It is very difficult to summarise a lec: ture such as that on the " Curiosities of Chinese street Literature," delivered by Medhwst Esq., H.' B. M. Consul, day night. But we venture the fole ing brief summary, expressing at the same time hope that the public will have an opportunity of perusing it at length, in another shape.
The lecturer commenced by apologising for introducing to the notice of an assem= bly composed of persons resident in this country, any topic connected with China and the Chinese; but threadbare as the subject might be considered, he nevertheless ventured to hope that he would be able to extract something that would be novel and amusing.
The field over which he might travel, in search of" Curiosities of street literature," was so vast that he would merely be able to notice some of the more salient points of interest observable in the purely Chinese street.
He commenced with shop signs, deseribing and explaining some of the commonest tube seen in our streets. In connect with these, he ren how the Chinese do not publish names of partners to firms, but employ fancy designations or titles thus leaving large room for the repudiation and fraud unfortunately so common in their business transactions with foreigners. He also elucidated the description ho gave of these by remarks upon the sorts of business done in the several shops, and the customs of the Chinese in connection therewith.
Chinese advertisements were next noticed, specimens beingshewn of the various sorts which embellish our walls Descriptions of the business done by each acverriser were added, with anecdotal illustre tions arising out of the lecturer's expe nonces. Opportunity was taken to relieve quack advertisers from the odium at pre sent attaching to them, of indulging in obscene and filthy allusions in their adver fisements; and it was shown how their puts are not a whit worse than those placed upon our tables in newspapers, every dey. In connection with playbills the lecturer noticed the practice of th Chinese in choosing names for their hi and girls out of the prettiest and most pre pitious characters, varying the practice as against foreigners, by selecting the most degrading characters when expressing their names in Chinese.
The residence ofa mandarin was then described, and the novel fact noted that all Yamens are built so as to face the south. A mandarin procession next came under observation, and with it the customs of the Chinese in visiting and exchanging presents of ceremony. Various specimens of visiting cards were exhibited, and a very interesting anecdote told of an instance of sutteeism China which had occurred in the lecturer's experience.
The practice of the Chinese in the nomenelature of streets followed, and in connection therewith the lecturer' shewed how his project of naming the streets of this Settlement had entirely failed to suit the peculiar ideas and predilections of the Chinese. He also described the peculiar form of superscription of letters in vogwo amongst the Chinese, showing how it approached very much to the practice in uso amongst the Jews in the days of the early Christians. He might have brought the parallel down to even later times, in England of the olden days.
Boats and junks next came under observation, eliciting the curious fact that veal sels in China have no names given them.
Houses and their decoration with the written character here followed, and vari ous curious customs in connection with warding off the evil eye were gone into.
Temples and their inscriptions, tombstones, posthumous public monuments and testimonials were severally noticed, with much descriptive information of novel nature.
Apparel was shown to be a subject of decoration with the written characters to acconsiderable extent, and five specimens of children's caps were exhibited showing interesting mottoes mounted over the fore= j head, ituploratory of Ulessings upon the head of the wearer.
Chinese lanterns closed the list, but the lecturer shewed how he might have extended the lecture far beyond its present proportions, could he have had the time to go into'the hundred other instances in which the Chinese use their character for decorative and useful purposes.
He criled the lecture with an instance of the great reverence the Chinese have for their written characters, and a recommendation to his hearers to give themselves more to sin intelligent observation of the people, there being much in their habits and customs worthy of study,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.