Chap. XTI. 



CHINESE COUNTRY FAIR. 



247 



navigable for boats of any size ; and here I deter- 

 mined to leave my boat, and make excursions into 

 the surrounding country. It so happened that I 

 arrived on the eve of a fair, to be held next day 

 in the little town in which I had taken up my 

 quarters. As I walked through the streets in the 

 evening of my arrival great preparations were evi- 

 dently making for the business and gaieties of the 

 following day. The shop-fronts were all decorated 

 with lanterns ; hawkers were arriving from all 

 parts of the surrounding country, loaded with 

 wares to tempt the holiday folks ; and as two 

 grand theatrical representations were to be given, 

 one at each end of the town, on the banks of the 

 little stream, workmen were busily employed in 

 fitting up the stages and galleries, — the latter being 

 intended for the accommodation of those who gave 

 the play and their friends. Everything was going 

 on in the most good-humoured way, and the people 

 seemed delighted to see a foreigner amongst them, 

 and were all perfectly civil and kind. I had many 

 invitations to come and see the play next night ; 

 and the general impression seemed to be, that I 

 had visited the place with the sole intention of 

 seeing the fair. 



Eetiring early to rest, I was up next morning 

 some time before the sun, and took my way into 

 the country to the westward. Even at that early 

 hour — 4 A.M. — the country-roads were lined with 

 people pouring into the town. There were long 

 trains of coolies, loaded with fruits and vegetables ; 



