kept watch I cannot tell, but when I awoke, some time before the morning dawned, the dangers of the place seemed to be completely forgotten, except perhaps in their dreams, for I found them sound asleep. The other men were also sleeping heavily, and no one seemed to have harmed us during our slumbers. I now roused the whole of them, and, the morning being fine, we proceeded on our journey towards the city of Hang-chow-foo.

During this three days' journey we had been passing through a perfectly level country, having seen only three or four small hills near the city of Sung-kiang-foo. Now, however, the scene began to change, and the hills which gird this extensive plain on the west and south-west sides came into view. We passed a town named Tan-see, which is on the side of the grand canal on which we were now sailing. Tan-see is a bustling town of considerable size, a few miles to the north-east of Hang-chow-foo. The appearance of the flat country here was rich and beautiful. Still the mulberry was seen extensively cultivated on all the higher patches of ground, and rice occupied the low wet land.

As we approached Hang-chow the vegetation of the country was richer and under a higher state of cultivation than any which had come under my notice in other parts of China. It reminded me of the appearance which those highly cultivated spots present near our large market towns in England. Here were beautiful groves of the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), yang-mai (Myrica sp.), peaches, plums,

oranges, and all the fruits of Central China, in a high state of cultivation.

The country around Hang-chow-foo may well be called "the garden of China." The grand canal, with its numerous branches, not only waters it, but also affords the means of travelling through it, and of conveying the productions for which it is famous to other districts. The hills in the background, the beautiful bay which comes up to the town and stretches far away towards the ocean, and the noble river which here falls into the bay, all contribute to render the scenery strikingly beautiful.

On the evening of the 22nd of October I approached the suburbs of Hang-chow-foo-one of the largest and most flourishing cities in the richest district of the Chinese empire. The Chinese authorities have always been most jealous of foreigners approaching or entering this town. It is generally supposed that, in addition to the natural antipathy which they manifest to the "outside barbarians," they have a custom-house here in which they levy duties on merchandise imported or exported by foreigners, which duties are opposed to the terms of the treaty of Nanking. They know well enough that, if foreigners were allowed to come here, this system of extortion would soon be exposed and

broken up.

under

my

As I drew nearer the city, everything which came observation marked it as a place of great importance. The grand canal was deep and wide, and bore on its waters many hundreds of boats of

different sizes, all engaged in an active bustling trade. Many of these were sailing in the same direction as ourselves, whilst others were leaving the city and hurrying onwards in the direction of Soo-chow, Hoochow, Kea-hing, and other towns. Canals were seen branching off from the grand canal in all directions, and forming the high roads of the country.

When I reached the end of this part of my journey my boatmen drew up and moored the boat amongst thousands of the same class, and, it being now nearly dark, I determined to rest there for the night. When the next morning dawned, and I had time to take a survey of our position, I found that we had been moored on the edge of a large broad basin of water which terminates the grand canal. As I had nothing to do in the city, and merely wanted to pass onwards on my journey to the greentea country, I did not wish to run the risk of passing through it. Before leaving Shanghae, when consulting the map and fixing my route, I asked if it were possible to get to the mouth of the Hang-chow river without actually passing through the city itself. Both my men informed me that this was quite easy, and even protested strongly against my entering the town. They said we could go by the See-hoo lake, at which place we could leave the Shanghae boat, and then proceed on foot or in chairs a distance of 30 le. By this means we should merely skirt the town, and attain the object we had in view. This plan seemed feasible enough. When we reached the suburbs of Hang-chow, therefore, not knowing the locality, I

naturally supposed that we were at See-hoo, which is only a part of the suburbs. This, however, was not the case.

Wang, who had been sent on shore at daybreak to procure a chair, and coolies for our luggage, now came back and informed me that he had succeeded in arranging all this at an inn hard by, to which we must now go. Leaving the boat, we walked up a crowded street for nearly a quarter of a mile, and then entered the inn in question. No one took the slightest notice of me, a circumstance which gave me a good deal of confidence, and led me to conclude that I was dressed in a proper manner, and that I made a pretty good Chinaman.

Our Shanghae boatmen accompanied us, carrying our luggage; indeed I believe they had recommended us to the inn at which we had now arrived.

Το my astonishment they at once informed their friend the innkeeper that I was a foreigner. Having been paid their fare, they had nothing more to expect, and I suppose could not contain the secret any longer. I now expected that some difficulties would be experienced in procuring a chair, either through fear of the mandarins, or with the view of extorting money. The old man, who made his living by letting chairs and selling tea, took everything very quietly, and did not seem to despise a good customer, even if he was a foreigner. A chair was soon ready for me to proceed on my journey. The bearers were paid by the master of the house to take me one stage about half way-and a sum of money was

D

given them to engage another chair for the remainder of the journey, to a place called Kan-du, which is situated on the banks of the large river which here falls into the bay of Hang-chow.

Everything being satisfactorily arranged, I stepped into the chair, and, desiring my two servants to follow me, proceeded along the narrow streets at a rapid pace. After travelling in this way for about a mile, and expecting every moment to get out into the open country, I was greatly surprised by finding that I was getting more and more into a dense town. For the first time I began to suspect that my servants were deceiving me, and that I was to pass through the city of Hang-chow after all. These suspicions were soon confirmed by the appearance of the walls and ramparts of the city. It was now too late to object to this procedure, and I thought the best way to act was to let matters take their course and remain passive in the business.

We passed through the gates into the city. It seemed an ancient place: the walls and ramparts were high and in excellent repair, and the gates were guarded as usual by a number of soldiers. Its main street, through which I passed, is narrow when compared with streets in European towns; but it is well paved, and reminded me of the main street of Ningpo. Hang-chow, however, is a place of much greater importance than Ning-po, both in a political and mercantile point of view. It is the chief town of the Chekiang province, and is the residence of many of the principal mandarins and officers of govern