Chinese Pawnbrokers

A liccrHo is issned to thoso sceki.113 to corniueuce business as pawubrokers for a term of sixty years; at the eul ot' that period it must ba rencwed, but by auotLcr porsou, n Jt tlic ono vríio origin.illy took out tiio iiconso. A certain tax is paid by tho muí first oommeiicin ■; the busiiie.s, anJ also by tiloso who wish to couúuue it atter tUo term of sixty years h:i.s cxpircil. Tiio jmviibrokers are obliged to aocept a lona 1'rom the provincial Treasurer, (ot wliicli tliey pay at the rato ot' l por cent por aiiiiiiin. Bhould a firin ot pawiiiji-okcra tai I, the otiier eacablislimenta ot' the samo nature must reuní. I to tho Goveniíaeut ihu lo%s it has sustiiiiod ly tho Ikiliire. Tlicre aro 1UJ fim-class p nvnshops in Cantón. Poople who doposit g-oods at these pawntower8 musí pay at t!io rito ot' á6 per ceut per aniium ; but this porccutu'o can bo lowurod at tho will oí' tiie pawn broker .fur a large traosactioi). Tiio Govcnmient reqiuros that thcv shouid lower tiieir r.itx; ot' percentaje to ill who redeem thoir gootls in tnc tenth mon ih oí' the ye.if, as by tins mcum those wlio havo pawncd their winter'a clotiiing-, blanket8, etc., can more easily redoem thcm wiien tlicv are needod. These pa wn-towers aro most stronly buii t, and s trie tl y guardad. Wheii we an-ivl un tlio liat root' I saw largo stones placed there to throw on t.fio heads of assailauts, lor soinotimoa these towers uro uttacked by bands ot' robbers, The English lanjiaa is wondcrfül for it.s aptness of cxjiressjuu. When a uumber of men and womeu get Ugether and look at eaoh other from the sid(;s of the room, that's cal led a social - able. Wlion a hungry ci-owd calis ujon a pcKir ïuiuistc.r and eats hiin out of house and homo, that's called a i tion party." I