14 
CHAPTER II 
ICHANG 
Packing collections—Packing-cases—Curiosities—Trade of Ichang— 
Imports—Communication with Hankow— Missions and missionaries 
—Festival of New Year—Beggars, their misery and harsh treatment 
—Procession to pray for rain—Joss-house to bring luck—Golden 
pheasants—Fish of the Yang-tze—River porpoise—Otters for fishing 
—Cemetery—The Dome—Floating lamps. 
On my return to Ichang I at once set about putting 
my collections in order, with the view of sending them 
home at the earliest opportunity for classification. 
This, of course, took considerable time, not in the 
arranging and the packing alone, but in seeing that in 
the first place the tin linings of the cases were perfectly 
air-tight. Many of them were made in Shanghai, and 
T always tested them by filling with water, when the 
slightest fault could be detected. Having been thus 
tried, they were emptied and thoroughly dried. The 
upper edges of the tin were flanged inwards, and then 
when the case was carefully packed a sheet of tin was 
laid on the flanges and carefully soldered down, taking 
especial care that the corners were particularly ex- 
amined, as this was found to be the most difficult part 
