Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1879 — A Dinner in China. [ARTICLE]

A Dinner in China.

A lady formerly living here, now the wife of an American officer in China, writes to her friends at home an account of a ceremonious dinner which she attended recently. The feast was given by the "Deputy,” and was attended by only seven persons—three American gentlemen, two American ladies, and two Chinese men—besides the host. Describing the Deputy as a "lovely old man,’’ the latter says: "He passed to me first a cup of hot wine with a graceful bow; it was only after that that one could sit down. He made the tour of the table and gave each guest his wine, accompanied by the chin-chins (bows) from both parties. Before each guest were three plates, about the size of a little girl’s tea-set plate—three inches in diameter. On these plates we ate all our dinner except the soups, which were put before us in small bowls. Each one had his chopsticks and a two-pronged silver fork. In a few moments, as Mrs.. M. and I could not use them very well, we were given our own forks and knives. At each place was a big pile of melon and apricot seeds, and this pile was replenished constantly during the four hours we were at the table. Between the courses everybody was cracking and eating away at the melon seeds. They were not very good, of course, yet it was amusing to nibble them, and they came in hot from the oven, and on the whole did not taste badly. "On the table when we sat down were eight dishes of preserved fruit of different kinds. They were all on those small dishes, but put one on top of the other to make a kind of pyramid, and in a row along the center of the table were other dishes larger in size and holding the more substantail things. On one were slices of lobster and salted walnuts —very good, both of them. On another were goose gizzards cut in thin slices; on another shrimp salad, and on another thin slices of chicken. These were ail meant to give an appetite for the dinner which followed. I sat next to the old Deputy, and he helped me from all the different dishes within his reach, only a mouthful or so from each, though. When we had tried all these things, the first course was brought. on, and, as I suppose you imagine, it was ‘birds’ nest soup,’ and very good too. We have nothing like it at home. After that we had stewed chicken with young onion sprouts. “The third course was cold mutton served with raw turnips cut in long thin strips, “Fourth —Awfully good—was pigeon eggs in a kind of acid soup. “Fifth—Cucumbers stuffed with chopped fish.

“Sixth—Roast chicken served In very small bite with mushrooms. “Seventh—Sharks’ fins. "Eighth—Mutton dumplings. [After that there was a little rest, and we walked about the garden, going to work again after a half hour.] “Ninth—Pork soup. “Tenth—Stewed mussels. “Eleventh—Champignons and spinach made together. “Twelfth —Ham in slices. “Thirteenth—Stewed pigeons and bean curd. “Fourteenth—Fish. “Fifteenth—The nuscles of fibres of flowers. "Sixteenth—Sea-lugs (something awful to look at, just like leeches with pimples on them.) "Seventeenth— Mushrooms and bamboo sprouts made together. * "Eighteenth—Cakes and bitter almond sauce. "Nineteenth —An entire roast pig. [lt was brought on and then taken away and carved for us. I thought the dinner at an end when we had the cakes, and was taken aback to see this animal make its appearance. They served first the crackle or skin. It was A No. 1, and we began to each eat anew; second, they served the lean meat; third, they served some fat, and then something else, all four from the pig.] "Twentieth—Rice, with chicken soup, salted cabbage, salt bean curd, chestnuts grown in water, and l don’t know what. "After that tea, and it was over.” This was followed by a two days headache.