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Patea Mail, 9 October 1880, Page 6 (Supplement)

A Horrible Suggestion.—A recent number of a Xew York ladies’ magazine in its housekeeper’s department informs its reoders that 4 Virginian housewives make the best of pickles. ’ . * There were two men got into a light in front of the bank to-day/ said a stockbroker at the family supper tabic, 4 and I tell you it looked pretty hard for one of them. The biggest one grabbed a cart-stake and drew it back. I felt that he was going to knock the ether’s brains out, and I jumped in between them, ’ The family had listened with rapt attention, and, as the head paused in his narrative, the young heir, whose respect for his father’s bravery was immeasurable, proudly remarked, 4 He couldn’t - knock any brains out of you, could he, father?’ The head of the family gazed long and earnestly at the heir, as if to detect evidences of a dawning humourist; but, as the youth continued with great innocence to munch his tart, he gasped, and resumed his supper,

CHINA AND THE CHINESE

' Captain Gill, when alluding ro the great store placed by the Chinese on their pigtails and plaits of hair, relates the following amusing anecdote :

TUB CHINAMAN’S PIGTAIL

The plait was first imposed on the Chinese as a badge of servitude by the Mancus when they took the country ; but the origin of the pendage has been long forgotten —it is now valued almost as dearly as life, and to be without one is considered the sign of a rebel. It was told that once a Chinese gentleman was riding in the settlement of Shanghai in a jinnyrickshaw, when he allowed his plait to fall over the side ; it was a long one, and the end was soon caught in the axle, which gradually wound it up. The poor fellow shouted to the man drawing him to stop, but the coolie imagining that he was being urged to greater efforts, only wont the faster, until the unfortunate occupant, with his plait nearly wound up to the end, and himself nearly dragged out of his carriage, was in a pitable plight. A British sailor at this moment happened to pass that way, and observing the desperate predicament, with the readiness of resource for which nautical people are famed, he drew his knife and in an instant severed the plait from the Chinaman’s head. He thought he had done a kindly act, but instead of thanks he received little more than curses, and his life was not considered safe until his ship was well beyond the limits of the Shanghai river. A THOUULJJSOiIK CUHKENCV. Money arrangements had now to be made for the journey we were about to undertake, for dollars do not pass current far from the Avails of Peking, or the great high road to Tien-Tsin. In the city of Peking itself the private banks issue notes, but these are worthless half a dozen miles from the capital. Over nearly the whole of China payment is made by means of a lump of silver weighed in a balance. The silver is cast into ingots of various sizes, and of two shapes ; the largest are something like a shoe in form, and weigh about thirty or forty ounces, the smaller ingots are cast into pieces almost hemispherical, and Aveigh from one to ten ounces. The silver is of various degrees of purity, but a Chinese banker or merchant accustomed to transactions in bullion, kuoAVS almost instinctively the quality of the metal, and rarely makes a mistake. Provided with these ingots, the traveller finds that his troubles uoav begin. To make small payments pieces of silver of a less size are necessary. The ingot is therefore carefully weighed and sent out to be chopped rp by any one avlio will undertake the task. The village blacksmith is the usual operator, and Avhen he returns the silver it has to be weighed again, for the owner

to satisfy himself that the full amount has been returned. This is, however, but the first of many vexatiors. Every time a purchase is made, when the price of an article is finally agreed upon the amount of bargaining always necessary to complete a transaction, the vendor will generally manage to find some fault with the quality of the silver, and will want an extra payment in consequence. In travelling about from one city to another there is a further difficulty to be overcome, for every place has its own scale, and what is an ounce in one town will perhaps be less than an ounce in the next, so that the weary traveller, after having, as he thought, finally concluded the tiresome transaction, is quietly told that his scale is not a good one and the silver must all be weighed afresh in a balance of the place. SUMMAUV PUNISHMENT. The public examinations are one of the most remarkable institutions in the country. In every city hundreds and thousands of candidates present themselves yearly to pass for their degree. Each is shut up in a cell, about five feet square, which he cannot leave for two days. He is then liberated for a day, and again shut up with a fresh paper of questions. Very little bribery and personification takes place at these examinations, but amid the universal corruption that prevails throughout the Chinese administration, it would be quite impossible entirely to avoid unjust dealings. A story is told that on a certain occasion the examiners of some provincial capital were dining with a high military official; and during the dinner a letter was handed to one of the former. By Chinese etiquette a person receiving a letter in company must hand it to the host if lie asks to see it. On this occasion the military man requested permission to look over the document; this was at first refused, but the demand, repeated in a peremptory manner, was eventually complied with. The letter was from the father of the examiner, saying that he had received a large sum of money from a certain person who intended to be a candidate at the next examination. The military official read the letter, and called out to his servant, ‘Bring the chaffcutter.’ The instrument was produced ; and the officer put the examiner to death with his own hands, cutting him across the belly, this being the legal punishment for an examiner convicted of malpractices. The officer immediately wrote to Peking, demanding a legal punishment for his crime, but he received for answer that his conduct had been exemplary.