The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-25
AT A CHINESE BANQUET.
Observations of the Only European Guest
at the Board.

From the London Star ....
had a novel experience the other night,
says the Stars Yokohama correspondent,
in being the sole European guest at a din
ner party attended by some six hundred
progressive Cinnamon. The occasion was
the birthday of Confucius. That sage, ac-
cording to Chinese calendars, was born
2449 years ago. Confucius has still a
strong hold on the educated Chinese and
the party of reform, of which the unfortu-
nate YangYinWei was the leader, are
particularly attached to his teachings. The
reformers, indeed, have lately been maxi
ing strenuous efforts to revive the cult of
Confucius, and this was the first time for
many years that his birthday has been
celebrated in style. Probably in China the
victorious conservatives did their best to
crush the movement but here in Yoko-
hama it was great success Nearly all
the Chinese of the place. except the lega-
ton people and the employees of the Russo
Turkish bank-who are Manchus-joined
In.
The dinner was held at the joss house,
which was a perfect blaze of Chinese lam
terms, electric light and grand dragon
flags, and crowded with Chinese in their
most brilliant silks-reds and greens and
blues of the livelest possible shades.
Seats were provided for everyone-an i'm
provement on the Japanese custom of sit
ting on ones knees-and the meal was
served on small tables to accommodate
four. The dinner commenced at $3.50
o'clock and 1t ended at II O'Clock and
there was eating and drinking the whole
time. with no laborious speeches to dis
tract the attention, no music to divert one
from the main object. and no irritating
humorist to waste time. Your Chinese
may be effete, but he can eat and drink
like a Gothic hero.
The method of serving was peculiar
Before each guest was placed little cup
not much bigger than thimble, to con-
tain the hot liquor beloved of the Celes-
tial; a plate about two inches in diameter
a porcelain spoon and some ivory chop
sticks. Each course was brought on in
large basin, placed in the center of the
table, and the guests helped themselves as
they pleased. The plate was so small as
to be quite useless, and so the chop sticks
moved from the guests lips to the basin
direct in a manner which was little re-
pellant to European ideas. The plate and
cup, should add had to serve for about
20 courses.
The first course was of trifes-parched
almonds, melon seeds, a kind of radish
and field bananas. Fancy anyone but
Chinese commencing a dinner in that dry
way. Melon seeds in particular strike one
as impossible as part of a menu. After
toying with these for few minutes the
next course arrived. 1t was no other than
the famous birds nest soup. Like Huckle-
berry Firms dream of being rich, it's mot
what it is cracked up to be-" but I can
imagine 1t being quite edible if one is
hungry. Then came sharks fin, which
my palate told me was not at all bad,
though my reason rebelled against the
verdict. Then there was a pigeon done in
mysterious fashion, chicken and some I'M
known fungus, translated to me as mush-
room (Which it was NOT; salmon stewed
in mysterious sauces, and fried chicken
and bamboo.
dish with both Chinese and Japanese, and
are almost as succulent and nourishing
as deal chips. Then, there was the brain
of the wong fish, which appears to be
quite an intellectual fish, for there was
more than enough brain for the 500 pres
ent What the wong fish is, its size.
shape, habits and moral character, I |
have no idea. Then followed duck which |
had been cleverly boned and boiled in it's |
own skin. Then came the awab she'll |
fish (of which again, I am ashamed to |
confess ignorance), a preparation of pork |
as fat as an alderman and as rich as
more mushrooms and bam-
boo in cryptic sauces, chicken and ham,
and one or two other things, the compo-
leII parts OIL winch not even Raw
leigh could have determined. Finally--a
blessed relief.-cakes, tea and fruits.
cigarette was smoked religiously after
each course, ana at the end of it all each |
guest was given little box of outiand-
sh confectionery.
The Chinaman makes a jolly host, and
when well eduncated, is by no means an
companion. l was speaking
with one who could talk English like
professor who had enlightened ideas on
The necessity of a free press and the ad-
of railways and telegraphs for
China He had passed a stiff English ex-
animation in mathematics ana ancient
and modern languages. A Japanese of
similar attachments would have made of
himself a greasy frock-coated horror,
With a napless pot hat and brown boots.
But this man stuck manfully to every de-
all of his national costume. He had a
most pronounced pigtail, a yellow silk
unic and blue satin brooches. One re-
'pected him for it.