re made of manure and lime in the open air,
whether they are in rooms heated by charcoal fires, or whether there
are both kinds, the interesting fact is established that incubators
"have always existed" in China, while results, as seen in the huge
flocks of ducks, proclaim them as thoroughly successful. And this,
too, when it has been unreservedly believed that the incubator was a
modern triumph of Western science!

Another little matter has attracted my attention. There have lately
been paragraphs in several papers announcing the excellent results
obtained from a new system of registering criminals by means of
thumb-marks.

Thumb-marking may be new to Scotland Yard, but in China it is a very
ancient practice. I have seen illiterate men smear their thumbs with
ink and make impressions at the foot of documents, such thumb-marks
being accepted as in every way equivalent to full signatures.

CHAPTER IX

THE MARRIAGE TIE

In the province of Kiangsi on the banks of the River Kan, which flows
almost due north to the Poyang lake and so into the Yangtsekiang, is
situate the town of Kanchow, on the outskirts of which dwelt a
merchant named Chin Pao-ting with his wife and infant son.

After the custom of all Chinese merchants, Mr Chin had a shop which,
although used for retail purposes, was in reality the office of his
not inconsiderable wholesale business. Mr Chin had some time previous
to this date, the early spring of 1892, engaged a young man of the
locality named Wang Foo-lin, as accountant and confidential clerk, and
he had proved himself so intelligent and useful that not only did Chin
regard him with feelings of friendship but even conceived the idea of
subsequently taking him into partnership. What Chin's particular
business was I do not know, beyond the fact that each year it took him
away from home for several weeks, and sometimes months at a time, when
he travelled to other provinces. This annual voyage was now at hand.
Four boats were filled with various kinds of merchandise, while a
fifth and smaller craft was selected to convey Chin and his assistant,
who now accompanied his master for the first time. This boat was
fairly comfortable from a Chinese point of view, having benches on
either side of the cabin and a kind of platform at the back, with a
small, low table thereon bearing the customary incense-burner,
containing fragrant joss-sticks, and also on this occasion a small
_joss_ or gilt image of