16 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. I. 
consulting the map and fixing my route, I asked if it 
were possible to get to the mouth of the Hang-chow 
river without actually passing through the city itself. 
Both my men informed me that this was quite easy, and 
even protested strongly against my entering the town. 
They said we could go by the See-hoo lake, at which 
place we could leave the Shanghae boat, and then pro- 
ceed on foot or in chairs a distance of 30 le. By this 
means we should merely skirt the town, and attain the 
object we had in view. This plan seemed feasible 
enough. When we reached the suburbs of Hang-chow, 
therefore, not knowing the locality, I naturally supposed 
that we were at See-hoo, which is only a part of the 
suburbs. This, however, was not the case. 
Wang, who had been sent on shore at daybreak to 
procure a chair, and coolies for our luggage, nov/ came 
back and informed me that he had succeeded in arrang- 
ing all this at an inn hard by, to which we must now 
go. Leaving the boat, we walked up a crowded street 
for nearly a quarter of a mile, and then entered the inn 
in question. No one took the slightest notice of me, a 
circumstance which gave me a good deal of confidence, 
and led me to conclude that I was dressed in a proper 
manner, and that I made a pretty good Chinaman. 
Our Shanghae boatmen accompanied us, carrying our 
luggage ; indeed I believe they had recommended us to 
the inn at which we had now arrived. To my astonish- 
ment they at once informed their friend the innkeeper 
that I was a foreigner. Having been paid their fare, 
they had nothing more to expect, and I suppose could 
not contain the secret any longer. I now expected that 
