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Show llf III PIECE Cantonese Still Content With Archaic Water Clock. Among the Quaint Survivors of An-other An-other Age It This Primitive Form of Time Register and Hour Glass. Canton, China. Threading the imr row, diirk, winding streets of Canton It (8 easy fur tin- traveler to IniiiKine Unit he has been suddenly transported Into some forgotten century. There Ih no large c ity visited by tlio tourist that Ih ho entirely native in it s aspect that Is so entirely Immersed In ItH tiwn peculiar civilization. Canton looks practically the Kami; today as , It must have looked nearly six cen-tnrles cen-tnrles ago when the celebrated Venetian Vene-tian Adventurer, Marco I'olo. visited It and wrote his vivid descriptions of Its many curiosities. Among the quaint survivals of another age the famous wnter clock must take a prominent prom-inent place. Tills Is a primitive form of time register and hour glass worked by water. To visit It the Ft ranker makes his way along the picturesque nut) crowded crowd-ed street of the double gateway In the old city. Here nre the largest and most fashionable book stores, and It Is this street that Is the most favorable haunt of the literati. The double gateway Itself pierces a see-j see-j t Ion of n very fine old wall dating I from the seventh or eighth century I and above it Is seen the curious croc tlon In which the Slepsydrn, or water clock. Is housed. This consists of four large copper I Jars mounted on steps one above the other In such fashion that when the top one Is tilled the water Mown very ilowly, drop by drop. Into the next one nnd then on Into the lowest. In f'ls last one Is a float to whir!) Is attached at-tached an Indicator or measure. It I I." : 1 '' f j j .; : i';i!!,1i!H.! t4l tJ'! AiLn L 1 -Ji, Water Clock and Attendant. takes exactly a day of 12 hours Jot the contents of the top Jar to be emp tied completely Into the lowest. As the water steadily rises In this last receptacle the float points to the bout marked on tho Indicator. The archaic time finale was first erected about 1311 A. I), It has a tllstory full of Incidents; It has been destroyed many times during Inva slons from without and riots within the city. Itut It has always been re-tored. re-tored. so that today. In spite of tho i idvanroH made In mechanical methods 3f measuring time, we find the old water clock In practical use as It was J00 years ago. For at Intervals dur Ing the day (more or less) correct time Is exhibited on a board outside the building and the native Chinese re quite content to pin their faith !o this unique servant of old Father lime. |