I s i
h i
I
PUNISHMENT OF THE CANGUE •
By w h ich name it is c om m o n ly k n ow n to E u ro p e a n s , b u t b y th e Cliinese
ca lled th e T c h a ; b e in g a h e a v y tablet, o r co lla r o f wood, w ith a hole
th ro u g h the c entre, o r ra th e r two pieces o f wood hollowed in the middle
w h ich inclose the neck (s im ila r to o u r p illo iy ) , d iere a re , likewise, two
otiier holes, for th e h an d s o f the d e lin q u e n t, w h o is sometimes so far
favoured as to h av e b u t one h a n d c o n fin e d ; b y w h ich indulgence h e is
enabled w ith the o th e r to lessen the we ight o n h is sh o u ld ers.
T h e d iv isio n in the Cangue w h ich receives the head, is kept together
b y pegs, an d is fu rth e r secured b y a s lip o f p ap e r pasted over the jo in t, on
w h ic h is affixed th e seal, o r c h o p , o f the M a n d a rin ; a n d the cause o f
p u n ishm e n t likewise depicted o n it, in large characters.
T h e we ig h t o f these ig n om in io u s m a c h in e s, w h ich are from s ix ty to
two h u n d re d p o u n d s in we ight, an d the time c rim in a ls are sentenced to
en d u re th em , depends on the m ag n itu d e o f the offence, bein g sometimes
extended, w ith o u t in te rm is s io n , to the space o f o ne, two, o r even three
m o n th s ; d u rin g w h ich time the offender’s n ig h ts are spent in the p riso n ,
an d in the m o rn in g he is b ro u g h t b y the m ag istra te s' assistant, led b y a
c h a in , to a gate o f the c ity , o r a n y place most frequented ; when the a tten d
a n t suffers h im to re st h is b u rth e n aga inst a w a ll, whe re he rema in s exposed
th ro u g h o u t the d a y to the d e ris io n o f the populac e, w ith o u t the
means o f tak in g food h u t b y assistance . N o r is the p u n ishm e n t at an end
wh e n th e M a n d a rin has orde red h im to be released from the C a n g u e ; a
c e rta in n um b e r o f blows from the bamboo, rema in to be in flic ted ; for
w h ich chastisement, in the most abject m an n e r, w ith forehead to the e a rth ,
he th an k s die M a n d a rin for h is fa th e rly co rrec tion.