Chap. IV. VISIT TO A MANDARIN. 73 



Another servant presented himself, bringing a 

 handsome brass pipe with a long bamboo stem, 

 which he presented to his master. My host 

 handed it immediately over to me, and begged I 

 would use it, assuring me at the same time that 

 the tobacco was the best which could be had in 

 Ningpo. I declined the invitation, but took a 

 cigar out of my pocket, and returned the compli- 

 ment which he had just paid me. He informed 

 me he had once tried a cigar, but that it was too 

 strong for him ; so we compromised matters by 

 each smoking what he had been accustomed to — 

 he his long bamboo pipe, and I my cigar. As we 

 sat and sipped our tea — a delicious kind of Hyson 

 Pekoe — he asked me many questions concerning 

 my country and its productions. Our steamers 

 and ships of war he had seen at Mngpo, and he 

 owned they had pleased him greatly. ''To be 

 able to go against wind and tide was certainly 

 very wonderful." But when I told him that by 

 means of balloons we could rise from the earth, 

 and sail through the air, he looked rather in- 

 credulous, and with a smile on his countenance 

 asked me whether any of us had been to the 

 moon. 



While this conversation was going on, a large 

 crowd had assembled in the court, and many of 

 them were pressing into the reception-hall, in 

 which we were seated. The numerous servants 

 and retainers of the mandarin were also inside, 

 and even sometimes took a share in the coiiversa- 



