Chau Ju-Kua - University of Oregon Libraries

INTKODUCTION.
«In the foreign quarter (^ j^) in Kuang-ch6u (Canton) reside all the
people from beyond the seas (y^ ^|.). A foreign head-man (^ ^) is ap-
pointed over them and he has charge of all public matters connected with
them. He makes it his special duty to urge upon the foreign traders to send
5 in tribute (to the Chinese court). The foreign official wears a hat, gown,
shoes, and (carries) a tablet just like a Chinese. When a foreigner commits an
offense anywhere, he is sent to Kuang-ch6u (Canton), and ifthe charge is proved
(before the Chinese authorities?), he is sent to the foreign quarter ^ (There he
is) fastened to a ladder {^^ ^ J^) and is whipped with a rattan from head
lo to foot, three blows of a rattan being reckoned equal to one of the heavy
bamboo. As foreigners do not wear drawers and like to squat on the ground,
beating with the heavy bamboo on the buttocks proves most painful, whereas
they do not fear beating on the back. Offenses entailing banishment or more
severe punishments are carried out by the Department Magistrate of Kuang-
15 ch6u»^.
Somewhere about the ninth century, possibly even earlier, a portion of
the southern sea-trade of China was diverted to Ts'uan-ch6u, near Amoy,
which had had commercial relations with Japan and Korea for centuries past,
and where the Arabs found the products of those countries and of remote
20 parts of China not easily reached from Canton, besides probably receiving
ing (of his people) to feast (at his home), they did not use spoons or chopsticks: they had very
large platters (lit. rtbig tronghs» g ^) of gold and silver in which was fresh water porpoise
(]l^) and millet (or rice^ ^) cooked together. They sprinkled rose (water) about, and put
their right handa under their skirts, all picking up the food with their left hand».
25 1) Gambling appears to have been prohibited, but the game of chess was allowed. The
P'ing-ch6u k'o-t'an, loc. sup. cit., says «In the foreign quarter of Canton one sees foreigners playing
the ((elephant game» (i. e., the Chinese game of chess). They do not have rooks (^,) or knights
(j^)' ^^^ * number of pieces made of ivory, rhinoceros horn, gharu wood or sandal-wood, which
the two players move in turn according to certain rules. They play as an amusement (not for
30 stakes) and it is not usually inquired into». — The game was probably a kind of backgammon
called nerd.
2) From this it appears that the right to inflict capital punishment on foreign residents was
reserved by the Chinese government. As regards mixed civil cases in which Chinese and foreigners
were parties, we learn from another passage of the P'ing-ch6u-k'o-t'an (2,3*) that there was at
35 Canton an office under the orders of the Superintendent of Merchant Shipping which received
all complaints (of Chinese) for non payment of loans or interest on loans made to foreigners. The
custom of the Cantonese was to ask of traders double the amount lent, irrespective of the period
for which the money was lent. Payment was made in merchandise, which were taken at the
' market price at the time of settlement.
40 The Adjaib says that the -moslim settlements in India had each their honarmen, who
tried all cases against Musulmans according to the laws of Islam. Merveilles de I'Inde, 161.
Apparently the same power was given the honarmen in China, though the carrying out of certain
sentences was done by the Chinese authorities.
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