reet (said to be the finest in Canton),
you can buy burning-sticks measured to mark the time. They are
extremely cheap, but perfectly accurate, and there seems little doubt
that they have been used by the Chinese for thousands of years before
the Christian era. Here, too, were the large spectacles so much worn;
opium pipes, with all the paraphernalia for cleaning and smoking them;
water pipes in pretty little shagreen cases, and many other curious
articles in common use, of which we purchased specimens.

In the Feather Street are innumerable shops containing nothing but
feathers of all kinds for mandarins, actors, and ordinary mortals; but
the great ambition of every Chinaman is to have a feather from the
Emperor. They are all called peacocks' feathers, one-eyed, two-eyed,
or three-eyed; but, in reality, many are pheasants' feathers. Some of
these are from six to eight feet in length, beautifully marked. I
bought two pairs over seven feet long. They are rather rare, as each
bird has only two long feathers, and these are in perfection for but
one month in the year. In this part of the town stands a Chinese
restaurant where only cats' and dogs' flesh is served.

We passed through innumerable streets, and at last reached the site of
the old factories, now only occupied by a large and comfortable
house. We were to have embarked in the Consul's boat to visit the
Temple of Honan across the river, but it was getting late, and every
one felt tired; so we went back through more crowded streets to rest
awhile, before dressing to go out to dinner at eight o'clock. The
dinner was quite English in its style, and the table looked bright
with tea roses, heliotrope, and mignonette. The tables had been
charmingly decorated by the Chinese servants, and even the _menu_ had
been arranged by them. They seem to save their employer all trouble,
even that of thinking, provided the services of really good ones can
be secured. We have had one for only a few days, and he does
everything for Tom and me. He appears to know exactly what we want to
do or to wear, and to foresee all our requirements.

But to return to this famous repast. It began with mandarin
bird's-nest soup, with plover's eggs floating about in it. This is a
most delicious and dainty dish, and is invariably given to strangers
on their first arrival. I had no idea how expensive the nests were--54
dollars a 'pice,' weighing something under a pound, and it takes two
or three ounces