Australian Bush Chinese

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19911, 13 June 1936, Page 13 (Supplement)

Australian Bush Chinese

Amusing Stories from an Australian Town.

(H. Chisholm in Melbourne Argus)

NTIL RECENT YEARS Chinese were numerous on the goidflelds 0! “‘3' Lorie, and, for somereason that never was very clear, they provided constant targets for mischievous boys. Not the least interesting of their activities was the practice of “feeding the dead“ A creaking wagon halts at the gate or a country cemetery and five men climb slouly to the ground. They are old men and illclad. But the old men clearly are indiiierent to clothing. They are not Jovial. perhaps. but they talk a good deal as they take baskets from the wagon, and they continue talking in sing—sons mutters. as they shuttle into the cemetery. The Chinese have come to celebrate their Feast of the Dead. Once upon a time there were many Chinese upon the golrdilelds of Central Victoria. Even When sold became scarce there still remained a large number at work in vegetable gardens. To these facts witness is given by the many tombstones in the Chinese quarter of the cemetery—tombstones which. as Lind—say Gordon wrote of gum trees, are carved “with curious device, quaint inscription. and hieroglyph strange." But in recent years the Chinese, as the tombstones bear further witness, have fallen away, and so it is that now. where formerly a large gathering would have been present, we see only five old men assembled to carry out the ceremony of Feeding the Dead. The central site of the cemetery is a rimmed platform or concrete, only :1 few inches high, from one side of which rises .1 semi—circular wall. perhaps an high at the apex, and into which is let a tablet. with a weird-looking: inscription. 0n the floor u!‘ this pseudo—temple, directly in front of the tablet, the food is placed: at each side or it two groups of Chinese candles are set and lighted, and in the centre, in front of the food, is a bunch of slow matches. l\lcau~ while, candles and coloured paper are placed on different graves. and much paper is burnt in a furnace. Now the old men shuffle back to the “temple" and arrange the feast. Cooked i'owls and bacon, bread and oranges are spread, and beside each heap of food two chopsticks are placed. Also six tiny cups of gin are set out invitingly. But, the leaiure of the feast is the poultry. How these {owls were killed is no: apparent. for each still retains its head, and each head. surmounting the i‘catheriess body, has an expression that is Half-woeful. Half-quizzloai -—an expression that seems to say, “ \thrc are “c and what is it all about?" Grant is faith. The cnxrfisscii ninnncr of tho (illllli‘~(‘ lllilli‘illi'S tin-1r implicit lwlii-i' iiiui, Hwy arc. in soiu-r furl, illiillK their ilt‘liill'll'd lli'i‘llll'i'll .. guild turn. and wt llli‘l't‘ is lltl l‘ll'ill‘ m‘iilvncn nl’ llli‘ l‘ousi lit‘lll}: ciriuymi iny i‘n"u'uusis." .\.~. llilil' pussvs‘ llil' inn-nix is siiii [um-wilt, ’l'hu nrunnvs :irn lilillllli'lli‘il. No change has occurred in ihn- i‘Xlrl'i'ssi'ills nl’ ihv i-nniu‘il i'n\\i.~'. lin-n iiiv L’lll l'i‘iliilll‘ umlislurinuL Hui “lin i'Jl'i'S',‘ in illl'lli'}. ii \\i|lllll >4‘l‘lll .ill liiis inmi .illil iiz‘iiili ll up wit ishmi. \wl iiw :iuml Lliiiiww tin nu! .ilinm iiwiz‘ with in i'Jl‘l‘} llll'iil inn hr in tin[mini ..i‘ ll'.i\lllK unwi l‘imus l-I‘ll lii’ i'ui- HII' l"i‘l‘\’|‘l‘l'lll lu [illllllv'i‘ liimn ‘l'ilw i-wrvmuin IMHIIL. I'llill‘ll. llll‘) l'l'll'li‘U’ rill llit' rlliiil. in» l'lll'llllk’ Illt‘ siiwnll} llli'll“llllK i«r\\l,~_ ”must it liFll'l\ llll‘v llil‘ imslwis. .iini. .\lllll'fllnk' nu: or iii“ vv'mvii‘l'}. ill") irilc iuiu Hu- “NH“ and tlisuppsa' ”iii: the odour of burning candles remains to 9011119“ the spirits.

In the days, early in the century. Chinese were suillcientty numerous and sufficiently prosperous to live on a lofty scale, wherefore an entire roasted pig always figured on the menu. The pig was rather more an object of reverence to the lads of the vi]lage than the ceremony. On the Whole. though, both boys and adults who sued upon the ceremonies were decently tolerant. “I say. Hock Coy.“ said a young Aus—tralian to a venerable Chinese. “whaflor you feedum dead? Dead fetter no eat." “No?" returned the old man. “\Vhaflor you nut flowers on grave? Dead teller no smellum." That same .\lock Coy. for all his reserve. was shrewd and resourcei'ul. There was an occasion when. after he had gazed rather long on the wine which is red. he zlg-zagged down a street with his old handcart and we! questioned by a policeman. The constable suggested. more in sorrow than in anger. that Hock Co: was intoxicated while in charge of a vehicle. "P'teecyman." said the old Chinese calmly. “you catchem driver. .\ie horse t" And away he went with the handcart. leaving a grinning constable to Meditate on a Fine Point 0' Law. .\t the time of which l write there were Chinese laundrtes and vegetable gardens scattered throughout the town and its fringes. and there was a narrow and tortuous street that was wholly occupied by Asiatics. In general we worn givcn tacitly to understand that “‘9 were not wanted In Chinatown. hut on one «lay of each year we were welcome. That was on the fifth or Novvmhcr. Several 0! the Stores In the little .\il‘t‘r‘t stocked large quantities of fire—-wm-ks. and the ”“11le rctied an the pennies and tln‘cepcncos (and maybe even sixpcuces) ut' the while hays on (Buy Fawkes Night. Once there had liccn so much trouble of this kind that Lum Chi was brought forward to rcmons‘iraie. Lum Chi was wealthy. lie was ntso arrogant. He sought out one at tho chief nuisances and boronsued him. .\lcunwhite another boy slipped behind the orator and dropped a large “hunger." \Vhen this exploded beneath Lum Chi, in the midst of his wctt-chosen remarks, the amzry Chinese sprang into the air, and as he did so he omitted a Torrent 0! Queer Words and clawed viciously at. the lad in front of him. \Vhat followed need not be described. There was no further trafltc in fireworks that night. Sometimes arguments were started inadvertently, Tilf'l‘t- was. for example. the f'flSf‘ of Jim —-. who is now a “loading rttlzon" and a former mayor. As :1 hi‘ixht tiny lam: nzu .llm wuntlcrcd near the Ilhincse Alum-im- with his tion, and in .t l‘ul'vh-ss III“HI"“i it" l'il'imnt up :\ Siil‘k and towed it lumii .u i‘.m|>ii.|ri\ll- illli. Tim ting. twill}: (I millil‘nl twirl-war. ltmk 4 thing [0,.“ unplliw >iil‘]\ 'in.l Lupin] thirty on tup or the hilltl'ii. \\iltl iln- Ils>.l~'l[‘u|l.\ l‘t‘sllii itml the """r i"” i” NH“ l'H‘i Hi :I “It” cullulm-nl 'i‘il" im)‘ <inml -l|')'?liil’li. Explanations, hum. mm: “urt- ulll u-t‘ iilv' vluuxlinn “inc" ..|. ””1".“ iiilitti‘w‘ t'iill'l'mul I'l‘um itn- “rot-Lu.» .tmt \HHKiIi \v-nxmm-w. .tini turnml ..n.‘ i.tli tilt] in» ltwld nu t'lllllllll; Mr "W”. .il'ir‘l'vyiiwlx. \\il"iit‘\y'l' ln- \.4\\ that Chi-nix.-'i‘llr- slutt- td “..x- ”mm: y... mp ”mam“. ... tiir .i:‘.‘i'it‘\mt Inli'i‘ ll.» snug)” ...” “I. .‘fiunu mm ‘nirl mm 1 m "iv \\ l\‘ :u-mg it‘llnv‘ iv» China in do and higguslrti that thev should part as iriends. '