84 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



the two rice crops Avent to "Wong; but the peasants 

 had the benefit of the turnips, sweet potatoes, ground- 

 nuts, &c., which they could raise between the crops 

 of rice. But this gives an inadequate idea of their 

 dependent condition, for many of them were in debt 

 to our host, and their whole labour was thus so mort- 

 gaged that they could only obtain a bare subsistence. 

 It is quite different among the other Chinese, who 

 tenaciously hold their lands upon their own account, 

 and have their village system as a protection against 

 the rule of territorial magnates. Here the villages 

 were mere hamlets, very small and very poor ; the 

 village was nothing, and the rich man's house was 

 everything ; whereas among the Punti, the village 

 has all the power, and the individual has none to 

 speak of. 



As we got into February I began to get alarmed 

 about the state of my companion, who was wasted to 

 a shadow, and become delirious. We had delayed 

 leaving in the hope that he would soon be better able 

 for travel ; but now it looked as if he was about to 

 depart for a better country, even a heavenly, let 

 me hope. The first indication of his delirium was 

 rather curious. One night, about eleven o'clock, 

 I was lying awake in bed, in our somewhat dismal 

 tower, when he suddenly said to me, " I say, 



AV , what are that man pnd woman doing in 



the room 1 I wish you would put them away." This 

 was said so quietly that I was almost taken in by 



