Chap. VII. 
CANALS OF CHINA. 
99 
complete network of rivers and canals. These were 
often most annoying to me in my travels over the 
country, when I happened to get off the Emperor's 
highway, a circumstance of no rare occurrence. I have 
often been obliged to press a boat into my service much 
against the will of the owners, more particularly when I 
visited this region for the first time, because I was then 
unacquainted with the localities, and the Chinese always 
seemed to fear I might take, or rob, their boats if I suc- 
ceeded in getting into them, such were the opinions 
formed of foreigners at that time. 
One day, in particular, I had been a considerable 
distance inland to the westward of Shanghae, and on 
my return, by some means or other, I got off the beaten 
track, and in pursuing my way, as I supposed in the 
proper direction, I was "brought up" by a large and 
deep canal. About two miles from where I stood I 
saw a bridge, and, as it was nearly dark, I made for it 
as fast as I could. Unluckily, however, just as I thought 
my difficulties were over, being within gunshot of the 
bridge, I was again stopped by another canal, which 
crossed the former one at right angles. I was now com- 
pletely brought to a stand-still, but in a few minutes I 
perceived a boat approaching, and a man tracking it on 
the same side as that on which we were. As soon as it 
came near, we called out to the men on board to pull 
the boat towards us, and allow us to get across to 
the other side. They seemed much frightened and, after 
making the man who was tracking the boat come on 
board, they pulled her into the middle of the canal, and 
then sculled away with all their might. They would 
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