6 



A SUNKEN VILLAGE. 



Chap. 1. 



A day or two after the earthquake took place a 

 report was current amongst the natives that a large 

 tract of ground, on which a populous village stood, 

 had sunk down into the bowels of the earth, carry- 

 ing with it the whole of the people, and that the 

 spot was now marked by a large pool of water. 

 This report was repeated to me in the country at a 

 considerable distance from Shanghae, and seemed 

 to be generally believed by the inhabitants. An 

 old nursery-gardener, from whom I was in the 

 habit of purchasing plants, informed me the village 

 in question had been full of bad people, and that 

 this was no doubt a judgment from heaven on 

 account of their sins. I hinted that there might be 

 some danger to his own property and to the city 

 of Shanghae ; but the old man told me my fears 

 were groundless. 



Being anxious to verify the reports of the 

 Chinese by a personal examination of the place, 

 I determined to pay it a visit. Mr. Forbes, 

 American Consul at Canton, and Mr, Shortrede, 

 editor of the ' China Mail,' agreed to accompany 

 me. I had been told the spot was distant from 

 Shanghae some thirty miles up the river, and in a 

 south-westerly direction, but the more minute my 

 inquiries were the greater difficulty I had in finding 

 out the exact locality. In the mean time all our 

 arrangements had been made except the hiring of 

 boats, and we had agreed to start on the following 

 morning. I had an excellent servant, a man who 

 had travelled with me for several years, and whose 



