Chap. IX. 



THE FALLS. 



183 



As we were all rather tired with the day's 

 exertions, we felt an inclination to retire early to 

 rest. We had some difficulty in inducing our 

 mandarin friend to leave us, as he was evidently 

 prepared to " make a night of it ;" but as English- 

 men have degenerated very much, and cannot 

 imitate now the noisy drunken squires of the 

 olden time, we gave him sundry hints, which he 

 took at last, and left us to our own meditations. 

 We were now shown into a wretched room in 

 which were placed some five or six bedsteads, 

 on each of which was a dirty straw mat, with 

 some straw below it. The mats and straw were 

 removed by our servants, the rude bedsteads were 

 dusted down, and our own clean things then put 

 in order. Retiring immediately our friend left, 

 we were soon sound asleep. 



We rose early next morning, and as we were 

 dressing by candle-light we heard the clear, loud 

 laugh of Mr. A-chang, who was already dressed 

 and prepared to conduct us to the glen below the 

 falls. After passing the compliments of the morn- 

 ing, he begged a cigar to smoke as we went along. 

 Leaving the falls on our right hand, we crossed 

 the ridge of hills at the end of the glen and 

 descended on the opposite side. When we neared 

 the bottom we obtained a fine view of the falls in 

 all their grandeur. The rocks over which the 

 water came seemed so precipitous that it scarcely 

 touched them until it nearly reached the bottom, 

 some three or four hundred feet below. As we 



