CANTON
with the natives in the hot, dusty streets or along the narrow passages of water which thread both the residential and business quarters of Canton.
But the stranger who has traveled all the way from the other side of the world to see something of manners and customs in Canton, does not hesitate to leave the hotel in Shameen, recross the river, and ride by sedan chair above the heads of the thrones in the streets; and when his individual tour of inspection is completed he can say with truth that he has had his hand on the heart of Canton and has felt the throb of life along its narrow streets and alleys and waterways. In seeing Canton he will have seen much that is typical of China—for the foreigner has not gained the foothold here that he has in Hongkong, and the Cantonese, for the most part, dress and act and speak as their ancestors did centuries ago. Only most of them have discarded the queue since the establishment of the Republic, and the feet of the women are not bound so generally as in the days of the Empire. But with very few other changes the major part of the population of Canton has
played a conservative part in the game of life, displaying their respect for their forefathers by doing as then-forefathers did. If Americans were to follow the same custom, we would still be wearing powdered wigs, knee breeches, embroidered coats,
Twenty-Seven
