Excursions in the South of China 353 



Like all district towns, Shao-K'ing is tolerably defended by stout 

 brick walls and bastioned gates, now in a slightly ruinous con- 

 dition. It was six o'clock or more before we made fast to the 

 shore, but the sun had set and the town gates were closed, so that 

 entrance to the town was denied. However, we were permitted to 

 send in our cards and letters of introduction to the Mandarin. 



The extremity of our journey by water was now attained, and 

 we had travelled 75 geographical miles in all from Canton. Of 

 course, we could have come up much quicker, but we preferred 

 seeing the country by daylight, and walking along the shore for 

 observation and sporting, to travelling by night. The regular 

 passage boats take only from thirty to forty hours to do this dis- 

 tance in, according as the wind and tide are favourable or not. 



Thursday the 14th March, whilst dressing for a state visit to 

 the chief magistrate of Shao-K'ing, we sent to hire some palanquins 

 and bearers, who arrived when we were at breakfast; their price 

 having been suddenly raised, we learnt on inquiry that some officials 

 had been extorting "squeeze money" from them. We had pre- 

 arranged the hour for our reception, and started at half-past nine 

 in eight palanquins, along the bund, and through the suburbs, 

 entering the city walls by the south gate. The city seemed in a 

 ruinous condition, but there were remains of antient grandeur in 

 the moss-covered ruins of many antique yamuns, temples, and ances- 

 tral halls, the finest being those on the site of the Viceroy's Palace 

 in olden days, all well shaded by long-lived banyans. The prin- 

 cipal streets alone seemed to be thickly populated, and in them 

 crowds of curious citizens assembled to see us pass by, being kept 

 back from pressing on us by an escort of Mongol braves, sent to 

 meet us for that purpose. Besides numerous silk shops, chow- 

 chow houses, and opium divans, were armourers and bow-makers. 

 The yamun which we entered was similar to most of the third- 

 rate yamuns of Canton. Various retainers ushered us through 

 detatched open halls, where official business is transacted, into a 

 more comfortably furnished apartment, where we were most 

 courteously received by the venerable magistrate, who, after the 

 endless chin-chinning, an indispensable preliminary, begged us to 

 be seated, and regaled us with tea, accompanied by melon pips, 

 whilst a tray, not unlike a large Pope Joan board, was brought, 

 the various partitions being filled with sweetmeats and preserves. 

 He had heard that peace had been proclaimed, but it had not 

 been published publicly yet to the townspeople. On hearing that 

 some of his subordinates had been squeezing our bearers, he 



