Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 77 (Color Image)

0077	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

HAN- CHUNG TO CHENGTU 47

absurd systems of education. Time is wasted on

learning some of their characters, of which there

are 40,000.

The West of China University, which is situated

in the south of the city, is run by a united body of

Canadian, American and British missionaries. At

present there are about four hundred Chinese

pupils --- all from Szechwan. Attached to the

University is an excellent Canadian school for the

children of missionaries.

A fine two-storied hospital for men and women

has been established by Canadian Methodists. It

is surrounded by a good compound with wooden

houses and gardens. There is also an excellent

French hospital attached to the Roman Catholic

Cathedral.

Pereira records how fond the Chinese are of

using high - flown language for the names of

their cities, villages and shops. Everything is

" heavenly ", " perfect peace ", " great calm ",

" golden ", " bright ". The usual epithet is beauti-

ful, but generally the object is mean, squalid and

dirty.

After a long spell of daily rain it became fine

on June 15 and the thermometer rose to 91°—as

it usually does in Chengtu four or five times in

the year.

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