148 CHARACTER OF TRADERS THROWN OFF 



briskly/ although it took up a good deal of our Inter- 

 preter's time ; besides which those experienced In 

 commercial affairs at once perceived that a retail 

 trade was not the real object of our journey, as 

 under the most favourable circumstances it would 

 not defray the cost of our pack-animals ; and lastly, 

 we could not rid ourselves of the constant visitors 

 who, under the pretence of coming to buy, Invaded 

 our privacy and interfered with our scientific labours. 

 Taking all this Into consideration, I resolved one fine 

 day to put an end to my profession of merchant. 

 The goods were all packed up, the buyers driven 

 away, and the shop closed.^ I announced that I was 

 an official (noyoii), travelling without any special 

 object except that of seeing new countries. The 

 natives certainly put very little faith In this explana- 

 tion, but v/e told them that It was no business of 

 theirs, that their Emperor knew all about it, and had 

 given us a passport to enable us to travel without let 

 or hindrance In his country. We now felt much 

 more at our ease, there was no longer any necessity 

 for prevarication, and everything was straightfor- 

 ward. Henceforward all superfluous visitors were 

 summarily ejected, and only those admitted who 

 might be of use. Their visits always began with 

 tea-drinking, and conversation followed ; the princi- 

 pal topics, taking them in their proper order, were 

 cattle, medicine, and religion. 



' These goods were subsequently all sold in one lot in Ala-shan, 

 ^ We only charged a profit of 25 or 30 per cent, on the prices we 

 paid at Peking. 



