Chap. XVIII. 



CHING-HOO. 



313 



a small bustling town, and a place of considerable 

 importance, being at the head of one of the branches 

 of the river which flows into the bay of Hang-chow. 

 All the traffic carried on between the towns near the 

 sea, such as Hang-chow-foo, Shanghae, &c 0 and 

 those on the eastern Bohea mountains, as Pouching- 

 hien, must pass through Ching-hoo. All the basket 

 teas manufactured in the Pouching districts are brought 

 here on their way to the fertile and populous countries 

 in the north-east. 



As soon as we arrived we went to an inn to dine 

 and make inquiries regarding a boat. In this instance 

 I took care to pay the chairbearers and coolie myself, 

 not wishing to have another scene like that at Pou- 

 ching-hien. The men had behaved very well during 

 the journey, so I paid them, in addition to their 

 wages, a small sum for the accident that had hap- 

 pened to the chair ; I also gave them the usual 

 gratuity for wine, or sam-shoo, which they always 

 expect on these occasions. They appeared perfectly 

 satisfied, and, after making many low bows, went their 

 way back to Pouching-hien. 



Sing-Hoo now went out to engage a boat to take 

 us down the river. While he was absent a barber 

 came into the room where I was, and politely asked 

 me if I wanted my head shaved after coming off 

 such a long journey across the mountains. I need 

 scarcely say I begged to decline any attention of this 

 kind. My servant soon came back, bringing a boat- 

 man with him, whom he had engaged to take us down 

 to Nechow, a small town near the mouth of the river. 



