ClIAP. IX. 
QUAN-SIN-FOO. 
157 
or inn, recommended by our chairmen, and with which 
they were connected. 
I had no object in remaining long in this town. When 
we reached the Hong-le, therefore, I sent my servant to 
engage a boat to take us on ; and so quickly did he 
manage the business, that in half an hour we had left 
Yuk-shan, and with a fair wind were sailing rapidly 
down the river to the westward. 
Our boat was engaged to take us as far as the city 
of Quan-sin-foo, a distance of ninety or a hundred le ; 
and as the stream was very rapid, we arrived abreast of 
that place early the next morning. It appeared to be 
a fine large city, but a place of little trade. Its walls 
and ramparts seemed in excellent order, and there is a 
pretty bridge of boats across the river ; but I was only 
a short time here, and had no time for minute exami- 
nation. 
Sing-Hoo was now despatched to engage another boat, 
and to lay in the necessary supplies for our journey. He 
remained absent a long time, and when he returned 
excused himself by saying that he had called upon a 
friend and countr3niian of his own, to get information 
regarding our route. I was obliged to content myself 
with this explanation, but was rather surprised to see a 
person come into our boat shortly afterwards, carrying 
two large packages of grass-cloth. These weighed at 
least forty pounds. " To whom does this cloth belong ? " 
I asked. " Oh, it is mine," replied Sing-Hoo ; " this 
cloth is very cheap here, and I want to take it back 
with me to a friend in Shanghae." This was very pro- 
voking : here was the old accumulating propensity at 
