wo great painted eyes
on the bow to enable them, as the Chinese say, to find their way over
the sea. But the most beautiful sight was the flower-boats, having
galleries decorated with flowers, and arranged in most fantastic
designs. Each of these floating gardens contains one large apartment and
a number of cabinets. The walls are hung with mirrors and graceful
draperies of silk, and glass chandeliers and colored lanterns are
suspended from the ceiling. Elegant little baskets of flowers are hung
in various places. It seems very like fairy-land on these boats. They
are stationary, and dinners are given on board to the Chinese who can
afford them. They are also places of amusement by day and night, and
plays, ballets, and conjuring take place at them; but no respectable
females frequent them.

During the next two days the tourists continued to wander on foot and in
sedans over the city with the guides. One day they went to the great
examination hall, 1330 feet long by 583 wide, covering sixteen acres,
and containing 8653 cells, in which students are placed so that there
shall be no stealing others' work.

When a member of the party asked the meaning of certain tall buildings,
he was told that they were pawnbrokers' offices; for the Chinese have a
mania for pawning their clothes, or whatever they have, even if not in
need of the money, to save the trouble of taking care of the articles.
Before the third day of the stay in Canton was over, some of the party
had seen enough, and preferred to remain at the hotel while others were
out with the guides. The next day they returned to Hong-Kong, and were
glad to be once more on board the ships, for sight-seeing is the most
tiresome work in the world.

CHAPTER XXXV

SHANG-HAI AND THE YANG-TSZE-CHIANG

The passengers of the Guardian-Mother were on deck at an early hour the
next morning, and the smoke was rising from the funnel as though it was
the intention of the commander that she should sail soon; and some of
them began to wonder if they were to see anything more of China than
could be seen from the deck of the ship.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, have you seen all you wish of China?" said
Captain Ringgold, as he seated himself at the head of the table at
breakfast.

"We can put it to vote," suggested Mrs. Belgrave.

"I don't think it is necessary," replied the commander, laughing. "We
shall sail this forenoon for Shang-hai, for I suppose that some of you
who ke