The Chinese " Comprador ' or Factotum. 361 



the servants, and must replace anything tliat may have 

 gone amissing from the house inventory. If the family 

 leave their house for any time, the Comprador is informed 

 of the place where the most valual)le articles are deposited, 

 where they are more likely to be found in proper order on 

 their return than by any other device. Even during the late 

 war, in which the feeling of the Chinese to the Europeans was 

 anything but friendly, the Comprador held to ]iis fidelity, 

 and was as useful as ever. In view of the actual state of 

 matters, a traveller must feel no little astonishment at be- 

 holding the doors and windows of the private dwelling- 

 houses everywhere wide open, and valuable articles lying 

 exposed in the various apartments. As however the Com- 

 prador himself must get a number of bails to become respon- 

 sible for him, and as the post is a very profitable one, it 

 follows that there are but few cases of dishonesty in this 

 singular profession. It is especially remarkable that few of 

 the populace seem to be as hostile to the strangers as the 

 Mandarins, and all the numerous annoyances inflicted on the 

 latter are invariably to be traced to the intrigues of the 

 Chinese authorities. How else would it be possible for a 

 couple of hundred Europeans to rule a colony in which are 

 80,000 Cliinese, and which moreover is dependent upon the 

 mainland for the very first necessities of life .'' 



The Comprador receives for all his services and attentions 

 no higher pay than from 12 to 15 dollars a month, besides 

 support for himself and family. This liowevcr is not his 



