Page 103 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

89.
pacing up and down Factory Square. The East India Company had

walled off part of the Square in front of their Factory for a

garden. This spot provided a sort of sanctuary or escape from

the Square for the foreigners. During daylight hours Chinese

of all descriptions flooded the Square. They included "itiner-

ant pedlars and hawkers in a small way of business, 11 singers,

jugglers, cobblers, tinkers, barbers, "idlers and vagabonds."

"Add to these quantities of professional loafers, staring in a

vacant way at any passing foreigner." The experience of walking

through this melange of sights and sounds was very intimidating
67
to foreigners. Although.the Americans, like other foreigners

at Canton, accustomed themselves to this scene and even viewed

it with indifference or amusement, the English Garden was a

welcome refuge of repose.

For Americans first arriving at Canton the activity in

the Square, combined with the noise of Chinese shouts and laughs

plus the utter peculiarity of customs, was overwhelming. Ameri­

cans discovered that Chinese customs were sometimes almost ex-
68
'ld ering.
d f
b
actly opposite their own an o ten ewi . T eir country-
h .
men's appearance further surprised the newcomers. The farmer's
dress was nearly as hilarious as that of the Chinese, because

the style was so out-of-date. To new arrivals, American resi-

dents at Canton displayed "worn, haggard expressionL'.'y and

67
E.C. Bridgman, "Walks around Canton," Chinese
Repository, IV (May 1835), 42-43.

68
Hunter, Bits of Old China, pp. 124-25.