The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-01

venture there alone. "Shameen"
means SAND flats, and this little island
is just that, bulWarked by a stone
wall all the way around. 1t is one
and one-half miles long by less than
a mile wide. and was ceded to Great
Britain and France following the wal
of 1862 which was caused by the
burning of foreign establishments by
{ Chinese mob. No Chinese is al
lowed to cross the bridge to
without a pass, or unless he is en-
ployed there.
Canton proper is surrounded by a
wall six miles in circumference. There
is a partition wall running east and
west. The northern section of the
town is the largest and Oldest, while
the southern part is considered quite
modern and is called, the new city,
The city has grown to suburbs outside
the walls having a circumference of
about four miles. The city walls are
made of brick and sandstone with
granite foundation, and are 20 feet
thick at the base and % feet high. The
north wall backs up against hills
which rise 1900 feet-a waste area,
barren, dotted with thousands of
graves and tombs. A moat which
smells to Heaven surrounds the other
three walls. Three old forts near the
north wall are quaint relics. There
are four outside gates and two water
gates for boat traffic. They are guard
ed by day and closed by night.
Crossing the bridge from Shameen
and passing through a gate, the tourist
plunges into a network of narrow
streets and soon realizes how impos-
sible it would be for him to find his
way back alone. There are about 600
Of these alleys, misnamed streets,
mostly paved, and a little straighter
and cleaner than those of interior
towns, but so narrow that frequently
the tourist while edging slowly along
in the sedan chair can stretch his
arms and touch the houses on either
side. The streets fairly swarm and
Wriggle with humanity. These houses
are usually shops on the ground floor
n living quarters on the second
floor. In the rear will be a court for
dogs, pigs, filth and merchandise.
The shops are at once wonderful
and delightful, and one is constantly
~alighting to inspect; also, one finds
when the day is over, to buy a great
many more curios han one expected.
There are hundreds of pretty things
to choose from, and a pocketfuI of
Chinese and mex coins goes a long
way, as the occidental views money
values. BY all means see the making
of stick pins, brooches, etc, out of
feathers, and in other places watch
with establishment the humble artisan,
totally oblivious to you, who is fash
Joining eight, 10 or Il small ivory balls,
each separate and distinct, inside of
a round piece of ivory which is no
larger than a big walnut. Other inter-
esting things are lacquer tea tables,
inlaid in gorgeous designs with gold
leaf. silks, s%atins, laces, teakwood fur
%niture, bronze and brass ornaments.
There are about one hundred tenn
pies in Canton. mostly Buddhist and
Confucian. 1t is estimated hat nearly
1000 priests and nuns infest these
places, which are usually dirty and not
infrequentlN dens of immortality. Loaf
ers and beggars in the front court
yard first attract attention.. The CEN
trail figure in each temple is always a
huge bronze figure, sometimes ten or
more feet high. All of these holy
places are interesting, but the W.
which no one misses are the Temple
of Five Hundred Gent in the western
part of the city, and the Buddhist
Temple of the Ocean Banner on the
island of Honan nearby. In the former
five hundred little idols, grinning,
SNUG, or holding attitudes of mock
solemnity, delight the visitor. The
Banner Temple is quite elaborate, the
grounds covering several acres, behind
whose walls 200 priests live and die.
Other sights worth seeing are two
pagodas. One is known as KWangtah,
standing $50 feet high, and was erect
ed by Mohammedan traders from
Arabia in the tenth century. The other
is three centuries older, is nine stories
high and climbs to 175 feet.
Canton's trade with the outside
world began in 1917 when King Eman-
uel of Portugal sent eight ships and
an envoy to the ManChu court. Per-
mission to trade with Canton was
given, doubtless for the reason that
it was the farthest removed from
Peking, Britain tried to break in about
1896, but did not succeed until 1873.
The opium war Waged by the British
1892 CAV them a firm footing. The
principal articles of trade are tea,
opium and cotton goods. Canton's to-
tai trade annually is about SIS, OOO, 900,
of which fully $40, 600, 900 represents
imports.