The broad ax., 1898-07-02

INC f0Ey OI1SlnAl
idea Of bringing back with him a rec
ord In actual photographs OF curious
sights and manners and customs which
he had seen in very remote parts Of the
celestial empire. In many Of the plac-
IS where Mr.. Thomson went the ma
tves had never set eyes on a pale-faee
stranger, or foreign devil, as he was
termed.
The sights In the village were char
acteristic Of quaint civilization Mr..
reed fires which glimmered from open
doorways, and sparkled in the oyster
shell windows" II seems that oyster
shells. greatly reduced in thickness tn
they become semi-transparent. are std
used in many parts Of China as a sub
stitute for glass. The shells are framed
In small squares and fixed In the win
dows Of the houses. As Mr.. Thorn
sons boat glided up the Yangtze river.
he beheld on the banks huts made Of
pine branches, and on the river itself
pine RATS Of enormous size, carrying
small village on their decks. Some
queer fishermen were also seen. They
fshed VIGOROUSLY, as II were, that
is to say, by means Of offers. These
animals were attached to the boats by
long cords. and they gently pushed by
their proprietors.
"China," Mr.. Thomson says, "swarms
with beggars. There are many grades
Of course, but the worst class are the
outlaws who recognize no chief, and
who live In holes or novels about bur
the fellows in a Chinese city Of the
dead, deposited temporarily in mortu-
lighthouses or tombs until a suitable
place OF interment has been found.
These fellows had established a kind
Of begging firm or company, under the
control Of lusty chief, who had Just
concluded q hearty meal, and who was
standing outside enjoying pipe. They
had now laid aside their daily coun-
terfeits Of disease and deformity, and
were laughing merrily and having q
good time generally. The principal
jester OF the party was a man who, In
the daytime, made a good thing Of 1t
by posing as a man driving an az
into his head. Which, needless to say,
was the Interest humbug."
On the great rock one can distinctly
see certain observation-disclosures char
acters arranged In the usual long col
umns. II seems that In and around
the harbor Of Annoy there are many
rocks of bold and striking appearance.
Strange to say, On the surface Of the
most prominent Of these. inscriptions
of all kinds are to be seen. These in
scriptions usually relate to incidents
Of local interest or tradition.
The Manchus, like the Chiness, make
provision for their own decease when
they are advanced in years. In due
time they decide what kind of comm
shall carry their remains to the grave,
and. IL they can AFFORD IT, they will
have one made Of Szechuan wood, cost
ing as much as $500 of our money.
Banners and other paraphernalia used
at a Manchu funeral, however, are
unite different from the Chinese. The
hired banner-men who take part in the
funeral procession are usually beggars
dressed up by the undertaken for the
purpose. In the event Of the under
taker refusing to have anything to do
with them they will actually rush on
ahead Of the cortege, and pitch them
selves into the grave, declaring their
readiness to be buried alive rather than
be done out Of job!
Strangely enough. any man in China