Manchurian Books

The living of the Chinese population, on the contrary, costs very
little; 60 cash, 1,200 of which make a dollar (4s.), may be reckoned
a very liberal daily allowance for each man. As a natural
consequence, wages are extremely low; a boat, for instance, may be
hired for half a dollar (2s.) a-day, and on this income, a whole
family of from six to eight persons will often exist. It is true,
the Chinese are not too particular in their food; they eat dogs,
cats, mice, and rats, the intestines of birds, and the blood of
every animal, and I was even assured that caterpillars and worms
formed part of their diet. Their principal dish, however, is rice,
which is not only employed by them in the composition of their
various dishes, but supplies the place of bread. It is exceedingly
cheap; the pekul, which is equal to 124 lbs. English avoirdupois,
costing from one dollar and three-quarters to two dollars and a
half.
The costume of both sexes, among the lower orders, consists of broad
trousers and long upper garments, and is remarkable for its
excessive filth.


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