50 SIAN-FU, THE MAGNIFICENT 



The day on which we left was extremely hot. 

 The crows and magpies, of which we saw thousands 

 daily, took advantage of every inch of shade, and 

 stood gaping with wide-open mouths as we passed 

 within a few yards of them. We also saw snipe, 

 duck, and some large white birds with red, curved 

 beaks, which we took to be ibis. 



All inns are not such as the one which I 

 attempted to describe in a preceding chapter, 

 and often the best of those where we halted had 

 already been occupied before our arrival. 



Often we put up in a small room, opening off 

 a narrow, muddy passage ; but it is wonderful how 

 soon one gets accustomed to surroundings which 

 a few months before would have seemed im- 

 possible. Our advent invariably called forth the 

 entire population of the village, who regarded us 

 with slack, vapid, open mouths, and expressions 

 of loutish stupidity. As everything in China is 

 reversed it may be that their faces denoted the 

 liveliest satisfaction ! 



The pleasantest sight was the fathers playing 

 with their little sons. For this they always have 

 time. Little boys are sadly spoiled in China, 

 though girls are of small account, and are usually 

 alluded to as "little guests," for Vvdll they not 

 in time marry and go elsewhere ? The Chinese 

 baby is a pot-bellied little creature on sturdy legs. 

 His stomach decreases inversely with his years, 

 and the bent, shrivelled old men, who in a west- 

 ern country would be but in their prime, seem 

 to have but little physical kinship witli their 

 descendants. 



We often used to get into conversation, and the 



