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LOSSARY 


OF 


REFERENCE 


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T K  E    Fa.  p.    h^-^-A ST 


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-JOHN  -FRYER- 
CHINESE-  LIBRARY 


KELLYiWALSh 


A 

GLOSSARY  OF  SEFEHENCE 


SUBJECTS  CONNECTED  WITH  THE  FAR  EAST 


BY 


HEEBEET   A.   GILES 

H.  B.  M.  Vice  Consul,  Shanghai. 


Why^  he's  a  gri-ffin  !    He  doesn't  "know  a  tejpo  from  a  tepoy. 

Old  China  Sating. 


[SECOND  EDITION.] 


HOJ^GfZOJ^G:— Messrs.  LANE,  CEAWFOED  &  Co. 

SHANGHAI  d  YOKOHAMA:— mmsvis.  KELLY  &  WALSH. 

LOJ^DOJY;— BEENAED  QUAEITCH. 

1886. 


Main  lib. 

JOHN  FRYER 
CHINESE  LIBRARY 


^^ 


sc^ 


PEEFACE  TO  SECOND    EDITION. 


The  present  work  is  nominally  a  re-issue  of  a  volume 
wliicli  appeared  in  April  1878  under  the  same  title. 

That  first  attempt  having  met  with  considerable  success, 
a  second  edition,  revised  and  greatly  enlarged,  is  now  sub- 
mitted to  the  public,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  prove  a  still 
more  useful  handbook  of  reference  "  on  subjects  connected 
with  the  Far  East/' 

Any  credit  for  its  typographical  accuracy — a  result  so 
rarely  secured  in  the  East — is  entirely  due  to  the  efforts  of 
Mr.  G.  M.  H.  Playfair  and  Dr.  R.  A.  Jamieson,  who  in  my 
absence  from  Shanghai  kindly  undertook  that  most  unenvi- 
able task. 

To  Mr.  Playfair  I  am  also  indebted  for  so  much  valuable 
critical  assistance,  that  his  name  will  always  be  associated  in 
my  mind  with  whatever  further  meed  of  praise  the  public 
may  feel  disposed  to  award. 


Herbert  A.  Giles. 


H.  B.  M's.  Consulate, 
Tamsui,  January  Ist,  1886. 


74'7:'07 


EXTRACT  FROM  PREFACE  TO  FIRST  EDITION. 


The  following  curious  passage  occurs  in  an  able  article  on 
The  Anglo-Indian  Tongue  published  in  Blackwood's  Maga- 
zine for  May  1877  :— 

"  No  man  can  ever  expect  to  be  appreciated  in  Anglo-Indian  society 
"  until  lie  has  caught  up  its  shibboleth,  no  matter  how  great  his  other 

"  accomplishments  may  be In  Madras  the  native 

"  domestics  speak  English  of  a  purity  and  idiom  which  rival  in  eccen- 
"  tricity  the  famous  pidgin  English  of  the  treaty  ports  in  China ;  and 
"  the  masters  mechanically  adopt  the  language  of  their  servants.  Thus 
"  an  Englishman  wishing  to  assure  himself  that  an  order  has  been  duly 
"  executed,  asks,  '  Is  that  done  gone  finished,  Appoo  ? '  and  Appoo 
"  replies  in  the  same  elegant  phraseology,  *  Yes,  sare,  all  done  gone 
"  finished  whole.' " 

Now  it  is  partly  as  a  key  to  the  shibboleth  of  Anglo- 
Chinese  society  that  this  Glossary  has  been  designed,  though 
to  judge  by  the  opening  lines  of  the  same  article,  which  the 
writer  tells  us  would  be  perfectly  intelligible  in  a  Calcutta 
drawing-room,  there  is  no  comparison  between  the  phraseo- 
logical difficulties  in  the  way  of  new  arrivals  in  the  Far  East 
and  those  to  be  encountered  by  the  "  griffin"  who  wishes 
to  be  appreciated  in  Anglo-Indian  Society.  These  lines  run 
thus: — 

"  I'm  dikk'ed  to  death !  The  khansamah  has  got  chhutti,  and 
"the  whole  bangla  is  ulta-pulta-  The  khidmatghars  loot  everything, 
**  and  the  masalchi  is  breaking  all  the  surwa-basans ;  and  when 
"  I  give  a  hukhm  to  cut  their  tallabs,  they  get  magra  and  ask 
"  their  jawabs.  And  then  the  maistries  are  putting  up  j ill-mills,  and 
"  making  such  a  gol-mol  ("  pompon  bobbery"  in  Japanese  Pidgin- 
**  English,)  that  I  say  darwaza  band  to  everybody.  But  when  all  is 
"  tik,  I  hope  you  will  tiff  with  us."  The  translation  of  this  is  : — "  I'm 
"  bothered  to  death !  The  butler  has  got  leave,  and  the  whole  house  is 
*'  turned  upside  down.  The  table-servants  steal  everything,  and  the 
"  scullion  is  breaking  all  the  soup-plates ;  and  when  I  order  their  wages 
"  to  be  cut,  they  all  grow  sulky  and  give  warning.  And  then  the 
"  carpenters  are  putting  up  Venetians,  and  making  such  an  uproar,  that 
"  I  am  obliged  to  say  *  not  at  home'  to  everybody.  But  when  all  is 
*  *  put  to  rights,  I  hope  you  will  lunch  with  us." 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  CONSULTED. 


acheson,  j. 
Adams,  F.  0. 
Alabaster,  Chaloner 
Alcock,  Sir  E. 
Allen,  C.  F.  R. 
Allen,  H.  J. 
Arendt,  C. 
Barer,  E.  C. 
Balfour,  F.  H. 
Ball,  J.  Dyer 
Beal,  Eev.  S. 
Bird,  Miss. 

BUDLER,  H. 

Bullock,  T.  L. 
Bretschneider,  Dr.  E. 
BusHELL,  Dr.  S.  W. 
Chalmers,  Rev.  Dr. 
China  Review,  The 
Chinese  Recorder,  The 
Chinese  Repository,  The 

CoRDIER,  H. 

Dabry  de  Thieesant,  p. 
Davis,  Sir  J. 
Dennys,  N.  B. 
DooLiTTLE,  Rev.  J. 
Dudgeon,  Dr. 
Edkins,  Rev.  Dr. 
EiTEL,  Rev.  Dr. 
Faber,  Rev.  E. 


Fauvel,  a. 
Fergusson,  T.  T. 
Forrest,  R.  J. 
Fryer,  J. 

GaBELENTZ,  Gr.  VON  der 

Gardner,  Chris.  T. 

GlQUEL,  P. 

Gray,  Archdeacon 
Griffith,  W. 
Groeneveldt,  W.  p. 
Hance,  Dr.  H.  F. 
Hardy,  R.  Spence 
Hepburn,  Dr. 
Hervey  de  St.  Denys, 

Marquis 
HiRTH,  Dr.  F. 
Imbault-Huart,  C. 
Jamieson,  Dr.  R.  A.- 
Jamieson,  G. 
John,  Rev.  G. 
JuLiEN,  Stanislas 
KlNGSMILL,  T.  "W". 
KopscH,  H. 
Lay,  W.  T. 
Legge,  Dr.  J. 
Lister,  A. 

Macgowan,  Dr.  D.  J. 
MacIntyre,  Rev.  J. 
Mayers,  W.  F.  S. 


IV 


Meadows,  T.  T. 
Medhurst,  Eev.  W.  H. 
Medhurst,  Sir  W. 
Mesny,  General  "W". 
mollendorff,  0.  f.  von 
I^otes  and  Queries  on 

China  and  Japan. 
Oxenham,  E.  L. 
Parker,  E.  H. 
Phillips,  G-. 
PiTON,  Eev.  0. 
Plate  AIR,  G.  M.  H. 
Prejevalsky,  Col. 
Rennie,  Sir  E. 
EicHTOFEN,  Baron  von 

BOCHER,  E. 


eosny,  l.  de 
Satow,  E. 

SCHLEGEL,  Gf-. 

Schuyler,  E. 
Smith,  Eev.  Arthur 
Smith,  F.  Porter 
Stent,  G-.  C. 
Summers,  Eev.  J. 
Yambery,  a. 
Wade,  Sir  T. 
Watters,  T. 
Williams,  Dr.  S.  W. 
Williamson,  Dr.  A. 
Wylie,  a. 
Yule,  Col. 
Zottoli,  Pere 


GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE 


ABACUS  ar  SWAN-PAN:  ^^—calculating  tray.  A 
wooden  frame  in  which  are  fixed  a  number  of  beads 
strung  upon  parallel  wires.  It  is  used  by  the  Chinese  for 
all  kinds  of  arithmetical  calculations.  The  system  is  one 
of  decimals,  and  the  beads  are  divided  into  two  sections ; 
the  lower  containing  five  beads,  each  representing  1  or 
unit,  and  the  upper  only  two,  but  each  representing  5. 
Thus,  to  write  down  1,  one  of  the  beads  an  the  lower  half 
of  the  frame  is  pushed  up  to  the  division  between  the 
sections,  and  so  on  up  to  four ;  five  is  written  by  bring- 
ing down  a  bead  from  the  top  section  to  the  other  side  of 
the  division ;  nine  by  pushing  four  up  from  below  and 
bringing  down  a  five  from  above ;  and  ten  by  pushing  up 
one  of  the  lower  beads  on  the  nearest  left-hand  wire  to 
that  on  which  the  calculator  first  chose  to  represent  his 
units,  and  so  on.  Very  intricate  calculations  can  be 
performed  by  an  expert  on  the  stvan-p^an,  and  quite  as 
rapidly  as  with  pen  and  ink,  but  with  the  signal  disad- 
vantage of  not  being  able  to  work  backwards  in  search 
of  a  fault,  each  step  disappearing  as  the  work  proceeds. 

Abacus  is  from  the  Hebrew  word  ahak  (dust),  tables 
covered  with  dust  having  been  used  in  early  ages  among 
the  Jews  for  purposes  of  writing  and  calculation.  The 
abacus  which  replaced  these  originally  contained  six  wires 
with  ten  beads  on  each. 


fi  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

ABHIDEAUMA :  ffe      The  philosophical  section  of  Bud 

: ,  dhis.t  litertiture.     Sqg  Tripitaka, 

AdTOK.   'Seo  Theatre. 

ACUPUNCTURE  :  ^  ^.  Has  heen  known  and  practised 
in  China  for  the  past  2,000  years. 

AQAR-AaAB:  M^.  The  Malay  term  for  a  kind  of  sea- 
weed ;  used  in  China  to  express  edible  sea-weed  generally. 

AIMAK:   ^M%     A  Mongolian- tribe"  n|5. 

AINOS  :  6^  ^ — crab  barbarians.  The  name  of  a  tribe 
of  aborigines,  also  called  Jebis,  extending  from  Japan  to 
Kamschatka.  "  They  pass  their  time  in  running  up  huts 
*'  of  leaves,  planting  vegetables,  stitchjng  skins  and  pieces 
"  of  bark  for  clothing,  and  catching  salmon,  which  they 
"  salt  in  huge  quantities." 

The  above  two. characters  are  used  by  the  Chinese, 
interchangeably  with  ^  yV  "hairy  people,"  (Jap.  mosin), 
for  the  people  of  Yesso,  who  were  believed  to  burrow  in 
the  ground  like  crabs.  The  inhabitants  of  the  island  of 
Sagh alien  are  similarly  called  :J[i  g^  ^ — northern  crab 
barbarians. 

*'  The  original  inhabitants,  the  Aino,  are  now  only  to  be 
"seen  in  the  northern  isknd  of  Yezo."     Adams. 
Aino  is  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  inu  yC  a  dog. 

Their  numerals  are : — 
1 — Schnape  6 — U-an 

2 — Tupaisch  7 — Aruan 

3 — Lepaisch  8 — Topaishi 

4 — Mede  9 — Schnapaishi 

5 — Aschkei  10 — "Wambi 

ALCHEMY:  jSR^^^.  Has  been  known  in  China 
for  many  centuries.  See  paper  by  W.  A.  P.  Martin  in 
China  Review,  toI.  VII,  p.  242. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFJSBBNGS.  8 

ALEURITES:  ;5  ^— stone  chestnuts.  The  fruit  of  tlie 
A.  triloba,  a  handsome  tree  belonging  to  the  N.  0.  Euphor- 
hiaceoe,  and  a  native  of  Polynesia,  southern  Asia,  and 
some  of  the  Malay  islands.  Is  grown  in  the  south  of 
China,  and  the  word  frequently  appears  in  the  Hongkong 
market  list.  The  seeds  are  said  to  be  aphrodisiac,  and 
yield  an  oil  used  for  burning. 

ALMAE.I.  A  'eardrobe.  Commonly  used  in  India;  also 
in  Hongkong  and  the  Straits.  From  the  Latin  armarium 
through  the  Portuguese  almario. 

ALMOND  EYES  :  ^  i^.  This  is  a  common  metaphor 
in  Chinese,  and  is  not,  as  is  usually  supposed,  the  eKclusive 
product  of  the  J]nglish  language. 

A-LUM.  The  famous  Hongkong  baker  whose  bread  was 
poisoned  with  arsenic  by  some  person  never  discovered, 
in  the  hope  of  destroying  all  the  foreign  residents  ih  the 
Colony :  January  1857. 

AMAH:  |S^>fS|.     A  nurse;   from   the   Portuguese   ama. 

Used  in  India  of  wet  nurses  only.     In  the  north  of  China 

ma-ma  is   frequently  heard,  meaning  either  mother  or 

nurse,  and  may  be  compared  with  the  Sanscrit  amma 

which  has  the  same  signification. 

Ayah,  also  from  the  Portuguese  aia,  is  not  common  in 

China. 
AMAINU.     Japanese  name  for  the  stone  lions  at  the  gates 

of  temples  and  elsewhere. 

AMBAN :  ^  E-  -^  Manchu  word,  signifying  governor. 
Frequently  applied  by  European  writers  to  the  political 
representatives  of  China  in  Mongolia  and  Turkestan. 

AMHERSrS  EMBASSY,  LORD.  A  mission  despatched 
from  England  to  China  in  1816,  during  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Chia  Ch'ing,  with  a  view  to  putting  trade  upon 


4  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

a  more  satisfactory  basis.  Among  the  Ambassador's 
suite  were  Sir  Gr.  Staunton,  Dr.  Morrison,  and  Sir  John 
Davis.  Lord  Amherst,  however,  refused  to  perform  the 
TiotoWj  and  returned  from  Peking  without  having  seen  the 
Emperor. 

AMOK  or  AMUCK.  A  term  used  by  Malays  to  signify 
an  ungovernable  state  of  mind,  in  which  a  desire  to 
murder  is  predominant.  It  has  been  supposed  to  be  a 
kind  of  monomania  induced  by  disorder  of  the  digestive 
organs,  but  is  frequently  indulged  in  to  gratify  revenge. 
A  crowd  will  sometimes  (as  when  Mr.  Birch  was  killed) 
raise  a  cry  of  *'Amok,  amok!"="Ta,  ta !"  (q.v)  in 
China. 

*'An  Amok  took  place  last  night,  by  a  Malay,  which 
resulted  in  the  loss  of  his  own  life  and  the  wounding  of 
16  persons.  The  Chinese  in  the  Campong  (g'.'u.)  came 
forward,  and  this  appeared  to  excite  him  to  a  violent 
degree.  He  ran  amok  among  them,  and  wounded  a 
number  beforeghe  could  be  seized."     Straits  Times. 

AMOOR  or  AMUR :  ^  f|  1^— black  dragon  river. 
Amoor=gr^at  river. 

AMOY:  ^  P^ — gate  or  harbour  of  Hsia.  Also  known  to 
the  Chinese  as  ^ -^ — Egret  Island — from  the  large 
number  of  white  egrets  which  annually  frequent  this 
locality.  It  was  one  of  the  five  ports  opened  by  Nanking 
Treaty  of  1842,  but  visited  by  the  Portuguese  as  early  as 
1544,  and  later  on  by  the  English  until  1730,  when  trade 
there  was  forbidden  to  all  nations  except  the  Spanish, 
though  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  continued  much  as  usual. 
Our  word  is  from  the  local  pronunciation  of  the  first  two 
characters. 

AMUY:  SHSiJ-     Younger  sister.     Cantonese  amahs  fre 
quently  give  the  above  as  their  name,  whence  results 


A  glossahy  of  BEFERENCE.  5 

the  edifying  spectacle  of  a  European  mistress  calling  her 
Chinese  nurse  **  sister."  As  a  rule,  foreigners  in  China 
who  do  not  understand  the  language  will  do  well  to  avoid 
names,  and  address  their  servants  as  *'hoy,"  "coolie," 
or  ''amah,"  as  the  case  may  be.  In  one  well-known 
instance  a  Chinese  valet  said  his  name  was  Tek-koh,  and 
his  mast(5r  forthwith  proceeded  to  call  him  so,  i.e. — 
brother  Tek. 
ANALECTS  :  WS  W:-  -^  ^^^^  chosen  by  Dr  Legge  for 
his  translation  of  the  third  of  the  Four  Books,  containing 
the  Discourses  of  Confucius  with  his  disciples  and  others. 
The  Confucian  Gospels.  They  were  compiled,  according 
to  Chinese  accounts,  by  the  actual  disciples  of  Confucius  ; 
but  Dr  Legge  shews  that  it  was  more  probably  by  their 
disciples  towards  the  end  of  the  fifth  or  beginning  of  the 
fourth  century  B.C. 

*'  The  Book  of  Proverbs  is  not  a  whit  better  than  the 
maxims  of  Confucius,  so  far  as  we  know  them."  Inman's. 
Ancient  Faiths^  II.  76L 

E.  G. —  *'Love  one  another."  "Return  good  for  good  ; 
for  evil,  justice."  "What  you  would  not  others  should  do 
unto  you,  do  not  unto  them." 

"Let  loyalty  and  truth  be  paramount  with  you.  Have 
no  friends  not  equal  to  yourself.  If  you  have  faults, 
shrink  not  from  correcting  them." 

"  Man  is  born  to  be  uprigiit.  If  he  be  not  so,  and  yet 
live,  he  is  lucky  to  have  escaped." 

"  In  mourning,  it  is  better  to  be  sincere  than  to  be 
punctilious."  See  Confucius. 
ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP.  A  Chinese  religious  ceremony 
performed  on  stated  occasions  before  tablets  inscribed  with 
the  names  of  deceased  ancestors,  and  consisting  of  prayers, 
prostrations,  and  offerings  of  food  and  paper  money  to  the 


6  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

spirits  of  the  dead.  The  early  Jesuit  fathers  (q.v.) 
tolerated  this  harmless  custom  among  the  first  converts  to 
Christianity;  but  the  jealous  rivalry  of  other  sects  brought 
about  a  direct  prohibition  from  Clement  XI.  against  the 
established  practice,  a  move  which  only  resulted  in  the 
ultimate  collapse  of  Roman  Catholic  influence  in  China 
and  the  subsequent  persecution  of  all  Catholic  missionaries. 
Abusive  language  is  commonly  used  amongst  the 
Chinese  in  jest;  but  the  line  is  drawn  at  a  man's 
progenitors,  whose  persons  or  memories,  as  the  case  may 
be,  are  always  held  strictly  sacred.  It  is  only  in  serious 
brawls,  when  words  have  already  given  place  to  blows, 
that  mutual  vilification  of  ancestors  is  heard,  though 
relatives  of  the  same  generation  may  be  freely  abused 
without  fear  of  disastrous  consequences. 

ANDIJANI,  THE.  A  term  which  has  occasionally  been 
applied  in  the  Peking  Gazette  to  the  late  Yakub  Khan  or 

•  Yacoob  Beg  {|J^  'ff  ifl),  once  designated  Ameer  of 
Kashgar,  from  Andijan  ^  ^  ^  the  town  in  Kokand 
whence  he  and  many  of  his  followers  came.  He  has  also 
been  styled  ^  ^  "  the  An[dijani]  chieftain." 

ANDON.  The  oil  lamp  of  the  Japanese,  enclosed  in  a 
square  or  circular  frame  covered  with  paper. 

AN-HUI:^^— ''Peace  and  Beauty."  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces.  So  called  from  the  first  characters 
in   the   names   of  its   two   largest   cities,  An-ch'ing  Fu 

^  §  W  the  capital,  and  Hui-chou  Fu.  Old  nameyTc- 
ANNA.  The  sixteenth  part  of  a  rupee.  Eurasians  (q.v.) 
are  often  spoken  of  as  so  many  annas  in  the  rupee, 
referring  to  the  proportion  of  "dark"  blood  in  their  veins. 
Thus,  "four  annas  in  the  rupee"  would  be  the  equivalent 
of  Quadroon. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  7 

'*  ANNA'^  CASE,  THE.  In  ]875  a  German  schooner  of 
this  name,  manned,  with  the  exception  of  the  captain 
and  mate,  by  Chinese,  cleared  from  Foochow.  The  crew 
then  rose  and  massacred  the  above  two  officers,  ran  the 
ship  ashore  on  an  island  between  Foochow  and  Amoy, 
and  made  off  with  the  plunder.  For  the  connivance  of 
the  mandarins  in  the  district  where  the  vessel  was 
beached,  and  their  marked  dereliction  of  duty  throughout 
the  whole  of  this  affair,  the  Gorman  Government  exacted 
an  indemnity  of  $39,000,  on  behalf  of  the  owners  and 
underwriters  of  the  vessel  and  cargo. 
ARGOLS.     Cakes  of  dried  camel's  dung,  used  in  Mongolia 

for  fuel. 
ARHAN  or  ARHAT  :  [Jpf^^'j^—'^deserving  and  worthy." 
The   term    applied    by    Chinese   Buddhists    to   the   500 
disciples  of  Shakyamuni  Buddha.     Same  as  Lo-han. 

The  Eighteen  Arhans,  so  often  seen  in  Chinese  temples, 
are  regarded  as  the  personal  disciples  of  Buddha.  Sixteen 
of  these  were  Hindus,  and  two  Chinese  have  been  added. 
ARIMAS.  Japanese  equivalent  of  "have  got." 
ARIMASEN.  Japanese  equivalent  of  **  no  got." 
''ARROW"  CASE,  THE.  On  Oct.  8,  1856,  a  party  of 
Chinese  in  charge  of  an  officer  boarded  a  boat,  called 
the  Arrow,  in  the  Canton  river.  They  took  off  twelve 
men  on  a  charge  of  piracy,  leaving  two  men  in  charge  of 
the  lorcha.  The  Arrow  was  declared  by  its  owners  to  be 
a  British  vessel.  Our  Consul  at  Canton,  Mr.  Parkes, 
demanded  from  Yeh,  the  Chinese  Viceroy  at  Canton,  the 
return  of  the  men.  Yeh  contended,  however,  that  the 
lorcha  was  not  an  English  but  a  Chinese  vessel — a  Chinese 
pirate,  venturing  occasionally  for  her  own  purposes  to 
fly  the  flag  of  England  which  she  had  no  right  whatever 
to  hoist.    The  Arrow  had  somehow    obtained  British 


«  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

registration,  but  it  had  expired  about  ten  days  before 
the  occurrence  in  the  Canton  river.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  Arrow  was  not  an  English  vessel,  but  only  a  Chinese 
vessel  which  had  obtained  by  false  pretences  the  temporary 
possession  of  a  British  flag.  Sir  J.  Bowring  sent  to  the 
Chinese  authorities,  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  all 
the  men  taken  from  the  Arrow.  He  insisted  that  an 
apology  should  be  offered  for  their  arrest,  and  a  formal 
pledge  given  that  no  such  act  should  ever  be  committed 
again.  . .  .  Yeh  sent  back  the  men.  . .  .and  he  even  under- 
took to  promise  that  for  the  future  great  care  should  be 
taken  that  no  British  ship  should  be  visited  improperly 
by  Chinese  officers.  But  he  could  not  offer  an  apology. 
Accordingly  Sir  J.  Bowring  immediately  made  war  on 
China,  and  had  Canton  bombarded  by  the  fleet  which 
Admiral  Sir  Michael  Seymour  commanded. 

ASANKYA.  A  Buddhist  number,  extending  to  141  places 
of  figures. 

ATHALIK  GHAZI.  *•  Champion  Father/'— a  title  con- 
ferred in  1866  by  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  upon  the 
celebrated  Yakoob  Beg. 

ATTAP.  The  dried  leaf  of  the  nipah  palm,  doubled  over  a 
small  stick  of  bamboo,  and  thus  used  in  the  Malay 
peninsula  for  roofing  houses. 

BABA.  A  local  name  for  Chinese  born  in  the  Straits' 
Settlements.  Used  in  India  as  a  respectful  form  of  ad- 
dress towards  a  man  of  the  lower  or  middle  classes.  See 
8inJceh, 

BABOO.     The  Bengali  equivalent  of  "  Mr." 

BABY  TOWER:  *i*  :^.  Brick  receptacles  for  dead 
children  of  both  sexes,  below  the  age  which  qualifies  for 
burial  in  the  usual  way.     The  Chinese  have  been  falsely 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  9 

accused  of  depositing  living  children  in  these  Towers. 
See  Infanticide.. 

BAGU.     The  upper  portion  of  the  Malay  dress. 

BAIL.  Is  personal,  not  pecuniary,  in  China.  That  is, 
if  the  bailee  absconds^  the  bailor  has  to  take  his  place. 

BAKA :  ^  J^ — horse  deer.  A  Japanese  term  of  abuse 
—Fool ! 

BAMBOO :  YS-  The  Malay  word  for  a  cane.  Hence  is 
said  to  be  derived  the  word  *'  bamboozle,"  the  allusion 
beiug  to  a  certain  treacherous  kind  of  swimming-belt 
made  of  bamboo. 

The  bamboo  is  the  common  instrument  for  flogging: 
criminals  in  China,  and  consists  of  a  strip  of  split  bamboo 
planed  down  smooth.  Strictly  speaking,  there  are  two 
kinds,  the  heavy  and  the  light ;  the  former,  however,  is 
now  hardly  if  ever  used.  Until  the  reign  of  K'ang-hsi, 
all  strokes  were  given  across  the  back;  but  that  Emperor 
removed  the  locus  operandi  lower  down,  for  fear  of 
injuring  the  liver  or  the  lungs — a  curious  fact  when  taken 
in  conjunction  with  the  statement  by  Dr.  Ayres,  Colonial 
Surgeon  at  Hongkong,  that  flogging  Chinese  on  the  back 
is  apt  to  bring  about  congestion  of  the  lungs  or  other 
pulmonary  complaints. 

In  point  of  utility  to  man  the  bamboo  is  probably 
unrivalled.  It  is  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  almost 
every  conceivable  object  of  household  furniture  or  domestic 
use,  and  is  frequently  spoken  of  as  "the  friend  of  China.'' 
Its  varieties  are  numerous.  The  thorny  bamboo  ^  'YS 
grows  to  nearly  50  feet  in  height,  with  a  diameter  of 
from  2  to  3  feet.  The  speckled  bamboo  jS  rT  is  prettily 
mottled ; — it  shaded  the  grave  of  the  famous  Shun  (see 
Yao\  and  was  thus  marked  by  the  tears  of  his  twO' 


10  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BBFEBENGE. 

disconsolate  widows.     A  variety  with  a  square  stem  grows 
round  Foochow. 

A  hamhoo  is  the  slang  term  for  a  wine-glassful  of  sherry 
and  vermouth  in  equal  proportions. 

BAMBOO  BOOKS,  THE:  ft^lE-  A  collection  of 
ancient  writings  inscribed  in  the  lesser  seal  character  on 
slips  of  bamboo,  and  said  to  have  been  discovered  A.D. 
279.  Among  the  rest  was  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Changes 
{q.v.).  Bamboo  tablets  were  commonly  used  in  China 
before  the  invention  of  paper. 

BAMBOO  CHOW-CHOW.  "Stick  food."  The  pidgin 
term  for  a  thrashing,  an  idiom  not  altogether  unknown 
either  in  English  or  in  the  elegant  book  language  of 
China :-5p:f^M^i-^:|ti?  "If  you  don't, 
you'll  have  a  taste  of  the  stick."  A  Mahommedan  who 
is  bastinadoed  is  said  to  be  made  to  *^  eat  stick." 

BAMBOO  GEOVE :  ^5*  ;^.  A  famous  club,  founded  in 
the  3rd  century  A.D.  and  consisting  of  seven  members 
-^jM  of  strong  Bacchanalian  tendencies.  The  most 
famous  of  them  was  Liu  Ling,  who  expressed  a  wish  to 
be  buried  near  a  pottery,  in  order  that  his  body  might 
reappear  on  earth  under  the  form  of  wine-cups. 

BAMBOO  OYSTERS.  A  small  and  delicately-flavoured 
species  of  oyster  found  at  the  port  of  Foochow.  Large 
bamboos  are  cut  down  and  planted  deeply  in  the  water, 
the  ends  being  first  fired  to  prevent  decay ;  and  upon 
these  stakes  the  oysters  collect  in  large  quantities.  Hence 
the  name. 

BAMBOO  SHOOTS :  %  Are  given  by  the  Chinese  to 
suckling  mothers  to  increase  the  flow  of  milk.  Europeans 
eat  them  served  like  asparagus. 

BANANA.    See  Plantain, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENGE.  11 

BANGLE.     A  bracelet  or  anklet.    From  tlie  Hindee  word 

hanggree  a  bracelet  of  glass. 
BANIAN  or  BANYAN.     (1)  The  ficus  indica,  common  in 
CEina.    (2)   The   name   by  wbich    Hindee    traders    are 
known  abroad,   e.g.  at  Muscat   and  Zanzibar.     In   this 
sense  a  corruption  of  Baniya,  the  name  of  a  trading  caste 
in  India  with  which  sailors  were  early  brought  into  con- 
tact.    In  common  with  most  other  respectable  castes,  its 
members  abstain  from  flesh.     Hence  the  old  term  "  Ban- 
yan days"  at  sea,  sc.  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fridays, 
when  no  meat  was  served  out. 
BANYAN  CITY,  THE :  ^M.    A  fancy  name  for  Foo- 
chow,  from  the  number  of  banyan  trees  which  grow  there. 
BANNERS,  THE  EIGHT :  A  M-    The  eight   divisions 
under  which  the  Manchus  are  marshalled.     The  banners 
are  red,  yellow,  white,  and  blue ;  four  being  plain  (Tr).  and 
four  bordered    (@)  with  a  margin  of   another  colour. 
Hence   Manchus   are   often  spoken  of    as    Bannermen. 
[There  are  also  eight  Mongol  and  eight  Chinese  ^'ban- 
ners," the  latter  being  descendants  of  those  natives  who 
assisted  in  consolidating  the  Manchu  dynasty.] 
BARBARIANS.     The  common  Chinese  designation  for  all 
foreigners.     By  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  1858,  it  was  agreed 
that  thenceforward  one  of  the  worst  characters  ^  i  should 
"not  be  applied  to  the  government  or  subjects  of  her 
'*  Britannic  Majesty,  in   any   Chinese  official  document 
"  issued  by  the  Chinese  authorities  either  in  the  capital  or 
"  in  the  provinces.''     Art.  LI. 

The  use  of  this  term  has  now  almost  disappeared 
amongst  the  people  as  well;  but  only  to  be  replaced 
by  such  synonymous  words  as  ^  fan  and  ^  %  by 
^  -y*  mao  tzu  (q.v.),  hy  f^^  huei-tzu  "devils," 
etc,  etc.     The  character  ^  fa7i,  which  is  quite  as  dis- 


12  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENGE. 

respectful  as  the  Treaty-tabooed  ^  t,  *  may  still  be  seen 
in  use  all  over  Hongkong,  and  is  often  publicly  placarded 
before  the  shops  of  Chinese  tradesmen,  washermen 
and  others.  Another  term  is  "  red-haired  barbarians" 
^  ^  W^  explained  in  the  History  of  the  Ming  dynasty 
5g  ^  to  be  a  common  name  for  the  Dutch  ^  gl- 
But  the  most  curious  title  of  all  is  that  frequently  bestowed 
by  the  people  of  Swatow  and  its  neighbourhood  upon  the 
various  foreign  Consular  officers  residing  there.  They  are 
called  ''  Jesus  mandarins"  ^\l  ^i  g ,  shewing,  in  this  in- 
Sitance  at  any  rate,  how  intimately  the  masses  of  China 
connect  the  presence  of  foreigners  among  them  with  other 
objects  than  that  of  legitimate  trade  alone. 

Of  the  term  7^  /v  y(ing  jen  "  men  from  beyond  the 
sea,"  now  generally  accepted  on  all  sides  as  the  best  equi- 
valent for  ^*  foreigners,"  it  is  only  necessary  to  say  that, 
as  far  as  mere  phraseology  goes,  these  words  by  no  means 
place  us  on  an  equality  with  fp  ^  /v  "  the  men  of  the 
Middle  Kingdom,"  though  infinitely  superior  to  ^j*  ^  yv 
"  outside  nation  men,"  an  expression  which  has  a  force 
peculiarly  its  own.  03  ^  /v  "  men  of  the  western 
nation"  is  the  least  objectionable  of  all,  now  generally 
understood  to  include  citizens  of  the  United  States ;  and 
if  ^  is  prefixed,  the  term  becomes  as  respectful  as  the 
most  exacting  can  require. 

BARBARIAN  EYE :  ^  g.  An  opprobrious  epithet 
applied  by  the  Chinese  authorities  to  Lord  Napier,  on  his 
arrival  at  Canton  as  Superintendent  of  Trade,  1834.  The 
word  "  eye"  here  simply  means  "  head."  Cf .  ^  @  the 
head  constable. 

-•  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Tso  Tsang-t'ang,  in  his  recent  memorial  on 
coast  defence,  spoke  of  foreigners  colleotiyelj  as  ^K  n^. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  13 

BARBER  BOAT.  A  small  kind  of  paddle  boat,  something 
like  a  canoe  and  occasionally  called  a  dugout,  is  known 
to  foreigners  under  this  name  at  Canton.  The  Chinese 
call  them  simply  sampans,  in  common  with  the  more  usual 
form  that  passes  under  that  designation.  The  word 
"barber"  has  no  particular  raison  d^etref  except  that 
formerly  the  barbers  who  attended  the  shipping  at 
Whampoa  during  the  palmy  days  of  that  now  deserted 
port,  were  in  the  habit  of  using  the  kind  of  boat  that  still 
goes  by  this  name. 

BARGrAIN-CHOPS.  Are  scrip  used  by  opium  merchants 
and  issued  to  persons  buying  the  drug  *^to  arrive*' 
on  time.  A  deposit  of  money  is  given  in  return,  and  the 
transaction  becomes  favourable  or  unfavourable  to  the 
holder  of  the  scrip  according  to  the  difference  (more  or 
less)  between  the  price  named  on  the  scrip  and  the  actual 
market  rate  on  the  date  fixed  for  delivery  of  the  drug. 
For  instance,  if  in  the  interval  opium  goes  up  in  price,  the 
holder  has  to  pay  to  the  issuer  of  the  scrip  the  difference 
between  the  original  rate  and  the  market  rate  on  the  day 
named  for  delivery  of  the  purchase,  and  vice  versa.  But 
there  is  very  frequently  no  opium  whatever  present  in 
the  transaction,  the  drug  being  merely  used  as  an  ima- 
ginary basis  for  this  kind  of  gambling  ;  though  the  buyer 
has  always  the  right  to  demand  delivery  of  his  consign- 
ment, and  by  doing  so  is  not  unusually  able  to  place  the 
speculative  seller  in  a  very  awkward  position. 
"If   history   repeats    itself,   why  will   not   the   days   of 

bargain-chops  do  likewise  ?"     The  China  Mail :  27  Oct., 

1877. 

BARRIERS:  "T*  P*  Lesser  or  subordinate  Customs' 
stations,  placed  along  the  inland  trade  routes  for  the 
collection  of  duties  on  passing  goods. 


14  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

BASCHPA:  See  Mongol 

BATS :  Five  bats  ( ^  Ȥ  io^  fu)  are  frequently  seen 
painted  on  Chinese  plates.  They  stand  for  the  Five 
Blessings  (3l  JIlS  '^^  f^)  longevity,  wealth,  mens  sana 
in  corpore  sano,  love  of  virtue,  and  a  peaceful  end — the 
character  for  hat  being  identical  in  sound_  with  that  for 
hlessing. 

BATTA.  A  Hindee  word,  correctly  written  hhata,  meaning 
an  extra  allowance  to  troops  on  service. 

B AT^URU  :  E  @  ^.  A  Manchu  word  meaning  "brave.'' 
Instituted  as  a  kind  of  order  by  the  Emperor  Shun  Chih 
)lM  ?rt  ^or  rewarding  military  prowess ;  but  only  bestowed 
on  such  officers  as  have  been  previously  decorated  with 
the  peacock's  feather. 

BAY  AN:  ^H  ^.  The  famous  Mongol  general  whose 
prowess  so  greatly  assisted  Kublai  Khan  in  his  conquest 
of  China.  The  name  is  sometimes  written  ^  Bf!; 
pai  yen  or  foh  yen — "  hundred  eyes,"  from  the  extreme 
vigilance  for  which  he  was  noted.  Marco  Polo  speaks  of 
him  as  "  a  Baron  whose  name  was  Bayan  Chingsan, 
which  is  as  much  as  to  say  'Bayan,  hundred  eyes,'" 
and  Col.  Yule  adds,  ^'  Bayan  (signifying  great  or  nohle)  is 
a  name  of  very  old  renown  among  the  Nomade 
nations." 

BAZAAR.  From  the  Persian  hazar  a  market,  in  which 
sense  it  is  commonly  employed  in  China. 

BEAN-CAKE  :  ^  "^  or  g  5.  The  refuse  of  the  bean 
after  all  the  oil  has  been  expressed.  Largely  exported 
from  Newchwang  and  Chefoo  to  Swatow  for  manuring 
the  sugar  plantations  in  that  neighbourhood. 

BEAN-CURD  :  §  ®.  A  thick  jelly  made  from  beans, 
and     much    eaten    in     the    north    of    China.     Yamen 


A  GLOSSAMY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  15 

ruTiTiers  (q.v.)  are  sometimes  called  **  bean-curd  officials  " 

law. 

BEASTIE.  A  water-carrier;  lit.  "angel."  Corruption 
of  the  Indian  hihishti,  from  hihist  *'  Paradise."  This  is 
one  of  the  honorific  titles  by  which  servants  in  India 
speak  of  or  to  one  another.  The  tailor  is  called  Khalifa 
"Commander  of  the  faithful;"  the  sweeper  is  called 
Mehtar  "  Prince  (of  the  w.c.)"  etc. 

BEG :  IB  ^-  ^  ^i^^^^  equivalent  to  chieftain,  in  use 
among  the  Chinese  Mahommedans  of  Turkestan,  etc. 
With  this  term  Sung  Yiin  (1823)  has  identified  i^t  ;pi, 
the  rulers  of  the  Cossack  tribes. 

BEGUM.     A  Persian  word  meaning  Queen. 

BEILfiH :  MWi-  The  Manchu  title  bestowed  on  the  sons 
of  the  Imperial  Princes  of  China.  Often  preceded  by  the 
word  ^  zealous. 

BEITSZE :  ^  ^.  The  Manchu  title  bestowed  on  the 
sons  of  a  beileh. 

BENKEI.     The  Hercules  of  Japan. 

BENTO  BAKO.     a  Japanese  luncheon  box. 

BERI  BERI.     See  Kalclce. 

BETEL-NUT :  |^  ^  pin  lang — an  imitation  of  the 
Malay  word  pinang.  The  leaf  of  the  sirih  or  betel- 
pepper  smeared  with  chunam,  or  lime,  and  tobacco,  and 
the  nut  of  the  areca  palm,  chewed  together  by  the  Chinese 
and  other  eastern  nations. 

BETTO.     A  Japanese  horse-boy  or  groom. 

BEZOAR :  ^  ^.  A  valuable  substance  found  in  the 
stomachs  of  ruminant  animals.  Used  by  the  Chinese  as 
a  paint  and  a  drug. 

BHAE.     A  Malay  weight= about  3 J  cwt. 

BICHO-DA-MAH    or    BECHE-DE-MER :   M  ^-    A 


16  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

large  kind  of  sea-slug  much  relished  by  the  Chinese. 
Found  in  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Archipelagos. 

BIKSHU  or  BHIKSHU:  i^t  Ji  (fern,  bikshuni  j:[l  J^ 
^).  A  wandering  Buddhist  mendicant^,  generally 
credited  with  the  power  of  performing  miracles.  From 
hhiksha  to  beg. 

BILLAL  or  KHATEEB.  The  Mussulman  preacher  or 
parson  of  a  Malay  village. 

BIRDS'-NESTS :  M  M-  The  gelatinous  nests  of  a  kind 
of  swallow  found  in  the  Malay  archipelago,  from  which 
is  made  the  celebrated  ''birds'  nest  soup." 

BITESHI  or  BITGHESHI :  ^  ife  ^.  A  Manchu 
word  meaning  scholar  or  clerk,  the  sound  of  which  is 
imitated  by  the  above  three  Chinese  characters.  Those 
Manchus  who  have  passed  the  examination  for  hiteshi 
are  employed  as  scribes  in  the  public  offices  at  Peking. 
Similar  to  the  Chinese  shu-pan  {q.v.),  hit-he  being  the 
Manchu  word  for  a  book. 

BLACK  CROWS.  The  followers  of  a  Turkic  chieftain 
who  assisted  the  Emp.  Hsi  Tsung  of  the  T'ang  dynasty 
to  defeat  the  rebel  Huang  Ch'ao  (A.D.  884)  were  so 
called  from  their  black  uniform. 

BLACK  FLAGS  :  H  5^.  Part  of  a  band  of  desperadoes 
who  passed  across  the  south-western  frontier  of  China 
after  the  T'ai-p'ing  rebellion.  After  having  ravaged  the 
provinces  to  the  north  of  Tonquin,  there  was  a  split  in 
the  camp.  The  other  portion  essayed,  under  the  style 
of  the  Yellow  Flags,  to  found  an  independent  principality 
at  the  head  of  the  river  Claire.  The  Black  Flags,  com- 
manded by  an  able  chieftain  named  Liu,  took  up  a 
position  at  Lao-kai  and  offered  their  services  to  the 
Annamite  government. 

BLACK-HAIRED  PEOPLE  i^^.    A  name  for  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  17' 

Chinese  people,  because  of  their  black  hair.  This  is  the 
explanation  given  in  K^ang  Hsi's  dictionary,  but  its 
accuracy  has  been  questioned  by  some  European  scholars. 
Occurs  in  the  Great  Learning  (q.v.)  ch.  x,  14 :  ^  ^ 
"j  ^  ^  K  '^preserve  my  sons  and  grandsons,  and 
hlack-haired  people."  The  name  S^  "gf  "black  heads" 
was  given  to  the  Chinese  by  ^  ^  ^  Shih  Huang-ti^ 
some  200  years  before  the  Christian  era. 

BLOCKADE,  THE  HONGKONG.  The  establishment, 
by  the  Chinese  Superintendent  of  Customs  at  Canton,  of 
a  system  for  the  protection  of  his  revenue  from  the  great 
loss  entailed  thereon  by  the  smuggling  of  dutiable  goods 
into  China  in  junks  by  native  merchants  from  the  neigh- 
bouring island  of  Hongkong.  Customs'  stations  have  ac- 
cordingly been  placed  at  -^fil^itl'  M'M^  and  ^i^jCf^; 
and  when  once  a  suspected  junk  is  well  outside  the 
Hongkong  ports  limits,  she  is  chased  and  seized  by  one 
of  the  Revenue  Cruisers  employed,  and  if  detected  in 
smuggling,  vessel  and  cargo  are  confiscated. 

BLUE  (more  correctly  "blue  and  white").  A  kind  of 
Chinese  porcelain  which  is  much  prized  in  Europe  and 
has  an  especial  charm  for  collectors  from  the  fact  that 
it  cannot  be  reproduced.  Blue  and  white,  i.e.,  blue 
painting  on  a  white  ground  is  to  be  found  of  all  periods, 
some  of  it  dating  from  the  time  of  the  Mings.  The  merit 
of  the  most  ancient  consists  principally  in  the  texture  of 
the  porcelain  and  excellence  of  the  designs.  That  blue 
and  white,  however,  which  is  most  highly  prized  in 
Europe  is  of  a  much  later  period,  viz.,  K'ang  Hsi  and 
Ch^ien  Lung  (q.v.);  and  in  this  the  ground  is  of  trans- 
lucent blue,  the  design  being  in  white.  It  is  said  that 
this  particular  blue,  which  is  certainly  very  beautiful^, 


18  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENG:E. 

was  produced  with  pounded  lapis  lazuli,  and  certain  it  is 
that  the  best  of  it  has  a  decided  resemblance  in  colour 
to  that  stone.  The  Hawthorn  pattern  is  of  the  greatest 
value  in  England,  and  a  good  pot  of  this  sort  has  a 
market  value  of,  say  £500. 
BLUE-CAP  MAHOMMEDANS,  THE :  M  ^m  \^  ^' 
A  name  applied  to  the  Jews,  most  of  whom  came  to 
China  from  Persia. 

BO  TREE,  THE  :  ^  ^  tS,  i.e.  the  Bodhidruma  or  Tree 
of  Knowledge  fjicus  religiosaj.  The  original  Bo  tree 
grew  near  Gaya  in  Bengal,  and  was  so  called  after  the 
seven  years  of  penance  wliich  Shakyamuni  spent  under  its 
shade  before  he  became  a  Buddha.  A  slip  of  it  was  taken 
and  planted  in  the  sacred  city  of  Amarapoora,  in  Burmah, 
B.  C.  288.  This  is  said  to  be  in  existence  still.  Sir 
J.  E.  Tennet  refers  to  historic  documents  in  which  it  is 
mentioned  at  different  dates,  as  A.  D.  182,  223,  and  so 
on  to  the  present  day.  There  is  another  flourishing 
specimen  in  the  Buddhist  temple  at  Pt.  de  Galles,  also  said 
to  have  come  from  the  parent  tree  at  Gaya. 

BOAEDS,  THE  SIX :  :^  n|J.  The  Government  offices  at 
Peking,  nearly  equivalent  to  our  Admiralty,  Treasury,  etc. 
They  are — 

1-  5£  nP — Li  pu,  Board  of  Civil  Office,  which  manages 
the  civil  service  of  the  empire. 

2.  J^  ■ja|» — Hu  pu,  Board  of  Revenue,  which  collects 
duties  and  taxes,  and  superintends  fiscal  arrangements 
generally. 

3.  Im.  nP — L/i  pu,  Board  of  Rites,  which  directs  the 
ceremonial  observances,  literary  distinctions,   etc.  etc. 

4.  -^  np — Ping  pu,  Board  of  "War. 

5.  ^  W — Ssing  pic,  Board  of  Punishments,  which 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  19 

is  entrusted  with  the  due  administration  of  the  laws. 
6.  JC   op — Kung  pu.  Board  of  Works. 
The  Six  Boards  were  known  under  the  ^  Chin  dynasty 
as  the  >r>  ^  ;  and  under  the  P§  Sui  dynasty  their  names 
were  changed  to  (1)  ^  (2)  f^  (3)  ;TIpJ  (4)  ^  (5)  ^  (6) 
j^ ;  but  in  the  third  year  of  Wu  Te  of  the  T'ang  dynasty 
the    old    names   were    revived.     The    order    in    which 
they  are  enumerated  is   also   the   order   of  their  relative 
importance. 

BOBBERY.  From  the  Cantonese  Pfi  ^  a  noise.  Com- 
monly used  in  pidgin-English ;  e.g.  '*  What  for  you 
bobbery  my?  "  i.e.,  scold  or  abuse. 

The  term  bohbery  is  a  corruption  of  the  Hindee  Bap  re 
"0  father!^' 

BODHISATYA  I'W'^Mi^OT  more  frequently  ^  gg 
— P'u-sa.  He  whose  essence  has  become  intelligence.  A 
being  that  has  only  once  more  to  pass  through  human 
existence  before  it  attains  to  Buddhaship.  One  who  has 
fulfilled  all  the  conditions  necessary  to  the  attainment  of 
Buddhahood  (and  its  consequent  Nirvina),  but  from 
charity  continues  voluntarily  subject  to  re-incorporation 
for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  Of  the  Bodhisatva  there  are 
three  degrees : — he  who  attains  quickly,  less  quickly,  and 
least  quickly. 

BOaUE,  THE :  ^  f^  —'^Tiger's  Gate/'  otherwise  called 
Bocca  Tigris.  The  principal  embouchure  of  the  Canton 
river,  near  which  may  still  be  seen  traces  of  the  celebrated 
forts  captured  26  Feb.  1842  by  the  British  forces  under 
Commodore  Sir  Gordon  Bremer.  Bogue  is  a  corruption  of 
the  Portuguese  rendering — boca  tigre — of  the  Chinese 
term. 

BOHEA:  3^  P5  Two  ranges  of  hills  in  the  province  o'' 
Fokien,  from  which  the  celebrated  tea  (q^.v.)  is  procured. 


20  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFFBENGE, 

Formerly,  all  tea  was  called  hohea,  whicli  is  an  imitation 
of  the  sounds  of  the  ahove  two  characters. 

To  part  her  time  'fcwixt  reading  and  hohea, 
To  muse  and  spill  her  solitary  tea. 

Pope. 
As  some  frail  cup  of  China's  fairest  mould, 
The  tumults  of  the  boiling  hohea  braves, 
And  holds  secure  the  coffee's  sable  waves. 

TicMl. 
For  if  my  pure  libations  exceed  three, 
I  feel  my  heart  become  so  sympathetic, 

That  I  must  have  recourse  to  black  Bohea  : 
'Tis  pity  wine  should  be  so  deleterious, 
For  tea  and  coffee  leave  us  much  more  serious. 

Byron, 

BOMBAY  DUCKS.  A  small  fish  which,  after  being  dried 
and  salted,  is  toasted  and  eaten  hot  with  curry,  etc.  The 
Hongkong  name  for  them  is  ^  '^  ^t  *'  dried  fish 
bellies/'  but  of  the  European  term  we  are  unable  to  give 
any  explanation.  In  India,  the  fish  is  known  as  hummela. 
Bombay  Englishmen  are  spoken  of  as  "Ducks."  See 
Ditcher. 

BONJI:^^.  The  sacred  characters  of  the  Buddhist 
scriptures.     [Japanese.] 

BONZE :  (1)  From  the  Japanese  honso  Jl  f&  a  Buddhist 
priest,  generally  used  contemptuously. 

(2)  From  honjij  the  name  of  the  writing  of  the  Buddhist 
scriptures,  which  was  afterwards  applied  to  the  persons 
who  made  use  of  it,  viz.  Buddhist  priests. 

BOTJSY:  j((0  ^.  A  Hindustani  word,  meaning  saw-dust. 
Used  for  packing  balls  of  opium  in  chests. 

BOY.  The  common  term  in  China  for  a  servant,  such  as  a 
house-boy,  office-boy,  etc.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
this  is  a  mere  corruption  of  the  Hindustani  "  bhaiee," 
which  means  a  servant ;  but  it  seems  almost  equally 
probable  that  the  English  word  has  been  adopted  in  the 
sense  of  the  French  gargon. 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENGE.  21 

"  Ajeeb  then  said  to  the  eunuch,  Boy,  I  long  for  a 
little  diversion."  ["  The  term  hoy  is  not  used  here  to 
imply  that  the  eunuch  was  a  youth  ;  hut  in  the  sense  in 
which  it  is  often  employed  by  us ;  as  synonymous  with 
servant.^'l     Lane's  Arabian  Nights. 

BRAYES  :  ^.  Chinese  soldiers.  So  called  because  they 
wear  the  above  character  which  means  *' brave"  upon 
their  backs.  ''Braves"  are  strictly  speaking  irregular 
levies,  called  into  existence  and  disbanded  as  occasion 
may  require ;  but  among  foreigners  the  word  has  come  to 
be  used  in  the  general  sense  given  above. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  ancient  Hindu  religion,  or  religion 
of  caste,  against  the  thrall  of  which  Buddhism  was  a 
protest.  Its  chief  doctrine  was  that  by  severe  penances 
and  torture  of  the  body  a  man  may  acquire  perfect 
wisdom. 

BRICK  TEA :  ^  ^.  A  common  kind  of  tea  prepared 
in  the  tea  districts  of  Central  China  by  softening  refuse 
leaves,  twigs,  and  dust  with  boiling  water,  and  then  press- 
ing the  compound  into  large  slabs  like  bricks.  Sub- 
divided into  (1)  Large  Green,  (2)  Small  Green,  and  (3) 
Black.  Is  consumed  in  great  quantities  in  Siberia  and 
Mongolia,  where  it  is  also  used  as  a  medium  of  exchange. 
"  The  Mongol  tests  the  soundness  of  tea  by  placing  a 
"  brick  on  his  head,  and  pulling  the  extremities  down- 
"  wards  with  both  hands ;  if  the  brick  does  not  break  or 
"give,  it  is  sound;  if  it  breaks  or  bends  it  is  com- 
''  paratively  worthless." — G.  M.  Grant. 

BRINJAL :  ^  '^'  -^  kind  of  egg-plant  fsolanum 
melongena)  found  all  over  China.     The  Indian  hdigun. 

BTJ :  ^.  A  Japanese  silver  coin  equal  to  about  l/4d,  now 
no  longer  in  circulation.    4  hu  were  equal  to  1  rid  or  tael. 


22  A  OLOSSAUY  OF  REFERENCE. 

BUBBLma  WELL :  y$  Bg;— eye  of  the  sea.  A  well 
about  3  miles  from  Shanghai,  the  water  of  which  is  mere 
drainage,  the  '^bubbling"  being  caused  by  the  passage  of 
carburetted  hydrogen. 

An  ornamental  wall  has  been  built  around  the  well, 
bearing  the  following  inscriptions :  ^\^y^'^^ 
*'  The  sixth  of  the  springs  under  heaven  " — (the  other 
five  being  in  various  parts  of  the  empire);  and  ^  J  ^^  ^i 
^*  The  spot  were  the  siitras  were  listened  to," — in  reference 
to  a  certain  priest  who  lived  hard  by  and  recited  the 
Buddhist  liturgies  so  eloquently  that  the  very  frogs  sat  up 
to  hear  him. 

BUDDHA:  ^  ^  or  J?  K  or  #  •^.  Literally,  one 
who  knows  or  is  awake  ;  hence,  the  enlightened,  or  he  who 
has  perfect  wisdom.  Every  intelligent  being  who  has 
thrown  off  the  bondage  of  sense,  perception,  and  self ;  and 
knows  the  utter  unreality  of  all  phenomena,  and  is  ready 
to  enter  into  Nirvana.  The  first  person  of  the  Buddhist 
Trinity. 

The  great  founder  of  Buddhism,  Prince  Siddartha, 
known  as  Shakyamuni  Gautama  Buddha,  was  born  B.C. 
624  at  Kapilavastu  on  the  borders  of  Nepaul,  and  died  in 
his  80  th  year.  He  was  the  son  of  a  king ;  but  renounced 
the  pomps  and  vanities  of  this  wicked  world  to  devote 
himself  to  the  great  task  of  overthrowing  Brahmanism, 
the  religion  of  caste. 

According  to  Buddhism  there  is  no  Creator,  no  being 
that  is  self-extstent  and  eternal.  Any  being  whatever 
may  be  a  candidate  for  the  Buddhaship ;  but  it  is  only  by 
the  uniform  pursuit  of  this  object  throughout  innumerable 
ages  that  it  can  be  obtained.  The  power  that  controls 
tho  universe  is  A;arma,  literally  *^  action,"   consisting  of 


^ 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE,  ^3 

merit  and  demerit.  There  is  no  immaterial  spirit,  but  at 
the  death  of  any  being  the  aggregate  of  his  merit  and 
demerit  is  transferred  to  some  other  being,  which  new 
being  is  caused  by  the  karma  of  the  previous  being,  and 
receives  from  that  karma  all  the  circumstances  of  its 
existence.  The  cause  of  the  continuance  of  existence  is 
ignorance.  Hence,  merit  and  demerit,  consciousness, 
desire,  reproduction,  disease,  and  death.  Thus  there  is  a 
regular  succession  of  birth  and  death ;  the  moral  cause  of 
which  is  desire  ;  the  instrumental,  karma.  It  is  therefore 
the  great  object  of  all  who  would  be  released  from  the 
sorrows  of  rebirth,  to  destroy  the  moral  cause.  This 
may  be  accomplished  by  a  course  of  discipline,  leading 
into  one  of  the  Four  Paths  and  thence  to  Nirvana 
(q.v.).     See  Precious  OneSy  Three. 

BUDDHA,  LIVING :  ^  #.  A  popular  name  for  the 
Hutukhtu  {q-v.). 

BUDDHA,  THE  LAUGHING.  A  name  for  Maitreya 
Buddha  {q.v.). 

SLEEPING  BUDDHA :  g\  #.  A  recumbent  figure  of 
Buddha,  found  in  certain  temples  known  as  Sleeping 
Buddha  temples. 

BUDDHA^S  FINGEES:  #  ■^.  A  kind  of  citron, 
almost  all  rind,  found  on  the  |§(  tree.  One  end  of  it 
terminates  like  a  hand,  with  fingers.  Used  by  the  Chinese 
for  scenting  rooms,  at  religious  sacrifices,  etc. 

BUDDHA  SHELLS  :  #  ^  ^.  Mussel  -  shells  found 
in  Siam,  containing  one  or  more  figures  of  a  sitting 
Buddha,  in  relief ;  and  regarded  by  the  simple  as  material 
evidences  of  the  truth  of  the  Buddhist  faith.  The  figures 
however,  are  produced  by  human  agency.  Pious  priests 
watch  for  half  open  mussels,  and  slip  into  their  shells 


24  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

thin  clay  images  of  the  World-honoured  One,  over  which 
the  mussel  in  process  of  time  deposits  a  thick  layer  of 
nacre,  with  the  result  described  above. 

BUDMASHES.  From  had  '*bad"  and  maas/i 'Miving.' 
A  Persian  and  Arabic  compound  term  for  rowdies  or  pro- 
fessional bullies,  occasionally  used  in  China. 

"  .  .  .a  local  outbreak  in  the  district  of  P'u-ch'^ng, 
where  a  band  of  budmashes  under  the  leadership  of  a  man 
heretofore  .     .     .     "— iV.  C.  Herald,  25th  Oct.,  1877. 

BUGIS,  THE.  A  race  of  people  from  the  southern  part 
of  the  island  of  Celebes,  but  now  inhabiting  Perak.  They 
are  distinct  from  the  Malays  in  point  of  language  and  in 
intelligence,  though  very  similar  in  appearance. 

BUND.  The  common  term  in  China  for  a  quay,  such  as 
those  along  the  banks  of  the  Seine  in  Paris,  less  the 
parapet.  That  part  alone  of  the  hund  at  Shanghai  which 
fronts  the  British  Settlement  is  some  3,500  feet  in  length 
by  sixty-five  in  breadth.  Is  the  same  Persian  word 
which  appears  in  Cummerbund  (q.v.),  and  is  common  all 
over  India. 

BUNDEH.  Any  startling  story  or  rumour  which  turns  out 
to  be  untrue.  From  hund  (q-v.).  French,  canard.  A 
volume  of  "Bunders*'  was  published  some  years  ago  in 
Shanghai,  containing  several  amusing  skits  upon  local 
celebrities,  its  forthcoming  appearance  being  heralded  by 
an  "express"— THE  BUNDERS  ARE  COMING! 

The  ponies  for  hire  on  the  bund  at  Tientsin  are  also 
called  bunders. 

Bunder  (Pers.  bandar)  is  used  in  Hindustani  for  a 
"port."  Cf.  the  Bombay  terms  "bunder  boat"  and 
"  Apollo  Bunder." 

BUNGALOW.      From    the    Hindee    hungala.      Strictly 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EBFEEBNGE.  25 

speaking  a  one-storeyed,  thatched  house,  generally  sur- 
rounded hy  a  verandah. 

BUEIAT  MONGOLS:  lU  M  i?i  #•  A  tribe  of  Mongols 
subject  to  Eussia. 

BUELING  AME  MISSION.  A  Chinese  Embassy  to  foreign 
States  in  1869,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Anson  Burlin- 
game,  then  American  Minister  at  Peking,  as  chief  Ambas- 
sador, with  Mr.  McLeavy  Brown,  then  of  H.M.  Consular 
Service,  as  secretary  of  Legation  and  interpreter  to  the 
mission ;  the  other  important  members  being  two  associate 
Chinese  Envoys,  Sun  and  Chih,  both  men  of  a  certain 
rank  and  position.  This  embassy  is  commonly  supposed 
to  have  been  sent  to  Europe  and  America  to  bring  to  the 
notice  of  governments  China's  right,  as  an  independent 
power,  to  manage  her  internal  affairs  without  undue  inter- 
ference from  without.  It  was  then  that  Mr.  Burlingame 
spoke  of  China  as  longing  only  to  cement  friendly 
relations  with  foreign  countries,  and  declared,  in  a  now 
celebrated  phrase,  that  within  some  few  short  years  we 
should  be  gratified  by  the  sight  of  ''  a  shining  cross  on 
every  hill"  in  the  Middle  Kingdom.  But  Mr.  Burlingame 
himself  knew  nothing  of  the  Chinese  language ;  hence 
probably  the  allusion  in  Inman's  Ancient  Faiths  (I.  257), 
— "  as  completely  as  we  should  disbelieve  a  man,  who, 
calling  himself  ambassador  plenipotentiary  from  China 
to  Britain,  brings  credentials  written  in  English,  and  only 
speaks  our  mother  tongue." 

BURNING  OF  THE  BOOKS.  The  first  Emperor  of  the 
Ch'in  (^)  dynasty  issued  instructions,  at  the  suggestion 
of  his  prime  minister,  that  all  records  of  previous  dynasties 
and  all  copies  of  all  existing  books,  with  the  exception  af 
such  as  treated  of  medicine,  divination,  and  husbandry, 
should  be  forthwith  burned.     The  advice  was  given  partly 


26  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

out  of  flattery  to  the  Emperor  from  whose  reign  literature 
would  take  a  fresh  start,  and  partly  with  a  view  of 
strengthening  the  recently-estahlished  dynasty  of  Ch'in. 
At  any  rate  it  was  immediately  put  into  force  as  law ;  and 
subsequently  several  hundred  scholars  were  buried  alive 
for  their  disobedience  in  concealing  forbidden  volumes. 
Thus  perished  many  valuable  works,  and  it  was  only  by 
accident  that  the  prohibited  portions  of  the  Chinese 
Classics,  hidden  away  by  devoted  enthusiasts,  were  subse- 
quently discovered  and  preserved  for  future  ages.  The 
Burning  of  the  Books  took  place  about  B.C.  212. 

BUSS.  Stop  !  Can  do !  etc.  Used  in  the  Straits.  From  the 
Persian  has. 

BUTTONS :  T^  ^  or  jg  ^.  The  knobs  adopted  by  the 
Manchu  dynasty  to  indicate  rank  and  worn  at  the  top  of 
the  official  hat.     They  are : — 

1.  Transparent   red   button — ruby;  for   half   dress, 
coral. 

2.  Opaque  do.       do.   — coral;    for    full    dress 
"  flowered  coral." 

3.  Transparent  blue  do.  — sapphire. 

4.  Opaque         do.  do.  — lapis  lazuli. 

5.  Transparent  white  do.  — crystal. 

6.  Opaque         do.  do.  — stone. 

7.  Plain  gold     do.  do. 

8.  Worked  gold  do. 

9.  do.  do. 

These  are  of  two  classes,  viz :  Jt  principal  and  ^ 
subordinate.  The  distinction  lies  in  the  latter  being 
engraved  with  the  character  for  "old  age"  (see  Show),  the 
former  being  plain.    No.  9  has  two  of  these  characters, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFERENGE.  ^1 

and  is  the  button  which  every  one  who  has  taken  his  first 
or  bachelor's  degree  is  forthwith  entitled  to  wear.] 

CAMBALUC.     See  Khamhalu. 

CAMBODIA.  A  once  powerful  and  highly  civilised  state, 
known  as  the  kingdom  of  Khmer,  which  now  forms  part 
of  the  French  protectorate  in  Cochin-China.  Many 
colossal  ruins  of  great  antiquity  are  still  to  be  seen  there ; 
but  the  country  was  historically  unknown  previous  to 
the  13th  century.  The  ruins  of  Angcor  are  of  gigantic 
proportions,  and  seem  as  though  reared  by  the  hands  of  a 
giant  race  long  since  extinct. 

CAMELS :  ,^  ^*E.  The  two-humped  Bactrian  camel  is 
the  chief  burden-carrier  between  the  north  of  China  and 
Mongolia,  and  long  strings  of  these  animals  may  be  seen 
daily  in  the  streets  of  Peking. 

CAMOENS'  GARDEN.  The  celebrated  spot  at  Macao 
which  is  said  to  have  been  a  favourite  resort  of  the  great 
Portuguese  poet  of  that  name,  author  of  the  Lusiad. 
Odes  in  the  poet's  honour  have  been  composed  by  Sir 
J.  E.  Davis,  and  others,  and  are  now  to  be  seen  engraved 
on  tablets  outside  the  grotto.  The  following  are  specimen 
verses : — 

Hie  in  remotis  sol  ubi  rupibus 
Frondes  per  altas  mollms  incidit 

Fervebat  in  pulchram  camoenam 

Ingenium  Camoentis  |irdens. 

Davis. 

Gem  of  the  orient  earth  and  open  sea, 

Macao ! that  in  thy  lap  and  on  thy  breast 

Hast  gathered  beauties  all  the  loveliest 
Which  the  sun  smiles  on  in  his  majesty. 

Bo  wring, 

Patane !  lieu  charmant  et  si  cher  au  poete, 
Je  n'oublirai  jamais  ton  illustre  retraite, 
Ici  Camoens  au  bruit  du  flot  retentissant 
Mela  I'accord  plaintif  de  son  luth  gemiesant. 

Anonymous* 
And  one  in  Chinese : 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 


Surpassing  others  in  genius  and 
virtue,  because  of  jealousy  he 
suffered  evil. 


To  commemorate  his  marvellous 
poetry  and  his  noble  charac- 
ter, this  stone  is  now  put 
up." 

CAMPO,  THE.  The  foreign  settlement  at  Ningpo  is  so 
called.     CamiDO  in  Hindustani = Cantonment. 

CAMPOI :  ^  !)(§— carefully  fired,  or  selected  for  firing. 
A  selected  variety  of  Congou  tea.  From  the  Cantonese 
pronunciation  of  the  above  two  characters. 

CAMPONGr.  A  Malay  word  meaning  enclosure.  Generally 
used  for  a  milage. 

CANDAREE]^ :  ^.  The  hundredth  part  of  an  ounce  of 
pure  silver.     From  the  Malayan  '^kondrin/' 

CANFU :  ill;  vll .  The  old  port  of  Hang-chou,  visited  by 
two  Arabian  travellers  in  the  9th  century,  and  by  Marco 
Polo  in  1290,  but  now  washed  away  or  submerged.  This 
identification  has,  however,  been  discarded  of  late  in 
favour  of  Canton,  through  the  Chinese  Kuang-c/ioii?  Fu, 

CANGO.     See  Kago. 

CANGUE.  The  heavy  square  wooden  collar — necktie 
/^  JSl  "tfij  ^s  the  Chinese  •humorously  call  it — worn  by 
criminals  for  such  offences  as  petty  larceny,  etc.  Its 
maximum  weight  is  regulated  by  law,  as  also  the  limit  of 
time  for  which  it  may  be  imposed.  It  is  generally  taken 
off  at  night ;  but  during  the  day  the  wearer  must  be  fed 
by  friends,  not  being  able  to  reach  his  mouth  himself. 
From  the  Portuguese  canga,  yoke. 

CANTON.  A  corruption  of  Kuang-tung  ]^  ^,  from  the 
Portuguese  method  of  writing  it — hamtom.    The  capital 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  29 

city  of  the  province  of  Kuang-tung,  said  to  date  back  to 
the  fourth  century  B.C.  First  visited  by  the  British  in 
1637,  but  not  formally  opened  to  trade  until  1842,  under 
the  Treaty  of  Nanking.  The  Portuguese  had  arrived  a 
century  earlier  (1517) ;  they  were  followed  by  the  Dutch, 
but  by  the  end  of  the  17th  century  the  trade  was  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  British  merchants.  Canton  was 
captured  by  the  allied  forces  of  England  and  France  in 
December  1857,  and  was  held  for  about  four  years.  The 
city  wall  dates  from  the  11th  century,  and  has  a  circuit 
of  somewhat  over  six  miles. 
CAPITAN  :^  ijii'^.  Malay  corruption  of  the  word 
"  captain,"  the  sounds  of  which  are  imitated  by  the 
Chinese. 
CAPOOR  CUTCHERY:  H  ^  or  =  ^.  A  root  found 
in  Fokien  and  Szechuen,  and  powdered  for  making 
plasters.  The  Indian  name  means  "  root  of  camphor." 
CARAMBOLA :  Ij^  ^fe.     The  curious  polyagonal  "  Canton 

gooseberry"  is  so  called. 
CARDS,  PLAYING-.  Are  of  various  kinds,  with  many 
varieties  in  the  method  of  playing.  In  Peking,  the 
ordinary  pack  consists  of  160  cards. 
CARDS,  YISITINa  :  ^  Pr^  As  used  in  China  by  men 
only,  are  oblong  pieces  of  red  paper,  about  5  inches  in 
length,  inscribed  with  the  name  and  surname  of  the 
owner.  On  the  back,  there  is  often  an  inscription  in  small 
characters,  stating  that  the  card  is  only  for  ceremonial 
purposes,  meaning  that  it  may  not  be  used  as  a  receipt 
for  letters  or  money,  or  in  evidence  of  any  business 
transaction.  Han-lin  scholars  of  not  less  than  three  years' 
standing  are  permitted  as  a  mark  of  distinction  to  use 
larger-sized  cards,  inscribed  with  proportionately  larger 
characters  written  down  the  middle  of  the  paper ;  but  of 


30  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BJEFEHENCE. 

late  years  it  has  been  customary  for  the  high  authorities 
to  use  these  in  their  intercourse  with  foreign  officials. 

During  the  period  of  27  months'  mourniugfor  a  parent, 
either  the  colour  of  the  card  is  changed  to  light-brown,  or 
the  characters  ^  ^  "  with  a  clod  (for  a  pillow)/'  or  "^Ij 
^*  statute/'  are  added  to  the  name.  Similarly,  during  the 
year's  mourning  for  a  grandfather  or  a  brother,  ^  (read 
chi)  is  used ;  and  during  the  lesser  period  of  5  and  3 
months,  the  character  ^  ;  but  in  these  cases  the  colour 
is  not  changed.  When  visiting  at  houses  where  festivity 
is  the  order  of  the  day,  the  mourner,  in  deference  to  his 
<  friends'  feelings,  substitutes  '{j^  ^="with  you  in  your 
joy/'  for  the  characters  above  mentioned. 

The  form  of  visiting-card  used  between  officials  of  the 
same  or  similar  rank  is  called  a  51  y^  TO  ;  as  handed 
by  an  inferior  to  a  superior,  a  ^  2p^.  This  latter  is  in 
effect  a  petition,  stating  the  rank  and  titles  of  the 
petitioner. 
"CARISBROOKE"  CASE,  THE.  In  1875  a  British 
steamer  of  this  name  cleared  from  Singapore  to  Hainan 
and  Hongkong  before  any  port  on  the  former  island  was 
formally  opened  to  trade.  Accordingly,  while  discharging 
passengers  and  cargo  there,  she  was  seized  by  the  Cus*- 
toms*  Eevenue  Cruiser  Feng-chao-haiy  and  on  the  promise 
of  the  captain  to  follow,  an  officer  was  put  on  board  to 
bring  her  to  Canton.  Shortly  afterwards  the  captain  of 
the  "  Carisbrooke"  went  back  on  his  promise  and  altered 
his  vessel's  course  towards  Hongkong ;  and  the  Feng- 
chao^haif  finding  all  signals  useless,  fired,  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  Marsh  Brown  who  was  on  board,  four 
shots  at  her,  with  such  effect  as  to  carry  away  the  rudder 
and  do  other  damage.  The  C.  was  then  towed  to  Canton 
as  a  prize. 


A  GLOSS  AMY  OF  REFERENCE.  31 

CASH:  ^.  Fancy  names  ^  \\%,  ^jl  >^'  P^  ^'  etc. 
From  caixa,  the  Moorish  name  of  the  tin  coin  found  at 
Malacca  by  the  Portuguese  in  1511  and  brought  there 
from  the  Malabar  coast.  [^  *^  is  said  to  be  a  Manchu 
term  for  cash.']  Now  used  of  the  only  coin  east  in  China, 
some  twenty  odd  of  which  are  equal  to  one  penny.  Each 
cash  has  a  square  hole  in  the  middle  for  convenience  in 
carrying  a  large  quantity ;  hence  the  expression  "  strings 
of  cash."  Hence,  too,  the  jeu- de-mots  that  a  man  should 
resemble  a  cash  and  be  ^  (or  '^)  [§J  ^  ^  round  in 
disposition  square  in  action,  or,  by  reading  the  first 
character  ^ — then,  round  in  shape,  convenient  for  use. 
Rare  specimens  are  frequently  worn  as  charms  by 
children  and  even  by  adults. 

Copper  cash  seem  to  have  been  first  coined  by  the 
Emperors  of  the  Han  dynasty,  about  200  B.C.,  previous 
to  which  time  pearl-oyster  shells  ^  (old  form  resembling 
an  open  shell)  were  used  like  cowries.  Some  authorities 
date  the  coinage  of  cash  as  far  back  as  the  Emperor  ^ 
Ching  of  the  Chou  dynasty,  B.C.  544. 

CATECHU.     SeeCutch. 

CATHAY.  China.  Said  to  be  a  Persian  corruption  of 
^  7T,  i^e.  the  Kitans  who  ruled  northern  China  fromj 
A.D.  1118  to  1235  under  the  name  of  the  Golden  Dynasty 
^  ^,  and  were  so  called  from  their  tattooing.  Marco- 
Polo  always  speaks  of  China  as  Kitai,  and  Tennyson 
writes — "  Better  fifty  years  of  Europe  than  a  cycle  of 
Cathay."  In  reference  to  which  it  has,  however,  been, 
somewhat  waggishly  remarked  that  a  Chinese  cycle  con- 
sists of  only  60  years. 

CATS  :  §{5  miao.  The  character  is  said  to  be  so  written 
because  rats  injure  cereal  sprouts  (miao  pgf)  and  cats 
catch  rats  !  Dead  cats  are  not  buried,  but  hung  on  trees. 


32  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

A  cafc  washing  its  face  portends  the  arrival  of  a  stranger. 
Its  nose  is  always  cold,  except  on  the  day  of  the  summer 
solstice.  Kittens  have  great  difficulty  in  surviving  the 
5th  day  of  the  5th  moon. 

CATTY :  ^  or  /f .  The  Chinese  pound=l ^  Ih.  avoirdupois, 
is  so  called.  Catty,  or  hati,  is  the  Malayan  word  for  a 
pound.  N.B.  Although  the  decimal  system  otherwise 
prevails  throughout  the  Chinese  weights  and  measures, 
the  catty  or  lb.  is,  as  with  us,  divided  into  16  parts. 

CAVAN  or  CABAN.  A  grain  measure  used  in  the  Phi- 
lippine islands=3j^  cubic  feet. 

CELESTIAL  EMPIRE.  A  common  name  for  China, 
taken  probably  from  the  phrase  ^  §3  Heavenly  Dy- 
nasty, which  has  been  for  many  centuries  in  use  amongst 
the  Chinese  themselves.  Under  the  Han  dynasty,  China 
was  often  called  ]^  ^  '^heavenly  Han  ;"  and  generally 
speaking,  the  epithet  is  a  favourite  one  with  the  Chinese. 

CENSUS,  THE.  Is  an  old  established  institution  in  China, 
but  is  taken  in  a  very  irregular  manner  both  as  to  time 
and  method.  House-tickets  are  served  out  to  the  head 
of  every  household  in  each  ward,  and  he  is  responsible  for 
the  return  of  all  inmates,  including  lodgers ;  but  as  there 
is  no  fixed  day  on  which  these  tickets  are  returnable,  the 
results  are  approximate  rather  than  exact.  The  popula- 
tion of  China  has  been  recorded  as  follows  : — 
By  P^re  Amiot  in  1743=150,265,475. 

„  Lord  Macartney,  „  1792=333,000,000. 
„  Official  Census  „  1813=360,279,897. 
„   Sacharoff  „  1842=413,686,994. 

CENT.  The  hundredth  part  of  a  dollar.  From  the  Latin 
centum  a  hundred.  Written  7Q  B^  or  fll|  at  Hongkong ; 
^  at  Amoy  ;    \J    at  Foochow  ;  at  Shanghai  ^. 

CENSOR :  ^  ^  or  HS^fR.    A  member  of  the  Cen- 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BBFEBENGE.  33 

sorate  ^  ^  ^,  wliich  is  a  body  of  men  stationed  at 
Peking  under  two  presidents,  one  Chinese  and  the  other 
Manchu,  the  officers  of  which  are  sent  to  various  parts  of 
the  empire  as  Imperial  inspectors.  They  are  privileged  to 
censure  the  Emperor  for  any  act  which  they  consider 
illegal,  extravagant  or  unjust,  without  risk  of  losing  their 
lives,  though  they  are  sometimes  degraded  for  unpalatable 
advice.     Also  called  "  the  ears  and  eyes"  of  the  Emperor 

CHAAM  FA :  ^  ^.  Cocoons  produced  from  eggs  which 
have  been  kept  over  from  the  preceding  year.  They  are 
thin,  and  worth  much  less  than  others. 

CHAA-SZE  :  ^  pjfi — tea  expert.  A  tea-taster ;  or  more 
irreverently,  a  iea-gohher,  from  the  habit  of  spitting  out 
the  tea  tasted,  instead  of  swallowing  it. 

CHAI  MUI  '."^^^or  \%  f^.  A  game  played  by  two 
persons  at  a  Chinese  dinner-party  or  on  any  other  festive 
occasion.  The  players  look  each  other  steadily  in  the 
face,  and  simultaneously  extend  one  hand  showing  all, 
some,  or  none,  of  the  five  fingers  stretched  out,  at  the 
same  time  crying  out  what  each  thinks  will  be  the  sum 
total  of  the  two  sets  of  fingers  thus  exhibited.  When 
either  succeeds  in  guessing  aright,  his  opponent  has  to 
swallow  a  cup  of  wine  as  a  forfeit.  Many  fanciful 
formulas,  varying  in  different  parts  of  the  Empire,  have 
been  substituted  for  the  mere  numerals  which  would 
sound  harsh  to  a  Chinese  ear.  The  following  is  an 
example  of  one  of  these : — 

— '  l\j}     .     .     one  heart. 


—  7C 


two  friends, 
three  firs fs.** 
four  seasons, 
five  sons.^ 


34  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 


-J- A. 

.     six  cardinals''. 

-t^    . 

.     seven  changeahles^ 

A  fill   . 

.     eight  genii.' 

;^S  . 

.     mne  long/ 

+  ^  . 

.     ten  complete. 

m^  • 

.     hands  opposite ; 

the  latter  being  used  when  one  player  holds  out  his  closed 
fist  and  expects  his  adversary  to  do  the  same. 

*^  Every  Person  shall  he  liable  to  a  penalty  not  exceed- 
ing Ten  Dollars  who  shall  utter  Shouts  or  Cries  or  make 
other  Noises  while  playing  the  Game  known  as  Ghai  Mui, 
between  the  Hours  of  11  p.m.  and  6  a.m.,  within  any  Dis- 
trict or  Place  not  permitted  by  some  Regulation  of  the 
Governor  in  Council.^' — Hongkong  Ordinance^  No.  2  of 
1872. 

[a.  First  on  the  list  at  the  three  great  public  examina- 
tions. 
h.  Alluding  to  the  five  sons  of  Tou  Yen-shan  who  all 
took  high  degrees. 

c.  The  six  cardinal  points ; — north,  south,  east,  west, 

above,  and  below. 

d.  The  s  vev  pieces  of  the  Chinese  puzzle. 

e.  The  eight  Immortals  of  the  Taoist  religion. 

/.  ^  nine  here  stands  for  >\  long,  in  the  sense  of  a 
long  life.] 

CHAIRS  (SEDAN):  ^  ^.  The  Fmperor  alone  is  en- 
titled to  employ  16  bearers  for  carrying  his  chair;  a 
prince  of  the  blood  8  ;  the  highest  provincial  authorities 
also  8 — a  privilege  of  which,  however,  they  never  avail 
themselves  except  on  occasions  of  religious  or  state 
ceremonial ;  all  other  officials  down  to  a  Prefect  4,  in- 
cluding a  District  Magistrate,  if  in  office,  but  not  if  merely 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  35 

expectant ;  below  this  grade  2.  A  bridal  chair  is  red ; 
that  of  all  officials  down  to  and  inclusive  of  the  Commis- 
sioners of  Justice,  Finance,  and  the  Salt  Gabelle  (zn  ^) 
— green  ;  below  this,  blue,  with  slight  variations  of  detail. 
A  Taot'ai's  chair  would  strictly  speaking  be  blue  ;  but  he 
usually  has  brevet  rank  as  Commissioner  of  Justice,  on 
the  strength  of  which  he  changes  the  colour  to  green. 
Foreign  Consuls  in  China  use  green  chairs,  as  being  the 
highest  local  officials  of  their  particular  nationality,  and 
by  Treaty  of  equal  rank  with  Taot'ais.  Chinese  etiquette 
makes  it  necessary  to  get  out  of  a  chair  to  speak  with  a 
passing  acquaintance.  "When  two  or  more  officials  travel 
together,  the  highest  in  rank  takes  the  foremost  chair ; 
were  they  on  horseback  the  same  official  would  be  the 
second  of  the  file,  a  servant  always  riding  in  front  to  clear 
the  way.  Within  the  city  of  Peking,  only  princes  of  the 
blood  and  some  of  the  highest  officials  are  permitted  to 
use  chairs. 

CHAM.  A  mediaeval  corruption  of  Khan  (^)^  or  rP); 
the  title  Great  Cham  of  Tartary  having  been  first  applied 
to  Genghis  Khan  (q.v.).  Dr.  Johnson  was  spoken  of  by 
Smollett  as  that  *^grim  Cham  of  literature.'*  Has  oc- 
casionally been  written  Chane. 

CHAMBER  OF  HORRORS :  MWt  ov  ?#  P^— pur- 
gatory. That  section  of  every  municipal  temple  (5^  IM 
^3)  which  contains  models  of  sinners  undergoing  the 
various  punishments  of  the  Taoist-Buddhist  purgatory. 
For  a  full  account  of  the  ten  courts  into  which  it  is 
divided,  with  a  description  of  the  tortures  therein  inflicted, 
see  appendix  to  Strange  Stories  from  a  Chinese  Studio. 
Our  term  is  a  fanciful  one,  in  imitation  of  the  celebrated 
Chamber  at  Madame  Tussaud^s  wax- work  exhibition. 


36  A  OLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

CHANDOO.     (Malay).     Opium  prepared  for  smoking. 

CHANG  :  5C-     ^  Chinese  measure=to  141  English  inches. 

CHANGES,  BOOK  OF :  ^  $1  Yih-king.  Contains  a 
fanciful  system  of  philosophy  deduced  from  the  combina- 
tions of  the  Eight  Diagrams  (q.v.).  Possibly  composed 
B.C.  1150  by  Wen- Wang  ^  3E-  Is  one  of  the  Five 
Classics  (q.v.),  the  text  consisting  of  sixty-four  short 
essays,  enigmatically  and  symbolically  expressed,  on 
important  themes,  mostly  of  a  moral,  social,  and  political 
character,  and  based  upon  the  same  number  of  lineal 
figures,  each  made  up  of  six  lines,  some  of  which  are 
whole  and  the  others  divided.  The  text  is  followed  by 
commentaries,  called  the  Ten  Wingsy  probably  of  a  later 
date  and  commonly  ascribed  to  Confucius,  who  declared 
that  were  a  hundred  years  added  to  his  life  he  would 
devote  fifty  to  a  study  of  the  Yih-hing. 
The  following  is  a  specimen  : — 

Text.  The  first  line,  divided,  shows  one  moving  his 
great  toes. 

The  fifth  line,  undivided,  shows  one  moving  the  flesh 
along  the  spine  above  the  heart.  There  will  be  no 
occasion  for  repentance. 

Wing.  He  moves  his  great  toes ; — his  mind  is  set  on 
what  is  beyond  himself. 

He  moves  the  flesh  along  the  spine  above  the  heart ; 
— rhis  aim  is  trivial. 

CHARACTERS,  CHINESE.  Are  symbols  of  ideas,  ab- 
stract and  concrete.  These  characters  are  neither 
agglutinative  nor  inflexional,  but  vary  in  grammatical 
value  as  verb,  substantive,  or  adjective,  with  their  position 
in  the  sentence.  K'ang  Hsi's  (q.v.)  lexicon  includes  more 
than  40,000  separate  characters,  the  origin  of  which 
appears  to  have  been  this ; — 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BUFEBENGK  37 

A  few  simple  shapes  of  visible  objects  were  followed  up 
by  others  more  or  less  easy  to  be  identified,  until  the  im- 
possibilities of  a  wholly  pictorial  language  gave  place  to 
the  phonetic  system  upon  which  the  present  characters 
are  based.  Thus,  the  ancient  Chinese  drew  a  rude 
picture  to  represent  the  sound  by  which  they  designated 
a  horse,  viz  :  j^  ma.  But  with  a  very  limited  number 
of  vocables  it  followed  that  the  sound  ma,  with  differences 
of  intonation,  did  duty  in  the  spoken  language  for  other 
ideas,  as  ma  mother,  ma  agate,  ma  a  locust,  ma  prawns, 
ma  to  curse,  ma  the  head  of  a  bed  etc.  By  the  phonetic 
system,  the  Chinese  wrote  down  each  of  the  above  as  ma 
horse,  and  then  added  a  distinguishing  symbol  on  the 
left,  now  known  as  the  radical  (q.v.).  The  new  com- 
binations formed  would  read  thus :  >f§  "Woman- 
horse=mother  ;  3E§  jade-horse= agate;  ffi§  insect-horse= 
locust;  ^j^  fish-horse =prawns;  R^  mouth-horse=to 
curse  ;  |,§  wood-horse=head  of  a  bed.  In  many  cases 
these  composite  characters  became  the  phonetics  of  other 
sets  of  characters,  distinguished  in  like  manner  by 
appropriate  radicals ;  besides  which  there  is  a  small  class 
of  so-called  "  ideographic '*  characters,  where  the  sense  of 
the  component  parts  yields  the  sense  of  the  whole ;  e.g., 
7TC  a  tree,  /j)|C  a  forest,  and  ^  dense,  obscure ;  f§ 
western-nation-man,  sc.  Buddha. 

CHARPOY.     A  bed.     Term  used  in  the  Straits.     From 

the  Persian  charpde  four-footed. 
CHAYA.  A  Japanese  tea  house. 
CHEE-CHEES.     Anglo-Indian  term  of  contempt  for  the 

Portuguese.     From  a  native  expression  of  disgust. 
CHEFOO  :  ^  ^  or  ;2:  ^  gg.     A  small  headland  on 

the  coast  of  the  Shantung  province,  which  has  given  its 


38  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

name  to  the  celebrated  watering-place  and  sanitarium  of 
China ;  though  as  the  foreign  settlement  lies  close  to  the 
hill  and  village  of  Yen-t'ai  (jlQ  § — Smoke  Terrace), 
this  would  be  its  more  appropriate  designation.  Was 
occupied  instead  of  S  /H  Teng-chou,  which  was  opened 
to  trade  by  Treaty  of  Tientsin  1858  but  possessed  no 
suitable  harbour. 
CHEFOO  AGREEMENT,  THE.  A  still  unratified  settle- 
ment  of  the  Yunnan  outrage  (q.v.)  arranged  at  Chefoo 
between  Sir  Thomas  Wade,  K.C.B.,  and  H.E.  the  G-rand 
Secretary,  Li  Hung-chang,  in  September  1867.  Popularly 
known  as  the  Chefoo  Convention. 

CHEKIANG  :  ^l]  or  ^  *^— crooked  river.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces.  So  called  from  the  Che  river  which 
traverses  its  southern  part.  Capital  city  Hang-chou  Fu 
^  f]]  }^-     Old  name  M- 

CHEMULPO  .•  ^  ^  vil.  A  port  in  Korea  opened  to 
trade  by  Treaty  of  26th  November  1883. 

CHESS.  Has  been  known  to  the  Chinese  for  many 
centuries  under  a  form  not  very  unlike  our  own  game. 
The  board  has  64  squares,  is  played  with  16  men  on  each 
side,  the  two  at  the  corners  having  equal  power,  and  the 
next  two  (called  horses)  having  a  move  equivalent  to  that 
of  our  knight.  The  chief  differences  are  that  the  Chinese 
adversaries  are  separated  by  a  river,  over  which  some 
pieces  cannot  pass,  while  the  *^King'*  is  confined  to  a 
square  of  nine  moves  only ;  and  that  the  pieces  are  placed 
upon  the  intersections  of  the  lines  forming  the  board, 
instead  of  on  the  squares. 

CHETTIES.  The  usurers  or  money-lending  section  of  the 
Klings  (q.v.). 

CHI.     See  Doctrine  of  the  Gh'i. 


A  GL08SABY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  39 

CH^IEN :  ^.  (1)  A  mace,  or  tenth  part  of  a  Chinese 
ounce.     (2)  cash ;  money. 

CHIEN  LUNG :  %  (^-enduring  glory.  The  style  of 
reign  adopted  by  the  great  Emperor  who  ruled  China 
from  1736  to  1796.  Fourth  of  the  present  or  Manchu 
dynasty.  Received  Lord  Macartney's  embassy  1794. 
Same  as  the  Kien  Long  mentioned  in  De  Quincey's  mag- 
nificent essay — The  Revolt  of  the  Tartars — and  elsewhere. 

CH'IEN-LUNG:  ^  S|— cash  dragon.  The  harmless 
'* hundred  legs/'  so  common  in  northern  China;  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  centipede  5^^  X^.  Called  "  cash 
dragon  "  by  the  Chinese,  because  supposed  to  resemble  a 
string  of  cash,  and  therefore  regarded  as  rather  an  aus- 
picious visitor. 

CHIH-FU  OR  CHE-FOO  :  3^11  )B^— he  who  knows  the  fu 
or  prefecture.  The  Prefect.  [See  Fu.]  Has  the  general 
supervision  of  the  civil  business  in  his  own  prefecture. 

CHIil-HSIEN,  CHI-HEEN,  or  CHEHIEN :  ^  J^— 
he  who  knows  the  hsien  or  District.  The  District  Magis- 
trate. Familiarly  called  the  ''  father  and  mother"  of  the 
people,  (in  common  with  Prefects),  because  of  his  close 
relations  with  them.  Is  responsible  for  the  peace  and  order 
of  his  District.  Has  summary  jurisdiction  in  civil  and 
criminal  cases  ;  and  as  Coroner  is  bound  to  hold  an  inquest 
in  all  instances  of  death  under  unusual  circumstances. 
Is  directly  subordinate  to  the  Prefect  [see  Chih-fu]_; 
sometimes  to  the  Magistrate  of  an  Independent  Depart- 
ment.   All  transfers  of  land  must  be  stamped  with  his  seal.. 

CHIHLI :  iJ  *^— direct  rule.  The  most  important  of  the 
Eighteen  Frovinces.  So  called  because  from  this  province 
(i.e.  from  Peking)  emanates  the  supreme  power  which 
governs  the  empire.  Capital  city  Pao-tiug  Fu  ^  ^  jfj. 
Old  name  [|[. 


40  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

CHINA.  The  Chinese  themselves  have  no  term  for  their 
country  which  can  be  identified  with  this  word.  It  may 
possibly  be  derived  from  the  name  of  a  dynasty — Ch'in  or 
Ts^in  ^— which  flourished  B.C.  255-269,  and  became 
widely  known  in  India,  Persia,  and  other  Asiatic  countries, 
the  final  a  being  added  by  the  Portuguese.  Col.Yule 
says  *^We  get  the  exact  form  China — which  is  also  used 
in  Japanese — from  the  Malay."  Chinese  Buddhists  write 
the  Indian  name  ^  ^  Chih-na;  also  ^  _0  Ghen-taUj 
the  last  syllable  being  intended  for  the  Sanscrit  stan  a 
country. 

CHINA  CONSUL,  THE.  The  Magistrate  of  the  Mixed 
Court  (ji^v.)  at  Shanghai  is  so  called,  being  often  addressed 
as  ''  Consul "  in  open  Court.  He  is  actually  so  styled 
(^  $)  in  the  Hu-pao  of  12  July  1884. 

CHINA  GRASS :  ^  J^.  The  textile  fibre  of  a  hemp-pro- 
ducing plant  (hcehmeria  nivea)  from  which  grass-cloth  is 
made. 

CHINA  ROOT  :  i  >^  ^.  A  false  tuber  fPachyma 
cocosj  found  growing  like  a  fungus  from  the  roots  of  fir 
trees.     Used  medicinally  by  the  Chinese. 

CHINA  SODA.     Pidgin-English  for  alum. 

CHINA  STRAWBERRY.  Pidgin-English  for  the  arhutus. 

CHINA'S  SORROW.  The  Yellow  river  or  Hoang  Ho 
{q.v.).  So  named  by  the  Emperor  Tao  Kuang  because  of 
the  devastion  caused  by  its  oft-recurring  floods.  Has  fre- 
quently been  known  to  change  its  bed :  the  last  time  in 
1856,  when  instead  of  emptying  itself  into  the  Yellow  Sea 
about  lat.  34*,  this  huge  river  turned  off  at  right  angles 
near  the  city  of  K^ai-feng  Fu,  the  capital  of  Honan,  and 
found  its  issue  in  the  Gulf  of  Pechili,  lat.  38". 

CHIN-CHIN.  A  corruption  of  the  Chinese  salutation 
chHng  chHng  ^jg  ppj,  which  answers  to  our  good-bye,  etc. 


A  0L08SAB7  OF  BEFEBENGE.  41 

To  "  chin-chin  Joss "  is  to  perform  religious  worship  of 
any  kind.  The  Chinese^  however,  regard  the  expression 
as  purely  foreign,  and  are  quite  unaware  that  it  is  a  mere 
imitation  of  their  own  term. 

CHINESE  GORDON  :  See  T'ai-fing. 

CHING  :  $f .  (1)  The  Buddhist  sutras,  (2)  The  Sacred 
Books  of  China,  of  which  only  five  are  recognised  as  such 
under  the  present  dynasty,  namely  : — 

1 — Book  of  Changes,  ^  ^. 

2—  do.      History,   #  If. 

3—  do.      Poetry,     |#  $?. 

4 —  do.      Bites,       /[jg  g^. 
5 — Spring  &  Autumn  ^  ^C. 

The  character  $f  means  text ;  hut  "  Canon,^'  in  the 
ecclesiastical  sense  of  the  term,  would  be  the  best  rendering. 

CHINKIANG  :  ^  ZX— guard  the  river.  A  treaty  port, 
and  prefectural  city  in  the  province  ot  Kiang-su,  near  the 
junction  of  the  Grand  Canal  and  Yang-tsze.  Opened  by 
Tientsin  Treaty  1858.  Was  captured  by  the-  British 
forces  in  1842,  and  by  the  Taiping  rebels  in  1853,  from 
whom  it  was  retaken  in  1857. 

CHIN-SHIH :  ^  dr— the  entering  scholar.  Graduate  of 
the  third  or  doctor^s  degree,  the  examination  for  which  is 
held  once  in  every  three  years  at  Peking,  whither  intend- 
ing candidates  proceed  from  all  parts  of  the  empire.  Only 
chu'jen  (q.v.),  who  have  not  already  taken  office,  are 
allowed  to  compete. 

CHIT.  From  the  Indian  word  chitti  a  letter,  specially 
used  of  letters  of  recommendation  given  to  servants. 
Used  in  China  for  all  kinds  of  letters,  notes,  pencil  scraps, 
I.  0.  U^s,  etc.,  etc. 

CHIT-BOOK.  The  book  which  in  China  invariably  accom- 
panies letters  or  parcels  sent,  in  order  that  the  receiver 


42  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENGE. 

may  sign  his  initials  against  the  entry  relating  to  himself, 
as  a  proof  to  the  sender  of  due  delivery. 
CHO  :  BJ.     A  Japanese  measure  equal  to  60  hen  (q.v.)  or 
360   feet   English.     Also,    land   measure  of  3,000  tsuho 
(q.v.). 

According  to  the  Nichi  Nichi  Shimhun,  the  length  of 
telegraph  lines  constructed  in  Japan  up  to  June  of  the 
ninth  year  of  Meiji  (1876),  was  1904  ri  31  cho  and  53  herif 
including  three  sub-aqueous  cables,  viz.,  that  of  Shitnono- 
seki,  28  cho  and  13  hen;  the  river  Banin,  16  cho  and  22 
hen;  Tsugaru  strait,  2  ri  1  cho  and  28  hen.  Forty-five 
telegraph  offices  had  been  established  in  Japan  at  the 
same  time. 
CHOGOLGAN.  A  league  or  association  of  Mongols. 
CHON  NOOKEE.     See  Jon-nuhe. 

CHOO  HE  or  CHU-FU-TZtJ:  M  ^,  The  great  critic, 
and  commentator  on  the  Chinese  Classics.  A.D.  1130 — 
1200.  It  is  related  that  after  death  his  coffin  was  seen 
suspended  in  the  air,  three  feet  from  the  ground,  until  at 
length  his  son-in-law  approached,  and  kneeling  down  cried 
out  "Master!  the  holy  doctrine  of  Confucius  should 
"be  paramount-"  (^  ^ '^  ]ii  m  ^  "M  M.)  ,  irn- 
plying  that  supernatural  manifestations  ill  befitted  a 
disciple  of  the  materialistic  Sage.  The  coffin  then  de- 
scended, and  resumed  its  original  position. 
CHOP:  ^  or  ^  ^.  A  mark,  number,  or  brand. 
Hence  a  chop  of  tea  means  a  certain  number  of  chests  of 
tea  all  bearing  the  same  brand.  Anything  is  said  to  be 
first  chop  when  it  is  of  first-rate  quality.  *^But  oh,  you 
should  see  her  ladyship's  behaviour  on  her  first-chop 
dinner-parties,  when  Lord  and  Lady  Longears  come." 
Thacheray.  Put  your  chop  on  it=put  your  seal  or  stamp 
on  it.     Also  see  Bargain  Chop,  Security  Chop,  etc. 


A  GLOSS  AMY  OF  REFERENCE.  43 

Said  to  be  derived  from  the  Cantonese  pronunciation  of 
§|J  to  puncture.  But  chdpnd  is  the  Hindustani  word  for 
*'  to  stamp/'     Thus,  chdpd  khdna  is  "  a  printing-office." 

CHOP.  A  hulk,  in  which  in  the  old  days  foreigners  used 
to  reside. 

"  The  Australian  mail  steamer  Brisbane,  which  has 
been  anchored  a  little  westward  of  the  Police  Chopf  in 
getting  up  her  anchor  last  evening  to  leave  the  port, 
found  it  foul  of  .  the  chop  moorings."  Hongkong  DaiZi/ 
Press,  9  Oct.  1877. 

CHOP-BOATS :  H  iR  jti-  Lighters  or  cargo-boats. 
Literally,  "  water-melon  boats,"  from  the  resemblance  of 
the  roof  to  half  a  water-melon.  The  last  character  is 
sometimes  wrongly  written  ^. 

CHOP  CHOP.  The  ^icZc^m  equivalent  of  *^make  haste." 
From  the  Cantonese  pronunciation  of  ^  ^ — cup  cup, 
*' quick,  quick  !" 

CHOP-DOLLAR.  A  dollar  chopped  or  stamped  with  a 
private  mark  as  a  guarantee  of  its  genuineness.  Many 
dollars  are  quite  defaced  by  the  repetition  of  this  process; 
hence  the  phrase  chop  dollar  face  for  a  man  deeply  pitted 
with  small-pox.  A  stand  has  recently  been  made  in 
Hongkong  against  this  practice  which  is  confined  to 
Chinese  firms  in  the  south  of  China  only.  Sometimes 
these  dollars  are  chopped  until  the  middle  is  broken  out, 
leaving  a  large  hole.  They  are  then  called  "  spectacle 
dollars." 

CHOP-HOUSES.  Customs'  stations  between  Whampoa 
and  Canton  were  formerly  so  called,  from  the  chops  or 
seals  there  used. 

CHOP-STICKS:  '^ -^—hasten ers.  Vulgarly  written 
'|!^  -jr.  In  the  book-language  ^  or  ^  "  helpers."  The 
bamboo  or  ivory  sticks  which  take  the  place  of  knives 


44  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE, 

and  forks  among  the  Chinese.     The  native  term  has  heen 
absurdly  rendered  '*  nimble  lads,"  from   a  misconception 
of   the   valu<e   of   the   second  character.     It  is   said   by 
^  -S  M4>    ^   former  Minister  of  State,   to  have  been 
substituted  for  ^,  which  has  the  same  sound  and  tone  as 
^C.    to  remain,  and  is  accordingly  an  inauspicious  word  for 
travellers  and  others  who  would  rather  '' hasten"  home. 
CHOP,  THE   GEAND :    ^I  H   or  J^  j{$.      The   port 
clearance  granted  by  the  Chinese  Customs  when  all  duties 
have  been  paid  is  so  called,  because  formerly  it  was  the 
most  important  of  the  chops  (q.v.)  known  to  foreigners. 
It  is,  literally,  red  chop,  from  the  large  vermilion  official 
seal  upon  it ;  and  this  name  is  sometimes  used  by  mer- 
chant captains  and  others. 
CHOSEN  :  ^  ^.     The  Japanese-English  transliteration 
of  the  two  characters   which  form  the   Chinese  official 
name  of  Korea  (q.v.). 
CHOTA  HAZRI.     The  ''  small  breakfast,"  or  the  early  tea 
and  toast.     Recently  extended  to  12  o'clock  breakfast,  as 
commonly  taken  in  China.   Corrupted  form  of  the  Hindee 
and  Persian  chhota  hdziri. 
CHOW   or   CHOU:     ^.     A   celebrated   dynasty  which 
lasted  from  B.C.  1122  to  B.C.  255.    The  Chow  le  ;T§  jg, 
or  "  Chow  Ritual/*  an  elaborate  detail   of  the  various 
officers  of  the  Chow  dynasty  with  their  respective  duties, 
is  assigned  to  this  period. 
CHOW  or  CHOW-CHOW.     Food  of  any  kind.     Pidgin 
term  invented  by  Europeans  probably   in   imitation   of 
Chinese  sounds.     A  chow-chow  amah  is  a  wet  nurse.    To 
"  chow-chow  Joss"  is  a  phrase  which  illustrates  both  the 
adaptability  and  the  undesirability  of  pidgin-English  as  a 
means  of  communication  with  the  Chinese. 
CHOW-CHOW.    A  preserve  in  syrup,  made  up  of  odds 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  45 

and  ends  of  orange-peel,  ginger,  pumelo-rind,  and  leavings 
generally  from  the  preparation  of  other  preserves.  Hence 
chow-chow  pickle,  which  means  nothing  more  than  "mis- 
cellaneous" or  "  assorted." 

CHOW-CHOW  (op  cargo).  Miscellaneous,  as  opposed  to 
staples.  "  He's  a  chow-chow  man"=a  dealer  in  all  kinds 
of  goods,  such  as  matches,  musical-boxes,  photographs, 
etc.,  etc. 

CHOW-CHOW  WATER.  Same  as  our  nautical  term 
race.  An  overfall  of  water  produced  by  strong  currents 
dangerous  to  small  boats.  Also  used  of  eddying  water. 
Origin  of  phrase  unknown. 

CHOW  FAH.  "  Celestial  Prince."  The  child  of  a  king 
of  Siam  by  a  wife  who  was  herself  the  daughter  of  a  king. 
Children  by  other  mothers  are  Phraong  Chows.  Daughters 
of  princes  are  Maum  Chows. 

CH'OW-FANG  :  #  }^—take  measures  for  defence.  The 
'*  defence  tax."  Originally  known  as  Hui-fang  ^  ^ 
— join  in  defending.  Was  first  imposed,  in  the  shape  of 
a  voluntary  capitation  tax,  for  the  recovery  of  the  city  of 
Su-chow,  taken  by  the  Taiping  rebels  May  1860 ;  and 
subsequently  continued,  under  its  changed  name,  as  a 
tax  upon  inland  trade,  chiefly  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Shanghai. 

CHOWRY:  M  M  or  ^  ±.  t^.  A  Hindee  word  mean- 
ing fly-brush.  Specially  applied  to  the  Buddhistic  emblem, 
which  is  generally  a  yuk's  tail  and  is  commonly  used  in 
China  as  a  fly-flapper  ^  BBS-  The  chowry,  under  the 
Chin  0  dynasty,  was  the  distinguishing  mark  of  a  great 
conversationist. 

CHRONOLOGY,  CHINESE.  Begins,  according  to  the 
historian  Ssu-ma  Ch'ien,  with  the  Yellow  Emperor,  B.C. 
2697;  but  B.C.  1,000  may  be  roughly  fixed  upon  as  the 


46  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

.  earliest  date  of  which  there  remains  any  satisfactory 
record. 

CHRYSE.  A  term  vagaely  applied  by  Ptolemy  to  the 
border  regions  of  Indo- China. 

Col.  Yule  says  "  Chryse  is  a  literal  version  of  the 
Sanskrit  Suvarnabhumi,  or  Golden  Land,  applied  in 
ancient  India  to  Indo-Chinese  regions.*' 

CHUANG  YUAN :  ^  Tt).  The  first  on  the  list  at  the 
final  contest  for  admission  to  the  Han-lin  Academy  (q.v.) 
between  candidates  successful  at  the  great  triennial 
examination  for  the  chhi-shih  or  doctor's  degree.  This 
examination  is  called  fe  pf,  because  held  within  the 
palace  at  Peking;  and  the  position  of  a  chuang  yuan  may 
be  compared  with  that  of  a  Senior  Wrangler,  as  being 
the  first  man  of  his  year. 

CHU-JEN :  J^  A — the  raised  man,  A  graduate  of  the 
second  or  master's  degree,  the  examination  for  which  is 
held  triennially  at  all  the  provincial  capitals.  First 
created  under  the  T'ang  dynasty,  during  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  3^^,  A.D.  627—650. 

CHUNAM.  A  Sanscrit  word  meaning  lime.  A  mixture 
of  lime,  oil,  and  sand,  used  in  China  for  paving  yards, 
paths,  racquet-courts,  etc. 

CHUTNEY.  A  Hiudee  word  (chutni),  meaning  a  kind  of 
pickle. 

CHUSAN:  J^  jlf— boat  island.  So  called  because  it  was 
thought  to  resemble  a  boat.  Occupied  by  the  British 
forces  in  1842.  Lies  off  the  mouth  of  the  Ningpo  river. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  I7th  century  the  East  India  Com- 
pany established  a  factory  here,  but  met  with  no  commer- 
cial success,  and  abandoned  it  only  a  few  years  afterwards. 

CLANS  (Chinese) :  j^or^  j^.     Hamlets,  villages,  and 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEEENGE.  47 

sometimes  even  country  towns,  are  inhabited  by  people 

of  one  common  surname  and  ancestry,   forming  a   tribe 

or  clan. 

CLASSICS,  THE.     A  term  which  is  applied  by  foreigners 

to  what  would  be  more  appropriately  called  the  Sacred 

Boohs  of  Cliina.     See  Four  Books  and  Ching, 
CLOISONNE.     The    French    terra    for    enamel  (q.v.) ;  so 

called  because  af  the  cloisons  or  partitions  of  metal  by 
which  the  colours  are  divided. 
COCHIN  CHINA.  (1).  This  country  was,  under  the 
Han  Dynasty,  subject  to  China,  and  constituted  the 
^  i&L  (or  jilt)  ^,  which  name,  as  pronounced  in  Can- 
ton— Kau-chi — seems  to  represent  with  sufficient  accuracy 
the  modern  Cochin.     See  Kiao-ichi. 

(2).   From  Kowchin  j/L  lij,   a  name  for  Annam  and 
Cambodia. 
COCOON:  ^  H.     Has    been   derived   from    the    Latin 
coccurn,  a  berry,  through  the  Italian  coccone  \  but  is  more 
probably  a  derivative  of  the  French  coque,  shell. 

Pierced  cocoo-ns,  or  those  through  which  the  insect  has 
bored  its  way  out,  are  called  §§  ^Q. 
CO-IIONG.     See  Hong  merchants. 

COIR:  >j^.     The   fibre  of  cocoa-nut;   also   prepared  from 
the  bark  of  the  hemp  palm.     Much   used  in  China  for 
ropes,  brooms,  mats,  fly-brushes,  etc. 
COLANSOO.     See  Ku-lang-su. 

COLAO :    ^  y^ — cabinet   elder.     A  Secretary  of   State 
under  the  Ming  dynasty.     Thus  written  by  the  Jesuit 
missionaries. 
COLOUES  :— 

Yellovj :  the  Imperial  colour.  Princes  of  the  blood  have 
yellow  ropes  for  their  sedan  chairs.  (See  Girdle.)  Red'. 
the   official  colour  of   China  under   the   Chou  dynasty. 


48  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

The  emblem  of  joy.  The  colour  of  ordinary  visiting 
cards,  mandarin  seals,  bride's  dress,  bridal  chair,  etc. 
White :  emblem  of  mourning.  "White  hats  and  white 
shoes  are  never  worn  except  as  mourning.  Blue  :  At  the 
death  of  an  Emperor  all  official  seals  are  stamped  in  this 
colour,  and  the  paper  of  scrolls  etc.  on  doorposts  is  also 
changed  to  blue  (or  black  and  white).  The  ordinary 
colour  of  the  chair  {q.v.)  of  a  mandarin  below  a  certain 
rank.  Green:  The  colour  of  the  chair  of  a  mandarin 
above  a  certain  rank.  Light  Brown :  colour  of  visiting 
cards  when  in  mourning.  After  some  time  has  elapsed,  a 
small  piece  of  paper  of  this  colour,  with  the  name  inscribed, 
is  pasted  in  the  middle  of  the  usual  red  card.  Mauve : 
is  used  for  the  seals  of  the  highest  authorities.  Black  :  is 
almost  tabooed,  as  significant  of  evil.  Black  fans  are 
used  only  by  old  people  who  are  supposed  to  be  beyond 
the  reach  of  bad  influences.  Prisoners  under  the  Han 
dynasty  wore  black  clothes.  Official  underlings  are  called 
the  "black  band."  Devils  are  always  depicted  with 
black  faces.  Dragon-boats  {q.v.)  are  of  all  colours  except 
black.  Opium  is  called  ''black  dirt,"  and  "to  be  stained 
black  "  is  to  be  addicted  to  the  pipe. 
COMMANDMENTS,  THE  TEN :  +  ^  (Buddliist). 
1.  Thou  shalt  not  take  life. 


2. 

if 

it 

steal. 

3. 

}} 

11 

commit  adultery. 

4. 

>* 

a 

lie. 

5. 

tf 

it 

drink  wine. 

6. 

it 

11 

recline  on  fine  couches. 

7. 

ti 

a 

wear  flowers  or  ribbons. 

8. 

» 

11 

sing,  dance,  or  witness  plays. 

9. 

It 

11 

wear  jewels. 

10. 

it 

tt 

eat  except  at  fixed  hours. 

A  GLOSSARY  OF  MEFEBENCK  49 

Lay  Euddliists  are,  however,  only  bound  to  observe  the 
first  five  of  the  above ;  the  others  are  for  the  priests. 

COMPASS,  MARINEE'S.  Said  to  have  been  invented 
by  Chou  Kung  (B.C.  1110),  under  the  form  of  a  ''point- 
south-chariot,"  in  order  to  guide  on  their  return-journey 
certain  tribute-bearing  envoys  who  had  come  to  China 
from  Tonquin.  But  there  appears  to  be  no  authentic 
record  of  the  use  of  the  com])ass  as  a  nautical  instrument 
by  the  Chinese  previous  to  the  12th  century  of  our  era. 

COMPOUND.  The  common  term  for  a  walled  enclosure 
such  as  those  in  which  stand  the  dwelling-house  and 
offices  of  foreigners  in  China.  The  etymology  of  this 
word  is  unknown ;  it  is  said,  however,  to  be  a  corruption 
of  the  Portuguese  campania  derived  from  campo'  a  plain. 
Compare  the  Malay  campong. 

COMPR ADORE  :  ^  ^—negotiator  of  purchases.  From 
the  Portuguese  comprar  to  buy.  The  name  given  to  the 
Chinese  agent  through  whose  means  foreign  merchants  in 
China  effect  their  purchases  and  sales.  Chinese  store- 
keepers and  ship-chandlers  are  also  thus  designated.  The 
word  compr adore  is  often   transliterated,  as  follows :  JlC 

COMPRADORE^S  ORDER.  A  draft  payable  by  the 
compradore,  in  whose  hands  a  sum  of  money  is  usually 
placed  to  meet  the  current  expenses  of  a  firm. 

CONFUCIAN  PENCIL :  ^#^.  Stone  columns  and 
small  pagodas  in  the  form  of  the  ordinary  Chinese  writing- 
brush  or  pencil  are  frequently  erected  to  improve  the 
Feng-Shui  {q_.v.)  of  a  locality.  One  of  the  former  kind 
may  be  seen  at  Ningpo ;  the  small  pagodas  of  that  shape 
are  common  all  over  the  south  of  China.  Two  may  be 
seen  close  to  Whampoa. 


60  A  OLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

CONFUCIAN  TEMPLE  :  ^M-  To  be  found  in  every 
Prefecture,  sub-Prefecture,  District,  and  market-town 
throughout  ^the  empire.  In  it  stand  tablets  of  the  Sa^e, 
his  four  evangelists  ^  @E,  twelve  apostles  "J^  ZL  ^, 
and  other  disciples,  besides  numerous  famous  literary  men 
of  all  ages  who  have  contributed  to  a  better  understanding 
of  the  Confucian  doctrines. 

CONFUCIUS  :  ^^-^—K^ung  the  Master.  The  Jesuit 
missionaries  took  the  Chinese  sounds  of  these  three 
characters — Kung  fu  tzu — and  Latinized  them  into  their 
present  form. 

The  great  ethical,  not  religious,  teacher  of  China. 
Flourished  B.C.  551-479.  [For  specimens  of  his  writings 
and  sayings,  see  Spring  and  Autumn  and  Analects.~\ 
Like  many  other  of  the  world's  prophets,  he  was  neglected 
in  life  to  be  honoured  after  death.  Hereditary  rank  was 
bestowed  by  the  Emperor  Kao  Tsu  of  the  Han  dynasty 
(B.C.  200)  upon  his  senior  descendant,  and  the  family 
still  continues  to  enjoy  many  privileges  and  immunities  to 
this  day.  Confucius  was  placed  by  Comte  in  the  second 
rank  of  teachers ;  but  his  name  was  wholly  omitted  from 
G.  A.  Sala's  list  of  the  Hundred  Greatest  Men,  published 
*=^  a  few  years  ago.  The  following  quaint  description  of  a 
man  who  for  centuries  has  influenced  hundreds  of  millions, 
is  given  in  ch.  x  of  the  Analects^  which  makes  it  in- 
cumbent upon  us  to  accept  its  details  as  exact : — 

"  Confucius,  in  his  village  home,  looked  simple  and 
sincere,  as  though  he  had  nothing  to  say  for  himself. 
But  when  in  the  ancestral  temple  or  at  Court,  he  spoke 
minutely,  though  cautiously. 

"  He  did  not  use  deep  purple  or  puce  colour  in  the 
trimmings  of  his  dress.  He  required  his  sleeping-dress 
to  be  half  as  long  again  as  his  body. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BJSFEBENGE.  51 

'^  He  did  not  dislike  to  have  his  rice  finely  cleaned,  nor 
to  have  his  minced  meat  cut  quite  small.  He  did  not  eat 
meat  which  was  not  cut  properly,  nor  Jif  served  without 
its  proper  sauce.  Only  in  wine^  he  laid  down  no  limit, 
but  he  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  confused  by  it.  He 
was  never  without  ginger  when  he  ate.  He  did  not  eat 
much.  When  eating,  he  would  not  talk.  When  in  bed 
he  would  not  speak.  If  his  mat  was  not  straight,  he 
would  not  sit  on  it. 

"  When  he  saw  any  one  in  mourning,  he  would  change 
countenance.  When  he  was  at  an  entertainment  where 
there  was  an  abundance  of  provisions  set  before  him,  he 
would  change  countenance  and  rise  up.  On  a  sudden 
clap  of  thunder,  or  a  violent  wind,  he  would  change 
countenance. '^ 
Hence  the  following  skit,  from  the  pen  of  Bret  Harte : — 

Confucius — His  Habits. — In  walking  the  Master  usually 
put  one  foot  before  the  other ;  when  he  rested  it  was 
generally  on  both  legs. 

If  in  walking  he  came  upon  a  stone,  he  would  kick  it 
out  of  the  way ;  if  it  were  too  heavy  he  would  step  over 
or  around  it. 

Happening  once  to  kick  a  large  stone,  he  changed 
countenance. 

The  Superior  Person  wore  his  clothes  in  the  ordinary 
manner,  never  putting  his  shoes  upon  his  head,  nor  his 
cap  upon  his  feet. 

He  always  kept  the  skirts  of  his  robe,  before  and 
behind,  evenly  adjusted.  He  permitted  not  the  unseemly 
exposure  of  his  undergarment  of  linen  at  any  time. 

When  he  met  his  visitors  he  rushed  towards  them  with 
his  arms  open  like  wings. 


52  A  GLOSSARY  OF  MEFERENGE. 

His  Poetry. — The  following  was  written  in  his  sixty-fifth 
year,  on  leaving  Loo  : 

'  Oh,  I  fain  would  still  look  toward  Loo, 
But  this  Kwei  hill  cuts  off  my  view — 
With  an  axe  I  will  hew 
This  thicket  all  through 
That  obscures  the  clear  prospect  of  Loo.' 

In  later  years  the  following  was  composed  by  his 
■disciple  Shun : 

There  once  was  a  sage  called  Confu — 
Cius,  whose  remarks  were  not  few  :  ' 

.      *  He  said,  'I  will  hew 

j^jf.^fxr-'^'^^^'^        Thisfblasted  hill  through,' 

While  his  friends  remarked  quietly,  'Do.' 

His  Ethics. — The  Master  said,  *One  virtue  goes  a  great 
way.     In   a   jar   of  (chow-chow,    properly   flavored   withj  Aa^^t^uvh*. 
ginger,;  even  a  dead  mouse  is  palatable.' 

On  Wau  asking  him  if  it  were  proper  to  put  dead  mice 
in' chow-chow,  he  replied,  ^It  is  the  custom.' 

When  he  heard  that  Chang  had  beheaded  an  entire 
province,  he  remarked,  '  This  is  carrying  things  to  an 
excess.' 

On  being  asked  his  opinion  of  impalement,  he  replied 
that  *the  end  did  not  justify  the  means.' 

Hop  Kee  asked  himTiow  to  tell  the  superior  man.  The 
Master  replied,  '  How  indeed  ! ' 

The  Duke  Shang  asked  him  one  day,  *What  constitutes 
the  State  ? '     Confucius  replied,  *  The  question  is  asinine/ 

His  Jokes. — One  day  being  handed  a  two-foot  rule^ 
Confucius  opened  it  the  wrong  way,  whereupon  it  broke. 
The  Master  said  quietly,  that  *  it  was  a  poor  rule  that 
wouldn't  work  both  ways.' 

Observing  that  Wan  Sing  was  much  addicted  to  opium, 
the  Master  said ;  '  Filial  regard  is  always  beautlfal/ 
'Why?'  aaked  his  disciple.  'He  loves  his  poppy,'  replied 
the  Master,  changing  countenance. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  63 

/        'Is  that  nankeen?'    asked   the   great  Mencius,    as   he 
carelessly  examined  the  robe  that  enfolded  the   bosom   of 
\      (the   fair   Yau   Sing.     'No/   replied  the  Master,  calmly, 
^       *  that's  Pekin/ 
CONFUCIAN  TEMPLE.     See  Temples. 

CONGEE  i"^  or  ^^.  A  thickened  decoction  made  of 
rice  or  millet  boiled  very  soft.  From  the  Hindee  kdnji 
''rice-gruel.'*     Congee-house  is  sailor  slang  for  "gaol." 

CONGOU :  X  ^—labour.  A  kind  of  tea  ;  said  to  be 
thus  named  from  the  labour  of  preparing  it.  From  the 
Amoy  pronunciation  of  the  above  two  characters. 

CONSOO  HOUSE.  The  public  building  belonging  to  the 
old   hong-merchants    (q.v.)  at  Canton.     From   the   local 

pronunciation  of  -^  WJ  company. 

The  Gonsoo  fund  was  originally  started  to  defray  the 
debts  of  bankrupt  Chinese  hongs  at  Canton,  dealing  with 
foreigners  under  the  old  monopoly  system.  It  was  the 
proceeds  of  a  tax  of  about  3  per  cent,  on  all  foreign 
exports  and  imports. 

CONTRACTS:^  |^.  May  be  written  or  verbal.  In 
the  former  case,  the  contract  should  be  signed  and  sealed 
in  the  presence  of  witnesses.  In  the  latter,  it  is  necessary 
that  bargain-money  should  have  passed  before  the  agree- 
ment can  be  held  to  be  binding. 

COOLIE.  The  menial  of  the  east.  Two  etymologies  have 
been  given  : — (1)  Kholees  or  Kolis,  the  Hindee  name  of  a 
degenerate  race  of  Hajpoots  in  Guzerat.  (2)  A  Tamil 
word  Kuli,  meaning  wages.  A  third  and  more  likely 
etymology  is  the  Turki  word  huli  a  slave.  The  Chinese 
write  the  word  in  various  ways  without  reference  to  its 
meaning;  though  we  have  seen  ^  E^%  '^bitterness/' 
and  ^  lij  "  strength." 


54  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBJENCE, 

COOLIE  CHINESE.  A  term  used  for  'the  distorted 
Chinese  employed  by  compradores,"^ shroffs,  and  servants 
generally,  with  reference   to    their   foreign   masters   and 

mistresses ;  e.g._,  the  use  of  ^K  i  'ino-shih  for  Mr.  instead 

of  the  proper  Chinese  equivalent ;  -^  §§  ping  t'ao 
"  soldier  boss "  for  H.  E.  the  Governor  of  Hongkong ; 
JQC  ^.  Kong-shdii  in  imitation  of  the  word  "Consul'' 
etc.,  etc. 

COOLIE  ORANGE  :  ^.  The  citrus  aurantium  or  com- 
mon orange.  Coolie  here=common,  just  as  mandarin 
(q.v.)  often  signifies  superior  hind  of  anything. 

COPYRIGHT.  Although  no  written  copyright  law  exists 
in  China,  it  is  open  to  an  author  to  prosecute  any  one  who 

publishes  his  works.     Thus,   the  phrase  ^  ^J  iK^^  = 

"  All  rights  reserved,"   is  often  seen  upon   title-pages  of 

the  better  class  of  books. 
COREA.     See  Korea. 
COURT  DIALECT,  THE.     The  dialect  spoken  in  Peking 

and  its  neighbourhood. 
COURT  OF  CONSULS.     A  tribunal   consisting    of   three 

Treaty  Consuls  chosen  annually   by   the  Consular   Body, 

before  which  all  suits   against   the   Shanghai   Municipal 

Council  are  heard  and  determined. 
COYID.     The  Chinese  foot  measure   of   ten   inches=14.1 

inches  English.     [Portuguese  covado,  the  Flemish  ell.] 
COWRY.     A  shell  used  as  money,  200  being  equal  to   one 

ana  or  about  three  half   pence ;    but  the  value   varies  in 

different  localities.     The  word  is  Hindee. 
COXINGA.     See  Koxinga. 
COYAN  or  KOIAN.     Malay  measure  of  40  piculs  (q.v.)= 

about  2  tons. 
CRACKLE :  ^  U^  ^.     A  peculiar  kind  of  chinaware 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  55 

covered  with  innumerable  cracks ;  hence  the  name,  which 
is  the  same  both  in  English  and  Chinese. 

CRIMSON  EYEBROWS.  A  name  given  by  Fan  Chung, 
leader  of  a  baud  of  insurgents  against  the  rule  of  the 
usurper  Wang  Mang  (A.D.  23),  to  his  followers,  who  had 
painted  their  eyebrows  red  in  token  of  their  resolve  to 
fight  to  the  last  drop  of  their  blood. 

CRORE.  Corrupt  form  of  the  Hindee  word  ]cror= 
10,000,000. 

CUDBEAR  :  ^  #.  A  red  dye  prepared  from  a  kind  of 
lichen  found  in  France  and  Sweden,  and  an  article  of 
import  into  China.  The  name  was  invented  by  Dr.  Cuth- 
bert  Gordon,  who  obtained  a  patent  for  this  powder,  in 
order  to  connect  it  inseparably  with  his  own. 

CUE :  ^.  The  tail  of  hair  worn  by  every  Chinaman. 
Introduced  into  China  by  the  present  (Manchu)  dynasty, 
only  about  250  years  ago,  and  long  resisted  by  the  natives 
of  the  Amoy  and  Swatow  districts,  who,  when  finally 
compelled  to  adopt  the  distasteful  fashion,  concealed  the 
badge  of  slavery  beneath  cotton  turbans,  the  use  of  which 
has  survived  to  the  present  day. 

CUMMERBUND.  A  sash  worn  round  the  waist  instead 
of  braces.  From  Tcamar  the  loins,  and  hand  a  fastening. 
[Persian  compound.] 

CUMQUAT :  ^  >j^— golden  orange.  A  kind  of  small 
orange.  The  citrus  madurensis.  Found  in  the  South  of 
China,  and  so-called  in  imitation  of  the  Cantonese  sounds. 
The  Chinese  term  is  used  metaphorically  in  the  sense  of 
darling,  much  as  chou  "cabbage^^  in  French. 

CUMSHAW.  A  present  of  any  kind.  From  the  Amoy 
pronunciation  of  @  g§^ —  grateful  thanks.  Often  used 
by  Chinese  beggars  to  foreigners  in  the   same   sense   as> 


56  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

*^  baksheesh,"  which  word  is  unknown  to  the  phraseology 
of  the_Far  East. 

CUE/IO.  Abbreviation  for  curiosity,  as  applied  to  bronzes, 
netsukes,  specimens  of  old  China,  etc.,  etc.  The  word  is 
now  commonly  used  on  sign-boards  exhibited  outside  the 
shops  of  Chinese  tradesmen  in  this  particular  line  who 
desire  to  attract  foreign  customers. 

"  The  vendor  of  small  and  second-hand  curios,  exposes 
upon  some  door-steps  his  brass  trinkets,  his  vases,  his 
little  snuff  bottles,  and  a  multitude  of  trifling  articles  dif- 
ficult to  guard  from  thieves,  with  no  other  protection  than 
eternal  vigilance."     Bits  of  Chinese  Travel. 

CURRY.  A  corrupted  form  of  the  Hindee  word  karhi,  a 
stew.     Usually  written  Icarich  by  the  French. 

CUSPIDOR.  From  the  Portuguese  cuspir  to  spit.  The 
ornamental  Chinese  vases  used  as  spittoons  are  usually  so 
called. 

CUSTARD  APPLE  :  #  ^  ^f^— the  foreign  lichee.  The 
fruit  of  the  anona  squamosa.  Is  a  native,  according  to  Dr. 
H.  F.  Hance,  of  the  West  Indies  and  of  Brazil ;  but  was 
introduced  into  Asia  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago.  So 
called  because  the  pulp  has  a  white,  custard-like  appearance. 

CUTCH  :  5E*  ^-  -^^  extract  obtained  by  boiling  the  brown 
heartwood  of  the  Acacia  catechu.  So  called  from  the 
Runn  of  Cutch,  near  which  the  tree  grows.  Used  by  the 
Chinese  as  a  dye  and  medicine. 

Otherwise  known  as  Terra  Japonica,  from  the  old 
belief  that  it  was  an  earth. 

CUTCHA.     The  opposite  to  pakha  (q.v.). 

CYCLE,  CHINESE.  Consists  of  60  years,  designated  by 
the  combinations  of  a  set  of  ten  and  a  set  of  twelve 
characters,  taken  two  together  in  order.  Said  to  have 
been  invented  B.C.  2637. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  57 

DABAN.  A  Mongol  word  signifying  mountain  pass ;  e.g., 
Yanghi  Daban. 

DAGOBA  or  DHAGOBA.  From  dhdtu  gopa  "relic 
preserver.'*     See  Stupa. 

DAI-BUTZ  or  DAIBOOTS :  i^f^—gre^t  Buddha. 
Specially  of  the  huge  bronze  idol,  45  feet  in  height,  at 
Kamakura  in  Japan,  the  former  capital  of  the  Tycoons ; 
but  may  be  used  of  any  image  of  Buddha. 

DAIDJI:  |i|  ^.  Japanese  hereditary  nobles  who  claim 
descent  from  the  founder  of  the  Mongol  empire,  or  from 
the  Khans  or  titular  princes  and  dukes  of  the  various 
Mongol  tribes.  May  be  compared  with  the  Chinese 
"Yellow  Girdles." 

DAI  IN  KUN :  is:^^'  The  father  of  the  present 
King  of  Korea.  Three  years  ago  he  became  involved  in 
political  intrigues,  and  was  carried  off  to  China,  but  has 
recently  been  permitted  to  return  to  Korea. 

DAIMIO  :  /^  1^ — great  name.  A  Japanese  feudal  chief 
or  prince.  Now  called  hwazohu  ^p  J^,  the  other  two 
classes  of  Japanese  society  being  the  shizohu  "Jt  J^  ^r 
vassals,  formerly  known  as  samurai,  and  the  hei-min  ^p 
^  or  people,  including  manufacturers,  agriculturalists, 
artisans,  and  citizens  generally. 

DAISAKAN :  i^i  fl.  The  old  term  for  Japanese  Go- 
vernment clerks  of  the  1st  grade  ;  now  changed  to  Itto- 
zoku  ( — ^^H). 

DALADA.  The  left  canine  tooth  of  Buddha,  now  preserved 
at  Kandy,  where  it  was  exhibited  to  the  prince  of  Wales. 

DALAI  LAMA:  jil|Pfl)Si-  One  of  the  two  popes 
of  the  yellow  or  reformed  church  of  the  Lamas.  Resides 
at  Lhassa,  the  capital  of  Tibet.  The  other  is  the  Lama 
Panchhan  Rinbochhi  of  Tashilunpo.     Also  called  Teshu- 


58  A  GL088ABT  OF  EEFEBENCE. 

lama  or  Banclim  erdeni.   Dalai  is  a  Mongol  word  signify- 
ing the  '^  Ocean." 

DAMAR  or  DAMMAR  :  Pfi  R^  yft.  Is  a  kind  of  resin 
dug  out  of  the  forests  by  the  Malay,  and  apparently  the 
fossilized  juices  of  former  growths  of  the  jungle,  probably 
of  palms.  It  is  used  by  the  Malays  for  torches,  and  by 
the  Chinese  for  caulking  boats.  D.  is  the  Malayan  term 
for  resin  generally. 

DANCING-.  Was  not  unknown  to  the  ancient  Chinese, 
though  of  a  character  allied  rather  to  the  minuet  than  to 
the  valse.  May  still  be  seen  upon  the  Chinese  stage. 
For  dancing  in  Japan,see  Fan  Dance  and  Jon-nuke. 

DANDY.  A  name  applied  to  the  two-wheeled  vehicles  of 
Province  Wellesley  in  the  Malay  peninsula.  In  India, 
the  dandy  is  a  hammock  slung  on  a  staff,  in  which  the 
rider  sits  sideways.  Much  used  by  ladies  at  hill-statious. 
From  the  Hindee  dandi  a  staff. 

DEATH-BLOW  TO  CORRUPT  DOCTRINES.  A  scur- 
rilous  and  disgusting  Chinese  pamphlet  published  about 
1870,  and  directed  against  the  propagation  of  Christianity 
in  China.  Translated  into  English  by  Dr.  Nevius  of 
Chef  00. 

DEER^S  HORNS  :  J^^.  Imported  into  China  (exported 
from  Newchwang)  in  large  quantities,  and  used  as  a 
stimulant  medicine,  the  only  explanation  for  which  seems 
to  be  the  quantity  of  ammonia  therein  contained ;  though 
it  is  quite  possible  that  the  sound  of  the  character  for 
deer  (identical  with  that  of  ^  emolument,  and  in  some 
dialects  ^  pleasure,  ease)  and  its  emblematic  meaning 
have  not  been  without  their  influence  upon  a  superstitious 
people. 
DELEGATE  BIBLE.  A  version  of  the  Bible  in  Chinese, 
originally  intended  to  be  the  joint  work  of  Delegates  from 


A  0L0B8AEY  OF  REFERENCE.  69 

the  various  Protestant  missionary  societies  in  China. 
On  this  plan  the  New  Testament  was  completed  in  1850  ; 
but  at  the  9th  ch.  of  Deuteronomy,  there  was  a  split  in 
the  camp,  and  Messrs  Boone  and  Bridgman  retired, 
leaving  the  Old  Testament  to  he  completed  (in  1855)  by 
Messrs  Medhurst,  Stronach,  and  Milne.  The  style  i» 
professedly  high-class ;  but  the  result  is  for  the  most  part 
either  unintelligible  or  obscure. 

DENGUE.  The  Indian  name  of  a  kind  of  fever.  Pro- 
nounced in  various  ways,  but  generally  dengee  with  a 
hard  g.  Has  been  derived  by  some  amateur  philologue 
from  *^  Aden  ague" — Aden  being  the  place  from  which  is 
was  introduced — by  an  elision  of  the  two  a's. 

DEYAS.  Divine  beings,  resident  either  upon  earth  or  in 
one  of  the  six  celestial  worlds  (feminine  devi).  They  are 
of  three  kinds  : — (l)Kamavachera,  or  those  still  under  the 
dominion  of  the  passions.  (2)  Bifpavachera,  a  higher  class, 
though  still  trammelled  with  a  form.  (3)  Ampavachera, 
the  highest  in  degree  of  purification,  devoid  of  form. 

DEVILS :  ^.  Strictly  speaking,  the  disembodied  spirits 
of  dead  people,  but  popularly  applied  to  all  kinds  of 
ghosts,  bogies,  the  denizens  of  the  Chinese  infernal  regions, 
and  last,  though  not  least,  to  foreigners  (see  Fanqui) 
because  of  their  blue  eyes  and  shrill  voices.  Devils  often 
mingle  with  the  living  in  order  to  work  some  mischief ; 
but  they  may  always  be  detected  by  their  want  of  appetite, 
their  dislike  to  the  smell  of  sulphur,  and  the  fact  that 
their  bodies  throw  no  shadow.  Sometimes  they  are  of  a 
milder  disposition,  a  case  being  on  record  in  which  a  devil 
gained  a  literary  degree  for  his  friend  and  benefactor. 
They  too  suffer  death  and  become  ^. 
DHOBY.    The  Hindee  word  [dhohi)  for   a  washerman. 


60  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

TJsed  in  HongkoDg,  but  seldom  heard  in  the  north  of 
China. 

DHYANA.  A  state  of  abstract  meditation,  leading  to  the 
entire  absence  of  any  desire  for  existence. 

DIAGRAMS,  THE  EIGHT:  A  #.  Eight  combina- 
tions or  arrangements  of  a  line  and  a  divided  line,  either 
one  or  other  of  which  is  repeated  twice,  and  in  two  cases 
three  times,  in  the  same  combination.  Thus  there  may- 
be three  lines,  or  three  divided  lines,  a  divided  line  above 
or  below  two  lines,  a  divided  line  between  two  lines,  and 
so  on,  eight  in  all.  These  diagrams  are  said  to  have  been 
invented  two  thousand  years  and  more  B.C.  by  the  mon- 
arch Fuh-hi  who  copied  them  from  the  back  of  a  tortoise. 
He  subsequently  increased  the  above  simple  combinations 
to  sixty-four  double  ones,  on  the  permutations  of  which 
are  based  the  philosophical  speculations  of  the  Book  of 
Changes  {q-v^.  Eich  diagram  represents  some  power  in 
nature,  either  active  or  passive,  such  as  fire,  water, 
thunder,  earth,  etc.,  etc. 

"  Whoever  the  author  of  the  Diagrams  may  have  been, 
"  he  seems  to  have  arrived,  whether  by  inspiration  or  ob- 
''servaion,  inc'uction,  deduct  o  ,  or  whatever  process,  at 
"  the  simple  conclusion  thn!  all  things  visible  are  but  the 
"  phenomena  consequent  n  the  action  of  certain  forces.*' 
Alabaster.  See  Yin  and  Yang.  The  following  are 
specimens  of  these  Diagr  ms  :— ZH  ZTly  etc. 

DICE.  Chinese  dice  are  peculiai-  in  that  the  ace  and  four 
are  invariably  red,  while  tli  other  points  are  black.  That 
the  ace  should  be  thus  marked  is  easily  intelligible,  both 
on  account  of  the  Chinese  fancy  for  a  dab  of  the  auspicious 
colour  on  every  available  object,  and  also  because  the  ace 
is  in  many  cases  the  highest  throw ;  but  it  is  not  generally 
known  why  the  four  should  be  distinguished  in  like  manner 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  61 

■I  ^-«-^ 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest.     One  day  the  Emperor  JCttC 

Hsiian  Tsung  of  the  T'ang  dynasty  was  playing  a  game 
with  his  favourite  concubine  Yang  (^  ^  ^B),  and 
wanted  three  fours  to  win.  As  the  dice  rolled  out,  one 
of  them  settled  down  at  once  shewing  the  desired  number, 
while  the  others  went  on  spinning  round  and  round. 
"  Four  !  four  !  four  !"  cried  out  His  Majesty  much  excited, 
and  the  dice  immediately  settled  in  obedience  to  the  Im- 
perial call.  A  eunuch  standing  by  suggested  that  some- 
thing should  be  done  to  mark  this  extraordinary  event, 
and  orders  were  consequently  issued  that  in  future  the 
four  should  be  coloured  red. 

A  slightly  varying  account  is  given  in  the  JB^  under 
the  heading  pq  JC-  It  is  also  related  in  the  ^^  ^  that 
dice  were  previous  to  the  T^ang  dynasty  made  of  wood, 
and  that  then  the  seeds  of  the  ahrus  precatorius  were 
inserted  into  small  holes,  hollowed  out  for  that  purpose, 
to  mark  the  various  red  points  required. 

DITCHERS.  (1)  Calcutta  Englishmen  are  so  called,  from 
a  fosse  dug  round  the  city  in  1742,  as  a  defence  against 
the  Mahrattas. 

(2)  The  long  narrow  steamers  built  for  the  China  trade 
subsequent  to  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal,  which  is  the 
"ditch." 

DIYORCE :  |1|  §.  A  Chinaman  may  divorce  his  wife 
for  any  one  of  the  following  reasons  : — 

(1)  Barrenness  ;  (2)  Lasciviousness  ;  (3)  Neglect  of  his 
parents;  (4)  Talkativeness;  (5)  Thieving;  (6)  Jealous 
temper  ;  (7)  Loathesome  disease. 

But  not  under  any  one  of  the  following  extenuating 
circumstances : — 

(1)  If  the  wife  has  been  in  mourning  (q.v.)  for  her 


62  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFERENGE. 

husband's  parents ;  (2)  if  the  husband  has  grown  rich 
since  their  marriage  ;  (3)  if  the  wife  has  no  home  to  which 
she  can  go  back. 

DOCTEINE  OF  THE  CHI  (^).  [Before  perusing  the 
following  quotation  from  Mr.  Alabaster's  exposition  of 
this  difficult  subject,  the  reader  is  requested  to  refer  to 
(1)  Diagrams  and  (2)  Yin  and  Yang.]  "To  class 
"  phenomena  was  his  next  thought,  but  ere  he  could  con- 
"  veniently  do  so,  he  needed  now  a  name  not  only  for  his 
"  symbol  but  for  its  parts ;  and  from  the  sound  of  the 
"  wind  which  had  breathed  the  dead  water  before  him 
"  into  life  and  motion,  he  called  the  Initial  Force  Ch'i, 
'*  adding  thereto  the  word  by  which  they  already  express- 
"  ed  grandeur,  T'ai  Ch'i,  the  Great  Breath,  the  life,  the 
^'  soul,  the  spirit  of  the  Living  Universe." 

DOCTRINE  OF  THE  MEAN :  ^  ji"— invariable  me- 
dium. One  of  the  Four  Books,  the  title  of  which  was 
translated  as  above  by  Dr.  Legge.  A  philosophical  work, 
ascribed  to  K^ung  Chi,  otherwise  known  as  Tzu  Ssu,  the 
grandson  of  Confucius.  Traces  the  ruling  motives  of 
human  conduct  from  their  psychological  source.  The 
following  is  a  specimen  : — 

In  archery  we  have  something  like  the  way  of  the 
superior  man.  When  the  archer  misses  the  bull's-eye, 
he  turns  and  seeks  for  the  cause  of  his  failure  in  himself. 

How  abundantly  do  spiritual  beings  display  the  powers 
that  belong  to  them  !  We  look  for  them,  but  do  not  see 
them ;  we  listen  for,  but  do  not  hear  them  ;  yet  they  enter 
into  all  things  and  there  is  nothing  without  them. 

DOKMA.     The  Parsi  burying-ground  or  Tower  of  Silence 

(q.v.). 
DOLLAR.    From  the  German  thaler,  which  word  wsa 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBBNOE.  63 

taken  from  the  name  of  the  place  *^  Joachims-thal/^  where^ 
in  the  15th  century,  the  Counts  of  Schlick  coined  the 
silver  extracted  from  their  mines  into  one-ounce  pieces. 
The  symbol  $  has  been  supposed  to  be  the  monogram  of 
U.S. — United  States  ;  but  others  maintain  that  it  is  an 
imitation  of  the  pillars  and  scroll  on  the  Spanish  Carolus^ 
or  "  pillar ''  dollar  (q.v.), 

DOLON  NOR.  (See  Lama  Miao).  A  famous  place  in 
Mongolia,  so  called  from  the  seven  lakes  (nor)  there.. 

DOMA.     Court-yard  in  a  Japanese  house. 

DOTCHIN  :  M^^tu  ch'eng,  to  weigh.     A  steel-yard. 

DOUBLE  ISLAND.  (See  Swatow.)  The  Chinese  name 
Mah-soo  is  either  ^  lll^  lit,  ''double  island,"  or  ji^  1^ 
from  the  name  of  a  goddess  who  has  a  small  shrine  there. 
Is  called  j^  ^  \U  ''  release-fowl-hill "  in  the  Hist,  of 
Chao-chou  Fu. 

DEAGON :  ifg.  The  Chinese  emblem  of  Imperial  power. 
A  fabulous  monster  whose  habitat  is  in  the  clouds,  by 
which  it  is  concealed  from  view.  The  Imperial  dragon  i& 
distinguished  by  the  addition  of  a  fifth  claw. 

DEAGON  BOATS :  M  M-  The  long  boats  used  for 
racing  at  the  Dragon  Festival. 

DEAGON  FESTIVAL  liZ^oi^^'  A  river  festi- 
val, annually  celebrated  with  boat  racing  on  the  5th  of 
the  5th  moon  in  memory  of  the  poet  and  patriot  Ch'ii; 
P'ing  of  the  4th  cent.  B.C.,  who,  degraded  by  his  prince 
and  disgusted  with  the  world,  drowned  himself  in  the- 
river  ^0  M- 

DEAGON  THEONE :  ft  -fe.  So  called  because  the. 
dragon  is  the  Chinese  emblem  of  Imperial  power. 

DEAMA.     See  Theatre, 

BUBASH.    A  two-tongued  man,  sc.  linguist  (Indian):. 


64  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFBRENGE. 

DUCKS.     See  Bombay  Bucks. 

DUIT.     At  Singapore,  equals  \  cent. 

DUNGANS.  Mahommedan  subjects  of  China  who  in  very- 
early  times  were  colonised,  under  the  name  of  Gao-tchan, 
in  Kansuh  and  Shensi,  and  subsequently  spread  westward 
into  Chinese  Turkestan  and  Jungaria.  Some  however 
maintain  that  the  D.  are  a  distinct  race,  who  in  the  fifth 
and  sixth  centuries  occupied  the  Tian  Shan  range,  with 
their  capital  at  Karashar.  But  Ttmgani  means  in  the 
dialect  of  Chinese  Tartary  ''  converts,"  i.e.  to  Mahom- 
medanism,  to  which  they  were  converted  in  the  time  of 
Timour  by  an  Arabian  adventurer.  "Were  finally  des- 
troyed as  a  people  by  the  Chinese  in  1876. 

DUTCH  WIFE.  A  light  frame,  either  of  rattan  or  lac- 
quered wood,  used  in  bed  as  a  kind  of  leg  and  arm  rest, 
with  a  view  to  coolness,  by  persons  who  sleep  badly  in 
hot  weather.  Those  in  use  among  the  Chinese  are  hollow 
cylindrical  frames  of  bamboo,  and  are  called,  by  a  curious 
coincidence,  YS v^/^  '^bamboo  wives."  Also  mentioned 
^y  1^  ffi  ^  I^^  Kuei-meng,  the  celebrated  poet  of  the 
T'ang  dynasty,  under  the  name  TjT  3^  ^  "  bamboo 
leg  rests." 

Apropos  of  this  entry,  we  may  add  that  a  Chinese 
bed-warmer  is  called  a  ^  y^  /y  or  hot  water  wife, 
being  generally  a  hollow  earthenware  figure,  filled  with 
hot  water  and  used  as  a  hot  bottle  with  us. 

DURIAN  (Burio  ZibethinusJ .  A  fruit  found  in  the  Malay 
Archipelago,  of  about  the  size  of  a  man's  head,  with  a 
thick  rind  containing  a  creamy  pulp  of  a  delicious  flavour 
but  so  horribly  offensive  in  smell  that  few  Europeans  can 
bring  themselves  to  taste  it. 

DYAKS :  M  JS  ^-     More  correctly  Bayaks.    Used  by 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BUFERENCE.  65 

the  Malays  as  a  generic  term  for  all  the  wild  races  of 
Sumatra  and  Celebes,  but  now  especially  of  Borneo,  where 
they  are  most  numerous,  in  which  sense  it  is  equivalent  to 
our  word  "  savages." 
DYNASTIES,  CHINESE. 

Legendary  Rulers        B.C.   2852—2205 
Hsia  dynasty  g    „     2205—1766 

Shang  „       ^    „     1766—1122 

Chou  „       M     y>     1122—255 

Ch'in  „       ^    „      255—206 

Han  „       ill    „      206— A.D.  221 

Minor  dynasties  A.D.    221—    „     618 

T'ang  dynasty  jg   „       618—    „     907 

Five  dynasties         Sffi,,       907—    „     960 
Sung  dynasty  ^    „       960—    „  1260 

Yiian  (Mongol)   „    JC     „    1260—    „  1368 
Ming  „    Ejg     „     1368—    „  1644 

Ch'ing  (Manchu)  „  '^  „  1644— 
DZASSAK  :  iLM^'  The  chiefs  who  rule  the  Mongo- 
lian Banners  (q.v.)  are  so  called.  The  office  is  in  some 
cases  hereditary;  in  others,  conferred  by  Imperial 
appointment. 
EARTH,  TEMPLE  OF :  Wl  ^— altar  of  Earth.  A 
large  enclosure  within  the  walls  of  the  Chinese  or  outer 
portion  of  the  city  of  Peking,  dedicated  to  the  worship  of 
Earth  as  one  of  the  Three  Forces  ^  7l  ,  i.e.  Heaven, 
Earth,  and  Man.  It  is  here  that  the  Emperor,  ploughing 
with  his  own  hand,  annually  turns  the  first  sod  of  the 
year,  desiring  by  his  example  to  glorify  Agriculture,  the 
mainstay  of  the  Chinese  people. 
EAST  INDIA  COMPANY.  First  established  a  factory 
(q.v.)  at  Canton  in  1684.  Monopoly  terminated  1834. 
The  character  ^^  for  ^  ^    company^  as  prefixed  to 


66  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE, 

opium  (^  j^  company  opium)  and  other  goods,  is  a 
survival  of  the  old  days  when  the  name  of  the  celebrate^ 
''Kumpani"  was  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  quality  of  it- 
goods. 

EIGHTEEN  PEOVINCES,  forming  China  Proper. 


1. 

Chihli 

10. 

Hupei 

2. 

Shantung 

11. 

Hunan 

3. 

Shansi 

12. 

Kuangtung 

4. 

Honan 

13. 

Kuangsi 

5. 

Kiangsu 

14. 

Yunnan 

6. 

Anhui 

15. 

Kueichow 

7. 

Kiangsi 

16. 

Szechuen 

8. 

Chekiang 

17. 

Shensi 

9. 

Fukien 

18. 

Kansuh 

To  these  might  now  be  added  Shing-King  (q.v.)  which 
is  virtually  a  nineteenth  province,  its  administration  having 
recently  (1876)  been  changed  from  military  to  civil. 

[For  Chinese  characters,  old  names,  capital  cities  etc., 
see  under  each  heading.] 

The  thirteen  provinces  of  the  Ming  dynasty  may  be 
obtained  from  the  above  table  by  striking  out  Nos.  1,  5,  6, 
and  18,  and  combining  Nos.  10,  and  11,  into  one. 
ELEUTH  MONGOLS :  jg  (or  ^),  §  ^.  Same  as  the 
"  Kalmucks,"  which  is  the  western  name  of  this  division 
of  the  Mongols.  "Eleuth"  or  "  Oelot"  is  probably  from 
Wara  or  Oirad  Jb  W'J;  the  name  of  the  leading  tribe 
known  to  the  Ming  Emperors. 

EMPRESS  DOWAGER :  M^^ist^-  The  mother 
of  the  last  Emperor  T'ung  Chih  {q.v.).  She  was  actually 
only  a  concubine  of  the  Emperor  Hsien  Feng,  but  as 
mother  of  the  Heir  Apparent  who  subsequently  ascended 
the  throne,  she  ranked  with  the  real  Empress  ^  ^  > 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 


67 


and  for  many  years,  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  the  two 
ladies  ruled  China  together. 

EMPEROES   OF  THE  PRESENT  DYNASTY,  KNOWN  AS  THE 
TA  T8ING  (Q.v.)  OR  "GREAT  PURE." 


Style  of  reign. 

Accession. 

Reigned. 

Chinese. 

Shun  Chih 

1644  A.D. 

18       years 

m'^ 

K'ang  Hsi  or  Kang  Hi 

1662      „ 

61 

mm 

Yung  ChSng 

1723      „ 

13 

HIE 

Ch'ien  Lung  or  Kien  Lung 

1736      „ 

60 

M^m 

Chia  Oh'ing  or  Kia  King 

1796      „ 

25 

mi^ 

Tao  Kuang 

1821       „ 

30 

^3fe  ■ 

Hsien  F6ng  or  Hien  Fung 

1851      „ 

11 

mm 

T'ung  Chih 

1862      „ 

13 

mm 

1875      „ 

^m 

Kuang  Hsu- 

ENAMEL :  ^  M  o?"  JjS  ^.  The  English  name  for  that 
kind  of  Chinese  ornamental  ware  which  is  produced  by 
fixing  colours  on  a  copper  basis  by  the  application  of  heat. 
French,  cloisonne  {q.v.).  The  Chinese  term  fa-lang  is 
unquestionably  a  corruption  of  Franh,  through  Feringhi* 
'^  3k  1^>  t^6  name  under  which  the  early  Portuguese 
traders  were  known  to  the  Chinese. 


*  [Now  applied  contemptuously  to  the  Portuguese  by  the  natives 
of  Calcutta.] 


68  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

EPICUEUS  (of  China,  The).  A  name  which  has  heen 
applied,  though  without  the  slightest  justification,  to  Lao 
Tzu  (q,v.). 

ETA.  A  pariah  class  under  the  old  regime  of  Japan, 
whose  disabilities  have  since  been  removed.  Their  busi- 
ness was  with  hides,  dead  animals  etc. 

ETIQUETTE.  (Chinese.)  Never  sit  down  while  your 
visitor  is  standing,  nor  pass  before  him  through  a  door. 
Never  speak  to  an  equal  from  a  chair  or  from  on  horse- 
back, but  dismount;  nor  without  first  removing  your 
spectacles.  Always  place  a  visitor  on  your  left ;  and  in 
handing  anything  to  him,  invariably  use  both  hands. 
When  he  takes  his  leave,  accompany  him  to  the  front 
door. 

Chinese  servants  should  not  (strictly  speaking)  appear 
before  their  masters  in  short  clothes,  nor  without  socks, 
nor  with  shoes  down  at  heel,  nor  with  the  tail  tied  round 
the  head.  They  should  not  loll  about,  but  stand  in  a  re- 
spectful attitude  with  their  hands  down ;  and  on  meeting 
their  employers  in  the  street,  they  should  stand  aside  and 
yield  the  path.  They  should  not  wear  gaudy  clothes,  nor 
blue  socks ;  and  should  be  shaved  regularly  at  short  in- 
tervals. 

Chinese  street  etiquette  is  also  quite  different  from  our 
own,  a  fact  usually  ignored  by  blustering  foreigners  who 
march  through  a  Chinese  town  as  if  the  place  belonged  to 
them,  and  not  unfrequently  complain  that  coolies  and 
others  will  not  "  get  out  of  their  way.'*  There  is,  in  fact, 
a  graduated  scale  of  Chinese  street  rights  in  this  particular 
respect,  to  which,  as  being  recognised  by  the  Chinese 
themselves,  it  would  be  advisable  for  foreigners  to  pay  some 
attention.   In  England  it  has  been  successfully  maintained 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBJENGE.  69 

that  the  roadway  belongs  to  all  equally,  foot-passengers, 
equestrians,  and  carriage-passengers  alike.  Each  is  bound 
to  respect  the  rights  of  the  other,  and  is  responsible  for 
any  accident  arising  froni  disregard  of  this  principle:  Not 
so  in  China;  the  ordinary  foot-passenger  is  bound  to  "get 
out  of  the  way  **  of  the  lowest  coolie  who  is  carrying  a 
load ;  that  same  coolie  must  make  way,  even  at  great 
inconvenience  to  himself,  for  a  sedan-chair ;  an  empty 
chair  yields  the  way  to  a  chair  with  somebody  inside ;  a 
chair,  inasmuch  as  being  more  manageable,  gets  out  of  the 
way  of  a  horse ;  and  horse,  chair,  coolie,  and  foot-pas- 
senger, all  clear  the  road  for  a  wedding  or  other  procession, 
or  for  the  retinue  of  a  mandarin.  Apropos  of  the  custom 
of  getting  out  of  a  chair  or  getting  off  a  horse  on  meeting 
a  friend  who  is  walking,  we  have  omitted  to  state  that  in 
such  cases  it  is  considered  the  duty  of  anyone  on  foot, 
observing  the  approach  of  an  acquaintance  in  a  chair  or 
on  horseback,  to  screen  his  face  with  his  fan  and  prevent 
the  other  from  catching  his  eye,  thus  saving  him  the 
trouble  of  dismounting.  Thus  when  two  high  mandarins 
of  equal  rank,  such  as  a  Viceroy  and  Tartar  G-eneral,  find 
themselves  face  to  face  in  their  chairs,  those  attendants 
among  their  retinues  who  carry  the  enormous  wooden 
fans  rush  forward  and  insert  them  between  the  passing 
chairs,  so  that  their  masters  may  be  presumed  not  to  see 
each  other,  and  consequently  not  be  obliged  to  get  out. 
No  subordinate  can  ever  meet  a  higher  mandarin  in  this 
way  :  the  former  must  turn  down  some  by-street  immedi- 
ately on  hearing  the  approaching  gong  of  his  superior 
ofiicer.  (See  Presents,) 
EUNUCHS  :  'j^  ^.  Are  employed  in  the  Imperial  palace 
at  Peking,  for  the  service  (1)  of  the  Emperor,  who  should 


70  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

have  3,000  in  all ;  (2)  of  princes  and  princesses  of  the  blood, 
sons,  grandsons,  great-grandsons,  and  great-great-grand- 
sons, of  Emperors ;  and  (3)  of  the  descendants  of  the  eight 
Manchu  chiefs  who  assisted  in  the  establishment  of  the 
present  dynasty.  The  use  of  eunuchs  in  China  is  said  to 
date  back  to  B.C.  1100. 

EURASIAN.  The  offspring  of  a  European  father  and  an 
Asiatic  mother.     There  is  a  Eurasian  school  in  Shanghai. 

EYEE,  7ICT0EI0US  ARMY::^|^^.  The  Imperial 
army  which  ultimately,  under  the  leadership  of  Colonel 
Gordon  (otherwise  known  as  "Chinese  Gordon"),  put  an 
end  to  the  Tai-p^ing  (q.v.)  rebellion.  So  named  because 
never  defeated. 

EXPRESS,  AN.  A  public  notification  or  advertisement  of 
any  kind,  generally  printed  and  circulated  by  one  of  the 
printing-offices  in  Shanghai  on  behalf  of  those  concerned. 
In  an  article  on  Old  Expresses  recently  published  in  the 
North-China  Daily  News,  the  writer  says,  "  They  com- 
"  memorate  occurrences  that  were  important  at  the  time 
"to  somebody,  and  they  contain  the  names  of  many 
*' persons  who  have  passed  away."     See  Bunder. 

EXTRA-TERRITORIALITY.  The  exemption  of  for- 
eigners residing  in  China  and  Japan  from  trial  and 
punishment  according  to  the  laws  of  these  countries. 

"  British  subjects  who  may  commit  any  crime  in  China, 
'^  shall  be  tried  and  punished  by  the  Consul,  or  other 
''  public  functionary  authorized  thereto,  according  to  the 
*'  laws  of  Great  Britain."    Treaty  of  Tientsin :  Art.  XYI. 

"  What  tome  or  treatise  can  explain 
Thy  individuality?" 

"  I  spring  from  Treaties,"  wliispered  back 
Exterritoriality. 

This  word  is  often  written  ex-territorial ;  but  from  the 
sense  it  is  clearly  a  similar  compound  to  extra-parochial. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  71 

extra-provincial,  and  such  words,  and  should  be  spelt 
accordingly. 

FA  HSIEN.  A  Chinese  Buddhist  priest,  who  in  the  year 
399  A.I),  travelled  from  China  to  India  overland.  He 
visited  Patna,  Benares,  Buddha-Graya,  and  other  famous 
spots ;  obtaining  copies  of  some  of  the  sacred  books  of 
Buddhism,  and  returning  to  China  by  sea,  via  Ceylon  and 
Sumatra,  in  the  year  417  A.D. 

FACTOEIES,  THE.  So  called  from  their  being  the  re- 
sidence oi  factors,  or  agents  of  the  East  India  Company, 
and  not  because  anything  was  manufactured  there.  The 
former  residences  of  foreigners  in  the  western  suburbs  of 
Canton,  to  which  they  were  strictly  confined.  '^The 
"  factories  were  a  series  of  13  hongs  {q.v.).  They  were 
"  placed  side  by  side  of  each  other,  forming  as  it  were  a 
*'  row  or  terrace  fronting  the  river,  but  each  Hong  con- 
"  sisted  of  a  series  of  buildings  placed  one  behind  the 
"  other  from  the  river  backwards,  for  a  depth  of  from  550 
*'  to  600  feet  to  the  first  street  running  parallel  with  the 
''  river."     8.  W.  Williams. 

FAI  TEE  :  '^t  |^— make  haste !  [Cantonese.] 

FAI-T*ING :  '^  H— fast  boat.  A  small  passenger  boat 
in  use  at  Canton. 

FA-KEE  or  FA-KI :  ^  ]^— the  flowery  flag.  A  com- 
mon Chinese  name  for  the  United  States,  alluding  to  the 
^'  stars  and  stripes  "  of  the  national  standard. 

FAN  DANCE  (of  Japan).  The  dancer,  a  girl  of  about 
thirteen,  is  elaborately  dressed  as  a  page.  Confined  by 
the  closely-folded  robe,  the  feet  and  legs  are  not  much 
used,  the  feet,  indeed,  never  leaving  the  ground.  Time 
is  marked  by  undulations  of  the  body,  waving  the  arms, 
and  deft  manipulation  of  a  fan.     One  movement  succeeds 


72  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

another  by  transitions  singularly  graceful,  the  arms 
describing  innumerable  curves,  and  the  fan  so  skilfully 
handled  as  to  seem  instinct  with  a  life  and  liberty  of 
its  own. 

FANG  TAN  :  >y*  ^—square  document.  Local  Shanghai 
term  for  a  title-deed  to  land,  issued  in  lieu  of  original 
deeds  which  may  have  been  lost.  Properly  a  ^^pB-lpL, 
and  called  fang  tan  (1)  because  the  character  pj  is 
square,  or  (2)  because  it  is  sealed  with  a  square  seal,  or 
(3)  because  the  document  itself  is  square. 

FANQUI  or  FAN  KUEI-TZU :  #  ^—foreign  devils, 
i.e.,  foreigners.  An  absurd  attempt  was  once  made  to 
shew  that  the  epithet  "  devils ''  was  applied  to  foreigners 
more  as  a  "  term  of  endearment  "  than  anything  else,  on 
the  ground  that  the  Chinese^have  good  devils  as  well  as 
bad  in  their  unseen  universe,  and  that  there  is  no  reason 
to  believe  they  necessarily  connect  us  with  the  latter. 
Mr.  Ng  Choy,  the  well-known  barrister,  thinks  that  the 
term  fan-qui  has  now  lost  much  of  its  insulting  signifi- 
cance, and  that  the  common  word  fan  (see  Barbarians)  is 
used  by  the  Chinese  without  the  slightest  reference  to  its 
original  meaning ;  but  although  there  may  be  much  truth 
in  his  latter  proposition,  it  is  none  the  less  desirable  that 
both  these  expressions  should  disappear.  The  same  gen- 
tleman informed  us  that  the  Cantonese  slang  term  for 
missionaries  is  Yeh-soo  hwai,  "  Jesus  devils."  Pidgin- 
English-speaking  Chinese  have  mixed  up  fan  with  our 
word  foreign,  in  which  sense  it  is  often  used  in  conver- 
sation. 

The  following  story,  bearing  out  the  view  that  the  Chi- 
nese often  term  us  '^  devils  "  without  reference  to  the 
meaning  of  the  word,  was  vouched  for  by  Mr.  Mopgan,  H. 
M.  Consul  at  Tientsin.     Shortly  after  the  opening  of  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  73 

Tientsin  Consulate,  a  Chinaman  presented  himself  before 
Mr.  MoDgan  with  a  present  of  some  kind^  which  he  said 
he  had  brought  from  his  home,  several  hundred  li  distant, 
in  obedience  to  the  command  of  his  dying  father  who  had 
formerly  been  cured  of  ophthalmia  by  a  foreign  doctor  at 
Canton,  and  who  had  told  him,  upon  his  death-bed, 
*^  never  to  forget  the  English."  Yet  this  present  was  ad- 
dressed toi^^^^^^is:  A—"  To  His  ex- 
cellency the  Great  'English  Devil,  Mongan.'^  See  Devils. 
FANS :  ^  -f*  Are  used  by  the  Chinese,  men  and  wo- 
men alike,  from  the  highest  officials  down  to  the  lowest 
coolie,  and  even  by  the  very  soldiers  in  the  ranks.  Dif- 
ferent kinds  are  used  at  different  seasons  by  all  who  can 
afford  to  pay  for  this  form  of  luxury ;  and  it  is  considered 
ridiculous  to  be  seen  with  a  fan  either  too  early  or  too 
late  in  the  year.  They  are  made  to  serve  the  same  pur- 
pose as  an  album  among  friends  of  a  literary  turn,  who 
paint  flowers  upon  them  for  each  other  and  inscribe  verses 
in  what  is  sometimes  called  the  "  fan  language."  They 
are  also  used  to  circulate  the  news  of  any  important  event 
among  the  people  at  large ;  e.g.,  the  Tientsin  Massacre, 
the  brutalities  of  which  were  depicted  in  glowing  colours 
upon  cheap  paper  fans  and  sold  in  large  quantities  until 
prohibited  by  the  officials.  At  Canton,  and  probably 
elsewhere,  fans  may  be  purchased  having  on  one  side  a 
plan  of  the  city  with  the  names  of  the  principal  streets, 
temples,  yamens,  etc.,  printed  in  small  Chinese  characters. 
Mr.  Stent  published  the  Index  to  his  vocabulary  on  pho- 
tographed slips  pasted  on  to  the  frame  of  a  common  fan. 
Others  are  sold  which  are  fans  only  in  form,  being  really 
sheaths  for  daggers,  as  carried  by  street  rowdies  etc.  A 
deserted  wife  is  spoken  of  metaphorically  as  ''  an  autumn 
fan,"  I^X^  M'     See  Umbrella j  Bed,  and  Etiquette. 


74  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENCE. 

FAN-T'AI :  ^^.  A  high  provincial  authority  in  China, 
known  to  foreigners  as  the  Commissioner  of  Finance  or 
Provincial  Treasurer.  Is  charged  with  the  fiscal  or 
financial  administration  of  a  province.  Controls,  as  head 
of  the  civil  service,  the  nomination  to^  and  distribution 
oi,  nearly  all  the  minor  appointments  therein,  subject 
always  to  the  approval  of  the  Fu-t'ai  or  Governor. 

FANTAN :  #  H.  The  celebrated  method  of  gambling 
with  cash  (q-v.),  common  in  China.  A  pile  of  the  coin  is 
covered  with  a  bowl,  and  the  players  stake  on  what  the 
remainder  will  be  when  the  heap  has  been  divided  by  4 — 
namely  1,  2,  3,  nothing.  The  croupier  then  counts  the 
whole  rapidly  out,  deducting  eight  per  cent  from  the 
winnings  of  each  player  for  the  good  of  the  house.  Fan 
here  means  "  number  of  times,'*  and  fan  "  to  apportion," 
in  allusion  to  the  payment  of  stakes  so  many  times  the 
original  amount  according  to  circumstances. 

FAR  EAST.  Ft.  L'Extreme-Orient.  A  term  which  in- 
cludes China^  Japan,  the  Philippines,  the  Malay  peninsula 
Siam,  etc. 

FA  TI :  ^  ii!l — flower  grounds.  The  well-known  Chinese 
gardens  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  to  the  city  of 
Canton  are  so  called. 

FAYOURED- NATION  CLAUSE.  The  article  in  a 
Treaty — e.g.,  the  Treaty  concluded  at  Tientsin,  1858, 
between  the  British  and  Chinese  Governments — by  which 
it  is  stipulated  that  "the  British  Government  and  its 
"subjects  will  be  allowed  free  and  equal  participation  in 
"  all  privileges,  immunities,  and  advantages  that  may  have 
"been,  or  may  be. hereafter,  granted  by  His  Majesty  the 
"Emperor  of  China  to  the  Government  or  Subjects  of  any 
other  nation."     Art.  LIV. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BBFEEENGE.  75 

.The    terra    originated   from   the    frequent    occurrence 
in  such  clauses  of  the  actual  words  ^'  favoured  nation." 
See  Treaty  between  Eussia  and  China,  English  version 
Art.  XII. 

PAWCETT  CASE,  THE.  In  the  summer  of  1874,  while 
the  new  light-house  was  in  course  of  erection  on  the 
Shantung  promontory,  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood, 
who  had  frequently  shown  themselves  opposed  to  the 
building  on  the  score  of  Feng-shui  (q.v.),  attacked  a  party 
of  Ningpo  coolies  who  were  employed  there  as  masons. 
The  engineer  in  charge,  named  Fawcett,  ran  up  to  the 
scene  of  action  with  a  loaded  revolver,  which  went  off  in 
the  scuffle  and  killed  a  Chinaman.  Fawcett  was  then 
seized  and  put  in  chains  (contrary  to  Treaty)  at  the 
Magistrate's  yamen,  being  subsequently  handed  over  to 
H.  M.  Consul  at  Chefoo,  who  dismissed  the  case  for 
want  of  evidence.  Fawcett  then  left  for  Shanghai  and 
Japan,  where  he  was  afterwards  arrested  on  a  warrant 
issued  by  Sir  E.  Hornby,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  brought  back  to  Chefoo  for  trial.  The  jury,  how- 
ever, were  unanimous  in  their  verdict  of  "  not  guilty,^'  and 
Fawcett  was  discharged.  One  curious  feature  of  the  case 
was  that  the  Chinese  authorities  never  volunteered  to 
produce  the  body,  though  without  this  important  adjunct 
no  charge  of  murder  can,  according  to  Chinese  law,  be  for 
a  moment  entertained ;  and  it  was  gravely  suspected  that 
the  man  whom  Fawcett  had  shot  was  nothing  more  than 
severely  wounded.  [Since  this  was  written,  the  dead 
man  has  actually  been  seen  alive  again.] 

FEAST  OF  LANTERNS  :  jl^  #.  Held  annually  on  the 
15th  of  the  first  Chinese  moon,  i.e.,  at  the  first  full  moon 
of  the  year,  when  coloured  lanterns  are  hung  at  every 


76  A  GLOSSAEY  OF  BEFERENCE. 

door.  Originally  a  ceremonial  worship  in  the  temple  of 
the  First  Cause,  dating  from  about  the  time  of  the  Han 
dynasty.  The  mid-autumn  festival  of  the  15th  of  the 
8th  moon  is  sometimes  so  called  by  foreigners. 

No  respectable  Chinaman  is  ever  seen  out  after  dark 
without  a  lantern. 

FENG-HUAXa  or  FUNG-HWANG :  Jl  M-  A  fabu- 
lous bird  of  good  omen.  Said  to  appear  in  times  of 
national  prosperity.     Generally  translated  by  phoenix. 

FENG-SHUI    or  FUNG-SHWUY:   jIL  :;1<;— wind    and 

water,  or  that  which  cannot  be  seen,  and  that  which 
cannot  be  grasped.  The  great  geomantic  system  of  the 
Chinese,  by  the  science  of  which  it  is  possible  to  determine 
the  desirability  of  sites  whether  of  tombs,  houses,  or  cities, 
from  the  configuration  of  such  natural  objects  as  rivers, 
trees,  and  hills,  and  to  foretell  with  certainty  the  fortunes 
of  any  family,  community,  or  individual,  according  to  the 
spot  selected ;  by  the  art  of  which  it  is  in  the  power  of 
the  geomancer  to  counteract  evil  influences  by  good  ones, 
to  transform  straight  and  noxious  outlines  into  undulating 
and  propitious  curves,  rescue  whole  districts  from  the 
devastations  of  flood  or  pestilence,  and  "scatter  plenty 
o'er  a  smiling  land"  which  might  otherwise  have  known 
the  blight  of  poverty  and  the  pangs  of  want. 

For  many  years  the  Chinese  urged  that  the  introduc- 
tion of  railways  and  telegraph  poles  would  seriously  injure 
the  Feng-shui  or  prosperity  of  the  districts  through  which 
they  might  be  carried ;  but  this  view  is  gradually  melting 
away,  even  in  the  eyes  of  the  most  bigoted  of  Chinese 
statesmen,  "  into  the  infinite  azure  of  the  past." 

As  one  example  among  many,  we  may  state  that  the 
roofs  of  adjoining  houses  are  never  built  on  the  same  level. 


A  glossahy  of  reference.  77 

Hence  the  Feng-shui  of  Oxford  Street  would  in  tins  re- 
spect be  considered  good ;  that  of  most  Parisian  thorough- 
fares, bad. 

Houses  and  graves  face  the  south,  because  the  annual 
animation  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  with  the  approach  of 
summer  comes  from  that  quarter ;  the  deadly  influences 
of  winter  from  the  north. 

FERINGHEES.  Franks.  Epithet  first  applied  by  the 
Chinese  to  the  early  Portuguese  traders.     See  Enamel. 

FESTIVALS,  CHINESE.  See  Moon.  The  more  im- 
portant  of  these  are 

(1)  New  Year's  Day,   when   all   business   is    absolutely 

suspended. 

(2)  Feast  of  Lanterns  {q-v.),  15th  day  of  1st  moon. 

(3)  Festival  of  Ancestral  Worship  {q.v.),  19th  of  2nd  moon. 

(4)  Festival  of  Dragon  Boats  {q.v.)y  5th  of  5th  moon. 

(5)  Festival  of  Mid- Autumn,  15th  of  8th  moon.      [moon. 

(6)  Festival  of  All  Souls  (in  Purgatory),  1st  to  9th  of  10th 

FIGr,  CHINA.  The  persimmon  {q.v.),  is  so  called  ;  but  the 
Chinese  grow  real  figs,  which  they  call  ™  ^  ^  or  the 
"flowerless  fruit." 

FI-HI :  '^  ^ — fast  crabs.  A  class  of  war-junk  is  so 
called. 

FIRE-CEACKERS.  Are  employed  by  the  Chinese  at  all 
kinds  of  ceremonies,  religious  and  otherwise,  the  idea 
being  to  frighten  away  devils  and  malicious  spirits. 

FIRST  EMPEROR:  ^  M  ^.  Reigned  over  China 
B.C.  221-209.  Attempted  to  make  history  begin  with 
himself,  and  accordingly  gave  orders  for  the  destruction 
of  all  literature.  See  Burning  of  the  Boohs.  Built  the 
Great  Wall. 


78  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENCE. 

FISHES,  TWO.  Often  seen  on  Chinese  envelopes,  from 
an  old  story  of  a  letter  having  once  been  conveyed  in  a 
fish's  belly.  Also,  as  a  fanciful  shop-sign  to  aid  customers 
in  finding  the  house  they  want,  when  two  tradesmen  in 
the  same  line  and  of  the  same  name  happen  to  carry  on 
their  business  in  adjoining  houses.  Huge  gilt  cash  and 
other  ornamental  designs  are  often  suspended  outside 
shop  doors  with  the  same  object. 

riSHINa  CORMORANT :  ^  |||.  Found  in  many  parts 
of  China  and  taught  to  catch  fish,  at  first  with  a  ring 
round  the  neck  to  prevent  it  from  swallowing  the  quarry. 
Also  called  4%  ^  the  hlach  devil,  and  $\1  "^  MP  c^ich 
fish  gentleman,  the  latter  term  being  a  borrowed  name  of 
the  kingfisher. 

FIVE  CLASSICS,  THE.     See  Ching. 

FIYE  RELATIONSHIPS.     See  Sacred  Edict. 

FIVE  HUNDRED  GENII.  The  Five  Hundred  Lohan 
(q.v.)  are  so  called. 

FLOWER-BOAT  :  ^  U.  A  large  ornamental  barge, 
used  by  the  jeunesse  doree  of  China  for  drinking  bouts, 
picnics,  suppers,  etc.  In  some  districts  these  boats  are 
painted  blue. 

FLOWERY  LAND,  THE  :  H  ^.  A  common  Chinese 
name  for  China,  similar  to  la  belle  France,  and  not 
necessarily  implying  the  presence  of  flowers. 

FO  or  FOH :  #  or  fg.  See  Characters.  The  first  of  the 
Chinese  characters  employed  to  represent  the  sound 
Buddha,  (q.v.)  Now  universally  used  in  China  for  the 
whole  word. 

A  resemblance  has  been  pointed  out  in  the  composition 
of  ^  to  the  monogram  of  the  letters.  I.  H.  S.,  which  are 
vulgarly  supposed  to  stand  for  Jesus  Hominum  Salvator, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  79 

wliereas  they  are  really  nothing  more  than  the  ftHreeVfirsfcy 
letters  of  the  Greek  name  'IH20Y2— Jesus.  This  faint 
similarity  is  of  course  beneath  notice,  and  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  startling  resemblances  between  the  instru- 
mental and  other  parts  of  the  Buddhist  and  Roman- 
Catholic  religions.  Among  the  most  striking  points  may 
be  cited  the  use  of  candles,  flowers,  vestments,  beads, 
holy  water,  relics,  and  masses  for  the  souls  in  Purgatory ; 
not  to  mention  celibacy,  fasting,  the  shaven  heads  of  the 
priests,  the  robe  folded  over  the  breast  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  the  immaculate  conception  of  Maya  )J  ^  the 
mother  of  Buddha,  etc.,  etc. 

FOKIEJN"  or  FUHKIEN:  fl  ^—happily  established. 
One  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces;  capital  city  Fu-chou  Fu 
IBS  jf\]  )fj  on  the  Min  ^,  which  latter  character  is  also 
the  old  name  of  the  province. 

FOEBIDDEN  CITY,  THE :  M  M  or  ft  'g'.  The 
inner  area  of  the  Tartar  section  of  Peking,  upon  which 
stands  the  Imperial  palace,  is  so  called  by  foreigners, 
being  a  translation  of  the  first  Chinese  phrase  given  above. 
Also  known  as  ^  ^  ^^  the  Purple  Forbidden  City. 

FORBIDDEN  LAND,  THE.  A  name  formerly  applied' 
to  Korea  (q.v.). 

FOREIGN  DIRT.  A  name  for  opium  (q.v.)  borrowed! 
from  the  Chinese  use  of  the  word  31  earth. 

FOREST  OF  PENCILS.     The  Han-lin  (q.v.). 

FORMOSA.  ^'Beautiful."  The  Portuguese  name  for  the- 
island  of  Taiwan  (q.v.).  Partly  occupied  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  by  the  Dutch  ;  now,  by  savages  5E  ^^ 
on  the  hills  in  the  interior,  by  Chinese  along  the  western 
seaboard,  and  by  Pepo-hwans  (q.v.)  between  the  other  two* 


80  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 


FOUR  BOOKS:    ^ 


1. — The  Great  Learning.  "^ 

2. — The  Doctrine  of  the  Mea 
3. — The  Confucian  Analects. 


2. — The  Doctrine  of  the  Mean.     {  g 


4. — The  Works  of  Mencius.        J 
The  first  portion  of  the  Chinese  student's  curriculunij 

from  which  are  invariably  taken  the  themes  set  at  the 

examination  for  the  degree  of  hsiu-ts'ai  {q-v.)  or  bachelor 

of  arts. 
FOURNIER,     See  Li-Fournier, 
FOUR  SEAS,   THE :  ^  y$.     The   seas  by   which   the 

Chinese  believe  that  the  Middle  Kingdom  {q.v.)  is  bounded. 

Now  often  used  for  the  whole  world  ;  e.g. — ''  all  within 

the  Four  Seas  are  brothers." 
FOUR  WONDERFUL  WORKS  :     ]J^i^=^^. 

(1)  m  H  ^>  i^.  ^"j  Four  novels  which 

(2)  BS  ®  mE  yare   held    in    high 

(3)  ^  0L  ^  I  estimation   by    the 

(4)  'li^mm     J '''""'• 

FOXES.  Are  regarded  as  uncanny  creatures  by  the 
Chinese,  able  to  assume  human  shapes  and  work  endless 
mischief  (chiefly  in  love  affairs)  upon  those  who  may  be 
unfortunate  enough  to  fall  under  their  spell.  In  some 
parts  of  China,  it  is  customary  for  mandarins  to  keep 
their  seals  of  office  in  what  is  called  a  *'fox  chamber"; 
but  the  character  for  fox  is  never  written,  the  sight  of  it 
being  supposed  to  be  very  irritating  to  the  live  animal. 
A  character  ^3,  which  has  the  same  sound,  is  substited  ; 
and  even  that  is  divided  into  its  component  parts  "^  and 
^,  so  as  to  avoid  even  the  slightest  risk  of  offence.  This 
device  is  often  adopted  for  the  inscriptions  on  shrines 
erected  in  honour  of  the  fox. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGK  81 

FREEMASONRY,  as  we  understand  the  term,  is  unknown 
in  China.  Secret  Societies  (q.v.)  abound,  and  some  of 
them  (see  Triad  Society)  practise  rites  of  initiation  and 
administer  oaths  similar  in  character  to  those  which 
constitute  the  ritual  of  western  masonry. 

FRIEND  OF  CHINA.  The  bamboo  (q.v.).  This  term  has 
been  adopted,  with  less  justice,  for  their  journal,  by  the 
Society  for  the  suppression  of  the  opium  trade  in  China. 

FU  or  FUH :  ]{§ —  happiness.  Constantly  seen  on  door- 
posts, vases,  etc.  The  Chinese  have  a  hundred  fanciful 
ways  of  writing  both  this  and  the  character  for  Show  (q.v.) 
old  age.  Another  common  character  of  this  kind  is  S  hsi 
joy,  which  often  occurs  on  tea-pots,  cuspidors,  etc.,  in  a 
duplicated  form,  thus  ^. 

FUKEY  or  FOKEE  :  Native  Chinese  as  opposed  to  foreign. 
From  the  Cantonese  pronunciation  of  ^  gj  a  partner 
and  even  a  friend.     Anglice,  mate. 

British  sentry,  during  occupation  of  Canton,  to  passing 
Celestial ; — 

Q.  Who  goes  there  ? 
A.  Fukey — (a  friend). 
Chinese  dogs  are  usually  called  fuhey-dogs,  and  for- 
eigners may  bo  not  unfrequently  heard  to  designate  a 
Chinaman  as  a  "  dirty  fukey." 

FUN  or  FEN :  ^— a  share.  The  100th  part  of  a  Chinese 
ounce  of  silver.     A  candareen. 

FUNERALS.  At  death,  the  Chinese  close  the  eyes  of  the 
corpse,  put  a  little  rice  and  money  in  its  mouth,  cover  the 
face  with  a  napkin,  clench  the  two  fists,  remove  all 
curtains  (as  likely  to  retard  the  passage  of  the  spirit),  and 
then  keep  watch  round  it  all  night.  On  the  second  day 
the  body  is  washed,  and  dressed  in  warm  clothes  lined* 
with  red  (see  Colours),  the  head  and  face  being  entirely 


82  A  GLOSSAEl  OF  BEFERENGE. 

concealed.  -Priests  are  hired,  and  they  hegin  their  duties 
hy  "  warming  the  coffin"  with  small  hand-stoves,  after 
which  the  body  is  carefully  deposited  therein.  The  family 
tailor  then  steps  forward,  and  with  a  pair  of  scissors 
rapidly  cuts  away  an  oval  of  cloth  so  as  to  expose  the 
face  to  view.  The  family  crowd  round  to  take  a  last  look, 
and  the  lid  is  fastened  down.  A  curtain  is  hung  up  in 
front  of  the  coffin,  and  friends  are  admitted  to  Kotow 
(q.v.)  to  the  spirit  of  the  dead. 

Sometimes  the  coffin  remains  for  months,  and  even 
years,  in  the  house,  before  a  burial-ground  can  be  obtained 
or  an  auspicious  day  arranged  for  the  funeral.  Some- 
times it  is  deposited  on  the  premises  of  the  Guild  (q.v.) 
to  which  deceased  belonged,  or  in  a  neighbouring  temple ; 
until,  preceded  by  a  tablet  carried  in  a  sedan-chair,  to 
represent  the  spirit  of  the  deceased,  and  accompanied  by 
a  train  of  mourners  in  coarse  ashen-coloured  garments,  it 
is  gently  carried  to  its  final  place  of  interment. 

rUSAN  or  PUSAN.  ^  UJ  A  port  in  Korea  opened  by 
the  Treaty  of  26th  November  1883. 

FUSANG :  ^^or"^  ^.  A  country  named  after  a 
plant  so  called  which  was  seen  growing  there,  and  is  said, 
but  without  foundation,  to  be  the  Mexican  aloe.  Identi- 
fied by  Klaproth  with  Saghalien ;  by  Leland,  with  part  of 
the  American  continent;  and  by  others,  with  Japan. 
Visited  by  a  Chinese  Buddhist  priest  in  the  5th  century, 
to  whom,  were  Leland's  view  correct,  would  be  due  the 
honour  of     if    iscovery  of  America. 

FU  lYAATA :  (1)  #  ^W  lU-the  incomparable  hill ;  (2) 
^  "i^  ill — learned  scholar^s  hill.  The  celebrated  moun- 
tain— an  extinct  volcano — of  Japan.  Is  about  12,600 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  is  composed  chiefly  of 
cinders   which   swarm   with  myriads    of   sm^ll    iugects. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  83 

Lady  Parkes  was  tlie  first  European  lady  who  ever 
reached  its  summit.  Last  eruption  took  place  in  1707^ 
The  following  is  an  imitation  of  a  Japanese  ode  in  which 
the  word  is  introduced  as  a  pun. 

Now  hid  from  sight  are  great  Mt.  Fasi's  fires — 
Mt.  Fusi,  said  I  ?  'Tis  myself,  I  mean  ! 
For  the  word  Fusi  signifies,  I  ween, 
Few  see  the  constant  flame  of  my  desires, 

B.  H.  Chamberlain. 

FUSUMA.  Japanese  sliding  screen,  covered  with  wall 
paper. 

FUTAI  or  FOO-YUEN :  S  o  or  IS  |^  the  tranquilliser. 
Governor  of  a  province.  Ranks  with  the  Grovernor- 
General  or  Viceroy,  and  exercises  much  the  same  functions 
in  a  slightly  inferior  degree ;  but  in  provinces  where  there 
is  no  Yiceroy,  wields  the  supreme  power. 

GALANGAL:  ^5 — "Liang"  ginger,  or  ginger  from 
1^  5.  nW  Kao-liang  Fu,  which  is  the  old  name  of  the 
modern  j^  f\]  )^  Kao-chou  Fu  in  the  province  of 
Kuang-tung.  The  word  Galangal  is  probably  a  corrup- 
tion of  Kao-Uang-hiang  or  Kao-liang  ginger. 

GALAW :  n§  1^  A  meaningless  term  peculiar  to  the 
Cantonese  dialect,  employed  to  finish  off  a  sentence 
euphoniously,  at  the  same  time  adding  an  indefinable 
something  to  the  force  of  the  words  spoken.  May  be 
compared,  in  some  respects,  with  the  French  allez ;  e.g:> 
"  Je  me  moque  pas  mal  de  lui,  allez  V^  Has  been  intro- 
duced into  pidgin-English ;  e.g.  "  You  too  muchee  saucy, 
galaw !" 

GARDEN  OF  ASIA.  A  name  given  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
three  cities  of  Kashgar,  Yangy  Hissar,  and  Yarkand,, 
from  the  great  fertility  of  that  region,  which  was  artifi- 
cially induced  by  the  admirable  irrigation  system  of  the 
Chinese  settlers. 


84  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFBRENOE. 

GARDEN  OF  CHINA.  The  province  of  Shansi  has  been 
so  called.  So  also  the  province  of  Ssu-ch'uan ;  see 
Shanghai  Mercury,  14  November  1884. 

GAUTAMA :  ^  ^  0  or  fl  ft.  From  gdu  earth 
and  tama  most  victorious.  The  sacerdotal  name  of  the 
Shakya  family  (q.v.),  that  family  being  said  to  be  the 
most  victorious  on  earth. 

GEISHA :  ^  *•     -^  Japanese  singing  or  dancing-girl. 

GENGHIS  KHAN— the  "greatest"  Khan.  Written 
)&  ^  .©  fP  i^  the  M  M.  M^.  Also  known  as 
Temujin  ^  ]^  ^  or  ^^  ^  J^.  The  great  Mongol 
conqueror  of  China.     A.D.  1162—1227. 

GHAHRY.  A  kind  of  four-wheeled  carriage  in  use  at 
Singapore.     From  the  Indian  ghdri. 

GENSAN  or  WONSAN :  TC  Uj-  A  port  in  Korea  opened 
to  foreign  trade  by  the  Treaty  of  26th  November  1883. 

GIALBOS :  ^  g  .  The  descendants  of  the  ancient  kings 
of  Tibet,  who  ruled  that  country  before  the  Lamas  (q.v.) 
began  to  usurp  temporal  power. 

GINGALL  or  GINJAL.    See  Jingall. 

GINSENG :  A.  ^— image  of  man.  A  plant  f Panax 
repensj  found  in  Manchuria,  Korea,  America,  and  else- 
where, the  root  of  which  is  believed  to  resemble  the 
human  body  in  shape.  It  is  much  valued  by  the  Chinese 
as  a  strengthening  medicine,  and  the  Emperor,  to  whom 
all  ginseng  found  in  China  belongs  of  right,  occasionally 
bestows  small  quantities  on  deserving  officials  who  may 
happen  to  be  in  failing  health. 

Popular  superstition  says  that  after  three  centuries  the 
ginseng  plant  changes  into  a  man  with  white  blood,  which 
is  the  veritable  elixir  of  immortality,  a  few  drops  being 
sufficient  to  raise  a  dead  man  to  life. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  85 

Ginseng  is  of  two  distinct  kinds,  viz.,  that  which  is 
found  wild  and  commands  fancy  prices,  and  that  which  is 
cultivated  for  the  wholesale  trade  and  is  of  incomparably- 
less  value.  The  latter  fetches  from  two  to  twelve  taels 
a  catty,  while  the  former  is  sometimes  worth  as  much  as 
one  thousand  taels  a  catty.  The  older  the  plant,  the  more 
it  is  valued ;  and  the  age  of  the  wild  root  may  he  as- 
certained by  marks  upon  the  stem  and  other  peculiarities 
of  structure. 

Ordinary  ginseng  is  prepared  by  simply  drying  the  root 
in  the  sun,  or  over  a  charcoal  fire.  To  prepare  the  red  or 
clarified  ginseng,  the  root  is  placed  in  wicker  baskets 
which  are  put  in  a  large  earthen  vessel  with  a  close-fitting 
cover  and  pierced  at  the  bottom  with  holes.  This  is  set 
over  boiling  water,  and  the  roots  are  steamed  according 
to  their  age,  about  four  hours  being  an  average  time. 

GIORO  or  GHIOHO:  %  ||.  The  Manchu  surname  of 
the  present  Imperial  family  of  China.  The  legendary 
progenitor  of  the  Manchu  chieftains  who  subsequently 
reached  the  Throne  bore  the  surname  of  Aisin  Gioro  ^ 
^  %  M  or  *'  Golden  Race,"  and  the  Manchu  nation 
was  known  to  the  Chinese  at  the  time  of  the  Sung  (q.v.) 
as  the  ^  13  or  "Golden  Dynasty."  All  Red  Girdles 
iq.v.)  are  called  Gioros,  as  opposed  to  Yellow  Girdles 
who  are  ^^  ^ — '^of  the  Imperial  family."  As  to  pro- 
nunciation, this  word  would  be  more  accurately  written 
giolo,  the  g  being  soft.  Is  often  seen  on  visiting  cards,  as 
a  title,  preceding  the  name. 

GIRDLE,  RED  :^1^^.  A  distinctive  badge  worn  by 
members  of  the  collateral  branches  of  the  present  Imperial 
family  of  China  in  the  male  line  for  ever,  dating  from  the 
Manchu  chieftain  now  known  as  ^  '^  "By  Heaven's 


86  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

command/'  A.D.  1616.     Those  entitled  to  wear  the  red 
girdle  are  also  called  Gioros  (q.v.). 

GIEDLE,  YELLOW:  ^  ^  ^.  Is  worn  by  the  direct 
issue  of  the  Emperors  of  the  present  dynasty  and  their 
descendants  in  the  male  line  for  ever,  dating  from  the 
Manchu  chieftain  ^  ^,  A.D.  1616.  See  Gioro. 
"Each  generation  becomes  a  degree  lower  in  rank,  until 
*^they  are  mere  members  of  the  family  with- no  rank 
"  whatever,  though  they  still  wear  the  girdle  and  receive 
"  a  trifling  allowance  from  the  Government.  Beggars 
"  and  even  thieves  are  occasionally  seen  with  this  badge 
"  of  relationship  to  the  Throne." — G.  G.  Stent. 

"The  imperial  family  wear  a  golden  yellow  sash,  and 
the  gioro  a  red  one ;  when  degraded,  the  former  take  a 
red  sash,  and  the  latter  a  carnation  one." — Chinese 
Chrestomathy. 

GLASS  :  3^  5^  po'li.  First  manufactured  in  China,  A.D. 
424.  The  term  po-li,  which  occurs  as  early  as  A.D.  643, 
and  which  is  evidently  of  foreign  origin,  has  been  the 
subject  of  much  discussion,  and^as  been  identified  with 
the  Turkish  hillur,  with  polish,  with  vidroQ)  and  recently 
by.  Dr.  Hirth  with  "  helor  or  holor,  meaning  glass  or 
crystal  in  several  central  Asiatic  languages." 

Mirrors  of  metal  have  been  used  in  China  from  the 
earliest  ages.  Confucius  said  "As  you  look  into  a  bright 
mirror  to  see  your  face,  so  you  must  look  back  into  the 
past  to  know  the  present." 

GO-BANG.  The  now  celebrated  Japanese  game  recently 
introduced  into  England.  Called  by  the  Japanese  gomo-' 
hu  narabe  3£  @  M,  i.e.,  five  eyes  in  a  row,  the  book 
name  being  J  31  "  draw  five." 

Go-hang  is  simply  ^  ^  or  checker-board.     The  ob- 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  87 

ject  of   the   game   is   to   get   five   checkers  or  counters 
in  a  row. 

GODOWN :  ±.  J5  or  ^  ^.  (1).  Originally  a  cellar  or 
place  to  which  it  was  necessary  to  go  down,  Now,  a 
warehouse.     (2).  From  the  Malay  go-dong,  a  warehouse. 

GOL.    A  Mongol  word  signifying  river ;  e.g.,  the  Erguo  gol. 

GOLD,  SWALLOWING :  ^  ^.  Euphemistically  used 
among  the  Chinese  for  suicide  by  poison,  chiefly  in  the 
case  of  high  officials  who  have  received  intimation  from 
Peking  that  their  lives  are  no  longer  wanted:  Absurdly 
supposed  by  some  foreigners  and  many  ignorant  natives 
to  signify  death  from  swallowing  lumps  of  gold  or  in- 
haling, or  suffocating  oneself  with,  gold-leaf.  This  mistake 
has  been  made  by  most  writers  on  Chinese  subjects,  such 
as  Doolittle,  Williams  (Middle  Kingdom,  II.  543)  and 
others;  and  a  qualified  European  practitioner  wrote  as 
follows  in  the  Customs*  Gazette,  No.  XXXIII,  January — 
March,  1877  :— 

"  Gold-leaf  poisoning  appears  to  be  seldom  practised 
''here  (Kiukiang)  as  a  method  of  committing  suicide, 
**as  I  have  heard  of  only  one  case  during  my  three  years' 
*'  residence  ....  Gold-leaf,  where  it  does  not  suffo- 
"cate,  must  act  simply  as  an  irritant,  and  therefore  I 
'^  should  consider  that  the  rational  treatment  would  be 
"  the  continuous  exhibition  of  alkalies,  with  demulcent 
"drinks  and  emetics.'* 

But  it  might  just  as  well  be  argued  that  ^  ^  **  to 
present  silk  "  must  necessarily  mean  an  Imperial  gift  of  a 
lew  bales  to  a  deserving  mandarin,  instead  of,  as  it 
actually  does,  a  peremptory  command  to  strangle  himself 
forthwith. 

The  Hsi-yuan-lu,  or  Instructions  to  Coroners,  uses  the 


88  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

term  in  the  sense  of  lump  gold  or  silver,  and  gives 
directions  for  softening  the  swallowed  metal  so  as  to 
make  it  pass  easily  through  the  intestines.  And  a  case 
is  quoted  of  a  Brigadier-general  who  swallowed  three 
finger-rings  and  died  after  severe  vomiting. 
GOLDEN  FOOT,  THE.  Generally  and  wrongly  used  for 
the  King  of  Burma.  Mgr.  Pallegoix,  in  his  Description 
du  Rojaume  Thai  ou  Siam,  p.  260,  speaking  of  the  King 
of  Siam  says,  '*  II  n'est  pas  permis  de  le  nommer  par  son 
propre  nom ;  il  faut  le  designer  par  les  titres  rapportes  ci- 
dessus,"  and  then  he  gives  a  list  of  ten  titles,  the  first  of 
which  is  phra-hat  or  the  "divine  feet."  Now  Rees* 
Encyclopaedia,  under  the  word  Prahat,  after  explaining 
that  pra  means  anything  worthy  of  veneration  and  that 
hat  means  "  foot,'*  refers  the  term  to  one  of  the  famous 
footprints  of  Buddha  to  which  the  king  renders  homage 
once  a  year  when  he  visits  it  with  great  pomp  and  parade, 
and  which  has  been  covered  with  a  plate  of  gold.  Thus 
it  is  this  footprint  which  is  the  "  Golden  Foot,"  the  proper 
title  of  the  King  of  Siam  being  "Divine  Feet"  ;  but  both 
are  in  Siamese  called  Phra-hat :  hence  the  confusion. 
Again,  Rees'  says  (See  Birman)  the  queen  and  princes 
have  the  title  of  "Praty,"  and  it  is  probably  from  tha 
similarity  of  this  word  to  Phra  that  a  further  confusion 
arose  between  the  title  of  the  King  of  Siam  and  that  of 
the  queen  and  princes  of  Burma.  Of  the  Siamese,  Captain 
James  Low  writes,  "  everything  holy  or  magnificent  is 
with  them,  as  with  the  Burmese,  golden.** 

GOLDEN   LILIES :  ^^-     A   poetical   name   for   the 
cramped   feet   of    Chinese    women.     From  an  expression 

used  by  the  monarch  Tung  Hun  Hou  ^  -^  ^,  A.D. 

499 — 501,  in  admiration  of  his  concubine  P'an  |fg»  }[£> 


A  aWSSABY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  S9 

as  she  danced  upon   a   stage  ornamented  with  lilies : — 
"  Every  footstep  makes  a  lily  grow/' 

GOLDEN  ORCHID  SOCIETY.  A  secret  association  of 
unmarried  girls  who  bind  themselves  not  to  cohabit  with 
their  husbands  after  matrimony  (which  they  are  unable 
to  avoid),  but  to  leave  them  and  return  to  their  old  homes 
or  elsewhere.  Strictly  prohibited  by  the  officials  in 
China. 

GOLDEN  SAND,  RIVER  OF :  ^  IJ;^  tL.  The  name  of 
the  Yang-tsze  (q.v.)  from  Hsii-chon  Fu  in  Szechuan  to 
Ya-chou  Fu  in  the  same  province.  Thence  to  the  borders 
of  Kokonor,  the  name  is  further  changed  to  THSySfSj  • 
In  Kokonor  it  is  known  as  /j^  ^  ^^  ^  and  ^  ^  ^ 
i^  fi^>  'i"6'  Murus-usu ;  and  near  its  source  as  ^  ^ 
j^  M  Kachi-uran, 

GONGEN.  General  designation  of  native  Shint6  {q.v.)  gods 
in  Japan. 

GONGS.  Are  beaten  at  intervals  before  the  cavalcade  of  a 
Mandarin  to  warn  the  people  to  stand  aside.  For  the 
Viceroy  and  officials  of  equal  rank  13  consecutive  blows 
are  given ;  for  the  Fan-t'ai,  Tao-t'ai,  etc.,  11 ;  for  the 
Prefect  9.  Officials  below  this  rank  are  only  entitled  to 
use  gongs  beyond  the  limits  of  the  capital  of  a  province, 
e.g.,  in  District  cities,  where  7  blows  would  signal  the 
coming  of  the  magistrate.  Gongs  are  much  used  in 
religious  ceremonies,  and  as  salutes  by  passing  junks 
belonging  to  the  same  fleet.  Hence  the  proverb  ^tH^ 
not  to  heat  gongsy  i.e.,  not  to  salute  said  of  persons  no 
longer  on  speaking  terms.  As  to  etymology,  Webster 
gives  "Malayan  (Java)  ^onpf ;"  but  the  Chinese  word 
Jj  heng  (the  ^  pronounced  like  the  u  in  sung)  the  night- 


90  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGB, 

watch,  may  possibly  be  the  true  source  of  the  term,  and 
the  origin  of  the  Malay  word.  Substituted  by  foreigners 
in  China  for 

"  ...that  all-softening,  overpowering  knell, 
"  The  tocsin  of  the  soul — the  dinner  bell." 

GONSAI.  (Jap.)  A  concubine,  as  opposed  to  the  honsai  or 
real  wife. 

GON-TENJI :   IS  ^  :&.      The    Imperial,     concubines. 

[Japanese.]. 

Gon  is  an  honorary  prefix,   almost  equivalent  to  Her 

Highness. 
GOOSEBEREY,  THE  CANTON.    See  Garamhola. 
GOYEENOR.     Bee  Futai. 
GOYEENOE-GENEEAL.     See  Tsung-tuh. 

GEAND  CANAL  :  M  JSI— transport  river  or  ^  'M  river 
of  locks.  Extending  from  Tientsin  to  Hang-chou  Fu,  the 
capital  of  Chekiang,  a  distance  of  about  650  miles,  and 
completing  an  almost  unbroken  water  communication 
between  Peking  and  Canton.  Designed  and  executed  by 
the  first  Mongol  Emperor  of  China,  Kublai  Khan  (q.v.), 
who  was  materially  assisted  in  his  project  by  the  canals 
dug  during  the  reign  of  Yang  Ti  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventh  century,  to  connect  the  Yellow  Eiver  with  the 
Yangtsze. 

GEAND  EXAMINEES:  ±  #.  Officers  imperially 
commissioned  to  hold  examinations  at  the  various  pro- 
vincial capitals  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  the  chU  jen's 
or  master's  degree.  These  examinations  take  place  once 
in  every  three  years. 

GEAND  SECEETAEIES :  :^  ^  ±.  The  four  prin- 
cipal  members  of  the  Chinese  Cabinet  Council.    Two  are 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  91 

Manchus  and  two  Chinese.     There  are  also  two  Assistant 
G.  Secretaries,  one  Manchu  and  one  Chinese. 

GRASS  CHARACTER:  [^  ^-plant  character.  The 
Chinese  running  hand.  So  called  because  of  its  irregular 
plant-like  appearance.  Chiefly  used  in  business  :  never  in 
official  documents.  Dates  from  the  Han  dynasty,  previous 
to  which  there  was  a  kind  of  writing  known  as  ^  ^• 

GRASS-CLOTH  :  g  ^—Summer  cloth.  A  kind  of  linen 
made  from  the  fibre  of  a  hemp-producing  plant  called 
China  Grass  {q^>v). 

GREAT  DEVELOPMENT:  j^  ^— Mahay  ana.  Also 
called  vehicle  and  conveyance:  The  system  developed  by 
the  northern  Buddhists  of  India  about  the  time  of  the 
Christian  era.  Its  chief  features  were  the  addition  of  a 
number  of  new  Buddhas  and  Bodhisatvas,  now  worlds  for 
them  to  live  in,  and  a  general  extension  of  the  mythological 
element.  The  Lesser  Development  /\^  ^  or  Hinayana, 
is  based  upon  the  original  books  of  Buddhism,  and  is  the 
system  of  Southern  Buddhists  and  of  the  Cingalese. 

GREAT  LEARNING :  i^^  ^.  One  of  the  Four  Books 
(g'.'u.).  "  What  the  Great  Learning  teaches  is — to  illus- 
*'trate  illustrious  virtue;  to  renovate  the  people;  and  to 
"rest  in  the  highest  excellence.'' — Legge's  Translation. 

Its  author  is  unknown.  Choo  He  attributes  a  part  to 
Confucius  himself,  regarding  the  rest  as  commentary ;  but 
Dr.  Legge  think  it  was  more  probably  the  work  of  K'ung 
Chi  ^u  ^,  grandson  of  Confucius  and  author  of  the 
Doctrine  of  the  Mean.  The  following  is  a  specimen : — 
"  There  is  no  evil  which  a  mean  man  will  not  perpetrate 
when  he  is  alone.  But  when  he  sees  a  superior  man,  he 
instantly  tries  to  dissimulate,  concealing  what  is  evil  and 


92  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

displaying  what  is  good.  The  other,  however,  sees  into 
his  very  soul ;  so  that  dissimulation  avails  him  naught. 
So  true  is  the  saying  that  that  which  is  really  within  will 
he  manifested  without.  Therefore  the  superior  man  must 
he  watchful  over  himself  when  he  is  alone. 

"  Riches  adorn  a  house  as  virtue  adorns  a  man.'* 

GREAT  WALL,  THE:||  M.  ;§  ^— the  ten  thousand 
mile  rampart.  Designed  and  for  the  most  part  built 
by  the  first  universal  monarch  of  China,  Shih  Huang-ti 
5m  M.  *Im  ?  ^^^  came  to  the  throne  B.C.  221,  as  a  means 
of  defence  against  the  Mongolian  hordes,  and  named  by 
him  the  "  Red  Fort  '^  ^  ^,  as  being  an  addition  to  the 
nine  old  frontier  forts  which  guarded  the  Empire  of  China. 
Is  about  1400  miles  (English)  in  length,  twenty-two  feet 
in  height,  and  twenty  feet  in  thickness.  Passes  over 
hilly  districts,  sometimes  to  an  elevation  of  5,000  ft.  At 
intervals  of  100  yards  or  so  are  towers,  some  forty  feet 
high ;  the  whole  being  built  of  brick,  except  towards  its 
western  extremity,  where  it  is  barely  more  than  a  huge 
mud  bank.  Is  the  most  noticeable  work  of  man  on  the 
globe. 

GREEN  HEADS,  THE  :  )^  S|-  ^  sobriquet  given  to 
the  Anglo-Chinese  contingent  at  Ningpo,  long  and  ably 
commanded  by  Colonel  Cooke,  formerly  of  the  "Ever 
Victorious  Army  "  (q-v.). 

43-REEN  TEA.  Generally  believed  to  be  prepared  from 
the  leaves  of  a  different  species  of  plant  from  that  which 
furnishes  black  tea,  whereas  the  distinction  between  the 
two  lies  only  in  the  mode  of  preparation. 

"...  for  I  grow  pathetic, 
Mored  by  the  Chineee  nymph  of  tears,  green  tea." — Byron. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  93 

GRIFFIN.  A  new  arrival  in  the  East ;  equivalent  to  a 
"freshman"  at  Oxford.     See  title-page. 

Also,  a  racing  pony  that  runs  for  its  first  time. 

GROSYENOR  MISSION.  A  mission  consisting  of  the  Hon. 
T.  G.  Grosvenor,  A.  Davenport,  and  E.G.  Baber,  sent  to 
Yunnan  to  enquire  into  the  circumstances  of  the  murder 
of  .Mr.  Margary. 

"  GUESS  FINGERS."     See  Chai  Mui. 

GUTZLAFF  :  ^  ii§— horse  footstep.  An  island  off  the 
mouih  of  the  Yangtsze,  so  called  after  a  well-known 
missionary  of  that  name. 

GUILDS  :  'g'  |g — meeting  houses.  The  trades^-unions 
of  China,  except  that  there  is  here  no  combination  of 
Labour  against  Capital  as  with  us,  but  merely  a  union  of 
merchants  or  traders  in  any  particular  branch  of  com- 
merce, with  a  view  to  facilitate  and  render  more  success- 
ful the  business  operations  of  each  individual  member. 
The  buildings  in  which  these  associations  meet  are  often 
very  handsomely  decorated,  and  are  always  provided  with 
a  stage  for  theatrical  performances. 

GUNPOWDER.  Under  the  name  of  huo-yao  j^  ^ 
first  occurs  early  in  the  seventh  century,  when  it  was  used 
for  fireworks.  Guns,  said  to  be  of  western  origin,  were 
first  used  by  Genghis  Khan  and  Kublai  Khan  ;  but  were 
first  systematically  employed  in  warfare  during  the  reign 
of  Yung-lo  of  the  Ming  dynasty  (I5th  century). 

GUP.  The  Hindustani  for  gossip  or  scandal.  A  few  years 
ago  some  letters  were  addressed  to  one  of  the  Shanghai 
papers  under  this  nom  de  plume,  smd  Florence  Marry  at 
has  published  a  novel  with  this  title. 


94  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

HADJI.  A  Mahommedan  who  undertakes  the  pilgrimage 
to  Mecca,  the  name  being  kept  for  the  remainder  of  the 
pilgrim's  life.  Is  a  common  term  of  respect  in  the  Malay- 
peninsula. 

HAIFANG:    */$    E§*-     A.    Sub-prefect  in  charge    of  a 

maritime    Sub-prefecture,    or    t'ing.     Literally :    Coast- 
defence. 

HAIKWAN,  THE :  */$  %.  Superintendent  of  Chinese 
Maritime  Customs.  Always  a  Chinese  official,  as  distin- 
guished from  his  European  colleague,  the  Commissioner 
of  Customs  ^  <r^  ^ .  This  title  is  curiously  applied 
by  the  people  of  Swatow  and  Amoy  to  the  British  Consul, 
in  preference  to  the  official  'f^  ^  g ,  which  is  actually 
not  understood. 

HAINAN,  ISLAND  OF:  y$  |^— South  of  the  Sea. 
Commonly  known  to  the  Chinese  as  K'iung-chow  rS-  /H' 
being  a  prefecture  of  the  Kuang-tung  province. 

HAIPHONG :  MW'  -^  por^  '^^  Tonquin,  the  trade  of 
which  is  chiefly  confined  to  rice,  with  a  small  quantity  of 
silk,  gambier,  tin,  varnish,  and  lacquer  oil ;  all  of  which 
come  from  the  interior. 

HAKKAS :  ^  ^ — strangers.  A  race  said  to  have  mi- 
grated from  the  North  of  China  (Kiangsu  or  Shantung) 
to  the  Kuang-tung  province  at  the  time  of  the  Yiian 
dynasty,  A.D.  1206 — 1368.  For  an  elaborate  account  of 
this  people,  see  an  article  in  Notes  8^  Queries  on  China 
and  Japan,  Yol.  1,  No.  5,  by  Dr.  Eitel. 

HAKODATE :  ^  ft-  A.  port  in  the  northern  island  of 
Japan. 

HAMPALANG:  P>^  S^  Ili^.    A   common  expression   in 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  95 

the  Canton  and  Swatow  dialects  meaning  "all."  Like 
much  o£  the  patois  of  China,  it  cannot,  properly  speaking, 
he  written ;  the  three  characters  ahove  giving  only  the 
sound  without  conveying  any  meaning.  Said  hy  Mr.  G. 
Minchin  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Cantonese  J^^^jR 
''  wrap  up  all  and  come/'  as  used  hy  the  hum-boat  men  at 
Whampoa  when  directing  their  assistants  to  take  away 
whatever  old  clothes  etc.  the  sailors  on  the  foreign  ships 
might  have  given  them  in  payment  for  their  eatables. 
Being  subsequently  imitated  by  the  Jacks  themselves,  their 
corruption  "hampalang"  passed  into  the  Cantonese  dia- 
lect as  a  convenient  expression  for  "  all.'* 

[Philologists  will  be  interested  to  learn  that,  whatever 
may  be  the  value  of  Mr.  Minchin's  above  explanation  of 
a  common  Cantonese  expression,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
many  English  words  and  phrases  are  fast  passing  into  the 
Chinese  language ;  e.g.,  pong  for  pound,  sense  for  cent  or 
cents,  numha  one  for  first-rate,  etc.,  etc.  Some  have  even 
been  incorporated  as  proverbs ;  e.g. — (in  Cantonese) 

'      iS^li^JU-Nit'aiolio 

^K  B^  i^  caTZ-  do — 0  t'ai  ni  can  do. 

The  sense  runs,  "  You  treat  me  well,  Fll  treat  you  can 
do^' — can  do  being  a  common  pidgin-English  phrase 
meaning  ''well,"  ''enough,"  etc. 

■     The  following  dialogue  between  two   Cantonese  gives, 
one  more  illustration : 

Q.  "How  about  that  affair  of  yours? 

A.  "  Oh,  sum  too  sik,  as  the  foreigners  say." 

Here   the   three  italicised   words  are  an  imitation  of 


96  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

'  seven  two  six,  chosen  because,  as  pronounced  b}'^  a 
Cantonese,  they  are  identical  with  the  sounds  of  ili^\  ^  J^ 
heart  all  desist,  i.e.,  "  I  have  ceased  to  bother  about 
it/'] 

HAN,  SON  OF  :  i^  ^ .  That  is,  a  man  who  lived  under 
the  Han  dynasty,  B.C.  206— A.D.  221,  the  epoch  of  the 
Renaissance  of  Chinese  literature,  often  spoken  of  as  the 
brightest  page  of  Chinese  history.  The  name  of  the 
dynasty  came  to  be  used  as  a  synonym  for  China,  in  which 
sense  it  is  still  employed. 

HANG-CHOW:  ^  j^.  The  capital  of  Chekiang,  remark- 
able for  the  beauty  of  its  surroundings.  Divides  with 
Soochow  the  honour  of  being  a  terrestrial  paradise. 

Above,  there  is  the  Hall  of  God ;  below,  there  is  Soo- 
chow and  Hangchow. 

HANKOW :  '^  P  —mouth  of  the  Han  (river),  which  here 
joins  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Yang-tsze.  A  port  on 
the  Yang-tsze,  opened  by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin  in  1858, 
though  not  occupied  until  1861.  Is  582  geographical 
miles  from  Shanghai;  one  of  the  five  commercial  centres 
of  China,  and  now  the  starting-post  for  the  great  annual 
Ocean  Race  (q.v.). 

HAN-LIN:  ^  ;J)JC— forest  of  pencils.  The  Chinese 
National  Academy  in  Peking,  the  members  of  which  are 
charged  with  the  compilation  of  dynastic  history,  Im- 
perial decrees,  and  literary  matters  in  general.  Tbey 
draw  up  prayers  and  sacrificial  addresses,  honorary  titles 
for  Dowager-Empresses,  patents  of  dignity  for  the  chief 
concubines  of  a  deceased  Emperor,  make  offerings  at  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  97 

tomb  of  Confucius,  etc.,  etc.,  while  a  number  of  them  are 
required  to  be  in  attendance  on  the  Emperor  as  readers, 
instructors,  advisers,  and  so  forth.  Admission  to  this 
body  is  the  highest  literary  honour  obtainable  by  a 
Chinese  scholar.  Established  early  in  the  8th  century  by 
the  emperor  Hsiian  Tsung  of  the  T'ang  dynasty. 

HANOI :  ifST  pq.     The  capital  of  Tonquin. 

HAPPY  YALLEY,  THE  :  ^  %  ^i— yellow  mud  creek. 
A  valley  in  the  island  of  Hongkong,  covering  about  thirty 
acres  of  ground,  and  used  as  a  race-course.  The  term 
Sa^j^y  Valley  belongs  originally  to  Dr.  Johnson's 
Basselas,  the  history  of  a  prince  of  Abyssinia  who 
travelled  far  and  wide  in  search  of  true  happiness. 

HARA  KIM  :  ^  ■^— belly  cutting.  Disembowelment : 
the  form  of  suicide  formerly  in  vogue  among  the  Japanese. 
Familiarly  known  to  Europeans  as  the  "happy  despatch.*' 

HATOBA :  ^  g§.  A  pier,  or  landing-place.  [Japanese.] 
Used  much  as  matow  (q.v.)  in  China. 

HATS,  CHINESE  OFFICIAL.  Are  of  two  kinds,  for 
winter  and  for  summer;  called  '^warm  hats''  j^  vfm  and 
"  cool  hats"  4}f,  'pg,  respectively.  The  latter  is  made  of 
a  yellow  grass :  the  former  of  black  cloth,  velvet,  and 
satin.  Both  have  red  tassels.  The  days  for  changing 
from  one  to  the  other  in  spring  and  autumn  vary  in 
various  parts  of  the  empire,  as  fixed  by  the  provincial 
officials  in  each  case  ;  but  they  are  always  (1)  very  shortly 
before  or  after  the  *^ Beginning  of  Summer"  at  the  end 
of  the  3rd  or  in  the  early  part  of  the  4th  moon,  and  (2) 
some  time  between  the  mid-autumn  festival  on  15th  of 
the  8th  moon  and  the  9th  of  the  9th  moon. 


98  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

HEATHEN  CHINEE,  THE.  The  title  of  Bret  Harte's 
celebrated  satire  on  the  outcry  against  the  employment  of 
Chinese  labour  in  the  Western  States  of  America. 


Which  I  wish  to  remark — 
And  my  language  is  plain — 

That  for  ways  that  are  dark 
And  for  tricks  that  are  vain, 

The  heathen  Chinee  is  peculiar, 

Which  the  same  I  would  rise  to  ex- 
plain. 


Ah  Sin  was  his  name  ; 

And  I  shall  not  deny 
In  regard  to  the  same 

What  that  name  might  imply, 
But  his   smile  it  was  pensive  and 

childlike, 
As  I  frequent  remarked  to  Bill  Nye. 


It  was  August  the  third ; 

And  quite  soft  was  the  skies ; 
Which  it  might  be  inferred 

That  Ah  Sin  was  likewise ; 
Yet  he  played  it  that  day    upon 

William 
And  me  in  way  I  despise. 


Which  W6  had  a  small  game, 
And  Ah  Sin  took  a  hand : 

It  was  Euchre.    The  same 
He  did  not  understand ; 

But  he  »miled  as  he  sat  by  the  table, 

With  the  smile  that  was  childlike 
and  bland. 


Yet  the  cards  they  were  stocked 

In  a  way  that  I  grieve, 
And  my  feelings  were  shocked 

At  the  state  of  Nye's  sleeve, 
Which  was  stuffed  full  of  aces  and 

bowers. 
And  the  same  with  intent  to  deceive. 

HEAVEN  :  5^.  This  term 
mean  either  (1)  the  sky  as 
sonified  into  the  deity,  " 


But  the  hands  that  were  played 

By  that  heathen  Chinee, 
And  the  points  that  he  made, 

Were  quite  frightful  to  see — 
Till  at  last  he  put  down  aright  bower. 
Which  the  same  Nye  had  dealt  unto 


Then  I  looked  up  at  Nye, 

And  he  gazed  upon  me  ; 
And  he  rose  with  a  sigh, 

And  said,  '*  Can  this  be  ? 
We  are  ruined  by   Chinese   cheap 

labour," 
And  he  went  for  that  heathen  Chinee 


In  the  scene  that  ensued 

I  did  not  take  a  hand, 
But  the  floor  it  was  strewed, 

Like  the  leaves  on  the  strand. 
With  the  cards  that  Ah  Sin  had  been 

hiding, 
In  the  game  "he  did  not  understand." 


In  his  sleeves,  which  were  long. 
He  had  twenty-four  Jacks — 
Which  was  coming  it  strong, 
Yet  I  state  but  the  facts ; 
And  we  found  on   his   nails,   which 

were  taper, 
What  is  frequent  in  tapers— that's 
wax. 


Which  is  why  I  remark, 
And  my  language  is  plain, 

That  for  ways  that  are  dark, 
And  for  tricks  that  are  vain, 

The  heathen  Chinee  is  peculiar, 

Which  the  same  I  am  free  to  maintain 

as  used  by  the  Chinese  may 
seen  over  head  which  is  per- 
old  Bluecoaf'  ^  ^  3?C  ^» 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENCE.  99 

or  the  ^'  old  gentleman  of  the  sky  "  ^  ^  ^,  5S  ^, 
Jl  %  etc.  (2)  Abstract  right  3^.  When  Confucius  said, 
*'He  who  offends  against  Heaven  has  none  to  whom  he  can 
pray/*  the  learned  commentator  Choo  He  (q.v.)  added 
^  in  S  ifc  "by  Heaven  is  meant  abstract  right/'  (3), 
Fate,  Kismet ;  e.g.,  the  phrase  used  in  deeds  of  sale  of 
girls :  "  If  she  should  die^  both  parties  agree  to  accept 
*'such  event  as  the  will  of  Heaven." 

In  illustration  of  No.  1,  the  character  ^C  is  often  drawn 
with  men  and  women  leaning  against  it  eating  from  the 
usual  rice  bowl,  the  whole  forming  a  picture  conundrum 
and  explained  by  Jp  5v  I^  ^  "  they  rely  on  Heaven 
*'for  their  daily  food.'* 

HEAYEN,  TEMPLE  OF  :  ^  :®— altar  of  Heaven.  A 
large  enclosure  within  the  Chinese  or  outer  portion  of  the 
city  of  Peking  where  the  Emperor  sacrifices  and  performs 
various  religious  ceremonies  in  honour  of  Heaven,  the 
great  unseen  power  which  directs  the  affairs  of  men,  from 
which  the  Emperor  himself  holds  his  commission  to  rule 
over  the  whole  world  (^  '^),  and  to  which  he  is  person- 
ally responsible  for  the  well-being  of  his  people. 

A  list  of  all  those  executed  during  the  year  and  of  their 
crimes,  is  burned  by  the  Emperor  on  the  altar  of  heaven 
at  the  winter  solstice;  he  is  thus  supposed  to  inform 
heaven  of  the  manner  in  which  he  has  used  its  delegated 
authority. 

HEAYEN-SENT  BARRIER.  A  name  applied  by  the 
Chinese  to  the  Wu-sung  (q.v.)  Bar,  as  protecting  Shanghai 
from  the  promiscuous  ingress  of  large  ships  of  war.  Com- 
pare— ''  Many  of  us  have  thought  that  our  sea-wall  is  a 
specially  divine  arrangement  to  make  and  keep  us  a  nation 
of  sea-kings  after  the  manner  of  our  forefathers,  secure 


100  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

against  invasion  and  able  to  invade  other  lands  when  we 
need  them.''     Impressions  of  Theophrastus  Such. 

HEEN  or  HIEN.     See  Esien. 

HEH-LUNG-KIANa:  ,^i|;^— black  dragon  river. 
One  of  the  Manchurian  provinces,  and  a  favourite  desti- 
nation for  banished  Chinese  officials. 

HEIMIN:^^.  The  so-called  "common  people"  or 
working  classes  of  Japan. 

'^  The  shizoku  (q.v.)  have  ceased  to  carry  swords,  but 
*'  they  retain  power  over  the  heimin,  as  they  did  in  former 
"  times.'' — Hiogo  News. 

HERMIT  LAND,  THE :  A  name  formerly  applied  to 
Korea  (q.v.). 

HIBATSHI :  ^  H;— fire  bowl.  A  portable  stove  used  in 
Japan  for  warming  rooms,  etc. 

HIEN  FUJSra  or  HSIEN  FENG  :  )^  g— general  abund- 
ance. The  style  of  reign  adopted  by  the  Emperor  who 
ruled  China  from  1851—1862.  Fled  from  Peking  on  its 
capture  by  the  allied  forces,  and  died  at  Jehol  (q-v.). 

HININ  :  f^  A—''  Not  humans.''  A  class  of  Japanese 
pauper,  formerly  allowed  to  squat  on  waste  lands. 

HIOGO  :  :j^^.     A  port  in  Japan.  Same  as  Kobe  W^p. 

HIOUEN  THSANG.  French  orthography  of  Hsiian 
Tsang  (q.v.). 

HIRAKANA  or  HIRAGANA :  ^  IS  ^.  The  Japanese 
running  hand  or  simplified  form  of  the  Kana  (q.v.).  The 
common  symbols  used  in  writing  the  native  language, 
resembling  the  Chinese  "grass"  character.  Said  to  have 
been  introduced  into  Japan  at  the  beginning  of  the  9th 
century. 

The  Hirakana  consists  of  48  primary  characters,  but 
numbers  nearly  150,  if  varieties  of  form  be  included. 
With  the  addition  of  some  500  cursive  characters,  it  forms 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  301 

the  syllabary  employed  by  women,  and  in  iioV«eis   and  all 
publications   for  the  illiterate.     Chinese  *  cha^racter^' ere 
added  where  necessary  to  prevent  confusion. 
HISTORY,  Book  of.     See  Shoo  King. 

HIIJNG-NU :  ^  jgl.  The  Chinese  name  for  the  Turkic 
tribes  during  the  Ch'in  and  Han  dynasties. 

HIYAKSHO  :  "g*  j^.     The  Japanese  "  farmer ''  class. 

HOANG-HO :  ^  ^—yellow  river.  So  called  from  tha 
yellowness  of  its  water,  caused  by  the  vast  quantity  of 
mud  which  is  swept  down  by  its  rapid  current  to  the  sea. 
Pronounced  Hwong  haw  in  the  Mandarin  dialect. 

It  is  now  just  upon  thirty  years  since  the  Yellow  River 
deserted  the  channel  through  which  it  formerly  found  its 
way  across  Kiangsu  into  the  Yellow  Sea ;  and,  turning 
northward  at  a  point  near  Lan-yi,  in  the  north-east  of 
Honan,  found  for  itself  a  new  outlet  into  the  Gulf  of 
Pechili.  Several  times  before  the  river  has  deviated  in  a 
similar  way,  always  with  disastrous  results.  Its  present 
channel  is  so  narrow  that,  even  at  normal  height,  the 
water  is  level  with  either  bank ;  but  when  it  rises  with 
the  slightest  increase  in  volume,  it  spreads  out  like  a  sea 
over  some  thirty  miles  of  ground.  See  China's  Sorrow. 

HOEY  :  '^.     A  secret  society. 

HOIHOW:  y$  P— sea  port.     The  port  of  Kiung-chow 

Fu  (q.v.)  in  Hainan. 
HOKLOS :  f^:^— the  old   ones  of  Fu,  i.e.  Fokien.     A 

tribe  said  to  have  come   originally   from   that  province. 

Now  found  chiefly  in  the^  Prefecture  of  Hui-chou  ^,  yfj. 

Williams  writes  ^  "^ ;  but  the  last  character  should  be 

]^,  which  is  a  Cantonese  colloquial  word  meaning  man. 

^  is  the  attempt  of  the  Cantonese  to  write  the  Fokienese 

sound  of  the  character  3iS. 


102  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE, 

HOLY  OITY,-  THE.  A  title  bestowed  in  1585  upon  the 
•qij^^o^flifsicao  by  tlxe  Portuguese  settlers  residing  there. 
Above  the  entrance  to  the  Senate  House  may  still  be 
seen — "  Gidade  do  Nome  de  Deos — nao  ha  outra  mais 
leal,''  i.e.,  ''City  of  the  Name  of  God — there  is  not 
another  more  loyal.** 

HONAN :  M  0— South  of  the  (Yellow)  river.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces,  capital  city  K'ai-feng  Fu  P^  ^  jj^* 
Old  name  '^. 

HONAM.  Same  as  preceding.  Name  of  an  island  close 
to  Canton  opposite  to  which  formerly  stood  the  celebrated 
foreign  *'  factories''  (S'-'^-)- 

HONGf :  ^ — a  row,  or  series.  Chinese  warehouses  were 
so  called  because  consisting  of  a  succession  of  rooms,  and 
the  old  "  factories"  [q-v.)  being  similarly  built,  the  Chi- 
nese called  each  block  a  hong.  Now  used  of  all  kinds  of 
mercantile  houses. 

HONG-BOAT :  ^  /^ — three  oars.  A  Chinese  sampan 
with  a  small  wooden  house  in  the  middle,  capable  of  hold- 
ing about  eight  persons.  Said  to  have  been  rowed  origi- 
nally by  only  three  men  sitting  in  the  bow,  with  a  fourth 
sculling  at  the  stern — whence  the  Chinese,  name  ;  but  now 
the  number  varies  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  owner. 
Used  by  foreigners  residing  at  Canton.  Same  as  Matri- 
monial. 

HONGKEW  or  HONGQUE:  fal  p.  The  site  of  the 
American  Settlement  at  Shanghai.  From  the  local  pro- 
nunciation of  the  above  two  characters,  literally,  rainbow 
mouth  or  'port,  the  Chinese  name  of  the  place. 

HONGKONG  :  #  }#—  fragrant  lagoon.  There  has  been 
much  controversy  as  to  the  correct  interpretation  of  the 
above  two  characters.     "Fragrant  Streams'*  and  "In- 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  103 

cense  Harbour'*  are  among  those  given.  The  .use  of  the 
term  "  lagoon"  is  based  upon  the  fact  that  the  inlet  of 
water  which  forms  the  harbour  of  Takow^Formosa,  and 
is  unquestionably  a  lagoon,  is  written  down  in  Chinese 
maps  of  the  place  as  a  |^.  Hongkong  was  ceded  to  the 
English  in  1841  and  by  Treaty  of  Nanking  in  1842,  but 
is  still  frequently  spoken  of  by  the  inaccurate  as  being  in 
"  China/'  and  sometimes  even  as  a  Treaty  Port.  Was 
formally  erected  into  a  British  Colony  5th  April  1843. 
Is  26  miles  in  circumference,  and  nine  in  length  by  eight 
in  breadth.  The  "Peak,"  upon  which  stands  the  signal 
staff,  is  1825  feet  high. 

Our  word  Hongkong  is  a  corruption  of  the  local  pro- 
nunciation of  the  Chinese  name.     See  Petticoat  string. 

HONG  MERCHANTS.  The  security  merchants  of  former 
days,  who,  for  the  privilege  of  trading  with  foreigners 
coming  to  Canton,  became  security  to  the  mandarins  for 
their  payment  of  duties  and  their  good  behaviour  while  on 
shore.     Monopoly  broken  up  by  Treaty  of  Nanking  1842. 

HONSAI.     See  Gonsai, 

HOO-SZE :  yj^  eS.  Abbreviation  for  Ji^  ^^  615  "silk 
expert"  or  "  silk  toucher."  Compare  chaa-sze.  Known 
in  Canton  as  ^  616  or  fj^  ^  ^>  fj^  ^  standing  for 
raw  silk  from  Hu-chou  Fu  in  Chekiang. 

HOPPO,  THE.  The  Haikwan  (q.v.)  or  Superintendent  o-f 
Customs  at  Canton,  has  been  so  called  for  many  years. 
The  term  is  said  (1)  to  be  a  corruption  of  Hoo  poo  Jp  np 
— the  Board  of  Revenue,  with  which  office  the  Hoppo,  as 
collector  of  duties,  is  in  direct  communication  ;  (2)  to  be 
from  Ho  poh  fRj  Y0  oaiginally  "  god  of  the  rivers"  but 
subsequently  applied  to  the  Canton  river-police  magistrate. 
A  well-known  native  work,  however,  states  that  13  ^ 


104,  A  GLOSSAlil  OF  REFERENCE. 

the  Superlntendendent  of  Customs  is  'called  is  Englisli 
^  ^  Soppo. 

HOTOW :  ^  H— head  of  the  river.  Name  of  a  large 
kind  of  boat  used  by  foreigners  at  Canton  for  going  up 
country,  picnics,  etc.  So  called  from  the  name  of  the  place 
at  which  they  are  built.  Are  usually  distinguished  by 
three  or  four  red  doors,  called  ^  \4,  on  each  side. 

HOUSE-BOAT.  The  common  name  among  foreigners  in 
China  for  small  sailing  boats  housed  over  and  fitted  up 
with  sleeping  bunks,  cook's  galley,  and  other  European 
appliances.  Are  much  used  on  the  river  Yangtsze  by  the 
"shootists**  of  Shanghai,  Chinkiang,  etc. 

HSIN  CHING-  LU :  ^'i$  ^.  The  Booh  of  Experi- 
ments,  or  first  handbook  of  the  Court  Dialect  published 
by  Sir  T.  Wade.  Was  wittily  travestied  into  ^  ^  ^ 
*'the  new  road  to  Peking,"  the  sounds  of  the  two  sets  of 
characters  being  sufficiently  near,  for  a  foreign  ear,  to 
admit  of  such  a  pun. 

HSIU-TS'AI :  ^  :;^— cultivated  talents.  A  graduate  of 
the  lowest  rank.  Generally  translated  bachelor  of  arts. 
This  was  the  general  term  for  scholar  or  man  of  letters 
until  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Kuang  Wu  (A.D.  25-58), 
when  it  was  changed  to  mao-ts' ai  ^Xt  ^Yf  on  account  of 
the  character  y^  forming  part  of  the  Emperor's  name. 
The  old  name  was  restored  some  two  centuries  later. 

HSIEN  :  l^.  A  district  under  the  immediate  control  of  a 
magistrate  called  a  chih-hsien  (q.v.),  or  simply  a  Hsien. 

HSUAN  CHU  ANG  or  YUAN  TSANG  i^^orjQ^. 
The  famous  Buddhist  priest  who  left  China  for  India  in 
A.D.  629,  returning  after  an  absence  of  seventeen  years 
and  bringing  with  him  657  volumes  of  the  Buddhist 
scriptures. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEEN0:E].  105 

HU-KUANG :  */|^  ^.  The  old  name  of  a  province  now 
divided  into  Hu-pei  and  Hu-nan  {q.v.),  but  still  used 
collectively  of  the  two.     Also  called  the  Two  Hu,  ^ygQ. 

HUfi  :  ^  fW  )fj.  The  capital  of  Annam.  Locally  known 
as  ar  ^&>  whence  the  name  Hue. 

HUNAN  :  yj^  1^— South  of  the  (Tung-t'ing  tl^  J^)  lake. 
One  of  the  Eighteen  Province.  Capital  city  Ch'ang-sha 
Fu  :g  i)^  }^.     Old  name  ^. 

HUNDRED  FAMILY  NAMES:  "gf^^^-  Correctly 
speaking,  "  the  family  names"  of  China,  hundred  being 
merely  a  round  number  used  to  express  "  all."  The  title 
of  a  small  work  several  centuries  old  which  contains  408 
ordinary  Chinese  surnames  and  30  double  names^  or  such 
as  we  should  unite  in  English  by  a  hyphen.  In  K'ang  Hsi's 
lexicon,  however,  we  find  no  less  than  1,678  characters 
mentioned  as  surnames,  besides  168  double  and  8  triple 
names.  Chinese  of  the  same  surname  (with  some  few 
exceptions)  may  not  intermarry.  The  four  common  names 
— our  Brown,  Jones,  and  Robinson — are  Chang  §§> 
Wang  5,  Li  ^,  and  Chao  ^.  These  names  are  in 
many  cases  translatable,  and  yield  such  meanings  as  Field, 
Fox,  Grah,  Spring,  Home,  Bellyful,  Farmer,  White, 
Gold,  Joy,  Ball,  etc. 

HUNG-LOU-MENG :  ^X  t§  ^.  Dream  of  the  Red 
Chamber.  A  famous  Chinese  novel  in  the  Peking  dialect, 
dealing  chiefly  with  events  of  domestic  life  which  are 
very  graphically  described.  Many  Chinese  are  said  to 
have  died  for  love. of  the  heroine.  Miss  Lin,  so  exquisitely 
has  that  young  lady  been  portrayed  by  the  author,  whose 
name  is  not  known ;  but  the  book  being  considered  a 
dangerous  one  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  youth  was  accord- 
ingly placed  in  the  Index  Expurgatorius  of  China,  though 


106       A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

at  present  its  sale  is  carried  on  much  the  same  as  that  of 
any  other  work.  Unfortunately,  this  truly  grand  work  is 
hardly  adapted  for  translation.  It  fills  something  like 
4,000  8vo  pages. 

HUNG-MO  or  HUNG-MAO  :  ^  ^— the  red-haired.  A 
term  first  applied  by  the  Chinese  to  the  Dutch,  in  the 
17th  century,  and  now  to  all  white  foreigners.  Is  slyly 
used  to  a  great  extent,  as  also  fan  ^  barbarian,  among 
the  Chinese  of  Hongkong.  The  writer  has  even  received 
a  letter  from  his  washerman  addressed  JX  "^  Zl  ZI  £ 
The  red-haired  Vice  Consulj  though  even  this  will  hardly 
bear  comparison  with  a  title  he  once  obtained  in  Swatow, 
where  it  is  commonly  used,  namely  fljJ  m^  ^  The  Jesus 
Mandarin — an  appellation  which  tells  its  own  tale.  In 
Amoy  and  Swatow,  the  term  "red-haired"  is  now 
reserved  for  the  English. 

HUPAO,  THE:  Jl^— Shanghai  News.  Name  of  a 
Chinese  newspaper  issued  from  the  Daily  News  office. 
First  appeared  18th  May,  1882. 

HUPEH  or  HU-PEI :  fj^  :|B— North  of  the  (Tung  t'ing 
H^  ^)  lake.  One  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital 
city  Wu-ch^ang  Fu  :^  |^  jj^^.     Old  name  f[J  ^^0. 

HUTUKHTU :  f^M%M  The  cardinals,  or  second 
order  in  the  hierarchy  of  Lamaism  {q.v.).  The  three  chief 
Hutukhtus  reside  at  Urga,  Kuku  Khoto,  and  Peking; 
the  latter  representing  Lamaism  at  the  Court.  In  Tibet 
they  wield  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual  power,  the  ad- 
ministration being  entirely  in  their  hands.  Popularly 
known  as  "  Living  Buddhas."  The  term  H.  is  derived 
from  a  Mongolian  word  which  is  interpreted  in  Chinese  as 
signifying  tsai  lai  jen  ^  J^  yy — i.e.  one  who  returns 
again,  an  Avatar. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  107 

HWANG-POO  or  WANG-PU:  ^  i^— Yellow  Reach. 
The  river  whereon,  at  a  distance  of  about  12  miles  from 
the  Yang-tsze  into  which  it  flows,  stand  the  town  and 
foreign  settlement  of  Shanghai. 

HWANG-TI :  {a)  ^  ^— the  Yellow  Emperor.  A  legen- 
dary ruler,  who  is  said  to  have  flourished  nearly  3,000 
years  before  Christ  and  to  have  been  the  pioneer  of  the 
early  civilisation  of  mankind  by  the  invention  of  wheeled 
carriages,  a  medium  of  exchange,  music,  astronomical 
instruments,  etc.,  etc.  Was  called  "  yellow  "  because  he 
reigned  under  the  influence  of  eai'th  (whatever  that  may 
mean),  and  yellow  is  the  colour  of  earth.  Must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  next. 

HWANG-TI :  (h)  M  ^—Supreme  ruler.  The  title  of 
every  Emperor  of  China  since  the  days  of  the  First  Emper- 
or {q.v.\  before  which  time  the  title  3E  'U)ang  '^  prince '' 
was  employed.  When  the  Mongols  conquered  China  in 
the  early  years  of  the  13th  century,  and  adopted  the  title 
Hwang  Ti,  they  analysed  the  character  ^  into  its  com- 
ponent parts  Q  white  and  J  prince,  and  translated 
them  literally  into  Mongolian  as  Tchagan  Khagan  or 
"White  Khan."  This  was  subsequently  adopted  by  the 
Russians  for  Asiatic  use  in  the  various  forms  of  Ak-khan, 
Ak-Padshah,  and  Biely  Tsar  or  "White  Czar." 

HWEI-HWEI  or  HUI-HUI :  IbJ  IbJ.  Generally  used  of 
all  classes  of  Mohammedans  found  in  China.  The  cha- 
racter |EJ  is  sometimes  written  with  dog  by  the  side  |0. 

HYSON  :  {?Sl  ^ — flourishing  spring.     A  kind  of  tea, 

HYSON,  YOUNG  :  pg  #— before  the  rains.  A  kind  of 
tea  so  called  because  it  was  picked  early.  Formerly  call- 
ed by  foreigners  uchain. 


108  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

IB]S"  BATUTA.  An  Arabian  traveller  who  visited  China 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  whose  narrative  corrobo- 
rates several  of  the  statements  of  Marco  Polo. 

ICHANG- :  J3.  Q .  A  port  in  the  province  of  Hu-pei  on 
the  upper  Yang-tsze,  opened  to  trade  by  the  Chefoo 
Convention  of  1876. 

ICHIBU  :  —  ^— one  hu  (q.v.). 

ICHI-ROKU :  —  -^^—one  six.  All  days  of  the  month 
which  contain  one  or  other  or  both  of  these  numbers ; 
e.g.,  the  1st,  6th,  11th,  16th,  etc.  These  days  were 
adopted  as  official  holidays  on  the  establishment  of  the 
present  Grovernment  in  Japan,  but  recently  Sundays  have 
been  substituted. 

"  Our  readers  have  doubtless  been  unaware  that  their 
Majesties  the  Emperor  and  Emj)ress,  desirous  of  instruct- 
ing themselves  in  European  science,  were  accustomed  to 
take  lessons  regularly  every  day,  excepting  those  of  ichi- 
roku.'* — Echo  du  Japon. 

The  Japanese  also  use  the  expressions  ni-hitchi  HL  A^ 
2nd  and  7th,  sampatchi  zn  /V  3rd  and  8th,  sM-ku  \J^  Jfj 
4th  and  9th,  and  go-juh  5t  "|  5th  and  10th  in  the  same 
manner.  The  same  kind  of  phraseology  is  also  common 
in  China. 

I.  G.,  THE.  Abbreviation  for  Inspector  General  of  the 
foreign  department  of  the  Chinese  Customs.  During  the 
occupation  of  the  native  city  of  Shanghai  by  the  Tai-p'ing 
rebels  1853 — 55,  the  collection  of  the  Customs'  revenue 
was  temporarilj'-  placed  in  the  hands  of  three  foreign  offi- 
cials deputed  by  the  British,  French,  and  American 
Consuls ;  and  this  system  was  found  to  answer  so  well  that 
it  was  continued,  even  after  the  evacuation,  under  the 
guidance  of   Mr  Horatio    Nelson  Lay  at  the  head  of  a 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENCE.  109 

small  staff  of  European  assistants.  The  arrangement  was 
finally  extended  to  all  the  Treaty  Ports,  and  has  developed 
into  what  is  now  known  as  the  Chinese  Customs'  Service 
— hitherto  one  of  the  most  ably  conducted  organisations 
in  the  world. 

IMMORTALS,  THE  :  fllj  A-  A  term  which  is  somewhat 
loosely  applied  to  the  richi  of  Buddhism  and  to  the  saints 
of  Taoism  (q.v.). 

INCHHON.     Same  as  Jenchuan  (q.v.). 

INDIAN  INK.  A  misnomer  for  the  slabs  of  Chinese  ink, 
prepared  from  soot  and  glue,  and  used  all  over  the  empire 
since  the  third  century  of  our  era  ;  though,  according  to 
one  native  authority,  it  was  manufactured  as  early  as 
B.C.  140.  From  their  habit  of  putting  the  writing  brush 
or  pencil  into  the  mouth  in  order  to  give  a  fine  point,  the 
Chinese  have  come  to  employ  the  phrase  "eating  ink'*  as 
a  metaphorical  equivalent  for  study. 

INFANTICIDE.  The  prevalence  of  this  crime  in  China 
has  been  greatly  exaggerated,  while  the  harrowing  stories 
connected  with  Baby  Towers  (q.v.)  have  been  shown  to  be 
ridiculously  untrue.  It  is  now  quite  an  open  question 
whether  infanticide  is  more  practised  in  China  than  in 
Europe  and  elsewhere. 

INLAND  SEA,  THE.  The  sea  which  is  almost  surrounded 
by  the  three  southernmost  islands — Nipon,  Sikok,  and 
Kiusiu — of  the  Japanese  empire.  Is  about  250  miles  in 
length,  and  contains  some  fine  pieces  of  scenery. 

INNEE  LAND,  THE.     See  Nui  ti. 

INQUESTS.  Are  held  in  China  upon  the  bodies  of  all 
who  die  by  violence  or  are  found  dead  under  suspicious 
circumstances.     Also,  in  cases  of  grievous  bodily  injury, 


110  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGF. 

when  a  limit  is  fixed  within  which  the  accused  is  re- 
sponsible, and  during  which  the  injured  man  is  handed 
over  to  his  charge.  The  inquest  is  held  by  the  District 
Magistrate  or  his  Deputy,  without  a  jury,  within  view  of 
the  body,  on  the  very  spot  where  found  or  struck  down. 

INTERCALARY  MONTH:  ^  ^.  (Accented  on  the 
second  syllable.)  A  thirteenth  month  inserted  seven  times 
in  nineteen  years,  or  about  once  in  every  third  year,  in 
order  to  make  up  the  annual  deficiency  of  the  lunar  year 
of  twelve  months  as  compared  with  the  solar  year. 
The  four  following  methods,  the  last  of  which  is  still  in 
use,  have  been  adopted  at  various  times  for  determining 
the  incidence  of  this  month. 

(1) — The  reduplication  of  every  33rd  month.  Thus  in 
the  3rd  year  there  would  be  an  intercalary  9th  month,  in 
the  6th  year  an  int.  6th,  in  the  9th  an  int.  3rd,  in  the 
11th  an  int.  11th,  in  the  14th  an  int.  8th,  in  the  17th 
an  int.  4th,  and  in  the  19th  an  int.  12th. 

(2) — Addition  of  a  month  at  the  end  of  the  proper  year. 

(3) — Reduplication  of  the  month,  the  numerical  order 
of  which  was  the  same  as  the  number  of  days  from  the 
winter  solstice  to  the  end  of  the  current  month,  no  matter 
whether  a  month  of  29  or  of  30  days,  and  no  notice  was 
taken  of  any  remainder  exceeding  12.  Thus  if  the  winter 
solstice  fell  on  the  24th  of  11th  month  of  30  days,  the 
following  6th  month  would  be  reduplicated. 

(4) — Selection  of  a  month  under  which  the  following 
conditions  would  be  fulfilled: — That  the  winter  solstice 
shall  always  fall  in  the  11th  month,  the  summer  solstice  in 
the  5th  month,  the  vernal  equinox  in  the  2nd  month,  and 
the  autumnal  equinox  in  the  8th  month.     Alsa,  that  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  Ill 

month  intercalated  shall  he  one  during  which  the  sun 
does  not  pass  from  one  sign  of  the  zodiac  to  another  ;  and 
provided  always  that  the  1st,  11th,  and  12th  moons  be 
never  reduplicated.  [By  a  mistake  the  intercalary  month 
for  the  year  1813  was  calculated  for  the  8th  moon,  hut  as 
this  brought  the  winter  solstice  into  the  10th  month,  the 
Emperor  cancelled  the  calculation  and  made  the  2nd 
moon  of  the  following  year  the  intercalary  month  instead, 
which  fulfilled  all  the  conditions  required.] 

INYITATIONS  (CHINESE) :  If  declined,  should  be  sent 
back  in  the  original  envelope,  with  an  ordinary  visiting 
card  bearing  the  two  characters  ^  |^  tz'ii-hsieh, 
"declined  with  thanks."  If  accepted,  should  be  kept 
and  taken  with  the  guest  for  presentation  to  the  host. 
In  neither  case  is  any  formal  answer  expected. 

I-RO-HA  KANA.  A  form  of  Japanese  writing  said  to 
have  been  invented  by  Kukai,  a  Buddhist  priest  who  died 
A.D.  835.  It  was  an  attempt  to  assimilate  the  letters  as 
much  as  possible  to  the  Bonji  {i.e.  Pali)  used  in  the 
sacred  books  of  the  Buddhists. 

ISHI-DORO  i^j^M'     ^  stone  lamp.     [Japanese]. 

JADE  :  3£  Yu  (said  to  mean  the  gem  par  excellence).  A 
species  of  nephrite,  the  green  and  white  kind  of  which 
(g^  z^  fei  ts'ui,  kingfisher  plumes)  is  highly  valued  by 
the  Chinese.  Bings,  bracelets,  vases,  and  various  other 
ornaments  are  made  of  this  stone,  which  is  also  largely 
imitated.  The  Chinese  word  is  extensively  employed  in 
ceremonious  language;  e.g.,  3S  g^  '^ jade  (i.e.,  honour- 
able) person"  and  '^ -§^  3£  Sit  '^do  not  spare  your 
jade  footsteps,"  i.e.,  ''come  and  see  me,"  etc.,  etc.,  jade 
being  considered  as  emblematical  of  most  of  the  virtues, 


112  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

and  as  a  product  of  Heaven  and  Earth.  Whole  ship-loads 
of  it  have  been  brought  as  ballast  from  other  countries  to 
China,  but  have  found  no  market,  the  Chinese  declaring 
that  it  was  not  the  same  article  as  their  own,  which  comes 
from  the  mountain-ranges  of  Tibet. 

JAMBARREE.  A  festive  party,  involving  much  noise. 
[Slang.]     Analysed  by  a  wag  at  Swatow  : — 

Alcohol 75  parts. 

Vox  humana 24     „ 

Water 1     „ 

JAPAN  :  0  2JSC— Sun  Root.  Hence  it  is  called  ''  Land  of 
the  Rising  Sun,''  the  extreme  Orient.  Our  word  is  from 
Jeh-pun,  the  Dutch  orthography  of  the  Japanese  Ni-pon, 
as  represented  by  the  above  two  Chinese  characters. 

Formerly  known  to  the  Chinese  as  Wo  ^,  which  cha- 
racter was  altered  by  the  Japanese  to  ^.  Also  called 
W  ®  ^^®  nation  of  gods,  and  ^  Q  the  Imperial  nation. 
[See  Nipon  and  Yamato.l 

The  Chinese  language  and  Confucian  books  were  in- 
troduced into  Japan  in  the  3rd  century  of  our  era. 
Diplomatic  relations  between  China  and  Japan  began 
about  the  end  of  the  6th  century,  and  continued  for  some 
time  under  the  T*ang  dynasty.  Kublai  Khan  sent  an 
armada  against  Japan  in  A.D.  1281.  It  was  destroyed 
in  a  storm,  aided  by  the  attacks  of  the  Japanese,  and  only 
3  men  out  of  100,000  are  said  to  have  escaped. 

JEHOL :  ^  '/rJ  hot  river.  A  summer  residence  of  the 
Emperors  of  China,  lying  about  100  miles  north  of  Pe- 
king, beyond  the  Great  Wall,  and  built  in  1780  on  the 
model  of  the  residence  of  the  Panshen  Erdeni  (^'.i'.)  at 
Tashilumbo  in  Tibet,  when  that  functionary  proceeded  to 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE.  113 

Peking  to  be  present  on  the  seventieth  anniversary  of  the 
Emperor  Ch'ien  Lung's  birthday.  It  was  here  that  the 
Emperor  Hsien  Feng  died  in  18G2,  subsequent  to  the 
capture  of  Peking  by  the  British  and  French  forces.  Our 
name  is  an  imitation  of  the  Chinese  sounds,  through  the 
French,  the  final  being  due  to  the  French  transliteration 
of  the  Peking  ^  eul,  which  is  usually  added  in  the  north 
to  the  two  characters  given  above. 

JESUITS,  THE.  The  highly-educated  Romish  mission 
aries  of  that  particular  society  who  resided  at  Peking  during 
the  seventeenth  and  part  of  the  eighteenth  centuries,  and 
employed  themselves  chiefly  in  the  translation  of  scientific 
works,  in  teaching  astronomy,  etc.,  etc.  Matteo  Ricci 
and  Adam  Schaal  are  among  the  most  famous. 

JENCHUAN:  ^  )\\.  A  Prefecture  in  Korea,  in  which 
is  situated  the  port  of  Chemulpo  (q.v.). 

JEWS:  ^jE  ^  ^  THaO'chin-chiao— sect  of  those  who 
take  out  the  sinew.  Are  said  to  have  carried  the  Penta- 
teuch to  China  shortly  after  the  Babylonish  captivity. 
They  founded  a  colony  in  Honan  under  the  Han  dynasty 
iq.v.)  if  not  earlier.  Erected  a  synagogue  at  K'ai-feng  Fu 
in  A.D.  1164.  Were  discovered  by  Ricci  (see  Jesuits) 
in  the  17th  century.  Hebrew  rolls  of  parts  of  the 
Pentateuch  in  the  square  character,  with  vowel  points, 

were  obtained  in  1850.  The  Jews  are  mentioned  in  the 
Hist,   of  the    Yuan  (Mongol)  Dynasty,   1329  and  1354 

A.D.,  as  7|L  i^i,  the  equivalent  of  the  Chaldaean  Jehud. 

JIGGY  JIGaY  or  JIKI  JIKI :  it  if.  Japanese  equi- 
valent for  "make  haste !" 

JIMMU  TENNO.  The  first  Mikado  of  Japan  (7th  cent. 
B.C.),  with  whose  reign  the  historical  period  begins. 

JINGAL.  The  Chinese  blunderbuss.  From  the  Hindu- 
stani jangdl,  a  swivel,  a  large  musket.     Generally  fired  in 


114  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENCE. 

China  from  a  swivel  fixed  on  a  wall  or  in  a  wooden  post, 
but  sometimes  with  the  barrel  resting  on  a  second  man's 
shoulder,  in  which  case  it  is  called  a  ^  §^  t'ai  chHang. 

"  There  is  very  little  recoil  with  these  weapons,  as  they 
''weigh  about  twenty  pounds,  and  the  charge  is  not 
"rammed  home,  but  just  dropped  down  the  muzzle." — 
Shanghai  Courier. 

JINRICKSHA  or  JINRIKISHA:  A  ;^  $— the  man's 
strength  cart.  A  small  gig,  invented  about  1872  and 
constructed  to  carry  one  or  more  persons,  drawn  by  a 
coolie  in  shafts  and  sometimes  pushed  by  another  from 
behind.  From  the  Japanese  pronunciation  of  the  above 
three  characters.  Now  largely  used  in  Shanghai,  Hong- 
kong, Amoy,  and  some  Indian  hill  stations.  The 
Japanese  name  is  Kuruma  ''  a  vehicle,"  and  the  coolie  is 
called  Kurumaya, 

JOHN  TUCK.  A  slang  name  for  the  Viceroy  at  Canton, 
being  the  corruption  of  Tsung-tuh  ^^g  ^,  Governor 
General,  as  pronounced  by  the  sailors  of  H.  B.  M.'s  fleet 
during  the  occupation  of  Canton. 

JON-NUKfi.  The  famous,  but  immodest,  "  lorfeit  dance," 
as  performed  by  Japanese  girls,  who  pay  forfeit  for  any 
failure  to  imitate  each  other's  gestures  when  challenged  by 
a  loud  "  Hoi !",  by  throwing  off  one  article  of  clothing 
each  time,  until  nothing  remains,  when  they  disappear 
behind  a  curtain  at  the  back.  Part  of  the  performance 
consists  of  singing  a  song,  beginning  with  the  words  "  Jon- 
kino,  jon-kino." 

JOO-EE  or  JU-I :  ^H  j^ — as  you  desire.  A  kind  of 
sceptre  often  given  as  a  present  among  the  Chinese,  and 
signifying  that  the  recipient  will  attain  his  wishes.  To 
be  seen  in  the  hands  of  idols  at  Chinese  temples.     The 

^  (iK^   ^OaJ^J    W./Wif  We*|    Y<'^ 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENGE.  115 

term  is  sometimes  used  by  Chinese  shop-keepers  as  a  shop- 
sign  ;  e.g.  $0  ^  ■f0;  "  as  you  wish  stockings  (sold  here)/' 
The  Buddhist  Mani  ^  ^,  a  gem  which  was  said  to 
remain  always  brilliant,  was  called  the  Ju-i  Pearl.  It  is 
enumerated  as  one  of  the  Seven  Precious  Things. 

JO-RO  :  "^  ^P.  A  prostitute  [Japanese].  So  Joroya  a 
house  of  ill  fame. 

JOSS.  A  Chinese  idol ;  also  applied  to  the  Christian  God- 
The  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  Portuguese  Deos,  God. 

JOSS-HOUSE.  A  Chinese  temple ;  e.g.,  the  "Treaty 
Joss-house^'  where  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin  was  signed. 
Also  used  by  the  natives  to  designate  all  foreign  churches 
and  chapels. 

JOSS-HOUSE  MEN.  Missionaries  are  so  called  by  pid- 
gin-English speaking  Chinese.  , 

JOSS-PAPER,  Pieces  of  gold  and  silver  paper  worked 
into  the  form  of  shoes  of  sycee  (q.v.)  and  burnt  by  the 
Chinese  at  masses  for  the  dead,  before  the  shrine  of  the 
God  of  Wealth  (|t  W^)  etc.,  etc. 

JOSS-PIDGIN.  Any  form  of  religious  ceremony,  foreign 
or  native,  including  cracker-firing,  processions,  etc.  etc. 

JOSS-STICK.  A  stick  of  incense  made  from  the  dust 
of  various  scented  woods  mixed  with  a  little  clay,  and 
used  in  temples  for  worship,  in  houses  for  lighting  pipes, 
etc.  Some  for  the  latter  purpose  are  prepared  so  as  to 
hang  over  a  wire  frame  in  a  spiral  form ;  and  being 
lighted  at  the  bottom,  burn  slowly  upwards  and  last  for 
many  hours.  Carefully  regulated  joss-sticks  for  marking 
the  time  are  sold  at  the  famous  "Water  Clock''  in  the 
city  of  Canton. 

JUDICIAL  PROCEDURE.     In  the  case,  for  instance,  of 


116  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

a  murder,  a  preliminary  investigation  is  held  before  the 
District  Magistrate,  and  if  there  is  sufficient  evidence 
against  the  accused,  he  is  committed  for  trial  before 
the  Prefect.  If  the  Prefect  confirms  the  view  of  the 
Magistrate,  the  case  is  sent  on  to  the  Provincial  Judge  ; 
and,  similarly,  by  him  to  the  Fu-t'ai  or  Governor.  The 
Oovernor  then  holds  a  trial  and  reports  to  the  Board  of 
Punishments  in  Peking,  and  the  Board  lays  the  case 
before  the  Emperor.  The  Emperor  commands  the  Board 
to  examine  and  report;  and  if  the  Governor's  view  is 
confirmed,  the  latter  receives  instructions  to  that  effect. 
Otherwise,  the  case  is  referred  back  for  reconsideration, 
the  Governor  usually  getting  a  strong  hint  as  to  the 
direction  his  reconsideration  is  expected  to  take.  He 
himself  refers  back  to  his  subordinates,  and  so  on. 

JUDY.     Slang  term  for  a  Chinese  courtesan. 

JULAI.     See  Tathdgata.. 

JUNK.  According  to  Ibn  Batuta,  only  the  larger  kind  of 
Chinese  sailing-vessels  should  be  so  called ;  but  the  term 
is  now  used  of  all  sea-going  boats  and  of  the  more  bulky 
of  the  river  craft.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  single  junks 
are  rarely  seen  at  sea ;  they  generally  sail  in  pairs,  even 
down  to  the  small  fishing-junks  which  ply  their  trade 
along  the  coast,  the  object  being  no  doubt  that  of  mutu- 
ally rendering  assistance.  Probably  from  the  Javanese 
jung,  which  means  a  large  boat. 

KABAYA.     The  long  upper  dress  worn  by  Malay  women 

and  largely  adopted  as  a  deshabille  by  the  Dutch  ladies 

in  Java. 
KAGO :    ^  ^ — riding    basket.     A    bamboo    palanquin 

formerly  used  in  Japan,  but  now  superseded  by  the  jinri- 

hisha  (q.v.). 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE.  117 

KAKI.     The  Japanese  name  for  persimmon  (q-v.). 

KAKKE  :  ^  ^ — Foot  humour.  The  Japanese  name  for 
Beriberi  (said  to  be  a  Cingalese  word  meaning  "  weak- 
ness'^). A  locally  endemic  disease,  probably  of  a  malarial 
character,  showing  itself  in  two  forms,  the  dropsical,  and 
the  atrophic  (the  so-called  wet  and  dry  forms).  It  is  now 
believed  to  consist  essentially  in  a  multiple  degenerative 
inflammation  of  the  nerves. 

KALPA :  i|5  JK-  [Sanscrit.].  An  immense  period  of 
time.  A  ''great''  Kalpa=l,344,000,000  years,  or  80 
small  kalpas. 

KALMUCK  TART AES.  See  Tartars  smdiEleuth  Mongols. 

KAMI :  ]0.  A  god  or  spirit  of  the  ancient  religion 
(Sintoo)  of  Japan. 

KANA  :  j^  ^ — borrowed  words.  Contraction  for  Kari- 
na.  Chinese  characters  used  phonetically  to  represent 
Japanese  sounds.  These  are  of  two  kinds ;  Katahana  and 
Hirahana  (q.v.). 

KANG-  or  K'ANG  :  ^.  A  brick  bed,  with  a  fire  under- 
neath it.    Used  all  over  the  more  northern  parts  of  China. 

KANG-URA  FUYE.  The  Japanese  flute.  Koma  fuye  is 
the  Korean  flute. 

KANa  HI  or  K'ANG  HSI :  J^  ,^— lasting  and  pros- 
perous. The  style  of  reign  adopted  by  the  second 
monarch  of  the  present  dynasty,  A.D.  1662 — 1723.  It 
was  under  the  auspices  of  this  Emperor  that  the  great 
Chinese  lexicon  was  compiled  which  is  known  as  the 
K'ang  Hsi  Tzu  Tien.  Twenty  specimens  of  the  cash  {q.v.) 
cast  by  this  Emperor  have  each  a  different  character  on 
the  reverse,  which,  read  in  the  proper  order,  form  a 
poetical  quatrain.  Complete  sets  of  these  are  now  rather 
rare.    £See  Lohan.} 


118  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENGE, 

KANSUH :  "^  ^ — voluntary  reverence.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces,  Capital  city  Lan-chou  Fu  j^  ^j^l  jfj. 
Old  name  ^g,,  Lung. 

KAO-LIANG  :  jg  M— tall  millet.  The  Sorghum  vulgar e 
or  Barbadoes  millet. 

KAOLIN  :  'gg  j^ — high  ridge.  A  strong,  infusible  material 
which  endures  great  heat.  It  forms  an  important  ingre- 
dient in  all  kinds  of  porcelain.  So  called  from  the  name 
of  a  ridge  of  hills  near  a  great  porcelain  factory  in 
Kiangsi.  It  is  made  from  decomposed  granite,  reduced  to 
an  impalpable  powder,  and  then  formed  into  a  paste. 

KATAKANA:  >r  1^  ^—side-borrowed  words.  (See 
Kana.)  A  form  of  Japanese  writing  derived  from  the 
Chinese,  only  a  part  of  each  character  being  taken.  It 
consists  of  48  symbols,  and  is  seen  only  in  conjunction 
with  Chinese  characters  {kaisho).  By  some  said  to  be 
more  ancient  than  the  Hirakana  {q.v.) ;  by  others,  to  have 
been  introduced  simultaneously,  towards  the  beginning  of 
the  9th  century.  Little  used  except  in  dictionaries  for 
explanatory  purposes,  to  express  grammatical  terminations, 
and  to  spell  foreign  names. 

KAUTCHEWS  The  people  from  ^  f]]  Kau-tchew  (in 
mandarin  Kao-chou)  to  the  south-west  of  the  Kuang-tung 
province.  They  emigrate  in  large  numbers  to  the  Straits* 
Settlements. 

KAY-TOW :  ^  g§— head  of  the  strangers.  An  employer 
of  Chinese  labour  in  the  Straits. 

KEIBU  :  ^  Hp.     A  Japanese  sergeant  of  police. 

KELUNG  :  lllj  fi  or  S  1^  or  H  ^.  Subsidiary  port 
to  Tamsui  at  the  north  end  of  Formosa,  opened  to  trade 
by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  1858.  Was  once  a  a  Spanish 
and  subsequently  a  Dutch  settlement.     Coal  is  found  in 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENCE.  119 

the  neighbourhood.     The  name  Kelung  was  once  applied 

to  the  whole  island  of  Formosa. 
KEN:   ^.     Japanese  term  for  a  "district.''     Equivalent 

to  the  Chinese  hsien  (q.v.) 
KEN :  ^.    A  measure  of  six  Japanese  feet  (=71 J  inches). ' 
KENCHO  :  ^M'     ^  Japanese  magistrate's  office. 
KENREI :  ^^.     A  Japanese  District  Magistrate. 
KHALKAS,  THE  :  B§  ^  n§.  The  Khalka  nation  comprises 

those  tribes  of  Mongols  which,   owing  probably  to  their 

remoteness,  maintained  to  a  late  date  their  independence 

of  the  Manchu  sovereignty. 
KHAMBALU.   From  Khampalik  or  Khan  haligh,  the  city 

of  the  Khan.     The  Mongol  name  for  what  is  now  the 

Tartar  portion   of  the   city   of   Peking.     Mentioned  by 

Marco  Polo  as  Cambaluc. 
KHAN  :    Pif  fP  or  more  often  ^  and  ff.    A  Mongolian 

term  for  "  prince." 

The  Pathan  Mahommedans  in  India  are  called  *'Khan." 
KHATA  or  KHADAK.     Ceremonial  scarves  interchanged 

between  a  Mongol  host  and  guest. 
KHATEEB.     See  Billal 
KHUTUKHTU.     See  Hutuhhtu. 
KIANGNAN.     The  old  name  of  Anhui  and  Kiangsu.    See 

Two  Kiang. 
KIANGSI :  */X  gS— west  of  the  river.     One  of  the  Eight- 
een Provinces.     Capital  city  Nan-ch*ang  Fu  ^  j^  jfj. 

Old  name  '^  ^^  Yu-  chang 
KIANG-SU :  iJL  M-     One    of   the  Eighteen   Provinces. 

From  the  first  syllables  of  Kiang-ning  Fu  JJL  ^  j^,  the 

capital,  and  Su-chou  Fu  ^  f]]  j^,  the  celebrated  city  of 

beautiful  women.     Old  name  ^  Wu. 
KIAO-TCHI  or  GIAO-TCHI :  ^  j&t.     A  name  formerly 

believed  to  have  been  given  by  the  Chinese  to  the  inhabi- 


120  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBEFGE. 

tants  of  CocTiiii-China  (q.v.)  because  in  that  country  the 
sexes  bathed  together.  Now  ascertained  to  be  a  native 
name  for  the  aborigines  of  Annam,  derived  from  the 
separation  of  their  big  toes  from  the  rest  of  the  foot,  like 
thumbs. 
KIEN  LUNG.     See  Gh'ien  Lung. 

KI-LI-SStj-TANG  :  S  ^J  t^f  w  •  The  Roman  Catholic 
pass-word  among  converts  in  China,  being  an  imitation  of 
the  Latin  Ghristianus.  Thus,  *^  Lao- tang"  (the  last  syl- 
lable with  "  old"  prefixed)  is  used  as  a  form  of  address 
among  native  converts,  as  opposed  to  ''  Lao  Pai"  or  '^  Old 
Gentile,"  the  Fai  representing  the  first  syllable  of  Pontius 
Pilate's  name. 

KILIN  or  CH^-LIN  (in  Japanese  Kirin) :  ^  ^.  One 
of  the  four  fabulous  creatures  of  China,  generally  trans- 
lated "unicorn."  Said  to  have  appeared  just  previous 
to  the  death  of  Confucius.  The  Spring  and  Autumn 
Annals  (q-v.)  end  with  the  record  of  this  fact.  An  attempt 
has  been  made  by  foreign  scholars  to  identify  the  K.  with 
the  giraffe. 

KIMONO.     A  long  robe  with  sleeves,   open  in  front  and 

folding ;  worn  by  Japanese  of  both  sexes,  with  a  girdle. 
KIN  :  /f.     A  catty  {q.v.) 
KING,  THE.     See  Ghing. 
KINGHITAO.     See  Seoul. 
KINSATSZ :  ^  ^\j.     Japanese  bank  notes  first  issued  in 

1868,  when  the  daimios  who  overthrew  the  Tycoon  found 

it  necessary  to  raise  a  loan. 
KINSAY  or  QUINSAY:  p^  ^ffi— Capital.      The  modern 

city  of  Hang-chou  Fu,  the  capital  of  the   empire   at   the 

time  of  the  Sung  dynasty.     Kinsay  is  a  corruption  of  the 

sounds  of  the  above  two  characters. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE,  121 

KIOTO  or  KIYOTO  :  ^^.  a  chief  city  of  Japan.  For- 
merly the  residence  of  the  Mikado.     See  Tohio. 

KIRGHIS  or  KASAKS.  Nomads  who  inhabit  the  great 
desert  lying  between  Siberia,  China,  Turkestan,  and  the 
Caspian  Sea.  Kir  means  field,  and  gis  or  gez  is  the  root 
of  the  word  gizmelt  to  wander.  Hence,  Kirghis  is  a  man 
that  wanders  over  fields  :  a  nomad. 

KIRIN :  ■§  ^ — joyful  forest.  One  of  the  Manchurian 
provinces. 

KITTYSOL.  The  Chinese  bamboo-made  umbrella  is  so 
called.     From  the  Portuguese  quitasol. 

KIUKlANGr:  JltlL—(l)  nine  rivers;  (2)  crooked  river, 
from  the  shape  of  the  character  yL-  One  of  the  ports  on 
the  Yang-tsze,  opened  to  trade  by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin, 
1858,  though  not  occupied  until  1861.  It  lies  near  the 
outlet  of  the  Poyang  ^p  ^  lake,  with  which  certain 
Chinese  commentators  have  wrongly  identified  the  *^  nine 
rivers"  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  History  (^  ^ — Tri- 
bute of  Yii).  These  were  believed  by  the  scholars  of  the 
Sung  dynasty  to  refer  to  the  Tung-t^ing  lake,  a  view  fully 
confirmed  by  Baron  von  Hichthofen  in  his  recent  work  on 
China.     [Etymology  No.  2  is  of  course  absurd.] 

KaUNG-CHOW :  ^  )M^— red  marble  region.  A  port  in 
the  I.  of  Hainan,  opened  to  trade  by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin, 
1858,  but  not  formally  occupied  until  1876.  It  was 
proposed  in  Sir  R.  Alcock's  unratified  Convention  of  1869 
to  substitute  Wenchow  (q.v.)  as  more  likely  to  be  a  pro- 
fitable centre  of  trade. 

KLINGS,  THE.  The  common  term  in  the  Straits'  Settle- 
ments for  all  Indians.  (See  Chetties.)  The  German  tra-^ 
veller,  Jagar,  suggested  Telinga,  a  part  of  the  Coromandel 
coast,  as  the  original  word  of  which  Kling  may  be  a 
corruption. 


122      A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

KNIFE  MONEY:  JJ  ^.  Some  of  the  earliest  Chinese 
coins,  dating  as  far  back  as  2^000  and  more  years  before 
Christ,  were  cast  in  the  shape  of  a  razor  blade ;  hence  the 
name.  Genuine  specimens  of  "  knife  money  "  are  exceed- 
ingly rare  and  much  prized  by  Chinese  numismatists ;  but 
the  market  is  flooded  with  spurious  imitations  of  all  kinds. 

KNOTTED  COEDS  :  ^  M'  Said  to  have  been  used  by 
primitive  man  in  China  before  the  invention  of  writing ; 
but  how  or  to  what  extent,  there  is  no  record  to  show. 

KOBANG :  >J>  ^ij — small  division.  A  Japanese  gold  coin 
equal  to  4  bus  (q.v.). 

KO-CHO :  ^  ]^.  The  superintendent  of  a  street  or  block 
in  a  Japanese  town.     (Cf.  Chinese  ti-pao). 

KODSKI :  /!>  iH.     A  servant.     [Japanese.] 

KORU :  W\  or  ^.  A  Japanese  grain  measure=5.13 
bushels. 

KOKUSHI :  ®  "^ .  The  title  of  the  eighteen  principal 
Daimios  {q.v.)  of  Japan. 

KO-LAO  SOCIETY :  ^  ^  #— elder  brother  society. 
One  of  the  numerous  secret  fraternities  of  China,  member- 
ship of  which  is  strictly  forbidden  by  the  Government,  and 
is  punished  on  discovery  by  death.  Fenal  Code,  Bk.  II., 
Sect.  162. 

The  arrest  and  execution  of  an  individual  found  guilty 
of  connection  with  the  secret  Brotherhood  known  as  the 
Ko  Lao  Hwei. — Peking  Gazette,  8  Sep.  1877. 

KONG :  ^.     A  large  glazed  earthen  jar  for  holding  water. 

KONGSI  or  KONGSEE :  ^  "^ .  Company  or  guild.  An 
association  of  Chinese  formed  for  purposes  of  mutual 
protection,  etc. 

KOOSBEGE  :  "  lord  of  the  family."  A  title  bestowed  in 
1847  upon  Yakoob  Beg,  and  equivalent  to  "  Yiziei\'' 

KOREA.     An  imitation  of  the  sounds  Kao  U  0j^  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE,  123 

common  Chinese  name  for  this  country  [j^  was  formerl 

written  ^  a  quiver^. 

It  is  incorrect  to  speak  of  the  Korea,  which  is  merely  a 

word-for-word  rendering  of  the  French  La  Koree,  just  in 

the  same  way  as  it  is  strictly-speaking   wrong   to  say  the 

Tyrol. 

Otherwise  known  as  ^  ^  Chaosien,  a  name  adopted 
towards  the  close  of  the  14th  century,  from  the  name  of  a 
district  in  the  north-west  of  the  peninsula,  signifying 
the  country  nearest  to  the  rising  sun.  The  Koreans 
themselves  employ  both  names,  the  official  designation 
being  Chaosien.  The  Japanese  pronunciation  of  this 
name  is  Chosen. 

The  kingdom  of  Korea,  now  for  many  centuries  a 
vassalage  of  the  Chinese  empire,  is  said  (but  without 
foundation)  to  have  been  established  about  1100  B.C.  It 
is  known  in  the  historical  annals  as  Han  ^^,  the  name  of 
the  Three  States  which  formerly  divided  the  Korean 
peninsula,  until  one  of  them,  Ko-rye,  absorbed  the  other 
two,  about  the  close  of  the  11th  cent.  A.D.  Hence  the 
name  Korea.  In  A.D.  1392,  the  capital  was  fixed  at 
Han-yang  g^  ^  or  Seoul  (which  means  capital),  and 
the  country  was  divided  into  8  provinces,  80  districts,  and 
360  cities.  Korea  was  conquered  by  the  Chinese  under  the 
T^ang  dynasty,  and  has  remained  more  or  less  in  subjection 
ever  since.  The  population  is  estimated  at  7  to  8  millions; 
including  islands,  15  millions. 

Korea  was  visited  by  Henrik  Hamel,  a  Dutchman,  in 
1653,  and  since  then  by  voyagers  of  various  nationalities. 
In  1866,  a  French  expedition  to  avenge  the  murder  of  some 
priests  was  repulsed.  In  1868,  an  American  expedition, 
said  to  be  of  a  filibustering  character  in  connection  with 
treasure  hidden  in  some  mausoleum,   returned  without 


124  •    A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENGE. 

haviog  accomplished  anything.  In  1835,  two  Catholic 
missionaries  entered  the  country,  and  many  have  since 
maintained  an  incognito  there  by  the  adoption  of  mourning, 
which'completely  covers  the  face,  and  in  the  case  of  a  noble 
exempts  the  mourner  from  all  stoppages  and  questionings 
at  Customs'  barriers,  etc. 

Chinese  is  the  official  language  of  Korea,  but  procla- 
mations appear  in  Chinese  and  Korean,  side  by  side.  The 
native  language  is  alphabetic,  having  11  vowels  and  14 
consonants.  It  is  written  vertically,  from  left  to  right, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  invented  about  the  8th  or 
9th  century  of  our  era  by  a  learned  Buddhist  priest 
named    ^  ^^^.    Pi-tsung 

KOTOW  or  KOW-TOW  or  KOTOO  :  ^  fi|  and  PP  g| 
— knock  the  head.  The  ceremony  of  prostration  common 
in  China.  Chiefly  performed  (1)  before  the  Emperor 
(three  kneelings,  nine  knockings  zn^yLPP),  (2)  before 
any  mandarin  as  H.  I.  M.'s  representative,  (3)  in  religious 
ceremonies,  (4)  to  friends  and  relatives  seen  for  the  first 
time  after  the  death  of  one's  father  or  mother,  (5)  by 
inferiors  to  superiors  as  a  humble  apology,  and  in  some 
other  cases.  Our  word  is  an  imitation  of  the  Chinese 
sounds. 

KOU-LAN  HU-T'UNG  :  '^  1^  |5  ||i— enclosure  street, 
or  houses-of-ill-fame  street.  The  name  of  a  street  in 
Peking,  part  of  which  was  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Inspector-General  of  Maritime  Customs  and  his  staff. 
For  the  meaning  of  this  term,  as  commonly  understood  by 
jail  educated  Chinese,  seethe  ^^fiJ^. 

''The  correct  form  is  '^  ^,  and  I  think  there  can  be 
"  little  if  any  doubt  that  the  name  is  a  vestige  of  the 
"  Yoshiwara  {q.v.)  of  the  Mongol  period."     Mayers, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE.  125 

"Witli  this  term  may  be  compared  the  signification  of 
Shameen  (q.v.)  it  being  worthy  of  note  that  both  localities 
have  been  set  apart  for  the  use  of  foreigners. 

KOUMISS :  .%^'Mor^  g§.  An  ardent  spirit  dis- 
tilled chiefly  from  mare's  milk,  and  largely  consumed  by 
the  Mongols.  Said  to  be  beneficial  in  some  forms  of 
phthisis. 

KOXINGA  or  KOSHINGA :  gj  j0^  fR— Lord  of  the 
country's  families.  The  celebrated  chieftain  p|)  ^  355, 
who  expelled  the  Dutch  from  Formosa  in  1662.  Koxinga 
is  derived  from  the  Portuguese  method  of  writing  the  first 
three  characters  given,  a  title  by  which  this  leader  was 
commonly  known. 

KEIS.  Pronounced  krees  or  creese.  A  dagger  of  irregular 
shape,  worn  by  the  Malays  in  a  sheath  at  the  girdle. 
That  a  mere  scratch  may  be  effective,  it  is  occasionally 
kept  poisoned  ;  and  streaks  of  blood  upon  it  are  carefully 
preserved  as  honourable  marks.  Its  blade  is  wavy  oi 
flame-shaped,  from  1  to  IJ  inches  wide  and  from  14  to  18 
inches  in  length,  capable  of  inflicting  a  dreadful  wound. 
The  finer  specimens  are  often  beautifully  damascened. 
Etiquette  demands  that  during  a  friendly  interview  the 
kris  should  be  concealed  and  the  handle  turned  with  the 
point  close  to  the  body ;  otherwise  it  is  exposed,  with  the 
handle  turned  the  reverse  way.  The  Kris  panjang  and 
the  Kris  pandah  are  the  long  and  short  kinds,  respectively. 

KUANQ-HSI:  R  ffl.  The  western  division  of  the 
ancient  j^  7p|.  One  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital 
city  Kuei-lin  Fu  ^  /|)JC  )fj,  or  Cassia-forest;  so  called 
from  the  cassia  which  grows  in  the  neighbourhood.  Old 
name  -^  @5  Yueh-hsi. 

KUANG  HSU  or  KWANG  SU :  3fc  J^— brilliant  suc- 
cession.   The  style  of  reign  adopted  by  the  present  Em- 


126  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEHENOE. 

peror  of  China,  who  came  to  the  throne  in  1875,  aged 
four.  His  name  is  Tsai  THen  ^  ^jj^,  and  he  is  the  son 
of  the  Prince  of  Ch'^un,  ^,  familiarly  known  as  the 
"seventh  Prince,"  seventh  son  of  the  Emperor  Tao 
Kuang.  The  style  Kuang  Hsii  is  from  a  sentence  in  a 
State  paper  of  the  Sung  dynasty  :  jt^-^f^  *'  brilliantly 
renew  the  dynastic  succession." 

KUANG-TUNG :  ^  ^.  The  eastern  division  of  the 
ancient  ^  jy\.  One  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital 
city  Kuang-chou  Fu  Rj^Hlf^  (Canton).  Old  name -^^ 
YiieJi-tung. 

KUBLAI  KHAN :  M  iji"^  ?P-  The  founder  of  the 
Mongol  dynasty  in  China,  A.D.  1280.  Grandson  of 
Genghis  Khan. 

KIJ-CHO :  [^  ■§.  The  superintendent  of  one  of  the 
"  quarters"  or  parishes  (|S)  into  which  all  Japanese  towns 
and  cities  are  divided. 

KUGE  :  ^  ^ —  noble  family.  The  name  of  the  ancient 
nobility  of  Japan,  residing  at  Kiyoto  and  attached  to  the 
Court  of  the  Mikado,  as  opposed  to  the  territorial  nobles 
or  Daimios  {q.v.).  The  Kuge  are  hereditarily  noble,  by 
virtue  of  their  blood-relationship  (however  distant)  to  the 
Mikado. 

KU  JEN    See  Chii-jen. 

KU-LANG  SU :  MH^  lIlSI— drum-wave  island.  A  small 
island  to  the  west  of  the  harbour  of  Amoy,  nearly  3  miles 
in  circumference,  and  about  1  mile  in  length  by  J  mile  in 
breadth,  upon  which  stand  the  Consulates  and  private 
residences  of  merchants  and  others  connected  with  the 
trade  of  the  port.  The  name  "drum-wave"  has  been 
given  to  this  island  from  a  certain  drum-like  noise  made 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  127 

by  the  plashing  of  the  waves  at  a  particular  point  upon  its 
western  shore.     Upon  a  rock  near  the  German  Consulate, 
the  following  legend  is  carved  in  large  characters  : — 
'^Ku-lang-su  is  a  Paradise  upon  earth ; 
The  Egret  River  is  second  to  none." 
Chinese  population,  about  3,000. 

KUMPANI.     See  East  India  Company. 

KUMQUOT.     See  Gumquat, 

KUNG:  ^.     Tribute. 

KURA.     A  Japanese  "godown"  (q.v.) 

KUEUMA.     See  Jinricksha. 

KUWAZOKU :  ^  |^— noble  class.  The  modern  name 
of  the  Daimios  (q-V-). 

KWANTI:  ^  1^.  The  Chinese  Mars  or  God  of  War. 
A  celebrated  warrior,  named  Kuan  Yii  ^  ^,  who  lived 
at  the  close  of  the  second  and  beginning  of  the  third 
century  of  our  era.  Originally  a  hawker  of  bean-curd, 
he  was  one  of  the  three  heroes  who  entered  into  a 
confederacy  to  support  the  Han  dynasty  against  the 
rebellions  Yellow  Turbans.  He  played  a  leading  part  in 
the  wars  of  the  Three  Kingdoms  (see  San-huo-chih)  until 
he  was  finally  taken  prisoner  and  beheaded,  after  which  he 
was  canonized,  and  subsequently  (A.D.  1594)  raised  t(y 
the  rank  of  a  God.  A  particular  cash,  struck  during  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Ch'ien  Lung,  is  called  "Kwan  Ti's 
knife"  from  its  supposed  resemblance  to  that  weapon. 

KWAN-YIN  ;  §|  "g".  She  who  observes  or  pays  atten. 
tion  to  sounds  ;  i.e.,  she  who  hears  prayers.  The  Chinese 
Goddess  of  Mercy.  Sometimes  represented  in  white 
clothes  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  and  worshipped  by  those 
who  desire  offspring.  Corresponds  to  the  Avalokites  'vara 
of  Buddhism,  and  in  some  respects  to  the  Lucina  of  the 


128  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE, 

Romans.  Also  known  as  '^^~)^^^\  *^ great  mercy, 
great  pity;"  j|!c  "^  ^  ft  *' salvation  from  misery, 
salvation  from  woe;"  p  ^  '^ self-existent"  etc.  Bu; 
down  to  the  early  part  of  the  12th  century  Kwan-yin  was 
represented  as  a  man. 

KWEI-CHOW  or  KUEI-CHOU:  ;p;  jfl —noble  region. 
One  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital  city  Kuei-yang 
Fa^|§)i^.     Old  name  §^. 

KWEI-TSZE  or  KUEI-TZU  :  %  ^—devils.  A  Chinese 
term  for  foreigners.  Sometimes  used  in  ignorance,  and 
for  want  of  a  better  expression ;  but  usually,  as  an  insult. 
Mr  Alabaster  reports  that  once  when  travelling  in  the 
interior  he  was  politely  saluted  as  ^  'f'  JK  /v — His 
Excellency  the  Devil.     See  Devils  and  Barbarians. 

K'WI-K'WI  or  K'UAI-K'UAI.  '^t  ^|^.  Make  haste! 
[Mandarin.] 

KYFONG  :  ^  >^ — neighbourhood.     Any    portion    of  a 
Chinese  town,  even  the  whole  of  it,  as  in  Hongkong,  may 
.  be  called  a  Kyfong. 

"A  Kyfong  meeting  took  place  to-day." — China  Mail, 
16  Jan.  1878. 

LAC  or  LAKH.  A  Hindee  word,  meaning  100,000.  Cor- 
rectly written  lahh.     The  Malay  Zci&5a=10,000. 

LACQUER:  '^.  From  the  Arabic  lakJc,  A  lustrous, 
highly-polished  kind  of  wood-ware,  peculiar  to  China  and 
Japan.  This  lustre  is  due  to  the  use  of  the  sap  of  a  varnish- 
tree  {Rhus  vernicifera),  which  is  dissolved  in  spring-water 
and  mixed  with  oil  and  other  ingredients,  and  then  laid 
on  to  the  article  in  question  with  as  many  as  ten  or 
fifteen  applications  for  the  best  specimens.  The  lacquer 
made  in  Foochow  is  the  only  kind  which  can  compete 
with  the  Japanese ;  and  this  is  said  to  be  itself  of 
Japanese  origin. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  129 

LADRONES,  THE;  i.e.  *'The  Pirates."  The  group  of 
islands  which  includes  Hongkong  has  been  so  called,  in 
imitation  of  the  more  celebrated  group  discovered  by  the 
Portugese-Spanish  voyager  Magalhaens  in  1521,  and  for 
precisely  the  same  reason — the  piratical  disposition  of 
their  inhabitants. 

LAI-OK  :  ^  ^.  A  fast-sailing,  heavily-armed  boat,  built, 
expressly  for  smuggling  purposes,  at  Lai-ok  near  Canton  ; 
whence  the  name.  The  smugglers  were  protected  by 
shields,  from  behind  which  they  could  work  their  guns ; 
and  this  made  them  very  difficult  of  capture.  Their  boats 
have  now  disappeared,  their  very  existence  being  prohibited 
by  the  authorities. 

LALLY-LUNG  or  LA-LI-LOONG.  Pidgin  term  for  a 
thief.  Said  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Portuguese  Ladrao. 
See  Ladrones. 

LAMA :  0]  P§.  A  priest  of  the  Tibetan  form  of  Bud- 
dhism. This  word,  '^  according  to  the  Chinese,  has  the 
"meaning  of  wu  shang  ^  i.,  i.e.  ^unsurpassed'  or 
"  Vithout  a  superior.' " — Mayers.  Colonel  Yule,  on  the 
other  hand,  says  it  means  "  spiritual  teacher." 

LAMAISM.  The  form  of  Buddhism  prevailing  in  Mongolia 
and  Tibet.  "  Is  the  Romanism  of  the_,Buddhist  church." — 
Koep'pen. 

LAMA  MIAO  :  l$'J  %  )||.  (See  Bolon  Nor.)  A  famous 
mart  upon  the  plains  of  Mongolia,  so  called  because  of  the 
two  temples  (miao)  there. 

LANGSON  1^  ill  AFFAIR,  THE  :  which  resulted  in 
hostilities  between  France  and  China,  occurred  on  the 
23rd  June,  1884,  and  arose  out  of  an  alleged  breach  of  the 
Li-Fournier  Convention  (q.v.).  Colonel  Dugenne,  com- 
manding a  small  French  force,  was  marching  to  occupy 
Langson,  a  town  near  the  borders  of  Tonquin,  which  it 


/ 


130  A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

was  known  was  garrisoned  by   Chinese  regular  troops. 
According  to  the  official  report,   the  French  column  was 
fired  upon  a  day  or  two  before  it  reached  the  defile  where 
the   Chinese  opposed  the  advance  in  force,   but  it  was 
subsequently  contended  by  the   Chinese  that  this  firing 
was  by  banditti  not  under  the  control  of  the  mandarins. 
"When  Colonel  Dugenne  found  his  advance  opposed  by  a 
large    Chinese   force   some   parleying    took    place.     The 
French  themselves  admit  that  the  Chinese  asked  for  a 
delay  of  two  or  three  days  in  which  to  obtain  instructions 
and  to  evacuate  their  position.     Colonel  Dugenne  sent  an 
ultimatum  later  on  in  the  day  stating  he  would  continue 
his  march  forward  in  an  hour.     He  did  advance  at  the 
end  of  that  period,  the  result  being  that  his  column  was 
received   with  ^a  heavy   fire,    and  had  to  beat  a  hasty 
retreat. 
LAO  TZU:  -p^  ^— the  old  philosopher.     The  founder  of 
Taoism,  and  reputed  author  of  the  Tao  Te  Ghing  (q.v.). 
He  was  the  old  philosopher  of  China  par  excellence,   and 
fragments  of  his  wisdom  have  been  preserved  in  the  works 
of  Chuang  Tzu  as  well  as  in  the  treatise  mentioned  above. 
Had  an  interview  with  Confucius,  who  remarked  after- 
wards that  he  could  understand  the  flight  of  birds  and  the 
movement  of  fishes,  but  could  not  comprehend  Lao-tzii ; 
concluding  by  saying  that  he  could  only  compare  him 
with  the  dragon.     His  birth  has  been  fixed  at  B.C.  604. 
As  as  mythological  being,  he  is  known  as  the  Old  Boy, 
because  born  with  white  hair  and  eyebrows.     This  event 
took  place  at  the  village  of  Oppressed- virtue,  in  the  parish 
of  Cruelty,  in  the  district  of  Bitterness,  which  was  in  the 
state  of  Suffering.     His  mother  conceived  him  in  conse- 
quence of  the  emotion  she  felt  at  the  sight  or  a  falling 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  131 

star.  He  was  carried  in  the  womb  for  81  years,  and  had 
large  ears  with  three  orifices,  jagged  teeth,  a  square 
mouth,  and  ten  fingers  on  each  hand. 

LAO-YEH:  :^  f^— Old  father.  Equivalent  to  *^His 
Honour.'^  The  title  of  Chinese  officials  below  the  grade 
of  Subprefect.  Assistant  Subprefects,  Department  and 
District  Magistrates  are,  however,  accorded  by  courtesy 
the  higher  title  of  Ta-lao-yeh. 

LAEN-PIDGIN,  A.  An  apprentice  ''boy,"  who  attaches 
himself  to  a  household  with  a  view  of  learning  the  pidgin 
(q.v.)  required  of  a  servant  by  foreign  masters,  receiving 
little  or  no  wages  for  the  services  he  is  able  to  render. 

LASCAE,.  A  general  denomination  for  Indian  sailors. 
Used  among  the  Malays  in  the  sense  of  servant  or  slave, 
contemptuously  spoken.  Said  to  be  derived  originally 
from  a  Persian  word  meaning  army,  and  correctly  written 
Lashkar.  But  the  Pioneer  of  11th  December  1877  says 
this  term  "  is  probably  slang  for  Anglo-Indians.^' 

LEKIN.     SeeLihin. 

L^LANG  or  LELONG.  Used  in  the  Straits  for  an 
auction.     See  Ye-lang. 

LESSER  DEVELOPMENT.     See    Griater  Development 

LI:  M.  About  one  third  of  a  mile  English.  27f  li=10 
miles.  This  word  occurs  in  (Count)  Palikao,  which  is 
Pa-li-ch'iao  /\  H^  ^  "eight  li  bridge,"  the  name  of 
a  village  near  which  that  general  gained^  a  victory  over 
the  Chinese  in  the  campaign  of  1860. 

LI:  ^.  Abstract  right.  The  phrase  "I  don't  see  the  U 
(i.e.  the  force)  of  doing  so  and  so  "  is  not  unfrequently 
heard  among  foreigners  in  China. 

LI :  IflH-     Etiquette  ;  politeness. 

LIANG-  or  LEANG :  ^.     A  Chinese  ounce.    A  tael. 


132  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

LICHEE  or  LYCHEE:^;|$.  A  fruit  found  in  the 
south  of  China,  and  eaten  both  in  its  fresh  and  dried 
forms.  The ''foreign  lichee'*  §^^  is  the  custard- 
apple. 

LIE  TEA.  A  mixture  of  willow  and  other  spurious  leaf 
with  genuine  tea  leaf,  to  be  fraudulently  sold  as  tea.  The 
spurious  leaf  is  fired  and  carefully  manipulated  in  the 
same  way  as  the  genuine  leaf,  but  its  true  character  is 
easily  detected  by  a  tea-taster. 

LI-FAN  YUAN:  ^ill^— the  manage-feudatory-(states) 
office.  The  Chinese  "  Colonial  Office/'  now  replaced,  as 
far  as  western  nations  are  concerned,  by  the  Tsung-li 
Yamen  (q.v.)  Has  general  supervision  over  the  nomad 
tribes  of  Mongolia  and  other  dependencies  of  the  Chinese 
Empire. 

The  Russian  Treaty,  signed  at  Tientsin  in  1858,  con- 
tains (Art.  II.)  the  following  words : — "  Dorenavant  les 
''communications  entre  le  Grouvernement  supreme  de 
"  Russie,  et  le  Grouvernement  supreme  de  Chine,  ne  se 
"feront  plus  comme  cela  etait  jusqu' d  present,  par  le 
"Senat  d'une  part  et  le  Tribunal  Li-fan-yuan  de  Tautre 


LI-FOURNIER  CONVENTION,  was  a  settlement  of  the 
Franco-Chinese  difficulty  in  Tonquin,  drawn  up  and 
signed  at  Tientsin,  11th  May  1884,  by  H.  E.  Li  Hung- 
chang,  Viceroy  of  Chihli  and  Captain  Fournier  of  the 
Yolta.  The  Convention  provided  for  the  immediate 
withdrawal  of  the  Chinese  forces  from  Tonquin  ;  respect 
for  French  treaties  with  Annam  past  and  future ;  a  treaty 
of  commerce  opening  for  free  trading  in  merchandise,  with 
guarantees,  the  frontiers  common  to  Tonquin  and  China 
throughout  their  length ;  and  the  waiving  of  the  indemnity 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EJEFJEBENCE.  133 

claimed  by  France.  One  of  the  most  extraordinary 
diplomatic  incidents  on  record  occurred  in  connection  with 
this  Convention.  Captain  Fournier  drew  up  a  memor- 
andum, when  the  Convention  was  signed,  fixing  a  date 
for  the  evacuation  of  Tonquin  by  the  Chinese  troops. 
After  the  Langsou  affair  had  occurred  Li  Hung-chang 
officially  declared  that  Captain  Fournier  had  erased  the 
important  clause  relating  to  the  evacuation  in  this  memo- 
randum and  had  attached  his  initials  to  the  erasures.  A 
facsimile  of  the  memorandam  with  the  erasures  was 
published.  On  the  other  hand,  Captain  Fournier  declared 
on  his  honour  that  he  made  no  such  erasures,  and  he  has 
fought  a  duel  with  a  Parisian  journalist  who  commented 
on  his  declaration.  There  was  no  European  present  but 
Captain  Fournier  when  the  erasures  are  alleged  to  have 
been  made,  but  two  Chinese  officials  who  were  with  Li 
Hung-chang  at  the  time  have  placed  on  public  record 
their  corroboration  of  Li  Hung-chang's  declaration. 
Either  Li  Hung-chang  or  Captain  Fournier  must  have 
been  guilty  of  the  gravest  falsehood. 

LIKIN  or  LEKIN :  ^  ^ — thousandth  or  cash  money  ; 
from  li  the  thousandth  part  of  a  tael  {q.v.)  which  is 
nominally  one  cash  (q.v.),  and  kin  metal,  here  used  for 
money.  [Also  written  ^g  ^ — cash  contribution.]  A 
tax,  originally  of  one  cash  per  tael  on  all  sales,  voluntarily 
imposed  upon  themselves  by  the  people,  among  whom  it 
was  at  first  very  popular,  with  a  view  of  making  up  the 
deficiency  in  the  land-tax  of  China  caused  by  the  T'aip'ing 
and  Nienfei  troubles.  It  was  to  be  set  apart  for  military 
purposes  only — hence  its  common  name  "war-tax";  and 
was  said  by  the  Tsung-li  Yamen  to  be  adopted  merely  as 
a  temporary  measure.     Is  now  collected  at  rates  differing 


134  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

in  different  provinces  and  at  different  times.  The  Chefoo 
Agreement  {q.v.)  makes  the  area  of  the  Foreign  Conces- 
sions at  the  various  Treaty  ports  exempt  from  the  levy  of 
likin. 

"  Instead  of  abolishing  the  tax,  the  Chinese,  through 
*'  the  kind  offices  of  Sir  Thomas  Wade,  are  endeavouring 
"  to  legalize  it.'^ — Shanghai  Courier. 

LIN,  COMMISSIONER :  :^  ^\]  ^.  The  special  Com- 
missioner sent  by  the  Emperor  to  Canton  in  1839  to  put 
an  end  to  the  opium  trade.  These  orders  he  attempted 
to  carry  out  by  seizing  and  destroying  some  20,000  chests 
of  the  drug,  owned  by  foreigners,  an  act  which  led  to  the 
so  called  "  Opium  War"  of  1841-42.  While  in  office  he 
despatched  a  long  letter  to  Queen  Victoria,  calling  upon 
her  to  prohibit  the  export  of  opium  from  her  dominions 
to  China. 

LING  CHE  or  LING  CH^H :  }^  jg.  The  so-called 
"lingering  death,"  which  should,  strictly  speaking,  consist 
in  a  fearful  mutilation  of  the  limbs  before  giving  the  coup 
de  grace,  but  which  is  now  generally  modified  into  a  few 
cuts  on  the  body  just  before  decapitation.  Is  the  punish- 
ment for  parricide  and  similar  heinous  crimes.  Possibly 
the  victims  are  drugged  previous  to  the  operation.  At 
any  rate,  in  the  only  authentic  account  we  have  from  a 
foreign  eye-witness  (T.  T.  Meadows),  it  is  expressly  stated 
that  the  man  who  was  thus  sliced  to  death  was  not  heard 
to  ut^r  even  a  groan. 

LING-TOW :  ^  II— dragon's  head.  The  chief  landing- 
place  upon  the  I.  of  Koolangsu  (q-v.)  is  so  called,  being 
the  head  of  the  dragon  to  which  the  whole  island  is  said 
to  bear  some  resemblance. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  135 

LINGUISTS  :  ^  ^.  English-speaking  Chinese,  of  more 
or  less  capabilities,  employed  as  interpreters  for  the  local 
dialects.  The  intermediaries  of  trade  between  foreigners 
and  Chinese  in  the  old  days  were  so  called. 

LI'S  LAMBS.  A  satirical  term  applied  by  foreigners  to 
the  soldiers  under  the  command  ot  Li  Hung-chang,  Viceroy 
of  Chibli,  and  expressive  of  their  ferocity  towards  innocent 
tradesmen  rather  than  of  any  signal  prowess  on  the  battle- 
field. Of  late  years,  however,  Li  has  kept  his  "lambs" 
in  better  order,  and  has  prohibited  the  old  system  of 
plundering  shop-keepers,  etc.,  forbidding  even  opium- 
smoking,  and  punishing  the  first  offence  by  branding,  the 
second  by  death. 

LI  T'AI-POH:  ^JiC  Q .  A  celebrated  poet,  the  Anacreon 
of  China,  who  flourished  A.D.  669 — 762.  He  was  admitted 
to  a  close  intimacy  with  the  reigning  Emperor,  but  ulti- 
mately lost  favour  and  ended  his  days  in  obscurity.  The 
following  is  a  specimen  of  his  verse : — 

"What  is  life  after  all  but  a  dream  ? 

And  why  should  such  pother  be  made? 
Better  far  to  be  tipsy  I  deem. 

And  doze  all  day  long  in  the  shade. 

"When  I  wake  and  look  out  on  the  lawn, 

I  hear  midst  the  flowers  a  bird  sing : 
I  ask  "  Is  it  evening  or  dawn  ?  " 

The  mango-bird  whistles  "  Tis  spring !  " 

Overpowered  with  the  beautiful  sight. 

Another  full  goblet  I  pour, 
And  would  sing  till  the  moon  rises  bright. 

But  soon  I'm  as  drunk  as  before. 


136  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BIJFERENCE. 

LITEEAEY  CHANCELIOR.  ^  ft.  A  higli  provin- 
cial official,  specially  appointed  by  the  Emperor  to  super- 
intend the  advancement  of  learning  in  his  particular 
province.  Holds  annual  examinations  at  each  of  the  chief 
towns  therein  for  the  purpose  of  bestowing  the  degree  of 
Hsiu-ts'ai  or  B.A. 

LITERATI,  THE.  This  term,  while  really  including  all 
literary  men  of  no  matter  what  rank  or  standing,  is  more 
usually  confined  to  that  large  section  of  unemployed 
scholarship  made  up  of  (1)  those  who  are  waiting  to  get 
started  in  an  official  carrer,  (2)  those  who  have  taken  one 
or  more  degrees  and  are  preparing  for  the  next,  (3)  those 
who  have  failed  to  distinguish  themselves  at  the  public 
examinations  and  prefer  to  eke  out  a  small  patrimony  by 
taking  pupils  rather  than  engage  in  the  pettifoggings  of 
trade,  and  (4)  those  who,  though  possessed  of  sufficiently 
high  qualifications,  have  no  taste  for  official  life,  and  are 
in  a  position  to  pass  their  time  in  the  enviable  seclusion 
of  "  retired  scholars ''  ^  dt- 

LIVING  BUDDHA  :  f$  #.  A  popular  name  for  the 
Hutukhtu  iq.v.). 

LOCKS,  THE  RIYER  OF :  ^  M-  A  translation  of  a 
Chinese  name  for  the  Grand  Canal  (q.v.)  upon  which  there 
are  a  considerable  number  of  large  lochs,  each  being 
under  the  control  of  an  official  appointed  for  that  purpose. 

LOHAN:  ^  1^.  Same  as  Arhan.  ^'Lohan  cash"  were 
cast  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  K^ang  Hsi,  and  were  thus 
honourably  named  because  believed  to  contain  gold.  The 
character  for  HsI  appears  upon  them  in  its  proper  form 
P^  and  not  J^  as  it  was  subsequently  written.  The 
change  is  said  to  have  been  made  in  order  to  mark  the 
reign  of  this  truly  great  Emperor. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE.  137 

LOKSOY:  Jj^  y^ — green  water.  A  green  dye.  From 
the  Cantonese  pronunciation  of  the  two  Chinese  characters. 

LOLOS  :  5^  ^^  or  ^1  ^1-  Wild  hill  tribes  of  Szechuan 
and  Yiinnan.  Sub-divided  into  White  and  Black  Lolos,- 
the  latter  being  so  called  from  the  independence  of  their 
character  and  the  efforts  which  they  have  made  so  far  to 
avoid  intermarriage  with  the  Chinese.  The  word  "Lolo'' 
is  a  term  of  reproach,  said  to  be  of  Chinese  origin. 

Xi02^Gr  ELIZAS.  The  trade  term  for  certain  blue  and 
white  vases  ornamented  with  figures  of  tall,  thin  China- 
women, is  a  name  derived  undoubtedly  from  the  German 
or  Dutch.  German  sailors  and  traders  called  certain 
Chinese  vases,  from  the  female  figures  which  distinguished 
them,  *lange  Lischen',  tall  Lizzies,  and  the  English 
sailors  and  traders  promptly  translated  this  into  *long 
Elizas.' 

LONIN.     See  Bonin. 

LOO-CHOO  or  LEW-CHEW :^^.  A  group  of  islands, 
sovereignty  over  which  was  in  recent  years  claimed  by 
China  against  Japan,  and  at  one  time  nearly  brought  the 
two  countries  into  hostile  collision.  It  is  clear,  however,, 
even  from  Chinese  historical  sources,  that  the  dress, 
manners  and  customs,  language,  and  currency  of  Loo-choo 
are  of  Japanese  origin ;  and  by  a  treaty  made  in  1874' 
subsequent  to  the  dispute  above-mentioned,  China 
formally  acknowledges  the  Loochooans  to  be  subjects  of 
Japan. 

LOQUAT :  j|£  jf^— rush  orange.  A  fruit  found  in  the 
south  of  China.  Our  word  is  the  Cantonese  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  above  two  characters.  The  story  of  the 
supposed  resemblance  of  the  loquat  leaves  to  a  donkey's • 
ear  is  apocryphal. 


138  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

LOECHA:  :^!j  M-  A  vessel  of  about  100  tons  burthen, 
having  a  hull  of  European  build,  and  generally  commanded 
by  a  European  captain ;  but  rigged  with  Chinese  masts 
and  sails,  and  manned  by  Chinese  sailors.  The  word 
lorcha  is  usually  believed  to  have  been  introduced  from 
South  America  by  the  Portuguese ;  but  Mr.  Justin 
McCarthy  says  it  is  taken  from  the  Portuguese  settlement 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  river. 

LO-TI  SHUI :  ^  :%  |i— arrive  at  destination  duty.  A 
duty  originally  levied  by  Chinese  o£B.cials  on  foreign-owned 
goods  sent  into  the  interior  under  Transit  Pass,  after  the 
said  goods  had  passed  into  native  hands  at  their  place  of 
destination.  Now  irregularly  levied  at  some  ports  on 
goods  brought  from  the  interior  by  natives  for  sale  to 
foreign  merchants.  The  term  ^  ^  has  been  substituted 
in  certain  parts  of  Kwang-si,  with  a  view  to  shew  that 
the  tax  is  incident  upon  the  resident  merchant  and  not 
upon  the  foreign  importer. 

LOUYRE  or  LOUVER.  The  half-doors,  common  in  the 
East,  which  prevent  people  from  seeing  into  bedrooms  as 
they  pass  by,  while  at  the  same  time  admitting  the 
necessary  current  of  air.  Used  chiefly  in  the  south  of 
China.     From  the  French  Vouvert,  from  ouvrir  to  open. 

LOWDAH :  ;^  js^ — the  old  great  one.  Captain  of  a 
junk.  Foreigners  call  their  head  boatmen  lowdahs, 
chiefly  in  Shanghai  and  at  the  Yangtsze  ports  ;  tai-kong 
(q.v.)  being  heard  more  frequently  in  the  south. 

LUCRABAN  SEEDS  :  :^  M  "^^  Brought  from  Siam, 
and  used  as  a  medicine  by  the  Chinese. 

LUKONa  or  LOKONG :  ^  H— old  watchman.  The 
Hongkong   native   constables  are  so  called.     Satirically 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  139 

spoken  of  as  "  look-ons,"  from  absence  of  energy  in  the 
discharge  of  their  duties. 

Ltr  LI :  #  |?tj.     The  Penal  Code  of  China. 

LUNaAN  or  LUNG-NGAN :  ft  B|l— dragon's  eyes.     A 

fruit  found  in  southern  China,  and  sometimes  called  the 

wild  lichee. 

LU-PAN.     ^  ^.     The  Archimedes  of  China. 

"Wonderful  stories  are  related  of  his  ingenuity; 
"  among  others  it  is  said  that  his  father  having  been  put 
*^  to  death  by  the  men  of  Wu  '^,  he  carved  an  effigy  in 
*'  wood  of  a  genie  whose  hand  pointed  in  the  direction  of 
*'  Wu,  where,  in  consequence,  a  drought  prevailed  for  the 
"  space  of  three  years." — Mayers, 

He  is  now  regarded  as  the  patron  saint  of  carpenters ; 
and  the  expression  Ȥ  ^  P^  "if  f^  ^  "^  "  brandish 
a  hatchet  at  Lu-pan's  door ''  is  the  exact  equivalent  of 
'*  teach  your  grandmother  to  suck  eggs." 

LUZON  or  LUCON :  §  ^.  The  native  name  for  the 
Philippine  Islands.  From  the  fact  of  these  islands  being 
in  the  possession  of  the  Spanish,  the  Chinese  came  to 
apply  this  name  to  Spain  itself. 

MA:  ^^.  Used  in  Canton  in  the  sense  of  a  "yard" 
English. 

MACAO:  1^  ri-  -^  small  peninsula  to  the  extreme 
south-west  of  the  Kuang-tung  province,  first  occupied  by 
the  Portuguese  trading  with  China  in  1557.  It  appears 
that  Macao  was  actually  ceded  to  the  Portuguese  in  1566, 
on  condition  of  payment  of  an  annual  tribute  to  the 
Chinese  Government,  which  was  to  be  represented  in 
Macao  by  a  resident  mandarin.     The  said  payment  ceased 


140  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

in  1849,  after  the  war  between  Portugal  and  China,  and 
the  barbarous  assassination  by  the  Chinese  of  Ferreira  de 
Amaral,  Governor  of  Macao.  Meanwhile,  the  colony- 
was  (until  1844)  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Goa,  and  was 
in  every  way  the  property  of  Portugal.  Of  late  years 
China  has  endeavoured  to  resume  her  lost  suzerainty,  and 
the  inability  of  Portugal  to  negotiate  a  Treaty  with  China 
is  due  solely  to  the  fact  that  the  former  refuses  to 
surrender  Macao.  The  Portuguese  name  is  said  to  be 
derived  from  A-ma-ngao  3i  ?»^  Vft — the  port  ot  the 
goddess  A-ma.  Is  sometimes  called  the  Holy  City  (q.v.). 
The  term  ma-ku  as  applied  to  tobacco  (ff  §0  ^iS)  ^^^ 
seen  in  Canton  at  shops  and  stalls  where  cigarettes  are 
sold,  is  probably  a  reproduction  of  the  European  word 
Macao,  especially  as  cigarettes  are  so  commonly  smoked 
by  the  Portuguese. 

"  The  birthday  of  the  King  of  Portugal  was  celebrated 
"  yesterday  in  the  usual  way,  a  goodly  number  of  Chinese 
'^  merchants  assembling  to  make  the  customary  hotau 
"(see  hotow)  to  the  effigy  of  the  King/' — China  Mail 
1st  Nov.  1877. 

MACARTjSfEY'S  EMBASSY,  LORD.  A  mission  des, 
patched  from  England  to  China  in  1792,  at  the  close  of 
the  glorious  reign  of  the  Emperor  Ch'ien  Lung,  for  the 
purpose  of  placing  mercantile  relations  between  the  two 
countries  on  a  better  footing.  Sir  C.  Staunton,  who  had 
picked  up  a  knowledge  of  Chinese  in  Italy,  was  a  page  in 
Lord  Macartney's  suite  and  was  specially  noticed  by  His 
Imperial  Majesty  who  patted  him  on  the  head  and  gave 
him  an  ornamental  purse  from  his  own  person. 

MACE :  ^  Ch'ien.  The  tenth  part  of  a  Chinese  tael  or 
ounce.  From  the  Hindoo  masha,  through  the  Malayan 
word  mas. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  141 

MAGISTEATE,  DISTRICT.     See  Ghe-hien. 

MAD  AT  (Malay).  An  inferior  preparation  of  opium,  made 
from  the  covering  which  encloses  the  drug. 

MAFOO :  1^  -^ — horse-man.  The  Chinese  groom  or 
"  horse-boy.'^ 

MAGO.     Japanese  term  for  a  pack-horse  leader. 

MAHARAJA.  A  Sanscrit  compound,  meaning  Great 
King.     Maharani= Great  Queen. 

MAHOMEDANS:  fEj  IBJ.  First  settled  in  China  in  the 
Year  of  the  Mission,  A.D.  628,  under  Wahb- Abi-Kabcha 
a  maternal  uncle  of  Mahomet,  who  was  sent  with  presents 
to  the  Emperor.  Wahb-Abi-Kabcha  travelled  by  sea  to 
Cantoa,  and  thence  overland  to  Si-ngan  Fu,  the  capital, 
where  he  was  well  received.  The  first  mosque  was  built 
at  Canton,  where,  after  several  restorations,  it  still  exists. 
Another  mosque  was  erected  in  742,  but  many  of  these 
M.  came  to  China  simply  as  traders,  and  by  and  by 
went  back  to  their  own  country.  The  true  stock  of  the 
present  Chinese  Mahomedans  was  a  small  army  of  4,000 
Arabian  soldiers  sent  by  the  Khaleef  Abu  Giafar  in  755 
to  aid  in  putting  down  a  rebellion.  These  soldiers  had 
permission  to  settle  in  China,  where  they  married  native 
wives ;  and  three  centuries  later,  with  the  conquests  of 
Genghis  Khan,  large  numbers  of  Arabs  penetrated  into 
the  Empire  and  swelled  the  Mahomedan  community. 

MAI-PAN.     See  Gompradore. 

MA-KWA  or  MAGWA  :  ^  ^— horse  jacket.  The 
short  outer  jacket,  chiefly  worn  by  the  northern  Chinese. 
A  yellow  ma-hwa  is  a  distinction  conferred  by  the  Emperor 
on  high  officials ;  sometimes  called  the  Yellow  Jacket. 
It  is  supposed  to  bring  the  wearer  into  close  proximity 


142  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

with  the  Emperor  and  Imperial  interests.  Hence,  in 
Cantonese  slang,  a  Yellow  Jacket  is  a  person  chosen  from 
among  the  near  relatives  of  a  merchant  or  shop-keeper  to 
exercise  certian  responsible  functions  connected  with  the 
business  that  could  hardly  be  delegated  to  a  stranger. 

MlITREYA  BUDDHA :  g^  ®  ^-the  Merciful  One. 
The  coming  Buddha,  expected  to  appear  and  open  a  new 
era  about  3,000  years  hence.  Is  often  depicted  as  a 
laughing  god  in   Chinese  temples. 

MALAY :  ^  5!$  ^-     From  the  native  word  Maldiu, 

MALOO,  THE ;  ^  !?§— horse  road.  Name  of  a  street 
running  east  and  west  through  the  middle  of  the  British 
Settlement  at  Shanghai.  From  the  Mandarin  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  above  two  characters,  which  were  used  for 
"  high  road"  as  early  as  the  6th  century  B.C. 

Hence  the  term  '^  Maloo  mixture '' — a  medley  of  used 
tea-leaves,  the  leaves  of  various  other  plants,  and  rubbish 
of  all  kinds,  manufactured  in  Shanghai  and  shipped  to 
England  as  tea. 

MAMEY:  j^  j^.  Little  sister.  A  common  Chinese 
term,  learnt  by  European  children  in  the  north  of  China 
from  native  nurses,  and  applied  to  their  younger  sister. 

MAISTCHU :  J^  ]()\\.  A  native  of  Manchuria,  whence 
came  the  conquerors  ef  China  and  the  founders  (1644)  of 
the  present  dynasty.  Manchu  garrisons  are  stationed  at 
the  most  important  points  in  the  Empire,  such  as  Canton, 
Foochow,  etc. 

MANDARIN.  Any  Chinese  official,  civil  or  military,  who 
wears  a  button  (q-v.)  may  be  so  called.  From  the  Portu- 
guese mandar  to  command.  A  comparison  has  also  been 
suggested  with  the  Sanscrit  mandtrim. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENOE.  143 

'^ '  I  am  an  old  friend  of  the  family  :  his  son  is  now  a 
*^  *  major/  The  little  boy  did  not  know  what  was  meant 
*'  by  a  major,  so  the  trader  told  him  it  was  the  title  of  a 
"  Chinese  mandarin  (  B  ).  'And  what  is  a  mandarin  ?' 
"  asked  the  boy.  'A  mandarin/  replied  the  trader,  *  is 
** '  one  who  rides  out  in  a  sedan-chair  or  on  a  horse  ;  who 
"  *  when  at  home  sits  in  a  lofty  hall ;  whose  summons  is 
"  '  answered  by  a  hundred  voices  ;  who  is  looked  at  only 
*•  *  with  sidelong  eyes,  and  in  whose  presence  all  people 
"  '  stand  aslant : — this  is  to  be  a  mandarin/  "  Strange 
Stories  from  a  Chinese  Studio,  Vol.  I.  p.  403. 

MANDARIN  DIALECT-  ^  fg.  The  common  language 
spoken  by  educated  persons  all  over  the  Chinese  Empire, 
as  opposed  to  the  various  local  dialects.  Pekingese,  shorn 
of  its  patois,  may  now  be  considered  as  the  standard 
**  Mandarin^'  which  it  is  most  desirable  for  foreigners  to 
acquire.  Southern  Mandarin  is  based  upon  the  Nan- 
kingese  pronunciation ;  and  differs  from  the  northern 
dialect  in  the  substitution  of  h  and  ts  for  ch,  e.g.,  hin  for 
chin  *'gold/'  ts%en  for  ch'ien  "a  thousand,''  and  other 
similar  letter-changes.  Strictly  speaking,  "  Mandarin'^ 
is  a  mistranslation  of  ^ ,  which  is  here  equivalent  to 
^  "public"  or  "common  to  alF' — the  vulgar  tongue. 

MANDARIN  DUCK :  ^  ^.  A  beautiful  species  of 
d\ick  (anas  galericulata),  so  called  because  of  its  superiority 
over  other  kinds  of  ducks,  and  not  because  it  is  set  apart 
for  mandarins.  Emblem  of  conjugal  fidelity.  Hence,  a 
kind  of  sword,  with  two  blades  in  one  sheath,  is  known  tO' 
the  Chinese  as  ^  ^  JSO  "  mandarin  duck  sword/' 

MANDARIN  ORANGE :  (1)  #  (2)  ^  #  >(g.     The 

loose-skinned  orange  of  China.     The  first  kind  is  some- 
times called  the  "coolie-mandarin,"  because  resembling 


144      A  OL0S8ABT  OF  BEFERENGB. 

the  coolie  orange  {q.v.)  in  colour  and  having  a  rather 
tighter  skin  than  the  latter  which  is  also  of  a  much  deeper 
hue.  The  slang  phraseology  of  Europeans  at  Canton 
divides  the  two  species  into  "  tight "  and  ''  loose " 
mandarins. 

MANDOLIN.  The  Chinese  guitar  is  sometimes  so  called. 
From  the  Italian  mandolino. 

MANDOR.  A  Malay  corruption  of  the  Portuguese  man- 
dador.  A  superintendent;  an  inspector  of  workmen  ;  a 
headman  or  ^*  boss/'  etc.,  etc.  "Yesterday  afternoon, 
"the  Mandor,  who  is  a  Hadji  (q.v.),  applied  for  his  own 

"  and  the  other  coolies'  wages ". — Hongkong 

Daily  Press  of  22  Sep.  1877  (from  the  Straits'  Times). 

MANGO  ilBMor  ^  ||.  The  fruit  of  the  Mangifera 
indica.  From  the  Malay  manggay  of  which  the  Chinese 
characters  imitate  the  sound. 

MANGOSTEEN.  The  fruit  of  the  Garcinia  mangostana. 
From  the  Malay  manggistan. 

MANILA  LOTTERY.  A  lottery  held  once  every  month 
at  Manila  under  the  sole  management  and  proprietorship 
of  the  Hispano-Philippine  Administration.  The  number 
of  tickets  (which  are  at  85.00  each,  but  subdivisible  into 
ten  parts  at  §0.50  apiece)  is  12,000  monthly.  The  highest 
prize  for  ten  months  of  the  year  is  $16,000 ;  the  total 
amount  of  the  monthly  prizes  being  $45,000,  divided 
between  487  tickets,  the  rest  being  blanks.  But  in  June 
and  December  the  price  of  a  ticket  is  $20,  and  $180,000 
is  divided  between  453  winning  tickets,  the  highest  being 
$60,000,  the  next  $25,000,  the  five  next  $5,000  each  etc., 
etc.  The  profits  of  the  Government  are  4  per  cent. 
Some  say  the  drawings  are  fairly  conducted ;  others 
maintain  a  contrary  opinion.     Formerly,  the  tickets  and 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFJERENCE.  145 

coupons,  the  sale  of  which  is  illegal  is  China,  were 
numbered  in  the  ordinary  way,  hut  an  attempt  at  forgery 
by  the  addition  of  a  figure  compelled  the  management  to 
adopt  the  system  of  having  all  marked  with  the  same 
number  of  places ;  hence  123  will  now  be  found  written 
00123,  etc.,  etc.  Moreover,  the  line  where  the  ticket  is 
separated  from  the  foil  is  wavy,  not  straight ;  holders  will 
therefore  do  well  not  to  attempt  to  improve  the  edges  of 
their  paper  or  they  may  endanger  their  chance. 

MANJI  or  MANZI.  Old  name  for  that  part  of  China 
south  of  the  Hoang  Ho.  From  ^  'f'  man  tzH,  the 
savages  of  the  south. 

MAN-MAN :  f^  f^ — go  slowly.  A  common  phrase  in 
use  all  over  China.  To  go  slowly ;  to  wait — e.g.,  tell  my 
chair-coolies  to  man-man,  i.e.,  to  wait  for  me. 

MANTRA.  The  name  of  a  charm  practised  by  the  Hindus, 
in  which  sense  it  is  found  in  Buddhistic  writings. 

MANTUY  or  MANTOO.  A  corruption  heard  in  Central 
Asia  of  the  Chinese  man-t'ou  '^  §g  steamed  flour 
dumplings. 

MAO-TZU :  ^  "x* — hairy  ones.  A  common  term  for 
foreigners  among  the  Chinese  at  Tientsin.  Mr.  Swinhoe 
is  said  to  have  translated  this  expression  by  ^^hats" 
(•PB  j)>  ^^^^  ^^®  identity  in  sound,  but  not  in  tone 
iq.v.),  of  the  two  characters  ^  and  |^. 

MAQUI  or  MA-K'UAI :  ^  ^^— swift  as  a  horse.  A 
kind  of  detective  policeman  employed  at  all  Magistrates' 
Yamens  in  China.  Sometimes  used  for  the  constable  of  a 
foreign  Consulate,  in  which  sense  ^  |^  would  be  a 
more  appropriate  term. 

MARCO  POLO :  ]$  ^.    The  celebrated  Venetian  tra- 


146  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

veller  who  visited  Chinain  1274,  bearing  letters  from  Pope 
Gregory  X  to  Kublai  Khan  {q.v.),  and  who  spent  24  years 
in  the  East.  During  three  years  of  this  time  he  held  high 
civil  office  in  Chekiang,  and  was  also  sent  on  a  mission  to 
the  king  of  Annam  under  the  title  of  t^  ^  gj)  f^  f9  ^ 
— Privy  Councillor,  Assistant  Envoy,  Polo.  Was  after- 
wards known  to  his  countrymen  as  Messer  Marco  Millione 
from  his  frequent  use  of  the  word  million  as  applied  to  the 
wealth  etc.,  of  the  Great  Khan. 
MARRIAGES  in  China  are  arranged  by  go-betweens  who 
are  legally  responsible  for  their  share  in  the  transaction, 
One  important  preliminary  consists  in  comparing  the 
year,  month,  day,  and  hour,  at  which  the  two  parties 
were  born,  to  ascertain  that  they  are  in  astrological 
harmony. 

If  these  negotiations  are  followed  up  by  acceptance,  on 
the  part  of  the  bride's  family,  of  marriage-presents,  and 
if  no  misrepresentation  of  facts  can  be  proved  by  either 
side  against  the  other,  the  marriage-contract  is  held  to  be 
complete,  and  neither  party  is  allowed  to  draw  back.  A 
day  is  fixed,  and  the  bridegroom  fetches  the  bride  in  a 
gaudy  red  sedan-chair  from  her  home  to  his  own,  where 
they  worship  together  in  the  ancestral  hall,  and  rise  up 
man  and  wife. 

The  re-marriage  of  widows  is  not  prohibited,  but 
strongly  discountenanced  by  public  opinion.  Marriage 
may  not  be  celebrated  during  the  period  of  mourning  for 
a  parent  and  certain  other  near  relations ;  nor  (with 
notable  exceptions)  between  people  bearing  the  same 
surname ;  nor  between  first  cousins  either  on  the  father's 
or  the  mother's  side.  Custom,  however,  interprets  this 
last  clause  as  applicable  only  to  first  cousins  of  the  same 
surname.    No  legal  objection  was  raised  to  the  suggested 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFERENOE.  U7 

marriage  of  the  hero  and  heroine  of  the  Sung-lou-meng 
(q.v.)  nor  to  the  hero's  actual  marriage  with  Pao-ch'ai. 
See  Polygamy  and  Divorce. 

MARU :  ^ — revolving,  referring  to  the  paddle-wheels  oi 
screw.  Japanese  suffix  to  the  names  of  steamers ;  e.g. 
Genkai-marti. 

MASAMUNE.  A  famous  Japanese  swordsmith,  A.D. 
1264—1343. 

MASKEE.  Pidgin  term  for  ''never  mind/'  ''no  matter," 
etc.     Possibly  from  the  Portuguese  disjunctive  mas. 

MASTER  OF  HEAYEN :  ^  jglR.  The  Taoist  pope,  in 
whose  body  is  supposed  to  reside  the  soul  of  a  celebrated 
Taoist,  an  ancestor  of  his,  who  discovered  the  elixir  of 
life  and  became  forthwith  an  immortal,  some  eighteen 
hundred  years  ago.  The  people  believe  him  competent 
to  effect  marvellous  cures  and  work  other  miracles ;  and 
from  the  proceeds  of  an  extensive  business  in  charms  etc., 
he  manages  to  derive  a  not  inconsiderable  income.  At 
his  death,  the  precious  soul  above  mentioned  will  take  up 
its  abode  in  the  body  of  some  youthful  member  of  the 
family  who  will  be  hereafter  revealed. 

MATA-MATA.    Lit.  "all  eyes."     A  policeman.     From 

the  Malayan  mata  an  "  eye." 

"  In  any  case  I  can  allege  from  personal  knowledge 

"  that  bribery  is  an  every-day  matter  in  Singapore  from 

"  the  lowest  mata-mata  to  the  highest — (better  not  say 

"  what,  perhaps)." — China  Mail  (copied  from  Straits' 
Times). 

MATE-MATE.  Japanese  for  "  wait  a  little";  equivalent 
to  the  Chinese  man-man. 

MATO W :  t%  fi|— horse's  head.  The  Chinese  for  jetty 
or  pier,  in  common  use  among  foreigners.  No  satisfactory 
explanation  of  this  term  has  been  found  hitherto.     The 


148  A  GLOSSABT  OF  REFERENCE. 

execution  ground  at  Canton  is  called  ^C  ^  !^  §§» 
probably  from  the  name  of  a  jetty  or  landing  place  at 
no  great  distance.  ^  -^  here  means  chief j  this  being 
the  point  at  which  all  high  officials  land,  and  near  which 
their  boats  may  be  seen  anchored  in  large  numbers. 

MATRIMONIAL.  Another  name  for  the  fiong-boat  (q.v.) 
in  use  at  Canton.  So  called  because  well  adapted  for 
ladies. 

MAUM  CHOW.     See  Ghowfah. 

MAYA  :  §  5|J.  The  immaculate  mother  of  Shakyamuni 
Buddha,  whose  name  is  strikingly  similar  to  that  of  Mary 
the  mother  of  Jesus.  Among  other  similarities  existing 
between  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Buddhist  churches  may 
be  mentioned  celibacy,  fasting,  use  of  candles  and  flowers 
on  the  altar,  incense,  holy  water,  and  ceremonials  gen- 
erally.    See  Fo. 

MENCIUS :  ^  ■^— the  philosopher  Meng,  often  spoken 
of  as  3c  ^B  the  Second  Sage,  Confucius  being  the  first. 
The  Chinese  sounds  meng-tzU  were  latinized  by  the  Jesuit 
missionaries  into  their  present  form.  Flourished  B.C. 
372 — 289.  His  works  form  one  of  the  Four  Books  (g'.v.), 
and  the  following  are  specimens  : — 

''  Mencius  said,  I  like  fish  and  I  also  like  bear's  paws. 
If  I  cannot  have  both,  I  wil)  forego  the  fish  and  take  the 
bear's  paws.  Similarly,  I  like  living  and  I  like  doing  my 
duty  to  my  neighbour  ;  but  if  I  cannot  do  both,  I  will 
forego  life  in  preference  to  foregoing  my  duty. 

"  Mencius  said.  Take  a  man  whose  third  finger  is  bent 
and  cannot  be  stretched  out  straight.  It  is  not  painful, 
.  neither  does  it  interfere  with  his  work ;  yet  if  there  were 
any  one  who  could  make  it  straight,  he  would  tliink 
nothing  of  journeying  such  a  distance  as  from  Ch'in  to 
Ch^u,  simply  because  his  finger  is  not  as  good  as  those  of 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  149 

other  people.  But  to  be  grieved  because  one's  finger  is 
not  as  good  as  other  people's,  and  not  to  be  grieved 
because  one's  heart  is  not  as  good  as  other  people's — this 
is  called  ignorance  of  [the  relative  importance  of] 
categories." 

MEXIOA.NS.     Abbreviation  for  Mexican  dollars. 

MIAO-TZTJ:  ^  -y-— shoots  or  sons  of  the  soil.  The 
aboriginal  tribes  of  certain  mountainous  districts  in  the 
south  and  south-west  provinces  of  China. 

MIDDLE  KINGDOM,  THE  :  ^4^  ^.  A  translation  of 
the  common  Chinese  name  for  China ;  it  being  generally- 
believed  that  China  is  situated  at  the  centre  of  the  earth, 
surrounded  by  the  Four  Seas,  beyond  which  lie  a  number 
of  small  islands  inhabited  by  the  red-haired  barbarians 
who  come  to  the  Middle  Kingdom  to  trade. 

MIH-HO-LOONG:  ^  'X  il— extinguish-fire-dragon. 
The  celebrated  European  volunteer  fire  brigade  of  Shang- 
hai.   [A  Chinese  fire-engine  is  called  a  '*  water  dragon."]. 

MIKADO  :  (1)  f^  f^  Imperial  gate.  The  ruler  who,  as 
spiritual  Emperor,  formerly  shared  the  sovereignty  of 
Japan  with  the  Tycoon  or  temporal  Emperor  ;  and  who 
at  death  became  a  hami  jp^  or  god.  Since  1867,  when  the 
Tycoon  submitted  and  retired  into  private  life,  the  Mikado 
been  sole  Emperor  of  Japan.  The  first  Mikado  is  said  to 
have  sprung  from  the  sun.  (2).  Also  derived  from  mika 
great,  and  to  {do  in  composition)  a  place. 

MIKOTO:  ^.  An  honorific  epithet  of  a  kami  (q.v.). 
Has  been  wrongly  believed  to  be  a  title  of  the  Mikado. 

MING  DYNASTY  or  THE  MINGS:  ^  mm^,  bright. 
A  dynasty  which  ruled  China  from  1368  to  1628  and  was 
noted  for  the  severity  of  its  laws.  A  piece  of  pottery  or 
a  curio  of  that  date  is  often  spoken  of  as  "  a  Ming;"  a^ 
the  same  time,  not  one  tenth  of  the  china  stamped  with 


150  A  glossahy  of  befebenge. 

the  j^  ^  great  Ming  brand  really  belongs  to  that  epoch  ; 
in  fact,  it  is  roundly  asserted  that  the  presence  of  the 
stamp  is  now  conclusive  evidence  of  a  spurious  imitation. 
See  Blue. 

MING-  TOMBS  :  ^  |^.  The  tombs  of  the  Emperors  of 
the  Ming  dynasty.  8ome  of  these  are  near  Nanking ; 
the  rest,  and  by  far  the  finest,  about  one  day's  journey 
from  Peking,  whither  the  Emperor  Yung  Le  transferred 
his  court  in  1411.  The  chief  objects  of  interest  at  these 
tombs  are  the  avenues  of  enormous  animals  and  human 
figures  carved  in  stone.     See  8 tone  Figures, 

MIXED  COURT,  THE  :  #  #  ^  ^.  A  tribunal,  in- 
stituted at  Shanghai  in  1869,  for  the  hearing  of  all  cases 
between  (1)  Chinese  resident  within  the  settlements,  (2) 
civil  and  criminal  (except  murder  and  certain  serious 
charges  between  Chinese  and  foreign  residents,  in  cases 
where  Chinese  are  defendants,  (3)  where  foreigners  are 
the  defendants,  provided  always  they  are  unrepresented 
by  a  Consul  on  the  spot.  The  Court  consists  of  a  Chinese 
official  having  the  rank  of  sub-Prefect  and  a  foreign 
Assessor,  the  latter  being  always,  in  civil  suits,  a 
representative  of  the  nationality  involved.  Otherwise,  a 
British  Assessor  sits  three  times,  an  American  twice  and 
a  German  once,  a  week.  The  Court  was  formerly  held  at 
the  British  Consulate,  but  has  since  been  transferred  to  a 
building  in  the  Maloo  (q.v.)y  at  the  entrance  to  which  may 
usually  be  seen  a  number  of  convicted  prisoners  wearing 
the  cangue  (q.v.).  The  punishments  inflicted  range  from 
20  blows  with  the  bamboo  to  three  or  four  years  penal 
servitude.  Over  the  outer  gates  may  be  seen  the  following 
legend  :  ^^^  1&\%  ^  ^  ^  M^  ''  men  flock  from 
afar  while  those  who  are  near  rejoice.  Business  brisk  and 
the  people  prosperous." 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE,  151 

MODEL  SETTLEMENT,  THE.  A  local  name  for 
Shanghai,  once  characterised  by  the  Duke  of  Somerset 
in  Parliament  as  a  '*sink  of  iniquity,"  this  generous 
estim.ate  having  been  based,  as  the  duke  himself  explained, 
upon  the  reports  of  naval  officers  and  others  who  had 
visited  the  place. 

'*  I  am  not  burning  to  return  to  the  Model  Sink. — " 
Letter  from  E.  C.  Baber  in  the  North-China  Herald. 

MOGUL,  THE  GREAT.  The  Persian  corruption  of 
Mongol  (q.v.).  The  title  of  the  Emperors  who,  after  the 
conquest  of  Hindustan,  ruled  at  Delhi  from  A.D.  1526  to 
1803.  The  first  occupant  of  the  Imperial  Throne  was 
Baber,  and  among  his  most  illustrious  successors  may  be 
mentioned  Akbar  and  Aurungzeb. 

MO-LI-HWA  or  MOLY:^|)I:fB.  The  jasmine.  Name 
of  a  celebrated  tune. 

MONGOL :  ^  "gf .  Said  to  be  an  imitation  of  moengel 
celestial,  or  as  some  writers  say,  ''  brave.''  The  great 
Turanian  stock,  whence  have  come,  at  different  epochs  of 
the  world's  history,  the  Scythians,  the  Hunp,  the  con- 
querors of  China  (See  Genghis  Khan),  and  of  India 
(See  Mogul). 

"Baschpa"  mongol  is  the  name  of  a  form  of  Mongol 
writing,  invented  A.D.  1269  by  Baschpa,  a  Tibetan  lama 
under  the  direction  of  Kublai  Khan.  It  is  a  modification 
of  Tibetan,  written  in  vertical  lines  and  connected  by 
ligatures. 

MONSOON.  From  the  Arabic  mausim  ''season;"  the 
season  winds. 

Monsoons  are  shifting  trade  winds  in  the  East  Indian 
ocean,  which  blow  periodically  ;  some  for  half  a  year  one 
way,  others  but  for  three  months,    and   then   shift   and 


152  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

blow  for  six  or  three  months  directly  contrary.  These 
winds  are  constant  and  periodical,  as  far  as  the  thirtieth 
degree  of  latitude,  all  round  the  globe. 

MONTO.  A  Buddhist  sect,  founded  in  Japan  in  A.D.  1262 
by  a  man  named  Shinran.  Celibacy,  fasting,  monastic 
life,  and  the  sacred  books  in  Sanscrit,  are  the  chief  features 
of  ordinary  Buddhism  against  which  the  Monto  sect 
protests. 

MOON.  The  Chinese  is  a  lunar  year  of  12  months,  with 
an  intercalary  month  (q.v.)  in  every  third  year  to  rectify 
the  calendar.  Chinese  servants  struggled  at  first  against 
the  payment  of  their  wages  according  to  the  European 
year  as  they  thus  lost  a  month  (i.e.  the  intercalary)  once 
in  every  three  years.  The  first,  fifth,  and  ninth  moons 
are  considered  specially  auspicious,  and  it  is  in  these  that 
Chinese  officials  like  to  take  up  their  appointments.  The 
first  moon  of  the  year  was  known  as  jOE  cheng*  until  the 
First  Emperor  (q.v.)  altered  the  sound  to  cheng'^,  because 
part  of  his  own  name  was  sounded  chhig*',  though 
differently  written.  There  seems  to  be  a  tradition  that 
the  ancient  Chinese  year  consisted  of  ten  months  only. 
Many  fanciful  names  are  applied  to  the  months,  often 
associated  with  flowers  and  fruits. 

The  1st  MOON  is  called  jE  ^,    jg  J,    M  n*,   %  M. 

The  1st  day  of  the  1st  is  called  ^E[,  g  Q. 
,,     7th      „  „  „         AB,  fig- 

„     15th     „  „  „         ±%,  %^. 

„    2xD  MOON  „        :t^M,  ^^  M*^  i^^M. 

§^  or  Apricot  month. 
„     1st  day  of  the  2nd      „         ff'ft. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 


153 


The  2nd  day  of  2n(i  is  called  J^,  #K||. 
12th 


„    3rd  MOON 

l-Ci^W'  d^  Jit' 

m^y  ^n^  mn, 

^^^  or  Peach  month. 

„     3rd  day  of  the  3rd 

)f 

±a- 

„     4th  MOON 

i> 

m.n*,  if%.  ift.  mn 

or  Sophora  month. 

„     8th  day  of  the  4th 

i) 

mB- 

„     5th  MOON 

a 

fg^,  or  Pomegranate 
month. 

„     5th  day  of  the  5th 

» 

m^,  ^'¥- 

»     13th      „ 

f> 

nm- 

„     6th  MOON 

9f 

SM,  MM*,  ^M  or 

Lotus  month. 

„     6r-h  day  of  the  6th 

yj 

%u- 

„     24fh        „ 

)} 

iJil- 

„     7ih  MOON 

>> 

J^^  ()r  Melon  month. 

„     7th  day  of  the  7th 

)> 

^B,-t9- 

„     loth       ,, 

yy 

+ jc  ±&- 

„     8th  MOON 

>> 

nn*,  imn,  ^n  or 

Cassia  month. 

„     5th  day  of  the  8th 

y> 

f-m- 

„     loth 

>> 

+l«.  M3f. 

„     9th  MOON 

jy 

^^  or  Chrysanthe- 
mum month. 

„     9th  day  of  the  9th 

i) 

fiH.  Mil- 

154  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

„    10th    moon  is    called  F^^,  i$M*,  jEB,  US, 

*hm^<  mM  or 
Plum  month. 

„     15tli  day  of  the  10th  „         TX- 

„    HthMOon         „       ma\  i^^M,  MM   or 

Hibiscus  month. 

„    12th MOON         „       f&M*,  M^M,mM  ov 

the  Sacrificial  month, 
„     8th  day  of  the  12th  „        J|  g . 

..  30th    „         „     mB>m9- 

N.B. — Those  names  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  taken 
from  the  ^  ?|^  or  Canon  of  Changes  (q.v.). 

MOORMEN  (corrupted  to  Morramen);  Q  g§  A— ^^i^e 
head  men.  A  common  term  in  Canton  for  the  miscella- 
neous natives  of  India  who  go  there  to  trade.  The  Chinese 
name  is  taken  from  the  turhan  worn  hy  Mahommedans 
and  others ;  while  our  word  has  heen  fancifully  derived 
from  ^  |)@  mao  lou  men^  or  "  ugly  face  "  people.  The 
Parsees,  formerly  called  fJJ  Wfy  ^  name  now  used  for 
Persia,  are  included  in  this  category. 

MOETGAGES  of  land  or  tenements  in  China  should, 
according  to  the  Penal  Code,  be  duly  registered  at  the 
office  of  the  local  magistrate.  Second  mortgages  are 
illegal.  If  the  mortgagor,  at  the  end  of  the  period 
specified  in  the  deed,  is  unable  to  discharge  the  mortgage, 
he  may  either  retain  his  right  to  recover  the  land  at  any 
future  period,  in  which  case  the  mortgagee  may  re-mortgage 
to  another  party  ;  or  he  may  surrender  the  land  absolutely, 
in  consideration  of  a  further  sum  to  be  agreed  upon 
between  himself  and  the  mortgagee. 


A  OLOSSAHY  OF  REFERENGE.  155 

MOSQUITO.  From  the  Latin  musca  a  fly,  through  the 
Italian,  Spanish,  or  Portuguese,  mosca.  The  English 
orthography  should  therefore  be  muskito.  Tincture  of 
Pyrethrum  roseum  applied  to  the  skin  is  recommended  as 
an  excellent  protection  against  mosquito  bites.  The  best 
local  sedative  of  the  irritation  caused  by  bites  is  liquid 
ammonia,  but  any  strong  spirit  is  also  effectual. 

For  a  recent  valuable  discovery,  by  Dr.  P.  Manson  of 
Amoy,  that  a  certain  species  of  mosquito  is  the  inter- 
mediate host  of  the  filaria  sanguinis  hominis,  and 
probably  the  carrier  of  infection  in  elephantoid  diseases, 
see  the  Chinese  Customs'  Medical  Reports  No.  14,  page  10. 

MOUKDEN.  The  Manchu  name  of  Feng-t'ien  Fu  $  ^ 
jfj)  the  capital  of  Manchuria. 

MOCRNINGr.  On  the  death  of  a  parent  the  Chinese  son 
refrains  from  shaving  either  head  or  beard  for  one  hundred 
days,  and  dresses  in  complete  white,  even  down  to  the 
silk  with  which  he  finishes  off  his  queue.  It  is  only  the 
white  hat  and  white  shoes,  however,  which  infallibly 
betoken  mourning,  white  jackets  being  commonly  worn  by 
the  people.  The  duration  of  this  period  is  from  a  nominal 
three  years  (actually,  27  months)  for  a  father  or  mother 
down  to  three  months  for  more  distant  relatives.  A  child 
mourns  three  years  for  its  parents  in  memory  of  the  three 
years  of  infancy  when  it  was  wholly  dependent  upon 
their  aid.     See  Cards. 

MOW  or  MOU ;  SX.  The  Chinese  acre.  About  i  of  an 
English  acre  ;  but  varies  in  different  places.  In  Shanghai 
the  official  mow  is  held  to  contain  7,260  sq.  ft.  English, 
and  is  subdivided  into  fun,  haou,  le,  sze,  and  hoo.  The 
Municipal  mow  is  taken  at  6,600  sq.  ft.  See  Weights 
and  Measures. 


156  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

The  subjoined  Notification  published  in  1861,  by  H.M. 
Consul,  defines  the  area  of  a  Shanghai  mow  : — 

*'  The  following  definitions  of  the  contents  of  a  Shanghai 
mow,  obtained  from  the  official  land  measurer  of  the 
district,  and  checked  by  careful  examination  of  his 
measuring  instruments,  is  published  for  general  informa- 
tion. 

"  Each  mow  is  240  poo  long  by  1  poo  broad,  and  con- 
tains therefore  240  square  poo. 

"  The  poo  measures  5  feet  Chinese  Government  Rule 
(g  /v),  equal  to  66  inches  English.  A  square  j9oo  there- 
fore contains  30.25  square  feet  English,  and  a  square  mow 
7,260  square  feet  English.  It  follows  that  a  square  piece 
of  ground  measuring  85.20569  feet,  or  Sol-  feet  every 
way,  contains  exactly  one  Shanghai  mow.'' 

MOXA  X,  THE  BUEiS'IlS^G-.  A  form  of  actual  cautery 
used  by  the  Chinese  and  Japanese.  From  the  dried  and 
beaten  leaves  of  Artemisia  Moxa  are  prepared  pastilles, 
which  being  applied  to  the  skin  and  set  on  fire  (properly, 
with  the  aid  of  a  burning-glass),  burn  slowly  down  and 
leave  eschars.  At  one  time  Moxa  acquired  a  considerable 
reputation  amongst  French  physicians ;  but  both  that 
and  acupuncture — equal  favourites  with  Far-Eastern 
practitioners — are  too  heroic  remedies  to  find  favour  with 
Europeans.  Is  employed  chiefly  for  neuralgia,  sciatica, 
and  such  complaints ;  and  also  among  Buddhist  priests, 
for  branding  the  heads  of  novices  when  taking  the  usual 
vows  on  entry  into  a  religious  life.  Corruption  of  the 
Japanese  Mooha^a. 

"  Moxa,  praesti.ntisblma  cauteriorum  mattria,  Sinensibus 
"  Japonibusque  multum  usitata." — Kaempfer^s  A7nceni' 
tates  exoticXf  fasc.  iii,  obs.  12. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  157 

MULLS.  Madras  Englishmen  are  so  called  because  of 
their  good  mulligatawny. 

MUNDOO  or  MENDU.  A  Mongolian  form  of  saluta- 
tion =  How  d'ye  do  ? 

MUNSHAJSra  :  f^  Jt-  The  door-keeper  of  a  yam^n  (q.v.) 
or  any  large  establishment.  This  functionary  receives  no 
pay,  but  takes  squeezes  from  suitors,  commission  from 
tradesmen  on  sales,  etc.  etc. 

MUSIC :  -^.  (I)  Ancient.  Said  to  have  been  invented 
by  Huang  Ti  (q.v.),  but  few  traces  of  it  survived  the 
Burning  of  the  Books  (q.v.).  We  know  that  it  was  very 
powerful  as  an  agent  of  good  government;  and  Confucius 
himself  was  so  impressed  by  the  execution  of  a  piece 
composed  by  the  Emperor  Shun,  sixteen  centuries  pre- 
viously, that  "for  three  months  he  could  not  tell  one 
kind  of  meat  from  atiotlier." 

(2)  Modern.  Sub-divided  into  ritual  music,  which  is 
generally  of  a  minor  character ;  and  popular  or  theatrical 
music.  The  notation  is  cumbrous.  A  note  indicates 
simply  a  certain  sound  at  a  certain  height ;  but  there  is 
no  indication  of  its  value.  Thus,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
learn  a  tune  from  the  written  notes.  The  characters 
^  ]m  Zj  jH  fi.  ^  Hj  ^^  S.  correspond  to  our  five 
lines  and  four  spaces.  Kests  are  marked,  but  their  duration 
is  a  matter  of  taste.  The  only  recognized  measure  is  in 
four  time ;  others  are  however  admitted,  especially  that 
in  three  time.     There  are  no  sharps,  flats,  or  naturals. 

The  scale  is  neither  major  nor  minor  but  participates 
in  the  two.  It  is  not  tempered.  There  is  nothing  like 
ha r mo  11 J  ;  t])o  only  association  of  different  and  simulta- 
neous sounds  being  that  produced  by  two  strings  at  a 
distance  of  a  fourth,  a  fifth,  or  an  octave. 


158     '  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFFBENGE. 

MtrSMEE:  5||  A  waitress  at  a  Japanese  tea-house. 
Literally :  a  girl. 

NACODAH.     Correctly  naJchoda :  a  Persian  word  meaning 
the  captain  of  a  boat. 

NAGAS.  The  ''dragon  race."  A  tribe  of  the  Tibeto- 
Burman  family,  now  occupying  the  eastern  boundary  of 
Bengal,  said  to  be  a  remnant  of  the  powerful  people  who 
inhabited  the^  Gangetic  valley  before  the  Aryan  invasion 
of  India. 

NAGASAKI ;  M0i-     A  port  in  Japan. 

NAGOYA.  That  quarter  of  the  yashiki  or  feudal  mansion 
of  a  daimio  (q-v.)  occupied  by  his  two-sworded  retainers. 

NAKODO.  Matrimonial  go-betweens  employed  by  the 
Japanese. 

NAILS.  Many  educated  and  wealthy  Chinese  allow  one 
or  more  of  their  finger-nails  to  grow  long,  as  a  sign  that 
the  owner  does  not  earn  his  living  by  manual  labour. 
These  nails  are  occasionally  from  1 J  to  2  inches  in  length, 
and  are  guarded  by  elegant  silver  sheaths. 

Est-ce    par    Pongle   long   qu'il   porte   au   petit   doigt 
Qu'il  s'est  acquis  chez  vous  I'estime  oii  Ton  le  voit  ? 
Moliere.  Le  Misanthropej  Acte  ii.  Sc.  I. 

NAI-MAH  :  |/5  M-     ^  wet-nurse. 

NAMAH  (in  Pali  "namo")  AMITABBHA :  ^^M 
^  P£  '^  *'  Sear  us,  0  Amida  Buddha  !"  A  formula 
of  adoration  used  by  Chinese  Buddhists  in  their  liturgies, 
at  the  invocation  of  the  Trinity  etc. ;  also  frequently  seen 
written  on  walls,  or  cut  on  stone  tablets  both  in  town  and 
country.     (See  0-me-to  fu), 

NANKEEN.  Cloth  made  at  Nanking  from  unbleached 
cotton. 

NANKING :  ^  ^ — Southern  capital.  Now  known  as 
Kiang-ning  Fu,  the  capital  city  of  Kiangsu.     Until  1411 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFJEBJENCE.  U9 

the  residence  of  the  Court ;  hence  the  name.  In  212 
A.D.,  Sun  Chilian,  the  first  Emperor  of  the  ^  Wu 
dynasty,  established  his  capital  at  Nanking,  which  he 
founded  under  the  name  of  ^  ^.    Variously  known  as 

"NATS :  j|l|.  The  spirits  of  nature  as  worshipped  by  the 
Burmans.  These  are  not  in  any  way  connected  with 
Buddhism,  but  are  relics  of  their  old  Turanian  nature- 
worship.  They  are  believed  to  injure  people  unless 
propitiated. 

NESTOMAN  CHRISTIANS.  The  church  which  first 
introduced  Christianity  into  China  under  the  title  of 
"^  ^  ''  luminous  teaching,"  towards  the  close  of  the 
6th  century  A.D.  The  "  Nestorian  tablet"  discovered  at 
Si-ngan  Fu  in  the  province  of  Shensi,  gives  a  general  idea 
of  the  object  and  scope  of  the  Christian  religion. 

NETSUKEl  or  NETSZKE :  ^^  I#.  Small  Japanese 
carved  figures,  of  wood  or  ivory,  used  as  buttons  for  sus- 
pending the  tobacco  pouch  to  the  belt.  Xnown  collo- 
quially as  yj>  Ir» 

NEWCHWANG  or  NIUCHUANG  :  4^  ^— cow  town. 
The  inland  town  in  the  extreme  N.  E.  of  China,  opened  by 
the  Tientsin  Treaty  of  1858  ;  but  which,  from  the  silting 
up  of  the  river,  was  unfit  for  trade,  and  was  exchanged 
for  Ying-tzu  ^  -f*  five  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  The  present  port,  however,  is  still  called  New- 
chwang  by  foreigners. 

NEW  YEAE.  The  great  annual  Chinese  holiday.  For  a 
month  no  official  documents  are  stamped,  and  to  obviate 
inconvenience  blank  forms  are  previously  prepared ;  but 
it  is  obvious  that  such  a  rule  could  not  be  strictly  adhered 
to.  All  accounts  have  to  be  settled  up  by  New  Year's  Eve, 


160      A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

on  which  night  no  Chinaman  goes  to  bed.  On  New 
Year's  Day,  absolutely  no  work  is  done  from  one  end  of 
the  empire  to  the  other.  Fire-crackers,  feasting,  and 
congratulatory  visits  are  substituted  for  the  ordinary 
routine  of  life.     See  Moon. 

NGO-ERH-CHOT  g|  ^  ^i> :  The  name  given  to  the 
Tibetan  envoy  to  China. 

NIEN-FEI:  ^t^;  ^.  Mounted  banditti  who  for  several 
years  committed  much  havoc  in  the  northern  provinces  of 
China.  In  1868  they  approached  within  a  few  miles  of 
Tientsin  ;  and  Mr  Burlingame,  then  proceeding  with  his 
family  as  Chinese  Ambassador  to  foreign  nations,  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  falling  into  their  hands.  Said  to  have 
been  so  called  because  they  wore  twisted  greased  turbans  : 
te  ^  J^  Vft  ^  ^  «E-  A  history  of  the  suppression 
of   this  rebellion   has   been   published  in  Peking  entitled 

NIIGATA  :  #r  1^.     A  port  in  Japan. 

NIMBLE  LADS.     See  Ghopstichs. 

NINGPO  :  ^  ^—tranquil  waves.  One  of  the  five  ports 
opened  by  the  Nanking  Treaty  of  1842.  Also  known  to 
the  Chinese  as  ^9  ^.  Was  occupied  by  the  Portuguese 
for  purposes  of  trade  as  early  1522. 

NINJIN.     The  Japanese  term  for  Ginseng  (q.v.) 

NIPON  or  NIPHON :  0  ;2|5:— Sun  Root.  The  land  where 
the  sun  rises.  A  Japanese  name  for  Japan,  from  the 
name  of  the  largest  island  of  the  group.  Was  long  held 
to  be  a  Chinese  term  for  that  country ;  but  the  balance  of 
evidence  appears  to  be  in  favour  of  its  Japanese  origin. 

"  This  island,  by  the  way,  is  generally  called  Nippon  or 
"  Nihon  by  foreigners,  and  no  greater  mistake  can  be 
"  made,  as  that  word  in  reality  denotes  the  whole  territory 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  161 

*'  of  Japan  ....  "What  is  generally  termed  Nippon 
"  by  foreigners  may  be  designated  as  the  main  island.^' — 
Adams. 
NIRVANA  :  ^^  JM  or  J^  ^.  The  summiim  honum  of 
the  Buddhists,  consisting  in  (I)  separation  from  life  and 
death,  i.e.  from  the  circle  of  transmigration ;  (2)  absolute 
freedom  from  passion ;  and  (3)  the  highest  state  of 
spiritual  liberty  and  bliss.  Popularly  speaking,  "  to  enter 
into  Nirvana"  corresponds  with  *'  going  to  heaven." 

"  The  extinction  of  that  sinful  grasping  condition  of 
mind  and  heart,  which  would  otherwise,  according  to  the 
great  mystery  of  Karma,  be  the  cause  of  renewed  indivi- 
dual existence.''     Bhys  Davids. 

"  A  condition  of  total  cessation  of  changes  ;  of  perfect 
rest ;  of  the  absence  of  desire  and  illusion  and  sorrow ;  of 
the  total  obliteration  of  everything  that  goes  to  make  up 
the  physical  man."     Olcott. 

^*  All  that  words  can  convey  is  that  Nirvana  is  a  sub- 
lime state  of  conscious  rest  in  omniscience."     Sinnett. 

Mr  Edwin  Arnold  in  his  Light  of  Asia  has  given  a  new 
and  original  view  of  Nirvana,  partly  from  a  conviction 
that  '^a  third  of  mankind  would  never  have  been  brought 
to  believe  in  blank  abstractions,  or  in  Nothingness,  as  the 
issue  and  crown  of  Being."  After  due  perception  of  the 
Four  Truths,  safe  passage  along  the  Eightfold  Path  of 
doctrine,  and  through  the  Four  Stages  viz  :  Love  of  Self, 
False  Faith,  Doubt,  Hatred,  Lust,  Love  of  Life,  Desire 
for  Heaven,  Self  Praise,  Error,  and  Pride, — then 

As    one    who  stands  on  yonder  snowy  horn 
Having  naught  o'er  him  but  the  boundless  blue, 

So,  these  sins  being  slain,  the  man  is  come 
Nirvana's  verge  unto. 


162  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENGE, 

Him  the  Gods  envy  from  their  lower  seats ; 

Him  the  Three  worlds  in  ruin  should  not  shake ; 
All  life  is  lived  for  him,  all  deaths  are  dead ; 

Karma  will  no  more  make 

New  houses.     Seeing  nothing,  he  gains  all ; 

Foregoing  self,  the  Universe  grows  "I,'* 
If  any  teach  Nirvana  is  to  cease, 

Say  unto  such  they  lie. 

If  any  teach  Nirvana  is  to  live, 

Say  unto  such  they  err ;  not  knowing  this, 

Nor  what  light  shines  beyond  their  broken  lamps. 
Nor  lifeless,  timeless  bliss. 

NOBILITY,   Five  degrees  of.     These   are  ^,  ^,  f^; 

^>  ^j  which  terms    are    roughly   rendered duke, 

marquis,  earl,  viscount,  baron.  They  may  be  perpetually 
hereditary  ;  but  the  usual  custom  is  that  the  heir  always 
takes  a  title  one  degree  lower  down,  until  extinction, 
which  thus  must  occur  at  most  after  five  generations. 
The  lineal  descendant  of  Confucius  is  always  a  noble  of 
the  first  rank. 

NONYA.  The  daughter  of  a  Malay  mother  and  a  Euro- 
pean father  is  so  called  in  Java,  in  imitation  of  the 
Spanish  nona,  whence  the  French  nonne  and  English  nun. 

NOR   or  NUR.     A  Mongol   word   signifying   lahey   e.g., 

Dolon-nor. 
NOEIMON :  ^  ^.     A  Japanese  sedan  or  palanquin. 

NOVELS.   Are  ranged  by  the  Chinese  under  four  heads: — 

jff   which   deal  with   usurpation   and   plotting,    as   the 

San  Kuo  Chih, 

j^       „         „         „  immoralities,  as  the  Chin  P'ing  Mei. 

^       „         „         „  superstition,  „    „    Hsi  Yu  Chi. 

^       „        „        „  lawless  characters,  as  the  8hui  Hu. 


A  GLOSSAHY  OF  REFERENCE.  163 

NUI  TI  or  NEI  TI :  pj  i^—ihe  inner  land.  China  as 
opposed  to  the  "  outside  nations ''  ^1*  ^  ;  or,  in  a  more 
restricted  sense,  the  interior  of  China  as  opposed  to  the 
sea-board.     Hence  nui  ti  shui  *' inland  duties." 

NULLAH.     Crroectly  ndla.  A  small  river,  or  watercourse. 

NUMBA  SATU.  Used  in  the  Malay  peninsula  as  ''numba 
one"  in  pidgin-English,  sc.  first-rate.  A  race  at  the 
Singapore  meeting  is  called  the  "  Numba  Dua  "  Cup,  i.e. 
Number  2  cup. 

NUMERALS,  THE  CHINESE. 


1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 


Old  ftorm. 

Common 
form 

a. 

Short  form 
b. 

Lenstfaeaed 
form 
C. 

^ 



1 

# 

^ 

.— « 

11 

% 

^ 

-'~"', 

II 

^ 

9^ 

m 

X 

m 

X 

n. 

t5 

^ 

^ 

i^ 

jt- 

m 

-f 

-b 

O; 

m 

SI 

A 

± 

m 

fi. 

X 

^ 

^ 

+ 

+ 

^ 

a.  As  seen  iu  books. 

b.  Commonly  used  for' 
accounts.  Are  said  to  be 
of  Bactrlan  or  Phoenician 
origin,  but  are  known  to 

the  Chinese  as  |^  ill  ^ 
"  Soo-chow    characters,' 

or  $l|^=business  char- 
acters. They  are  written 
horizontally,  except  when 
I  and  2  or  3  come  to 
gether.  These  are  then 
written  alternately  ver- 
tical  and  horizontal  to 
prevent  confusion.  Thus, 
$12,332.15  would  be  —  )) 
Hill:::— ^,  the  unit 
place  being  indicated  by 

■X- 

c  Adopted  as  being 
less  liable  to  alteration 
of  any  kind,  and  used 
on  drafts,  pawn-tickets, 
etc,  etc 


OATHS.     Are  never  administered  in   Chinese   courts   of 

justice  in  any  shape  or  form.     See  Ordeal. 
OBANG  :  "^  ^ij— great  division.     A  Japanese   gold   coin 

worth  30  ounces  of  silver. 

OBO  :  H^  i®.     The  sacred  cairn,  or  grave-mound,   of  the 


164  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFERENGE. 

Lamas.  The  line  of  frontier  between  the  Khalka  territory 
and  E-ussian  possessions  is  marked  by  such  piles,  and  the 
spaces  between  them  are  called  sahu  ^  TfJ  by  the 
Mongols. 

OCEAN  EACE,  THE.  An  annual  contest— formerly, 
between  tea-clippers  sailling  from  Foochow  round  the 
Cape  ;  now,  between  steamers  from  Hankow  and  Foochow, 
passing  through  the  Suez  Canal — to  be  the  first  to 
deliver  in  London  a  cargo  of  the  new  season's  teas.  The 
chief  interest  of  the  public  centres  in  the  race  between  the 
steamers  which  leave  Hankow  generally  about  the  begin- 
ning of  June. 

ODES,    BOOK    OF    THE:    |#  1^.     One   of  the  Five 

Classics,  and  perhaps  the  most  valued  of  all  by  the  literat 

of   China.     Is   a   collection   of  irregular  lyrics  in  vogue 

among  the  people  many   centuries   before   the    Christian 

era,  said  to  have  been  collected  and  arranged,  to  the 
number  of  311,  by  Confucius   himself.     Of   six   of   these 

however,  only  the  titles  remain.     "  Have  you  learned  the 

Odes  ?  "  inquired  the  Master  of  his  son  ;  and  on  receiving 

an   answer   in  the  negative,  immediately  reminded  him 

that  unless  he  did  so  he  would  be  unfit  for  the  society   of 

intellectual  men.     Translated  into   Latin   by   Lacharme, 

circa  1733 ;  into  English,  (1)  literally  and  (2)  metrically, 

by  1)r  Legge,  1871.     The  following  is  a  specimen : — 

The  cricket  is  in  the  hall, 

And  the  year  is  drawing  to  a  close. 

If  we  do  not  enjoy  ourselves  now. 

The  days  and  months  will  have  fled. 

But  let  us  not  go  to  excess. 

Let  us  think  of  the  duties  of  our  position ; 

Let  us  not  go  beyond  bounds  in  our  love  of  pleasure : 

The  virtuous  man  is  ever  on  his  guard. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGF.  165 

OHIO  or  OHYO  :  ^  -^.     Japanese  equivalent  of  "  good 
morning !  '^    but   used   only   on   meeting   a   person,    and 
before  10  a.  m. 
OK  GUE :  @  5.     A   kind   of   fig,    the    seed   of  whicb 

is  used  in  preparing  jelly  as  isinglass  is  in  Europe. 
OKRAS:  ^  'JSS'     Are  the   miniature  fruit  of  the  Hibis- 
cus esculentus,    much  used  in  various  parts  of   the  world 
as  a  vegetable  and  for  thickening  soups ;  especially  in  the 
southern  United  States,  where  they  are  known  as  ^'  Gum- 
bo.'^     The   name    fequently   appears   in   the   Hongkong 
market  list. 
OMETO  FO  OR  0-MI-T^O-FO:  P^5K|}:B#.     Amit^b- 
bha,  i.e.  boundless  light ;  or  Amida  Buddha.     The  abbre- 
viated form  of  namah  amitdhha  {q-v.),  the  formula  in  use 
among  Chinese  Buddhists,  equivalent  to  the  ave  of  Roman 
Catholics.     "The  very  name  of  Buddha,''  says  a  sacred 
text,    *'if   pronounced   by  a  devout  heart  1,000  or  5,000 
*' times,   will  effectually  dispel  all  harassing  thoughts,  all 
'^  fightings   within  and  fears  without."     This   phrase   is 
frequently  prefixed  in  conversation   to   exclamatory   sen- 
tences; e.^.,  W  ^  U6  #  ^  g  tr  ll=''For  God's 
sake  don't  strike  him  ! "  and  is  often  exchanged  between 
guest  and  host  as  the  former   passes   into   the   house,    in 
which  case  it  answers  somewhat   to   our   Pax  vohiscum  ! 
See  next  entry. 
OM  MANX  PADME  HUM  or  OMMANY  PEMMINY : 
Pf  ®  B'S  PJL  Pi  Pf  — "  0    the    jewel  in    the    lotus  ! 
Amen ;"  or   according  to  Professor   Wilson,  "  Glory  to 
Manipadme  !''     A  magic  formula  much  used  in  Mongolia 
and  Tibet  as  a  charm  against  evil  influences,  etc.     The 
primeval  six  syllables,  as  the  Lamas  (q.v.)  say.     The  only 
prayer  known  to  Tibetans  and   Mongols ;  the   first  words 
spoken  by  every  child,  the  last  by  every  dying  man. 


166  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

"The  wanderer  murmurs  them  on  his  way,  the  herdsman 
beside  his  cattle,  the  matron  at  her  household  tasks,  the 
monk  in  all  stages  of  contemplation.  They  form  at  once 
a  cry  of  battle  and  a  shout  of  victory.  They  are  to  be 
read  wherever  the  Lama  church  has  spread,  upon  banners, 
upon  rocks,  upon  trees,  upon  walls,  upon  monuments  of 
stone,  upon  household  utensils,  upon  human  skulls  and 
skeletons."     Heeley  and  Koeppen. 

*^  Ah  !  Lover !  Brother !  Guide  !  Lamp  of  the  Law ! 
I  take  my  refuge  in  my  name  and  thee ! 
I  take  my  refuge  in  the  Law  of  Good ! 
I  take  my  refuge  in  thy  Order !  — OM  ! 
The  dew  is  on  the  lotus !  — Rise,  Great  Sun  ! 
And  lift  my  leaf  and  mix  me  with  the  wave. 
OM  MANI  PADME  HUM,  the  sunrise  comes ! 
The  dewdrop  slips  into  the  shining  sea." 

Arnold's  Light  of  Asia, 

ONI.     Devil  (Japanese).     Used  as  a  name  for  a  dog  or  cat. 

OOLONG  :  i%  ^— black  dragon.     A  kind  of  tea. 

OONAM.     Same  as  Hu-nan  (q.v.). 

OOPAK.     Same  as  Eu-pei  (q.v.), 

OPIUM.  From  the  Greek  dnSg  "juice."  It  is  the  dried 
juice  of  the  unripe  capsules  of  the  Papaver  Somniferum 
or  Common  Poppy,  and  is  known  to  the  Chinese  under 
the  following  designations : — ^  /t^  (said  to  be  derived 
from  |5^  ^  ^,  itself  an  imitation  of  the  Arabic  name 
Afiyun,  still  used  in  the  Straits'  Settlements) ;  ^  |^ ; 

7^  ^  etc.,  etc. 

It  is  uncertain  when  and  how  opium  first  became 
known  in  India  ;  but  in  the  Ain-i-Alehari  (circa  1590)  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  167 

poppy  is  noticed  as  a  staple  crop.  In  1773,  Warren 
Hastings,  then  Governor  of  Bengal,  assumed,  on  behalf 
of  the  English  East  India  Company,  a  monopoly  of  all 
opium  produced  in  Bengal,  Behar  and  Orissa,  with 
certain  allowances  of  the  drug  to  the  French,  Danes,  and 
Dutch. 

It  is  acknowledged  beyond  doubt,  that  long  before  the 
English  had  intercourse  with  China,  or  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  cultivation  of  opium,  the  drug  used  to  be 
carried  in  quantities  overland  from  India  by  way  of 
Burma,  Yun-nan,  etc.  Later  on  the  Portuguese  trading 
vessels  were  in  the  habit  of  importing  it  into  Macao  and 
Canton.  The  Chinese  gradually  coming  to  relish 
opium-smoking,  it  took  its  place  as  an  article  of  regular 
trade.  When  Bombay  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
British  Government,  opium  continued  to  be  shipped  in 
small-sized  sailing  vessels,  which  used  to  take  three  or  four 
months  to  perform  the  voyage  to  Whampoa. 

The  production  of  opium  in  India  naturally  in- 
creased in  sympathy  with  the  demand,  from  33,616  chests 
in  1834  to  77,379  chests  in  1854.  Since  then,  it  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  the  importation  of  Indian  opium 
has  remained  stationary,  whilst  the  im])ort  of  other  commo- 
dities, such  as  manufactured  goods,  has  increased  tenfold. 
As  it  is  admitted  on  all  sides  that  the  use  of  the  drug  has 
been  widely  spread,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  during 
this  period  Indian  opium  has  been  labouring  under  keen 
competition  with  increasing  growth  of  native  opium. 

There  are  two  descriptions  of  drug  imported  from 
India — under  the  denominations  respectively  of  Bengal 
and  Malwa  opium. 


168  A  QLOSSAHY  OF  REFERENCE. 

Of  Bengal  opium,  the  growth  is  monopolised  by  the 
Indian  Government  in  this  way.  They  advance  the 
growers,  who  are  named  "  Ryots,"  money  annually  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  poppy,  on  the  distinct  understanding 
that  the  produce  is  to  be  sold  to  the  Government  at  a 
given  rate.  The  product  is  then  manipulated,  formed  into 
cakes  and  packed  in  chests  of  40  Balls  each,  under 
Government  supervision,  brought  down  to  Calcutta,  and 
a  stated  quantity  offered  monthly  by  public  auction  at  the 
upset  price  of  E,s.  450  per  chest,  being  the  actual  cost  of 
production.  But  the  competition  amongst  the  buyers  to 
supply  the  China  Markets  is  so  great,  that  a  chest 
generally  realizes  about  Es.  1,250 — it  therefore  leaves  a 
surplus  of  Rs.  800  per  chest  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indian 
Government  exchequer. 

On  the  other  side  of  India,  however,  the  Government 
have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
poppy,  or  with  its  manipulation.  It  is  grown  in  native 
States,  principally  in  Malwa  and  Indore.  The  Govern- 
ment levy  a  tax  of  Rs.  600  per  chest  when  brought  from 
the  interior  for  exportation  to  China,  which  forms  all  the 
profit  or  interest  of  the  Government  in  the  trade  in  Malwa 
opium.  This  is  why  Bengal  opium  always  turns  out  of 
good  and  even  quality  and  is  never  inspected  by  the 
Chinese  dealers,  the  Government  ticket  which  is  placed 
on  each  chest  being  accepted  as  sufficient  guarantee  for 
the  quality  of  the  drug.  In  Malwa  opium  there  is  always 
an  admixture  of  qualities  whose  touch  varies  from  50  to 
75  per  cent.  It  has  to  undergo  a  process  of  boiling  and 
testing  through  the  pipe  before  a  bargain  can   be  made 

with  Chinese. 

From  these  two  sources  it  is  estimated  that  the  British 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE,  169 

Indian  Government  derive  an  annual  revenue  of  about 
seven  million  pounds  sterling. 

The  native  drug  is  much  adulterated  with  linseed  and 
other  stuff.  Indian  opium  is  confessedly  far  superior  in 
every  respect  to  the  indigenous,  and  the  Chinese  show 
their  appreciation  of  it,  by  paying  for  it  double  the  price 
of  the  native  opium.  The  comparative  quotations  are  Tls. 
600  for  a  picul  of  Malwa  against  Tls.  250  to  300  for 
the  native  product.  The  touch  of  native  opium  is  from 
50  per  cent  downwards. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  consumption  of 
Indian  opium  is  mainly  confined  to  the  coast  ports  of 
China  and  does  not  penetrate  far  enough  into  the  interior 
to  bring  it  within  the  reach  of  the  middle  class  of  people, 
as  it  is  subjected  to  such  heavy  taxes  when  passing  from 
one  barrier  (q.v.)  to  another,  that  before  it  has  reached 
400  to  500  miles  from  the  open  ports,  duty  to  the  amount 
of  nearly  double  the  value  of  the  opium  is  exacted. 

The  cultivation  of  the  poppy  has  of  late  years  increased 
all  over  China,  more  especially  in  the  province  of  Szechuen, 
in  the  north  of  Shensi  and  Hon  an,  and  in  Manchuria. 

The  total  weight  of  all  descriptions  of  opium  imported 
into  China  is  computed  at  say  45,000  chests  of  Bengal 
of  160  lbs.  each,  43,000  chests  of  Malwa  of  135  lbs. 
each,  total  weight  13,005,000  lbs.,  which  at  62  per  cent 
gives  8,125,162  lbs.  of  smokable  extract.  A  very 
moderate  smoker  consumes  about  one  mace  weight  of 
pure  opium  per  day.  One  mace  is  equal  to  yi^  lb. 
avoirdupois,  therefore,  the  total  quantity  of  imported 
opium  is  barely  sufficient  to  provide  for  the  wants  of 
2,684,400  people,  or  about  one  per  cent  of  the  whole 
population  of  China,  taking  it  at  the  moderate  estimate  of 


170  A  GL0S8ABT  OF  REFERENCE. 

250,000,000.  Opium  tends  to  preserve  the  balance  of  our 
trade  with  China,  without  which  British  merchants  would 
have  to  import  ten  millions  sterling  of  silver  annually  to 
pay  for  their  silk  and  tea  purchases ;  and,  as  above  stated, 
it  brings  in  a  revenue  of  seven  millions  sterling  per  annum 
for  India. 

OPIUM  WAR.     See  Lin. 

"  Reduced  to  plain  words,  the  principle  for  which  we 
fought  in  the  China  War  was  the  right  of  Great  Britain 
to  force  a  peculiar  trade  upon  a  foreign  people.''  Justin 
McCarthy. 

ORANG.  The  Malay  word  for  man.  Commonly  used 
by  foreigners  in  the  Straits  when  calling  to  Malay  coolies, 
etc.     Hence  the  orang-outang,  or  "  man  of  the  woods." 

ORDEAL,  TRIAL  BY.  Is  often  practised  in  China. 
That  is,  where  the  statements  of  two  parties  are 
absolutely  conflicting,  either  may  propose  the  ordeal  of 
swearing  at  the  City  Temple.  There  is  in  use  a  special 
form  of  oath,  to  be  uttered  aloud,  before  the  shrine  of  the 
god,  in  the  dim  religious  light  which  adds  solemnity  to  the 
scene. 

ORTHOGRAPHY.  A  term  commonly  employed  by  foreig- 
ners in  China  to  denote  the  transliteration  of  Chinese 
characters.  The  orthographies  for  the  Mandarin  dialect 
are  specially  perplexing,  there  being  as  many  as  five  or  six 
different  systems  in  vogue  among  English  writers  alone;  and 
thus  we  have  Soo-chow,  Su-chow,  Su-chou,  and  Su-cheu, 
all  representing  the  two  Chinese  characters  for  the  city  of 
1^  j^.  For  many  years  Morrison's  orthography,  which 
represented  the  sounds  of  the  Mandarin  dialect  as  heard 
at  Nanking,  was  accepted  without  protest,  except  on  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  171 

part  of  Edkins,  who  tried  unsuccessfully  to  introduce  one 
of  his  own.  Wade  then  appeared  on  the  scene  with  his 
elementary  handbooks  for  students  of  the  Court  Dialect^ 
in  which  many  of  the  old  Nanking  h^s  were  turned  into 
cWsy  besides  other  changes,  in  accordance  with  the  sounds 
heard  in  the  city  of  Peking ;  and  as  students  of  Mandarin 
now  invariably  begin  with  Wade's  TzU-erh-chi  (g'.t?.),  it  is 
no  longer  a  question  which  is  the  best  orthography,  but 
which  is  in  general  use  and  most  likely  to  continue  so. 
Sir  T.  Wade's  system  may  not  be  the  best,  and  it 
certainly  is  not  perfect,  no  difference  being  made,  for 
instance,  in  the  vowel  sounds  of  *|Tj  or  J^  and  j^  or  ^j 
though  the  distinction  between  them  is  as  clearly 
defined  as  that  between  the  a  and  o  in  the  French  words 
manger  and  plonger.  The  chief  objection  to  it  is  that  the 
great  majority  of  Mandarins  use  the  Nanking  sounds ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  a  slightly  modified  Pekingese  is 
intelligible  to  all.  As  to  names  of  places,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  make  any  beneficial  change.  "  Kiu-kiang  " 
must  be  always  thus  spelt,  and  not  altered  to  the  Pe- 
kingese *'  Chiu-chiang  f'  and  so  with  other  well-known 
proper  names.  It  was  a  grave  error  of  judgment 
on  the  part  of  Dr.  Williams,  when  publishing  in 
1874  his  valuable  Syllabic  Dictionary,  to  reject  both 
Morrison's  and  Wade's  orthographies  alike,  merely  for 
the  sake  of  giving  to  the  world  one  of  his  own  invention, 
which  viewed  on  its  own  merits  is  equally  inconsistent 
and  confusing.  One  proof  of  this  lies  in  the  fact  that 
it  has  been  found  necessary  to  publish  a  key,  (compiled  by 
Mr.  J.  Acheson)  by  means  of  which  Williams' 
Dictionary  may  be  readily  used  by  students  of  Mandarin 
acquainted  only  with  Wade's  orthography.  Mr. 
Douglas,  too,  has  given  us  a  catalogue  of  the  Chinese 


172  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

books  in  the  British  Museum  written  in  Morrison's 
orthography,  because,  we  presume,  this  was  the  system  he 
himself  learnt ;  quite  forgetting  that  those  who  now  know 
that  system  are  comparatively  few,  and  will  eventually 
disappear  altogether,  leaving  their  places  blank.  It  is  as 
though  Mr.  Douglas  were  to  insist  on  spelling  all  English 
words  exactly  as  Johnson  spelt  them,  ignoring  alike  the 
changes  of  time  and  the  labours  of  Latham  in  giving  to 
the  world  the  forms  accepted  by  modern  writers.  Mr. 
Eoss  has  also  struggled  for  years,  happily  in  vain,  to  add 
one  more  system  to  the  already  bewildering  list.  He 
writes  Manjow  for  Man  chou,  and  waigwo  for  wai  huo 
:^^  ®,  etc.,  etc. 

OSAKA  i:^^-    A  port  in  Japan. 

OUIGOURS  or  UIGOURS:  i|  ^  or  i|  1^.  A  tribe 
to  Turks  which  settled  A.D.  640  under  a  king  of  their 
own  near  Turfan.  They  had  an  alphabet  subsequently 
adopted  by  Genghis  Khan  and  introduced  among  the 
Mongols.  These  characters  are  now  called  by  the  Chinese 
■^  ^  5i  "3^-    ^^^  Ouigours  are  also  known  to  them  as 

H  IBI. 

PADDY  :  ^.  Rice  in  the  husk  ;  from  the  Malayan  Padi, 
Also  used  of  rice  as  it  grows  in  the  paddy-fields. 

PADDY-BIRD :  S  ^.  The  white  egret.  So  called 
because  frequently  seen  wading  in  paddy-fields. 

PAGODA  :  ^  ^ — precious  t'a  or  pile.  Formerly  known 

as  J^  ^  or  J^  ^  Buddha.  The  Indian  toran.  A 
circular  or  octagonal  building,  always  of  an  odd  number 
of  storeys,  originally  raised  over  relics  of  Buddha,  bones 
of  Buddhist  saints  etc.,  but  now  built  chiefly  in  connexion 
with  Eeng-shui  {q.v.).  At  Lo-yang,  under  the  Chin 
dynasty  (A.D.  350),  there  were  forty-two  pagodas,  from 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCS.  173 

three  to  nine  storeys  high,  richly  painted  and  formed 
after  Indian  models.  The  word  has  been  derived  from 
the  Portuguese  pagao=La.tin  paganus ;  also  from  the 
Portuguese  pronunciation  of  the  Indian  dagoha  {g-v.),  in 
addition  to  which  we  commend  to  our  readers  a  common 
term  in  use  among  the  Chinese  themselves,  viz  :  H'^^ 
— white  bones  tower,  pronounced  poh-kuh-t'a.  See 
Stupa. 

"  I  feel  satisfied  that  we  may  take  it  as  now  established 
that  the  Chinese  pagoda  was  copied  from  the  Topes  of 
the  Indus  valley  and  Afghanistan."     W.  Simpson. 

PAGODA.     A  small  gold  coin,  used  in  Madras. 

PAGODA  ANCHORAGE :  ,^  M  ^  or  ^  j§.  The  an- 
chorage for  foreign  ships  at  the  port  of  Foochow,  from 
which  city  it  is  about  ten  miles  distant.  Scene  of  the 
destruction  of  the  Chinese  fleet  by  the  French  under 
Admiral  Courbet,  23rd  August,  1884.  Pagoda  Anchorage 
and  Island  are  both  so  called  from  the  existence  of  a 
small  pagoda  on  the  latter.  The  Chinese  have  named 
the  island  after  a  star — y  in  Capricorn. 

PAILOW  :  ^  15.  An  ornamental  gateway  or  arch,  put 
up  in  memory  of  some  deceased  person  of  transcendent 
loyalty,  filial  piety,  chastity,  and  similar  virtues. 

PAKHOI :  H^i  j^ — North  sea.  A  port  on  the  extreme 
southern  coast  of  the  Kuang-tung  province,  opened  to 
trade  by  the  Chefoo   Agreement  of  1876. 

PAKKA.  A  Hindi  word  meaning  (1)  ripe,  cooked,  and  (2) 
genuine,  proper.  The  application  of  this  word  in  Anglo- 
Indian  and  Anglo-Chinese  parlance  is  practically  unlimited. 
It  is  generally  understood  in  the  sense  of  "  real."  Thus, 
a  pony  may  be  a  palcka  pony,  and  a  man  may  be  a  pahha 
fool.  [Gutcha  is  "raw"  or  '^ crude,"  and  is  largely  used  in 
India  in  antithesis  to  pakka ;  not  in  use  in  China). 


174  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCB. 

PALAMPORES :  ^^  ^  ^.  The  chintz  coverlets  used 
by  the  Chinese.  From  the  town  of  that  name  in  the 
province  of  Guzerat,  where  these  counterpanes  are  manu- 
factured. 

PALANQUIISr.  A  term  applied  in  the  Straits  Settlements 
to  four-wheeled  close  carriages.  In  India  it  means  a  litter. 

PAN-KU  or  PWAN-KOO.  Popularly  known  as  the 
Chinese  Adam.  Is  a  legendary  *'  Great  Architect  of  the 
Universe."  With  his  death  the  work  of  creation  began. 
His  breath  became  the  wind ;  his  voice,  the  thunder ;  his 
left  eye,  the  sun ;  his  right  eye,  the  moon  ;  his  blood 
flowed  into  rivers ;  his  hair  grew  into  trees  and  plants ; 
his  flesh  became  the  soil ;  his  sweat  descended  as  rain  ; 
while  the  parasites  which  infested  his  body  were  the  origin 
of  the  human  race. 

PANSHEN  ERDENI :  JjS  jjif  .  ^  ^  ^  ^—''  The  Pre- 
cious  Teacher."  The  spiritual  ruler  of  Tibet ;  the  Dalai 
Lama  {q.v.)  being  entrusted  with  the  management  of 
secular  affairs.  The  two  are  often  spoken  of  together  as 
the  Tibetan  "  popes." 

PANTHAYS.  Mahommedan  Chinese  who,  after  a  brutal 
massacre  of  14,000  of  their  fellow-religionists  at  Yiin-nan 
Fu  in  1856,  revolted  against  the  yoke  of  China,  and  made 
an  attempt  to  establish  a  separate  kingdom  in  the  province 
of  Yiin-nan,  with  their  capital  at  Tali  Fu.  Ambas- 
sadors were  sent  to  England  in  1872,  but  failed  to  interest 
the  British  Government  in  their  behalf.  On  the  15th 
January,  1873,  the  brave  commander  Tu  "Wen-hsiu 
ygt  ^  ^»  having  first  swallowed  poison,  surrend-ered  to 
the  Chinese,  and  the  rebellion  was  shortly  afterwards 
crushed  with  immense  slaughter  of  the  insurgents.  The 
word  Panthay,  or   Pan-si,  is  the  name  by  which  the 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  175 

Burmese  at  Bhamo  designate  Mahommedans,  and  has  no 
connection,  as  sometimes  stated,  with  2Ji  Jul,  the  term 
itself  being  quite  unknown  to  the  Chinese. 

PAO  TAH  or  PAU  TAH.    A  pagoda  (q.v.). 

PAPER  was  manufactured  in  China  in  the  first  century. 
Its  invention  is  usually  attributed  to  Ts'ai  Lun,  who 
flourished  in  the  reign  of  of  Ho  Ti,  A.D.  89 — 105. 

PAPER  MONEY  was  first  used  by  the  Chinese  in  the  9th 
century  A.D. 

PAPER-BOAT  :  ^  )|5— passenger  boat.  A  large  roomy 
boat  used  on  the  rivers  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Swatow 
for  the  conveyance  of  passengers  and  of  cargoes  of 
paper — whence  the  foreign  term  has  been  derived. 

PAPICO:  Q  JK  1^— white  stern.  A  small  junk,  of 
the  fishing-boat  class,  seen  at  Ningpo  and  in  the  Chusan 
archipelago.  Has  a  white  stern  ;  hence  the  Chinese  name, 
of  which  papico  is  an  imitation. 

PARANG-.  A  large  Malay  knife  for  cutting  wood ;  a 
snikkersnee.  "...  whereupon  the  Mandor  (q.v.)  drew 
."his  parang  and  chased  him  round  the  monkey-house, 
"  but  Mr.  Murton  got  away.'^ — Hongkong  Daily  Press 
(from  Straits'  Times),  22  September,  1877. 

PARIAH.  A  corruption  of  the  Indian  word  paraya 
"  strange."  Pariah  dogs,  i.e.,  dogs  with  no  owners,  are 
not  uncommon  in  large  Chinese  towns. 

The  Pariahs  of  India  are  men  without  caste,  who 
notwithstanding  keep  up  a  kind  of  caste  among  them- 
selves, being  quite  as  jealous  of  their  impurity  as  Brah- 
mans  are  of  their  purity. 

PARSEE. — (Hindustani)  a  Gheber  or  Fire  worshipper ;  lite- 
rally :  Persian.  Bombay  Parsees  are  established  in  busi- 
ness at  several  of  the  Treaty  Ports,  notably  Canton,  Amoy, 


176  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

Shanghai,  and  Foochow,  dealing  chiefly  in  opium.  Their 
complexions  having  caused  them  to  be  confounded  by  the 
Chinese  with  Moormen  {q.v.),  they  are  known  by  the 
same  name,  "  Whiteheads^'  [^  §§. 

PAWN  SHOPS.  Are  common  all  over  China,  and  are  not 
infrequently  owned  by  Mandarins.  They  may  be  known, 
sometimes  by  their  greater  height  than  the  surrounding 
buildings,  always  by  a  huge  character  (either  m  or  ^) 
exhibited  in  some  conspicuous  place.  The  interest  charged 
is  3  per  cent  per  months  the  pledge  to  be  redeemed 
within  sixteen  months.  About  half  the  value  of  the 
article  is  generally  given.  Unlicensed  pawnshops,  ^, 
receive  pledges  for  three  months,  on  more  liberal  terms, 
both  as  regards  the  amount  of  the  loan  and  the  interest 
charged. 

PA-T^U-LU.    See  BaVuru, 

PEACH-ORCHARD  CONFEDERATION:  i^tgl:2# 
A  solemn  covenant,  sworn  to  in  a  peach-orchard,  between 
Liu  Pei,  Chang  Fei,  and  Kuan  Ti  {q^v.),  that  they  would 
fight  side  by  side  and  live  and  die  together. 

PEACOCK'S  FEATHERS.  A  badge  of  merit  conferred 
by  the  Emperor.  The  highest  grade,  or  ^  ^  "  flowery 
feather,"  is  actually  from  the  peacock's  tail  and  has  either 
one,  two,  or  three  eyes,  according  to  the  merit  of  the 
wearer.  The  other  kind,  or  ^  ^ — blue  feather,  or 
plume,  is  from  the  raven's  tail ;  but  both  are  equally 
known  to  foreigners  under  the  above  name.  Introduced 
only'since  the  beginning  of  the  present  dynasty. 

PEACOCK,  TO.  Slang  term  for  '*  to  call  on  ladies,"  as 
implying  a  more  elegant  costume  than  usual.  Brought  to 
China  from  India  where  it  is  much  used  ;  see  John  Ne" 
ville,  vol.  i.,  246. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOB.  177 

FEAR-aARDEN,  PUPILS  OF  THE :  ^M^^-    The 

first  two  characters  form  the  name  of  the  site  of  the 
Dramatic  College  founded  by  the  Emperor  Hsiian  Tsung 
of  the  T'ang  dynasty.  The  whole  is  a  popular  name  for 
"  actors.'* 
PECUL  or  PICUL :  ^  tan  or  ^  sliih.  The  Chinese 
kuadred-weight==133;5  lbs.  avoirdupois.  From  the  Malay 
"  pikul/'  a  load  or  burden.  Coolies  are  classed,  according 
to  their  weight-carrying  capabilities,  as  one-,  two-,  and 
even  three-picul  men. 

PEKING :  :([^  ^—northern  capital.  Literary  name  J^ 
yen.  The  Mongol  conqueror  Kublai  Khan  (q.v.)  first  esta- 
blished his  court  here.  Has  been  the  capital  of  the  empire 
since  the  reign  of  Yung  Le,  the  third  emperor  oi  the 
Ming  dynasty,  who  may  be  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the 
modern  city,  which,  when  spoken  of  in  an  administrative 
sense,,  is  known  as  ||p  yC  )fj  Shun-t'ien  Fu.  Is  divided 
into  the  so-called  Tartar  and  Chinese  cities,  each  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall,  the  dimensions  of  the  former  of  which 
surpass  (except  in  length)  those  of  the  Great  "Wall  itself. 

PEKING  GAZETTE  :  M  IB  or  ®  ^.  The  small  offi- 
cial record,  issued  daily  throughout  the  year  (every  other 
day  during  the  annual  New  Year's  festival)  at  Peking, 
and  containing  the  court  movements,  lists  of  promotions, 
selected  memorials  from  high  officials,.  Imperial  Rescripts, 
Edicts,  and  so  on ;  but  no  news  of  any  kind.  Is  known 
to  have  existed  as  far  back  as  the  T'ang  dynasty,  A.D. 
618—907. 

PEKOE :  0  § — white  hair.  A  kind  of  tea^  so  called 
because  the  leaves  are  picked  very  young,  with  the  down 
or  *'  hair"  on  them.  From  the  Cantonese  pronunciation 
of  the  above  two  characters. 


178  A  GLOSSAEY  OF  EEFEBENGE. 

PENAL  CODE,  THE:  #  ^J.  This  work  contains  (1) 
the  immutable  statute  laws  of  the  Chinese  Empire  under 
the  present  Manchu  dynasty,  derived  in  great  part  from 
the  previous  code  of  the  Ming  dynasty;  and  (2)  such 
modifications,  extensions,  and  restrictions  of  these  funda- 
mental laws  as  time  and  circumstances  make  necessary. 
A  revised  edition  is  published  every  five  years.  Has  been 
translated  into  English  by  Sir  G.  Staunton. 

Sect.  292  : — All  persons  playing  with  the  fist,  with  a 
stick,  or  with  any  weapon,  or  other  means  whatsoever, 
in  such  a  manner  as  obviously  to  be  liable  by  so  doing  to 
kill,  and  thus  killing  or  wounding  some  individual,  shall 
suffer  the  punishment  provided  by  the  law  in  any  ordinary 
case  of  killing  or  wounding  in  an  affray  (viz  :  death  by 
strangulation  or  punishment  in  proportion  to  the  injuries 
inflicted). 

All  persons  who  kill  or  wound  others  purely  by  accident, 
shall  be  permitted  to  redeem  themselves  from  the  punish- 
ment, by  the  payment  in  each  case  of  a  fine  to  the  family 
of  the  person  deceased  or  wounded. 

By  a  case  of  pure  accident  is  understood  a  case  of  which 
no  sufficient  warning  could  have  been  given,  either 
directly,  by  the  perceptions  of  sight  and  hearing,  or 
indirectly,  by  the  inferences  drawn  from  judgment  and 
reflection ;  as  for  instance,  when  lawfully  pursuing  or 
shooting  wild  animals ;  when  for  some  purpose  throwing  a 
brick  or  a  tile,  and  in  either  case  unexpectedly  killing 
any  person ;  when  after  ascending  high  places,  slipping 
and  falling  down,  so  as  to  chance  to  hurt  a  comrade 
or  bystander ;  when  sailing  in  a  ship  or  other  vessel,  and 
driven  involuntarily  by  the  winds;  when  riding  on  a  horse 
or  in  a  carriage,  being  unable,  upon   the  animals  taking 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  REFERENCE.  179 

fright,  to  stop,  or  to  govern  them ;  or  lastly,  when  several 
persons  jointly  attempt  to  raise  a  great  weight,  the 
strength  of  one  of  them  failing,  so  that  the  weight  falls 
on,  and  kills  or  injures  his  fellow-labourers : — in  all  these 
cases  these  could  have  been  no  previous  thought  or 
intention  of  doing  an  injury,  and  therefore  the  law 
permits  such  persons  to  redeem  themselves  from  the 
punishments,  by  a  fine  to  be  paid  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased  or  wounded  person.     (See  Punishments). 

PENANG :  /^t6|5 lift —Betel-nut  Island.  A  British  colony 
in  the  Straits  of  Malacca. 

PENANG  LAWYER.  A  large  heavy  walking-stick  with 
a  big  knob,  sold  at  Penang  and  in  the  Straits  generally. 
Said  to  be  so  called  because  :  (1)  the  strength  of  lawyers 
lies  in  their  nohs ;  (2)  because  formerly  there  was  little  or 
no  law  in  Penang,  and  people  were  forced  to  "  take  it  into 
their  own  hands.^*     Really  loyah,  a  native  name. 

PEON.  One  who  serves  on  foot.  A  Singapore  native 
constable. 

PEPO-HWAN  :  ^ii[#— barbarians  of  the  plain.  "The 
"name  Pepo-hwan  is  applied  to  all  the  civilised  aborigines 
"  living  near  the  mountains  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
"island  (of  Formosa).  The  one  name  includes  a  number 
*'  of  ancient  tribes  which  were  formerly  distinct  and  spoke 
'^separate  dialects.  At  the  present  time,  however, 
"  Chinese  is  the  language  used  by  all." — T.  L.  Bulloch. 
See  Formosa. 

PERSIMMON :  ^  ^.  The  date  plum  found  in  great 
quantities  in  China,  often  called  the  "  China  fig."  The 
Peking  variety  is  Bunge's  Diospyros  Schi-tse;  the 
persimmon  of  South  China  and  of  Japan  is  the  Diospyros 
Kaki. 


180  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENCE. 

PERAX.  "Silver";  a  name  derived  from  the  large  amount 
of  silvery-looking  tin  which  is  found  there.  Pronounced 
Payrah. 

PESANGr.  The  Malay  word  for  banana,  in  common  use 
amang  foreigners  in  the  Straits. 

PETITIONS :  ^  (fe.  Should  he  written  in  very  small 
characters,  as  a  mark  of  the  petitioner's  respect;  and 
should  be  handed  in  in  duplicate,  one  on  red  paper  for  the 
perusal  of  the  official  addressed  and  to  be  kept  on  record, 
the  other  on  white  paper,  to  be  returned  with  the  reply 
written  in  bold  characters  at  the  end  and  stamped  with 
the  seal  of  office.  Petitions  from  the  people  to  Mandarins 
should  have  nine  columns  of  characters  on  every  page ; 
from  subordinates  to  their  superior  officers,  only  five. 
The  following  mnemonic  line  is  well-known  to  all  scribes 
and  clerks  employed  in  Chinese  Yamens:  — 5E.:^  a> -f  a  29 
flr>  W  J  "  fi"^®  ^^^  ^  petition,  six  for  an  enclosure,  four  for 
a  despatch."  Petitions  are  not  dated,  there  being  regular 
days  of  the  month  for  presentation ;  viz,  those  in  which  3 
or  8  occurs.  An  extra  fee  will,  however,  secure  presenta- 
tion on  other  days. 

PETTICOAT-STPJiSTG  ROAD  :  IS  '^  i^.  A  common 
Chinese  name  for  Hong-kong,  especially  in  use  among  the 
Hakkas  (q.v.).     The  Cantonese  proverb  says, 

"  Decent  girls  don't  go  to  Hong-kong,  nor  do  respectable 
**  youths  travel  by  the  Fatshan  boats  ;  " — the  sailors  on 
the  passenger-boats  between  Canton  and  Fatshan  being  a 
very  disreputable  set.     The  name  was  onginally  ^J^^ 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  181 

Great  Queen  Street  (?),   and  was  corrupted  by  the  native 
population  to  its  present  form. 

PHCENIX :  ^  J^.  A  fabulous  bird,  which  according  to 
the  Chinese  appears  only  at  golden  epochs,  and  has  not 
been  seen  since  the  days  of  Confucius.  It  is  said  to  be 
the  essence  of  water  (purity  in  the  abstract).  It  feeds 
only  upon  seeds  of  the  bamboo,  and  drinks  only  from  the 
sweetest  springs.  Its  plumage  contains  the  five  colours 
and  its  song  the  five  notes. 

PHONETICS,  THE.  That  portion  of  a  Chinese  character 
(q.v.)  which  guides  the  reader  to  its  sound,  though  he  may 
never  have  seen  the  character  before.  E.g. — -§  tSng,  to 
ascend,  is  the  phonetic  of  jl^  ting,  a  lamp,  which  is 
formed  by  the  addition  of  y^  fire.  Such  a  portion  of  a 
character,  when  it  has  no  Dhonetic  value,  is  called  the 
primitive.  The  analysis  of  Callery  gave  1,040  phonetics 
and  primitives,  under  one  or  other  of  which  all  Chinese 
characters  could  be  arranged;  but  unfortunately  exceptions 
and  deviations  are  so  numerous  as  to  render  this  system 
of  only  comparative  value. 

PHOONGYE.     See  Talapoin. 
PHRAONG  CHOW.    See  Glww  fah. 
PICTUEE  CHOPS.     See  Chop. 

PIDGIN.  Business  of  any  kind,  from  which  word  the  term 
pidgin  is  said  to  be  derived,  through  the  Chinese  imitation 
of  our  word,  i.e,  business,  bizzin,  pishin,  pidgin.  By 
others,  from  the  latter  half  of  the  Portuguese  occupagao. 
Also,  from  the  Hebrew  word  meaning  ransom  or  redemp- 
tion, from  a  ritual  observance  still  found  among  pious 
Jews ;  Yiz.j  pidjann  or  the  redemption  of  the  first-born 


182  AGLOSSABY  OF  EEFERENCE. 

from  the  priesthood,  to  which  they  have  heen  held  to  he 
specially  devoted  ever  since  the  act  of  grace  by  which  the 
first-born  of  Israel  were  spared.  This  word  passed  into 
the  common  language,  and  Jewish  merchants  in  Poland 
may  even  now  be  heard  to  ask  about  the  '*  pidgen,"  i.e. 
business ;  and  as  Polish  Jews  emigrated  in  large  numbers 
to  England  it  is  believed  that  they  may  have  carried  this 
slang  term  with  them.  A  further  etymology  has  been 
suggested  in  the  Sanscrit  jplche,  to  pursue. 

Commonly  used  as  an  affix — amah-pidgin,  coolie-pidgin, 
etc.  Any  servant  called  upon  to  perform  another's  work 
will  reply  ''  no  belong  my  pidgin." 

'*A  second  man  had  to  be  flogged,  and  a  different 
officer  had  to  flog  him.  This  second  officer's  physique  was 
not  by  any  means  equal  to  that  of  the  first,  and  the  blows 
came  down  with  far  less  force.  He  was  consequently 
voted  not  up  to  his  pidgin." — Hongkong  Baily  Press, 
4  Oct.  1877. 

PIDQIN-CHTNESE.  The  Chinese  spoken  by  foreigners 
who  have  not  the  gift  of  tongues,  and  persist  in  arranging 
their  sentences  according  to  the  idiom  of  their  native  land. 
See  Coolie- Chinese. 

PIDGIX-ENGLTSH.  The  lingua  franca  of  China,  used 
by  foreigners  of  all  nationalities,  who  do  not  talk  Chinese 
in  speaking  to  native  servants,  shop-keepers,  chair-coolies, 
sailors,  etc.  Also  frequently  spoken  to  each  other  by 
Chinamen  of  dfferent  parts  of  the  Empire,  whose  dialects 
are  mutually  unfamiliar  and  who  do  not  understand  their 
own  common  medium — Mandarin.  The  following  is  a 
specimen,  by  an  anonymous  author,  of  a  celebrated 
English  poem  translated  into  this  strange  jargon. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENGE,  183 

EXCELSIOR! 

That  nightey  time  begin  chop-chop, 
One  young  man  walkey — no  can  stop. 
Maskee  snow  I  maskee  ice  ! 
He  carry  flag  wid  chop  so  nice — 

Topside-galow ! 

He  too  muohey  sorry,  one  piecey  eye 
Looksee  sharp — so — all  same  my. 
Him  talkey  largey,  talkey  strong, 
Too  muchey  curio — all  same  gong — 

Topside-galow ! 

Inside  that  house  he  look-see  light, 
And  every  room  got  fire  all  right, 
He  look-see  plenty  ice  more  high, 
Inside  he  mouth  he  plenty  cry — 

Topside-galow  I 

Olo  man  talkey  "  no  can  walk  I 
By'mby  rain  come — welly  dark, 
"  Have  got  water,  welly  wide." 
"  Maskee  !  My  wantchey  go  topside." 

Topside-galow ! 

"  Man-man  ! "  one  girley  talkey  he ; 
*'  What  for  you  go  topside  look-see  ?  " 
And  one  time  more  he  plenty  cry, 
But  all  time  walkey  plenty  high. 

Topside-galow ! 

**  Take  care  !  that  spoil'um  tree,  young  maur 
**  Take  care  that  ice  !  He  want  man-man ! " 
That  coolie  chin-chin  he  good  night, 
He  talkey  "  My  can  go  all  right." 

Topside-galow  ! 

Joss-pidgin  man  he  soon  begin. 
Morning-time  that  Joss  chin-chin ; 
He  no  man  see — he  plenty  fear, 
Cos  some  man  talkey— he  can  hear  ! 

Topside-galow ! 


184  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEUENGB. 

That  young  man  die,  one  large  dog  see, 
Too  muchey  bobbery  findey  he  ; 
He  hand  beloDg  colo — all  same  ice, 
Have  got  that  flag,  with  chop  so  nice. 

Topside-galow ! 

Moral 

You  too  muchey  laugh  \  What  for  sing  ? 
I  think-so  you  no  aavey  what  thing  ! 
Supposey  you  no  b-'long  clever  inside, 
More  better  you  go  walk  topside  ! 

Topside-galow  ! 

There  is  also — 

My  name  belong  Norval ;  topside  that  Grampian  hill 
My  father  catchee  chow-chow  pay  he  sheep — etc. 

The  following  is  a  good  prose  specimen  of  pidgin- 
English  as  actually  spoken  in  China.  It  is  supposed  to 
be  from  the  pen  of  a  Nai-ma,  or  Chinese  wet-nurse, 
disappointed  that  the  colours  were  not  trooped  as  usual 
on  the  Queen's  birthday. 

queen's  birthday. 

Sir, — Long  time  my  have  stop  Hongkong  side,  any 
year  Queen's  bursday  have  got  that  soldier  man  play- 
pidgin  City  Hall  overside.  My  chin-chin  you  tluly  talkee 
my  what  for  this  year  no  got — no  have  got  largee  lain  ! 
How  fashion  ?  Some  flen  talkee  ray  that  soldier  man 
b'long  alia  same  olo  man — two  time  one  day  he  no  can — 
some  man  talkee  that  soldier  man  taipan  he  more  likee 
walkee  that  horse  go  topside  sleep !  Spose  b'long  tlue 
talkee  my  so  fashion  no  likee.  Too  spensee  my  have 
catchee  that  seelick  jacket,  that  bangle,  that  diamond 
ling,  alio  that  thing.  Tluly  too  muchee  trub — long  time 
atop  that  side  waitee,  no  man  talkee  my  no  got. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENCK  185 

Spose  soldier  man  b'long  so  fashion  no  can  take  care 
people  that  smallo  pidgin,  more  better  my  chop-chop  go 
Macao — that  side  have  got  plenty  number  one  soldier 
man — no  got  fear. 

My  too  muchee  no  likee  that  foolo  pidgin  just  now 
Hongkong  any  tim  have  got  chin-chin. 

Naai  Ma. 
Hongkong,  27th  May,  1878. 

PIDGIN-JAPANESE.  A  species  of  hybrid,  ungramma- 
•  tical  Japanese,  spoken  by  foreigners  who  do  not  learn  the 
language  accurately  ;  e.g.  Omi  taksan  'pompom  hohhery, 
watarhsi  pumguts  :  "  If  you  continue  to  make  so  much 
"  noise  in  hammering  those  nails  into  that  wall,  I  shall  be 
'*  reluctantly  compelled  to  correct  you  by  the  administra- 
"  tion  of  severe  corporal  chastisement.'^  Here  pompom 
hohhery—ihe  noise  made  by  hammering  nails  into  a  wall. 

PIGEON.  Incorrect  form  of  Pidgin.  Pigeon-English 
(sic)  is  defined  by  Dr.  Brewer  as  "  a  conglomeration  of 
English  and  Portuguese  words,  wrapped  in  a  Chinese 
idiom,  in  which  the  European  dealers  '^pigeon*  or  try 
to  over-reach  the  merchants  of  the  Flowery  Empire." 

PIGGI.    Pidgin- Japanese  equivalent  for  wailo  "  go  away  V* 

PIGTAIL.     SeeOz^e. 

^^ PILLAR"  DOLLAR.  The  Spanish  Carolus  dollar  is  so 
called  from  the  design  on  the  reverse — the  two  pillars  of 
Hercules,*  joined  by  a  scroll  inscribed  with  the  legend 
Ne  plus  ultra  '*  nothing  beyond,"  and  supporting  the  arms 
and  crown  of  Spain.     Known  to  the  Chinese,  in  common 

*  The  two  rocks  at  the  entrance  to  the  Mediterranean  sea  were 
known  to  the  ancients  by  this  name. 


186  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

with  many  other  foreign  coins,  as  y^  g§  ^'  deviFs  head  ^ 
money,  from  the  royal  head  on  the  obverse.  Dollars  of 
Carolus  lY.  are  called  ff^  31  "  the  four  hung,'^  the  old 
way  of  writting  lY.,  viz.  IIII._,  being  mistaken  by  the 
Chinese  for  their  own  character  31  labour  four  times  re- 
peated. 

PIONEER  of  COMMERCE.  The  late  T.  T.  Cooper  has 
been  frequently  so  called,  from  his  book  "  Travels  af  a 
P.  of  C.  in  Pig-tail  and  Petticoats." 

PLANCHETTE  :  ^  ^L-     Has  been  well  known  in  China 

for  centuries,  and  is  chiefly  practised  by  priests  as  a  means 

of  extorting  money  from  the  credulous.     A  forked  stick, 

having  a  short  tooth-like  piece  projecting  at  right  angles 

from  the  point  of  bifurcation,  is  grasped  by  two  men 
standing  back  to  back.     By  simultaneous  movement  of 

the  operators  the  "  tooth  "  is  made  to  describe  circles  on 

a  table  covered  with  sand  and  placed  before  the  shrine  of 

some   god,    until  inspiration  comes,    and  characters  are 

traced    legibly   on    the   sand,    forming    an    appropriate 

response  to  any  question  that  may  have  been  put. 

PLANTAIN:     Gi  M-     ^  tropical    plant   of   the  genus 
Musay  and  order  Musacew,  which  bears  a  highly  nutritious 
fruit,  nearly  akin  to  the  banana. 
I  long  my  careless  limbs  to  lay 
Under  the  plantain's  shade.     Waller, 

"  The  banana  tree  [Musa  sapientum)  differs  from  the 
plantain  in  having  its  stalks  marked  with  dark  purple 
stripes  and  spots,  and  the  fruit  is  shorter  and  rounder. 
Some  botanists,  however,  consider  them  as  only  one 
species." — Loudon,  Encycl.  of  Gardening. 

PLUM  CASH.     Pidgin-English  imitation  of  ''  prime  cost.'* 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  187 

POCKET  SONS.  Sons  purchased  for  adoption  by  childless 
Chinese.  Similarly,  ^'  pocket  mother "  is  generally  used 
of  women  who  buy  girls  for  prostitution. 

POETRY,  CHINESE :  |#.  For  ancient  poetry,  see  the 
Odes.  In  modern  versification,  all  measures  from  four  to 
eleven  characters  in  a  column  are  to  be  found,  and  poems 
varying  in  length  from  a  couplet  to  several  hundred  lines ; 
but  what  may  be  called  orthodox  poetry,  dating  from  the 
beginning  of  the  T'ang  dynasty  (618  A.D.),  is  subject 
to  the  following  conditions.  Measures  of  either  five  or 
seven  characters  to  the  column  may  only  be  employed, 
and  there  should  not  be  more  than  sixteen  columns. 
There  must  be  rhyme ;  and  when  five  characters  are  useds 
all  the  even  columns  rhyme ;  but  if  seven,  then  the  first 
column  rhymes  too,  the  rhyming  character  being  always 
in  the  *'even"  tone.  The  other  tonal  arrangements,  the 
choice  of  any  one  of  which  is  optional,  are  shown  in  the 
annexed  tables,  to  be  read  downwards  from  right  to  left 
as  in  Chinese. 


K   ¥ 

¥ 

IK 

^   K 

IK 

2P 

K   ^ 

^ 

IK 

^   K 

IK 

¥ 

IK    ^ 

IK 

¥ 

K   ¥ 

IK 

^ 

^   K 

IK 

^ 

K   ^ 

^ 

K 

^   K 

2p 

K 

^   IK 

^ 

K 

188  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

[A  common   and  useful  formula   among  versifiers  is 

It  may  be  added  that  every  sucli  Chinese  poem  should 
contain  if  possible  some  historical  or  mythological  allusion, 
and  deal  with  the  elucidation  of  a  single  thought. 

POLYGAMY,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term,  i#  unknown 
in  China.  A  man  can  legally  have  but  one  wife,  who 
shares  in  all  his  honours,  present  or  posthumous.  But 
if  a  wife  is  without  issue,  the  husband  is  justified  in 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  189 

taking  a  concubine ;  and  many  rich  Chinese  do  so  even 
without  that  justification.  The  family  status,  however, 
of  a  concubine  is  a  very  different  thing  from  that  of  the 
wife. 

The    Yu-chiao-li    makes    its    hero    marry    both    the 
heroines;   but    this  is   the  license  of    a  novelist.     See 
Marriage. 
PONGrEE  :  2fc  1^— own  loom.     A  kind  of  silk,  similar  to 
the  Tussore  silk  of  India.     The  above  two  characters, 
pronounced  jpun  chee,  are  commonly  seen  on  pieces  of  all 
kinds  of  silk,  preceded  by  the  name  of  the  house  which 
guarantees  that  the  silk  in  question  was  made  on  its  ''own 
looms."     Hence  our  term,  now  confined  to  one  particular 
sort.     ^  ^  home  woven  is  sometimes  written,  but  the 
other  phrase  is   more   usual.     We   cannot   endorse   the 
following: — ''The   name  of  the  wheel  upon  which  the 
"  cocoon   thread   is   reeled  is  (|)3|  $.)    *  Pang-chih  ; '   in 
'"  Cantonese  *  Pung-ch^."     This  is  most  likely  the  origin 
"  of  the  word  Pongee,  in  French  Pongee.*^ — A.     Fauvel : 
China  Review,  vol.  vi.,  p-  103. 
POO-SA  or  P'TJ-SA.     ^  g.     Commonly  used  in  China 
for  all  kinds  of  gods  and  idols.     From  the  first  and  third 
syllables  of  Bodhisatva  {q.v.). 
POOTOO  :  ^  |J6-     A  sacred  island  in  the  Chusan   archi- 
pelago, between  Shanghai  and  Ningpo,  where  Kwan-yin 
(q.v.)  is  said  to  have  resided  for  nine  years.     Inhabited 
by  Buddhist  priests,  who  do  not  permit   any  living  thing 
to  be  killed  upon  the  island.     Neither  are  women  allowed 
to  live  there,  nor  in  fact  any  one  unconnected  with  the 
priesthood. 
POO-TUNa :  vii  ;^— East  of  the  Poo.     The  eastern  bank 
of  the  Hwang-p'u  river  at  a  point  opposite  the  British 
Settlement  of  Shanghai. 


190  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

POPULATIO]^.     See  Census. 

PORCELAIN  TOWER,  THE :  #  ;§,  ^.  The  cele- 
brated nine-sfcoreyed  octagonal  pagoda  at  Nanking,  des- 
troyed by  the  T'ai-p^ing  {q.v.)  rebels.  Bells  hung  from 
every  corner  of  the  roof  of  each  storey,  and  part  of  the 
roofing  is  said  to  have  been  inlaid  with  gold.  Built  A.D- 
1411,  on  the  site  of  former  structures. 

POUOHONO:  >g  @— folded  sort.  A  kind  of  tea,  so 
called  from  the  method  of  packing  it.     [Cantonese.] 

POW :  ^ — to  run ;  to  gallop.  A  native  word  in  use 
amongst  the  foreign  racing  communities  of  China. 

"  The  course,  especially  at  the  Foochow-road  corner, 
"  is  in  a  miserable  condition,  and  "  powing''  is  only  pos- 
"  sible  for  the  quarter-mile  distance." — Foochow  Herald. 

Also  used  as  a  substantive  ;  i.e.y  "  Come  and  have  a 
pow  ; "  and  sometimes  of  a  match  between  two  ponies. 

PORT  ARTHUR:  J^llMP.  Also  known  as  Port  Li 
(in  honour  of  Li  Hung-chang).  A  Chinese  naval  port  esta- 
blished near  Chin-chou  T'ing  in  Shingking,  and  strongly 
fortified. 

PORT  HAMILTON :  jg  ;^  •^.  A  small  island  off  the 
Korean  coast,  occupied  and  fortified  by  England  in  1885, 
as  a  possible  base  of  operations  against  Russia. 

PO-YAH  or  PO-RAH  (Bhoo-ra).  The  Burman  term  for 
pagoda  (q.v.).  The  great  Shwe  Dagang  Poyah,  or  Golden 
Dagong  Pagoda  at  Rangoon,  is  372  feet  high,  with  a 
circumference  of  600  feet.  The  gilt  htee,  or  umbrella,  at 
the  summit  cost  about  £30,000  in  gold  and  jewels  alone. 

PRAHU  or  PRAU.  A  Malay  sea-going  vessel,  as  opposed 
to  a  sampan. 

PRAYA.  A  quay  or  esplanade.  From  the  Portuguese 
praia,  a  shore  or  beach. 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  EEFEEENCE.  191 

PEAYING-WHEEL :  tS  ft  tl^  —  Mongolian  dragon 
cave.  A  machine  into  which  written  prayers  are  thrown 
in  great  numbers  and  then  worked  round  by  the  hand. 
The  efficacy  of  these  churned  prayers  is  the  same  as  if 
each  were  repeated,  with  the  additio'nal  advantage  of 
speed. 

'^  Hundreds  of  Thibetan  priests  idling  away  their  lives 
''turning  prayer-cylinders,  and  reciting  the  everlasting 
'^  *  Hung-mani,  Peh-man  Hung.'*  The  prayer  cylindrse 
"are  called  Koh'loh,  and  some  of  them  are  turned  by 
"water-wheels." — Shanghai  Courier,  7th  Nov.,  1877. 

PRECIOUS  ONES,  THE  THREE  :  =  ^.  The  Buddhist 
Trinity  of  Buddha,  Dharma,  and  Samgha,  or  Buddha, 
the  Law,  and  the  Priesthood,  ^,  ^,  fg .  Sanscrit 
Triratna. 

"  The  philosophical  atheistic  schools  now  place  Dharma 
"  in  the  first  rank  as  the  first  person  in  their  trinity  and 
"  explain  it  as  the  unconditioned  underived  entity,  com- 
"  bining  in  itself  the  spiritual  and  material  principles  of 
"the  universe.  From  Dharma  proceeded  Buddha  by 
"  emanation,  as  the  creative  energy,  and  produced  in  con- 
"  junction  with  Dharma  the  third  constituent  of  the  trinity, 
"viz.  Samgha,  which  is  the  comprehensive  summa  of  all 
"  actual  life  or  existence.  The  common  people,  however, 
"  know  little  or  nothing  of  this  esoteric  view  of  a  trinity ; 
"  they  speak  of  and  worship  a  triad  of  images  which  they 
"regard  as  three  different  divinities,  totally  ignoring  their 
"  unity  and  the  fact  that  the  *  three  precious  ones'  they 
"  worship  are  but  logical  abstractions, — a  mere  philoso- 
"phical  myth."— ^i^e?. 

•  Om  majii  padme  hum  (g.v.)* 


192      A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

The  Three  Precious  Things  of  Taoism  (q.v.)  are  (1) 
Gentle  Kindness,  (2)  Economy,  and  (3)  Humility. 
PREFECT.    See  Chih-fu. 

PRESENTS  :  jjl  #•  Are  of  two  kinds  :— (1)  ^^ff  dry 
presents,  i.e.,  money  and  other  valuables,  given  as  bribes 
to  Mandarins  or  as  douceurs  from  subordinates  to  their 
superior  officers ;  in  the  latter  case,  five  times  every  year, 
^  "^  PH  W — '^  0^  ^^6  t^ree  festivals  and  two  birth- 
days/' the  birthdays  being  those  of  the  Mandarin  and  his 
wife.  (2)  pjC  IKe  fresh  presents,  such  as  fruit,  cakes,  and 
other  eatables.  The  latter  generally  consist  of  eight 
sorts,  and,  where  practicable,  of  two  of  each  sort.  A 
list  should  accompany  them  for  the  recipient  to  mark  off 
with  a  Q_)  such  as  he  wishes  to  accept.  It  is  not  etiquette 
to  take  too  many,  or  two  few,  or  an  odd  number  of 
sorts.  A  gratuity  for  the  sender's  servants  should  then 
be  placed  in  a  red  envelope  marked  with  'fli^  *^  Instead 
of  tea''  at  the  top,  the  amount  being  stated  in  small 
characters  at  the  bottom.  This  sum  is  divided  among 
all  the  sender's  servants,  and  is  held  to  represent  what 
should  have  been  expended  in  treating  those  who  brought 
the  presents.  An  ordinary  Chinese  visiting-card  must 
also  be  sent  with  the  ^bove-mentioned  envelope,  bearing 
the  following  words :— H  H  *  *  ##^11'' 
i.e.,  "So-and-so  has  reverently  received  *  *  :  the 
"rest  of  the  pearls  declined  with  thanks."  If  none  are 
accepted,  in  which  case  no  gratuity  is  given,  the  formula 
is  changed  to — i}^  'H  ^  |^,  or  "Received  in  spirit,  the 
presents  are  declined." 

PRESTER  JOHN.  The  ruler  of  a  tribe  in  Central  Asia 
who  was  converted  to  Christianity  by  the  Nestorian  mis- 
sionaries. Was  overcome  by  Genghis  Khan  in  A.D.  1202, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BBFEnENGK  193 

and  his  skull  set  in  silver  as  a  trophy.  Mentioned  hy 
Marco  Polo,  ch.  xcii.,  as  "  II  Preste  Giovanni."  Our 
name,  sometimes  written  Presbyter  John,  is  a  corruption 
of  the  Mongol  term  "  Prestar  Khan,"  by  which  title  he 
was  commonly  known.  Gibbon  calls  him  "  a  Khan  oi  the 
Keraites."  According  to  the  most  recent  authorities, 
this  once  mythical  personage  now  seems  to  be  thoroughly 
identified  with  Yelin  Tashi,  the  founder  of  the  realm  of 
Karakitai,  who,  after  his  conquest  of  Eastern  and  Western 
Turkistan,  became  known  by  the  title  of  Gur-khan,  and 
had  his  capital  at  Bala  Segun. 

PKICKLY  HEAT.  A  severe  form  of  the  skin-disease 
known  as  lichen  tropicus,  which  begins  to  show  itself  as 
soon  as  the  thermometer  rises  much  above  80°  Fahr. 
The  appearance  of  prickly  heat  is  said  to  indicate  free 
action  of  the  skin,  and  consequently  a  good  state  of  health. 
Warm  water  baths,  with  a  few  handfuls  of  bran  thrown 
in,  are  sometimes  found  to  allay  the  irritation;  but 
unquestionably  the  beat  remedy  is  a  lotion  of  15  or  20 
grains  sulphate  of  zinc  to  4  oz.  of  water,  applied  nigh. 
and  morning  to  the  parts  inflamed.  *' Sponging  with 
"toilet  vinegar  and  water,  or  dusting  with  ordinary  toilet 
"powder,  will  probably  be  found  more  beneficial  than 
"anything  else." — Diseases  of  Anglo-Indians,  by  R 
Mair. 

The  Lancet  gives  the  follo^wing  remedy,  declared  by 
Dr.  J.  R.  Somerville  of  Foochow  to  be  very  efficacious  :— 

Sublimed  Sulphur  80  per  cent. 

Magnesia 15       „ 

Oxide  of  zinc 5        „ 

"  The  skin  is  first  to  be  bathed  with  warm  water  and  a 
"  little  soap ;  some  of  the  powder  is  then  placed  in  a 


194  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

"  saucer,  and  a  squeezed  sponge  pressed  on  the  powder. 
"  A  portion  of  the  powder  will  adhere  to  the  sponge ;  this 
"  is  to  be  rubbed  carefully  in  all  the  patches  of  prickly 
'*  heat,  and  the  process  is  to  be  repeated  morning  and 
"  evening." 

PRmCE  OF  KUNG,  THE :  #  H  BE-  Sixth  son  of 
the  Emperor  Tao  Kuang,  uncle  of  the  present  Emperor, 
and  for  many  years  Eegent  and  President  of  the  Tsung-li 
Yamen  (q.v.). 

PRINTING.  Has  been  extensively  practised  by  the  Chinese 

since  the  middle 'of  the  eleventh  century;  and  even  as 
early  as  the  sixth  century  the  idea  of  taking  impressions 

from  wooden  blocks  seems  to  have  already  suggested  itself 

to  some. 

'^  PROMOTION :"  IS  W  IS-  A  favourite  game  with  the 
Chinese,  played  upon  a  board  representing  an  oificial 
career  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  grade ;  the  element 
of  chance  is  represented  by  the  fall  of  four  dice,  and  the 
object  of  each  player  is  to  secure  promotion  over  the 
others.  Is  a  useful  and  agreeable  means  of  acquiring 
familiarity  with  the  value  of  Chinese  official  ranks. 

PUCKA  or  PUKKA.     See  Pakka. 

PUCKEROW,  TO.  Slang  term,  common  in  India  and 
China,  signifying  to  appropriate  other  people's  property. 
Corruption  of  the  Hindee  verb  pakro  to  catch  hold. 

PUGGREE.  A  sash  worn  round  the  hat,  generally  with 
its  ends  falling  over  the  back  of  the  neck,  to  prevent  sun- 
stroke. It  is  a  Hindee  word  meaning  turhan ;  correctly 
written  pagri. 

PULO.  The  Malay  word  for  island ;  e.g.,  Pulo  Nias,  Pulo 
Penang,  and  Pulo  Percha,  which  is  the  Malay  name  for 


A  GL08SABY  OF  BEFERBNGE.  195 

Sumatra,  whence  our  word  guttapercha,  or  the  gutta  of 
Sumatra.  It  is  not  uncommon,  however,  to  find  this 
word  considered  as  part  of  the  name  ;  e.g.,  *^  the  island  of 
Pulo  Condor."     Ghamhers's  Encyclopcedia. 

PUMMELO  :  ^  -f'.  A  species  of  shaddock  ;*  also  known 
as  the  fompelmoos.  Is  mentioned  in  the  8hoo  King 
iq.v.) — ^  ^  >f(B  §3  ^'the  bundles  contained  small 
oranges  and  pummeloes.''  Legge's  Chinese  Classics,  vol. 
iii.,  pt.  1.,  p.  112.     Etymology  unknown. 

PUNCH-HAUS  (Dutch).  First  applied  by  the  natives, 
and  afterwards  by  the  foreign  residents,  to  hotels  at 
Singapore. 

PUNCH  and  JUDY:  MIb^-  Said  to  have  originated 
from  a  strategic  ruse  adopted  by  the  Emperor  Kao  Tsu 
(B.C.  206),  in  which  a  number  of  movable  puppets  were 
exhibited  upon  the  wall  of  a  city  and  thus  aided  the 
besieged  monarch  in  effecting  his  escape.  See  Ch.  YI 
of  the  Story  of  the  Western  Hans, 

PUNGHULU.     The  headman  of  a  Malay  village. 

PUNGTARAI  SEEDS  :  i^M^  The  fruits  of  a  tree 
found  in  Cambodia,  and  eaten  as  a  delicacy  by  the 
Chinese. 

PUNISHMENTS.  Those  recognised  by  the  Chinese 
Penal  Code  (q.v.)  are  (1)  flogging  on  the  thighs  with  a 
flat  piece  of  bamboo ;  (2)  exposure  in  a  heavy  wooden 
collar,  called  a  cangue ;  (3)  banishment  for  a  given  time 
or  permanently  to  a  given  distance ;  and  (4)  death  by 
strangulation,  decapitation,  or  the  so  called  'lingering 
death."     (See  Ling  Che). 

*  So   called  because    introduced  into   the   West  Indies    by  a 
Captain  Shaddock. 


196  A  glossahy  of  reference, 

PUNJUM.  Inferior  silk  made  from  the  outside  layer  of 
the  cocoon.  From  the  ladian  name  for  a  kind  of  raw 
silk. 

•  PUNKAH.  A  Sanscrit  word  (pankha)  meaning  "  a  fan.'* 
Introduced  into  China  by  Europeans,  and  now  known  to 
the  Chinese  as  Jsli  ^  "  wind  fan/'  but  rarely  seen  even 
in  the  wealthiest  native  establishments,  where  servants 
with  large  feather  fans  still  continue  to  perform  this  func- 
tion at  their  master's  dinner-table.  For  the  afternoon 
nap,  small  slave-girls  are  often  employed  in  a  similar 
way. 

"  Punhah  says  that  in  its  own  country  it  is  pulled  by  a 
*' string,  and  is  used  to  ventilate  a  room. " — The  Pioneer, 

*'  The  Pankha,  or  large  common  fan,  is  a  leaf  of  the 
"  Gorypha  umhraeulifera,  with  the  petiole  cut  to  the  length 
'*  of  about  five  feet,  pared  round  the  edges  and  painted  to 
*'look  pretty.  It  is  waved  by  the  servant  standing 
"behind  a  chair. " — B.  F.  Burton. 

PUN-TS^AO:  :2f5:^,fj  g.  The  Chinese  Herhal,  an 
extensive  work  in  many  volumes  on  botany,  natural 
history,  etc.     Composed  during  the  Ming  dynasty. 

PUNTI :  ^  :Hb  — of  the  soil.  Native  as  opposed  to 
foreign ;  the  Chinese  of  the  Kuang-tung  province  as  dis- 
tinguished from  immigrant  Chinese  (see  HakJcas)  from 
other  provinces.  Local,  as  applied  to  dialects,  etc. ;  e.g., 
"  with  the  Punti  and  Mandarin  pronunciations." 

PURGATORY.     See  Chamber  of  Horrors  and  Devils. 

PUSAN.     See  Fusan. 

PUTCHUCK :  M^  ^.  The  root  of  a  species  of  thistle 
found  in  Cashmere.    Used  by  the  Chinese  as  a  medicine 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFJEBENCE.  197 

and  also  in  the  preparation  of  incense.     Putchuck  is  the 
term  in  use  at  Calcutta. 

PWANKU  or  P'AN  KU:  ^  ■^.    The  Chinese  Adam. 

PYJAMAS.  Large  baggy  trousers  made  of  flannel,  silk, 
or  cotton,  and  worn  at  night  with  a  jacket  called  a 
*' sleep-shirt*' by  residents  all  over  the  East  .  From  the 
Persian  pae  leg  and  jama  clothing.  Also  known  in 
Indian  as  *'  pyjands." 

PYLONG :  ^  A. — a  bad  man.  A  pirate,  or  any  des- 
perado. From  the  Amoy  pronunciation  of  the  above 
characters — -phai  lang  or  p^ai  lang. 

Another,  but  less  likely,  etymology  is  j/^  wi  pa  lung, 
a  kind  of  boat  used  by  river  pirates. 

'QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN:  %  ^.  The  guardian  divinity 
of  sailors ;  formerly,  a  young  lady  named  ^  LiUy  of  the 
Fokien  province.  Temples  and  small  joss-houses  in  honour 
of  this  goddess  may  be  seen  at  short  intervals  along  all 
the  lines  of  water  communication  throughout  the  empire. 

QUA<asinHowqua,  the  famous  merchant  of  old  Canton  days). 
Is  the  word  g  official^  used  as  a  term  of  respect.  In 
Amoy  "^  is  similarly  employed ;  ^  '^=Mr.  Yii. 

QUI  HYES.  Bengal  Englishmen  are  so  called,  from  the 
term  "  qui  bye  !"  (correctly  "  koi  hai  I")  used  in  calling 
servants. 

QUEMOY :  ^  P^— golden  gate.  A  small  island  to  the 
E.  of  the  island  of  Amoy. 

QUmSAI.    SeeKinsay, 

QUINTAL.  The  Spanish  Jammdred-weight,  as  used  in  the 
Philippine  island?. 


198  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

RADICAL  or  DETERMINATIVE.  That  part  of  a 
Chinese  character  which  often  gives  a  clue  to  its  meaning j 
has  been  thus  named  by  foreigners.  It  is  under  these 
radicals,  or  keys,  that  most  native  dictionaries  have  been 
arranged ;  all  characters  having  the  same  radical  being 
put  together,  and  then  sub-divided  according  to  the 
number  of  strokes  in  the  remaining  part  or  phonetic  (q.v.). 
Originally  540,  the  radicals  were  subsequently  reduced 

'  to  214,  the  number  in  K^ang  Hsi's  {q.v.)  lexicon.  For 
example,  ^  teng  is  "  to  ascend ;''  put  the  radical  ^  huo 
"fire^^  by  its  side,  thus  j]^,  and  the  meaning  is  "lamp," 
the  sound  and  tone  {q.v.)  remaining  unchanged.  Sub- 
stitute ^  mu  "eye"  for  "fire,"  thus  |§^'^°^  ^®  have 
teng  "  to  stare  at ;"  but  though  the  sound  is  still  un- 
changed, the  tone  is  altered  from  1st  to  4th,  a  difference 
which  an  ordinarily  cultivated  ear  detects  at  once. 

EADZA-WINS.     The  historical  works  of  the  Burmans. 

RAGS.  The  slang  term  in  China  for  piece  goods.  "  There 
is  no  silk  at  Hankow ;  only  tea  and  rags.'' 

RAJA.     A  Sanscrit  word  meaning  King. 

RAMS,  CITY  OF:  :^M  Canton.  Five  immortals 
are  said  to  have  entered  this  city  during  the  Chou 
dynasty,  riding  on  five  rams,  and  each  holding  an  ear  of 
grain.  When  they  dismounted,  the  rams  were  changed 
into  stone,  and  may  be  seen,  to  this  day  on  an  altar  in  the 
Five  Genii  shrine.  Hence  Canton  is  sometimes  called 
the  City  of  the  Genii,  and  also  the  City  of  Grain. 

RATTAN.  The  common  cane  is  so  called.  From  the 
Malay  rotang. 

RED  BOOK,  THE :  |f  ^  ^.  A  Chinese  civil,  mili- 
tary, and  naval  list,  published  quarterly  and  bound  in  red. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFFBENGB.  199 

in  which  are  given  the  names,  standing  etc.,  of  all 
Government  servants  holding  actual  appointments. 
Expectant  officials  are  not  included.  Four  volumes  are 
devoted  to  the  civil  service,  and  two  to  the  military. 
From  an  analysis  of  a  recent  issue  of  this  work,  we  learn 
that,  exclusive  of  Tartar  Generals,  there  are  in  the 
Eighteen  Provinces  1757  officials  holding  seals,  of  whom 
1585  are  Chinese,  117  Manchus,  23  Mongol  Bannermen, 
and  32  Chinese  Bannermen.  See  China  Review,  vol. 
vi.,  p.  137. 

RED-CAP    MAHOMMEDANS,    THE :    ^I  i|jf  [eJ  ^ 

A  name  applied  by  the  Chinese  to  the  Mahommedan  Tur- 
komans who  came  from  Persia  and  other  countries 
beyond  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  were  distinguished  by  the 
red  fez  caps  they  wore.  See  Blue-cap  Mahommedans. 
jp!  'Pg  *^red  caps''  must  not  be  confounded  with  ^  gg 
"  red  heads,''  a  name  for  certain  rebels  who  gave  consi- 
derable trouble  in  the  Kwang-tung  province  duiing  the 
early  part  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Hsien  Feng. 

REGISTEATION  FEE.  An  annual  and  highly  unpopular 
tax  of  five  dollars,  (one  dollar  for  "artisans  and  labourers,") 
imposed  upon  all  British  subjects  residing  at  the  Treaty 
Ports  of  China  and  Japan,  under  the  Order  in  Council 
of  1865. 

RESCRIPT.     See  Vermilion  Pencil 

RESIDENT.  The  officer  appointed  by  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment to  reside — e.g.  in  Tibet,  J^  |§^  y\^  t£ — ^^^  ^ook 
after  Imperial  interests. 

RI :  ;^.     Japanese  land  measure==  about  2J  miles  English. 

RICE-BIRDS :  ^?E^.  A  species  of  ortolan,  found  in 
the  paddy-fields  of  southern  China,  and  regarded  by 
epicures  as  a  very  delicate  morsel. 


200  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

RICE-CHRISTIANS.  Chinese  who  become  converts  to 
Christianity  solely  with  a  mercenary  object  in  view. 

RICE-PAPE-R :  ig  ^.  The  so  called  '^paper"  used  by 
the  Chinese  for  pictures  and  artificial  flowers.  It  is  the 
wood,  or  rather  cellular  tissue,  of  the  plant  called  Aralia 
papyri/era,  the  stems  of  which  resemble  a  mass  of  pith 
covered  by  a  very  thin  epidermis,  and  are  from  one  to  two 
inches  in  diameter  and  several  inches  in  length.  The 
Chinese  workmen  apply  the  blade  of  a  sharp  straight 
knife  to  these  pith-like  cylinders,  and,  turning  them 
around  dexterously,  pare  them  from  the  circumference  to 
the  centre,  making  a  rolled  layer  of  equal  thickness 
throughout.  This  is  unrolled  and  weights  are  placed 
upon  it  until  it  is  rendered  perfectly  smooth  and  flat. 
Sometimes  a  number  are  joined  together  to  increase  the 
size  of  the  sheets. 

Also  known  by  the  fancy  name  ^  ^  ^  "  B6dhi 
Crape/'  or,  (by  synecdoche)  the  crape  of  Buddha. 

RIN.  A  thin  round  coin  of  iron  or  bronze,  with  a  square 
hole  in  the  middle,  current  in  Japan.  Value  one-tenth 
of  a  cent, 

RITES^  BOOK  OF:  HIE.  See  GMng.  Contains  a 
number  of  rules  for  the  performance  of  ceremonies  and 
^'  the  guidance  of  individual  conduct  under  a  great  variety 
*'  of  conditions  and  circumstances." 

RIYO  or  RIO :  p§— a  tael.    An  ounce  of  silver  (Japanese). 

RIYOBU.    See  Shinto. 

ROCO.  A  Malayan  pipe.  "  About  the  time  it  takes  to 
smoke  a  roco"=about  10  minutes. 

RoNIN  or  LoNIN :  ]%  \ — wave  man.  A  samurai  (q.v.) 
who  for  some  of  ence  to  his  superior  has  been  dispossessed 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  201 

of  his  estate,  revenue,  or  pay,  and  dismissed  from  service. 
An  outcast  or  outlaw.  [The  Chinese  character  meaning  wave 
is  always  used  of  persons  in  a  bad  sense.]  The  "  Forty 
seven  Eonin  "  were  the  retainers  of  a  certain  Daimio 
who  had  tried  to  slay  a  brother  Daimio,  but,  failing  in  his 
attempt,  was  compelled  to  perform  the  harahiri  (q.v.). 
The  ''  forty-seven  "  then  bound  themselves  by  an  oath  to 
avenge  their  master's  death,  and  carried  out  the  pro- 
gramme by  penetrating  into  the  castle  of  his  old  enemy, 
where,  after  routing  some  three  hundred  adversaries,  they 
discovered  and  slew  their  victim,  and  then  proceeded  to 
disembowel  themselves  upon  the  spot.  Their  graves  aro 
shewn  at  Tokio  to  this  day. 

In  1861,  four  officers  of  the  Prince  of  Mito  made 
themselves  renin,  and  left  behind  them  the  following 
letter: — "We  become  lonins  now,  since  the  foreigner 
'^ gains  more  and  more  influence  in  the  country,  unable 
'*  tranquilly  to  see  the  ancient  law  violated ;  we  become 
/'all  four  lonins  with  the  intention  of  compelling  the 
"  foreigner  to  depart." 

EUNNERS :  ^  ^.  The  unpaid  servants  at  a  Chinese 
Yamen.  They  live  upon  squeezes  extorted  from  all  who 
are  unlucky  enough  to  get  entangled  in  the  meshes  of  the 
law ;  e.g.  a  warrant  being  issued  against  any  one,  they 
will  report,  on  receipt  of  a  bribe,  that  he  has  "absconded.*' 

Another  class  of  "  runners  "  exists  at  Canton,  namely, 
rowdies  who  smuggle  ashore  opium  and  other  goods  from 
the  river  steamers  on  their  arrival  from  Hongkong.  As 
soon  as  the  steamer  comes  alongside  the  wharf,  ballsj  of 
the  drug,  etc.,  etc.,  are  thrown  out  by  accomplices  on  board 
to  these  men  who  are  waiting  in  readiness  to  receive  them, 


202  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

and  who  immediately  make  a  bolt  through  the  crowd 
with  their  booty.  The  converse  of  this  practice  is  not 
unknown — throwing  dutiable  goods  on  board  a  departing 
steamer  just  as  she  is  well  clear  of  the^ wharf. 

SACRED  CITY,  THE.  H^assa  or  Lhassa  fe  ^  th& 
capital  of  Tibet,  otherwise  known  as  Budala  'ffj  jg  ^ 
from  the  hill  of  that  name  on  which  stands  the  palace  of  the 
Dalai-lama  (q-v.).  "  The  Thibetans  having  made  up  their 
"  minds  to  prevent  us  going  to  the  Sacred  City  peaceably. 
.     .     .     .'* — Shanghai  Courier ,  Nov.  1877. 

SACEED  EDICT:  ^  ^.  Sixteen  moral  maxims  de- 
livered in  the  form  of  an  Edict  by  the  Emperor  K'ang 
Hsi  (q.v.),  and  amplified  into  the  form  of  moral  essays 
under  his  son  and  successor  Yung  Cheng  by  over  a 
hundred  picked  members  of  the  Han-lin  (q.v.),  of  whose 
compositions  the  sixteen  best  were  selected.  These 
were  further  paraphrased  into  simple  colloquial  language 
by  "Wang  Yu-p'u  3E  ^  '^j  ^^  Assistant  Salt  Commis- 
sioner in  Shen-si.  They  are  held  to  contain  the  very 
essence  of  Chinese  ethics^  and  should  be  publicly  read  on 
the  1st  and  15th  of  every  moon  in  all  towns  and  cities  of 
the  empire.  The  following  two  maxims  may  be  taken  as 
examples : — 

No.  1. — Pay  just  regard  to  filial  and  fraternal  duties, 
in  order  to  give  due  importance  to  the  relationships  of  life, 
[These  relationships  are  five : — (1)  between  sovereign  and 
subject,  (2)  husband  and  wife,  (3)  father  and  child,  (4) 
elder  and  younger  brothers,  (5)  friends.] 

No.  7. — Degrade  superstitions  in  order  to  exalt  the 
orthodox  teaching.  [Among  the  superstitions  mentioned 
in  the  accompanying  paraphrase  are  Taoism,  Buddhism, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  203 

and  Christianity.  The  orthodox  teaching  is  of  course 
Confucianism,  which  is  quite  free  from  any  superstitious 
taint  whatever.] 

SAIBANSHO  :  ^f'JJ^— place  of  decision.  A  Japanese 
District  Magistrate. 

SAIHAI.     A  Japanese  field-marshaPs  ha  ton. 

SAKE  or  SAKI :  *}§.  (1).  A  fermented  liquor  made  from 
rice,  and  largely  consumed  in  Japan.  It  contains  from  11 
to  17  per  cent,  of  alcohol.  (2).  A  wine  made  from  white 
grapes. 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Takasaki  in  Joshiu  met 
together  lately  in  order  to  see  who  could  succeed  in 
drinking  the  most  sake.  Those  who  could  drink  hut  one 
sho  (about  two  imperial  quarts)  were  considered  to  have 
"very  poor  and  unhappy  brains''  and  were  not  permitted 
to  enter  the  ranks  of  the  competitors.  Several  drank 
from  two  to  three  sho,  but  the  one  who  bore  away  the 
prize,  namely  a  roll  of  silk,  was  he  who  succeeded  in 
putting  down  five  sho  in  the  short  space  of  thirty  minutes. 

SAL  TREE :  ^^  or  ^giS^-  The  tree  beneath  which 
Buddha  passed  into  Nirvana  {q.v.),  for  which,  in  China, 
the  JEsculus  Chinensis  is  substituted. — Honghong  Daily 
Press. 

SALAAM.  An  Arabic  term  meaning  "Peace  be  with 
you  !"  The  Indian  servant  brings  his  master's  "  salaam  " 
to  a  visitor  precisely  as  a  Chinese  servant  says  "  can  see." 

SALT  COMMISSIONEE :  ^S^.  Salt  is  a  Govern- 
ment monopoly  in  China,  and  the  Commissioner  is  a  high 
official  charged  with  the  collection  of  the  revenue  accruing 
therefrom,  together  with  the  strict  repression  of  smug- 


204      A  GL08SAEY  OF  EEFEUENGE. 

gling,  which  is  however  carried  on  to  a  very  great  extent. 

China  is  divided  for  purposes  of  salt  administration  into 

seven  main  circuits,  each  of  which  has  its  own  source  of 

production.     The  officials  controlling  the  administration 

are  as  a  rule  independent  of  the  local  authorities.     These 

circuits   or   divisions    are :    (1)    Ch'ang-lu  ^  ^,  whict 

supplies    the    metropolitan    province     and     the     N"orth 

generally;  (2)Ho-tung  ^  y^,  which  supplies  Shensi  and 

part  of  Honan ;  (3)   Liang-  Hwai  pR  jf^,  which  supplies 

Anhwei,  part   of  Kiangsu,  Kiangsi  and  Hu-kwang ;  (4) 

Liang-Cheh    ^  OTj    which  supplies  Chehkiang  and  the 

greater  part   of  Kiangsu;  (5)  Fuhkien,    which   supplies 

that  province  and  parts  of  the  adjoining  provinces ;    (6) 

Kwang-tung,  which  supplies  the  two  Kwang  and  parts  of 

Kiangsi  and  Yiinnan ;  and  (7)  Szechuan,  which  supplies 

all  the  rest  of  Western  China.     The  boundaries  of  each 

of  these  circuits  are  carefully  defined,  and  salt  produced 

in  one  circuit  is  not  allowed  to  be  sold  or  transported  into 

another, — not,  at  least,  under  ordinary  circumstances. 

The  system  of  administration  is  nearly  the  same  in 
each   of   the   circuits.     The  salt  is  produced  in  certain 
specified  places  by  evaporation  .and  boiling,  from  sea  water 
round   the   coast,   and   from   brine   found   in   wells   and 
marshes  in  Szechuan  and  Shansi.     There  is  no  restriction 
on  the  amount  or  mode  of  production,  but  all  the  salt 
manufactured  must  be  sold  at  a  fixed  rate  to  government 
officials,  who  establish  depots  near  the  place  of  production. 
Its   distribution   is   undertaken    by  the    salt   merchants, 
who  are  a  body  of  men  holding  licences   or  warrants  5| 
yin  from  the  Salt  Commissioner,  if  there  is  one,  or  the 
Viceroy   or   Governor  who  superintends   that  particular 
circuit.     The  quantity  of  salt  which  ought  annually  to 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  205 

pass  into  consumption  in  each  circuit  is  roughly  estimated, 
and  enough  warrants  are  issued  to  cover  that  amount, 
so  that  each  warrant  is  supposed  to  he  used  every  year. 
The  warrants  are  perpetual,  that  is  to  say,  a  warrant  once 
issued  may  be  used  over  and  over  again,  may  be  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  or  may  be  transferred  to  a 
nominee  for  value.  The  possession  of  one  or  two  salt 
warrants  thus  becomes  in  some  places  a  valuable  asset. 

Having  purchased  and  paid  for  his  salt,  the  merchant  is 
entitled  to  convey  it  to  any  part  of  the  circuit  where  he 
thinks  there  is  the  best  demand  for  it.  But  he  is  not  at 
liberty  to  sell  it  direct  to  the  consumer.  As  he  bought  it 
at  a  price  fixed  by  the  officials,  so  he  must  sell  it  through 
an  agent  of  the  Salt  Administration,  which  also  fixes  the 
selling  price.  The  merchant  having  chosen  the  place 
where  he  wishes  his  salt  to  be  disposed  of,  must  enter  it 
at  a  sort  of  bonded  warehouse  which  is  established  in 
every  town  of  importance  under  the  charge  of  a  wei-yuen 
from  the  Salt  Commissioner's  yamen.  The  salt  is  stored 
there  under  the  control  of  the  wei-yuen,  to  await  its  turn 
for  sale.  For  this  purpose  the  merchants'  names  are 
entered  in  a  book  in  order  of  application,  and  the  salt  is 
strictly  disposed  of  in  the  same  order.  The  warrants  are 
handed  in  at  the  same  time  and  are  retained  by  the 
wei-yuen  till  the  salt  they  cover  is  all  cleared,  upon  which 
they  are  handed  back  and  the  merchant  is  at  liberty  to 
try  another  venture. 

A  curious  custom  connected  with  the  sale  of  salt 
obtains  in  Canton.  Old  and  infirm  persons  are  permitted 
to  hawk  it  about  the  streets  without  the  otherwise 
necessary  license,  and  this  enables  them  to  accept  a 
somewhat  lower  rate  than  the  ordinary  shopkeeper. 


206       A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENGE. 

SALUTES,  CHINESE.  For  the  highest  officials,  three 
guns  are  given  as  the  visitor  passes  through  the  entrance 
to  the  yaraen,  followed,  after  an  almost  inappreciable 
interval,  by  three  more  as  the  great  gates  close  behind 
him.  The  salute  is  repeated  at  his  departure.  Lower 
officials  receive  only  three  guns  each  way. 

SAMADHI.  A  Buddhist  term,  signifying  a  power  that 
enables  its  possessor  to  exercise  an  active  control  over  all 
his  faculties  and  keep  them  in  perfect  restraint. 

SAMISEN :   ~  ^ — three  strings.     The  Japanese  guitar. 

SAMLEI :  gP|  "^ — season  fish.  A  member  of  the  Clupeidm 
nearly  allied  to  the  shad,  of  fine  flavour  but  full  of 
pitch-fork  bones.  The  character  |Pf  is  explained  by 
the  Chinese  to  signify  the  periodical  appearance  of 
this  fish,  which  enters  the  rivers  in  May  and 
returns  to  the  sea  in  September.  Is  caught  in  great 
quantities  in  the  Yang-tsze.  An  inferior  kind  is 
common  at  Canton,  where  it  is  known  as  — -^^  or  ^Sf^ 
— not  '^m  ^  three  plow-shares"  as  Dr.  Williams 
says — ;  and  it  is  from  the  Cantonese  pronunciation  of 
these  characters  that  our  word  is  taken. 

SAMOVAR.  A  Russian  tea-urn,  much  used  in  Mongolia 
and  Siberia  for  keeping  hot  large  quantities  of  the 
favourite  beverage. 

SAMPA.  The  Chinese  sound  of  the  characters  rzi  tJ|| 
three  oar6'=hong-boat  (q.v.).  Also  applied  to  a  long 
shallow  canoe,  propelled  by  paddles  and  used  for 
smuggling  opium. 

SAMPAN.  A  Chinese  boat  of  any  kind,  short  of  a  junk, 
may  be  so  called.    From  the  Malay  sampuHf  a  small  boat. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  207 

It  is  written   in  Chinese  zzL  /^  or  "  three  planks ;"  but 
also  #  m^  lllj  0,  etc. 

SAMSENGr :  ~  ^ — three  lives.  A  term  commonly  ap- 
plied in  Singapore  to  certain  roughs  or  bullies  who  hang 
about  processions  and  sacrificial  feasts,  and  are  always 
ready  for  any  mischief.  They  are  spoken  of  in  the  China 
Mail  of  6th  April  1877  as  '^  fighting  men.''  The  ''  three 
lives"  refers  originally  to  the  slaughter  on  various  occa- 
sions of  a  duck,  a  fowl,  and  a  pig ;  but  now  these  rowdies 
are  called  "  three-life  men''  from  the  recklessness  with 
which  they  expose  themselves  to  danger. 

SAMSHOO :  ~  jl^ — thrice  fired.  A  general  name  for 
Chinese  fermented  liquors  of  all  kinds,  but  specially 
applied  to  the  ardent  spirit  known  as  j^  *}@ — spirit  that 
will  burn. 

SAMURAI :  j^.  A  general  name  for  all  Japanese  en- 
titled to  wear  two  swords.     Now  called  shizohu  (q.v.). 

SANGI :  ^  ^.  Japanese  "  Secretary  of  State/'  there 
being  one  over  each  of  the  following  departments : — 
(1)  Finance,  (2)  Foreign  Relations,  (3)  Home  Administra- 
tion, (4)  War,  (5)  Justice,  and  (6)  Opening  up  new 
territory. 

SANG-KO-LIN-SIN'S  FOLLY.  The  mud  wall  built 
during  the  last  war  to  keep  off  the  Allied  Forces  from  the 
city  of  Tientsin  by  the  celebrated  Mongol  general  of  that 
name  fS  '^  /J)|^  p^,  who  was  familiarly  known  to  the 
British  sailor  of  the  same  period  as  *^Sam  Collinson." 

SAN  KUO  CHIH :  H  gl  ^.  —History  of  the  Three 
Kingdoms  or  rival  States,  ^  Shio,  ^  Wei^  and  ^  Wu, 
into  which  the  empire  was  split  up  at  the  conclusion  of  the 


208  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

Han  dynasty.  In  the  form  of  a  historical  romance,  the 
above  work  describes  at  great  length  the  various  events  of 
a  whole  century  of  strife  and  bloodshed,  which  period  has 
been  aptly  compared  by  Mr.  Mayers  to  our  own  Wars 
of  the  Roses. 

SAP  AN- WOOD  :M^'  ^  wood  brought  from  Siam. 
Manila,  and  elsewhere,  and  used  by  the  Chinese  as  a  dye 

SAPEQUE.  The  French  equivalent  of  the  word  cash  (q.v.) 
as  used  in  China.  From  sapelc,  a  coin  found  in  Tonquin 
and  Cochin-China,  and  equal  to  about  half  a  pfennig 
{s^Q  Thaler),  or  about  one-sixth  of  a  South-German 
kreutzer. 

SARONQ-.  Part  of  the  national  costume  of  the  Malays, 
consisting  of  an  oblong  cloth  from  2  to  4  feet  in  width  and 
about  2  yards  in  length.  The  ends  are  sewn  together, 
and  it  is  then  worn  by  both  sexes  as  a  kind  of  kilt, 
tightened  round  the  waist  by  certain  peculiar  twists.  It 
is  invariably  of  a  check  pattern,  generally  in  gay  colours. 
Is  either  of  silk  or  cotton,  or  a  mixture  of  the  two.  Of 
cotton  sarongs,  the  most  valued  come  from  the  Celebes, 
and  are  known  as  Kain  Sarong  Biigis.  Java  produces 
the  painted  cotton  so  much  admired  by  the  Malays. 
They  are  called  Kain  Batek.  Of  silk  sarongs,  some  of 
the  finest  are  the  Kain  Mastoli  of  Singapore,  and  the 
Kain  Sanghit  (silk  and  gold  thread)  of  Penang  and 
Borneo. 

SATBON.  Soap ;  from  the  Portuguese  sahao.  This  term 
is  heard  among  the  Chinese  in  Fokien  ;  and  in  some 
parts  of  India  sdhon  is  the  only  word  used. 

SATSU.     Same  as  Km-satz. 

SAVVY  or  SABE.     From  the  Portuguese  saber  to  know. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  209 

"My  savvy"  =  "I  understand''  or  "I  know."  "That 
boy  got  plenty  savvy"="That  boy  is  no  fool."  See 
Pidgin  English. 

SAYONARA.  Groodbye !  [Japanese.]  Used  by  foreigners 
in  Japan  much  as  chin  chin  is  in  China.  One  event  on  the 
programme  of  the  Yokohama  Kaces  is  the  "Sayonara 
Stakes." 

SCRATCH-BACK.  A  small  imitation,  in  either  ivory  or 
bone,  of  the  human  hand  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers 
slightly  bent  inwards.  This  is  attached  to  a  slender  black 
stick,  and  used  by  tho  Chinese  for  scratching  themselves, 
being  popularly  known  as  a  ^^  >jc  yv  or  "  won't  trouble 
you,"  as  with  its  aid  even  the  most  inaccessible  parts  of 
the  back  are  easily  reached.  Also  known  (in  books)  as 
^  -P^  the  "  scratch  implement." 

SEAL  CHARACTER :  ^  ^.  Certain  elaborate  forms 
of  Chinese  writing  which  prevailed  from  B.C.  800  to  about 
A.D.  200,  and  are  known  to  foreigners  as  the  Greater  and 
Lesser  Seal  character,  the  latter  having  been  introduced 
about  B.C.  200  as  a  simplified  form  of  the  other.  The 
Chinese  employ  these  styles  on  their  seals,  both  public 
and  private ;  hence  our  term.     See  Shuo  Win. 

SEALS,  MANDARIN.  Every  Chinese  official  of  any 
standing  has  a  seal  of  office.  The  Imperial  signet  is 
called  35.  S  ^°^  is  made  of  jade.  That  of  the  First 
Emperor  (q-v.)  bore  the  following  legend :  ^  '^  jf^  ^ 
WcW^^"  ^®i  S^^^i^  5  may  the  reign  be  long  and 
glorious."  The  seals  of  the  highest  provincial  officials  are 
oblong  and  made  of  silver,  and  the  impression  is  stamped 
in  a  mauve  colour,  in  the  preparation  of  which  no  oil  is 
used.     These  are  often  torn  by  the  people  from  proclama- 


210  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE, 

tions  and  such  documents,  being  held  to  be  good  for  sore 
places,  ulcers,  etc.  Officials  such  as  the  Salt  Commissioner 
and  Taot'ai  have  also  oblong  seals  made  of  copper,  all  of 
which  are  callod  ^  Hjjf  ;  but  they  use  vermilion  moistened 
with  oil.  Below  them  come  the  Prefects  and  Magistrates 
with  square  seals  fp,  also  red ;  below  them  again  are  the 
petty  police  magistrates  with  wooden  seals  §^  02  ;  and 
last  of  all  the  ti-paos,  also  with  wooden  seals  called 
5^  "T*.  A  mandarin's  seal  of  office  is  invariably  placed 
in  his  wife's  keeping,  as  very  serious  consequences,  entail- 
ing even  dismissal  from  office,  might  result  from  its 
accidental  loss.  All  despatches,  title-deeds,  and  such 
public  documents,  must  bear  a  seal,  or  they  are  not 
accepted  as  authentic.  During  national  mourning  the 
colour  of  the  impressions  of  all  seals  is  changed  to  blue. 

SEAO  HAO :  §f  ^.  A  tax  levied  upon  all  junks 
trading  on  the  coast  of  the  province  of  Kuang-tung,  as  a 
compromise  for  their  being  excused  from  going  to  the 
provincial  city  to  pay  their  duties. 

SEA-SLUGS.     See  Bicho-da-mar, 

SECEET  SOCIETIES.  Are  common  all  over  China. 
The  principal  one  is  described  under  Triad  Society  (q.v.) ; 
besides  which  may  be  mentioned  the  quasi-teetotal 
society,  ^  jjje  of  the  north,  in  which  even  smoking  is 
prohibited ;  and  the  Golden  Orchid  ^  U  (2-'^-)  or  anti- 
matrimonial  societies  of  the  south,  consisting  of  girls  who 
have  sworn  not  to  marry,  and  even  of  women  who  have 
left  their  husbands  and  returned  to  their  parents.  All 
these  societies  are  equally  under  the  ban  of  the  law. 

SECUNNEE.  Helmsman.  From  the  Arabic  sukhani 
(through  the  Hindustani )  of,  or  relating  to,  the  rudder. 


A  GLOSS  AMY  OF  BEFJERENCE.  211 

SECURITY  CHOPS :  ^  ||.  Documents  guaranteeing 
indemnity  from  loss,  usually  demanded  by  foreign  mer- 
chants when  engaging  Chinese  compradores  or  other 
servants  holding  positions  of  trust.  The  guarantor  who 
signs  such  a  document  is  responsible  only  if  the  principal 
himself  has  been  first  sued  and  is  unable  to  pay.  If  two 
or  more  security-men  sign  a  chop,  each  is  responsible  only 
for  his  own  share,  and  not  for  the  whole  amount.  To 
make  three  men  each  responsible  for  say  Tls.  3,000,  the 
security-chop  should  be  for  Tls.  9,000 ;  or  else  each  man 
should  be  made  to  sign  a  separate  chop  for  Tls.  3,000. 
Great  caution  is  also  necessary  in  the  wording  of  these 
documents. 

SEEJSr-SANG-  or  HSIEN-SHENa:  :^  ^— elder  born. 
Foreigners  call  their  "  teachers'*  of  Chinese  by  this  title, 
which  as  an  afiix  to  a  name  is  equivalent  to  our  prefix  Mr. 

SEN  :  ^  The  modern  Japanese  term  for  a  cent.  A  Ten- 
po  sen  is  a  sen  coined  in  the  year  ^  ^  Ten-po ;  a  Bun- 

hiu  sen  is  of  the  year  ^  y^  Bun-kiu. 
SENDO :    1^   gg.     The  captain  of   a    vessel  (Japanese). 
Generally  used  for  sailors  and  boatmen. 

SENG-K'OI:  |^  ^—newly-arrived  strangers.  The  Chi- 
nese in  Java  call  themselves,  and  are  generally  known,  by 
this  name. 

SENYO.  The  son  of  a  Malay  mother  and  European  father  is  so 
called  in  Java,  in  imitation  of  the  Spanish  sehor.  Cf.  Nonya. 

SEOUL  or  SOUL.     The  capital  of  Korea.     Official  name 

i^  Wily  being  situated  on  the  lg|  river ;  and  Kingkitao 

M  ^  S  or  Eoyal  Domain. 
SEPOY.     A  corrupted  form  of  the  Persian  word  sipahi 

"  a  soldier."     Its  literal  meaning  is  "  three-legged,"   the 

third  leg  being  the  musket. 


212  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE. 

SERANG-.  A  Persian  word  (correctly  written  sarhang) 
signifying  '^commander,"  '^overseer/'  ''boatswain/'  and 
used  on  the  coast  of  China  for  the  head  or  foreman  of  a 
crew  of  Malay  sailors,  through  whom  all  negotiations  with 
the  crew  are  conducted.  Also  sometimes  applied  to  Malay 
boarding-house  keepers  and  others,  in  the  sense  of  the 
American  "  boss." 

SERES.  "It  seems  sufficiently  clear  that  the  Seres  men- 
tioned by  Horace,  and  other  Latin  writers,  were  not  the 
Chinese."  Sir  John  Davis, 

"  The  Tsins  (^)  of  modern  Chinese  are  to  be  identi- 
fied with  the  Seres  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  .  .  The 
Seres  are  first  found  in  history  as  a  tribe  of  nomads 
who  settled  along  the  upper  waters  of  the  Wei  (V^) 
about  the  ninth  century  before  Christ  ....  They 
soon  contrived  to  expel  the  decadent  Kings  of  Djow 
i^)  •  .  •  •  •  This  force  of  character  culminated  in 
King  Ching  (i^C)*  who  bearing  down  all  opposition  was 
able  to  confer  on  himself  the  title  of  First  Supreme 
Emperor  (^  M  ^)  of  Tsin  or  Ser,  B.C.  221  ..  . 
With  the  death  of  his  incapable  son,  the  Second  Em- 
peror, the  fabric  so  laboriously  raised  fell  to  the  ground ; 
and  Ser  for  the  future  became  a  mere  geographical 
expression."  T.  W,  Kingsmill. 

SERICANA.     An  old  name  for  China.     See  last  entry. 

But  in  his  way  lights  on  the  barren  plains 

Of  Sericana,  where  Chineses  drive 

With  sails  and  wind  their  cany  waggons  light. 

Paradise  Lost  iii.,  437. 

"  Barren  plains"  is  somewhat  a  libel  on  the  fertile  acres 
of  China  proper ;  neither  would  any  one  who  had  ever 
seen  a  heavy  Chinese  wheel-barrow  under  sail  be  likely  to 
call  it  a  "  cany  waggon  light." 


A  GLOSSABT  OF  BEFERENGE.  213 

SEYEN  ACCUSATIOlSrS,  THE  :  '\:is:'\Sior  -^^i^^. 

The  seven  causes  of  hatred  against  the  Mings,  published 
in  the  third  year  of  the  Manchu  chieftain  ^  "uS  (1618) 
in  vindication  of  the  war  waged  against  that  dynasty, 
which  resulted  in  its  final  overthrow  and  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Manchu  power.  They  comprise  charges  of 
frontier  disturbances,  violation  of  territory,  breaches  of 
faith,  etc.,  etc.,  and  will  be  found  in  the  first  chapter  of 
the  M^M' 
SEW-TSAI  or  SIU-TS'AI.    See  Esiu4s'ai. 

SHAKU :  H-  The  Japanese  foot  of  10  inches  =  llf 
inches  English. 

SHAKYAMUNI:  ^M^  ^^  l^rom  Shdhy  a  {one  yfho 
is)  mighty  in  charity,  and  muni  (one  who  dwells  in)  seclu- 
sion and  silence.  The  favourite  name  among  the  Chinese 
for  the  great  founder  of  Buddhism.     See  Buddha, 

SHAMAN:  £>P^.  A  Buddhist  monk.  Also  used  of 
Brahmans  and  other  ascetics. 

SHAMEEIST :  JJ^  '^— Sand  flat.  Formerly  a  mere  mud- 
bank  in  the  river  close  to  the  city  of  Canton,  but  leased 
from  the  Chinese  after  the  capture  of  that  place  in  1857, 
and  formed  into  an  artificial  island  with  an  embankment 
of  granite  all  round  ;  the  expense  of  this  ($325,000)  being 
borne  by  the  British  and  French  Governments  in  the  pro- 
portion of  four  to  one,  according  to  which  ratio  the  whole 
area  was  subsequently  divided  between  the  two  countries. 
The  one-fifth  which  forms  the  French  Settlement  is  still 
without  buildings  of  any  kind.  Is  2,850  feet  in  length  by 
959  feet  greatest  breadth. 

Shameen  was  originally  the  great  rendezvous  of  flower- 
boats  {q.v.),  and  the  adjacent  quarter  of  the  city  was 


214  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

chiefly  occupied  by  houses  of  ill  fame ; — a  fact  which 
probably  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  Chinese  authori- 
ties when  the  island  was  conceded  to  the  ^'  outer  bar- 
barians." Hence  the  bad  sense  in  which  the  words  sha- 
meen  are  still  used  in  the  colloquial  of  Canton  and  its 
neighbourhood.     Compare  Kou-lan  hu-t'ung, 

SHANGHAI :  _t  W — upper  sea ;  as  distinguished  from 
the  ^  7^  or  "lower  ocean.''  So  called  since  A.D.  1079. 
Old  names  \J^  'Hu  V^l  fishing-stake  [estuary,]  and 
^  [/U  the  Shen  [river]  from  the  name  of  a  man  ^^^ 
who  is  said  to  have  made  the  Huang-p'u.  Shanghai  was  in 
existence  under  the  Hsia  dynasty,  say  fifteen  centuries 
B.C.  It  was  made  a  magistracy  by  Kublai  in  A.D.  1279 ; 
and  was  one  of  the  five  ports  opened  by  the  Nanking 
Treaty  of  1842.  Often  called  the  "  Model  Settlement'' 
(q.v.),  in  allusion  to  its  efficient  municipal  administration. 

SHANGHAI'S  SHAME.  A  title  which  has  been  applied 
to  the  Woosung  Bar  (q.v.). 

SHANG-TE  or  SHANG  TI :  Jl  ^— the  Supreme  Euler; 
God.  The  Portuguese  orthography  is  Xang-Ti ;  to  which 
we  are  indebted  for  the  following  gem  taken  from  a 
child's  Pictorial  Alphabet : —  i 

'*  X  is  Xang-ti,  a  god  in  China  believed ; 

But  he's  mere  wood  and  stone,  so  they're  sadly 
deceived." 

Meanwhile,  Shang-Ti  is  just  what  the  more  intelligent 
of  our  missionaries  are  recommending  the  Chinese  to 
accept  as  the  true  God.     [See  Term  Question.'] 

SHANS,  THE.  A  widely-spread  race,  occupying  the 
southern  and  western  portions  of  Yiinnan  and  the  frontier 
land  beyond,  and  known  to  the  Chinese  as  "^  5§.  The 
Shans  of  the  border-land  between  Yunnan  and  Burmah 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGB.  215 

style  themselves  ^  ^.     ^^  Shan"  is  said  to  be  a  corrup- 
tion of  3S  ^  Sien-lo. 

SHANSI :   iJj  S— west  of  the  hills.    One  of  the  Eighteen 
Provinces.     Said  to  be  the  original  home  of  the   Chinese 
people.    Capital  city  T'ai-yiian  Fu  ^fe  J^  j^.    Old  name 
Q  Chin. 

SHANTUNG-:  Uj  ^— east  of  the  hills.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital  city  Chi-(or  Tsi-)nan  Fu 
M  0  li&.     Old  name  ^g  Lu. 

SHASTRAS  :  fp.  Discourses,  or  the  philosophical  section 
of  Buddhist  literature. 

SHfi-LI  or  SHAY-LEE  :  ^  ^J.  The  Chinese  transli- 
teration of  the  Sanscrit  s'arira,  relics,  or  parts  of  the 
body  of  a  saint,  gathered  together  after  cremation  and 
preserved  in  Buddhist  temples,  generally  beneath  a  hand- 
some marble  dagoba  {q.v.). 

SHEEDZAI:  ^ff.  Cantonese  term  for  a  "hoy"  (q.v.) 
or  valet.     Usual  pronunciation  Sze-tsai. 

SHENSI :  1^  ®— west  of  the  passes.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces.  The  first  syllable  is  written  shen  to 
distinguish  it  from  Shansi,  though  in  Mandarin  the  two 
sounds  are  identical  except  in  tone  {q-v.).  Capital  city 
Hsi-an  Fu  (or  Si-ngan  Fu)  J@  ^  jf3*.  Old  name 
M  Gh'in, 


SHIBAIYA.  Japanese  theatres;  lit.  "turf  places,"  so 
called  because  the  first  performances  were  held  on  grass- 
plots. 

SHIMBUN :  ^  ^.  Japanese  newspapers  are  so  called ; 
e.g. — Ghoya  Shimhun. 


216  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOK 

SHIN:  ^^— gods;  idols.  [See  Term  Qiiestion.'\  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Kingsmill  "Shin  represented  philologically 
'•  the  Asuri  of  the  older  Indian  pantheon." 

SHING :  77*.  A  Chinese  measure  equal  to  about-  one  pint 
English. 

The  Japanese  sho  (same  character)  is  equal  to  nearly 
two  imperial  quarts.     See  Sahe. 

SHING-KING  :  ^  ^.  The  name  of  the  capital  city  of 
the  Manchurian  province  of  Feng-t^ien,  but  often  used  for 
the  province  itself.     See  MouJcden. 

SHINSHIU.     Same  as  Monto  [q.v.). 

SHINTOO.     See  Sintoo. 

SHIZOKU :  dt  ]^  A.  Japanese  clan.  All  who  bear  the 
same  surname.  The  vassals  of  the  old  feudal  system  of 
Japan.  "  The  shizoku,  who  used  to  be  supported  with 
"  rice  without  cultivating  the  land,  and  dressed  without 
*^  working  a  loom,  and  who  drank  the  valuable  sweat  and 
"  ate  the  flesh  of  the  common  labourer,  have  been  deposed 
"from  their  station  by  the  changes  of  time.  Their  pen- 
"  sions  have  been  decreased  through  gradual  alterations, 
"  and  have  at  length   been   converted   into  Government 

"bonds The  s/iizoAjii's  families  number  more 

"than  500,000 Nine-tenths  of  the  Govern- 

"  ment  employes  consist  of  shizoku  ....  " — Choya 
Shimhun  :  Sept.,  1877. 

Formerly  known  as  samurai. 

SHO.  a  Japanese  musical  instrument  consisting  of  17 
pipes  let  into  a  wind  chest. 

SHOE  FLOWER  :  ^  ^.  The  Hihiscus  Rosa-sinensis 
is  so  called,  because  a  kind  of  blacking  is  made  from  its 
petals. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  217 

SHOES  (OF  SILVER) :  7C  %  The  common  name 
among  foreigners  for  the  Chinese  silver  ingot  which  bears 
some  resemblance  to  a  native  shoe.  May  be  of  any  weight 
from  1  oz.,  and  even  less,  to  50  and  sometimes  100  oz.; 
and  is  always  stamped  by  the  assayer  and  banker  in  evi- 
dence of  purity.  Tiny  shoes  are  made  for  sale  to  Europeans 
as  charms  for  the  watch-chain.     See  Sycee. 

SHOaUN  or  SHIOGOON  :  ^^  —  Commander-in-chief' 
Same  as  Tycoon  (q^v.).  The  last  Shogun  resigned  power 
in  1868,  and  now  lives  at  Sumpu  under  the  name  of 
Ichido. 

SHOO  KING :  ^  .^— the  Book  of  History.  This  work 
embraces  a  period  extending  from  the  middle  of  the  24th 
century  B.C.  to  B.C.  721.  It  is  said  to  have  been  edited 
by  Confucius  himself  from  then  existing  documents  which 
came  into  his  hands.     See  Ohing. 

SHO-RO-DO  :  ^  tS-     ^  <ir^°i  tower  (Japanese). 

SHO-SAKAN:  /J>  fl.  The  old  term  for  Japanese  Go- 
vernment clerks  of  the  2nd  grade ;  now  changed  to  Ni-to- 

SHOW  or  SHOU:  ft— old  age.  The  character  com- 
monly seen,  under  its  seal  {q.v.)  form,  thus  ^,  on  Chinese 
saucers,  vases,  doors,  windows,  fans,  shoes,  and  any  avail- 
able object.  Compare  Fu.  Old  age  and  offspring  are  to 
a  Chinaman  the  highest  of  earthly  blessings,  ranking  far 
above  power,  fame,  or  even  wealth. 

SHRIMP  BOATS:  4g  ^^  |5.  Fast-sailing  boats  with 
two  masts,  now  chiefly  used  by  Hongkong  pilots,,  but 
formerly  employed  by  Chinese  engaged  in  the  kidnapping 
trade  round  Macao.     Sometimes  called  hd-Veng,  4g^- 


218  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

SHROFF:  ^^^  or  ^  ^^  ^  —  silver  expert;  a 
corruption  of  the  Arabic  sarrdf  "banker,"  common  in 
every  Indian  town.  Chinese  employed  at  banks  and  large 
mercantile  establishments  to  check  all  dollars  which  pass 
through  the  hands  of  the  firm,  and  eliminate  the  bad  ones. 
These  men  pretend  to  distinguish  three  classes  of  good 
dollars,  of  first,  second,  and  third  qualities ;  but  thi^ 
''mystery'^  of  the  art  has  been  exposed  over  and  over 
again  by  their  rejection  of  certain  dollars  as  first  class 
which  had  been  paid  out  as  such  perhaps  on  the  previous 
day.  Shroffing  schools  are  common  in  Canton,  where 
teachers  of  the  art  keep  bad  dollars  for  the  purpose  of 
exercising  their  pupils ;  and  several  works  on  the  subject 
have  been  published  there,  with  numerous  illustrations  of 
dollars  and  various  other  foreign  coins,  the  methods  of 
scooping  out  silver  and  filling  up  with  copper  or  lead, 
com])arisons  between  genuine  and  counterfeit  dollars,  the 
difference  between  native  and  foreign  milling,  etc.  etc. 
The  best  of  these  is  the  ^^^1^.— See  ''  The  Shroff's 
Mystery,"  Ghina  Review,  vol.  Ill,  p.  1;  drnd  Pillar  Dollar , 

"Shroffing"  is  now  applied  metaphorically  to  persons. 
A  Shanghai  preacher  recently  said  in  the  pulpit,  "  God 
will  shroff  you,  as  you  shroff  dollars." 

SHU :  9^.  A  Japanese  coin  equal  to  one-fourth  of  a  hu. 
No  longer  in  circulation. 

SHUO  WEN :  ^  ^.  The  celebrated  dictionary  of  the 
Lesser  Seal  (q.v.)  character,  published  A.D.  100  by  Hsii 
Shen  5^  ^..  It  is  a  collection  of  all  the  Chinese  cha- 
racters then  in  existence,  amounting  to  about  10,000, 
analysed  by  the  author  into  their  original  picture  ele- 
ments, with  a  view  of  showing  the  hieroglyphic  origin  of 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGB.  219 

the  Chinese  language.  It  was  the  first  lexicon  arranged 
according  to  radicals  {q.v.),  for  which  purpose  540  were 
called  into  use. 

The  following  table  shews  some  of  the  few  characters 
wherein  any  resemblance  may  be  traced  to  the  objects 
meant  to  be  expressed : — 


8huo  Wen. 

Mo 

dern 

e 

H 

jih, 

the  sun. 

\b 

III 

shan, 

hills. 

tr 

P 

h'ou, 

mouth. 

^/t> 

^ 

niao, 

bird. 

§ 

B 

mu. 

eye. 

F 

i 

tSOy 

left  hand. 

^ 

* 

yu, 

right  hand, 

>K 

7l^ 

mu, 

tree. 

Unfortunately  we  are  soon  at  the  end  of  these  compara- 
tively simple  hieroglyphs  and  have  to  fall  back  upon 
more  far-fetched  specimens,  such  as — 


n 

yueh, 

moon. 

m 

ch'e, 

cart. 

■^ 

shuij 

water. 

^ 

huo, 

fire. 

^ 

niu, 

ox. 

# 

ching, 

a  well. 

E 

ch'en 

a  minister. 

A 

jen, 

man. 

it 

ch'uan, 

a  dog. 

220  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

The  explanations  given  by  the  author  of  the  Shuo  Wen  of 
many  of  these  characters  are  worth  noting  ;  for  instance, 
where  he  shews  in  )}^  a  tree  that  the  upper  curve  denotes 
the  branches,  the  lower  curve  the  roots ;  that  ^  is  like 
an  ox's  head  because  it  has  a  curve  which  would  do  for  the 
horns;  that  the  dot  in  the  middle  of  ^  a  well  is  the  cover; 
and  that  §  admirably  represents  the  bending  hody  of  an 
officer  of  state  in  the  presence  of  his  Imperial  master. 
So  in  the  last  instance,  where  he  mentions  that  Confucius 
says  "  to  look  on  the  character  for  dog  is  like  looking  on 
a  picture." 

SHUPAN :  HIS  or  JjS.  The  Chinese  term  for  the  copying 
clerks  employed  at  Famens  and  other  public  buildings. 
Is  in  use  at  the  offices  of  the  Imperial  Maritime  Customs, 
to  express  the  Chinese  employes  whose  business  it  is  to 
copy  Chinese  documents,  as  opposed  to  the  linguists  (q.v.) 
who  speak  and  write  English. 

SHUN  CHIH :  jig  ^—favourable  sway.  The  style  of 
reign  adopted  by  the  first  actual  Emperor  of  the  present 
dynasty.     A.D.  1644—1662. 

SHIJN-PAO  or  SHEN-PAO  :  ^|g— Shanghai  announce- 
ments; ^  JGC  being  a  name  for  the  Shanghai  district. 
A  Chinese  newspaper  published  in  Shanghai  under  the 
editorship  of  Mr.  E.Major.  The  title-character  ^  used  at 
one  time  to  be  fancifully  written,  in  the  style  calledlft5  j^> 
with  a  stroke  too  much,  presumably  because  some  celebrated 
calligraphist  took  it  into  his  head  to  form  it  in  that  way. 
Only  the  other  day  we  saw  |IJy  for  Jl^,  and  /^  for  ^, 
there  being  in  each  case  an  authority  for  such  variation. 

SICAWEI  or  SI-KA-WEI :  ^  ^  B-  A  place  near 
Shanghai,  where  there  is  now   a  Eoman  Catholic   east- 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  221 

blishment ;  named  after  the  celebrated  statesman  and 
scholar  ^%%^,  (A.D.  1562—1633)  who  was  formerly 
a  supporter  of  the  Catholic  Missionaries  at  Peking.  The 
last  character  is  sometimes  written  H. 

SILK.  Was  manufactured  in  China  many  centuries  before 
the  Christian  era.  Mencius  [q.v.)  said,  "  At  fifty,  no 
warmth  without  silk;  at  seventy,  no  satiety  without  meat." 
First  introduced  into  Europe  as  a  manufacture  under 
Justinian  in  the  sixth  century ;  found  its  way  into  Sicily 
in  the  twelfth  century,  and  was  carried  thence  by  the 
Saracens  into  Spain.  Francis  I  planted  it  at  Lyons  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  and.  in  1585  it  reached  England  from 
Antwerp. 

Chinese  silks  are  many  of  them  rudely  manufactured  of 
thread,  coarse  and  unequal,  devoid  of  gloss,  and  deficient 
in  either  *'  tram^^  or  "  organzine,"  the  fabrics  being  simply 
woven  from  the  raw  material  as  it  comes  reeled  off  the 
cocoons. 

SILKEN  COUD,  THE.     See  Gold,  Swallowing. 
SINGAPOEE.    Of  this  name  two  etymologies  are  given  : — 

(1)  Singgha  to  call  at,  and  poorah  a  place — port  of  call 

(2)  8inga  a  lion,  and  poorah  residence — abode  of  the 
Lion ;  so  called  because  a  prince  of  Palimbang  (Sumatra) 
is  said  to  have  seen  a  lion  at  this  spot  and  to  have  built 
a  city  in  honour  of  the  royal  beast.  Pore  or  pur  is 
the  Sanscrit  for  "town"  or  *'city,"  and  is  a  common 
termination  in  India;  e.g.  Cawnpore,  the  city  of  the 
Khan. 

SING-SONG.  The  pidgin-English  term  for  Chinese  thea- 
tricals,  which  consist  chiefly  of  recitative. 


222  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

SINK  OF  INIQUITY.     Shanghai;  see  Model  Settlement. 

SINKEH  :  ^  ^ — new  arrivals.  Immigrant  Chinese  are 
so  called  in  the  Straits.  They  are  much  looked  down 
upon  by  the  Babas,  or  Straits-born  Chinese,  who  are 
very  proud  of  their  nationality  as  British  subjects. 

SINIM,  THE  LAND  OF;  or  more  correctly  "of  the 
Sinim.*'  It  is  only  a  conjecture  that  by  this  term,  used 
in  Isaiah  xlix.,  12,  is  meant  China ;  such  conjecture  being 
founded  on  a  resemblance  of  the  first  syllable  Sin  to  the 
name  of  the  Chinese  feudal  State  TsHn  ^  on  the  north- 
west of  the  empire,  the  existence  of  which  dates  back  as 
far  as  B.C.  847.  Moreover,  Ts'in  appears  to  have  been 
the  name  under  which  China  was  commonly  known 
throughout  southern  Asia  about  that  epoch. 

SINOLOGUE.  An  advanced  scholar  of  the  Chinese 
language,  literature,  etc.  From  the  Latin  SincBy  called 
by  Ptolemy  the  most  eastern  nation  of  the  world.  These 
people  were  said  to  dwell  beyond  the  river  Meinam 
(Serus),  and  were  probably  Cochin- Chinese.  It  has 
recently  been  objected  that  the  word  S.  wears  a  French 
dress,  and  that  to  preserve  uniformity,  English  people 
should  say  "  Sinologist ;"  but  it  is  highly  improbable  that 
such  a  change  will  ever  be  successfully  introduced. 

''  Amateur  Sinologue  "  is  a  sobriquet  applied  (first  by 
Dr.  Eitel  in  the  China  Review)  to  certain  students  of 
Chinese  who  skip  the  elementary  drudgery,  and  proceed 
at  once  to  discuss  (ex  cathedra)  difficult  questions  of 
language  etc.,  without  the  previous  necessary  preparation. 

SINTOO  or  SHINTO:  l^ii;.  The  ancient  religion  of 
Japan,  i.e.,  worship  of  the  Ktimi,  or  gods  and  spirits  of  all 
kinds.  ^Usually  spoken  of  by  the  Japanese  as  Kami  no 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  223 

michi,  the  way  of  the  gods.  Was  universal  in  Japan  in 
the  sixth  century  when  the  Buddhist  propagandists 
arrived;  and,  at  the  restoration  of  the  Mikado  in  1868, 
became  again  the  state  religion.  There  exists  (1)  Pure 
Shinto,  and  (2)  Riyobu,  or  Twofold  Shinto,  which  latter 
contains  an  admixture  of  Buddhism.  This  compromise 
was  suggested  in  the  ninth  century  by  a  clever  priest  who 
declared  that  the  Shinto  gods  were  but  Japanese  mani- 
festations of  Buddha.  Later  on,  even  Confucian 
doctrines  were  blended  with  Riyobu  Shint6. 

The  characteristics  of  Pure  Shinto  are  the  absence  of 
an  ethical  and  doctrinal  code,  of  idol-worship,  of  priest- 
craft, and  of  any  teacliings  concerning  a  future  state. 
There  are  about  14,000  gods,  and  each  village  has  its 
special  god  and  miya  or  shrine.  The  temples  contain  no 
images  etc.,  but  only  a  steel  mirror  and  a  few  other 
trifles. 

SLAVERY  in  China  is  now  chiefly  confined  to  the  purchase 
of  girls  for  use  as  servants  in  large  establishments.  These 
girls  are  on  the  whole  well  treated ;  and  when  they  reach 
a  marriageable  age,  their  owners  are  bound  by  custom  to 
see  that  they  are  suitably  married  and  started  in  life  on 
their  own  account. 

According  to  the  Penal  Code,  no  man  may  sell  his 
children  without  their  consent;  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  this  law  is  not  very  stringently  enforced. 

SLEEVE  DOGS.  ^  B  ^^.  Tiny  dogs,  usually  of  the 
Peking  lap-dog  breed  (^^  -^  ^^  lion  dog),,  small  enough 
to  be  carried  in  the  wide  sleeves  of  a  Chinese  gentleman's 
or  lady's  dress. 

The  Chinese   classics  are  often  printed  in  what  are 


224      '^'^'    A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

called  sleeve  editions,  i.e.,   in  32m o.,  for  the  use  of  dis- 
honest candidates  at  the  public  examinations. 

SLIPPER-BOAT:  '^  fi^  ^  ma-leng  t'eng.  A  small, 
covered,  passenger-boat,  very  sharp-pointed  at  the  bow, 
used  at  Canton,  and  somewhat  resembling  a  Chinese 
slipper. 

The  story  goes  that  when  an  application  was  made  to 
the  Emperor  for  a  boat  design,  the  Empress,  who  was 
sitting  by,  kicked  off  her  slipper  and  bade  the  petitioners 
take  that. 

SMALL  FEET.  The  practice  among  Chinese  women  of 
cramping  the  feet  is  said  by  some  to  have  originated  about 
A.D.  970  with  Yao  Niang  g  ^^,  concubine  of  the  pre- 
tender Li  Yii  ^  JJS,  who  was  overthrown  at  Nanking 
previous  to  the  establishment  of  the  Sung  dynasty.  The 
lady  wished  to  make  her  feet  like  the  *'new  moon." 
Others  assert  that  the  custom  was  introduced  by  P'an 
Fei  '/g^  ^B,  the  favourite  concubine  of  the  last  monarch 
of  the  Ch'i  ^  dynasty,  A.D.  501.  Well-cramped  feet 
are  considered  a  great  beauty  by  the  Chinese :  there 
seems  to  be  no  foundation  for  the  generally  received 
opinion  that  their  object  in  thus  laming  the  women  was 
to  keep  them  from  gadding  about.  The  Manchu  or 
Tartar  ladies  have  not  adopted  this  custom,  and  there- 
fore the  Empresses  of  modern  times  have  feet  of  the 
natural  size ;  neither  is  it  in  force  among  the  Hakkas  or 
the  hill  tribes  of  China  and  Formosa,  nor  among  the 
boating  population  at  Canton  and  elsewhere.  The 
practice  was  forbidden  in  1664  by  the  Emperor  K'ang 
Hsi ;  but  four  years  afterwards  the  prohibition  was  with- 
drawn.    Poetical  name  "  Groldt^n  lilies  "  {'^-v-)' 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE,  225 

SMALL  KNIFE  REBELS :  ^h  7J  #.  A  band  of  insur- 
gents who  in  1853  captured  the  city  of  Amoy  and  held  it 
for  some  months.  The  Small  Knife  Society  was  said  to 
have  been  a  branch  of  the  Triad  Society  {q.v.),  and  was 
introduced  into  Amoy  by  a  Singapore  Chinaman  in  1848. 
See  a  paper  by  G-.  Hughes  in  the  China  BevieWj  vol.  I., 
p.  244. 

SMELL-DOGS.  Pidgin-English  for  hounds  which  hunt 
by  the  nose. 

SMELLUM  WATER.     Pidgin-English   for  scent  of  any 

kind. 

SMOKE  MOUNDS :  ^Jg  i$.  Small  furnaces  scattered 
over  China  at  2  or  3  miles  apart,  and  used  for  lighting 
beacon-fires  on  occasions  of  great  national  emergency. 

SNAKE-BOAT ;  ^AM  or  ^  f|— paddled,  or  long, 
dragon.  A  long  narrow  boat,  of  great  speed,  in  use 
among  smugglers  and  pirates  in  the  Canton  waters. 
Propelled  by  short  paddles,  like  a  <janoe. 

SOAP-STONE :  i^  :^  or  ^  ::Q,  Steatite.  So  called 
because  it  looks  like  soap  and  is  so  easily  cut.  Commonly 
used  by  the  Chinese  for  seals,  small  idols,  etc. 

SOHODZU  or  TZOWDZA :  ^  -f^.  A  Shanghai  wheel- 
barrow, formerly  used  for  carrying  passengers,  but  now 
superseded  by  the  jinrihisha  {q.v.)  as  far  as  foreigners 
are  concerned. 

SNOWY  YALLEY.  A  valley  near  Ningpo  much  visited 
by  foreigners  on  account  of  its  natural  beauties. 

SO-I :  :^  -JC :  ram-clothes.  The  peculiar  brown  hairy- 
looking  garments,  of  grass  or  bamboo,  worn  by  Chinese 
fishermen  and  others  in  wet  weather,  making  them  "  look 
like  hedge-hogs." 


€26  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBFNCE. 

SOLA.     See  Topee. 

SOlSr  OF  HEAVEN .  %^;  sometimes  translated  ^^God's 
Lieutenant  upon  Earth."  The  iii\Q  par  excellence  oi  i\iQ 
Emperor  of  China,  who  is  supposed  to  hold  his  commis- 
sion direct  from  on  high.  '*  It  is  plain,  that  the  Emperors 
"  of  China,  like  the  popes  of  Eome,  regard  themselves  as 
"  the  exponents  of  the  will  of  heaven." — Middle  Kingdom ^ 
An  attempt  was  recently  made  to  show  th^t  'j*  is  only 
an  old  nominal  ending,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  son  ; 
one  writer  going  even  as  far  as  to  say  5v  "J^  nieans 
''  Little  Heaven"  or  '^Our  Heaven,"  i.e.,  the  Heaven  we 
have  to  do  with ;  but  Mr.  Satow  has  since  appeared  in 
the  opposition  ranks  with  the  following  quotation  from 

the  Son-qf-Heaven  is  worthy  of  esteem  beyond  all  others  ; 
therefore  Heaven  mahes  him  its  son.  "  Brother  of  the 
sun  and  moon,"  and  other  similar  titles  are  probably  the 
inventions  of  Europeans,  in  spite  of  the  very  curious  pas- 
sage in  the  ^  ^  IE—"  The  Lord  of  Mankind  [calls] 
"  the  sun  his  brother  and  the  moon  his  sister"  yv  ^  J^ 
0  5$  y^ » — such  terms  being  quite  unknown  to  the  peo- 
ple at  large. 

SOOCHOW  CREEK :  %  Jl^  *^— Woosung  river.  An 
affluent  of  the  Hwang-p^u,  dividing  the  British  from  the 
American  Concession  at  Shanghai.  So  called  by  foreigners 
because  it  leads  to  Soochow.  The  Chinese  say  that  it  is 
the  real  source  of  the  Hwang-p*u  (q.v.). 

SOUCHONG :  /J^  @— small  kind.  A  species  of  tea,  of 
many  varieties.     [Cantonese.] 

SOY.  This  word  is  from  the  Japanese  shoyu  'Q  yft,  a  kind 
of  sauce  made  from  fermented  wheat  and  beans,    iffas 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  UEFEEENGE.  227 

been  wrongly  derived  by  some  from  the  first  syllable  of 
Soyer,  the  great  gastronomer  of  that  name. 
SPARK  TRAGEDY.  A  murderous  attack  made  22nd 
August  lb74  by  a  body  of  armed  ruffians  on  the  passengers 
and  crew  of  the  river  steamer  ''  Sparh''  plying  between 
Canton  and  Macao.  The  "pirates'*  took  passage  from 
Canton  in  the  usual  way  ;  and  then  seizing  a  favourable 
opportunity,  killed  the  captain,  chief  officer,  and  purser, 
transferred  their  plunder  to  a  junk  that  came  alongside^ 
and  made  off.  The  only  European  passenger,  Mr.  Mundy, 
escaped  with  frightful  wounds,  and  subsequently  published 
an  account  of  the  affair  under  the  title  of  "  Canton  and 
the  Bogue,"  in  which  he  took  occasion  to  deal  with  other 
questions  equally  beyond  the  scope  of  his  work  and  the 
narrow  limit  of  his  experiences  in  China.  Since  that 
event,  the  hatches  leading  down  to  the  quarters  occupied 
by  Chinese  passengers  on  all  the  Canton  river  steamers 
are  carefully  padlocked  soon  after  the  vessel  starts,  and  a 
quarter-master  watches  with  a  drawn  sword  to  guard 
against  any  repetition  of  such  an  attack.  Loaded  rifles 
are  also  placed  in  the  saloon  for  the  use  of  European 
passengers. 

SPRING  AND  AUTUMN:  ^  f<.  One  of  the  Five 
Classics,  consisting  of  the  annals  of  the  petty  kingdom  of 
Lu  ^  from  722  to  484  B.C.,  said  to  have  been  compiled 
by  Confucius  himself.  A  dry  and  uninteresting  record, 
dealing  chiefly  with  names  and  dates ;  yet  it  was  the  work 
by  which  Confucius  said  men  would  known  him  and 
condemn  him ;  and  Mencius  considered  it  quite  as 
important  an  achievement  as  the  draining  of  the  empire 
by  the  Great  Yii.  Of  it  he  said,  "  Confucius  completed 
the  Spring  and  Autumn,  and  rebellious  ministers  and 


228      A  GLOSSABY  OF  REFERENCE, 

bad  sons  were  struck  with  terror/'  In  later  days, 
however,  it  has  rather  been  around  the  marvellous 
commentary,  known  as  the  Tso  Chuan  (q.v.),  that  chief 
interest  has  centred. 

The  Spring  and  Autumn  owes  its  name  to  the  old 
custom  of  prefixing  to  each  entry  in  the  national  annals 
the  year,  month,  day,  and  season,  in  which  the  event 
recorded  took  place ;  that  is  to  say,  as  a  native  authority 
puts  it,  "  spring  includes  summer,  and  autumn  winter." — 
sc.  the  four  seasons.  The  explanation  that  "its  com- 
mendations are  life-giving  like  autumn,"  is  untenable. 
The  following  is  a  specimen  of  this  renowned  work, 
which,  but  for  the  famous  commentary  above-mentioned, 
would  throw  scant  light  on  the  history  of  the  period 
referred  to : — 

"  In  the  duke's  sixteenth  year,  in  spring,  in  the  king's 
first  month,  on  the  first  day  of  the  moon,  there  fell 
hailstones  in  Sung.  In  the  same  month  six  fish-hawks 
flew  backwards,  past  the  capital  of  Sung." 

SQUEEZE.  Originally,  the  commission  which  Chinese 
servants,  fully  in  accordance  with  Chinese  custom,  charged 
their  European  masters  on  all  articles  purchased.  Now 
extensively  applied  both  as  a  verb  and  substantive  to 
peculation  of  any  kind.     Cf.  the  Indian  dasturi. 

"  Formosa  has  long  been  viewed  by  native  officials  as  a 
"  fat  field  for  the  practice  of  what  is  vulgarly  known  as 
**  squeezing,  though  politely  termed  taxation." — Hongkong 
Daily  Press,  10  Oct.,  1877. 

STINK-POTS :  iKMMorW^'  Earthen  jars,  charged 
with  materials  of  an  offensive  and  suffocating  smell, 
formerly  much  used  by  pirates  in  the  China  seas,  and  a 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  229 

recognised  weapon  in  Chinese  warfare.  The  jars,  which 
hold  about  half  a  gallon,  are  filled  with  powder^  sulphur, 
small  nails  and  shot.  Their  tops  are  covered  over  with 
clay  and  sealed  with  chunam.  They  are  then  put  in 
calico  bags  closed  at  the  mouth  by  a  stout  string.  Several 
of  these  are  packed  in  a  basket  with  a  quantity  of  joss- 
stick  and  hoisted  up  to  the  mast-head.  When  about  to 
be  thrown,  three  or  four  pieces  of  the  joss-stick  are  lighted 
and  inserted  in  each  bag ;  and  then,  when  the  jar  is 
smashed  by  falling  on  the  enemy's  deck,  the  joss-stick 
ignites  the  powder  and  the  whole  thing  explodes,  knocking 
down  or  blinding  and  suffocating  the  bystanders.  A  form 
of  stink-pot  has  been  introduced  into  European  warfare 
under  the  name  of  "  asphyxiating  shells." 

STONE  DRUMS  OF  THE  CHOU  DYNASTY  :  MM^- 

Ten  irregular- shaped  blocks  of  stone  discovered  at  Feng- 
hsiang  Fu  in  Shensi  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventh 
century,  which  now  stand  inside  the  Confucian  temple  at 
Peking,  where  they  were  placed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fourteenth  century.  Each  bears  an  inscription  in  the 
Greater  Seal  character  (q.v.)  on  some  subject  connected 
either  with  hunting  or  fishing.  These  drums  are  referred 
to  the  Chou  dynasty  which  commenced  B.C.  1122;  the 
characters,  which  are  now  much  defaced,  were  once  filled 
with  gold  to  preserve  thorn  from  injury,  but  that  was 
extracted  on  their  removal  to  their  present  site.  See  arti- 
cle by  Dr.  S.  W.  Bushell  in  Journal  of  N.  C.  B.  R.  A.  S., 
No.  YIII. 

STONE  FIGURES  (at  Chinese  tombs) :  ^  ^  ^.  These 
are  connected  primarily  with  ancient  Chinese  superstition 
relating  to  invisible  powers  of  evil  and  the  means  of 
controlling  them, — in  fact,   with  fetish    worship;    and 


230  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE, 

secondarily  with  the  honours  paid  to  deceased  personages 
of  rank  in  the  sacrifice  of  domestic  animals  to  attend  them 
in  the  world  of  shadows. 

STUPA :  J5  t^  '^-  -^  raised  mound  or  tower  for  con- 
taining relics — originally,  the  various  parts  (84,000  in  all) 
of  Buddha's  hody.  Known  as  Dagop  (see  Bagoha)  in 
Ceylon.     The  modern  pagoda. 

SUNG  DYNASTY,  THE :  ^  !£.    A.D.  960—1280. 

SUNRISE  KINGDOM.     Japan  {q.v.). 

*'  Neither  opium-smoking  nor  feet-binding  is  known  in 
"  the  Sunrise  Kingdom,  a  fact  which  differentiates  the 
"inhabitants  strongly  from  the  people  of  the  Middle 
"  Kingdom.^'— 5ev.  W,  E,  Qriffis. 

SUMPITAN.  The  Malay  "blow-pipe"  or  bamboo  tube 
through  which  by  a  strong  puff  of  breath  the  natives 
discharge  small  arrows  (sometimes  poisoned)  with  great 
force  and  effect.     Is  chiefly  used  for  killing  birds. 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  TRADE:  M  M  3^;  E-    A 

title  given,  since  1861,  to  (1)  the  Viceroy  of  Chihli, 
who  is  Superintendent  of  foreign  trade  at  the  northern 
ports  of  Tientsin,  Newchwang,  and  Chefoo;  and  (2)  to 
the  Viceroy  of  the  Two  Kiang,  who  holds  the  same  posi- 
tion with  regard  to  the  remaining  Treaty  ports  on  the 
Yang-tsze  and  in  the  south. 

SURNAMES.     See  Hundred  Family  Names. 

SUTRA:  I^.  Tbat  part  of  the  Buddhist  canon  which 
contains  the  actual  sayings  of  Shakyamuni  Buddha. 
Each  begins  with  ^P  ;fe  ^  ^  this  is  ivhat  I  have 
heard.     See  Tripitaka, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFBBENCE.  231 

SYASTIKA:  Jfl.  A  mystic  emblem  of  great  antiquity, 
regarded  as  the  symbol  of  Buddha's  heart  "^  >lj^  pP. 
Known  among  the  Teutonic  nations  as  *'Thor's  Hammer," 
and  used  in  India  in  primitive  times  as  a  sign  for  marking 
cattle.  Svastika  is  derived  from  su  "  well "  and  as  ^^  to 
be,"  meaning  "it  is  well"  or  *'so  be  it,"  and  implying 
complete  resignation  under  all  circumstances.  It  is  always 
directed  towards  the  right ;  the  other  Jt£  directed  towards 
the  left  is  called  Sauvastika.  Svastika  is  the  first  of  the 
auspicious  signs  on  the  foot-print  of  Buddha ;  Sauvastika 
is  the  fourth.  The  latter,  with  its  crampons  to  the  left, 
occurs  in  K'ang  Hsi's  lexicon  under  radical  'j*  ten  with 
four  strokes  added.  It  is  stated  to  be  a  form  of  ^  ten 
thousand^  and  the  following  verse  is  quoted  : — 

m   1^   ^  di  m  ^  % 

"  The  lotus  and  the  sauvastika  must  have  come  from 
heaven." 

SWAIST-PAN.     See  Alacus, 

SWATOW :  i'lll  g|.  One  of  the  thirteen  ports  opened  by 
the  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  1858.  Originally  a  small  fishing 
village,  it  is  now  a  bustling  town  with  a  large  export 
trade  in  sugar.  All  business  was  formerly  carried  on 
at  "Double  Island,"  where  may  be  seen  the  ruins  of 
mercantile  houses,  godowns,  etc.,  and  which  is  still 
inhabited  by  foreign  pilots  and  their  families ;  but  in 
1862  the  British  Consulate  was  opened  at  Kak-chio 
"Q  5  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour  to  the  town 
of  Swatow.  Our  word  is  the  local  pronunciation  of  the 
Chinese  characters. 

SWORD-WRACK.  An  absurd  name  for  a  rowdy  gang  of 
Chinese  who  some  years  ago  gave  great  trouble  at  New- 
jchwang.     The  ,term  is  ^  U  5&  sword'Smith,  which 


232  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

was  evidently  misinterpreted  as  ^J  ^  ^  sword-rack, 
the  two  Chinese  expressions  being  identical  in  sound. 
The  w  was  probably  added  by  the  "  devil." 

SYCEE :  $ffl  1^— fine  silk.  Chinese  lump  silver  is  so 
called,  because,  if  pure,  it  may  be  drawn  out  under  the 
application  of  heat  into  -fine  silk  threads.     See  Shoe,    ' 

A  wag  has  remarked — 

Some  ask  me  what  the  cause  may  be 
That  Chinese  silver's  called  sycee, 
'Tis  probable  they  call  it  so 
Because  they  sigh  to  see  it  go. 

Must  not  be  confounded  with  the    Indian  word  syce, 
which  means  ^'  a  groom." 

SZECHUEN  or  SSff-CH'UAN:  gg  jll— four  streams. 
The  largest  of  the  Eighteen  Provinces.  Capital  city 
)&^M  Ch'eng-tu  Fu.     Old  name  '^f  Shu. 

TA  !  TA  !  tf  tT— strike !  strike !  A  common  Chinese 
cry  in  a  riot  or  other  disturbance,  when  violence  is  intend- 
ed. Foreign  travellers  and  sportsmen  have  not  unfre- 
quently  heard  this  threat  directed  against  themselves; 
and  on  the  occasion  of  the  Tientsin  Massacre,  it  is  said 
that  the  whole  street  in  which  stood  the  establishment  of 
the  Catholic  sisters  resounded  with  the  ominous  word. 

TABASHEEE,.  A  siliceous  concretion  found  inside  the 
joints  of  the  bamboo  and  employed  by  the  Chinese  as  a 
medicine. 

TABIK.     The  Malay  salutation = Salaam  ! 

TABLET  OF  YU :  )J$  ^  jj$  or  14}  llt|  ;5— the  Kou-lou 
stone,  i.e.,  the  stone  which  formerly  stood  on  the  Kou-lou 
peak  of  Mount  Heng  ^  in  the  modern  province  of 
Hu-pei.     It  is   said  that   when  the   Great  Yii  "^  ^ 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  233 

(B.C.  2278)  rested  from  his  labours  of  draining  off  the 
waters  of  the  Chinese  deluge  {^^  ^<),  he  recorded  the 
event  upon  a  tablet  of  stone  and  placed  it  upon  the  Kou-lou 
peak,  where  it  was  discovered  1212  A.D.,  more -than  three 
thousand  years  afterwards.  Imitations  of  this  tablet  are 
to  be  seen  at  Wu-ch^ang  Fu  opposite  Hankow,  and  in  the 
Yu-lin  temple  near  Shao-hsing  Fu  in  Chekiang ;  but  the 
inscription  on  the  original  stone,  which  has  long  since 
disappeared,  is  believed  by  many  to  have  been  nothing 
more  or  less  than  a  gross  forgery  of  modern  times.  For 
translations  by  Dr.  Legge  and  Ch.  Gardner,  see  China 
Review,  vol.  II.,  p.  300. 

It  may  perhaps  be  worth  noting  that  the  identification 
of  the  so-called  '^ tadpole"  characters  {q.v.)  in  which  this 
famous  inscription  is  written  has  not  been  carried  out  with 
perfect  consistency.  In  the  original  there  are  no  duplicates, 
yet  in  the  modern  transcription  we  find  ^  twice  over, 
and  -^  once  by  itself  and  once  in  composition  where  it 
would  be  quite  impossible  for  any  except  an  enthusiast  to 
detect  the  identity  of  the  two.  Besides  this,  the  forma- 
tion of  these  characters  is  such  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that 
they  were  traced  with  a  brush,  and  not  with  the  stylus 
employed  until  about  two  centuries  B.C.  Eubbings  of 
the  Tablet  may  be  seen  in  Legge's  Chinese  Classics, 
III,  Pt.  I,  73 ;  in  the  Journal  of  the  North  China  Branch 
of  the  Eoyal  Asiatic  Society  for  1868 ;  and  in  No.  3, 
Yol.  Ill,  of  The  Far  East  (New  Series). 

TABOO,  TO.  A  term  used  to  express  the  custom,  common 
among  Chinese  merchants,  of  combining  against  and 
refusing  to  trade  with  any  unpopular  firm.  The  word  is 
of  Polynesian  origin  and  is  also  in  use  among  the  Maoris. 

TADPOLE    CHARACTEU :    Wi^f^^-    The    ancient 


234  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

form  of  Chinese  characters  as  seen,  for  instance,  on  the 
Tablet  of  Yii  (q.v.):.  So  called  by  the  Chinese  from  their 
resemblance  to  tadpoles  swimming  about  in  water. 

TAEL  :  p^— an  ounce  (of  silver).  From  the  Hiudu  "  tola," 
through  the  Malayan  word  "  tahil." 

19  tahil=l  kati. 
100  kate=l  pikul. 
40  pikul=l  koian. 

A  tael  is  merely  an  ounce  weight  of  pure  silver ;  there 
is  no  such  coin. 

The  k\i'pHng,  or  Treasury  tael,  differs  from  the  Hai- 
kuan,  or  Customs'  tael,  and  this  by  no  regular  amount 
but  by  differences  which  are  irregular  and  apparently 
controlled  only  by  local  custom. 

TAG-AL  or  TAGALO.  One  of  the  aboriginal  dialects  of 
the  Philippine  Islands,  of  essentially  Malayan  character 
but  differing  considerably  from  the  Malay  language  as 
heard  in  the  Straits'  Settlements.     Is  spoken  in  Manila. 

TAH.     A  Pagoda  (q.v.).  j^  ^'a^  =  tope. 

TAIFOO :  :^  ^.  The  Chinese  term  in  the  north  of 
China  for  a  medical  man,  and  thus  commonly  used  among 
foreigners. 

TAIFOO  :  y^  pj — great  assistant.  The  name  in  use 
among  Chinese  sailors  employed  on  foreign  coasting- 
vessels  to  designate  the  Chief  Officer. 

TAIKONGh  or  TOKONG  :  ft  JC— steersman.  A  head 
boatman.  Used  in  the  south  of  China,  and  equivalent 
to  lowdah  (q.v.)  in  the  north. 

TAI-MUNG.  A  small  lightly-built,  lorcha-rigged  Chinese 
war- junk. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  235 

TAIPAN:  ^i^  —  great  manager.  The  head  of,  or 
partner  in,  a  foreign  house  of  business.  The  beggars  and 
little  boys  all  over  the  south  of  China  shout  "  Taipan  V* 
"  Taipan  !'^  to  any  foreigner  from  whom  they  wish  to 
extract  a  gratuity,  so  general  is  the  belief  that  every 
foreigner  in  China  must  necessarily  be  engaged  in  trade. 
Formerly  the  title  applied  to  all  foreign  Consuls. 

T^AI-P^NG-  or  TAE-PIlSra  :  ^fc  2p_g^.g^|.  pg^ce.  The 
name  chosen  by  the  so-called  Long-haired  Rebels  ]5"^^ 
for  the  new  dynasty  which,  but  for  the  assistance  rendered 
by  Colonel  Gordon  to  the  Imperial  side,  would  in  all  pro- 
bability have  been  established.  The  rebellion  that  goes 
by  this  name  broke  out  in  the  South  of  China  in  1850, 
under  the  leadership  of  Hung  Hsiu-ch'uan  ^^  ^  ^,  who 
pretended  that  he  had  a  mission  from  God  and  called 
himself  the  Heavenly  Prince  yC  3E-  -^s  it  spread  nortli- 
wards,  various  large  cities  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels, 
among  others  Nanking,  which  the  Heavenly  Prince  at 
once  consecrated  as  his  capital.  These,  however,  were 
gradually  recovered  by  the  exertions  of  the  Ever  Yicto- 
rious  Army  (q.v^),  and  the  rebellion  was  finally  crushed 
by  the  re-capture  of  Nanking  in  July  1864,  a  day  or  two 
before  which  the  Heavenly  Prince  put  an  end  to  his  life 
by  poison. 

T^AI-T^AI :  ^  :fc.  The  title  given  to  the  wife  of  any 
official  who  we^rs  a  button.  "VVe  have  heard  of  a  mission- 
ary lady  who  always  insisted  on  being  thus  addressed  by 
her  servants,  to  the  no  small  amusement  of  the  latter. 
One  of  the  proper  Chinese  designations  for  a  lady,  whose 
husband  does  not  happen  to  be  an  official,  is  ^  ^  niang- 
niang. 

T'AIWAN :  fi  ^—(1)  Extensive  bay ;  (2)  Terraced  bay. 


236  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

The  island  of  Formosa  (q.v.),  once  known  as  Kelung  (q.v.). 
"The  Chinese  name  of  it,  Taiwan,  or  Bay  of  the  Raised 
"  Terrace,  probably  refers  to  the  square  flat-roofed  block 
"  house.  Fort  Zelandia,  built  by  the  Dutch  when  they 
"  were  in  possession  of  the  island,  and  which  is  now  a 
"  mark  for  vessels  making  the  anchorage  at  the  capital, 
"Taiwan-fu/'— Jler&er^  /.  Allen. 

T^aiwan  Fu  was  one  of  the  thirteen  ports  opened  to 
trade  by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  1858. 

TA- JEN :  i^  A— great  man.  The  title  of  Chinese  offi- 
cials from  Taotais  upwards;  in  some  cases  equivalent 
to  "  His  Excellency." 

TAKOW :    tr  ^— beat  the   dog ;    a   corruption   of   the 

original  name  ^  ^  beat  the  drum, — from  the  Chinese 
name  for  Ape's  Hill,  derived  from  the  beating  of  the 
waves  upon  its  rocks.  The  port  of  the  city  of  Taiwan  Fu, 
in  South  Formosa.  Opened  to  trade  by  the  Treaty  of 
Tientsin,  1858,  but  not  formally  occupied  until  1864. 

TAKU :  A  tfi-  ^  small  village  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Peiho  or  northen  river,  near  which  were  situated  the 
celebrated  forts  passed  by  the  allied  forces  in  1858  and 
taken  in  1860,  a  severe  repulse  having  been  sustained 
there  in  1859.  The  new  forts  now  erected  on  the  spot 
are  armed  with  Krupp  guns. 

TALAPOIN.  A  Buddhist  priest  is  so  called  in  Burma  and 
Siam.  In  the  presence  of  women  or  in  the  street,  the 
phoongye  fpriestj  always  has  a  fan  to  screen  his  face. 
This  fan  is  made  from  the  leaf  of  the  Tala-pat  palm,  with 
a  handle  shaped  like  an  S.  Hence,  Buddhist  priests  have 
been  termed  Talapoins. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE.  237 

TAMASHA.  An  ATabic  word  meaning  ''  entertainment/' 
•^show/'  "spectacle,"  etc.  Often  used  in  the  general 
sense  of  ^'^  function/' 

TAMERLANE.     See  Timour. 

TAMSUI :  */j^  :^<  fresh  water ;  also  known  as  ?!  j§.  A 
port  at  the  northern  end  of  the  island  of  Formosa,  opened 
to  trade  by  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  1858.  "  It  is  an  uninter- 
esting place." — Chronicle  &  Directory  for  China,  Japan, 
etc :  1877. 

T'ANGf  DYNASTY:  )g  l^.  A.D.  618—907.  The 
Elizabethan  age  of  Chinese  literature.  Chinese  in  the 
south  of  China  still  call  themselves  "  Men  of  T'ang."  See 
Tojin. 

TANGO.  A  Korean  coin,  6  parts  copper  to  4  parts  lead, 
issued  in  1883  and  intended  to  be  legal  tender  for  5  of  the 
old  coinage,  105  being  equal  to  the  Mexican  dollar.  Their 
value  has  now  fallen  to  over  200  per  dollar. 

TANHA.  The  Buddhist  '^will  to  live,''  or  force  which, 
under  the  guidance  of  Karma,  causes  the  production  of 
every  new  being.     See  Buddha. 

TANGRAM.  A  very  uncommon  name  for  the  familiar 
Chinese  puzzle  in  seven  pieces  (-xl  ^5) — five  triangles,  a 
square,  and  a  lozenge. 

TANK  A :  ^  ^ — egg  people.  The  boat  population  of 
Canton  ;  so  called  from  the  name  of  a  tribe,  and  not  from 
the  shape  of  their  boats,  now  known  as  "  egg-boats." 
They  are  the  descendants  of  an  aboriginal  people,  driven 
before  the  advance  of  Chinese  civilisation  to  live  in  boats 
upon  the  river,  being  for  centuries  forbidden  by  law  to 
live  ashore.     The  Emperor  Yung  Cheng  (1730)  allowed 


•238  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

them  to  settle  in  villages  in  the  immediate  neighbour'hood 
of  the  river ;  but  they  were  then,  and  are  still,  excluded 
from  competition  for  official  honours,  and  are  forbidden  by 
custom  to  intermarry  with  the  rest  of  the  people. 

TAO  :   la — ^^6  Way  ;  i.e.  as  Lao  Tzu  expressly  tells  us, 

the  eternal  Way  of  right  conduct,  and  not  the  way  which 

can   be   walked   upon.     See   next   entry.     [The    Tao  of 

Confucianism  may  be  rendered  by  **  method^'  in  its 
philosophical  sense.] 

TAOISM :  ia  ^.  A  system  of  philosophy  founded  by 
Lao  Tzu  (q.v.)  some  six  centuries  before  the  Christian  era. 
Has  been  styled  nationalism  and  Naturalism  by  various 
writers.  Its  leading  doctrines  teach  man,  by  a  course  of 
non-resistance  and  inaction,  to  bring  his  moral  and  physical 
natures  into  perfect  harmony  with  their  environment,  the 
result  being  a  complete  victory  over  all  obstacles  to  human 
happiness  and  even  over  death  itself.  About  the  time  of 
the  Han  dynasty  {q.v.)  pure  Taoism  became  corrupted  by 
an  admixture  of  superstition  in  the  form  of  alchemy  and 
a  search  for  the  elixir  of  life.  A  severe  struggle  followed 
upon  the  subsequent  introduction  of  Buddhism,  but  the 
two  religions  soon  began  to  flourish  peaceably  side  by 
side,  and  even  to  borrow  from  each  other,  so  that  at  the 
present  day  many  dogmas  and  ceremonies  are  preached  and 
practised  promiscuously  by  priests  of  either  faith.  Both 
are  really  under  the  ban  of  the  law  ;  see  8acred  Edict ;  and 
both  are  professedly  despised  by  disciples  of  the  purer  ethics 
of  Confucius.  Thus  it  is  always  necessary  to  distinguish 
between  the  Taoism  of  today  and  that  of  its  founder  two 
thousand  and  more  years  ago.  Chu  Hsi  said  *'The 
teaching  of  Lao  Tzu  aims  only  at  the  preservation  of 
^an*s  spiritual  constitution." 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENGJS:  239^ 

The  members  of  the  Taoist  Trinity,  m  *^  or  Three 
!Pure  Ones,  are  Lao  Tzu,  P'an  Ku,  and  Yii  Huang 
Shang  Ti.  There  is  also  a  trinity  of  the  Primordial 
l^owers  in  TC,  which  are  Heaven,  Earth,  and  Man. 

In  one  passage,  alluding  to  the  pure  Taoism  of  Loa 
Tzii,  Chu  Hsi  says,  ^^His  teaching  may  be  summed  up  as 
the  Doctrine  of  Surrender  to  others.  In  another  place, 
dealing  with  modern  Taoism,  he  writes  thus: — '^Bud- 
dhism stole  the  best  features  of  Taoism  :  Taoism  stole  the 
worst  features  of  Buddhism ;  as  though  the  one  stole  a 
jewel  from  the  other,  and  the  loser  re-couped  the  loss 
with  a  stone.'^ 
TAO-SZE  or  TAO-SStJ:  M  ±-  Taoist  priest.  [See  last' 
entry.]  The  celebrated  "  Zadkiel,"  who  publishes  an 
annual  almanac  in  which  the  principal  events  of  the 
coming  year  are  foretold,  calls  himself  a  "  Tao  sze"  of  the 
''Most  Ancient  Order  of  tlie  Svastika"  {q-v.).  Taoist' 
priests  are  generally  considered  by  the  Chinese  to  be  able 
to  perform  miracles  and  work  cures. 

TAO-T'AI :  M  "^  •  Called  by  foreigners  the  Intendant  of 
a  Circuit  (of  Prefectures),  into  a  number  of  which  each 
province  is  subdivided,  and  wherein  he  usually  has  general 
control  over  all  affairs  civil  and  military,  subject  of 
course  to  the-  approval  of  the  Fu-t'ai  or  (and)  Tsung-inc 
(q.v.). 

TAOTfiCHING:  ^Ef^l?-  A  small  treatise,  consisting 
of  only  5,321  characters,  which  is  generally  accepted  as 
the  canon  of  Taoism,  and  has  been  attributed,  but  on 
insufficient  grounds,  to  Lao  Tzii  himself,  being  in  all 
probability  a  work  of  the  second  or  third  century  after 
Christ.  The  following  are  intelligible  specimens  of  this 
otherwise  obscure  work :  — 


240  A  GLOSSAEY  OF  REFERENCE. 

''  To  the  good,  I  would  be  good.  To  the  not-good,  I 
would  also  be  good, — in  order  to  make  them  good.  To 
the  faithful,  I  would  be  faithful.  To  the  not-faithful,  I 
would  also  be  faithful, — in  order  to  make  them  faithful. 

"  The  truth  is  not  agreeable.  That  which  is  agreeable 
is  not  the  truth.  The  good  do  not  argue.  Those  who 
argue  are  not  good.  The  wise  make  no  display  of  their 
wisdom.     Those  who  make  such  display  are  not  wise." 

[Some  enthusiasts  have  found  the  word  Jehovah  in  the 
following : — ] 

"  That  which  when  looked  for  eludes  the  sight  is  called 
I  ^  the  Invisible.  That  which  when  listened  for  elude^ 
the  ear  is  called  Hi  p^  the  Inaudible.  That  which  when 
felt  for  eludes  the  touch  is  called  Wei  ^^  the  Intangible. 
These  three  cannot  be  thoroughly  investigated.  Therefore 
they  may  be  brought  together  under  one  denomination.'' 
[I-hi-wei= Jehovah.] 

TARTARS  or  TATARS :  M  ^  o^'  M  ^  U  or  ^|B^ 

etc.,  etc.  Vaguely  applied  to  the  various  tribes  inhabiting 
the  steppes  of  Central  Asia,  and  to  the  Manchus,  the 
founders  of  the  present  dynasty,  that  portion  of  Peking  in 
which  the  latter  reside  being  known  as  the  Tartar  City. 
"The  Revolt  of  the  Tartars''  is  a  magnificent  essay  by  De 
Quincey,  describing  the  flight  in  A.D.  1771  of  a  whole 
Tartar  nation  from  Russia  to  China,  where,  after  endless 
sufferings  on  the  way,  the  remnant  of  their  host  was 
received  back  into  the  fold  by  the  Emperor  Ch'ien  Lung 
himself.  These  Kalmuck  Tartars  had  been  incorporated 
into  the  Russian  empire  in  1616.  The  Chinese  names 
are  pronounced  Tahdza   or  Tah-tar ;  not  Tartar. 

TARTAR-GENERA.L:  jff  5— Commander-in-chief.  The 
Manchu    (q.v.)    commanders    of    Bannermen    garrisons, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFERENGB.  241 

stationed  at  certain  of  tlie  most  important  points  of  the 
Chinese  Empire,  are  so  called.  Their  presence  is  meant 
as  a  check  upon  the  action  of  the  civil  authorities.  Strictly- 
speaking,  they  rank  with  but  before  the  Yiceroy ;  practi- 
cally, their  ranks  are  regarded  as  equal. 

TA  TS^IN :  "^  ^  A  country  mentioned  by  Chinese 
historians  in  the  early  centuries  of  our  era.  It  had  been 
variously  identified  by  European  scholars  until  the  year 
1885,  when  Dr.  Hirth  proved  conclusively  in  his  China 
and  the  Roman  Orient  that  the  country  in  question  was 
Syria,  with  Antioch  as  its  capital. 

TA-TSINa  or  TA-CHING  DYNASTY :  ^^  jf  |Jf — 
the  Great  Pure  dynasty.  The  name  of  the  present,  or 
Manchu,  dynasty.  Actually  established  1644.  Is  con- 
sidered remarkable  amongst  the  Chinese  for  the  mildness 
of  its  Penal  Code. 

TATHAGATA  or  JULAI :  ^R  ^  #.  A  name  of  Gau- 
tama Buddha,  implying  that  he  came  in  the  same  manner 
as  all  previous  Buddhas. 

TAU-KWANG  or  TAO-KTJANG  :  ^  3fc— glory  of  rea- 
son. The  style  of  reign  adopted  by  the  Emperor  who 
ruled  China  from  1821  to  1851. 

TEA :  ^  (book  name  ^).  Introduced  into  Europe  to- 
wards the  close  of  the  16th  century  under  the  name  tcha 
(which  is  still  retained  in  the  Portuguese  language,  less 
the  initial  t — cha)  or  chawj  the  former  being  the  Can- 
tonese pronunciation  of  the  Chinese  term.  First  taken 
to  England  in  1666  :  see  Bohea.  The  word  tea  is  from 
the  Amoy  and  Swatow  readings  of  the  character,  ^, 
namely  tay ;  and  thus  it  was  originally  pronounced : — 


Here  thou,  great  Anna  !  whom  three  realms  obey, 
Dost  sometimes  counsel  take— and  sometimes  tea. 


Pope, 


242  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENCE. 

[China  was  also  formerly  pronounced   cheyney   by   the 
purists  of  the  day.] 

By  degrees,  the  word  came  to  be  used  in  England 
of  any  infusion ;  e.g.,  cowslip  tea,  linseed  tea,  beef 
tea,  and — 

Why  will  Delia  thus  retire  ? 

Why  so  languish,  live  away  P 
Whilst  the  sighing  crews  admire, 

'Tis  too  late  for  hartshorn  tea. 

Cowper,  in  his  Task,  alludes  to  tea  as — 

....  the  cups 
That  cheer  but  not  inebriate  .... 

and  Churchill,  in  The  Qhost,  thus  refers  to  the  old  custom 
of  foretelling  events  by  tea-leaves  : — 

Matrons,  who  toss  the  cup,  and  see 
The  grounds  of  Fate  in  grounds  of  Tea. 

The  best  pun  on  the  word  is  contained  in  a  line  from 
VirgiFs  eighth  Eclogue — 

Te  veniente  die,  te  decedente  canebat, 

quoted  in  this  sense  by  Dr.  Johnson. 

The  growth  of  the  China  tea  trade  may  be  illustrated 
as  follows  : — In  the  year  1678,  the  East  India  Company 
carried  to  England  as  a  speculation  4,713  lbs.  In  1760 
the  amount  had  increased  to  over  2,000,000  Ihs.  In 
1780,  it  was  upwards  of  20,000,000  Ihs.  In  1869,  it  was 
203,  753,000  lbs,  more  than  half  being  taken  by  Great 
Britain  and  its  possessions. 
TEA-BOAT.     Another  name  for  the  Eotow  (q.v.). 

TEA-CLIPPER.  A  fast-sailing  ship,  built  to  carry  tea 
from  China  to  London,  with  special  reference  to  the  great 
annual  Ocean  Race  (q.v.).    No  passengers  were  taken. 


A  GLOSSABY  OF  BEFERENCE.  243 

energies  of  the  crew  concentrated  upon  the  race,  the  prize 
for  which  consisted  in  a  high  premium  paid  upon  the  tea 
carried  by  the  winning  vessel. 

TBA-GOBBERS.  A  slang  name  for  tea-tasters  or  Chaa- 
every  available  space  being  filled  with  tea  and  all  the 
szes  {q.v.). 

TEA-POY  or  TBPOY :  ^  /L-  A  small  table,  light  and 
handy,  convenient  for  tea  or  other  drinks.  From  tea 
and  the  Latin  podium,  through  the  French  appui  (com- 
pare hodie  and  aujourd'hici),  or  the  Spanish  apoyo  a  sup- 
port. The  form  "  tepoy"  is  common,  but  of  course 
incorrect.  Cf.  the  Persian  Unpae  three-footed;  sc.  a 
tea-poy. 

"A  nest  of  four  tea-poys  costs  from  $5  to  $12." — 
Treaty  Ports.  [Tea-poys  are  always  made  in  sets  or  nests 
of  so  many  different  sizes,  the  smaller  fitting  closely  inside 
the  larger.] 

TEE-TAI  or  T'l-T'AI :  ^  o  •  ^  ^ig^  provincial  official 
in  charge  of  the  military  administration  of  his  province  as 
regards  native  troops,  the  Manchu  force  being  under  the 
exclusive  command  of  the  Tartar  General  (q.v.). 

TEMPLES.  The  general  name  in  use  for  all  kinds  of 
Chinese  places  of  worship.  May  be  roughly  distinguished 
as  follows : — 

^ — Buddhist :  always  monasteries. 

^^ —     do.  generally  nunneries. 

^ —    do.  either  monasteries  or  nunneries. 

H— Taoist:*  do.  do. 

^ — (1)   Taoist:    always    monasteries.     (2)   Spiritual 

[*  Occasionlly  occnpied  by   Buddhist  priests,  having  passed  into  their 
hands  by  sale  or  by  the  expulsion  of  the  Taoists.] 


244.  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

shrines  of  Emperors  ^  ^  '§',  of  Confucius  ^'§',  and 
of  other  deceased  worthies. 

m — (1)  generic  term ;  (2)  large  Buddhist  temples  dedi- 
cated to  various  deities  and  uninhabited  hy  priests, 
roadside  shrines,  etc.,  etc. 

Jfp] — the  ancestral  halls  of  private  individuals. 

Buddhist  Monasteries  are  also  known  as  ^  ^,  f^  ^ 
^  /pfC,  etc.,  etc.  All  temples,  of  no  matter  what  deno- 
mination, must  exhibit  on  the  altar  a  tablet  inscribed  with 
the  words  ^  ^  ^  '^  "  Lord  of  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  years/'  i.e.,  the  Emperor,  as  a  proof  that 
religious  convictions  are  not  allowed  to  interfere  with 
political  fidelity.  Buddhist  priests  shave  the  entire  head; 
Taoist  priests  do  not.  Red  walls  imply  that  the  temple 
was  founded  hy  Imperial  sanction.  The  huge  figures  at 
the  gates  of  an  ordinary  Buddhist  monastery  are  two 
door-keepers,  one  on  either  side  ;  and  further  on,  the  four 
Heavenly  Kings,  who  are  set  there  to  guard  the  place 
from  evil  demons.  The  first  shrine  contains  images  of  the 
Three  Precious  Ones,  the  Buddhas  past,  present,  and  to 
come,  otherwise  known  as  the  Buddhist  Trinity  {q.v.) ; 
the  second  contains  a  dagoba  which  covers  some  relic  of 
Buddha ;  and  the  last  a  figure  of  Kwain-yin,  the  Chinese 
goddess  of  mercy. 

The  Confucian  Temple  ^  ^  is  to  be  found  in  every 
Prefectural  and  District  city,  and  in  every  market-town 
throughout  the  empire.  Its  walls  are  generally  red,  which 
was  the  official  colour  under  the  Chou  dynasty.  It 
contains  commemorative  tablets  of  Confucius  and  of  a 
large  number  of  scholars  of  later  ages  whose  writings 
have  tended  towards  elucidating  or  disseminating  the 
teachings  of  the  great  Sage. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  245 

TEMPO  :  5C  ^ — may  Heaven  protect.     A  Japanese  oval 
bronze  coin,  sixteen  and  a  fraction  being  equal  to  1  hu. 

TENNO  :  ^  ^—Heavenly  ruler.     A  title  of  the  Mikado 

(q.v.). 
TENSHI :  5C  ^— Son  of  Heaven.     A  title  of  tbe  Mikado 

{q-v.).     CL  Son  of  Heaven. 

TEPO.     See  Ti-pao. 
TEPOY.     See  Tea-poy. 

TERM  QUESTION,  THE.  A  bitter  controversy  which 
has  raged  for  many  years  past  among  the  various  sects  of 
missionaries  as  to  the  correct  rendering  of  "  God "  into 
Chinese.  The  first  difiiculty  arose  between  the  Jesuits 
{q.v.)  on  the  one  side  and  the  Dominicans  and  Francis- 
cans on  the  other,  the  latter  objecting  to  the  use  of  such 
terms  as  ^  T'ien  "Heaven^'  and  Jl  *!^  Shang-ti 
''Supreme  Ruler"  as  representing  the  material  heavens 
etc.  and  not  the  true  God.  The  question  was  referred  first 
to  the  Emperor  K'ang  Hsi,  whose  decision  favoured  the  idea 
that  5v  was  the  Supreme  Being ;  and  then  to  the  Pope, 
the  final  result  being  that  Clement  XI  published  in 
1704  a  decree  to  the  effect  that  ^  ^  T'ien  Chu  "  Lord 
of  Heaven"  was  henceforth  to  be  the  Catholic  term  for 
God,  and  such  it  has  remained  to  the  present  day. 

As  regards  the  Protestant  difiiculties  on  this  point,  Dr. 
Morrison  gave  his  preference  to  ]0  Shin,  the  common 
name  for  the  numerous  gods  and  P'u-sas  (q.v.)  of  the 
modern  Chinese  Pantheon,  in  the  hope  of  convincing  the 
Chinese  "  that  their  ideas  of  Shin  are  erroneous."  In 
this  he  has  been  followed  by  many,  the  most  distinguished 
being  Dr.  Williams,  who  objects  to  the  use  of  Shang-ti 
on  the  ground  that  ''the  early  sovereigns  of  the  Chinese 


246  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEniENCE. 

worshipped  the  spirits  of  their  deified  ancestors'*  under 
this  term.  Dr.  Bowring  suggested  6,  the  first  letter  of 
the  Greek  0edc  "God/'  and  some  Protestants  have 
agreed  to  adopt  the  Eoman  Catholic  T'ien  Ghu ;  hut  at 
the  present  day,  the  learning  of  the  missionary  phalanx 
(Legge,  Chalmers,  Eitel,  Edkins)  is  chiefly  arrayed  on  the 
side  of  Shang-ti.  Other  terms  used  by  the  Chinese  in 
the   sense   of   God,    Providence,    the    Creator,    etc.,    are 

^-i^.  i:±,  mu  mii^m,  ^% 

To  outsiders,  the  discussion  presents  at  least  one 
feature  of  absurdity ;  namely,  that  every  newly-arrived 
missionary  adopts  whatever  term  may  be  in  force  with  his 
own  party  on  the  mere  assumption  that  it  is  the  right 
one — an  assumption  too  that  he  rarely  if  ever  departs 
from  in  after  life.  In  fact,  to  parody  the  words  of  a  great 
teacher,  mere  accident  has  decided  which  of  these  terms 
is  the  object  of  his  reliance  ;  and  the  same  causes  which 
make  him  a  Shinist  in  Ningpo,  would  have  made  him  a 
JShang-ti-ite  in  Canton  or  Peking. 

[At  a  prayer-meeting  where  missionaries  of  different 
sects  were  collected,  the  minister  at  whose  house  the 
gathering  took  place  thanked  God  for  the  abundant  bles- 
sing which  had  everywhere  followed  on  the  use  of  the  term 
Shang-ti.  His  brethren — those  at  least  of  the  number 
who  used  Shin — though  prevented  by  decorum  from 
rising  from  their  knees,  testified  their  disapproval  by 
audible  coughs. — Edinburgh  Review,  No.  300.] 

TERRA  JAPONICA.     See  Gutch, 

THEATRE.  Omitting  all  mention  of  the  so-called 
'^pantomimes"  of  the  Confucian  period,  the  modern 
Chinese  drama  is  believed  to  date  from  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Hsiian  Tsung  of  the  T'ang  dynasty.    Chinese 


A  GL0SSAB7  OF  BEFERENGE,  247 

plays  are  either  civil  or  military,  in  reference  to  the 
more  or  less  polished  .style  employed.  Tragedies  and 
farces  are  common  to  these  two  classes,  the  military  plays 
being  further  characterised  by  greater  rapidity  of  action. 
The  actors  are  all  male,  no  women  having  been  allowed 
to  appear  since  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Ch^en  Lung 
{q-v.)  whose  mother  was  an  actress.  They  are  a  tabooed 
class,  and  even  their  descendants  down  to  the  third 
generation  are  disqualified  for  an  official  career.  Their 
various  roles  are  classified  as  follows,  each  actor  being 
called  upon  to  perform  only  such  parts  as  are  comprised 
under  the  class  to  which  he  particularly  belongs : — 

(1)  Sheng  ^. 

a.     As  the  Emperor,  or  heavy  father. 

h.     As  successful  general,  or  rising  statesman. 

c.     As  *' walking  gentleman." 

(2)  Ghing  '0. 

The  villain  of  the  piece.     Generally  some  rebe 
chieftain  or  daring  outlaw. 

(3)  Tan  Sl 

a.     As  Empress,  or  aged  dame. 

&.     As  respectable  middle-aged  lady. 

c.  As  fast  young  lady  of  the  period. 

d.  As  servant-maid. 

(4)  Ch'ou  i. 

The  low-comedy  man. 

The  stage  has  no  curtain,  and  no  scenery.  The 
orchestra  is  on  the  stage  itself,  behind  the  actors.  There 
is  no  prompter,  and  no  call-boy.  Stage  footmen  wait  at 
the  sides  to  carry  in  screens  etc.,  to  represent  houses,  city 
walls  and  so  on  or  hand  cups  of  tea  to  the  actors  when  their 


248  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

throats  become  dry  from  vociferous  singing.  Dead  people 
get  up  and  walk  off  the  stage  ;  or  while  lying  dead,  contrive 
to  alter  their  faces,  and  then  get  up  and  carry  themselves 
off.  There  is  no  interval  between  one  play  and  the  next 
following,  which  probably  gave  rise  to  the  erroneous 
belief  that  Chinese  plays  are  long,  the  fact  being  that 
they  are  very  short.  According  to  the  Penal  Code 
(q.v.)  there  may  be  no  impersonation  of  Emperors  and 
Empresses  of  past  ages,  but  this  clause  is  now  held  to 
refer  solely  to  the  present  dynasty. 

THOUSAND  CHARACTER  ESSAY:     ^  ^  ^.     A 

piece  of  composition,  containing  exactly  1000  different 
words  arranged  in  intelligible  though  disconnected  sen- 
tences. Was  put  together  in  a  single  night  by  Chou 
Hsing-ssii  j^  ^  ^,  a  distinguished  scholar  of  the  6th 
century  A.D.,  his  hair  turning  white  under  the  effort. 
Hence  the  essay  (and  even  the  writer)  is  often  spoken  of 
as  Q  "jif  ^  or  Essay  of  the  White  Head.  Is  the 
second  primer  put  into  the  hands  of  a  Cbinese  schoolboy 
[see  Trimetrical  Classic],  and  is  studied  more  for  the 
sake  of  gaining  a  knowledge  of  its  1000  characters 
than  for  any  useful  information  to  be  found  therein.  The 
following  is  a  specimen  : — 

Like  arrows,  years  fly  swiftly  by : 
The  sun  shines  brightly  in  the  sky ; 
The  starry  firmament  goes  round ; 
The  changing  moon  is  constant  found. 
The  heat  remains,  the  fuel  spent — 
Be  then  on  time  to  come  intent. 
A  dignity  of  mien  maintain, 
As  if  within  some  sacred  fane. 
Adjust  your  dress  with  equal  care 
For  private  as  for  public  wear  ; 
For  all  men  love  to  crack  a- joke 
At  ignorant  and  vulgar  folk. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENCE.  24& 

[There  is  also  a    Thousand    Character   Essay  for  girls. 
See  China  Review,  vol.  II.,  p.  182.] 

THREE  TEACHINGS,  THE,  or  THE  THREE  KIAO : 
zn  ^.  A  collective  term  for  Confucianism,  Buddhism, 
and  Taoism ;  that  is,  the  ethics  of  Confucius,  and  the 
unorthodox  religions  of  Buddha  and  Lao-tzu  (q.v.). 

A  wit  has  remarked  that  the  Chinese  have  in  reality 
23  ^  or  four  hiaoj  the  fourth  being  ^  '^  ^*  sleep,''  '^ 
in  this  expression  having  precisely  the  same  sound  (in 
Mandarin)  as  ^. 

THRONELESS  KING,  THE.  Confucius  has  been  so 
called  from  a  passage  in  the  ^ij  ^  ;^  (Bk.  78 : — 
Tl^Mt.^tUMM'ifn^^  "the  son  of  crystal 
shall  succeed  the  decayed  Chows  and  be  a  throneless  king." 
The  allusion  is  to  his  moral  sway. 

THUGr.  A  Hindee  word  (pronounced  Tug)  signifying 
''deceiver,"  and  applied  to  religious  fanatics  who  first 
strangle  and  then  rob  their  victims. 

TIAO :  1^ .  Properly  speaking  a  string  of  1000  cash= 
about  one  dollar,  but  varying  in  different  places.  In 
Peking  seven  or  eight  tiao  of  large  cash  go  to  the  dollar ; 
in  Tientsin  1  tiao  and  a  fraction  of  large  cash,  2  tiao  and 
a  fraction  of  small.     In  Canton  the  tiao=1000  cash. 

TIBET :  ®  H,  or  under  the  Ming  dynasty  ,^  ^  ^. 
"The  name  Tibet,  by  which,  since  the  days  of  Marco 
''  Polo,  the  country  has  been  known  in  European  geography, 
"is  represented  in  Chinese  by  the  characters  T'u-peh-t'eh 
"  H  iH  ^  (T'ubod),  intended  probably  to  reproduce  the 
"sound  of  the  appellation  given  to  it  among  the  Mon" 
"  gols." — Mayers. 

Dr.  Williams  says   the  word  is   derived  from    Tupo, 


250  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

country  of  the  Tu,  a  race  which  overran  that  part  of  the 
world  in  the  6th  century. 

TICAL.  A  Siamese  silver  coin  equal  to  ahout  60  cents. 
The  new  tical  has  a  triple  umhrella  on  one  side  and  an 
elephant  on  the  other. 

TIO-A-TAC.    A  kind  of  hoat  [Chinese.]. 

TIENTSIN :  %  '^—Heaven's  ford.  One  of  the  thirteen 
ports  opened  by  the  Treaty  signed  there  in  1858.  The 
foreign  settlement,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Peiho,  at 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  is  called  ^  rT  W  TzU-chu- 
lin,  grove  of  red  bamboos,  and  was  described  in  the 
Shanghai  Courier  of  15  Oct.  1877  as  "  a  very  frequented 
"  spot,  to  which  sailors  are  in  the  habit  of  resorting  to  get 
"drunk." 

TIENTSIN  MASSACRE.  On  the  21st  June  1870,  the 
Roman  Catholic  cathedral  and  the  establishment  of  sisters 
of  mercy  at  Tientsin,  the  French  Consulate  and  other 
buildings,  were  pillaged  and  burnt  by  a  mob  composed 
partly  of  the  rowdies  of  the  place  and  partly  of  soldiers 
who  happened  to  be  temporarily  quartered  there.  All  the 
priests  and  sisters  were  brutally  murdered,  as  also  the 
French  Consul  and  his  chancelier,  another  French  official 
and  his  wife,  besides  several  other  foreigners.  For  this 
outrage  a  large  indemnity  was  exacted,  the  Prefect  and 
Magistrate  were  banished,  and  the  then  Superintendent 
of  Trade,  Ch*ung-hou,  was  sent  to  France  with  a  letter  of 
apology  from  the  Emperor. 

The  Chinese  at  Tientsin  had  been  previously  irritated 
beyond  measure  by  the  height  to  which,  contrary  to  their 
own  custom,  the  cathedral  towers  had  been  carried ;  and 
rumours  were  afloat  that  behind  the  lofty  walls  and  dark 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE.  251 

mysterious  portals  of  the  Catholic  Founding  Hospital, 
childrens'  eyes  and  hearts  were  extracted  from  still  warm 
corpses  to  furnish  medicines  for  the  barbarian  pharmaco- 
poeia. 

TIFFIN.  The  mid-day  meal ;  luncheon.  From  the  Persian 
tafannun.  There  is  a  strange  similarity  between  this 
word  and  the  north-country  tiffing,  which  means  to  take 
a  snack  at  any  odd  hour  between  regular  meals. 

TIGEES.  Chinese  soldiers  are  sometimes  so  called  from 
the  tiger's  head  on  their  shields,  painted  with  a  huge 
gaping  mouth  and  eyes,  and  intended  to  strike  terror  into 
the  hearts  of  their  enemies.  The  tiger  is  the  Chinese 
"  King  of  beasts/'  as  shown  by  the  markings  of  the  fore- 
head which  run  into  a  very  close  imitation  of  the  character 
3E  '^ci'^g,  a  king.  This  character  is  also  reproduced  on 
the  shields  above-mentioned.  The  soldiers  are  occasion- 
ally dressed  in  imitation  tiger-skins,  with  tails  and  all 
complete  ;  and  yell  as  they  advance  to  battle,  in  the  hope 
that  their  cries  will  be  mistaken  for  the  tiger's  roar. 

TILLA.  A  word  used  in  Central  Asia  for  about  ten 
shillings-worth  of  silver.     ?  Tael. 

TIME.     See  Year,  Moon  etc. 

TIMOUR :  ^  >|^  ^.  The  great  Mongol  conqueror,  fifth 
in  descent  from  Genghis  Khan.  Was  called  Timurlenc, 
"  Timour  the  lame,"  from  a  defect  in  his  gait  caused  by  a 
wound  received  in  battle.  Hence  the  corrupted  form  of 
his  name,  Tamerlane.  Timur,  in  a  Turkish  dialect,  means 
iron,  which  sense  is  preserved  in  the  first  Chinese  cha- 
racter employed  as  above.  Born  A.D.  1336 ;  died  1405, 
on  his  way  to  invade  China. 


252  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

TINCAJj :  '^1  ^.  Borax  of  a  more  or  less  impure  qua- 
lity.    [Persian.] 

T*ING-CH'AI :  |^  ^ — one  who  waits  to  be  sent  on 
official  business.  Messengers  employed  at  Chinese  Ya- 
mens  and  at  Consulates  in  China  are  so  called. 

TI-PAO  :  :%  ^.  A  headman  of  the  people,  selected  by 
the  local  Mandarins,  and  responsible  for  the  peace  and 
good  order  of  the  district  over  which  he  is  set.  The  post 
is  considered  an  honourable  one;  it  is  occasionally 
lucrative,  but  very  often  burdensome  and  trying  in  the 
extreme.  For  instance,  if  a  ti-pao  fails  to  produce  any 
offenders  belonging  to  his  district,  he  is  liable  to  be 
bambooed  or  otherwise  severely  punished.  All  petitions 
and  other  legal  instruments  should  bear  the  ti-pao' s 
stamp  (5x)^  ^s  a  guarantee  of  good  faith,  See  Seals, 
Mandarin. 

Besides  the  above  officer,  the  people  have  a  custom  of 
themselves  electing  a  private  ti-pao,  who  is  called  fij  §^ 
chih  shih,  manager  of  affairs,  because  small  local  quarrels 
and  other  little  difficulties  are  referred  to  him  for  arbitra- 
tion. 

TITHma  SYSTEM  :  ^  ^.  Was  introduced  into  China 
by  ^  ^,  who  drew  up  a  Penal  Code  for  the  Ch'in 
State,  about  361  B.C.  Ten  families  make  a  Chia  ^> 
and  ten  Chia  make  a  Pao  ^  or  Li  ^.  Each  Chia  and 
Pao  must  elect  a  headman  to  serve  for  one  year,  subject 
to  the  approval  of  the  District  Magistrate ;  and  all  the 
members  of  the  tithing  are  mutually  responsible  for  the 
good  behaviour  of  one  another. 

TO:  ^.  The  tenth  part  of  a  hoku  (g'.'i;.)= about  half  an 
imperial  bushel.     [Japanese.]    Bee  Tow, 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BJSFEBENGE.  253 

TOBACCO.  Is  said  to  have  been  introduced  from  Japan 
into  Manchuria,  through  Corea,  some  280  years  ago. 
Its  cultivation  was  at  first  prohibited  as  likely  to  interfere 
with  the  production  of  food,  but  it  soon  came  to  be  widely 
grown,  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kirin  where 
the  soil  is  well  suited  to  the  plant.  The  Manchus 
brought  tobacco  to  China. 

ToJII^:  )§  A— a  man  of  T^ang  (q.v.)  Originally,  a 
Chinaman  ;  but  now  contemptuously  used  for  all  foreign- 
ers by  Japanese. 

TOKAIDO  :  ^  '/$  M— the  road  of  the  eastern  sea.  The 
great  highway  of  Japan  extending  from  Yedo  to  Kiyoto, 
along  the  eastern  coast. 

TOKIO  or  TOKIYO  :  ;^;^— Eastern  Capital.  A  bastard- 
Chinese  name  for  Yedo — the  capital  of  Japan.  [Pro- 
nounced with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable.]  The  term 
^*  eastern  capital  '^  refers  to  the  Bakufu  days,  when  Kiyoto 
and  Yedo  were  distinguished  as  Saikiyo  (western  capital) 
and  Tokiyo,  there  being  then  two  governments,  one  de  jure 
at  the  former  and  one  de  facto  at  the  latter. 

TOLO  PALL  :  [Jig  ^  |^  fj^.  A  sacred  ornamental  pall 
believed  by  Buddhists  to  assist  the  progress  and  ensure  the 
happiness  of  their  spirits  in  the  next  world.  These  palls 
are  presented  by  the  Emperor  to  Manchu  and  Mongol 
princes  after  death,  as  an  especial  mark  of  favour,  and 
are  buried  with  the  corpse.  In  the  lamaseries  of  Tibet, 
however,  there  are  always  some  on  hand  to  be  let  out  on 
hire  to  the  public  generally.  From  the  Manchu  word 
toro,  glorious. 

TOM-TOM  or  TAM-TAM.  A  Hindee  word,  meaning 
drum  or  tambourine. 


254  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

"These  night  watchmen,  with  their  small  gongs  (q.v.) 
*'and  tom-toms,  remind  us  very  much  of  what  we  have 
'"read  of  the  watchmen  who  by  night  guarded  the  streets 
"  of  ancient  Eome." — Walhs  in  the  City  of  Canton. 
TONES.  The  modulations  of  the  voice  by  which  Chinese 
words  of  different  meaning  but  of  the  same  phonetic  value 
are  distinguished  one  from  the  other.  Thus,  in  the 
Pekingese  dialect,  a  corpse,  time,  to  se7id,  and  business  are 
all  pronounced  shih ;  but  with  the  aid  of  the  four  tones, 
these  words  are  as  unlike  to  the  native  ear  as  if  they  were 
shah,  shih,  shoh,  and  shuh.  The  number  of  tones  varies 
with  the  dialect;  some  dialects  possess  as  many  as  eight  or 
nine;  but  Pekingese  has  only  four.  Even  thus  there  are  a 
great  number  of  words  pronounced  exactly  alike  both  in 
tone  and  otherwise,  though  written  differently ;  and  it  is 
often  only  by  the  requirements  of  the  subject,  that  is,  the 
context,  that  the  hearer  is  enabled  to  judge  of  the 
sense. 

The  tones  have  given  rise  to  a  still-unsettled  contro- 
versy ;  many  declaring  that  it  is  possible  to  speak  Chinese 
thoroughly  well  without  any  knowledge  of  these  tones, 
while  others  hold  an  exactly  contrary  opinion.  The 
fallacy  here  involved  is  obvious.  A  person  need  have  no 
mnemonic  knowledge  of  the  tones,  i.e.,  he  need  not  know  a 
word  to  be  of  any  special  tone ;  but  unless  in  speaking  he 
utters  the  word  in  its  proper  tone,  or  approximately  so,  he 
will  almost  infallibly  be  misunderstood.  [See  Mao-tzH.'] 
It  is  a  common  error  to  believe  that  a  musical  ear  is  an  aid 
towards  distinguishing'and  reproducing  the  tones  of  the 
various  dialects,  for  many  of  the  best  speakers  are  very 
deficient  in  that  respect,  and  vice  versa.  With  regard  to 
Cantonese,  Dr.  Eitel  says,  "scarcely  any  of  the  tones 
used  in  speaking  can  be  called  musical  tones." 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  255 

The  following  mnemonic  stanza  is  often  committed  to 
memory  by  Chinese  who  are  learning  the  Mandarin 
dialect : — 

A      *      ±      ¥ 


M    ^     m     ^ 

iS:      m      1^      M 

W>        ^        3ffi        ^ 

i^    m    M    "^ 
m    M.    ^    ^ 

TOPAZ.  A  bath-room  attendant.  Probably  from  the 
Portuguese. 

TOPE  :  5^  '^.     See  Stupa. 

TOPEE,  SOLA.  A  pith  helmet,  worn  as  a  precaution 
against  sunstroke.  From  the  Hindee  shola,  a  pithy  reed, 
and  topee  a  hat.  Occasionally  wrongly  written  solar, 
because  supposed  to  have  some  connexion  with  the  sun. 
The  word  topee  or  topi  is  from  the  Portuguese  topo  *^a 
hat,"  being  one  of  the  few  surviving  linguistic  traces 
of  Portuguese  ascendancy  in  India. 

TOPOSZE:  Mvil  W).  The  Assistant  Magistrate  or 
^  ^  of  the  T*o-p'u  sub-district,  resident  at  Swatow, 
though  his  sub-district  is  situated  to  the  west  of  that 
town. 

TORI-I:  ^%  ^ — bird's  dwelling.  An  arch  or  similar 
structure  of  wood  or  stone,  erected  before  the  gates  of 
Sintoo  (q.v.)  temples  in  Japan. 


256  A  GLOSSARY  OF  EEFEBENGE. 

TORTOISE:  ^.  One  of  the  four  sacred  animals  of 
China.  The  origin  of  Chinese  writing  has  been  fancifully 
traced  to  the  marks  on  its  shell.  See  Eight  Diagrams. 
Is  an  emblem  of  longevity. 

Vulgarly  known  as  the  ]§[  /V  Wang-pa,  or  ''creature 
which  iorgets  the  eight  rules  of  right  and  wrong/'  from  a 
superstitious  belief  in  the  unchastity  of  the  female. 
Hence,  wang-pa  is  a  common  term  of  abuse,  equivalent 
to  cuckold.  When  depicted  on  a  wall,  it  stands  for 
commit  no  nuisance  ;  '^  if  you  do,  you  are  a  wang-pa/' 
being  understood.  Sometimes  the  character  Fp  is  used 
instead,  as  resembling  in  shape  the  animal  referred  to. 

TOETUEES.  Of  these  a  long  list  might  be  given ;  they 
exist,  however,  rather  in  name  than  in  practice,  the  more 
severe  forms  being  absolutely  prohibited,  though  Chinese 
prisoners  are  occasionally,  under  great  stress  of  circum- 
stances, subjected  to  very  barbarous  treatment.  To  extort 
evidence  from  a  man,  the  bamboo  is  applied  ;  women  are 
slapped  on  the  cheeks  with  a  flat  piece  of  hard  leather 
(^  ^  (^).  Instruments  for  squeezing  the  fingers  and 
ankle-bones  are  authorised  under  the  Penal  Code,  but 
''any  magistrate  who  wantonly  or  arbitrarily  applies  the 
question  by  torture,  shall  be  tried  for  such  offence ;"  and 
where  competition  for  place  is  so  keen,  few  officials  would 
dare  risk  their  career  in  such  an  unsatisfactory  way. 
Besides,  few  Chinese  prisoners  need  more  than  the  majesty 
of  the  law  to  frighten  them  into  either  telling  the  truth  or 
swearing  to  a  falsehood  as  the  presiding  magistrate  may 
require.  The  real  tortures  of  a  Chinese  prison  are  the 
filthy  dens  in  which  the  unfortunate  victims  are  confined, 

the  stench  in  which  they  have  to  draw  breath,  the  fetters 
and  manacles  by  which  they  are  secured,  absolute  in- 
sufficiency even  of  the  disgusting  rations  doled  out  to 


A  GLOSS ABT  OF  EEFEBENCE.  257 

them^  and  above  all  the  mental  agony  which  must  ensue 
upon  imprisonment  in  a  country  with  no  Habeas  corpus 
to  protect  the  lives  and  fortunes  of  its  citizens. 

In  all  cases  of  rendition  of  prisoners  from  the  colony  of 
Hongkong  to  the  Chinese  authorities,  a  guarantee  is 
required  from  the  latter  that  at  the  ensuing  trial  no 
tortures  will  be  applied.  '*  Many  who  know  the  punish- 
ments inflicted  by  the  Chinese  upon  their  criminals  think 
them  dreadful,  but  they  are  exceeded  by  those  which 
David  inflicted  upon  individuals  whose  only  crime  was 
fighting  for  their  country  (2  Sam.  xii.  31).''  Inman's 
Ancient  Faiths. 

TO-SSU-TI-'E,H.  The  Mahommedan  password  in  China. 
Equivalent  of  Bismillah,  the  first  word  of  the  Koran. 

TOURGOUTHS :  /fl  PI  M  #•  A  division  of  the 
Kalmucks  or  Eleuth  Mongols. 

TOW  or  TOU  or  TU :  -^.     A  Chinese  peck.     See  To, 

TOWER  OF  SILENCE.  A  Parsi  burying-ground  is  so 
called.  The  Parsis  do  not  commit  their  dead  to  the 
earth,  but  expose  corpses  upon  an  iron  grating,  to  the 
birds  of  the  air  and  to  the  agency  of  sun  and  dew,  until 
all  the  flesh  is  gone  and  the  bones  fall  through  into  a  pit 
beneath. 

TOWKAY:  §|  ^— head  of  the  house.  The  common 
term  in  the  Swatow  and  Amoy  districts  for  master, 
whether  of  a  family  or  shop.  The  leading  Chinese  mer- 
chants, or  employers  of  immigrant  Chinese  labour  in  the 
Straits,  are  called  Kay-tows  (q.v.). 

TRANSIT  PASSES.  In  consequence  of  the  heavy  inland 
exactions  to  which  both  foreign  imports  and  native  produce 


268  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFERENGE. 

for  export  had  been  subjected  by  the  Chinese  provincial 
customs'  authorities,  it  was  agreed  by  the  Treaties  of 
Nanking  and  Tientsin  that  foreign  merchants  should  be 
allowed  to  commute  such  duties  by  a  single  payment  of 
2|  per  QQnt  ad  valorem  on  such  goods,  when  imported 
into  or  exported  from  China.  Transit  Passes  are  the 
documents  which  accompany  such  foreign-owned  goods, 
as  a  proof  to  the  officials  en  route  that  the  proper  duties 
have  been  paid.  The  Chinese  call  them  (1)  ^  ^  ^ 
triplicate  certificates ,  to  cover  native  produce  for  export, 
and  (2)  ^  Jp.  duty  certificates,  to  cover  foreign  imports 
going  up  country.  The  system  has  not  been  found  to 
work  satisfactorily,  many  foreign  merchants  having  taken 
out  passes  for  goods  owned  by  Chinese  and  thus  inflicted 

great  injury  upon  the  native  Customs'  revenue.  In  the 
case  of  imports,  it  may  by  argued  that  by  Treaty  British 
manufactures  should  be  allow  to  penetrate  China  free 
of  all  prohibitive  exactions,  without  reference  to  mere 
ownership. 
TREASURER,  THE  PROYINCIAL.    See  Fan-t'ai, 

TREATIES.    British. 

with  China  (1)  dated  1842 
„  „  (2)  „  1858 
„  Japan  „  1858 
„  Korea  „  1884 
„     Siam  „     1856 

TREATY  PORTS  of  China. 

Under  the  Treaty  of  Nanking,  (1)  Amoy 
1842  (2)  Canton 

(3)  Foochow 

(4)  Ningpo 

(5)  Shanghai 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  259 

Under  tlie  Treaty  of  Tientsin,    (6)  Swatow 
1858  (7)  Chefoo 

(8)  Tientsin 

(9)  Newchwang 

(10)  Hankow 

(11)  Chinkiang 

(12)  Kiukiang 

(13)  Taiwan 

(14)  Tamsui 
Under  the  Chefoo  Agreement,  (1 5)  Ichang 

1876  (16)  Wuhu 

(17)  Pakhoi 

(18)  Hoihow  or  Kiung-chow 

(19)  Wenchow 

(20)  Chung-king 

TRIAD  SOCIETY,  THE :  H  ^  #.  A  Secret  Society, 
still  existing  in  China,  though  strictly  forbidden  by  the 
Government,  the  ceremonies  of  initiation  into  which 
present  many  curious  coincidences  with  those  of  Free- 
masonry. The  name  chosen  signifies  the  union  of  Heaven, 
Earth  and  Man,  as  symbolised  in  the  character  3E  '^(^'^g 
a  king  or  prince,  the  three  horizontal  lines  of  which 
are  joined  together  by  a  third.  In  the  reign  of  Hsien 
F^ng,  the  Society  actually  went  so  far  as  to  produce  a  cash 
(q.v.),  now  known  to  collectors  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Triad.'*  On  the  reverse  it  has  ^  above  the  hole  and 
Q)  below,  besides  two  Manchu  characters.  The  name  of 
this  sect  is  sometimes  written  zn  ?Rj  three  rivers,  from 
the  place  where  it  is  said  to  have  originated.  Also  known 
as  the  Heaven  and  Earth  Society  ^  itjfc  '^.  Dates 
from  the  reign  Yung  Cheng,  1723—36. 

TRIMETRICAL  CLASSIC :  H  ^  $1— three-character 


260  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

classic.  The  first  book  put  into  the  hands  of  a  Chinese 
school-boy,  being  a  short  guide  to  ethics,  history,  science, 
biography,  etc.,  all  in  one.  So  called  because  arranged  in 
rhyming  sentences  of  three  words  to  each.  Composed 
during  the  Sung  dynasty  by  Wang  Po-hou,  and  conse- 
quently about  six  hundred  years  old.  The  following  is  a 
specimen : — 

The  little  Hsiang  at  nine  years'  old  could  warm  his  parents'  bed — 
Ah,  vrould  that  all  of  us  were  by  like  filial  precepts  led ! 
The  baby  Jung  when  only  four  resigned  the  envied  pear  : 
Deference  to  elder  brothers  then  should  be  our  early  care. 

[An  imitation  Trimetrical  Classic,  embodying  the  leading 
doctrines  of  Christianity,  has  been  published  by  some  of 
.  the  missionaries  in  China.] 

TRINITY,  THE  BUDDHIST.  See  Precious  Ones,  The 
Three.     For  the  Taoist  Trinity,  see  Taoism. 

TRIPANG.     Bicho-da-mar  (q.v.). 

TRIPITAKA  or  TEPITAKA  :  H  |i(— three  baskets, 
or  collections.  The  triple  canon  of  the  Buddhist  scrip- 
tures, consisting  of  (1)  the  Sutras  addressed  to  the  laity, 
(2)  the  Shdstras  addressed  to  the  devas  and  brahmas  of 
the  celestial  world,  and  (3)  the  Vinaya  addressed  to  the 
priesthood.  Containing  about  1,752,800  words  in  all. 
These  were  orally  preserved  until  the  1st  century  B.C. 
when  they  were  committed  to  writing  in  Ceylon.  In  one 
verse  Buddha  summed  up  the  whole  of  his  religion  : — 

*'To  cease  from  all  sin  (Vinaya); 

To  get  virtue  {Sutras)  \ 

To  cleanse  one's  own  heart  (Shdstras) ; 

This  is  the  religion  of  the  Buddhas." 
TS ATLEE :  -t  M— seven  li.    A  kind  of  silk,  so  called  from 

the  place  where  it  is  made.- 
TSIEN.     See  Ch'ien. 


A  GLOSSAEY  OF  REFERENCE.  261 

TSIN-SZE.     See  Ghinshih. 

TSUBO  or  TSZBO  :  tf-.  A  Japanese  land  measure  of  6 
feet  square. 

TSUNa-LI  YAMEN  :  If  M  Wj  P^— general  managing 
bureau.  The  modern  Chinese  Foreign  Office,  established 
only  since  the  capture  of  Peking  by  the  allied  forces  in 
1860.  Is  now  composed  of  eleven  members,  who  consult 
together  under  the  presidency  of  Prince  J§  Ch'ing,  and 
forms  the  channel  of  communication  between  foreign 
Ministers  and  the  Throne.  Previous  to  1885  the  Prince 
of  Kung  was  at  the  head  of  this  department. 

TSUNa-TUH :  ^f  #.  Viceroy  or  Governor- General  of 
one  or  more  provinces,  within  which  he  has  the  general 
control  of  all  affairs  civil  and  military,  subject  only  to  the 
approval  of  the  Throne.  The  Yiceroy  is  the  survival  of 
the  "  noble  "  ^  '^  of  feudal  days,  and  almost  as  inde- 
pendent as  his  prototype.     His  seal  (q.v.)  is  oblong. 

TUAN  BESAR.  '^  Great  master,"  or  head  of  the  establish- 
ment. Used  in  the  Straits  much  as  Sahib  in  India. 
(Malay). 

TUI-TZU :  HJ*  -f'.  Antithetical  couplets,  inscribed  on 
scrolls,  and  used  as  wall-decorations  in  Chinese  houses. 
The  following  is  a  specimen,  taken  from  the  autograph 
original  of  H.E.  Li  Hung-chang,  Viceroy  of  Chihli : — 

m  m  i^  n  "^  iM  n  ^ 
m  M  w\  m  ^  If  7^  1^ 

Ascertain  clearly  what  is  your  duty  and  then  you  may 
begin  to  act ;  hold  fast  to  truth,  and  you  will  be  able  to 
substantiate  your  words.  Move  in  accordance  with  eternal 
principles,  and  you  will  not  be  found  wanting;  give  due 
weight  to  modifying  circumstances,  and  you  will  be  in 
harmony  with  all  men. 


262  A  GLOSS  AMY  OF  REFERENCE, 

TUKANG.  A  Malay  prefix  meaning  "workman;"  e.g. 
tuhang-ayer  the  water  workman,  sc.  the  house-coolie. 

TUNG-CHE  or  T^UNG  CHIH :  ^  ^—united  rule.  The 
style  adopted  by  the  Emperor  who  reigned  over  China 
from  1862  to  1875. 

T^UNG-P^AN:  M  #  A  "third  Prefect"  H  )^,  or 
Assistant  Sub-prefect. 

T'UNG-CHIH :  1^  ^.  A  Sub-prefect  {q.v.),  often  called 
"second   Prefect"  Zl  0. 

TUNG  WAH  HOSPITAL,  THE.  A  hospital  at  Hong- 
kong where  sick  Chinese  are  treated  upon  native  patholo- 
gical principles  and  under  the  superintendence  of  theri 
own  doctors.  The  influence  of  this  institution  has  been 
brought  to  bear  in  more  than  one  instance  on  matters 
quite  beyond  its  proper  sphere  of  action ;  hence  it  si 
regarded  with  no  favourable  eye  by  many  European  resi- 
dents in  Hongkong,  who  object  to  the  association  with 
such  an  establishment  of  any  political  or  commercial  signi- 
ficance whatever.  The  name  Tung  Wah  ^  ^  signifies 
"  for  Chinese  of  the  Kuang-^w?i^  province." 

T'UNG-WfiN-KUAN :  |^  ^  ft-  Otherwise  known  as 
the  "  Peking  College,"  an  establishment  at  the  capital  for 
the  instruction  of  Chinese  students  in  the  languages, 
literatures,  and  sciences  of  the  West,  under  the  guidance 
of  foreign  masters.  The  pupils,  whose  ages  have  been 
known  to  vary  from  fifteen  to  fifty,  receive  a  small  month- 
ly allowance  from  the  Chinese  Government  to  induce  them 
to  attend  regularly  the  classes  and  lectures  provided  for 
their  benefit.  A  similar  institution  on  a  small  scale  exists 
at  Canton  under  the  same  Chinese  name ;  otherwise 
known  as  the  "  Chinese  Government  School." 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENCK  263 

TUHFAN :  Ith  §  #,  a  Subprefecture  in  Outer  Kansnh. 

TURKOMANS  or  TURKMEN.  Inhabit  that  tract  of 
desert  land  which  extends  on  this  side  of  the  river  Oxus, 
from  the  shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea  to  Balkh,  and  from 
the  same  river  to  the  south  as  far  as  Herat  and  Astrabad. 
Compounded  of  the  proper  name  TUrk,  and  the  suffix 
men,  which  corresponds  with  the  English  termination 
-ship  or  -dom.  It  is  applied  to  the  whole  race,  conveying 
the  idea  that  these  nomads  style  themselves  preeminently 
Turks.  Turkoman  is  a  corruption  of  the  Turkish 
original. 

TUTENAGUE.  A  term  first  applied  by  the  Portuguese 
to  the  spelter  or  zinc  of  China.     Etymology  unknown, 

TWANKAY.  A  kind  of  tea  from  l£  ^  T'un-ch'i,  a 
town  in  Anhui,  whence  our  name.  The  widow  in  the 
burlesque  of  "  Aladdin  "   is  known  by  this  designation. 

TWO  KIANa,  THE:  pg  *tt.  Formerly  denoted  the 
two  provinces  of  Kiangnan,  and  Kiangsi ;  now  stands  for 
Kiangsi,  and  the  two  provinces  of  Anhui  and  Kiangsu 
into  which  Kiangnan  has  been  subdivided. 

TWO  KUANG,  THE.  The  two  provinces  of  Kuang-tung 
and  Kuang-si  (q.v.)  are  jointly  spoken  of  under  the 
above  title. 

TWO'TAILED  PIG,  THE.  A  Chinese  nickname  for  the 
Siamese  national  emblem,  the  celebrated  *  Vhite  elephant.'' 
This  animal  is  really  an  albino  of  a  light  mahogany  colour, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  the  incarnation  of  some  future 
Buddha. 

TYCOON :  '^^ — great  Prince.  Same  as  the  Shdgun  (q.v.) 
or  former  'temporal"  Emperor  of  Japan.  Submitted  to 
the  Mikado  in  1867.    Wrongly  written  "^  ^ — great 


264  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE, 

official.  The  term  is  said  to  have  been  coined  by  a  pre- 
ceptor of  the  Shogun  as  a  fitting  title  under  which  his 
master  might  be  represented  in  the  Treaty  with  Commo- 
dore Perry,  1854.  ''The  full  title  of  the  Tycoon  was 
Sei-i-tai  Shogun,  [fiE  ^  ^  ?j^  5]>  '  Barbarian- 
repressing  Commander-in-chief.'  The  style  Tai  Kun, 
Great  Prince,  was  borrowed,  in  order  to  convey  the  idea 
of  sovereignty  to  foreigners,  at  the  time  of  the  conclusion 
of  the  Treaties.  *  *  *  *  The  title  Sei-i-tai  Shogun 
was  first  borne  by  Minamoto-no-Yoritomo  in  the  seventh 
month  of  the  year  1192  A.D."— Mitford,  Tales  of  Old 
Japan. 

TYPHOON  or  TYFOON.  A  cyclone,  or  revolving  storm 
of  immense  force,  the  speed  of  rotation  being  all  the  time 
in  an  inverse  ratio  to  that  of  translation,  and  vice  versa. 
Typhoons  seem  to  be  eddies  formed  by  the  meeting  of 
opposing  currents  of  air,  and  blow  in  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere from  right  to  left,  in  the  southern  from  left  to  right. 
Has  been  derived  from  the  Chinese  /S^jMi  ^^^  fong,  a  great 
wind,  the  chief  objection  to  which  is  that  the  Chinese 
have  special  names  for  the  typhoon  and  rarely  if  ever 
speak  of  it  vaguely  as  a  ^'  great  wind."  They  say  ^Jllij 
or  j^g  J^5  or  JBll;  J!^\<,  etc.,  etc  ;  and  Dr.  Hirth  has  shown 
that  the  second  of  these,  read  jja  JSL  ^^^  f^'^^dt  is  a  local 
term  in  Formosa  for  the  cyclone,  and  probably  the  real 
source  of  the  term.  Also  (2)  from  the  Arabic  tufan,  and 
(3)  from  the  Greek  rv^wv,  both  meaning  whirlwind,  which 
words  however  were  in  all  probability  taken  by  the  Greeks 
and  Arabs  from  other  sources. 

My  coursers  are  fed  with  the  lightning, 

They  drink  of  the  whirlwind's  stream  ; 
And  when  the  red  morning  is  brightening, 

They  bathe  in  the  fresh  sunbeam ; 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  265 

I  desire,  and  their  speed  makes  night  kindle ; 

I  fear,  they  outstrip  the  typhoon: 
Ere  the  cloud  placed  on  Atlas  can  dwindle, 

We'll  encircle  the  earth  and  the  moon. 

Shelley. 

With  regard  to  the  term  JHI  j^  given  ahove,  it  is  ex- 
plained in  the  ^  ^  y"^  as  a  23  >^  >S  Mi»  literally 
*'four  quarter  wind,"  the  quarters  being  of  course  N.  S. 
E.  and  W.  In  another  work  we  have  Jii  Jll^  J[^  0  M 
'W^Sifc'  which  has  the  same  meaning. 

TYPHOON  FLY:  ff  ^.  The  common  dragon-fly  is  so 
called;  the  presence  of  these  insects  flying  round  and 
round  in  large  numbers  being  considered  as  a  sign  of 
heavy  weather. 

TZU-fiRH-CHI:  SM^— tte  *'from  near''  collection. 
The  name  of  Sir  Thomas  Wade's  well-known  work  for 
students  of  the  Chinese  (Mandarin)  language.  So  called 
from  a  sentence  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  Mean  {q.v.)  which 
says  that  the  way  of  the  superior  man  may  be  compared 
with  the  way  of  one  who  would  travel  far — he  must  begin 
from  what  is  near ;  the  allusion  being  to  the  elementary 
and  progressive  nature  of  this  manual. 

XICHAIN.     The  old  name  for  Young  Hyson  (q.v.)  tea. 

TIL  A.  A  Mongol  word  signifying  mountain;  e.g.  Khan- 
ula. 

UMBRELLA  DANCE.     See  Fan  Dance. 

UMBEELLAS,  EED.  These  insignia  of  rank  are  of  two 
kinds,  (1)  the  large  red  umbrella  ^^  and  (2)  the  smaller 
red  sun-shade  p  ^^^,  and  are  both  found  among  the  para- 
phernalia of  civilians  down  to  the  sixth  grade  inclusive. 


266  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE. 

Tlie  remaining  three  grades  should  properly  use  blue  um- 
brellas ;  but  a  Chih-bsien  for  instance,  though  only  of  the 
seventh  grade,  has  almost  invariably  the  brevet  rank  of  a 
T'ung-chih  of  the  fifth  grade,  and  is  therefore  entitled  to 
use  a  red  umbrella.  The  military  are  arranged  on  a 
slightly  different  scale,  all  below  the  sixth  grade  being 
only  allowed  a  large  umbrella  of  ordinary  make  to  keep 
off  the  sun. 

'^  The  court  was  numerous :  fan-bearers  on  the  right, 
and  fan-bearers  on  the  left,  bearers  of  the  parasol,  etc." 
[From  a  description  of  the  Pharaohs  in  Evelyn  Abbott's 
Hist,  of  Antiquity.'] 

The  complimentary,  or  Ten  Thousand  Names  Umbrella 
^^^  Wan  ming  san,  is  a  large  red  umbrella  presented 
by  the  people  to  any  official  who  may  have  won  their 
approbation  of  his  rule.  It  is  covered  with  the  names  of 
the  subscribers  in  gilt  characters. 

IIIIH  YA,  THE  :  ^  ^.  Otherwise  known  to  foreigners 
as  the  Literary  Expositor.  A  dictionary  of  terms  used  in 
the  classics  and  other  writings  of  an  early  period,  embel- 
lished with  drawings  of  a  great  number  of  the  objects 
explained. 

USURY.  Three  per  cent,  per  month  is  the  maximum  legal 
interest  in  China,  upon  money  lent  under  any  conditions. 
But  the  accumulated  interest  may  never  exceed  the 
principal.  Thus,  when  interest  which  has  been  received 
equals  the  principal  still  due,  the  lender  should  claim  such 
principal,  and,  if  he  wishes  to  continue  the  loan,  make  a 
fresh  start.  Otherwise,  the  borrower  may  claim  every 
item  of  interest  paid  subsequent  to  that  date  as  an  instal- 
ment towards  clearing  off  the  principal. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEEENGE.  267 

When  money  is  lent  for  a  period  of  years,  the  interest 
is  generally  calculated  as  if  there  were  only  ten  months 
to  the  year.  This  is  called  :R  ^  ^  ^1 ;  according  to 
which,  one  per  cent,  per  month  would  be  ten  per  cent,  per 
annum. 

YEDAS  GOLD.  A  kind  of  damask  interwoven  with  gold 
thread,  and  about  2  feet  2  inches  in  width. 

VERMILION  PENCIL :  ^  ^.  A  Minute  or  Rescript, 
endorsed  in  red  ink,  nominally  by  the  Emperor  himself, 
on  all  documents  submitted  to  the  Sacred  Q-lance.  The 
following  specimens  are  copies  from  the  Treaties  of 
Nanking  and  Tientsin,  respectively:  ^fl?>J^J^SI^ 
and  ^^HrOTWSI*  signifying  the  Imperial  consent 
to  the  two  instruments  in  question.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  the  sign-manual  of  the  old  Emperors  of  Delhi  was 
written  with  red  ink. 

YIHAEA.    A  Buddhist  monastery. 
VICEROY.    See  Tsung-tu. 

VINAYA  :^— law.  One  of  the  divisions  of  the  Buddhist 
canon  (see  Tripitaha),  containing  the  rules  for  ecclesiastical 
discipline  and  so  on. 

VINEGAR,  TO  CHOW-CHOW.  Pidgin-English  equiva- 
lent of  to  he  jealous.  This  phrase  is  merely  a  literal 
translation  of  the  Chinese  metaphorical  expression  l^@B> 
the  origin  of  which  will  be  found  in  Chinese  Sketches,  p.  68. 

In  the  deed  of  gift  by  which  a  Chinese  child  is  transferred 
from  its  parents  to  another  person,  will  be  generally  seen 
an  item  of  so  many  dollars  or  taels  payable  by  the  trans- 
feree as  "ginger  and  vinegar  money."  This  phrase  is 
used  by  synecdoche  for  the  whole  expenses  of  bringing  up 


268  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENGE. 

the  child ;  and  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  every  Chinese 
mother  is  presented,  immediately  after  parturition,  with 
a  draught  of  ginger  and  vinegar,  the  former  of  which  is 
supposed  to  prevent  her  catching  cold,  and  the  latter  to 
increase  the  needful  supply  of  milk. 

VISAYA  or  BISAYA.  The  aboriginal  dialect  of  the 
southern  Philippines.     See  Tagal. 

WAILO  or  WHILO.  Pidgin-English  for  "  Go  away  I " 
From  the  Cantonese  sounds  of  -^  B§'  be  off ! 

WAI-SINa  or  WEI-SINa  LOTTERY :  K  i^— exa- 
mination  names.  A  kind  of  sweepstakes,  once  a  very 
popular  form  of  gambling  among  the  Cantonese,  on  the 
result  of  the  public  examination  for  the  second  degree ; 
the  holder  of  a  successful  candidate's  name  being  the 
winner  of  a  greater  or  less  sum  according  to  position  on 
the  published  list.  Being  now  strictly  prohibited  in 
Canton,  the  lottery  is  still  organised  in  Macao,  whenc© 
tickets  are  smuggled  in  large  numbers  to  brokers  in  the 
former  city  for  distribution.  Winning  tickets  are  not 
paid  unless  their  price  has  previously  reached  Macao. 

WAI-YUJSr  or  WEI- YUAN :  ^  ^—deputed  officer.  An 
officer  of  any  rank  deputed  to  perform  certain  duties. 

WANG  :  3E-     ^  prince. 

WAMPEE  or  WHAMPEE.':  ^^  — yellow  skin.  A 
fruit  found  in  Southern  China. 

WANLI  or  WENLI :  ^  M.  Style ;  composition.  Read 
mdn-li  in  the  south.  Missionaries  speak  of  Bibles  trans- 
lated into  the  book-language,  as  written  in  "  wen-li,'*  to 
distinguish  them  from  translations  into  the  colloquial. 

WAN-SHOU  SHAN:  M  ^  iJj— hill  of  an  old  age  of 
10,000  years.    The  hill  near  which  the  palace  of  Yiian- 


A  QLOSSAHY  OF  BEFUBENCE.  269 

miDg-yiian  (q.v.)  once  stood,  Wan-shou  being  a  figurative 
expression  for  the  Imperial  birthday.  The  Emperor  is 
commonly  spoken  of  as  ^  ^  ^  "  Lord  of  10,000 
years/'  ^^e.,  of  all  the  ages;  while  ''Lord  of  1,000  years'' 
is  a  title  given  to  the  Heir  Apparent. 

WANG-HAI-LOU:||y$  IS  — Sea-view  Pavilion.  A 
fanciful  name,  very  commonly  given  by  the  Chinese  to 
any  ornamental  building  which  commands  a  view  over 
sea,  lake,  river,  or  other  piece  of  water. 

WAEAJIS  :  ^  ^.     Japanese  straw  sandals. 
WAR  TAX.     See  Likin. 

WEI-CH^I :  g|  ^ — surrounding  checkers.  A  complicated 
Chinese  game  played  with  a  checker-board  and  counters, 
and  said  to  have  been  invented  by  the  Emperor  Yao,  two 
thousand  years  B.C.  An  analysis  of  the  elements  of 
wei-ch^i  appeared  in  the  Temple  Bar  magazine  for 
January  1877. 

WAYONG-.  The  Malay  word  for  ''  theatre.''  Used  in  the 
Straits  much  as  singsong  in  China. 

WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES. 

Weight. 

16  pra  liang  (taels)  =  1    Fr»  chin  (catty*). 
100  Jy  chin  —  1  i^  tan  (picul). 

120    Fp  chin  —  1  ^^  shih  (atone). 

Long  Measure. 
10  ^  fen    =  1  tJ^  ts'un  (inch). 
10  tJ"  ts'un  =  1  f^  chHh  (foot). 
10    h^  ch'ih  =  1    a(^  chang. 


*  The  catty  (q.v.)  =  IJ  lbs.  avoirdupois. 


270  A  OLOSSABY  OF  BEFBBENOE. 

Money. 
10  ^§  ssii   =  1    ^  hao. 

ZIYI*  '  1^ 

10  ^  hao  =1  ^  li  (see  likin). 
10  ^  Zi       =1   /3».  /dri,  (candareen). 
10  /^  /eTJ,    =  1  ^^  c^'ie?!,  (mace). 
10  ^g  mace=  1  ^S  Ziawg  (tael). 

Capacity. 

10  ^^  Tio      =1  4^  syngf  (pint). 
10  ^  sh^ngf=  1   *^  iow  (peck). 
10  :^  tou    =  I  y^  shih, 
Land  Measure 

4  -fi   cTiio  =  1  ^  mow    =  26.73  sq.  poles. 
100  ^fJ^  wiow  =  1  ffi  ch'ing=^  16.7  acres. 

WBNCHOW:  ;^^H— warm  region.  A  port  on  the 
coast  of  Chekiang,  opened  to  trade  by  the  Chefoo  Agree- 
ment of  1876. 

WHAMPOA :  ^  iff— yellow  reach.  Strictly  speaking 
the  port  of  Canton,  from  which  it  is  about  12  miles  distant. 
That  foreign  steamers  proceed  farther  up  the  river  than 
this  point  is  a  privilege  accorded  by  the  Chinese  authori- 
ties in  the  interests  of  trade,  and  might  be  taken  away 
at  a  moment's  notice  by  the  Superintendent  of  Maritime 
Customs.  [Rule  IX.,  Special  Local  Regulations.]  Sail- 
ing vessels  still  continue  to  discharge  cargo  here. 

WHAJ^^GHEES :  tt  ^.     Canes  of  all  kinds. 

WHEEL  KING  or  Chakravarti.  A  King  who  rules  the 
world,  and  causes  the  wheel  of  doctrine  everywhere  to 
revolve.  The  Sanscrit  word  is  from  chakra  wheel,  the 
symbol  of  activity. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  271 

WHITE  ANTS :  fi  !^.  The  popular,  but  incorrect, 
name*  for  termites,  a  genus  of  insect  distinct  from  the 
ant,  though  the  two  are  somewhat  similar  in  their  habits. 
Attracted  by  lights,  they  fly  into  houses  after  nightfall,  and 
shed  their  wings  all  over  the  place.  By  putting  a  plate  of 
water  near  the  lamp,  they  may  be  caught  in  large  numbers, 
The  chief  mischief  they  do  is,  in  the  larva  stage,  by  eating 
up  all  the  wood  that  falls  in  their  way,  getting  into  houses 
and  gradually  consuming  the  largest  beams  and  rafters  until 
at  length  the  building  falls  with  a  crash.  They  will  not, 
however,  touch  camphor  wood;  neither  do  they  like  the  light 
of  day ;  but  all  clothes'  boxes,  pianos,  etc.,  should  be  raised 
on  bricks  covered  with  lime  to  prevent  them  crawling  up, 
and  should  be  carefully  examined  from  time  to  time. 
"  An  American  flag-staff,  the  pride  of  an  Oregon  forest, 
"  was  soon  after  its  erection  honeycombed  and  prostrated 
"by  that  omnivorous  destroyer.  It  is  commonly  believed 
*' that  wherever  a  poison  is  found  growing,  an  antidotal 
"  plant  will  be  found  not  far  off.  This  is  paralleled  by 
"noxious  insects — the  white  ant  for  example  has  an 
"  enemy  in  a  small  black  ant  to  which  it  affords  support. 
"A  singular  battle  was  observed  the  other  day,  between 
"two  columns  of  these  insects,  if  that  can  be  called  a 
"  battle  where  all  the  injury  that  was  inflicted  was  suffered 
"by  one  side.  The  black  ants  seized  and  carried  off  the 
"  white  ones,  if  not  without  remonstrance  on  the  part  of 
'^  the  latter,  at  any  rate  without  resistance.  Tobacco  is 
"virulent  poison  to  the  white  ant.  A  colony  lately  in- 
"  vaded  a  box  of  cheroots,  which  on  being  opened  showed 

*  [It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Chinese  name  for  this  insect  is  also 
tuhite  ant.'] 


272  A  GLOSSARY  OF  BBFEBENGE, 

"  that  the  cigars  had  proved  fatal  to  them  instantaneously, 
"  as  none  of  them  had  let  go  their  hold  of  the  tobacco." — 
Dr.  Macgowan. 

WHITE  COCK.  Is  carried  with  coffins  on  the  way  to 
interment,  '^  under  the  belief  that  this  bird  alone  can 
guide  the  ghost  to  its  destination.''     Williams. 

*'The  Chinese  cannot  explain  the  origin  of  this 
custom."     Boolittle. 

At  the  oath-taking  previous  to  initiation  into  the  Triad 
Society  {q.v.)y  a  white  cock  is  killed.  Its  death  is  sym- 
bolical of  the  death  of  the  candidate  to  the  influences  of 
the  outside  world,  previous  to  his  re-birth  as  a  just  and 
upright  man  and  a  brother.  The  cock  is  chosen  because 
of  its  vigilance,  and  its  white  colour  is  emblematical  of 
purity  of  heart. 

WHITE  ELEPHANT.     See  Two-tailed  Fig. 

WHITE  LILY  SECT :  S  ^  ^.  The  name  of  a  well- 
known  Chinese  secret  society,  originated  as  early  as  the 
close  of  the  Yiian  dynasty  (about  A.D.  1350)  by  a  man 
named  fl^  /fyJC  5u  Han  Lin-erh,  who  collected  a  large 
number  of  followers  and  had  actually  proclaimed  himself 
Emperor  when  his  forces  were  routed  and  he  himself 
sought  refuge  in  flight.  The  members  of  this  fraternity 
are  believed  to  possess  a  knowledge  of  the  black  art. 

WHITE  PIGEON :  S  ^^.  A  form  of  gambling  practised 
as  follows.  Out  of  twenty  given  characters,  the  players 
each  choose  ten,  as  inscribed  upon  a  ticket  for  which  they 
pay  5  cash.  Then  the  banker  chooses  ten ;  and  to  any 
one  whose  ticket  contains  five  of  these,  he  pays  6  cash  ; 
if  six,  76  cash ;  if  seven,  750  cash ;  if  eight,  Tls.  2-50 ; 
if  nine,  Tls.  5 ;  if  ten,  Tls.  10.     The  game  is  said  to  be  so 


A  OL0S8ABY  OF  BEFEBENGE.  273 

called  because  gamblers  who  lived  inside  the  city  of  Canton 
were  in  the  habit,  when  visiting  by  night  the  gambling- 
houses  outside  to  city,  of  taking  with  them  white  pigeons 
which  they  flew  from  time  to  time  to  let  their  families 
know  the  result. 
WIGOUR.     See  Ouigour. 

"WILLS — in  the  European  sense  of  the  term,  that  is  to  say 
documents  controlling  the  devolution  of  a  dead  man's 
property,  are  quite  unknown  in  China.  Theoretically,  all 
property  belongs,  not  to  an  individual,  but  to  the  family 
of  which  he  is  a  member,  and  at  his  death  goes  by  law  to 
his  male  children  in  equal  shares,  or  failing  them^  to 
collaterals  in  a  certain  definite  and  well-known  order. 
Final  instructions  are  often  delivered  either  verbally  or  in 
writing,  but  these  refer  generally  to  minor  details  and 
would  not  avail  to  vary  the  normal  devolution  unless 
acquiesced  in  by  the  interested  survivors. 

WONSAN.     See  Gensan. 

WORLD-HONOUEED,  The  :  jM:  W-     Buddha  (q.v.). 

WRITING,  Art  of.     See  Characters. 

WUHU :  ^  jp^ — weedy  lake.  A  port  on  the  river  Yang- 
tsze,  in  the  province  of  An-hui,  opened  to  trade  by  the 
Chefoo  Agreement  of  1876. 

WU-SHIH-SHAN:  ,%  Jg  |I]— black  rock  hill.  A  hill 
within  the  city  of  Foochow,  about  300  feet  in  height, 
upon  which  stands  a  residence  of  the  British  Consul. 

The  *^  Wu-shih-shan  Case''  was  an  action  brought  in 
1879  by  the  directors  of  a  temple  on  this  hill  against  the 
Rev.  J.  Wolfe  to  define  the  rights  of  the  parties  to  certain 
land  occupied  by  the  defendant.     It  was  then  decided 


274  A  GLOSSARY  OF  llEFERENCE. 

that  if  rent  is  owing,  a  Chinese  landlord  can  take  back 
his  premises.  If  no  rent  is  owing,  he  cannot  let  them  to 
any  one  else ;  but  he  can  always  resume  possession,  if  he 
wants  the  premises  for  his  own  use,  by  giving  reasonable 
notice. 

WU-SUISra :  ^  ?|^.  a  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wu-sung 
river,  the  approach  to  Shanghai.  Above  it  is  situated  the 
celebrated  "  Woosung  Bar,"  which  is  said  to  be  silting  up 
fast  and  gradually  closing  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  has 
long  formed  a  serious  obstacle  to  the  movements  of  large 
steamers.  The  Chinese  Government  steadily  refuse  to 
dredge  this  bar,  alleging  that  it  would  be  an  evil  policy 
thus  to  deprive  Shanghai  of  its  "  Heaven-sent  Barrier" 
(g.-y.) — one  of  its  natural  and  most  effectual  means  of 
defence.  The  bar  is  sometimes  called  "Shanghai's 
Shame." 

XANADU.  A  corruption  of  Shang-tu  Jl  ^  "  imperial 
capital,"  the  summer  residence  of  Kublai  Khan,  about  180 
miles  north  of  Peking. 

In  Xanadu  did  Kubla  Khan 

A  stately  pleasure  dome  decree  r 
Where  Alph,  the  sacred  river,  ran. 

By  caverns  measureless  to  man, 
Down  to  a  sunless  sea. 

Coleridge. 

The  river  here  mentioned  has  generally  been  regarded 
as  an  invention  of  the  poet.  Mr.  W.  H.  Wilkinson, 
however,  tells  us  of  a  great  cave  at  Fang-shan,  beyond 
Peking,  "  that  runa  bo  o-ne  knows  how  far  underground, 
for  a  subterranean  river  stops  the  way." 
XAVIER.  St.  FRANCOIS.  The  first  Roman  Catholic 
missionary  to  China.     Died  at  St.  John's  (Sancian  island 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENCE.  275 

r.  jll  [Jj)  near  Macao,  1552.  The  native  maps  indicate 
the  existence  of  his  tomb  on  this  island  by  the  words 
^  A  S  "Saint's  grave." 

YACONIN  or  YAKUNIN :  ^  A-  Any  official  employe 
of  the  Japanese  Government. 

YADOYA.    A  Japanese  inn. 

YAKOOB  BBGr.  The  celebrated  Mussulman  conqueror 
and  Ameer  of  Kashgaria,  which  country  he  held  in 
subjection  for  12  years,  until  he  either  died  or  was 
assassinated  at  Korla  in  the  early  part  of  May  1877, 
after  which  Kashgaria  was  reconquered  by  the  Chinese. 
Born  1820. 

YAK'S-TAIL.  The  tail  of  the  Tibetan  ox  ^  -^ ;  used  as 
a  fly-flapper.     See  Ghowry. 

YAMATO :  i^  5(5P  (formerly  ^^  ^).  The  name  of  the 
province  in  which  was  situated  the  old  capital  of  Japan. 
Now  used  for  the  whole  empire  of  Japan. 

YAMBU :  7C  ^ :  Corruption  of  yuan-pao,  a  large  shoe 
of  sycee.     Thus  pronounced  in  Central  Asia. 

YAMUJSr  or  YAMEN:  ^  f^.  The  official  and  private 
residence  of  any  Mandarin  who  holds  a  seal.  Offices  of 
petty  mandarins  who  have  no  seals  are  -^  ^  Kung  50, 
public  places.  The  isolated  wall  before  the  entrance  gate 
(^  ^  shadow  wall)  is  placed  there  as  a  bar  to  all 
noxious  influences,  which  are  supposed  to  travel  only  in 
straight  lines  (see  Feng-shui)  ;  and  the  huge  animal  painted 
on  the  inside  so  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
mandarin  every  time  he  leaves  his  Yami^n,  is  the  fan  ^, 
the  accursed  beast  avarice,  against  which  he  is  thus  duly 
warned.     Sometimes  an  enormous  red  sun  is  depicted  on 


276  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE. 

the  "  shadow  wall."  It  is  typical  of  the  pure  and  bright 
principle  yang  \^  (see  Yin  and  Yang) ;  and  daily  sug- 
gests to  the  inmates  of  the  place  the  desirability  of  making 
their  administration  pure  likewise. 

YANG-KING-PANa  :  7#  ffi  ?|f .  A  creek  at  Shanghai 
between  the  British  and  French  Concessions. 

YAJSra-KWEI-TSZE :    ^^  ^  -^—foreign    devil.     See 

Kwei'tsze. 

YANG-TSZE  KIANG:  ^  {or  i^)  ^  ^/X— river  of 
Yang-tsze,  J^  "x*  being  the  old  name  of  a  district.  Has 
been  erroneously  translated  "  Son  of  the  Ocean/'  from  the 
first  character  being  wrongly  written  7^ ;  and  is  often 
spoken  of  {e.g.  Illustrated  London  Neivs,  8th  Dec.^  1878) 
as  the  '^  Yang-tsze-kiang  river."  Is  also  familiarly 
known  to  the  Chinese  as  the  Long  Hiver  -j^  JOl,  and 
even  JQI  the  River. 

The  Chinese  consider  the  |l|Rj  3QQ,  which  enters  the 
Yang-tsze  near  Hsii-chou  Fu  in  Szechuan,  as  the  main 
stream,  and  not  the  Chin-sha  river.  See  Biver  of  Golden 
Sand. 

YAO  and  SHFN :  ^  ^.  The  monarchs  of  antiquity, 
held  up  by  the  Chinese  as  models  of  piety  and  virtue. 
Yao  came  to  the  throne  B.C.  2356  and  reigned  until 
2280,  when  he  abdicated  in  favour  of  Shun  whom  he 
took  from  the  plough-tail,  to  the  exclusion  of  his  own 
profligate  son,  solely  on  account  of  Shunts  reputation  for 
filial  piety  and  brotherly  affection.  According  to  Mr. 
Kingsmill,  Yao  is  the  Ouranos  and  Yaruna  of  Greek 
and  Indian  mythologies. 

YASHIKI.     A  Daimio's  feudal  mansion. 

YEAR.     See  Moon. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFJEJRENGE.  277 

The  Chinese  day  is  divided  into  12  hours  of  120 
minutes  each.  The  months  are  lunar j  and  are  spoken  of 
as  '^  moons  (q-v.).''  Twelve  of  them  go  to  the  year, 
except  every  third  year  which  has  thirteen,  an  intercalary 
{q.v.)  month  being  inserted  to  make  up  the  difference 
with  the  solar  year.  Some  months  have  29,  others  30 
days.  There  are  four  seasons,  which  begin  and  end  on 
certain  days;  and  the  year  is  subdivided  into  24  solar 
terms,  of  which  the  more  important  are  : — 

1-  JJL  ^ — the  beginning  of  spring.  Falls  about  the 
5th  February,  and  is  kept  as  a  festival  in  honour  of  Agri- 
culture, an  ox  being  led  in  procession  through  the  towns 
and  villages.  On  the  day  before,  the  Prefect  is  carried 
in  state  to  perform  certain  acts  of  worship,  and  every 
mandarin,  high  or  low,  is  bound  to  yield  the  way.  Con- 
sequently, the  higher  officials  never  leave  their  yamens 
on  that  day. 

2.  '^  ^ — clear  and  bright.  Falls  about  the  5th 
April,  and  is  the  day  on  which  the  Chinese  visit  their 
ancestral  burying-places. 

3.  g^  35 — summer  solstice.  Falls  about  the  21st 
June,  and  is  devoted  by  the  mandarins  to  acts  of  con- 
gratulation at  the  spiritual  shrine  of  the  Emperor.  See 

Temples. 

4.  ^  1^ — frost  descends.  Falls  about  the  23rd 
October,  and  is  generally  spent  by  the  military  in  reviews 
and  martial  exercises. 

5.  ^  35 — winter  solstice.  Falls  about  the  22nd 
December.     Ceremonies  as  at  the  summer  solstice. 

^'  jK  III — great  cold.  Falls  about  the  21st  January. 
On  this  day  it  is  lawful  for  all  who  choose  to  commit  to 


278  A  GLOSS  AMY  OF  REFERENCE. 

the  ground  their  still  unburied  relatives,   the  ordinary- 
course  being  to  select  some  propitious  date. 

The  chief  Chinese  festivals  are  the  New  Year,  when 
all  business  is  at  a  temporary  stand-still,  the  Feast  of 
Lanterns  {q-v?),  and  the  Dragon-boat  festival  {q.v.) 

YEDDO  or  YEDO:  tL  ^—river's  door.  Formerly 
written  Jeddo,  according  to  the  Dutch  orthography. 
Same  as  Tohio  (q.v.). 

YEH :  ^  ^  3^.  The  infamous  Viceroy  of  the  two 
Canton  provinces,  who  was  captured  at  the  bombardment 
of  that  city  in  December  1858  by  the  Allied  Forces,  and 
banished  to  Calcutta  where  he  shortly  afterwards  died. 
[See  Arrow.']  He  is  said  to  have  beheaded  as  many  as 
70,000  of  the  T'ai-p'ing  rebels  who  fell  into  his  hands. 
His  father  was  a  petty  druggist  at  Hankow  and  of  a  very 
religious  turn  of  mind. 

YEH-SOO  :  fl[|I  ^— Jesus.  Thus  written  in  K^ang  Hsi's 
lexicon,  and  explained  asESEIWwlft^'tfei 
"  said  by  western  nations  to  have  been  born  to  save 
mankind.*^  The  name  of  a  once  well-known  steamer, 
the  Yesso  (q.v.)  was  thus  written  in  Chinese  upon  the 
paddle-boxes,  until  the  attention  of  the  owners  was  called 
to  the  impropriety  of  such  a  term. 

Yfi-LANG-:  P^  p}^.  A  common  term  in  Canton  for  an 
auction.  Probably  from  the  Portuguese  leilao,  through 
the  Malayan  Ulang  which  means  auction,  as  seen  more 
markedly  in  the  Swatow  variation  ^  0^  loy-lang, 
actually  pronunced  Ulang  in  Amoy. 

YELLOW  CAPS,  THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  :'^^^- 

A  rebellion  which  broke  out  A.D.  184  towards  the  close 
of  the  Han  dynasty,  and  resulted  in  the  final  division  of 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  BEFEBENOE.  279 

the  empire  into  tlie  Three  Kingdoms.  So  called  from 
the  yellow  caps  or  turbans  worn  by  the  insurgents.  The 
actual  rebellion  was  subdued  by  Liu  Pei  and  his  brother- 
members  of  the  Peach- orchard  Confederation  (q.v.). 

YELLOW  FLAGS.     See  Black  Flags. 

YELLOW  EMPEROR.     See  Hwang  Ti.  (a) 

YELLOW  GIRDLE.     See  Girdle. 

YELLOW  JACKET.     See  Ma-hwa. 

YELLOW  RIYER.     See  Hoang-ho. 

YELLOW  SEA.  The  sea  which  washes  the  eastern  coast 
of  China  is  so  called,  from  the  yellow  colour  of  its  water, 
"saturated  with  the  loam  of  1,500  miles  away'*  brought 
down  by  the  river  Yangtsze. 

YEN :  0.     Japanese  term  for  a  dollar. 

YESSO  or  YEZO.  The  northern  island  of  the  Japanese 
empire. 

YIH  KING.     See  Changes,  Booh  of. 

YIN  AND  YANG :  ^$  ^— north  and  south  banks  of 
a  river ;  light  and  shade ;  male  and  female ;  natural  and 
supernatural,  etc.  The  primeval  forces  from  the  inter- 
action of  which  all  things  have  been  evolved.  Expressed 
thus  ©  by  the  Chinese,  the  dark  half  being  the  yin  or 
female  principle ;   the  light  the  yang   or   male.     "  The 

*'  simplest  form  of  matter  would  be  the  dot 

"  From  the  dot  then  all  things  took  their  rise ;  the  germ 
"  in  the  centre  of  the  egg  from  which  the  world  had 
*'  sprung.  But  the  dot  was  not  sufficient  to  express  the 
"  spreading  universe  he  saw  on  every  side  ..... 
"  How  could  it  be  made  appear  ?  The  answer  followed, 
"  by  the  secret  of  existence  :  limitation  .....    The 


280  A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFEBENGE. 

"circle  was  the  natural  symbol,  (suggested  perhaps  by 
"  the  horizoD,)  beginning  and  ending  in  itself  simply,  and 
"  equally  confining  all  within  it ;  the  circle  round  the  dot 
*'  expressed  sufficiently  the  first  great  thought  and  gave 
"  him  tools  to  work  with  ....  and  the  new  thought 
"  struck  him  that  if  the  central  germ  must  spread,  ere 
"  it  could  do  so  it  must  lose  its  unity :  without  division 
"  there  could  be  no  life.  He  altered  his  symbol :  instead 
"  of  the  central  spot  he  now  drew  two." — Alabaster. 
See  Doctrine  of  the  Gh'i. 

YOJANA.     a  measure  of  distance,  said  to  be  either  four 

or  eight  goshalas,  a  goshala  being  the  distance  at  which 

the  bellowing  of  a  bull  can  be  heard,  or  nearly  two  miles. 

Such  space  as  man  may  stride  with  lungs  once  filled, 

Whereof  a  gow  is  forty,  four  times  that 

A  yojana. 

Arnold's  Light  of  Asia. 

YOKOHAMA  :  i^'M-     A  port  in  Japan. 

YOEOSHII :  S.  Can  do ;  good ;  0.  K.  etc.  Much 
used  by  foreigners  in  Japan. 

YOSHI-WARA  :  ^  H— the  abode  of  joy.  A  largo  en- 
closure at  Tokio  (q.v.)  where  may  be  seen — 

Famae  non  nimium  bonae  puellas 
Quales  in  medii  sedent  Subar^. 

Similar  to  the  noprela  of  the  Greeks,  established  by  Solon. 

YOURT.     A  Mongol  tent  or  encampment. 

YtJ,  THE  GREAT:  isi  ^.  A  semi-mythological  hero 
who  flourished  twenty-three  centuries  before  Christ,  and 
drained  the  empire  from  a  great  flood,  which  has  of 
course  been  identified  with  the  Biblical  Deluge.  See 
Tablet  of  Yii. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  281 

YUAN  DYNASTY  :  TC  |9 -original  dynasty.  Founded 
by  the  Mongol  conqueror  Kublai  Khan  {q^.v)  A.D. 
1280 ;  ended  1368. 

YtfAN-MING-YtTAN :  HI  5^  gj— round  bright  garden. 
Formerly  the  summer  residence  of  the  Emperors  of  China, 
lying  about  9  miles  from  Peking.  Destroyed  by  the  Allied 
Forces  in  I860,  out  of  revenge  for  the  ill  treatment  of  a 
number  of  European  prisoners  captured  by  the  Chinese. 
We  need  make  no  apology  for  introducing  here  the  follow- 
ing clever  verses,  written  by  Mr.  E.  C.  Baber  in  imitation 
of  "VV.  S.  Gilbert's  celebrated  ballad  ^^  Brave  Alum  Bey.''* 
Flat  and  unintelligible  to  a  new  arrival,  these  lines  are,  to 
an  older  resident  in  the  Far  East,  full  of  exquisitely 
turned  burlesque ;  and  they  constitute,  moreover,  an  apt 
illustration  of  Anglo-Oriental  terms  in  general. 

In  Yuen-ming-yuen,  all  gaily  arrayed 

In  malachite  kirtles  and  slippers  of  jade, 

'Neath  the  wide-spreading  tea-tree,  fair  damsels  are  seen 

All  singing  to  Joss  on  the  soft  candareen. 

But  fairer  by  far  was  the  small-footed  maid 
Who  sal  by  my  side  in  the  sandal-wood  shade, 
A-sipping  the  vintage  of  sparkling  Lychee, 
And  warbling  the  songs  of  the  poet  Maskee. 

Oh  fair  are  the  flowers  in  her  tresses  that  glow, 
The  sweet-scented  cumshaw,  the  blue  pummelow, 
And  dearest  I  thought  her  of  maids  in  Pekin, 
As  from  the  pagoda  she  bade  me  chin-chin. 

One  eve,  in  the  twilight,  to  sing  she  began, 
As  I  touched  the  light  notes  of  a  jewelled  sampan, 
While  her  own  jetty  finger-nails,  taper  and  long, 
Swept  softly  the  chords  of  a  tremulous  gong. 


[*  "  Each  morning  he  went  to  his  garden  to  cull 
"  A  branch  of  zenana  or  sprig  of  bul-bul, 
"  And  offered  the  bouquet,  in  exquisite  bloom, 
*'  To  Bucksheesh,  the  daughter  of  Rabat  Lakoum."] 


282  A  OLOSSAJRY  OF  EEFERENGE. 

She  sang  how  "  a  princess  of  fair  Pechelee 
"  Was  carried  away  by  the  cruel  Sycee, 
"  And  married  by  force  to  that  tyrant  accurst, 
"  That  Portuguese  caitiff,  Pyjamah  the  First. 

**  Tho'  her  eyes  were  more  bright  than  the  yaconin's  glow, 
"  And  whiter  than  bucksheesh  her  bosom  of  snow, 
"  Yet  alas  for  the  maid  !  she  is  captive,  and  now 
"  Lies  caged  in  thy  fortress,  detested  Macao. 

**  But  she  muffled  her  face  in  her  sohotzu's  fold, 

*'  And  the  gaoler  she  bribed  with  a  tao-t'ai  of  gold, 

"  And  away  she  is  fled  from  the  traitor's  hareem, 

"Tho'  the  punkahs  may  flash,  and  the  compradores  gleam." 

Thus  she  ceased ; — and  a  bumper  of  opium  we  took, 
And  we  smoked  the  ginseng  from  a  coral  chibouque. 
And  we  daintily  supped  upon  birds'  nests  and  snails, 
And  catties,  and  maces,  and  piculs,  and  taels. 

Then  we  slew  a  joss-pigeon  in  honour  of  Fo, 
And  in  praise  of  Feng-shui  we  made  a  kotow ; 
And  soon  the  most  beautiful  girl  ia  Pekin 
Fell  asleep  in  the  arms  of  her  own  mandarin. 

YULOH,  TO.  To  scull  a  boat  with  an  oar  at  the  stem. 
From  the  Shanghai  pronunciation  of  ^  yao  to  work  @ 
lib  an  oar.  Hence  the  Shanghai  sampan  or  passenger- 
boat  is  often  called  a  yuloh. 


YUNG-  CHfiNG :  ip  IE— concord  and  rectitude.  The 
style  of  reign  adopted  by  the  third  Emperor  of  the  present 
dynasty.     1723—1736. 

YUNNAN:  ^  ^— south  of  the  clouds.  One  of  the 
Eighteen  Provinces,  only  recently  recovered  from  the 
Panthays  (q-v.).  Capital  city  Yiin-nan  Fu  §  ^  )fj. 
Old  name  {%  Tien.  Fogs  hang  like  a  permanent  dividing- 
line  upon  the  verge  of  the  Szechuan  highlands  ;  and  these 
misty  clouds  give  the  name  to  the  southern  province 
beyond, — Yiin-nan. 


A  GLOSSARY  OF  REFERENCE.  283 

YtiNNAN  OUTRAGE,  THE.  The  murder  of  Mr.  Mar- 
gary  at  Manwyne,  a  small  town  on  the  extreme  south- 
west frontier  of  China.  Mr.  Margary  had  been  deputed 
to  meet  an  expedition  sent  by  the  Government  of  India 
to  explore  a  new  trade-route  into  China  via  Burma,  and 
had  already  made  a  splendidly  successful  journey  from 
Hankow  on  the  Yang-tsze  right  across  to  Burma,  where 
he  actually  joined  the  expedition ;  but  volunteering  to 
proceed  ahead  in  order  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  some 
unfavourable  rumours^  he  was  set  upon  and  murdered  in 
February  1875.  The  instigators  and  perpetrators  of  this 
deed  have  hitherto  escaped  detection. 

ZA.YTON  or  ZAITUN  or  TAITUN.  Col.  Yule  makes 
this  city  the  modern  Chinchew  ^  yji  )fj  near  Amoy, 
and  suggests  that  from  it  is  derived  our  word  satiuj 
(which  has  also  been  derived  from  ^  ^  ssm  iwa?i,  silks 
and  satins) :  but  Mr.  G.  Phillips  maintains  a  outrance 
that  it  should  rather  be  identified  with  Chang-chou  Fu 

it  ffl  m. 

ZEALANDIA,  FOET.  Stands  on  the  S.  E.  coast  of 
Formosa,  2J  miles  from  the  capital  city,  Taiwan  Fu. 
Was  built  by  the  Dutch  in  1630,  before  their  final  expul- 
sion by  Koxinga  (q-v,), 

ZEHOL.     See  Jehol. 

ZEN.  The  miniature  Japanese  dining-table,  supplied  to 
each  person  at  meals. 

ZENGHIS.     See  Genghis, 

ZtCAWEI.     See  Sicawei. 


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