[155] The retinue of a Mandarin should be in accordance with his rank. I have given elsewhere (See No. LVI., [note 315]) what would be that of an official of the highest rank.
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[156] See No. LXXVII., [note 76].
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[157] Good writing holds a much higher place in the estimation of the Chinese than among western nations. The very nature of their characters raises calligraphy almost to the rank of an art.
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[158] The commentator here adds a somewhat similar case, which actually occurred in the reign of K‘ang Hsi, of a Viceroy modestly attended falling in with the gorgeous retinue of a Magistrate, and being somewhat rudely treated by the servants of the latter. On arriving at his destination, the Viceroy sent for that Magistrate, and sternly bade him retire from office, remarking that no simple magistrate could afford to keep such a retinue of attendants unless by illegal exactions from the suffering people committed to his charge.
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[159] The Yang-tsze: sometimes spoken of as the Long River.
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[160] The full point of this story can hardly be conveyed in translation. The man’s surname was Sun, and his prænomen, Pi-chên, (which in Chinese follows the nomen) might be rendered “Must-be-saved.” However, there is another word meaning “struck,” precisely similar in sound and tone, though written differently, to the above chên; and, as far as the ear alone is concerned, our hero’s name might have been either Sun Must-be-saved or Sun Must-be-struck. That the merchants mistook the character chên, “saved,” for chên, “struck,” is evident from the catastrophe which overtook their vessel, while Mr. Sun’s little boat rode safely through the storm.
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[161] Here again we have a play upon words similar to that in the last story.
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[162] We read in the History of Amoy:—“In the year 1622 the red-haired barbarians seized the Pescadores and attacked Amoy.” From the Pescadores they finally retired, on a promise that trade would be permitted, to Formosa, whence they were expelled by the famous Koxinga in 1662. “Red-haired barbarians,” a term now commonly applied to all foreigners, was first used in the records of the Ming dynasty to designate the Dutch.
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[163] Our author would here seem to have heard of the famous bull’s hide which is mentioned in the first book of the Æneid. In any case, the substitution of “stretching” is no improvement on the celebrated device by which the bull’s hide was made to enclose so large a space.
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[164] The common method of porterage in China is by a bamboo pole over the shoulder with well-balanced burdens hanging from each end. I have often seen children carried thus, sitting in wicker baskets; sometimes for long journeys.
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