56 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



who gave him a little cold rice, and allowed him to 

 sleep on a table, where he was devoured by mos- 

 quitoes. Being unable to swim, he was much 

 troubled by the creeks and rivers on his path; for, 

 seeing his condition, the ferrymen naturally enough 

 demanded pre-payment, and it was only by dint of 

 eloquence that he got across. It says something for 

 the Chinese, however, that he did get on; and if 

 the reader doubts this, let him present himself in 

 similar attire, without money, at Paddington Station 

 or at Wapping Stairs, and see what progress he will 

 make. At Tai-poong, which he managed to reach in 

 a half -starved condition, the mandarin, whom he 

 knew, gave him money and clothes, and sent him on 

 to Hong-Kong. 



After this adventure, Laou, the Governor-General 

 of the Two KAvang, gave him a pass which proved 

 useful ; but his health had been much injured, and 

 there were various reasons why he should not go 

 again alone into the country. Among others, he 

 wished to take a sum of money with him, to give 

 advances to families that desired to emigrate ; and 

 there are plenty of people in China who would have 

 cut him into as many small pieces for the sake of a 

 hundred dollars. Being also unwell, I was about to 

 go and take up a solitary residence in one of my own 

 Chinese haunts, but agreed to accompany my friend, 

 and assist him in protecting his somewhat perilous 

 accompaniment of 1500 dollars. As it turned out, 



