310 



CHINA. 



they may labour like slave*. Ther we often teen with 

 n iafii't on tlu-ir back toiling at the hardest tasks, while 

 their liu bands are sitting at their case, or punning some 

 muvnicnt. They even pi rform the office of beasts of 

 burden, and are at times employed in dragging the plough 

 or the harrow, which their lazy helpmate holds with 

 one hand, while he casts the seed into the ground with 

 the other. Even in their state of domestic improvement, 

 they posaeu no privileges or indulgencies j and are not 

 permitted to sit at the same table, or in the same apart- 

 ment with their husbands. The wives of tradesmen and 

 mechanics generally employ themselves in weaving and 

 rmbroidr ring silks, or in painting. upon thin gauze the 

 figures of insects, birds, and flowers. But, in the higher 

 ranks, it is accounted a degrading office to handle the 

 needle or the pencil ; -and the amount of their education 

 consists in a little music and dancing. Utterly unquali- 

 fied, therefore, to pursue any mental or improving occu- 

 pation, they employ much of their time in listening to 

 jugglers or fortune-tellers, and generally have recourse 

 to the tobacco pipe, as the chief expedient for beguiling 



Pony feet, ^ir tedious hours. The most remarkable circumstance, 

 respecting the women of China, is the custom of com- 

 pressing their feet from their infancy, pushing forward 

 the heel till it be entirely obliterated, and confining the 

 toes with bandages beneath the sole, till they actually 

 grow into the foot, of which they become as it were a 

 part. The large toe is left free, and preserves its natural 

 size; but still the foot makes scarcely any addition to its 

 growth, except a kind of swelling abcve the instep near 

 to the ankle bone ; and the whole is generally so very 

 diminutive, as to enter into a shoe of four inches in length, 

 and an inch and a half in breadth. This practice pre- 

 vails among all classes in China; and the smalluess of the 

 is reckoned the most essential point in female beau- 

 ty, without which indeed they would be looked upon as 

 utterly despicable. The origin of this strange and un- 

 natural cu-tom is wholly unknown ; and is conjectured 

 to have been only adopted during the lapse of a few cen- 

 turies, as it is not noticed in the reports of the earliest 

 travellers into China. It has been attributed to the jea- 

 lousy of the men, as a method of keeping the females 

 more at home ; and is conceived to have been afterwards 

 continued by the ladies themselves, as a mark of superior 

 station. The Tartar women, however, have not con- 

 formed to this custom ; but, on the contrary, have ra- 

 ther large feet, with wide square shoes ; and both walk 

 and ride abroad with greater freedom. 



'Marriages. The women are invariably sold at marriage, and are 

 nnt permitted to exercise any choice of their own. The 

 bridegroom bargains with the parents or other relatives ; 

 and the highest bidder is commonly preferred. At the 

 tame time, he is not allowed .to sec his intended wife, till 

 she arrive in procession at his gate, shut up in a close 

 chair, of which he then receives the key ; and, should 

 it happen, upon his opening the door of the vehicle, that 

 he is not pleased with his bargain, he ii at liberty to re- 

 turn her to her friends, upon condition of forfeiting the 

 purchase money. But the lady has no remedy or option, 

 and must pass to the highest purchaser, or to the person 

 whom her parents choose to prefer. Mutual affection, 

 tliereforc, between the sexes may be considered as in a 

 manner unknown in China ; but every one hastens to pro- 

 cure a wife, because such is the law and custom of his 

 country. He sets out to purchase his future partner, as 

 he wottld look out for some- necessary article of house- 

 hold furniture; and she continues on I .to act 

 nearly as inanimate and motionless a part, as if she were 

 othing else. She ucithcr considers iti any indignity, 





Marriage 

 ceremony. 



nor expresse any feeling of jealousy, though a second or a 

 third wife should be brought into the IIOUM- ; luit ^con- 

 tented with presiding as tin: first female in the family, 

 and with bcin^ called mother by all the children. 1 

 the death of the husband, the widow, if a person of rank, 

 is honoured by preserving her state of widowhood ; and 

 it is very rarely the case, that she enters a second time 

 into the married life. But, in the lower classes, the re- 

 lations of the deceased generally dispose of the widow to 

 another husband, that they may gain something by 

 pocketing the price which she brings. The marriage 

 ceremony is sufficiently simple, and consists in little else 

 than the procession of the bride to the gate of the bride- 

 groom, and his reception of her into his house. The 

 bargain, as has been mentioned, is concluded between the 

 relations on each side ; and the acceptance of the mar* 

 riage presents is accounted a sufficient evidence and rati- 

 fication of the contract. On the day appointed, the bride 

 is conveyed in a close palanquin to her future residence, 

 escorted by domestics and female slaves bearing presents 

 from her family to her intended husband, preceded by 

 musicians of different descriptions, and followed by her 

 friends and relations. One of her nearest kindred carries 

 the key of the palanquin, and commits it to the briJe- 

 groom upon reaching his house, who conducts his -p use 

 to the presence of his parents, before whom they both, 

 prostrate themselves, in token of dutiful submission. 

 Afterwards, the two parties partake together of food, 

 and drink wine out of the same cup. The male attend- 

 ants arc entertained in one apartment, and the females in 

 another ; and on these occasions, the Chinese are often 

 extremely extravagant, so as frequently to impoverish 

 themselves during the rest of their lives, by the expencei 

 attending the marriages of their children. The wives 

 continue their former retired life, seeing only their hus- 

 bands or near relations, occupying themselves with the 

 internal economy of their households, and devoting the 

 greatest attention to the care of their children. 



The Chinese give great entertainments at the birth of 

 their children to their Friend*, who on their parts offer con- 

 gratulations and presents on the occasion. On the third 

 day, the child is washed with great ceremony, when, 

 among other meats and presents, the company eat paint- 

 ed eggs given by the grandmother. There is in every 

 household a family name, which is never changed ; and 

 at the birth of a male, another name is given called l/te 

 lilllt' name, which, however, the daughters never receive, 

 but are distinguished simply byjirsl, second, third placed 

 before their family appellation. The little names, or 

 names thus received at tneir birth, are used in signing let- 

 ters ; but no one addresses another by these designations. 

 In entering upon their education, they receive from tlu-ir 

 teacher their school name, by which their master and 

 school fellows always address them. Upon leaving school, 

 they drop this name, and assume another ;it ininiage, 

 which they ever after retain, unless they obtain some ho- 

 nourable office, . when they take an additional name, by 

 which they are thenceforth addressed. 



A parent in China j the most absolute ruitiio- Infanticide, 



rity over his children ; and, though he t>hould occasion 

 the death of a child by severity of punishment, is subjected 

 only to the penalty of 100 blows, reduced in reality to 

 forty. The practice of infanticide has long been regard- 

 ed, as one of lit deepest stigmas upon the character of 

 the Chinese, anil at the most unequivocal proof of their 

 unfeeling dispositions. Though this barbarous and un- 

 natural crime be not actu.illy motioned by law in China, 

 it is at least tolerated and overlooked. It is a part of the 

 duty of the police at I'ekui to go their rounds with carts 



Birth .mi 

 name* of 



children. 



