* 
Cuar. III.] TRAVELS IN THE COUNTRY. 39 
again. This procedure did not suit my plans, and 
although they tried very hard to induce me to 
“‘ wyloe” to my ‘“san-pan,” it was of no use. They 
then pointed to the heavens, which were very black 
at the time, and told me that it would soon be a 
thunder-storm, but even this did not succeed. As 
a last resource, when they found that I was not 
to be turned out of my way, some of the little 
ies were sent on before to apprize the villagers 
f my approach, and when I reached the village, 
every living thing, down even to the dogs and pigs, 
were out to have a peep at the “ Fokei.” I soon 
put them all, the dogs excepted *, in the best pos- 
sible humour, and at last they seemed in no hurry 
to get rid of me. One of the most respectable 
amongst them, seemingly the head man of the village, 
brought me some cakes and tea, which he politely 
offered me. I thanked him and began to eat. The 
hundreds who now surrounded me were perfectly 
delighted. ‘‘ He eats and drinks like ourselves,” 
said one; “ Look,” said two or three behind me 
who had been examining the back part of my head 
rather attentively, “look here, the stranger has no 
tail ;’ and then the whole crowd, women and children 
included, had to come round me, to see if it was 
really a fact, that I had no tail. One of them, 
rather a dandy in his way, with a noble tail of his 
own, plaited with silk, now came forward, and tak- 
ing off a kind of cloth, which the natives here wear 
* The Chinese house-dog has a great antipathy to foreigners, 
and will scarcely make friends with them. 
D4 
