CHAPTER XIX. 



HONG KONG.— CHINESE NEW YEAE, ETC. 



Chinese Pyroteohny — Salutations by Crackers — Religious Ceremonies — 

 Holiday-making — Family Groups — Children — Visits of Ceremony — Boats 

 — Toy-makers — Mandarin Processions in Canton — Irruption of Beggars — 

 Chinese Tame Birds — Shantung Lark — Tumblers — Canaries — Mina — 

 Street Robbery in Hong Kong — Insecurity of the Person — Police Regula- 

 tions— Contrast with Canton— Character of the Chinese — Facility of Escape 

 to Canton. 



The 5th February (1867) was the Chinese new year, a 

 festival held in particular honour among this people. Pre- 

 parations for the day had been visible for some time before, 

 and its advent was the common topic of conversation. It 

 was Ushered in by a great noise of crackers, which made night 

 hideous, and rendered it very difi&cult to sleep, a bad prepa- 

 ration for the enjoyment of a festivity. The Chinese have 

 somehow gained the reputation of being great pyrotechnists ; 

 but the display of this occasion gave me but a poor impres- 

 sion of their powers in this direction, which seemed to have 

 been entirely concentrated in one channel, namely, ia the 

 construction of- crackers. In this department they have 

 certainly arrived at great perfection. These crackers are 

 usually of small size ; but great numbers are fastened toge- 

 ther upon a string in such a manner that, when ignited, the 

 whole series, of many hundreds, explode in regular succes- 

 sion with a sharp noise, like the fire of an irregular volley 



