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Of especial interest to me were some of the paintings. There was, for instance, the great painting of the imperial progress from Peking to Hangchow, six of the long rolls of which were on display, that made Wang Shih-ku famous. This showed the journey of the emperor southward from Peking, with all the details of the country, the cities, the manners and customs and lives of the people en route carefully delineated. The painting showed the road, the interiors of houses, temples, shops and theaters along the way, the activity as the imperial entourage passed, the boats and bridges over rivers, the Grand Canal, the scenery of West Lake, all in minute and faithful detail. Mandarins knelt by the road, intersecting highways were curtained off, shops were closed, people retired as the lord went by. The infinite care and detail was almost beyond belief, and the whole was of the greatest interest as a picture of life and manners. There were also some old portraits, and especially some large portraits by Castiglione, in which appeared strange mixtures of foreign and Chinese techniques and compositions. It was a good day.
We came home to our own house, and tea, got our own supper together, and spent the evening reading until time to go to bed when Dorothy finised reading [[underline]]The Kenworthys[[/underline]]. During the last few days I have read Lenox Fane's [[underline]]Legation Street[[/underline]], a picture of diplomatic circles by someone who knows what he or she is talking about. There is a considerable amount of discussion as to the identity of the author. Whoever it may be, the book is excellent.