104 ARRANGEMENTS FOR LEAVING BOAT 
T had with me a man from Chung-king, engaged at 
the recommendation of the Consul, who gave him the 
character of being a reliable fellow, and to him fell the 
duty of going to the coolie hong and sending the 
. manager to me. With him I entered into the usual 
agreement as to price, he being responsible for the 
honesty of the coolies he was to provide and also for 
the head menover them. The remainder of the Chung- 
king men were discharged and sent home, this leaving 
me with five men and the captain. Three of these were 
competent collectors, having been under my tuition at 
Chang-yang, and they now had orders to make collec- 
tions in the neighbourhood, and especially at the place 
where I intended to leave the boat, which was on the 
opposite bank to, and about a mile below, the city, close 
to a hill covered with pine trees beneath the shade of 
which several temples had been built, one of which 
contained a great many gilt images. The lowban was 
left in charge of the boat, a place of responsibility, as 
on the first indications of a flood he had to take the 
boat to the other side and have her secured in a back- 
water. He also had orders to scrape the boat, as I found 
that the white colour she. was painted attracted a great 
deal of attention, and then varnish her in the same way 
that all the native boats are done. 
The floods here are no trifles, and the level of the 
