88 RAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Ch. VI. 



could raise a little money in this way ; and every time we 

 appeared on shore we were speedily surrounded by an eager 

 crowd of half-naked and tolerably dirty urchins, who pressed 

 upon us the common but pretty cowries, Cyprsea pellis-ser- 

 pentis and C. annulus, &c., and all manner of trash. The boys 

 were forward enough, but the girls were very timid, and for 

 a long time would only hold out their hands at a distance 

 to show they were anxious to trade, but afraid to come too 

 near the Hwan-ha (foreigners). From the miscellaneous, 

 collection thus presented to us, we selected a small number, 

 for which we had a fixed price of a few cash — a most con- 

 venient medium of exchange — ^for inasmuch as 1000 go to a 

 dollar, two cash for a cowry, a helix, or a beetle, while it added 

 considerably to their exchequer, at the same time did not 

 threaten to ruin ours. The inhabitants of these fishing vil- 

 lages were Chinese, and therefore not idle. The girls and 

 younger boys were daily out, as long as the tide permitted, 

 among the rocks gathering shell-fish, and it was not uncom- 

 mon to see them up to their necks in water, collecting what 

 forms to them a very important article of diet. The men 

 were employed in the fishing-boats, or in hauling the seine, 

 which took place chiefly on the sandy beach of the south 

 side ; but although the seine was very extensive, and the 

 operation of pulling it a very laborious one, the result did 

 not seem to be at aU adequate. I went ashore on one or 

 two occasions during the haul, in search of fish, but did not 

 succeed in getting anything but very small sprat-like fishes. 

 Nothing larger appeared to be caught. Every evening, too, 

 at dusk, numerous boats pulled out from the town to the 

 wider part of the harbour, and after dark a number of blazing 

 torches spread a lurid light over the water. Curious to see 

 what they were doing, I one night took a boat and rowed 



