Their boats are drawn by men, but their carriages are moved by sails.

A married woman while young and pretty is a slave, but when she becomes old and withered is the most powerful, respected, and beloved person in the family.

The emperor is regarded with the most profound reverence, but the empress mother is a greater person than he.
When a man furnishes his house, instead of laying stress, as we do, on rosewood pianos and carved mahogany, his first ambition is for a handsome camphor-wood coffin, which he keeps in the best place in his room.

The interest of money is thirty-six per cent, which, to be sure, we also give in hard times to stave off a stoppage, while with them it is the legal rate.

We once heard a bad dinner described thus: "The meat was cold, the wine was hot, and everything was sour but the vinegar." This would not so much displease the Chinese, who carefully warm their wine, while we ice ours.