288 REMINISCENCES OF 



separate carts, but of a very different kind to the one 

 in which we had made the journey to Peking. These 

 are made expressly for mandarins to travel in, are 

 covered over and lined with cushions. Two of my 

 jailers, now transformed into servants, accompanied 

 me, and surrounded by a very large escort, we were 

 taken through the streets towards the north side of 

 the city. Thousands of people filled the streets and 

 stood on the tops of the houses to see us as we 

 passed, the police going in front clearing a space for 

 us to pass by cracking long whips at the people's 

 faces. After proceeding nearly three miles we ar- 

 rived at a temple not far from the north gate, and 

 found an inner courtyard given up entirely to us. 

 One room that opened into it was prepared as our 

 sleeping and sitting-room, the next room was for our 

 servants, lately jailers, and the building that formed 

 the opposite side of the court was for a picked guard 

 of twenty Tartars — the finest men, I think, I ever 

 saw. Surrounding the building a camp of 5,000 

 soldiers was formed, so we were well secured. It 

 was an immense comfort to be so well lodged after 

 so much suffering. We found tubs and hot water, 

 towels and soap, and were informed we could have 

 dinner as soon as we liked. The delights of the 

 wash and the repugnance at having to put on again 

 the clothes that had not been off our backs for so 

 many days was very great. The dinner was very 

 extensive — sixteen large and about thirty small dishes. 

 We begged that in future they would confine the 

 dinner to four dishes. 



