CHU-KEN-TAN 101 



from the boat was thouo-ht nothing of; but this time 

 the only news I had of the missing man was that he 

 had been fomid quite dead, with no marks of violence, 

 in a small pool by the river, and in which tliere was 

 between two and three feet of water only. From what 

 I heard, and from the circumstances under which the 

 body was found, I am of the opinion that it was a case 

 of suicide, but for what reason I am unable to con- 

 jecture. No inquiry was made into the matter, and I 

 heard nothing further about it. The boat was secured 

 for the night off the town of Chu-ken-tan, whicli is con- 

 sidered to be the centre of the salt trade. The country 

 about this place is much more thickly populated than 

 the districts I have lately passed through. I was now 

 only forty-five li from Kia-ting-fu. 



