94 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. VII. 
closed ; and all that dense multitude whicli thronged the 
street by day had sunk into repose. "How shall we 
get through f said my friend. " Shake the gate/' said 
I ; " perhaps the noise will bring some one ; or perchance, 
as it seems pretty old, it may give way." We took hold 
of the gate and gave it a good shake, calling out at the 
same time for some one to come and open it. The 
watchman's light was now seen coming towards us, and 
my friend again called out to him to make haste. At 
last two men with their lanterns came up, in that 
dreamy state which I have already noticed as a charac- 
teristic feature in the Chinese race, and muffled up with 
skins, as the night was very cold. They could not see 
distinctly who were on the other side of the door ; and, 
as we mumbled a word or two of Chinese, they were 
put completely off their guard, and supposed we were 
benighted Chinamen. The bolts were drawn, the door 
opened, and behold, two of the dreaded "red-haired 
race'' stood before them. I shall never forget their 
astonishment when they got their eyes upon us after the 
gate was opened ; and whether they actually believed us 
to be beings of another world, or supposed we had 
■jW^^^^* another army at our back to take the city a second time, 
■Y^-^ ' it is impossible to say, but quick as lightning they both 
' turned their backs and fled, leaving us to shut the gates, 
or admit an army, if we chose. We walked quietly home, 
and neither saw nor heard anjrthing more of the bold 
guardians of the night. 
The city of Shanghae is surrounded with high walls 
and ramparts built upon the same plan as all ot'her 
Chinese fortifications of this kind. The circumference 
