46 Through the Yang-tse Gorges 



As night set in, we all sat on the outrageously uncom- 

 fortable Chinese benches round a wood-fire, burning in a 

 circular depression surrounded by a stone rim in the floor, 

 the smoke escaping through the tiles — though first arrested 

 midway by a tier of hams — and, as we sat there passing the 

 hubble-bubble or water-pipe, it was to me most interesting 

 to watch the farm-servants coming in, one after the other, 

 and taking their seats round the fire, some crowding on the 

 same bench as their masters. Supper of rice, cabbage, and 

 bean curd was soon served, and washed down with tea. 

 The servants then sat down to the same table, but were 

 served with mountain rice, grown in dry ground, and very 

 inferior to that grown in a wet soil ; the cooks being women 

 and " ya-tou," or slave-girls so called, all unfortunately with 

 artificially crippled feet. The two sisters of my hosts looked 

 on, but neither sat down nor ventured a word while I was 

 present. Before eight o'clock we were all in bed. All 

 travellers carry their own bed quilts in China, the guest- 

 room merely containing a bare bedstead, and often not that. 



By conversing with my hosts, I learnt that the terraced 

 lands on both sides belonged to them, and that they mosdy 

 farmed them on the metayer system. Their nett income 

 was 700 to 800 piculs of grain, making them wealthy land- 

 owners for these parts ; though, translated into sterling, this 

 only amounts to ;^3oo a year. But such a family, having 

 their own vegetable-garden and farmyard, would not spend 

 one-tenth of this sum. The surplus they appeared to invest 

 in buying more mountain land, and in keeping up the stone 

 dykes of the innumerable terraces. The Government land 

 tax averages one-tenth of the gross produce. 



Next morning I made an early start, as the sun was 

 creeping down the valley. I, however, first had breakfast 

 with my hosts, who would not even allow me to give any 



