52 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. III. 



of those Hong-mous who were so numerous in Shang- 

 hae. By-and-by the secret began to ooze out, and 

 both boatmen and passengers were taking sly peeps at 

 me when they thought I did not see them. Suspect- 

 ing that all was not right, I called Wang aside, and 

 asked him how it was that I had become all at once 

 such an object of interest. "Oh," he said, "that 

 coolie he too much a fool-o ; he have talkie all that 

 men you no belong this country ; you more better 

 sendie he go away, suppose you no wantye too much 

 bobly." In plain English, he informed me that the 

 coolie was a fool, that he had told all the people that 

 I was a foreigner, and that I had better send him 

 away if I did not wish to have a disturbance. 



It was too true, my secret was such no longer. I 

 felt much inclined to punish the coolie for his con- 

 duct, and he had to thank the peculiar circumstances 

 in which I was placed for getting off " scot free." I 

 believe the poor fellow was sufficiently punished 

 afterwards by his own countrymen, who thought they 

 had him, to a certain extent, in their power. Nothing 

 more occurred worthy of notice until we arrived at 

 the city of Yen-chow-foo, a large town about 380 le 

 from Hang-chow, in latitude 29° 37 12" north, and 

 in longitude 119° 32' 47" east. It is walled and 

 fortified in the same manner as all Chinese towns ; 

 the walls are fully four miles in circumference. It 

 seems an ancient place, but, judging from the small 

 number of boats moored in the river opposite, I 

 should not imagine it of much importance as a place 

 of trade. A considerable quantity of rough lacquered 



