CHINA AND THE CHINESE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14169, 18 September 1906, Page 9

CHINA AND THE CHINESE.

(By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN, in the New York “ Sun.”) While tho eighteen provinces which constitute China proper have something lees than 2,000,000 square miles, yet the Chinese Empire with its tributary States has an area of about 5,300,000 square miles, and extends 30deg no£th and south and 70deg east and west. We hardly realise when we speak of China that her Emperor’s decrees are law to a population estimated at from 250,000,000 to 400,000,000; that her climate is like that of Russia in the” north, while in the southern provinces her people live under a tropical sun, and that she has so many mountains and such mighty deserts that more than half of her population is crowded together upon a plain which contains but a little more than 200,000 square miles. Williams, in his work entitled “ The Middle Kingdom,” calls this district “the most densely settled of any part of the world,of the same size,” and estimates that upon this plain 177,000,000 of human beings dwell. “CHINA’S SORROW.” China is well watered; the largest river,, tho Yangtse Kiang, which empties into the ocean at Shanghai, is 3000 miles long, drains more than half a million square miles, and 700 miles above its mouth carries a volume of water estimated at 500 cubic feet per second. It is one of the great rivers of the earth, and is navigable for large vessels for mo'ro than a thousand miles. The Yellow River, or, * in Chinese, the Hwang Ho, drains a basin almost as large and is nearly as long; but does not carry so large a volume of water. This is the river whose overflows have been so disastrous as to earn for it the name of “The Great Sorrow.” This river carries down so much deposit that within recent times it has so choked its original outlet as to form a new channel, entering the ocean some 300 miles further north. At that time

thousands of villages were swept away and the loss of life was estimated at several millions. The current of the Yellow River is so shifting, the sandbars so numerous and tho volume of water so changeable that the river is practically 1 useless for navigation. Besides these there are a number ol rivers of less importance, and tributaries of these two largo rivers which seem small only by comparison. As if inspired by the numorons and extensive natural waterways, the Chinese people centuries ago connected its great water systems by an immense canal, which, with the streams utilised by it, gave water communication between Pekin and. Canton. Tills canal, sometimes known at? the Transit River, is not only the greatest work of its kind in Asia,, but at the time of its construction was the greatest in the world. MANY GREAT WALLS.

Before speaking of the people a word should be said in regard to the-Great Wall. It extends from the ocean westward along the northern boundary of China proper for a distance of about 1500 miles, climbing in its tortuous course hills "and mountains, one more than 5000 ft high. It is'about 25ft thick at the base and loft at the top, and varies from 16ft to 30ft in height. It is made of earth with a shell of stone or large brick to hold the earth in place. The watchtowers built at intervals along the hue add to its imposing appearance, and make it an object of historic interest, although a large part of the wall has fallen into decay, and in some places only a ridge of dirt remains. - This wall was constructed about two hundred years before the Christian era as a protection against the hostile tribes of the north; and for many centuries it answered its purpose, although to-day it only suggests a tremendous waste of labour.

But the Great Wall, imposing as it is because of its length, is inferior in height, thickness and construction to some of the city walls. The wall of the city of Pekin, for instance, is about sixty feet high and forty feet wide at its base, end is kept in excellent repair. The wall encloses what is known as the Tartar city, and is nearly four miles square. Huge watch-towers rise above each gate, and to give still greater security the gates open into an enclosed square. While the walls of the city of Pekin are the most substantial in tbo empire, the walls of Nanking, the former capital, enclose nearly four times as much ground. There was a double object in making the walls of the city extensive —first, to provide for future growth, and, second, to enable the people to withstand a longer siege. . How well the second purpose was served is shown by the fact that during the Taiping rebellion the city of Nanking was besieged for thirteen years. IN COUNTRY AND TOWN. But it must not be understood that the capital cities were tho only ones protected by Avails. On the contrary, ,all the cities are Availed; one sees fifteen or tAventy of these Availed cities on the railroad from Pekin to Hankow, and a number of others on the ride down the river to Shanghai. Tho agricultural population, instead of occupying individual farms, is gathered in little villages, each homo being inclosed in its own Avail. During the summer tho people SAvarm out from

the cities ami villages and cultivate their little tracts of land with the most primitive tools, carrying the farm products back to their homes on wheelbarrows or in baskets balanced on poles. In the cities the streets are bo narrow that travel by ordinary vehicles is impossible.' In Pekin there are a few wide streets leading from the gates through the city, and on these a peculiar, heavy-wheeled, springless cart is used, but most of the streets are more like alleys, in which two rickshaws can hardly pass. Wo did not see a full-sized horse in the capital city. ' Sonic ponies have been brought down from Manchuria, but the most popular saddle animal is the patient donkey. i MANCHUS AND CHINESE. While in their style of dress and in their institutions the Chinese are much, the same throughout the empire, they differ considerably in size and colour according to the latitude, and in features according to race history. In the north the people are lighter and larger than in the south, while the men and women of Manchuria have coarser and stronger faces than the Chinese. The people in the north seem to be more vigorous and warlike, and less artistic, than the people in tho south. Tho shaved forehead and the queue were prescribed by the Manchu rulers two hundred and fifty years ago. as a sign of subjection, but they are now a source of pride, and no greater humiliation can be inflicted upon one than to cut off his queue. In, tho northern provinccs the men, women and children wear padded clothes, generally of dark blue cotton. Tho breeches of the men ore tied at the ankles, and the long', narrow coat reaches almost to tho feet. In China the women also wear trousers, and the coat worn, by tho women is considerably shorter than that worn by the men. China is a great place for furs, and the right to wear sable is conferred «s a mark of distinction upon the higher officials. MANCHU WOMEN PAINT. Tire Manchu women and the Chinese women .differ materially. The Manchue, wlicse ancestors cam© from Manchuria, still retain the customs peculiar to their section. The hair is stretched over a broad, wing-like frame, and throe hours are required for its arrangement, flowers, natural and artificial, and ornaments made of feathers, beads and tinsoi are, profusely used in hair decoration. Tho Manchu women, except the widows, employ paint and powder with a boldness which would put to shame the most inveterate user of cosmetics in the wexd. In tho painting here there is no suggestion of a delicate glow of health ; it is a generous application of bright red in two streaks, running from above the eyes to the corners of the month._ The rest of tho face is whitened with rice powder, which does not harmonise with the yellow skin of the neck. But if the _ Manchu women show moro vanity in the treatment of the

face, they at least do not imitate the Chines© women in the binding of the feet, though by wearing skirls and a shoe resting on a block shaped like a French heel the size of the foot is concealed. FOOTBINDING AMONG THE CHINESE WOMEN. Fcotbiuding is probably the strangest form that human pride has over taken, and it is hard to believe that Chines© women from time immemorial have endured the agonies of footbinding and forced it upon their daughters. It is not known certainly how the custom originated. One tradition is that it began with a club-footed queen; another that it was designed to distinguish _ the upper class women from tho coolies, and a . third tradition has it that it was a scheme devised by the men for keeping tho women at home, Whatever causes may have led to the inauguration of the custom, it has become so firmly established that a prominent Chinaman told me that, being opposed to footbinding, he had when a young man tried to find a wife with natural feet, but was not able to do so. Ho has in recent years persuaded In's wife to unbind her feet, and hns kept bis daughters from undergoing the ordeal. Tho medical missionaries report instances in which tho foot has rotted away because of lack of circulation. Ofl one "of the boats wo met an intelligent Chines© merchant who, after condemning the practice of footbinding and tolling us" that, in opposition to his wife’s wishes and in opposition to the girl herself, he had saved one daughter from footbiuding, compared this custom to that- of lacing, which he affirmed was much more injurious.; Chinese society is patriarchal in its organisation, the family being the unit and the father the head of the family. The Chinese sages present filial piety and fraternal submission as the root of all benevolent action, Tho children are subject to tho parents as long as tho parents live, and tho younger sons are subject to the eldest. Marriages are arranged by the parents, and the children must be content with the selection made. When tho wife is taken to the horn© of the husband she becomes a member of his family and subject to her mother-in-law, if tho husband’s mother is still alive. As other sons are rflarried their wives are brought in, and they are expected to live peaceably together, an expectation which is not always fully realised. As law and custom permit the system of concubinage, it is not strange that tho homo is often the scene of contention rather than the centre of felicity. As the duty of sacrificing to ancestors falls upon the son, the advent of ; a boy is the signal for rejoicing, while the birth of a girl is not considered a good omen. So unpopular was the female baby that in some provinces many of them were formerly put to death, but child murder is now on I the decrease. I “LOSING FACE.” I No one can visit China without becoming acquainted with a peculiarly Oriental phrase called “losing face.” One of the first newspapers that I picked up in China described tho attempted suicide of a man who complained that he had “ lost his face ” because a magistrate refused to commence a prosecution on his complaint. In China there is a constant effort to keep up appearances, and when this is no longer possible the unfortunate one feels that he cannot look _ anyone else in the face. Chinese life is saturated with this face doctrine; it percolates through their disputes and oozes out through the pores of their diplomacy. . ... Justice is of less importance in the j deciding of a controversy than the saving of the parties from the loss of face. There fire in each community peace talkers who make a business of so ‘ adjusting disputes that neither party will seem to be in the wrong. No nation has ever given more emphasis to ceremony than does China. Confucius places propriety among the cardinal virtues, and tho doctrine has been elaborated until the whole life is fettered by formality. _ Each rising generation is drilled in the performance of certain rites, requred by approved etiquette, and it would be humiliating for one to have to confess that he did not know the proper thing to do and the proper vyay to do it. Even sincerity was of less importancel, and both Confucius and Mencius set demoralising examples in placing the latter above the former. The kowtow is still a part of the ceremonial greeting. If two officials are riding and meet they d.smount and bow their heads to the ground. In the schools the students kowtow before, a Confucian tablet twice each month. At a given signal the students kneel and bow three times towards tho tablet, their heads each time touching the floor; they then rise, and after a short ■ interval kneel again at a signal and bow three times more. This ceremony is again repeated, making nine bows in all. Then they ■ kneel and bow three times to the prolessors; after saluting the professors each student bows once to the student next to him and the meeting adjourns. At Canton one has an opportunity to observe houseboat life, where the Pearl River furnishes the water-supply and at the same time an open sewer for a floating population of many thousands. The contrast between the bath-loving Japanese and the dirty, complaisant Chinese labourer is veyy marked, and this contrast is also noticeable in tbe streets. The sights and smells that greet tho senses along the narrow streets of a native city are not soon forgotten by one who travels through China, and one’s ideas of modesty, too, are sadly wrenched. "Whatever may be said of the habits of the lower class of Chinese, they ire an industrious and patient people. After watching them work and observing tho conditions • under which they live, one can scarcely begrudge them whatever comfort they can find in tho dreams of Heaven which they draw from tho ir opium pipes. The Chinese have their amusements, one of which is the theatre. We attended one theatre in Pekin, and found the room crowded with men. It was a commodious hall with a gallery, but i the scenery was exceedingly scanty. I The audience expressed itself in ap- • proval or disapproval with much freedom. I CONTESTS BY BIRDS. We found a sport in China which wo have not heard of elsewhere, namely, quail fighting. These little birds are matched against each other as fighting cocks are in the Spanish countries. One American told us of a fight between cockroaches. These combats, as well as those between the quails, give an opportunity for betting—a vice which prevails in the Orient ns well as in the Occident. There is one kind of bird contest which involves neither cruelty nor bloodshed, although the_ dement of gambling is also present in it. I refer to the singing matches between larks. The Chinese are very fond of birds, and*one cannot go upon the streets without seeing men carrying birdcages. The birds are aired much as pet dogs are exercised in out country. The favourite singing bird is the lark, and these are entered by their owners

in contests,, considerable sums being often placed upon a bird. The award is made by the birds themselves, one after another, confessing defeat, until one songster is left upon his perch. The winner is quite exultant, while the others show as much humiliation, as a Chinaman who has lost his face, and will not afterward sing. Superstitions are widespread in. China. There is one form of, superstition which has interfered with, both religion and commerce. The natives have for centuries been the victims of sorcerers and fortunetellers, who, professing a knowledge of terrestrial and celestial forces, style themselves “ Fungshui ” doctors, and make a living hy selecting lucky burial sites, foretelling the future, etc. There are certain spirits which are supposed to preside over certain places, and any change in the conformation of the ground is thought to anger the spirits, A railroad cut or fill is eom ethnics objected to for this reason, and a church spire is, in the opinion of the superstitious, liable to endanger the peace and safety of a community. However, commerce is extending in. spite of the “spirits,” and the Christian religion is gradually making headway against superstition.