From the yamen going back through the West Gate up the broad banking street we soon came to the wholesale section, where very prosperous-looking big shops lined the way. Old residents say that the increasing prosperity of Anking plain to see. They point to buildings all along the way and say that "this is new this year"? and "this has been remodelled slightly after foreign style," etc. The people are wearing better clothes, too, there is more money in the city, and (the most significant of all) the little Chinese girls are coming to the schools in ever-increasing numbers.
What the reason for this increase in prosperity is, it is hard to tell. Anking is decidedly an uncommercial port. Perhaps it is because retail and wholesale business thrives in official cities. Perhaps it is because the city has room to spread out beyond the walls and the struggle for existence is not so intense. Whatever the reason, the fact is one evident to even a casual observer.
Dirricutties or Eriqverte.
On the road through the city, numberless yamens are passed which stretch back for long distances as can be seen from the side streets. One often meets an official riding in his chair but he is not to be, bowed to, even if he honours one with his acquaintance, because it would be most impolite to necessitate his getting down out of his chair to bow in return as etiquette requires him to do. And then there is the yamen which is kept locked against public curiosity because it is supposed to date back to something like 200 A. D. when it was occupied by a_ conqueror named Tsao Tsao. But there la a large-sized doubt regarding the authenticity of the date.
The end of the journey is the St. Paul Mission compound! and it
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.