The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-23
A GLIMPSE OF HORG-KONG.
Chinese Dinner Party Preceded by
Theatrical ntertainment.
,onderce New York Post.

Correspondence New York Post.
Fer so brief a stay in the place I was re-
markably fortunate. / encountered &C.
quaintances who put me on the right track
for seeing and doing the best things. / ex-
perimented with sedan chairs. and shall
vote every time for the jinriksha as a
means Of getting about. The motion of the
sedan is not unlike that of riding at a walk
on an easy-gaited pony. The carriers move
at a fast walk, but find rest an occasional
necessity on a long trip. whereas the rick
shaw man bowls one along In his little gig
at a rapid pace. with an endurance which
seems tireiess. j inspected the market. with
It's profusion of fish. fruit and vegetables.
meats and fowls. Everything was as clean
as such a place can possibly be, while the
fruits and vegetables particularly were ar
ranged with an attractiveness seldom
equalled at home. The variety was large
and all looked cool and wholesome.
But my best fortune came in the evening.
With some of my associates on the ship I
accepted the invitation of a wealthy Chi
pese merchant to dine with him and a party
of his friends. in the Chinese style. We
were twelve at table. six Cinnamon and six
Americans and Europeans. We met at the
uStLc CiuEt VI our UCSl at ID. III. cigars
and cooling drinks were furnished and a
pleasant half-hour was spent in chat with
our host and his friends. all of whom spoke
English very we'll indeed. At half-past z
the party proceeded to the street. where
''rickshaws" were obtained, and our long
procession was whirled away to a Chinese
hotel. where the entertainment was given.
We were shown to a large private dining
room on an upper floor. One-half of the
room was arranged for the dinner. Tn
theater.
Reversing the Occidental custom. we went
10 the theater before we went to dinner.
ment was arranged as an auditorium. 1t
was fitted with comfortable seats and re-
Ginning chairs. Each place was fianked by
Guets of lowers and enough cigars TO last a
week. The cigars were of an excellent
brand, of Manila production. AS soon as
glasses of cooling fluids. These were fol-
lowed by cups of tea, which were renewed
at frequent intervals throughout the even
awkward at Chinese tea-drinking. The out
mt is OF the conventional type. consisting of
ished with "a cover. Tn whole thing Is
lifted by a hold. on the rim of the saucer.
and the trick is to give the cover Just
passage of the infusion free from the leaves
from which it is made. This is to be done
without giving the cover so much of an In
clination that it will tumble overheard dur
ing the drinking. or tip up and bang the
drinker ungracefully upon the nose. Small
green plums and the toothsome lychees
were also upon the tables.
The performance began upon our arrival.
Inc performers were evidently artists in
their particular lines. The company num-
Dered nve principals and as many more SUBJ
ordinates. The orchestra was partly con.
cealed, and cannot say accurately of how
many performers it consisted. From the
Noise ~ 0dA NJ ~--
numbered between COO and i1 zoo. T fhs i hnas II
tnShls were Cnlnese fiddles. tom-toms, GYM
pas OF huge dimensions, gongs. and some
Smash OF the frequent climaxes was stu
pendouS and deafening. AS the diversion
MAS a KIND OF operetta. the orchestra was
III constant employment.
VI the principal performers three were
male and two were female. with one of the
men playing a female part, that of the
mother or the family. The plot was. briefly.
the arrival of a mendicant student in the
Iamily OF a man of the upper class. The
student falls in love with the daughter, has
a little experience, ION the side" with an
attractive maid servant. ultimately becomes
a mandarin and marries the daughter Much
or the stage business was vastly curious.
from the Occidental standpoint, but IL was
wholly clear, even to Occidental eyes and
ears, that, from the Chinese standpoint. II
was exceedingly clever and well done. Bits
OF acting were introduced which seemed to
De only explanatory for the purpose of Illus
trating some idea to which reference was
made. Covering the eyes with the hand in
Dictated darkness. and the climbing upon a
table, by an apparently wearying process,
placed the actor upon a mountain top. In
spite OF the novelty and the interest, a good
deal or II got TO be an awful bore. The row
Of the orchestral implements, the shrili
falsetto used both in speaking and singing,
and the heat Of the room made no small
part OF the two-hour performance a decid-
The announcement that dinner was served
came at about 10 o'clock, and we adjourned
purpose. Our withdrawal from the audi
forum made no difference with the per-
formers: From the table we had a flank
played away at the empty seats in front of
them as though they faced an audience of
ten thousand. This continued for the first
half or three-Quarters of an hour of the
meal. The squeak of the adde's, the rattle
of the drums and the crash of the cymbals
put conversation out of the question. Ii was
all needlessly good OF our kindly host, who
had no reason whatever, save that of rare
| courtesy and generous hospitality, for ten
dering to utter strangers, mere travelling
| expensive an entertainment. 1t was all a
| private affair. arranged especially and only
for our pleasure. But enough OF a Chinese
theatrical performance is quite as good as a
year of IL.
The dinner was on a par with the rest of
| the entertainment. No expense had been
spared i'm providing the choicest of delica-
cies. AT our own request wine had been
omitted. Otherwise l have no doubt We
] should have been nearly drowned In IT. The
turntables were confined to soft STUFF
whisky and soda. samschu and the in.
evitable tea The menu included the edible
birds nest, quoted at $50 the pound in the
market, sharks fins. roast and broilet
pigeons eggs. duck with lily seeds. crabs
with mushrooms. rice. chicken, and i don.
know what ell. j do know that IL was al
exceedingly good and heartily enjoyable
Melon seeds and burnt almonds were beside
each plate. Fruits and CONNECTIONS were In
profusion.
There were no plates. The various course.
were all served in small bowls of about tn.
capacity of large coffee cups. Knives ol
forks were not on the table. The tools wer,
chopsticks and the little crockery spoons
with short and curved handles Did on
hosts laugh at Cur awkward wrestling will
the chopsticks? Not a bit. With a con
summate courtesy they interested them
selves in teaching us their proper use. Tn
der their kindly and patient Instructions W
succeeded quite as well as could be ex
nected.' / got so that / could get my foo,
from bowl TO mouth without losing NOR,
than 40 per cent. in transit. and could picl
up an almond from the table three times Oh
OF four. But l shall stick 10 knives an
forks when j can get them.
A good deal of fun is poked at Chimes
cooking. The Chinese. or some Of them
NAV eat dog and rat as some Of the Frenc
eat horse and as the Alaskan eats stall
fish and fiavors his wild strawberries wit
rancid oil. i can only say that for dainti
ness and delioacy Of flavor and seasoning
rave nowhere encountered the superior o
that dinner in Hong-Kong. Nor have / i
twenty-five years of knocking about in IN
world been the recipient OF a more graciou
t-.-fsars@v than that shawn 70 "A M Z n