176 Through the Yang-tse Gorges 



CHAPTER IX. 



CHUNG-KING. 



Ponies — Silk-weaving — Prehistoric caves — A fine country-liouse — A 

 Catholic chapel — A Buddhist oracle — The coal workings — Cost 

 of getting and transporting coal — An eviction scrimmage — 

 Ventilation — A huge coal-field — A farm-house — Opium-smoking 

 — Agile ponies — Return by boat — Fine scenery — Legends — The 

 river rising — Trade Guilds — Another country-house — Civility of 

 the Chung-kingese — The women's feet — The Manchus — A pseudo- 

 European dinner. 



At eight o'clock on the morning of the eighteenth April, 

 friend Tung and his nephew arrived with three small shaggy 

 ponies, one of which, a weU-conditioned little animal 

 standing about twelve hands, and a native of the neighbour- 

 ing province of Kwei-chow, was destined for myself. My 

 hosts had put a Miao-tse saddle on him. This, like all 

 saddles in China, was made of wood, but it was covered with 

 heavy carved lacquer, precisely like the celebrated Soochow 

 ware. A wadded quilt, topped with a foreign blanket, 

 succeeded, however, in shielding this showy but uncomfort- 

 able piece of furniture from the pubUc gaze, as well as from 

 the rider's person. A crowd assembled to see us off; we 

 were soon mounted, and trotted off gaily down the slippery 

 street. My little animal being the best goer, I was requested 

 to take the lead. My natural inclination to walk through 



