104 ARBANGEMENTS FOR LEAVING BOAT 



I had with me a man from Chung-king, engaged at 

 the recommendation of the Consul, who gave him the 

 character of being a rehable fellow, and to him fell the 

 duty of going to the coolie hong and sending the 

 manager to me. With him I entered into the usual 

 agreement as to price, he being responsible for the 

 honesty of the coolies he was to provide and also for 

 the head men over them. The remainder of the Chunsf- 

 king men were discharged and sent home, this leaving 

 me with five men and the captain. Three of these were 

 competent collectors, having been under my tuition at 

 Chang-yang, and they now had orders to make collec- 

 tions in the neighbourhood, and especially at the place 

 where I intended to leave the boat, which was on the 

 opposite bank to, and about a mile below, the city, close 

 to a hill covered with pine trees beneath the shade of 

 which several temples had been built, one of which 

 contained a great many gilt images. The lowban was 

 left in charge of the boat, a place of responsibility, as 

 on the first indications of a flood he had to take the 

 boat to the other side and have her secured in a back- 

 water. He also had orders to scrape the boat, as I found 

 that the white colour she was painted attracted a great 

 deal of attention, and then varnish her in the same way 

 that all the native boats are done. 



The floods here are no trifles, and the level of the 



