How to learn Chinese 175 



mansion of many courts, which turned out to be his family 

 residence. Here I was introduced to his three sons, who 

 were, together with half a dozen young cousins, all engaged 

 with the schoolmaster, and as usual shouting, each his own 

 lesson, at the very top of their voices. In this way the texts 

 of the four sacred books are learnt by rote, and remain 

 indelibly impressed on the memory for ever afterwards : 

 their meaning is expounded later. Absurd as this system 

 may seem, I am convinced that there is no other method 

 equally efficacious for fixing the innumerable characters of 

 this cumbrous language on the mind. One of the youngsters 

 brought us eggs, boiled and floating in a bowl of hot water, 

 which, but that it was unaccompanied by bread, was no bad 

 refreshment after our long walk. Another mile through the 

 crowded streets brought us to the Peh-hsiang Kai, or White 

 Elephant Street, in which was situated the business establish- 

 ment of my companion — a sugar refinery — where I was 

 introduced to the father, a hale old man approaching 

 seventy, who appeared to be actively engaged superintending 

 the work, which was being carried on upon a large scale, but 

 with the usual primitive methods. 



