8 SAN-YU-TUNa GLEN 



of timber and tiles. There was neither ceiling nor par- 

 titions, and the floor was of earth. Close to the side 

 was a large cesspool that was replenished daily from 

 the city, and in the evening its contents were used to 

 fertilise a large garden opposite. The continual stirring 

 of its contents made us quite aw^are of its fragrance, 

 and though none of us suffered in consequence, my 

 C'hinese boy got typhoid fever, from which I am glad 

 to sa}^ he eventually recovered. 



We were not, luckily, obliged to stop in the house 

 just mentioned during the whole of our stay in Ichang, 

 for in September I hired a house-boat with six compart- 

 ments, in which we embarked for the San-yu-tung Glen, 

 which is situated on the left bank of the river, and just 

 at the mouth of the Ichang Gorge. I fully determined 

 to live in the boat as long as the weather would permit, 

 and, leaving Ichang on the 10th, we arrived at our 

 destination the same day. The boat was much more 

 comfortable than the house in every way, and my in- 

 tention was to make the most of the remainder of the 

 season in collecting insects. I brought my Chinese 

 boy up in the hope that the change would assist his 

 recovery, and on arrival sent him up to a joss-house. 

 He only was permitted to stay for five days, when 

 his mother arrived and wished to make some of 

 her 'joss pigeon' over him, and removed him for the 



