41 8 Voyage of the Novara. 



hand speedily finds ample justification for extricating himself 

 from the din and confusion, he nevertheless encounters at 

 every step some new object of attraction and absorbing 

 interest. 



Entering the city tln^ough the east gate, on whose walls, 

 by way of example to the multitude, are suspended in sacks 

 and wickerwork numerous skulls of rebels and murderers, on 

 whom justice has been done, we find ourselves in China 

 street, one of the principal streets of Shanghai, and in which 

 are most of the best class of native shops. It is however no 

 wider or cleaner than the other streets of the city, and might 

 be termed a '^ lane " with far more propriety than a street. 

 We were conveyed within the lofty, gloomy "enceinte" of 

 the walls in the sedan-chair of the country, after which, under 

 the guidance of Mr. Muirhead, an English missionary, who in 

 the kindest manner had offered to be our cicerone^ we pro- 

 ceeded to stroll through the town. 



Close to the east gate we entered a book-stall, in which 

 were heaped uj) immense piles of stitched books. A number 

 of Chinese in white nankeen jackets, their foreheads smooth 

 shaved, and each with a " tail " behind dependent to the 

 heels, started forward to inquire the strangers' wants, and 

 minister to them. Our inquiries however were by no means 

 merely dictated by the desire to gratify a silly curiosity. A 

 learned countryman, Dr. Pfizmaier, one of the profoundest of 

 Chinese scholars, had intrusted us with a list of fourteen rare 

 Chinese books, the purchase of which seemed to us specially 



