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 Through the Delta. 69

bind themselves under solemn pledges never to marry. Such a course is so contrary to the whole history and spirit of Chinese institutions, and so daring a challenge to the practices of ages, that one cannot but admire the spirit of independence and courage from which it springs. The existence of this Amazonian Jeague has long been known, but as to its rules and the number of its members no definite information has come to hand. It is composed of young widows and marriageable girls. Dark hints are given as to the methods used to escape matrimony. The sudden demise of betrothed husbands, or the abrupt ending of the newly-married husband’s career, suggest unlawful means for dissolving the bonds. When they submit to marriage they still maintain their powers of will. It is a common saying that when a man marries a Sai-tsiu woman he must make up his mind to submit to her demands, The same characteristics are said to prevail among the women of Loong-kong, the next large town to the south, one of their demands being that the husband must go to the wife’s home to live, or else live without her company.

No one who has not passed through this district can have any just conception of the density of the population. Besides innumerable villages, there are the great towns of Koon-shin, Sha-t’ow, Loong-kong, Loong-shén, Kow- kong, Lak-low, and Kom-chook, alt lying close together. Of these, Kow-kong is the largest, and forms a little kingdom in itself. It is said that during the war at the close of the Taiping rebellion, a census was taken with a view to estimating the fighting strength of the people, and it was found that Kow-kong alone could