80 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. VI. 
CHAPTER VI. 
Eemarks on the Chinese Language — Ice-houses near . Ning-po 
described — Their Simplicity and Utility — Novel Modes of 
Fishing — Fishing Cormorants met with — Their Actions de- 
scribed — Two Pair purchased — Account of their Food and 
Habits. 
In sailing up the river towards Ning-'po I observed a 
great number of thatched houses, and desired my Chinese 
servant to go to the boatman and inquire what they were. 
He went immediately to the man at the helm, and, 
after a conversation of at least ten minutes' duration, 
came back hanging his head, and slunk away without 
reporting the result of his inquiries. " Well," said I, 
" what is the use of all these houses which we now see 
on the shore ? " With all the gravity in the world, he 
replied that the boatman said they were places built to 
keep Chinese soldiers in during the cold winter months. 
" Nonsense," said I, " they cannot fill all these places 
with soldiers.'' " Well," said he, ^^he have talkie my so 
fashion.'' As I could not conceive this to be true, I 
went to the man myself, and, with the little knowledge 
of the language which I then possessed, soon found out 
that the buildings in question were ice-houses, for which 
commodity, he informed me, there was a great demand 
during the summer months. This shows that the Chi- 
nese language differs so much in different provinces. 
