44 



TSE-KEE. 



Chap. III. 



and as my boat was comfortable enough, though 

 small, I determined to live in it, instead of going 

 to a temple or an inn. Leaving my servants to 

 prepare my breakfast and to get their own, I 

 sauntered into the city. I found it a very ancient 

 place, and famous as being the residence of many 

 of the wealthiest persons in this part of China. 

 Its walls seemed to be about three miles in cir- 

 cumference, but they enclosed numerous fields and 

 gardens as well as houses. The dwellings of the 

 rich were mostly surrounded with high walls, and 

 were not visible from the streets. This is a com- 

 mon mode of building, as it secures the privacy of 

 the female members of the family in a country 

 like China, where it is the custom to keep them 

 much secluded. 



I had entered the city by the north gate, and in 

 a few minutes had a crowd of people at my heels. 

 " Where had I come from ? " " where was I going 

 to?" and what was I wanting to buy?" were 

 questions which were put on all sides. The 

 crowd appeared to be perfectly good-humoured, 

 and treated me with the greatest deference and 

 respect. Some ran on before me, and seemed to 

 take a great deal of pleasure in spreading the 

 information of my arrival. The consequence was, 

 that every door and window was full of people 

 anxious to get a look at the foreigner. It was 

 perfectly useless to remonstrate or to get angry, 

 so I was all smiles and took everything in good 

 part. Near the centre of the city, and in one of 



