SIX WEEKS IN A TOWER. 79 



deal annoyed by the curiosity of the people, and 

 they informed us that snow used to fall in that dis- 

 trict before foreigners occupied Hong - Kong, which 

 put a stop to it. This they considered a grievance 

 which we ought to redress by making them presents ; 

 but the causal connection was no clearer than that 

 between Tenterden Steeple and Goodwin Sands. 

 They also asked us for books explaining the Chris- 

 tian doctrine. The next day happened to be very 

 warm, and in going about some villages for emigra- 

 tion purposes, as also on our way back to Kum- 

 tow-lek, my companion unfortunately over -exerted 

 himself, and aggravated a chronic disease, from which 

 he had been long a sufferer, besides bringing on a 

 very serious attack of fever, which stretched him 

 shaking on his bed immediately after our return. 



A day or two after this we were honoured by a 

 visit from the mandarin of Tarn - shui, or " Fresh 

 Water," who made his appearance finely clothed in 

 furs and silks, but escorted by a band of most 

 thorough ragamuffins. This, I need scarcely say, 

 was not the same officer who had before refused to 

 receive my companion. His judicial appearance was 

 amusing, as he threw back his head and half closed 

 his eyes when anything was said to him. We could 

 not communicate much with him, as he was from the 

 neighbourhood of Peking, and knew only that dia- 

 lect ; but we gave him a champagne tiffin, and in 

 the afternoon he and we dined with our Won". The 



