The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-06-01
|HINESE ETIQUETTE.
n icA1E WORK FOR A MONGOLlAN
MASTER OF CEREMONIES.

3Ssss1s. Designate Rank-Confusion Occa-
sgsSIs .ss,o oned by the Purchase of Insignias.
;SS ..Nothing is more complicated than
A35IS Sinese etiquette" said DR.. Edward
adloe, ex-consul to Annoy. IA master
$s Debrett and Burke is a novice beside
{ Celestial master of ceremonies. Never
bless the latter's system is definite, if
4 aborate, and he has many official land
S,sK S Karks whereby to shape his course One
w the most important of these is the
\ xntton which is worn by every mandarin
Il n the top of his hat. Each of the nine
ss@1 INKS has it's particular button, and the
cond degree of the first and second
||88 INKS are also marked by separate but
81 ns. The official list is as follows:
u ss4First Rank-First degree, light coral red
ii 1ntton; second degree, deep coral red button.
& ss.Second Rank-First degree, light crimson
i3natton. second degree, dark crimson button
III s.Third Rank-Both, light clear blue.
1gs~Fourth Rank-Dark prussian blue.
ssssSAs~Ftfth-Q Quartz. glass or crystal
aas.aasSixth-0paque white.
.seyenth and Eighth-Gilded, yellow or gold
ANinth-Si or silver white.
N ..It will be seen that a red button in
Rcates high rank. The rank in general
a personai rather than official Thus,
~ example, taotatship is an Office of
ne third rank, and it's button is light,
q hear blue Yet many taotatis, if not a
n Majority Of the class, are decorated with
I'd buttons. 1t even happens that per-
& pn of the second rank, through mlstor-
Il nne or political vicissitudes, will hold
S "a Office of the fifth or sixth rank. In such
4 u case he would still wear his red button,
md in many official events would be
& 1receded by an official of dark blue or
rystal button. For this reason it is
xften very difficult to tell the official
Ink Of mandarins by their buttons.
Tor is the difficulty lessened by the en-
~ MIroidered insignia upon the wearing ap-
arel. This is more elaborate than the
uttons, but, like the latter, does not
6scriminate between rank and position.
Esz8 ITO overcome the difficulty the Chi
csc resort to several expedients. One is
d he card on which is written full state
A lent Of the owners rank, degree and
pstion. Such card in English might
BAD Smith, haronet, judge of session,
)evcn. Another consists of having the
hme facts painted upon the lanterns
ID nth which all chairs are provided.
hese can be read with equal ease day
night The third is used for the in
brmation of the public and consists in
eying the name and all titles carved
ID large. bold characters on long red
rlg r,rbsal s,nry.iaI hN rn1l1Dc
a [anlarlns who have received many hon
ISGrs will frequently have as many as 20
& "a these red boards Where an official
i kas retired from service he is still en-
tiled to place these boards at the en-
rance Of his residence. A fourth mode
esembles the preceding and applies to
INKS or vessels in which a mandarin
favels. The characters are written
1pon flags, which are fastened to the
hast and elsewhere in lieu Of ordinary
uniting. When the present governor
1T Formosa left Shanghai on the steamer
Il mith, no less than 30 banners Of this
81 lass were flung to the breeze from tbs
r basts and other parts of the boat
.'The embroidered insignias Of rank
: nd position are placed upon the front
I'D back Of official robes. They must
of the finest workmanship and SO well
kecuted as to show the design clearly
I'D accurately. The general design for
civil officer is bird, and for a mill
Try official a quadruped animal. The
(vil list is Us follows. ranks and not de-
Fees being Disseminated:
"First-A Mantchoorian crane. Second-A
plden pheasant. Third-A peacock. Fourth
"A wild goose. FifthA silver pheasant.
g xth-A young egret. Seventh-A quail.
+ aghth-A long tailed jay. Ninth-An orioe.
''The military list runs:
"First-A unicorn. Second-A lion. Third
leopard. Fourth-A tiger. Fifth-A black
bar. Sixth-A tiger cat. Seventh-A notified
lar Eighth-A seal. Ninth--A rhinoceros.
"These insignias have been used from
me immemorial, while the buttons are
creation Of the Mantchoo conquerors Of
T. nina. 1t is a singular fact that both
be lion and the rhinoceros are strangers
the latter country. The limit OF their
abitat seems to be the Ganges and to
Rve been SO since the tertiary period.
he knowledge Of these animals by the
hinese was acquired long before the
hristian era. when large fleets of junks,
Ryal, pirate or commercial went fro1n
anton to nearly every port in Hlndoo-
an and often brought back these and
her wild beasts alive.
"A cause Of confusion i'll the use OF
nttons and insignias lies in the ever in
easing power Of wealth to secure these
Dnors by purchase. Originally they
cant pedigree, military heroism, gener-
ship or intellectual ability, literary
nlture or eminent philanthropy. Their
Fnership indicated distinction of some