The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28
IN TIE FAR EAST
Henry Smells Experience Among
the MongOlians.
A RIDE IN A SEDAN CHAIR
Young Hyson" and g. Henry Strike q
Friendship that is Both Peculiar and
Profitable-to the Former.

HONG KONG, China, Dec. %, 1S91-rS pc
cial correspondence Of The HERALD. l.
My last letter was mailed THE HERALD
from Nagasaki, on the inland sea of japan.
That night the Ocean Tramp sailed for
China or Far Cathay," as that ancient
mariner, Marco Polo, called it. Our course
lay scross the southern end of the Yellow
sea, past the mouth of the Yang-tse-Kiang,
leaving Foo Choo and Annoy on our right
and the islands of F'ormosa on the left.
Five days later we steamed into the land
locked but treacherous harbor of Hong
Kong. Three days prior disastrous ty-
phoon had devastated the coast for miles,
sweeping 500 Chinese junks and over 700
lives off the face of the troubled waters.
The effect of that storm was felt by our
ship when three days out from Japan. 1t
looked for time as if the pounding sea
would fracture every iron plate in the
Rosetta's side. MIR. Phelps phelps,
Dodge & Palmer, Chicago,) tells me that
he walked along the beach next morning
and saw many of the bodies (Chinamen)
washed ashore.
The southeast coast of China, when APP
preached IRON the sea, presents many pc
cuharities. Across stretches of table land
rise smooth, bare and apparently inaccessi-
bic peaks, standing solitary and dreary,
while others, in masses, are as wild and
grotesque as the Tetons or the Sawtooth
range IN the Wood river region.
OF our fellow-voyagers in these waters
Dy far the greatest number OF any one
class are
MINISTERS AND MISSIONARIES,
and found them as rule not popular in
the tropics or even on the ocean liners
| which carry them to those countries.
Europeans claim that they stir up discord
among the natives, and that the so-called
conversions consist principally of the
coolie servants of the missionaries and
Europeans and a few intelligent Chinese
wins want to learn tie English language
and take that means Of doing so; while on
| the other hand the lives of the Europeans
appear to constantly offend the creed and
embarrass the efforts of the missionaries.
One of the latter has published a state
ment in the vernacular press that nearly
every European and American resident in
China keeps morganatic wife, mistress
or slsve, the latter means Chinese girl
| bought from her parents at $500 Next
can, or $240 United States cur rency; she
is then owned for lite, but her duties are
understood and are not difficult or labor.
ious.
All travellers are liars, and it seems
| wonderi III what an amount of misinforma-
ton an Industrious tramp can accumulate
if ordinary intelligence In sitting and re
iecting is not rigidly applied by con
scentious correspondent. These letters
could be made startling in their interest il
common rumor was not a common liar
In noting down few things that have
been told me, and many which | have seen
some of the habits, customs, crimes anC
superstitions of this celestial and very
dirty empire, l have chosen those which
appeared best authenticated.
The Chinese pooh-pooh any idea tina
women have souls, while the greatest care
is taken of male children, as the CHINESE
law will compel the sons TO maintain The
parents; as 10 the event of all the son!
dying, no one else would be able to offe
| that worship at the tomb of the parents OF
which their happiness in another world il
supposed TO depend. The girls of a family
are frequently sold, and the purchase O.
one or more OF them ls usually the first in.
vestment that a last woman makes of he
own earnings.
1t seems scarcely credible in a natior
that is known to be bloody, cruel and COLI
with each other how much reverence the,
bestow upon parortage-parricide is thei
highest and most unusual crime. Here il
it's punishment: A laoorer named Chan;
came home intoxicated one day, and gettin,
into quarrel with his father beat hin
about the legs with WOODEN block III
wounds suppurated and resulted in the OIL
mans death eleven days afterward. Fo
having caused his fathers death, the so
was sentenced to the punishment of tn
1876 cuts;n that means to be
SLICED TO DEATH.
A heavy, short, sharp sword is used an
the criminal is not tied; the breasts are re
moved first, requiring two cuts, the nose
ears. calves, pieces of the thighs, the hand
and feet any where, keeping as far as pos
: sible from the citadel OF life, till the poo
wretch, fainting, falls on his knees,
happily the knees are yet his, then while til
breath still tlutters on the cenched lip;
| the head is struck off at one blow and tn
blade enters the palpitating breast.
Another an insane boy killed his mothe
with a meat ak. His insanity was III
doubted and the poor wretch was deaf an
dumb besides. but Chinese law holds III
insanity is no excuse for any crime an
the unhappy murderer was cut up incn b
inch.
lnfanticideis commonest among the boa
7 ing or river population. This class is e.
} cessively surerstilious, and missionarit
say that when chiiG belonging to the
suffers from u ! Inserting malady and recoy
: cry becomes hoLaicss, tney viii put 1t
death, Deileving IL 20 De net their child bl
5 changeiing, ana that demon has take
the place of their offspring for the purpo.
1 of entaiilng expense and trouble on then
for which they could never get any return
THEY also believe that if parent be q,