150 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. IX. 
road in front of the door. We drank our tea, which I 
found most refreshing, in its pure state without sugar 
and milk. Now and then some one connected with the 
house came round and filled our basins again with boil- 
ing water. This is usually repeated two or three times, 
or until all the strength is drawn out of the leaves. 
Having smoked our pipes and paid two cash each for 
our tea, I got into my chair and resumed my journey. 
The road now led us up between two hills, and a huge 
stone gateway and pass showed me that I was on the 
outskirts of the province of Chekiang, and about to pass 
into Kiang-see. A strong wall, not unlike the ramparts 
of a city, connected the two hills, the gateway being of 
course in the centre of the pass. The whole place had a 
warlike appearance, and there was a mihtary station on 
each side, so that each province might be duly repre- 
sented and duly guarded. These stations were in a 
ruinous condition, and I observed only women and 
children about the houses. In peaceful times the sol- 
diers are, no doubt, permitted to convert the sword into 
the ploughshare, and engage in the cultivation of the land. 
Although small villages and houses for refreshment 
extended, at short intervals, along the whole line of 
road, we rarely passed any town even of moderate size. 
About midday, however, we came to a place consider- 
ably larger than any we had passed — I forget its name 
— and before I knew where I was, I was set down at 
the door of a large inn. Numerous chairs were standing 
at the door, which belonged to travellers who were either 
going the same road as myself, or returning from the 
west to Chang-shan and the other towns in the east. 
