24 



CHINESE PILGRIMS. 



Chap. 11. 



by the sounds of hundreds of voices, some talking, 

 others screaming at their loudest pitch, and the 

 shrill tones of the women were heard far above 

 those of the men. Half-awake as I was at first, I 

 almost thought I had fallen in with a party of 

 Tai-ping- Wang's army ; but my servants and the 

 boatmen soon set me right on that point, by 

 informing me the multitudes in question were on 

 their way to Ah-yuh-Wang, or Ayuka's temple, 

 to worship and burn incense at its shrines. To 

 fall asleep again was now out of the question, 

 owing to the noise and excitement by which I 

 was surrounded. I therefore got up and dressed, 

 and took a seat on the roof of my boat, when I 

 had a moonlight view of what was going on 

 around me. Every boat seemed crowded with 

 pilgrims, the greater part by far consisting of 

 well-dressed females, all in their holiday attire. 

 As daylight dawned the view became more dis- 

 tinct. Each boat was now brought close to the 

 banks of the canal, in order that the passengers 

 might be able to get on shore. I pitied the ladies, 

 poor things ! with their small cramped feet, for it 

 was with great difficulty they could walk along 

 the narrow plank which connected the boat with 

 the bank of the canal. But the boatmen and other 

 attendants were most gallant in rendering all the 

 assistance in their power, and the fair sex were for 

 the most part successful in reaching " terra firma" 

 without any accident worth relating. Numerous 

 chair-bearers and chairs lined the banks of the 



