The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28

Every boatman on the move shouts to
every other boatman to get out of his way.
Every one of the thousand vendors of rats,
cats and vegetables, steWed into soups or
made into pies, hammer small gong and
yell out their bill of fare River BARRIERS
scull through the throng and hammer on
an iron plate Every old woman in every
boat is abusing every other old woman in
every other boat, occasionally varying the
amusement by
YELLING TO HER HUSBAND
or chastising one of her dozen children
which are crawling about The little deck
tied 10 gourds as ife-buoys in case they
fall overheard.
At times. under the rice-str8w canopy of
a boat L could see a tiny shrine sheltering
tiny idol; the dull wo den eyes glazing
Stolidly at Sandal-wood taper shoulder
ing at its feet and l knew the occupants Of
that boat were trying TO appease the wrath
OF some river-haunting god. The poorest
and meanest of all the boats were two or
three fragments of lumber patched to-
gether with bamboo thongs aud the pitiable
wretenes who clung to these seemed ever
on the alert and ever to have hunting or
a hunted look.
My guide, an intelligent Chinese, who
spoke English huently, whom had christ
ened Young HysOu, was sent after a
1 sedan chair and four carriers TO 90 through
/ the main city. He thought two men
enough, but four Was insisted on and furn-
iShed; the price and route was agreed
upon, after which informed them ali my
! funds and even my watch had been left in
/ care of the purser Of the steamer; hence,
| | could not pay until the contract was com
pleted and Twas returned TO the boat. That
| settled it, and had five able bodied Mon
goliaus determined TO see me through at all
hazards.
Canton has been called the strangest of
all cities, and more Chinese than China; in
1t there 10 no street over nine feet wide, so
| OF course, no horse or vehicle is ever seen.
( The many miles of shops have uniform
width of sixteen feet and varying depth;
/ the fronts are open full, no glass appear
( ing, and nothing save the vigllant eye of
the storekeeper appears to keep off
I thieves. There are numerous temples
and pagodas, the incense from which
/ mini led with the exhalatiOns of the super
heated sofia yellowish, graveyard color
J the sewers, streets, itinerary restaurants,
I opium smoking and last, but by no means
least, the odOr of meteorological these
I combined produce a boqueG that the
traveller may refuse TO appreciate but can
not ignore. One temple contains the gilded
statues Of 500 gods, life size," and no two
alike IN features, they claim.
THE TEMPLE OF HORRORS
contains craven images representing all
the phases of Chinese punishment, and
these are many and cruel The yard where
criminals are tortured and beheaded is
open 10 any passer by, and 1 was fol-
lowed in by a motley horde. a few
of whom yelled, "Foreign DEVIL Foreign
devip and something else, probably ribald
abuse OF some kind; they are vile in Ian
guage and Yiler in inuendo. My guide says
the execution yard is occupied also by a
company of potterS who, on the occasion OF
my visit, were making water vessels. The
blood of a criminal beheaded the day be-
fore lay in half-dried pools on the ground
al my feet, while large jars set against an
cd shed near by, contained the preserved
and picked heads of such noted criminals
as they cared to keep above ground. Verify
IN far Catnay,
The unfenced head
Soon rests among the dead.
Looking again at the olive-shaped jars, [
recalled vaguely Ali Bababa and the forty
thieves, half expecting to see the covers
glide OF and the CHASTITY, distorted heads
peer out.
Lepers are not quarantined, ana that ex-
cites no surprise when you remember that
the legaliZed commission Of a civilized
country has just decided that it is scarcely
infectious, if at all. Twice during the day
leprOsy thrust its gaCnt and scaling arms
into my very face with a mute appeal or
threat for charity. 1t was given at once in
terror of the loathsome contact.
[ became hungry, having eaten nothing
all day ana risen at daylight. With some
misg:vings about Chinese food, 1 told
Young Hyson-a better guide is not in
southern zones-to find frst-class restau-
rant and order fish and fowl cooked in
foreign style. Shortly after he led the
: way into pretentious building, and after
an hours delay, large bowl, or tureen,
containing some ''hell BROTH was set be
fore me, and as the cover was removed g
foul odor rose. Giving one swift glance
at the horrible mess, l hastily quilted the
, place and mingled again with the sesthing
crowds in the narrow streets. 1t was now
= 3 o'clock, and we turned to the river Tor
the last time. On the steamboat landing g
settlement was made, the guide re-
! ceiving SLIGO and the CO lies 40 cents
each. To these amounts a small money
{ present was added, and Young Hyson and
l separated. each esteeming the other and
I neither CHASING his friend as among those
two constantly growing castles known il
the tropic of cancer as false foreign devil;
and id Cinnamon" G. H. SMELL.