III.] RETURN TO NAPHA. 61 



We had, however, no time to visit it, and l^efore long were en 

 route for Napha-kiang by a cross-country path leading through a 

 succession of paddy-fields. Entering the outskirts of the town, 

 we were invited to tea by Ilyeno, and conducted to a pretty 

 little house, the access to which was by a small gateway in the 

 massive stone w^all which appears invariably to line the streets 

 of Liu-kiu towns. We sat in an open room looking on to the 

 miniature Japanese garden, which was planted with the dwarfed and 

 grotesquely- shaped trees beloved by the subjects of the Mikado. 

 Uyeno's wife presently appeared ; a pleasant little body who 

 received us on her knees, bowing with the extravagant courtesy 

 of her nation until her forehead touched the ground. These 

 elaborate complmients over, we discussed our tea ; and Uyeno in 

 his capacity of physician being doubtless anxious to exhibit his 

 chemical skill, proceeded to construct a compound of various salts, 

 wdiich, on being mixed with water, was, we gathered, intended to 

 represent a species of lemonade. It fell to my lot to be the corpus 

 vile on which the experiment was to be tried, and, with the prospect 

 of a premature decease looming before me, I raised my glass, and 

 pledged my host with one desperate gulp. The result, if anything, 

 exceeded my expectations. The beverage was not a success ; 

 indeed, words would fail me were I to attempt to describe the 

 nastiness of the concoction, so, considering I had offered a suf- 

 ficient sacrifice on the altar of politeness, I thought myself justified 

 in leaving the remainder. By dint of carelessly oversettmg the 

 glass, or of pouring the contents into the garden while admiring 

 the scenery, the rest of us passed through the ordeal with more or 

 less success ; but bearing in mind the apparent potency of the 

 draught, it was thought advisable to take leave of our hosts with- 

 out delay. 



The presence of our palanquins outside had revealed our where- 

 abouts to the inhabitants of Napha, and the usual enormous crowd 

 had collected to wait for our appearance. The excitement on our 

 return was even greater than that we had caused at our departure. 



