The times., 1900-12-31
A Chinese Rnnnuet.

fPekin Correspondence TO New York SUM-
The banquet came off, and we had our
| Chinese fare. We were thirty-five at the
table, counting the prince and his staff of
hardy Morse naval officers The table was
set in crescent shape and each of us had
a humble slave standing like a lamb be-
hind our chairs. ready to get anything We
might call for. and unable to understand
anything We said. Consequently nothing
was called for, and for while we sat
there with empty stomachs and plates. At
gesture of the Taoti. however. the mob
Of servants began to pile up provender in
front of us in such quantities that. the
table. had it been less massive might
have crashed on our feet. There were
nineteen courses, mind, and they were
nineteen wonders to us. AS all other peo-
pie finish their meals with dessert, it was
not only natural. but imperative that this
formidable Chinese banquet should begin
with dessert. There was tea and-rice to
overfiowing with each course. Some
roasts some entrees, some fish. some
nameless and indefinable Celestial NOR
sels some soups. some puzzling fancy
Dishes and the stately dinner was over.
1t took a long time to get through.
Due regard was shown for our Western
habits in placing at our disposal fork and
knife in addition to the usual ehopstiek
of the Empire. Wines of European origin
were served. but the Chinese present
seemed to prefer the native table wine.
which was slipped from shallow meial
bowls. and enjoyed, though it tasted TO US
like salt water to suspicious degree OF
the native dishes, which We were able to
decline, swallow nests with enclosure OF
pigeons hard-boiled eggs proved tribe
too much for US to swallow. We took the
egg and diseoursed upon the nest which
was grey, jelly-Iike, and forbidding. Prince
- h Fara
full glance of many Mandarins rested, was
Obliged. for courtesys sake. to eat ore nest
with enclosure. He looked as pleased and
serene as it Is possible Tor any human be-
ing to look in such a strait. thereby prov
ing his Unborn courage and right to bear
the name OF Prince Of the Danes. and,
what is more to u.s. hrother-in- to the
Prince of Wales. Shark fms in style Ce-
lestlaI was another surprise. which we
were very careful TO avoid. OF which the
intrepid prince found himself compelled TO
partake together with his begoggled Man
DARN entertainers-the prince affecting a
semblance of pleasure that was irresisti-
BILE.
Asparagus was brought forth with SOL
emn pomp, the Chinese evidently consid
ering it a rare treat, and they expressed
surprise when no one ate it-no one but
the prince He had to, and he did eat
one solitary asparagus. Instead OF sery-
ing them hot and with sauce or butter as
we do. these otherwise well-seasoned
crops were parceled out among us in an
almost frozen condition, resembling long.
green iclcles. A lieutenant at my side
transferred one of these verdant ieicIes
to his coattail pockets. remarking that Le
would try it for a blackjack.
We were not half through this memoir
able feast before every man in the party
except the mandarins, was shivering with
cold The soup, the eatahles. the '-un-
fact, the entire bill Of
fare was cold. The hall of feasting was
cold. and the Prince was responding to a
toast in few chattering syllables 'How
is this" l ask. My learned friend. Oman,
the mandarin, explains: Chinese cat
cold, sit warm; other people eat warm.
sit cold" Looking about 1 saw all the
mandarins festively iecKed out in heavy,
quilted garments and by each comfortable
Celestial member of my race fighting
off chills in dress suit and starched 'front.'
We felt the temperature more and more.
ard under some pretenee or other we all
found ou- way to the entry whence we
reappeared a,tired in overcoats, carefully
buttoned. We all had the benefit of this
protection against barbaric Chinese table
OF us except the Prince. He
had to freeze for decorum's sake. and he
did freeze most dutifully.