HOSTILITIES OF STUDENTS lOS 



increasing mob who got out on a spit of shingle and con- 

 tinued the stone throwing. The water was very shallow 

 and the boat touched several times but was happily 

 got off again, for if she had become fixed we should 

 possibly all have been either severely hurt or massacred. 

 At last we got beyond their reach, and when at a safe 

 distance away, the boat was secured. My passport was 

 examined and the Tao-tai sent a message requesting me 

 not to approach the town, as the triennial examinations 

 were going on, and ten thousand students had come in 

 for examination. I also heard that the two resident 

 missionaries had left the town, as it was nearly always 

 in a disturbed state at such a time. 



I was, however, a prisoner in my boat until such 

 time as the students might disperse, their work being 

 over, but I was able to make preparations for the over- 

 land journey to Wa-shan, the river no longer being of 

 service to me in the direction I wished to proceed, by 

 looking over the various things I wished to take, and 

 getting them packed into loads for coolies and weighing 

 them. In this I was assisted by Messrs. Eirie and Vale 

 of the China inland mission, to whom I had sent a coolie 

 informing them of my arrival. It is essential that the 

 loads should be as nearly equal in weight as possible, 

 or there is nearly sure to be discontent among the 

 carriers. 



