298 



INLAND JOURNEY. 



Chap. XIY. 



trict until the autumn I determined to pay a visit 

 to tlie great silk country of Hoo-cliow, and to tlie 

 hills on the western side of the plain of the Yang- 

 tse-kiang, a country which was entirely new to me. 

 My two friends had employed their time well dur- 

 ing the few days they had to spare about Ningpo. 

 They had visited the snowy valley and waterfalls, 

 and various other places of interest which I have 

 already noticed in these pages, and they were now 

 ready to go northward to Shanghae. 



In leaving Ningpo for Shanghae we determined 

 to take the inland route, via Kan-poo (or Cam-poo), 

 a town situated on the shores of the bay of Hang- 

 chow, and about midway between that city and the 

 seaport of Chapoo. Having engaged boats we left 

 Ningpo with the first of the flqod-tide and pro-- 

 ceeded up the northern branch of the river in the 

 direction of the ancient city of Yu-yaou. 



In our passage up the river there was nothing 

 seen worthy of particular notice. We were fa- 

 voured with a fair wind between Ningpo and Yu- 

 yaou, and reached that city in about twenty-four 

 hours from the time of starting. As our boatmen 

 expected to be paid back-fare, and as that fare 

 would be allowed them for the same number of 

 days taken to accomplish our journey, they had no 

 interest in getting quickly onward. On the con- 

 trary, they looked on the fair wind we had ex- 

 perienced as a great misfortune. We reached Yu- 

 yaou several hours before nightfall, but our boat- 

 men having evidently made up their minds to stay 



