THE CHINESE QUARTERS OF SYDNEY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4358, 2 March 1893, Page 2

THE CHINESE QUARTERS OF SYDNEY.

A Visit pfliupvotion. That* k la tha mode of H(a vi the IhiMg ciikeiia of a oit¥ lit-o Bvtinsy such th&t is interastiagf And~t>ro», ■erbapiS, itsatruetiva; tbetelbra aaao- .* aUttt of a Sour of inspection through aa of Uift Chinesa Quarters ol Sydney asy fat foiirestiag lo eomo of you; sfidortf, I took advantage, a day or wo ogu v of sis after made by ono of the martest detectives in lis oily to show uc tnirongK the Chinese quarters in iid division, and dh bight during lioir&sti'JYflar fegti-.ities we started lataasoßgsb the bugs warehouses and lirty by-ways and slums of Lower 3«rge-stre*t. #n powmt, 1 may mark/that: ! here we saw the aiddle-clasa ChiaMß the merchants aid importers and their employes, ■lis lowest class of Chows being oceted in another poTtir*Lj|ottfitiy. Bat to proceed. We )f a warehouse in the ioor of which ii&a slightly ejar. Wiihjut the slightest ceremony ibf door was pushed' open and we entered. Passing through the shop we were soon in'aback room, and here, closely packed round a rmall square table, were some twenty Uhi.ianien, playing iau-tan. It's a splendid game 13 funten—for the-banker and croupier—and it is the' essence of simplicity. At the; feead of the table sits the banker and'on hia right is the croupier, who really does the playing. In the centre of the tahla is a sqoara shes-t of iron, its sides being nambeied 1;2,3, i. The croupier has before Lira some 200 or 800 swalt„ v . : !natal coins—Chinese, cf Presently be shuffles these up, takes a couple ftfhaadsfalaod places them near the numbered sheet, covering them with a, brim cap. Those who wish to try their lack fesa place on one c£ the sides of the square a coin of. nay value. : The croupier then with 6 > skewer-like pointer takes away tba coins from under the cup, four at a ' time, arid if there remains a nuatfees? conresposiiiing to that os the side ol the squ&T&on which yon have plassd . your coin, you win art amoaut ®qusl to double or treble the asaotsei slaked. To better understand th# game, I pise*d a shilling on the aog-. •-- ner betwMO 8 and 4 on the square. This is allowed, and you thus get two cb&riosf, bat only at men money. Tbs coins were(duly sbufrled, handed as*, land takes,iti again, with tha reaali tbat three-were left and 2 had won a shilling. A young Chow at my »lbow sarcastically hummed the chorea of "The man that broke the Batik at Monto Carlo," and upset nty eota-_ paaioa- completely. We saw cob>* siderabia suiae 'staked and lots here, but the players bore their ksatsa or received their gain with the most imperturbable stolidity. .Leaving bars we passed ihrotigh & dark narrow pat- ' ■' sagß,iiP two flights of stone fctairs&nd were fairly in the Lower George airsss Chinese quarters. We firss snW*al & small bouse where, in a room loSTby10ft, were somo 10 or 12 ChinkUa orowded together pleyieg a game somethinglike dominoes, as ugftsl money being staked on the result. Thfl atmosphere was insufferably stilling, t acd we fled hurriedly into the open air,;.-;..' A few doors lower down the detofitive kaockea, and in response to the " come in 1" we entered. We were in. tliehcmse of s well knonn merehant, and the; room which wu had just entered was most lavishly furnished. ~. Oil paintings adorned the walls, asid pbotoe in tasteful frames filled every niche. A tabic- in the centre was, in accordance with iheit custom, at this period of the year, loaded wttb eatables, European and Chiaesa fruit of all descriptions, confeotioaery, candies, cakes, etc. A side-board was lined with buttles of wines and spirits, aad beneath the table were dozens of bottle's of lemonade, saraied waters, etc. The lady of the houc-3 was s yoxttig bolf-custe Chinese, a»d with her was a eood-looking European woman, who, she said, was her disssmaker. They and the merchant aforesaid received us heartily {©y compor.ua was well-known antoagsi them), and pressed us to accept of their hospitality. Presently the Chinaman produced a bottle of Chinese spirits—very sweet and very strong—and we drank a " Happy Kew Year " to bim and his family in the natiosai beverage. We next entered a houae at a £,tia distance, scarcely less sumptuously furnished than the one we had jujjjJLfigS left. Here we vvere received by & blooded Chinese woman, who,through her son, invited w to partake ol the tempting comestibles spread oat before ns. To please her wa tried *_ few mysterious Chinese preparations ■ then bade her adieu and departed. Neat the end of the street we passed through a low doorway, and a couple ' of ill-smelling and cuddv.Jike rooms,; and found ourselves in a small apartment with an atmospheee reeking with,a peculiar and strange odour. : In the dim light we saw an antiquated Cbow s lying on a bunk smoking a cigarette, and on another busk lay a younger man smoking opium. He was cooking a small ball of opium at the end of a long piu over an oil lamp and smearing it over ~ tha outside of hia pipe. His stertorous breathing and frequsit hiccoughing showed that i almost in that state of induced by the opiate, companion gave him a push, and he s&s upi In as violent a manner as big state permitted, he asked what we wanted there, and' ordered ug to clear out. In answer, the detective showed the Chow his baton and handcuffs, at the same time telling him in the language of Confucius, that he was . a detective. ' AH - imco of anger 'vanisbed: and the old man's &ei ■wreathad itself into a smile of contentment and peace as he lay' down and."regum_ed his smoking. ' ', watched him for a few minutes ing the smoke, the other old fellow meanwhile expressing his fiscal r<t€e4: - by rolling out * comprehensive vol% " of abuse on, th.ose who had impoead $ tax on opiuai, Whpp we dßcanad tbs opium smoker wsg hugging his pipe to his bosom, and aaj uyitig his ovistsbegotten imageries. Ever and aaaa his frame was convulsed with a lent treaibling. Frequent fits cbughiog disturbed tha of his slumbers, and strength and virulence of tbe ofkfe Poor fellow I Like so many ihousw& more o£ his countrymen, to an eld ags of opium-bosdage, wiih its Sefttiug iaoraeats of tr«soiia?jat. piesst&e aad its %mty hours IssrM misery. Estedag- G*wga Skeal again wa - m»sssd iaio a washouts and OB Sighta ef atasra into a sfoSj &&< aiSife3»asi. Htte,'to« s was » : asalUy, ib». --, v TmMmmsdmm Wisg-^^rk^m^ ' -\