-ground. As the Temple of a Fu city it
contains the images of both Fu magistrate and Hsien magistrate, with
their attendants. In its precincts the _Kwan_ of the beggars, (the
beggar king or headman), is domiciled, who eats the Emperor's rice and
is officially responsible for the good conduct of the guild of beggars.

In the main street there is a Memorial Temple to General Yang, who won
the city back from the Mohammedans. But the temple where prayer is
offered most earnestly, is the small temple near the _Yesu-tang_,
erected to the goddess who has in her power the dispensation of the
pleasures of maternity. Rarely did I pass here without seeing two or
three childless wives on their knees, praying to the goddess to remove
from them the sin of barrenness.

Some of the largest caravanserais I have seen in China are in Tali. One
of the largest belongs to the city, and is managed by the authorities
for the benefit of the poor, all profits being devoted to a poor-relief
fund. There are many storerooms here, filled with foreign goods and
stores imported from Burma, and useful wares and ornamental nick-nacks
brought from the West by Cantonese pedlars. Prices are curiously low. I
bought condensed milk, "Milkmaid brand," for the equivalent of _7d._ a
tin. In the inn there is stabling accommodation for more than a hundred
mules and horses, and there are rooms for as many drivers. The tariff
cannot be called immoderate. The charges are: For a mule or horse per
night, fodder included, one farthing; for a man per night, a supper of
rice included, one penny.

Even larger than the city inn is the caravanserai where my pony was
stabled; it is more like a barracks than an inn. One afternoon the
landlord invited the missionary and me into his guest-room, and as I was
the chief guest, he insisted, of course, that I should occupy the seat
of honour on the left hand. But I was modest and refused to; he
persisted and I was reluctant; he pushed me forward and I held back,
protesting against the honour he wished to show me. But he would take no
refusal and pressed me forward into the seat. I showed becoming
reluctance of course, but I would not have occupied any other. By-and-by
he introduced to me with much pride his aged father, to whom, when he
came into the room, I insisted upon giving my seat, and humbly sat on
an inferior seat by his side, showing him all the consideration due to
his eighty years. The old man bore an extraordinary resem