Page 105 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

91.

was extremely devoted to his master, but he would do nothing

for any other foreigner. He furthermore refused to do any

menial labor such as cleaning. Such duties were the respon­

sibility of coolies under his direction. Although the servant

was accountable to the Comprador, he especially desired to

please his foreign master. The main reason the servant worked

in the Foreign Factories was to enter the commercial sphere at

Canton himself. Known in Chinese as shih-tsai, or "business

youths," these young men hoped to learn Pidgin English suf­
ficiently to enable them to become pursers at a Chinese Hong

or Outside shop that transacted business·with foreigners.

Usually relatives of the Comprador, this was an opportunity to
71
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. 11
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advance t h emse ves an t11eir ami y 1-inancia y an socia y.
All these Chinese servants were not able to make life
at Canton enjoyable though. The conditions under which the
American residents lived certainly were pleasant and in the
United States only the very wealthy would have had the
luxuries common at Canton. But the comfort and luxury usually

associated with the life foreigners enjoyed in China only came

about after 1844 in the newly-opened treaty ports. In pre­

treaty days living in the Canton Factories for the majority of

Westerners, although they were free from menial labor and they

did experience moments of gaity, had many uncomfortable and

unpleasant aspects.

71
Tiffany, The Canton Chinese, pp. 216-17; Hunter, Bits
of Old China, p. 8. In Pidgin English the youths were called
"makee larn."