256 S00-CHOW VISITED. (Ceaies SEE 
pleasing clatter of the water-wheels falls upon the 
ear, and hundreds of happy and contented Chinese 
peasants are seen engaged in the cultivation of 
the soil. After continuing its westerly course for 
some distance, the canal divided, and the branch 
we took soon led us to another town named_ Ta- 
tsong-tseu. It isa place of great size, walled and 
fortified like Cading and Shanghae, and is probably 
larger than the latter, although perhaps not so 
populous. A great number of large old junks are 
moored on the canal round the walls, apparently 
used as dwelling-honses, being now unfit for any 
other service. This town too, like Cading, is 
evidently in a decaying state, judging from the 
dilapidated condition of the houses and_ fortifi- 
cations, but teems with an immense population of 
men, women, and particularly children. 
On approaching Soo-chow some hills were seen, 
bounding the level plain, which I afterwards found 
were some few miles west from the town itself. 
The whole country here, as well as near Cading, is 
one vast rice-field. Many females are employed in 
driving the water-wheels, generally three or four 
to each wheel: these ladies have large feet, or 
rather their feet are of the natural size; indeed, if 
they were cramped in the usual way it would be 
impossible for them to work on the water-wheel. 
Small feet, however, are general amongst the 
lower classes who work in the fields, for of the 
hundreds whom I observed hoeing the cotton, or 
