White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-03-23

IN macao.
the branches of venerable trees,
makes an arresting silhouette, espe-
cially when you pause to consider that
this is the only place in the world
where Portugal is bounded by China.
The spot is more historic than the
average visitor realizes. This little
neck Of the island is the place where,
in 1887, the Western World secured
it's first foothold in the Far East. 1t
is true that Magellan had landed in
the Philippines earlier, but it was not
until 1867 that Legaspi established a
permanent settlement at Cebu.
In 1857 the unwelcome Portuguese
invaders were officially given permits
sion to remain in Macao, and in 1873
the Chinese government built a bar
rer wall across the neck of the island
to fence them out Six times a month
the gate was opened to permit sup
plies to be imported by the isolated
foreigners, who held tenure by virtue
of the payment of an annual rental.
This arrangement was abruptly ter
minated in 1S49, when the Portuguese
governor general refused to pay rent
any longer and elected through the
gate the Chinese officials sent to col
lect it, The present Barrier Gate was
then erected to commemorate the
event.
With a guard of Portuguese soldiers
on one side of the gate and represent
atives of the Chinese republic on the
other, the Barrier Gate reminds you
Of the Neutral Strip at Gibraltar, with
Britain and Spain on guard at each
end.
Making Firecrackers.
| Returning along the beautiful drive
! way, you find it convenient to stop at
the outskirts Of the city and take a
J few lessons in the craftsmanship Of
| firecrackers. The process Of manufac-
ture is so simple that even the two
hour tourist may learn to roll his
own"
| First, you make the tiny paper tubes
and paste red paper around them. 1t
| is like the traditional method Of MAX
ing doughnuts-frst make the hole
and then mold the dough around 1t.
Next, you take a double handful Of
| the little tubes stand them on end,
and tie string around the bundle.
Then you paste white paper firmly
I across the top and the bottom, so that
the openings Of the tubes are COW
cred.
With crude instrument that looks
| like nail punch you perforate the
| top paper rapidly to admit to each
tube first a layer of clay, then the
powder and the fuse and another lay
or of clay. Finally you string togeth-
er the required number, wrap them In
a net package, affix your fancy label.
and the work Is done.
The Chinese have been making fire.
crackers after this fashion for many
centuries and have acquired amazing
dexterity.
Fan-tan is another monument to
the patience Of the Chinese people. 1t
is one form of gambling with which
the Western World Is not likely to
become infected it is too slow for
the occidental who knows many ways
Of arriving at the same results more
speedily.
How Fan-tan Is Played.
The paraphernalia Of the game Is
all downstairs, but the aristocratic
gambler prefers the second floor In
the center Of the large room Is sort
Of light well surrounded by railing,
over which a motley crowd is always
leaning. Since the gaming table Is d.
rectly beneath, every movement can
be seen to advantage.
On the long table are charts bear
Ing the numerals !, 2, g. and 4, and
the game is simplicity itself. You
may bet on any one or all the nu-
merals and you may wager any
amount you choose Your stake Is
lowered to the table in a little basket
and placed on the numeral you desig-
nate.
When the crucial moment has ar
rived the master OF ceremonies, who
sits at the head Of the table, pours
out gallon or two of cash, the ia
miliar Chinese coins with square holes
in the center. Then. with little rake,
he begins rapidly to draw them In,
four at a time. The spectators on the
mezzanine floor stop cracking water
melon seeds and eagerly wait for the
last motion Of the rake. 1t takes
about FIVE or ten minutes to reach the
fateful termination, and the issue de
pends upon the number of cash left
for the last move.
If YOU have placed your bet on mum
Der 3 and there are three cash left
Won have won twice the amount OF
your wager, less 10 per cent commits
, sion. IF there are ] or 2 or 4 cash
remaining you have lost. ,