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.
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