When we got back to Shameen there was time for a stroll along the
Bund. It is very pleasant, for the river runs close under the parapet,
and its surface is always covered with junks, sampans, and boats and
ships, going swiftly up or down with the strong tide. The walk is
shaded with trees, and seats stand at intervals all along it.
An agreeable saunter was followed by a quiet, pleasant little dinner,
and though we have been here only a few days we feel quite sorry that
this is to be our last night in Canton, so kind has everybody been to
us.
[Illustration: Chinese Foot and boot.]
_Monday, March 5th_.--I was awake and writing from half-past four this
morning, but before I got up, a woman who comes here every day to work
brought me some small ordinary shoes which I had purchased as
curiosities, and took the opportunity of showing me her feet. It
really made me shudder to look at them, so deformed and cramped up
were they, and, as far as I could make out, she must have suffered
greatly in the process of reducing them to their present diminutive
size. She took off her own shoes and tottered about the room in those
she had brought, and then asked me to show her one of mine. Having
most minutely examined it, she observed, with a melancholy shake of
the head, 'Missisy foot much more good, do much walky, walky; mine
much bad, no good for walky.
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