A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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Europeans, Both Men And
Women, Can Circulate Freely, Without Being Exposed To A Shower Of
Stones, As Is Frequently The Case In Other Chinese Towns.
The
streets, which are exclusively inhabited by Chinese, presented a
very bustling aspect.
The men were in many cases seated out of
doors in groups, playing at dominoes, while locksmiths, carpenters,
shoemakers, and many others were either working, talking, playing,
or dining in the numerous booths. I observed but few women, and
these were of the lower classes. Nothing surprised and amused me
more than the manner in which the Chinese eat; they have two little
sticks, with which they very skilfully convey their victuals into
their mouths. This process, however, cannot be so successfully
practised with rice, because it does not hold together; they
therefore hold the plate containing it close to their mouths, and
push it in by the aid of the sticks, generally letting a portion of
it fall back again, in no very cleanly fashion, into the plate. For
liquids they use round spoons of porcelain.
The style in which the houses are built, did not strike me as very
remarkable; the front generally looks out upon the courtyard or
garden.
Among other objects which I visited was the grotto, in which the
celebrated Portuguese poet, Camoens, is said to have composed the
Lusiade. He had been banished, A.D. 1556, to Macao, on account of a
satirical poem he had written, Disperates no India, and remained in
banishment several years before receiving a pardon.
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