80 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. V. 
I then desired him to say no more to me on this subject, 
and walked away. 
This treatment produced exactly the effect which I 
intended it should do, and in a few minutes old Wang 
returned, and coolly asked me what sum I was willing 
to give for the hire of the boat. " What is the use of 
your asking that question?" I replied: "you tell me 
you have engaged a boat at twenty-four dollars ; if I 
take the boat I must of course pay this sum ; if not, I 
only forfeit the bargain-money which you say you have 
paid.'' " Never mind that,'' said he ; " tell me what 
sum you can give for the hire of this boat, and then we 
shall see whether it is sufficient or not." " Well," said 
I, " I must reach Ning-po for twenty dollars, and I 
know that sum is quite sufficient for the journey." 
"Very well," he replied with the greatest coolness; 
"give fifteen for this boat from Tun-che to Nechow, 
and I will guarantee that the other five shall take you 
on to Ning-po." This was agreed to on my part, and 
the business was apparently arranged to Mr. Wang's 
satisfaction ; and no wonder ; for, having kept the chop, 
which I afterwards got translated at Ning-po, I found 
that five dollars, instead of twenty-four, was the sum 
charged for the boat to Nechow ; so that the Wangs 
had, after all, made ten by the transaction. 
Such is the character of the Chinese. They have no 
idea of telling the truth unless it suits their interests to 
do so ; in fact I used often to think that they rather pre- 
ferred lying unless it was against their interests. 
All our arrangements being complete, the seeds put 
up, and the plants packed, I hired a chair, and on the 
