
/ English into French in one chapter of
which there was mention of the hero's
tying his horse to locust tree in front
of the heroine's door when about to
make her visit.
Unfortunately the translator thought
that the word 'locust" referred to the
+. insect of that name, and explained the
matter in an off-haud foot-note, which
said that in the United States locusts
frequently grew to such gigantic size
that they were stuffed and utilized at
the curbstone for fastening horses to
However, that has nothing to do with
kites. .set.,.s z..: fs
Among those described at the museum
are human figures of all sorts, as well
as many queer animals of paper and
sticks, besides the ones already men
1 toned; but by far the most extraOr-
dinaryof all is kite thirty feet or more
long, in the shape of snale-like dragon.
No one but Chinaman or a Japanese
would suppose that such thing could
be flown, and yet it is known that they
float them with astonishing effective
ness.
Such kite does not in the least re-
semble any plaything of the sort known
, in this part of the world. 1t is com.
posed of number of pasteboard disks,
each foot in diameter, fastened to
gether with spaces between by a cord
running the length of the dragon, with
a ferocious-looking head.
: The string held by the manipulation o.
this extraordinary toy is attached al
J three or more points in its length, Sc
: that it may be controlled in the air.
While afoat the long tail has an un
!. dulating and serpentine motion, thu:
: producing very realistic effect.
! Kite flying has been reduced to &
science in China, where many Thousands
q of people will gather upon hill on {
!. holiday for the purpose of enjoying th'
!. sport. Many of the kites are cut loos'
:, and let go, because it is imagined tina
they float away with misfortunes tha
!, are threatening.
: The Japanese are not less superior t
: Europeans in the art of top spinning
than in that of flying kites. Their skill
! in this latter sport is at once the env
= and despair of civilized western youth
- Washington Star.