CHU-KEN-TAN 101 
from the boat was thought nothing of; but this time 
the only news I had of the missing man was that he 
had been found quite dead, with no marks of violence, 
in a small pool by the river, and in which there was 
between two and three feet of water only. From what 
I heard, and from the circumstances under which the 
body was found, I am of the opinion that it was a case 
of suicide, but for what reason I am unable to con- 
jecture. No inquiry was made into the matter, and I 
heard nothing further about it. The boat was secured 
for the night off the town of Chu-ken-tan, which is con- 
sidered to be the centre of the salt trade. The country 
about this place is much more thickly populated than 
the districts I have lately passed through. I was now 
only forty-five li from Kia-ting-fu. 
