oulder and humming the cheerful though
monotonous "get-out-of-the-way" tune, we had to step aside, close
against or into some store to let them pass; and when an occasional
chair came along it swept the entire traffic aside as a taxi might in a
crowded alley of an American city.

In spite of the density of the population the people all seemed happy
and contented; even the little children with faces covered with sores,
as was often the case, appeared cheerful, and ran and played like other
children.

In the stores the people could be watched at work of all kinds, from
blacksmithy to finest filigree silver work inlaid with the tiny colored
feathers of the brightly colored kingfisher; and from rough carpenter
work to the finest ivory carving for which the Chinese are famous. Of
course the amount they pay for some of this work of extreme skill is
ridiculously small, yet their living expenses are so small that they
are doubtless in better circumstances than many of the workers in our
larger cities.

The silk-weavers, working at their primitive looms in crowded rooms,
excite one's sympathy more than most of the other workers, though they
too seemed to be quite cheerful over their monotonous tasks.

[Illustration: COURT OF AN ANCESTRAL TEMPLE IN CANTON.]

Through these crowded streets we wandered, the sight of a white man and
a camera exciting some interest, though not a great deal. Canton is said
to have been the scene of more outrages of one sort or another than any
other city in the world, but in spite of the fact that a revolution was
supposed to be in progress we saw no signs of disorder. There were
soldiers and armed policemen everywhere, and groups of people were
frequently seen reading with interest proclamations posted at various
places; what the nature of the proclamations was I was, of course, not
able of myself to learn, and Ping Nam did not seem to care to enlighten
me, possibly thinking he might scare me out of town and thus lose his
job.

Occasionally stopping to watch some skilful artisan at work or to make
some small purchase, we went from place to place visiting temples and
other objects of especial interest. Some of these temples are centuries
old, others are comparatively new. Some are comparatively plain, others
like the modern Chun-ka-chi ancestral temple, which is said to have cost
$750,000 "gold," are wonderfully ornate, with highly colored carvings
and cement mouldings. Others are of interest ch