106 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. VII. 
around me, " who can show me the way to the nearest 
flower-garden, where I can purchase some flowers 
" Lyloe, lyloe," * said half a dozen of them at once, and 
I found, to my surprise and pleasure, that I was almost 
close to the gate of a very good nursery belonging to an 
individual who had a flower-shop in the city, and "svith 
whom I had had the conversation related above. It was 
now getting too dark to see the plants well, but I 
marked the spot, and returned on the following day. 
This time, however, I was not successful ; for, as I 
approached, a boy, who was on the watch, scampered 
away to the gardener's house and gave notice of my 
appearance ; and long before I reached the gate it was 
closed and barricaded, and no persuasion nor entreaty 
could remove their fears or induce them to allow me to 
enter. The next day, and the next again, the very same 
thing took place, although I took different roads, in the 
hopes of finding the young sentinel olf his guard. I was 
now obliged to have recourse to other means to gain my 
end. Her Majesty's consul. Captain Balfour, had from 
the first taken great interest in the success of my pur- 
suits, and kindly offered me every assistance in his 
power, should I find any difliculties in my way. I there- 
fore related the circumstance to him, and requested him 
to allow one of the Chinese officers attached to the 
consulate to accompany me to the garden, and explain 
that my object was to purchase plants, and not to take 
anything away against their will. From our experience 
of Chinese character, we were well aware that, if this 
were properly explained, the poor people, whose liveli- 
* " Come, come." 
