48 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA 
Chap. III. 
CHAPTER III. 
City of Wae-ping — Threatened Attack from Boatmen — A false 
Alarm — A Border Country and a Border Guard — Enter the 
District of Hwuy-chow — The Tea-plant and other Crops — 
A Chinese Play — Ferry-boat and Ladies — Cargo transshipped 
— Two Coffins below my Bed — A Mandarin's Garden — Botany 
of the Hills — My Servant's Advice — Leave the Boat — The 
Opium-smoker outwitted — Town of Tun-che — Its Importance 
in Connection with the Tea-trade — Features of Country, Soil, 
and Productions — First View of Sung-lo-shan. 
On the evening of the 31st of October we reached 
Wae-ping. It is a city of considerable size, walled and 
fortified, and probably contains 150,000 inhabitants. 
This place is just on the borders of the district of 
Hwuy-chow. 
The dispute between Wang and the boatman had not 
been forgotten, and the latter considered this a fitting 
time to have his revenge. During the last two days he 
had been hinting to some of the passengers that he 
intended doing something at Wae-ping. These men 
duly reported to Wang what had been told them, and 
he began to be very much frightened. The rest of the 
Chinamen, with whom he was no favourite, seemed to 
enjoy his fears, and did everything in their power to 
exaggerate the dangers to which he had exposed 
himself He had had several disputes with them also 
