. William H. Seward's travels around the world. come in time of peace to Peking. The nov-elty attracts native crowds, but excites no ill temper. Peking, November 5th.—Deep concern this morning at findingthe earth covered with snow, seeming to demand an early depart-ure southward. The morning was spent in studying and cheapen-ing the wares brought by native mer-chants, and spread over all the floorsof the legation — bronzes, porcelain,jasper, jade, amethysts, and emeralds,wrought into the most curious shapes—sea-otter, sable, Thibetian goat, As-trakhan, wolf, white fox, red. fox, bear,panther,
. William H. Seward's travels around the world. come in time of peace to Peking. The nov-elty attracts native crowds, but excites no ill temper. Peking, November 5th.—Deep concern this morning at findingthe earth covered with snow, seeming to demand an early depart-ure southward. The morning was spent in studying and cheapen-ing the wares brought by native mer-chants, and spread over all the floorsof the legation — bronzes, porcelain,jasper, jade, amethysts, and emeralds,wrought into the most curious shapes—sea-otter, sable, Thibetian goat, As-trakhan, wolf, white fox, red. fox, bear,panther, and tiger skins. We shall not report our bargains,further than that we bought a lapis-lazuli cat for two dollars, forwhich the merchants first price was twenty-five dollars, and thatMr. Seward retired in disgust from the trade when his offer of fivedollars was taken up for a lignum-vitse box, for which the venderhad all day demanded fifty dollars. As far as the furs are con-cerned, our friends at home, to whom we send the purchases, will. LArlS-LAZTJLI CAT. 130 JAPAN, CHINA, AND COCHIN CHINA. judge. Let this detail serve as an instruction that, as tea is thestaple vegetable production in China, so furs are the great importof Peking. It. is the central market for the northern regions ofthe continent. It is remarkable that, while the ancient civilization of Chinafavored perfection in the use of the loom and the needle in themanufacture of silk, cotton, and embroidery, it seems not to havebrought into use either the loom or the needle in the manufactureof woollen fabrics. The want of woollen clothes in the winter,among the poorer classes, is supplied by cotton and silk, waddedand quilted. Such garments admit of no washing and little class a little higher clothe themselves in dried sheep-skinswith the wool on; but every person, who can afford the luxury,dresses in fur—the richer the person, the more elegant and costlyhis robes of sable. Siberia sends her furs to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury180, bookdecade1870, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
