Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-04-06
AT A CHINESE BANQUET.
Wny-Dishes That Will Ever
Be a Secret.

I had novel experience the other
night, says the Stars Yokohama CORE
spondent, in being the sole European
guest at dinner party attended by
some 600 progressive Cinnamon. The
occasion was the birthday of Confucius.
That sage, according to Chinese calen-
ders, was born 2,440 years ago. Con-
fucius has still a strong hold on the ed
ucated Chinese, and the party of re-
form, of which the unfortunate Kang-
Yin-Wei was the leader, are particular
~ attached to his teachings. The re-
formers, indeed, have lately been max
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 Yokohama it was great
success. Nearly all the Chinese Of the
place, except the legation people and
the employees of the Russo-Turhsh
bank-who are Manchus-joined in
The dinner was held at the josshouse,
which was a perfect blaze of Chinese
lanterns, electric light and grand drag
on flags, and crowded with Chinese in
their most brilliant silks-reds and
greens and blues OF the liveliest pos
sible shades. Seats were provided for
everyone-an improvement on the Jap
anese custom of sitting on ones knees
and the meal was served on small
tables to accommodate four. The din
ner commenced at $50 o'clock, and 1t
ended at II o'clock, and there was eat
ing and drinking the whole time, with
no laborious speeches to distract the at
tention, no music to divert one from
the main object, and no irritating hui
morist to waste time. Your Chinese
may be effete, but he can eat and drink
like Gothic hero.
The method of serving was peculiar.
Before each guest was placed little
cup, not much bigger than thimble
to contain the hot liquor beloved of the
Celestial; plate about two inches in
diameter, porcelain spoon, and some
ivory chopsticks. Each course was
brought on in a 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 use
less, and so the chop sticks moved from
the guests lips to the basin direct, in
manner which was little repellant
to European ideas. The plate and cup,
I should add, had to serve for about 20
courses.
The first course was of trifes-
parched almonds, melon seeds, q kind
of radish, and field bananas. Fancy
any one but Chinese beginning din
ner 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 ia
nous 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 it being quite edible If
one is hungry. Then came sharks fin,
which my palate told me was not at all
bad, though my reason rebelledagainst
the verdict. Then there was pigeon
done in mysterious fashion, chicken
and some unknown fungus, translated
to me as mushroom (Which it was
not); salmon stewed in mysterious
sauces, and fried chicken and bamboo.
Young bamboo roots are common
dish with both Chinese and japanese,
and are almost as succulent and nour-
ishing as deal chips. Then there was
the brain of the wong fish, which ap-
pears to be quite an intellectual fish,
for there was more than enough brain
for the 600 present. What the wong
fish is, its size, shape, habits and moral
character, I have no idea. Then fol-
lowed duck which had been cleverly
boned and boiled in its own skin. Then
came the awabi shellfish (of which
again l am ashamed to confess fg-
norance), preparation of pork as fat
as an alderman and as rich as Rookie
teller; more mushrooms and bamboo
in cryptic sauces, chicken and ham, and
one or two other things, the component
parts of which not even Lord Rayleigh
could have determined. Finally-e
blessed reliefl-cakes, tea and fruits.
A cigarette was smoked religiously
after each course, and at the end Of 1t
all each guest was given little box OF
outlandish confectionery.
The Chinaman makes jolly host,
and, when well educated, is by no
means an uninteresting person. was
speaking with one who could talk Eng
lish like a professor, who had enlight-
ened ideas on the necessity Of free
press and the advantages OF railways
and telegraphs for China. He had
passed stiff English examination in
mathematics and ancient and modern
languages. A japanese Of similar at
tainments would have made OF him
self greasy frock-coated horror, With
q napless pot hat and brown boots.
But this man stuck manfully to every
detail of his national costume. He had
a most pronounced pigtail, a yellow
silk tunic and blue satin breaches. One
respected him for it.-London Star.
Capital Needed.