352 



DESCKIPTION OF THE CITY. 



Chap. XVII. 



continued to be in the sweetest possible frame of 

 mind in the midst of the thousands who followed 

 me through the city as if I had been a wild animal 

 or " white devil" indeed. 



As I threaded my way slowly along, in addition 

 to the dense crowds that followed and preceded 

 me, every window and doorway was crowded with 

 curious -looking faces all anxious to get a view of 

 the foreigner. It was curious to mark the varied 

 expression in the different countenances. In some 

 there was a look of contempt, in others wonder 

 was strongly depicted ; but in the vast majority 

 there was wonder mingled with fear, as if I was in 

 reality a being from another world. Keeping on- 

 ward in a northerly direction, and diverging now 

 and then to the right or left, according as an 

 object of interest met my eye, I arrived at last at 

 the north gate of the city. Here I ascended the 

 ramparts in order to get a good view. Outside 

 the walls I observed a large dense suburb, with a 

 pretty pagoda and a canal leading through it in 

 the direction of the T'ai-hu lake. Throwing my 

 eyes over the city, the roofs of the houses seemed 

 nearly all of the same height ; indeed this is a 

 striking characteristic of all Chinese towns which 

 I have visited. One rarely sees any difference in 

 the height of the houses except when a temple, a 

 pagoda, or a watch-tower disturbs the monotony 

 of the view. I believe the Chinese have a strong 

 prejudice against one house being raised higher 

 than the others. 



