the golden chersonese and the way thither-第14节

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unaltered　by　foreign　contact。

There　are　many　beggars；　and　a　〃Beggars'　Square；〃　and　the　beggars　have　a
〃king；〃　and　a　regular　guild；　with　an　entrance　fee　of　1　pound。　The
shopkeepers　are　obliged　by　law　to　give　them　a　certain　sum；　and　on　the
occasion　of　a　marriage　or　any　other　festivity；　the　giver　sends　a　fee　to
the　〃king；〃　on　the　understanding　that　he　keeps　his　lieges　from
bothering　the　guests。　They　make　a　fearful　noise　with　their　two　gongs。
There　is　one　on　the　Shameen　bridge　who　has　a　callosity　like　a　horn　on
his　forehead；　with　which　he　strikes　the　pavement　and　produces　an
audible　thump。

After　the　cleanliness；　beauty；　and　good　repair　of　the　Japanese　temples；
those　of　Canton　impress　me　as　being　very　repulsive。　In　Japan　the　people
preserve　their　temples　for　their　exquisite　beauty；　and　there　are　a
great　many　sincere　Buddhists；　but　China　is　irreligious；　a　nation　of
atheists　or　agnostics；　or　slaves　of　impious　superstitions。　In　an
extended　tramp　among　temples　I　have　not　seen　a　single　male　worshiper　or
a　thing　to　please　the　eye。　The　Confucian　temples；　to　which　mandarinism
resorts　on　certain　days　to　bow　before　the　Confucian　tablets；　are　now
closed；　and　their　courts　are　overgrown　with　weeds。　The　Buddhist　temples
are　hideous；　both　outside　and　inside；　built　of　a　crumbling　red　brick；
with　very　dirty　brick　floors；　and　the　idols　are　frightful　and　tawdry。
We　went　to　several　which　have　large　monasteries　attached　to　them；　with
great　untidy　gardens；　with　ponds　for　sacred　fish　and　sacred　tortoises；
and　houses　for　sacred　pigs；　whose　sacredness　is　shown　by　their
monstrous　obesity。　In　the　garden　of　the　Temple　of　Longevity；　the　scene
of　the　〃Willow　Pattern；〃　dirty　and　degraded　priests；　in　spite　of　a
liberal　douceur　to　one　of　them；　set　upon　us；　clamoring　_kum…sha_；
attempting　at　the　same　time　to　shut　us　in；　and　the　two　gentlemen　were
obliged　to　use　force　for　our　extrication。　In　the　court　of　the　〃Temple
of　Horrors；〃　which　is　surrounded　by　a　number　of　grated　cells　containing
life…sized　figures　of　painted　wood；　undergoing　at　the　hands　of　other
figures　such　hell…torments　as　are　decreed　for　certain　offences；　there
is　perpetually　a　crowd　of　fortune…tellers；　and　numbers　of　gaming　tables
always　thronged　with　men　and　boys。　Each　temple　has　an　accretion　of
smaller　temples　or　shrines　round　it；　but　most；　on　ordinary　occasions；
are　deserted；　and　all　are　neglected　and　dirty。　Where　we　saw　worshipers
they　were　always　women；　some　of　whom　looked　very　earnest；　as　they　were
worshiping　for　sick　children；　or　to　obtain　boys；　or　to　insure　the
fidelity　of　their　husbands。　〃Worship〃　consists　in　many　prostrations；　in
the　offering　of　many　joss…sticks；　and　in　burning　large　squares　of
gilded　paper；　this　being　supposed　to　be　the　only　way　in　which　gold　can
reach　either　gods　or　ancestors。　One　or　two　of　the　smaller　temples　were
thronged　by　women　of　the　poorest　class；　whose　earnest　faces　were　very
touching。　Idolatry　is　always　pathetic。　It　is　not；　however；　idol　worship
which　sits　like　a　nightmare　on　China；　and　crushes　atheists；　agnostics；
and　heathens　alike；　but　ancestral　worship；　and　the　tyranny　of　the
astrologers　and　geomancers。

I　like　the　faces　of　the　lower　orders　of　Chinese　women。　They　are　both
strong　and　kind；　and　it　is　pleasant　to　see　women　not　deformed　in　any
way；　but　clothed　completely　in　a　dress　which　allows　perfect　freedom　of
action。　The　small…footed　women　are　rarely　seen　out　of　doors；　but　the
sewing…woman　at　Mrs。　Smith's　has　crippled　feet；　and　I　have　got　her
shoes；　which　are　too　small　for　the　English　baby　of　four　months　old！　The
butler's　little　daughter；　aged　seven；　is　having　her　feet　〃bandaged〃　for
the　first　time；　and　is　in　torture；　but　bears　it　bravely　in　the　hope　of
〃getting　a　rich　husband。〃　The　sole　of　the　shoe　of　a　properly　diminished
foot　is　about　two　inches　and　a　half　long；　but　the　mother　of　this
suffering　infant　says；　with　a　quiet　air　of　truth　and　triumph；　that
Chinese　women　suffer　less　in　the　process　of　being　crippled　than　foreign
women　do　from　wearing　corsets！　　To　these　Eastern　women　the　notion　of
deforming　the　figure　for　the　sake　of　appearance　only　is　unintelligible
and　repulsive。　The　crippling　of　the　feet　has　another　motive。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　IV　（Continued）

Outside　the　Naam…Hoi　PrisonThe　Punishment　of　the　CangueCrime　and
MiseryA　Birthday　Banquet〃Prisoners　and　Captives〃Prison
MortalityCruelties　and　IniquitiesThe　Porch　of　the　MandarinThe
Judgment…SeatThe　Precincts　of　the　Judgment…SeatAn　Aged
ClaimantInstruments　of　PunishmentThe　Question　by　Torture


Yesterday；　after　visiting　the　streets　devoted　to　jade…stone　workers；
jewelers；　saddlers；　dealers　in　musical　instruments；　and　furriers；　we
turned　aside　from　the　street　called　Sze…P'aai…Lau；　into　a　small；　dirty
square；　on　one　side　of　which　is　a　brick　wall；　with　a　large　composite
quadruped　upon　it　in　black　paint；　and　on　the　other　the　open　entrance
gate　of　the　Yamun；　or　official　residence　of　the　mandarin　whose
jurisdiction　extends　over　about　half　Canton；　and　who　is　called　the
Naam…Hoi　magistrate。　Both　sides　of　the　road　passing　through　this
square；　and　especially　the　open　space　in　front　of　the　gate　which　leads
into　the　courtyard　of　the　Yamun；　were　crowded　with　unshaven；　ragged；
forlorn；　dirty　wretches；　heavily　fettered　round　their　ankles；　and　with
long　heavy　chains　padlocked　round　their　necks；　attached；　some　to　large
stones　with　holes　in　the　centre；　others　to　short　thick　bars　of　iron。
Two　or　three；　into　whose　legs　the　ankle　fetters　had　cut　deep　raw
grooves；　were　lying　in　a　heap　on　a　ragged　mat　in　the　corner；　some　were
sitting　on　stones；　but　most　were　standing　or　shifting　their　position
uneasily；　dragging　their　weighty　fetters　about；　making　a　jarring　and
dismal　clank　with　every　movement。

These　unfortunates　are　daily　exposed　thus　to　the　scorn　and　contempt　of
the　passers…by　as　a　punishment　for　small　thefts。　Of　those　who　were
seated　on　stones　or　who　were　kneeling　attempting　to　support　themselves
on　their　hands；　most　wore　square　wooden　collars　of　considerable　size；
weighing　thirty　pounds　each；　round　their　necks。　These　cangues　are　so
constructed　that　it　is　impossible　for　their　wearers　to　raise　their
hands　to　their　mouths　for　the　purpose　of　feeding　themselves；　and　it
seemed　to　be　a　choice　pastime　for　small　boys　to　tantalize　these
criminals　by　placing　food　tied　to　the　end　of　sticks　just　within　reach
of　their　mouths；　and　then　suddenly　withdrawing　them。　Apart　from　the
weight　of　their　fetters；　and　of　the　cangue　in　which　they　are　thus
pilloried；　these　men　suffer　much　from　hunger　and　thirst。　They　are　thus
punished　for　petty　larcenies。　Surely　〃the　way　of　transgressors　is
hard。〃

The　bearers　set　me　down　at　the　gate　of　the　Yamun　among　the　festering
wretches　dragging　the　heavy　weights；　the　filthy　and　noisy　beggars；　the
gamblers；　the　fortune…tellers；　the　messengers　of　justice；　and　the
countless　hangers…on　of　the　prison　and　judgment…seat　of　the　Naam…Hoi
magistrate；　and　passing　through　a　part　of　the　courtyard；　and　down　a
short；　narrow　passage；　enclosed　by　a　door　of　rough　wooden　uprights；
above　which　is　a　tiger's　head；　with　staring　eyes　and　extended　jaws；　we
reached　the　inner　entrance；　close　to　which　is　a　much　blackened　altar　of
incense　foul　with　the　ashes　of　innumerable　joss…sticks；　and　above　it　an
equally　blackened　and　much　worn　figure　of　a　tiger　in　granite。　To　this
beast；　which　is　regarded　by　the　Chinese　as　possessing　virtue；　and　is
the　tutelary　guardian　of　Chinese　prisons；　the　jailers　offer　incense　and
worship　night　and　day；　with　the　object　of　securing　its　aid　and
vigilance　on　their　behalf。

Close　to　the　altar　were　the　jailers'　rooms；　dark；　dirty；　and
inconceivably　forlorn。　Two　of　the　jailers　were　lying　on　their　beds
smoking　opium。　There　we　met　the　head　jailer；　of　all　Chinamen　that　I
have　seen　the　most　repulsive　in　appearance；　manner；　and　dress；　for　his
long　costume　of　frayed　and　patched　brown　silk　looked　as　if　it　had　not
been　taken　off　for　a　year；　the　lean；　brown　hands　which　clutched　the
prison　keys　with　an　instinctive　grip　were　dirty；　and　the　nails　long　and
hooked　like　claws；　and　the　face；　worse；　I　thought；　than　that　of　any　of
the　criminal　horde；　and　scored　with　lines　of　grip　and　greed；　was
saturated　with　opium　smoke。　This　wretch　pays　for　his　place；　and　in　a
few　years　will　retire　with　a　fortune；　gains　arising　from　bribes　wrung
from　prisoners　and　their　friends　by　threats　and　torture；　and　by
defrauding　them　daily　of　a　part　of　their　allowance　of　rice。

The　prison；　as　far　as　I　can　learn；　consists　mainly　of　six　wards；　each
with　four　large　apartments；　the　walls　of　these　wards　abutting　upon　each
other；　and　forming　a　parallelogram；　outside　of　which　is　a　narrow；　paved
pathway；　on　which　the　gates　of　the　wards　open；　and　which　has　on　its
outer　side　the　high　boundary　wall　of　the　prison。　This　jailer；　this
fiendmade　such　by　the　customs　of　his　countrytook　us　down　a　passage；
and　unlocking　a　wooden　grating　turned　us　into　one　of　the　aforesaid
〃wards；〃　a　roughly　paved　courtyard　about　fifty　feet　long　by　twenty…four
broad；　and　remained　standing　in　the　doorway　jangling　his　keys。

If　crime；　vice；　despair；　suffering；　filth　and　cruelty　can　make　a　hell
on　earth；　this　is　one。　Over　its　dismal　gateway　may　well　be　written；
〃Who