like to linger here long on account of the crowds of beggars everywhere
visible; indeed, the hordes of women, children, vehicles, and
processions of every variety seemed incredible. Funeral corteges in
particular were very doleful; discordant music preceded the funeral car,
and the crowds of paid mourners in motley dress, many of them picked up
off the street for the occasion, were a new and distasteful feature. We
saw on that trip three of these funerals, all similarly arranged, but
only one modest wedding procession. The bride sat in a red silk-covered
chair or palanquin, surrounded by friends; the usual attempts were made
at music. Whether the happy lady was Manchu or Chinese we were unable to
determine, the curtains being carefully drawn.

This thoroughfare, between the two gates alluded to, is famous for its
gayly decorated shops with long, ornamented signs and banners flying in
every direction. There are many such streets in Peking, and a few shady
residence thoroughfares, but our way usually led through the congested
sections. Pailows, where streets are crossed at right angles, are
interesting, and they have usually commemorative arches; and
sometimes the business houses of the locality bear their name, as the
Four Pailow Shop.

[Illustration: _Marble Terrace of the Summer Palace_]

[Illustration: _Marble Bridge of the Summer Palace_]

Legation Street is the home for ambassadors and ministers, and is a
decided contrast to the majority of native streets. Many of the foreign
buildings are fine, the grounds large, with imposing gateways, over
which may be seen the coat of arms of the country which is represented.
The British Legation was formerly a palace. In the grounds is the
English Chapel; here we attended service on Sunday. Our hotel was nearly
opposite the British Embassy; hence, in going in or out, we usually
touched Legation Street.

A notable excursion from Peking is to the Great Wall and the Ming tombs.
The Wall we were to see was not the original one, built in 215 B.C., but
an inner wall of the seventh century, which had still later been rebuilt
by the Ming emperors. We left in the morning for the Nankow Hotel, where
we were to pass the night. On our way to the Peking station, we saw the
Emperor, _en route_ from his Summer Palace to the city, in a yellow silk
sedan chair, numerously attended by persons also robed in yellow. After
luncheon at Nankow, we took sedan chairs ourselves for a twenty-six-mile