A number of fortifications, which, however, look more
like roofless houses than anything else, protect the stream.
For miles below Canton, the villages follow one another in quick
succession. They are mostly composed of miserable huts, built for
the most part on piles driven into the river, and before them lie
innumerable boats, which also serve as dwellings.
The nearer we approached Canton, the busier became the scene on the
river, and the greater the number of ships and inhabited boats. I
saw some junks of most extraordinary shape, having poops that hung
far over the water, and provided with large windows and galleries,
and covered in with a roof, like a house. These vessels are often
of immense size, and of a thousand tons' burden. I also saw some
Chinese men-of-war, flat, broad, and long, and mounting twenty or
thirty cannons. {93} Another object of interest was the mandarins'
boats, with their painted sides, doors, and windows, their carved
galleries, and pretty little silk flags, giving them the appearance
of the most charming houses; but what delighted me most was the
flower-boats, with their upper galleries ornamented with flowers,
garlands, and arabesques.
Pages:
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269