Chap. XV. WAY TO MANAGE CHINESE CROWDS. 327 



near the west gate, I warned my friends of the 

 unruly mob which we would probably find out- 

 side the walls, and begged them to endeavour, if 

 possible, not to lose temper. There is nothing 

 more dangerous than losing one's temper with a 

 Chinese rabble. Keep in good humour, laugh and 

 joke with them, and all will go on well ; they may 

 be noisy and boisterous in their mirth, but gene- 

 rally they will do nothing further to annoy you ; 

 but once lose temper, and show that you are 

 angry either by word or deed, and ten to one you 

 will soon find yourself in a dangerous position. 

 There are more than one whom business or other 

 matters has made a sojourner in the Celestial 

 Empire, who can bear witness to the truth of this 

 statement. 



When we landed from our boats a large crowd 

 collected around us and followed us into the city, 

 increasing as we went along. Every now and 

 then a little urchin ran past to give warning on 

 ahead, so that we found the whole street aware of 

 our approach, and every door and window crowded 

 with anxious faces. All went on quite well, how- 

 ever, although the crowd contained some mis- 

 chievous-looking fellows in its ranks. When we 

 entered a shop the scene outside was quite fearful. 

 The street was very narrow and literally crammed 

 with human beings, all anxious to see us and to 

 find out what we were buying. In more than one 

 instance the pressure was so great as to endanger 

 the fronts of the shops ; and, anxious as the 



