144 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. VIII. 



in them, just as we in England do in the hackney 

 cabs of our large towns. 



The gates of the city are always locked soon after 

 dark, and the keys taken to the house of one of the 

 high mandarins. When I had been in the city on 

 former occasions, I had always hurried out before 

 nightfall, for fear of being locked in, for here the 

 gates, when once closed, are never opened until 

 morning, come who may. In other cities of less 

 note — such, for example, as Shanghae or Ning-po — 

 a few cash will always get them opened, at least 

 until a very late hour. 



The Chinese, however, have always some way 

 of evading any very stringent regulation. Here they 

 had a mode of getting in and out of the city which 

 was rather amusing, and, strange to say, they were 

 assisted in it by the officers of Government, and no 

 doubt the system was well known to the magistrates 

 of the city. 



When dinner was over Mr. Compton and myself 

 walked leisurely down to the city gate, and found it 

 closed for the night. The Chinese, seeing what had 

 happened, good-naturedly pointed to the ramparts on 

 one side, and informed us that if we went there 

 we should find a way to get out. Following their 

 directions we were soon on the ramparts, where a 

 most curious and amusing scene presented itself. A 

 ladder was placed at the foot of the wall opposite one 

 of the embrasures, by which numerous men were 

 ascending and descending like a hive of bees. One 

 of the guards was evidently reaping a rich harvest, 



