Chap. IV. 



WANG IJST DANGEE. 



67 



CHAPTER IV. 



City of Wae-ping — Threatened attack from boatmen — A false alarm 



— A border country and a border guard — Enter the district of 

 Hwuy-chow — The tea-plant and other crops — A Chinese play — 

 Ferry-boat and ladies — Cargo transshipped — Two coffins below 

 my bed — A mandarin's garden — Botany of the hills — A new 

 plant (Berberis japonica) — My servant's advice — Leave the boat 



— The opium-smoker outwitted — Town of Tun-che — Its im- 

 portance in connection with the tea-trade — Features of country, 

 soil, and productions — First view of Sung-lo-shan. 



On the evening of the 31st of October we reached 

 Wae-ping. It is a city of considerable size, walled and 

 fortified, and probably contains 150,000 inhabitants. 

 This place is just on the borders of the district of 

 Hwuy-chow. 



The dispute between Wang and the boatman had 

 not been forgotten, and the latter considered this 

 a fitting time to have his revenge. During the last 

 two days he had been hinting to some of the pas- 

 sengers that he intended doing something at Wae- 

 ping. These men duly reported to Wang what had 

 been told them, and he began to be very much 

 frightened. The rest of the Chinamen, with whom 

 he was no favourite, seemed to enjoy his fears, and 

 did everything in their power to exaggerate the 

 dangers to which he had exposed himself. He had 

 had several disputes with them also during the journey, 

 and nearly the whole of them bore him a grudge. 



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