CHINESE PUZZLEDOM 157 



to left instead of in horizontal lines from top to bottom. 

 When they play at cards the deal goes the reverse way. The 

 potter's wheel spins the reverse way. Eope is twisted the 

 reverse way. A candlestick has no socket so that a candle 

 cannot be stuck in it, but in place of the socket there is a 

 pin which is stuck into the candle. The calendar is lunar 

 instead of solar. The day is divided into twelve periods 

 instead of twenty-four hours. Dates are recorded in the 

 reverse order of year, month and day, and are placed at the 

 end of letters instead of at the head. The family name 

 always precedes the personal name, as Johnson Jack, instead 

 of Jack Johnson. If lightning strikes anything, it is said to 

 have been struck by thunder. The needle of the compass 

 points to the south, and the points of the compass are re- 

 ferred to antithetically and backwards, e.g., "east-south"; 

 "east-north"; "west-north" and "west-south." 



• In the days when the Min Chii, or native Postal 

 Establishments flourished, postage was never prepaid. The 

 postage on a letter was always paid by the receiver instead 

 of the sender, to insure delivery. There is method in this 

 too when we come to think of it. 



When we say 10 per cent., they say 90 per cent., and 

 when we say 30 per cent., they say 70 per cent.; which really 

 comes to the same thing, for while we refer to the discount 

 they refer to the net amount. 



According to the Chinese there are four liberal or polite 

 arts, namely, Music, Chess, Literature and Painting ( W W* 

 H i£ )• With literature I have already dealt at some length; 

 the other three subjects are also big ones and time does not 

 allow of more than a passing reference to them. Music : 

 Chinese music, as everybody knows, is very different from 

 foreign music. If our music were all major, Chinese music 

 would probably be all minor; but since ours is both major 

 and minor, Chinese music must, of necessity, he neither the 

 one thino- nor the other. Because we have semi-tones, of 

 course, the Chinese must have none ; because w T e have 

 chords, naturally, they know nothing about chords. Because 

 we consider a natural, well-rounded voice giving clear notes 

 the most beautiful, the Chinese must sing in falsetto. In 

 short, their ideas of music, must be the very opposite of ours 

 in every respect. Chess : Now in Chess, it is exactly what 

 the French would say: c est la mcme chose, mais tout le 

 contraire. Of course the board must not be checkered;. the 

 pieces must be placed at the angles of the squares instead 

 of on the squares ; Black must have the first move instead of 



