312 CHINA AND HER PEOPLE 



land permits, the thrifty native has made a canal. Thus he is en- 

 abled to carry the products of his labor to a market with the min- 

 imum of expense. It must be acknowledged, however, the process is 

 carried out Avith the expenditure of the maximum of time. The 

 waterways range in size from the Grand Canal, Imndreds of miles in 

 length and navigable by deep-water junks, to the little " neighbor- 

 hood " canal of barely sufficient width for two sam]>ans to pass each 

 other. They serve not only the })urjioses of navigation and, in place 

 of roads, for trade and commerce, but also as local fish preserves, as 

 breeding pools for water-fowl, and for laundry i)urposes. In most of 

 the canals there is more or less current, so they are not the menace 

 to health that is general^' supposed. 



There are 31 " open ports " or " treaty ports " which by various 

 treaties with the government are open to the traders of all nations. 

 No passport is necessar}^ to enter these cities; but the prohibition 

 against travel outside the free zone is strictly enforced. The free zone 

 extends to the walls of the city, and the curious traveler ventures be- 

 yond at his own risk. Notwithstanding the fact that these ports are 

 open to the commerce of the world. Great Britain is about the only 

 nation which enjoys the full intent of the various treaties and con- 

 ventions on the subject. This is especially true of the rich and pop- 

 ulous towns of the Yangtze Valley. 



The present Emperor of China, Kuangsii, is the son of Prince 

 Ch'un, the seventh son of the Emperor Tao-kuang. He succeeded 

 his cousin, the late Emperor Tung-chi, who died childless January 

 12, 1875, of smallpox. The proclamation announcing the accession 

 of Kuangsii was as follows : 



" Whereas His Majesty the Emperor has ascended upon the Dragon to he a 

 guest on high, without offspring born to his inheritani-e, no course has been 

 open but that of causing Tsaitien, son of the Prince of Ch'un, to become 

 adopted as the son of the Emperor Wen-tsung-hien (Hien-fung), and to enter 

 upon the inheritance of the great dynastic line as Emperor by succession : 



"Therefore let Tsaitien, son of Yih-huan, the Prince of Ch'un, become 

 adopted as the son of the Emperor Wen-tsung-hien and enter upon the inherit- 

 ance of the great dynasty as Emperor by succession." 



The present Emperor is the ninth sovereign of the Manchu dynasty 

 of the Ta-tsing (Sublime Purity), which supplanted the dynasty of 

 Ming in 1644. 



There exists no law of hereditary succession to the throne, but it 

 is left to each sovereign to appoint his successor from among the 

 members of his own family. The late Emperor, d3dng suddenly in 



