The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-10-16

served ana addresses o. welcome we're
made. in most instances in Chinese.
No pains were spared 20 show pleas
ure IN our visit.
Reception OF tie Taotai.
A. three clock thai afternoon. the
Taprai Of Shanghai. an official cor
responding closely 10 our mayor. gave
q reception TO 1ae commissioners and
their ladies al the bureau OF foreign
affairs. on the BuDbliug Well road.
Ihi, vas a brilliant scene: the flowers
and greens were lavish. Transforming
a somewhat bare and uninteresting
room; the men OF distinction wore their
semloIficial dress because Of the three
years oT mourning for their late ma
]escles: their hats. shaped like an in
Terted bowl. with q hanging fringe
from the peak OF thick red silk and
falling plume Of peacock feathers held
IN clasp Of Jade, gave the SCENE a
Teudal appearance. These mem with
their attendants. like barons Of old.
were d fine and dignifed company and
the scene. with the elaborate dresses
Of the American ladies. who looked
particularly. well. and the rich garb
OF the Chinese dignitaTies. was a novel
one
We drove from this reception 10 the
hotels in yictorias with driver and
f0o1man on the box of each: these
men wear q white livery with fat
somewhat resembling those worn by
the taorais, the queue hanging in
black stripe below. It was Saturday
afternoon and Bubbling Well road and
Marking road We're filed with the
carriages and occasional autos OF the
foreigners, driving up from town and
from the cricket ground
We got into our evening dress and
: soon the Illuminated ear. sparkling
with electric Americanism. came for Us
and we boarded il for Chang Su-ito :
garden. The entertainment given Us
! there viii not be forgotten soon Jv
any Of u, however much we may be
Toasted by governor and viceroy on
the rest Of our trip. We were favor
ed by soft. clear night. al full moon
! Chang garden lies under large trees
and from these. everywhere. depended
specially made lanterns. bearing the
/ crossed flags Of the two nations. We
went up a wide avenue Of these light
| ed trees and at the end of it. at the
: ANSA u a pa ; AftbN AEthtA Win an
arched electric welcome. stood double
/ line Of our hosts, the chamber Of com
nerce, going through the unaccustom-
/ ed greeting Of shaking hands.
! An Aladdin's Palace.
| Doubtless. most Of our party had
never seen a room decorated as was
. the dining hall into which we now
! passed. There must have been a mile
/ Of silk, n.arly, in that room: strips of
! silk were fulled and pleated and made
/ into garlantis arranged at right angles
! or in circular designs and also form
! ing frames for paintings upon gauze.
! / here were flags and lanterns every
! where. Al one end Of the banquet
/ hall were two dragons Of gauze. iIlum-
! mated by electric lights, and at the
! other a great brown and white eagle.
| similarly made. lowered over the en-
/ trance TO the room. The tables were
set in foreign style. giving Us the con
/ TenieHce OF our accustomed knives and
forks, instead Of the anticipated chop
sticks. Nowhere have We been served
. with these culinary tools. as vet. The
tables were brilliant with flowers Then
| came the real gastrOn0mic experience
a bit Of school geography realized
! birdsnest soup. Most Of Us wish that
! this were common dish on the Pa
citic Coast. Birdsnest soup. with hard
boiled pigeons eggs completing the
picture, is worth coming a good MANY
seasick miles 10 experience. Unfor
e tunateIv its growing rarity is makine
II merely sign of royal welcome. An
! other feature Of this menu was sharks
, fins. dish that is paIatable but no
universally approved like the soup
hen there was mayonnaise Of nrawr
] for which we viii leave our haDpr
2 homes any day, and elaborate the
b. atrlcals were performed upon tn,
! stage These We're feast 10 the eve
though not 50 much so 10 the ear
= the costumes. made for the occasion il
+ Socchow. were dazzling beyond word
r and the heavy embroidery and stream
: ing pheasant feathers particularly in
! terested the ladies Of the party. On
b Of the actors. a bright particular star
D handsome Young fellow with fin
! voice according 20 the Chinese ear an,
: smile attractive to any eve, is pai,
e about twelve hundred dollars gold
I month, enormous pay here. The thre
2 plays produced for us included a come
? dy "a bit on French models it must b
e eonfessed), a musical piece and
! classic historical scene in which grea
81 generals gathered in all their warpain