Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/82

 78 Ling-Nam. three cents a dozen for their work, yet this even is a great boon to many who would otherwise be reduced to utter destitution. The ornamentation is done by artists, who draw figures of birds, men, animals, landscapes, ete., in various colours with pencils, and also by the application of hot iron, a more difficult and expensive process. Mottoes, classical quotations, and local proverbs are thus inscribed. The fan trade centres in the city of San-ni, which contains a population of 250,000 people. It is the largest city of its class in the province, and was honoured as the temporary residence of the last emperor of the Sung dynasty. This unfortunate monarch, but a boy in years, as he fled with his band of faithful adherents before the sweeping vengeance of the Mongols, found a refuge for e time in San-ui, It was only a short pause that he made, but the house in which he lived is still called the Sung palace, and pointed out with great pride by the citizens. To the south fled the fugitives, until they reached Ngai-shan, on the sea coast beside the most westerly estuary of the Canton river system, the Ngai-mun. There they made a final stand. Tub-siu-fu, the faithful minister and tutor of the young emperor, stood by him to the last. For a few months their scattered forces were gathered, and their stronghold fortified, and hope began to revive in the hearts of the fugitives. The conquering hosts of the great Kublai Kahn pursued and assailed them from the sea, and a great naval action closed the catastrophe. The Imperial fleet was scattered and destroyed. When all hope had vanished, Luh-siu-fu, having first compelled his wife and daughters to throw themselves into the sea, seized the