CUSTOMS 251 



that some one spoke while it was passing 

 under the bridge. 



One will frequently meet Chinese of both 

 sexes with very long ringer nails. As a 

 rule they are members of the better class of 

 society, and the long ringer nails are the 

 badges of respectability. In order to protect 

 the finger nails and promote their growth 

 they are sheathed in tubes made of bamboo, 

 silver or gold; they show that the owner 

 does not have to do manual labor for a 

 living. 



The Chinese have a great fear of 

 conflagration and yet their houses are built 

 in such an inferior manner as to invite the 

 element they so much fear. In their cities 

 and towns the houses are close together, 

 and their protection against fire is wholly 

 inadequate. They believe that the god of 

 fire causes conflagration, hence in every city 

 or town may be seen one or more temples 

 to the god of fire. There is a superstition 

 among the people that it is dangerous to 

 talk about a conflagration in ordinary 

 conversation, fearing that the god of fire 

 might hear it. This is the same feeling 

 that prevents them from speaking about 



