Chap. II. 



HANG-CHOW-FOO. 



33 



naturally supposed that we were at See-hoo, which 

 is only a part of the suburbs. This, however, was 

 not the case. 



Wang, who had been sent on shore at daybreak to 

 procure a chair, and coolies for our luggage, now 

 came back and informed me that he had succeeded 

 in arranging all this at an inn hard by, to which we 

 must now go. Leaving the boat, we walked up a 

 crowded street for nearly a quarter of a mile, and 

 then entered the inn in question. No one took the 

 slightest notice of me, a circumstance which gave me 

 a good deal of confidence, and led me to conclude 

 that I was dressed in a proper manner, and that I 

 made a pretty good Chinaman. 



Our Shanghae boatmen accompanied us, carrying 

 our luggage ; indeed I believe they had recom- 

 mended us to the inn at which we had now arrived. 

 To my astonishment they at once informed their 

 friend the innkeeper that I was a foreigner. Having 

 been paid their fare, they had nothing more to expect, 

 and I suppose could not contain the secret any 

 longer. I now expected that some difficulties would 

 be experienced in procuring a chair, either through 

 fear of the mandarins, or with the view of extorting 

 money. The old man, who made his living by let- 

 ting chairs and selling tea, took everything very 

 quietly, and did not seem to despise a good customer, 

 even if he was a foreigner. A chair was soon ready 

 for me to proceed on my journey. The bearers were 

 paid by the master of the house to take me one 

 stage — about half way — and a sum of money was 



D 



