Chap. XIV. 



CITY OF YU-YAOU. 



299 



there for the night objected to proceed onwards. 

 They gave as a reason that night was coming on, 

 and they did not know the way after dark. Un- 

 fortunately for their logic it was only about four 

 o'clock in the afternoon, and, consequently, we 

 had four hours of daylight before us. I therefore 

 told them that what they said might be perfectly 

 true — I doubted it myself — yet we could go on 

 until it became dark and then we would stop for 

 the night. To this they demurred for some time, 

 but eventually, by coaxing and threatening, they 

 were induced to proceed onwards. 



Previous to this discussion we had landed and 

 paid a visit to the city. It consists of two por- 

 tions, or rather there" are two cities, one on the 

 south side of the «river and the other on the north. 

 The city on the south side appears to be very an- 

 cient, and is now in ruins ; its walls are broken 

 down and covered with weeds and brushwood. 

 The one on the north side, although old, is of a 

 more modern date, and appeared to be in a flou- 

 rishing condition. Its walls enclose a hill about 

 300 feet in height, on which there is a temple dedi- 

 cated to a minister of state who flourished in the 

 Ming dynasty. In as far as I know, the city is 

 not famous for anything particular in the arts, 

 and we saw nothing of importance as we passed 

 through its streets. 



After passing the city our boats left the main 

 stream and turned into a canal on its left bank. 

 When we had proceeded a few miles along the 



