Chap. XI. 



LUXUEIES OF A CHINESE INN. 



207 



floor, and the walls besmeared with the remains of 

 tallow and dirt, and a fair idea may be formed of the 

 place in which I was about to pass the night. 



In ordinary circumstances these appearances would 

 have been very discouraging. But I had " counted 

 the cost" of all these things before I began to travel 

 in China. I never expected to find my way strewed 

 with luxuries ; I knew the people were not very 

 remarkable for cleanliness in their dwellings, and 

 I was therefore in some measure prepared for all the 

 inconveniences to which I was subjected. The only 

 way was to make myself as comfortable as the cir- 

 cumstances would admit of. 



I therefore called Sing-Hoo, and desired him to 

 sweep my bedplace before he unpacked my sleeping 

 mat and other articles for the night Whilst this 

 was going on the host informed me that dinner was 

 ready and placed on the table in the centre of the 

 hall. The fare was plain and homely. There was 

 a large basin full of boiled rice, with other smaller 

 ones containing fish, eggs, and pork. The vegetables 

 consisted of cabbages and bamboo. The latter I 

 thought extremely good, and always ordered it during 

 the remainder of our journey. 



I did full justice to the rice, eggs, fish, and bam- 

 boo, and left the other articles for Sing-Hoo, who 

 seemed to enjoy them with equal relish. Dinner 

 being over, the dishes were removed, and tea set 

 upon the table. Our labours for the day being over, 

 pipes were lighted, and the smoke rose in wavy curls 

 to the roof of the inn. 



