Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25
A CHINESE ,HoUsEBoAT
SAILING THE WATERWAYS OF
THE CELESTIAL EMPIRE.
Pleasant Method Of Passing the Time
in the Far East - Scenes
AlongOthe River.

From the London Globe.
The good ship Doris is moored at the
jetty and all is shipshape on board L and
my friends are waiting for the owner who
completes the party Soon this last IS
seen hurrying along the bund, gesticulating
wildly, and we fear some terrible unsore-
seen calamity has taken place. 1t appears
that the cook that one of the party was
going to bring with him has just lost his
father, and must. therefore, go to Ningpo
for the funeral. This mishap does not de-
tain US long. for 1 call to mind certain
small pastry cooks shop where have
many a time found excellent cakes for my
tea fights. and thither / make my way
forthwith. The genial italian proprietor
has no cook just now, and advises me t.
approach the famous Portuguese catere.
over the way. who. he says, Is sure to nave
ore. Mr.. Pereira has the very man want,
a French cook, who from the rather sxor-
bitant price demanded must be possessed
of exceptional talent. 1 confess that the
idea of a French cook being In the employ
of a Portuguese confectioner In China Is a
little surprising, but, seeing that time iS
the first consideration and that he is now
ca lis way to the boat, feel that my mis-
sion Is accomplished. When 1 rejoin my
companions find my man installed. He Is
a native of Saigon, and more villainous-
looking scoundrel have seldom seen. With
some remarks from me on the vagueness of
confectioners and few sailing directions
from Macklin in fluent "pidgin" English,
we slowly glide through the mass Of native
craft into midstream
Fleets Of Junks.
By the savory fumes that arise from the
galley we gather that my protege is on his
mettle and in pleasant anticipation lean
more supine in our long chairs and lazily
grotesquely decorated hulls, and the junks,
with their large painted eyes, without
which adminicle iChnaman would set
saiL"no got eye, no can see; no can see,
no can walkee." Soon our white-robed boy
announces that dinner is ready, and we de-
scend to the saloon to find dinner not
to be surpassed by any hotel in the far
east. 1t Is worthy of note that whereas
in England the meals on boating excursions
are somewhat of an al fresco nature, in
China they are served and cooked in as
elegant manner as on shore, and your
Chinaman knows how to cook Dinner
finished. we resume our chairs ON the hur-
ricane deck, light our Manilas and, to the
accompaniment of the shouting of the
crew, talk desultory of the far eastern
question, of the chances of Sharkey, the
broker, being blackballed for the Thespian
Club; of the coming race meeting and all
the various topics which go to make life
at an outport. These subjects being
thrashed out to our satisfa ction, and the
attention of the mosquitoes becoming too
marked, we repair to- Our hunks to enjoy
the sleep which We have SO richly deserv-
ed. The next mornipg, / am awakened by
the others, who want me to join them In a
bath, but l have batflad before In Chinese
creeks and prefer to have a quiet bath
on board so. without more ado. they plunge
over the side into the Unknown, to- emerge
not cleaner, perhaps. bit unscathed.
Oriental Indifference.
Our way now lies between the banks CT
one of those narrow creeks with which the
whole country is intersected We pass sew
era1 villages. whose. inhabitants for the
most part gaze at US with that stolid air
of Indifference peculiar to the oriental
Some, indeed. are truculently inclined, and
we are here obliged to avoid the missiles.
consisting of stones mud and offal, with
which we are greeted. We notice the fisher
folk, with their unwieidy nets. their fishing
platforms extending Il considerable dis
lance beyond the bank, and here and there
great fecks of ducks are being driven along
the flats After tifffn we start our home-
ward journey, and again pass our excita-
BILE friends, who. seeing that we mean no
harm, have taken the cue from their more
peaceful neighbors and leave us unmolest-
ed. AS we pass windmill. with sails like
those of a ship, arranged in a circle the
rain begins and our crew fall to quarreling
over the distribution of umbrellas. 1t would
seem that the French cook in his haste
has forgotten to bring his ''httysol," and
this omission leads to high words Finally
we settle the dispute, and the chef and
"laodah.' or captain. shelter together The
day being Sunday, numbers of native boats
are going up the creek filed with Chinese
playing fantan. This game is very simple
consisting in drawing from pile of copper
cash four at time and betting on the re-
manning number. large sums of money
changing hands in his way.
Looking for Tow.