Oh. XIX.] MANUAEIN PEOCESSIONS. 317 



head truculent and frightful, and a serpentine movement 

 was given to the beast by each boy waving from side to side 

 the pole which he carried. From time to time the beating 

 of a gong warns the passengers to stand aside as well as 

 they can, to make room for a mandarin who is going out on 

 a ceremonial visit. And a shabby procession it is ; for no 

 mandarin is seen abroad without his retinue, though they 

 appear to be in no wise particular as to the character or 

 appearance of its elements. Some dirty and scantily-clothed 

 boys, carrying a gaudy flag or two, follow the man who heads 

 the procession beating a gong to clear the way ; then comes 

 a man bearing a gigantic fan, followed by one or two spotted 

 or piebald horses, with an attendant at the bridle, and after 

 them is the great man himself, his sedan borne on the 

 shoulders of four or six men according to his rank, from out 

 of which, with his hands folded upon his portly person, he 

 looks impassively and sleepily through his great round 

 spectacles, a momentary glance of something like interest 

 falling upon the western foreigner who is standing aside 

 (perforce) to make way for him. The peacock's feather, and 

 button in his cap, and the embroidered bird on his breast, 

 are the marks of his nobihty, and precious to him as the 

 means whereby he squeezes out of his dependents an income 

 at least quadruple that allowed him by the law. One or 

 two more horsemen form his rear-guard, and the procession 

 is closed by a couple of men carrjdng an old portmanteau or 

 bandbox on a bamboo across their shoulders ; but whether 

 this contained a change of costume, or presents, I know not, 

 but only that it always forms an integral portion of the 

 mandarin's train. 



Another feature of the New Year in Canton is the 

 irruption of beggars. Being a time of year when everyone is 



