Chap. VIT. 
FOO-CHOW. 
113 
come who may. In other cities of less note— such, for 
example, as Shanghae or Ning-po — a few cash will 
always get them opened, at least until a very late hour. 
The Chinese, however, have always some way of 
evading any very stringent regulation. Here they 
had a mode of getting in and out of the city which 
was rather amusing, and, strange to say, they ^vere 
assisted in it by the officers of Government, and no 
doubt the system was well known to the magistrates of 
the city. 
When dinner was over Mr. Compton and myself 
walked leisurely down to the city gate, and found it 
closed for the night. The Chinese, seeing what had 
happened, good-naturedly pointed to the ramparts on 
one side, and informed us that if we went there we 
should find a way to get out. Following their directions 
we were soon on the ramparts, where a most curious and 
amusing scene presented itself A ladder was placed at 
the foot of the wall opposite one of the embrasures, by 
which numerous men were ascending and descending 
like a hive of bees. One of the guards was evidently 
reaping a rich harvest, for each man had to pay a 
few cash for the use of the ladder. Following in the 
train of the Chinamen, I descended the ladder, greatly 
to the astonishment of the celestial guardsman, who 
little expected a " quang-yang "* by this convenient 
route. 
After spending a few days more in Foo-chow, and 
procuring some tea-plants from the hills in the vicinity, 
I was anxious to proceed onwards to Ning-po and 
* The name given to foreigners here. 
