Life and sport in China / Second Edition

S AND T

oon which leads from the steamer to the bund, a most beaming celestial

ao San, was my boy for eight months,

Jo

n pidgin English, which not being able to un

"All right, savez, c

also armed with letters of recommendation, probably borrowed for t

rs seldom know the correct names of their Chinese servants, they are, for

just beginning to inspect the candid

me straight on here, and knowing you would require a boy, brought one along who wants a job. I don't know anything about him, but he say

ght in on bamboo poles by half-a-dozen coolies and dumped on the floor, the beaming celestial who met you on the pontoon following close behind, carr

ow you had brought your own boy,"

importunities of out-of-work boys, and dumbly acquiesce, so that Lao San remains until you have the time or inclination to

n are of exceptionally good character, and that he "can secure b'long all ploper." You submit, of course, and so your household is arranged by t

iends, they are by "olo custom" obliged to pay him a squeeze on their salaries, the cook probably two dollars a month and the coolies one each. Without your consent or knowledge the cook introduces a young friend of his into the kitchen to be known as the "second cook," or simply "No 2." His position

that expenses are mounting up in rather an

y the boy. However, it is not long before you again begin to feel uneasy and insist on knowing detail

ing squeez

percentage over cost price is levied. All the native tradesmen are in league with your servants, and while you know that you are being swindled it would be quite impossible to prove it, for shoul

you as their prey, and tacitly combining to play into each other's hands they fleece you with impunity, it being extremely difficult, if no

re. If he can keep his expenses below this figure so much the better. If he cannot, and they exceed it, he should cut down the vario

could only just cover expenses. After a time his business partly failed, so he sent for the boy and explained he could

vant that he had better get another situation as he feared it would be difficult for him to come down from six hundred dollars

and this he did with such success that the style

age, which may be anything between sixteen and sixty. It is m

of the ordinary housekeeper in

the accounts of the local tradespeople, on which, of course, he levies a recognised squeeze. He waits at tabl

big dinner or a dance is being held to borrow requisites from the boy of another house, and often without reference to the owner, so that when dining out y

h of his host and requested the company to drink it with Highland honours by placing one foot on the table and one on the chair. Bumpers having been tossed off he added that it would not be fitting for glasses consecrated by such distinguis

ng was, "Truly master b'long too muchee

ful tumblers, borrowed for the

the loss good, although he seldom does so. It may be imagined that his post is no

others are responsible and severe measures may be taken against them with the view of discovering the culprit, so that in reality while subject to numberless irrita

flees from justice, the officials can, and often do, arrest his father, mother, wife and whole family, and both imprison and persecute

xcellent, although great care must be taken to guard against their natural love of filthiness. A kitchen into which the master

te and carried off for sale to native restaurants, unless special orders have been given to the contrary. A reason for this is that in hot climates food, if not eaten at once, quickly becomes worse than useless. Also, owing to the ch

adies have often taken great pains to train their cooks to a high standard of proficiency, a well-served dinner in China not uncommonly far surpassing in excellence

e necessary preparations may be made, and it is practically impossible to sudden

ertainly managed

the cook and said, "To-night eight piecee man catchee dinner. Can

voking complaints and sullen looks, are regarded rather as a source of pleasurable excitement. "No 2" hurries off to market and quickly returns wit

he table and decorated it with leaves and flowers. After seeing to the wine and cigars

leasure the following inciden

obliged to continue his voyage to Hankow, I had no other means of meeting his wishes than by forfeiting my engagement. This I did in a hastily-written chit, making the best excuses I could, and then sent for the cook. On his appearance I informed him that I wanted dinner for two-chop chop! Without moving a muscle he answered, "Can do." Thinking to

d that the soup was already served. It was delicious, as were also the samli, the woodcock, the lamb cutlets and the

e, Boy, Coo

page 3

cargo being finished, she was ready to start. After seeing him off I joined the party next door in order to offer apologies and explanations to the h

rmed my suspicions that prime helpings from each course

and boots and make himself generally useful about the house. Oftentimes he is unable to speak any English, wears a short coat in contradistinction to the b

atchman, who remains on duty till sunrise. He also is responsible for the general safety, and is not supposed to sleep during the night, but to be on guard. Every two hours, that is, at each of the five watches into which the night is divided, he should make a round of the outbuildings to satisf

lish burglars it is yet very effecti

a recognised body, and is treated with by all householders, until it has become a kind of insurance agency against theft. All gatekeepers and night-watchmen pay a small monthly fee to this guild in order that no thieving may take place on the premises over which they

. This man comes to the office on pay-days like other employés to draw his wages. If, however, anything has been missed from th

esigned and could not be replaced, while by the end of the month most of his portable belongings had been surreptitiously removed. Thoroughly cowed

either of which is a common article of celestial food. From this it may be easily imagined that Europeans are often put to considerable inconvenience in securing an adequate supply of these daily necessaries. Good milk is especially hard to get. So long as it is white the native dairyman considers that his obligations to custome

I would ask the consul to punish him severely. He vowed and declared that the lactometer "no talkee true," and that no water whatever ha

off the pail in triumph, fully convinced that I should now be able to enjoy the pure article. Vain delusion! On testing it t

at fault, I consulted my friend the docto

e discrepancies seeme

g the cow myself, this being an accomplishment of my boyhood. To the cel

is capacious sleeve a piece of thick bamboo containing about two pints of water. From the lower part of t

irst shock to his feelings had abated, showed me, with evide

bamboo tube and a cow's teat in one hand, and so, the moment one's eyes were averted,

me with a pure supply. This he cheerfully agreed to do, and for a time I fared sumptuously, but it was not lo

fifty years ago, men allowed the hair to grow long a

y is therefore universal, and obtains from the cradle to the grave, it being a matter of considerable importance to all who value a whole skin, and "Olo custom" being an extremely strong motif, it would now be well-nigh impossible to abolish this badge of servitude, even w

yment of the lowest grade; but although the number of barbers is legion there are none who know how to cut hair until taught to do so by Europeans, so that in out-of-the-way places it is often v

orning at a stated time to perform the daily shave, as well as cut the hair when required. Oftentimes I have been still asleep when, leaving his shoes outside the door an

chieved, but for flannels, light tweeds and all such clo

oy

ai

an four o'clock come.

hin serge and a white flannel, and order a suit of each. On asking the price you are in

s, and after a good deal of haggling, eleven dollars and ten res

n d

ver, taking mental notes but writing nothing

ely stitched together to try on, draws a chalk

atly folded up on your bed, and on inspectio

ew one a counterpart of it, which, as a rule, he will do to perfection. In fact, he has been known to let a c