Chap. IX. 
TRAVELLING-CHAIRS. 
147 
On the morning after our arrival we bade adieu to 
our boat and our obliging boatmen, and proceeded on foot 
to one of the inns in the city, in order to hire chairs for 
the next stage of our journey. We did not attract the 
slightest notice as we passed along the streets, and, as 
popularity in my present circumstances was not desirable, 
I confess I felt much pleased at this. When we reached 
the inn the landlord received us with great politeness, 
asked us to be seated, and brought us some tea. In reply 
to our inquiries respecting a chair, he said that those 
he had were uncovered, and pointed to some of them 
which were standing in the entrance-hall. I observed that 
they were exactly like those mountain-chairs which I 
had frequently used amongst the hills near Ning-po, and 
informed him that one of them would answer my pur- 
pose. This chair is a most simple contrivance, and con- 
sists of two long poles of bamboo, with an open seat in 
the middle and a small cross-bar slung from the poles on 
which the feet can rest. The coverlet on which I slept 
was thrown over the seat, and my primitive carriage was 
ready for the journey. 
After breakfast the chair-bearers arrived, and we 
started. A number of other travellers were going and 
returning by the same road as ourselves. Some of 
them had chairs like mine, while others had a light 
framework of bamboo erected over the seat, and covered 
with oil-paper, to afford some protection from the sun and 
rain. I found when too late that it would have been 
much better for me to have had one of these chairs 
instead of the one I was in. It was no use, however, 
now to indulge in vain regrets ; so with a Chinese 
H 2 
