Of all uncouth figures, that strut their little hour upon the stage of life, a China-man is surely the most grotesque animal. A loose shirt for his outer and principal garment—his bagging breeks, added to his white slouching stockings, made of cotton cloth, filled with wrinkles—his black cloth slippers, with a white sole half an inch thick—his shaved head, with his long plaited cue, streaming out when he runs, like a ship’s pennant in a brisk breeze—his elongated and stupid eyes; a fan in one hand, and a long wooden pipe in the other—his enormous spectacles, without bows, astride on the tip of his nose, and his mouth upon the full gape, standing for hours in front of the factory of “wide fountains,” looking at the fan-kweis, (the foreign white devils,) present him as the most unprepossessing figure ever beheld—the most awkward looking biped in the universe.
SLAVERY.
Chang-ling, the great hero of Cashgar, has memorialized his majesty, and informed him, that, during the late attack of the rebels on that city, they endeavored to inundate it by cutting a channel and entering the course of the adjoining river; but the Lung-shin, (Dragon-god,) who presides over rivers and seas, prevented the design from being effected. For this “divine manifestation” in favour of the imperial cause, the emperor has ordered a new title to be given to the god, a new temple to be built, and a new tablet to adorn it. Slavery, in China, presents its worst features; the children of the slaves are born slaves; and the children of free masters enjoy their rights over them throughout all generations. There have been cases in which the masters have become poor, and allowed their slaves to go and provide for themselves; they have become rich, but being again found by their masters, the latter have seized all the property. There are slaves of another class, who are not bought outright, but with the condition that they may be redeemed. Good masters admit the claim, when made agreeably to contract; but bad ones use every expedient to prevent the claim of redemption.
CHAPTER XII.
CLIMATE OF CANTON AND MACAO—METEOROLOGICAL AVERAGES—DEPARTURE FROM CANTON FOR MACAO AND LINTING—MACAO—POPULATION—SUPERSTITIOUS CEREMONY.
CLIMATE.
The coast of China being similarly situated to that of the United States, having a vast continent stretching from the south and northwest to the northeast, possesses a climate nearly of the same character and temperature. From the gulf of Tung-hing to the vicinity of Canton, it may well be compared to the coast stretching from the Mississippi to North Carolina, and the coast extending from Canton to that of Tartary, to the states from North Carolina to Maine.