158 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. IX. 
work again. I knew we had still a long journey before 
us, over many steep and rugged mountains, where our 
baggage had to be carried on the backs of coolies. I had 
reduced my own baggage as much as possible, and had 
already obliged Sing-Hoo to leave all his superfluous 
things at Yen-chow-foo, and now he brought a package 
larger than all we had, and expected me to hire coolies 
to carry it twice across the Bohea mountains, because this 
grass-cloth was a few cash cheaper at Quan-sin-foo than 
at Shanghae or Ning-po ! I really believe such a project 
would never have entered the brain of any one except a 
Chinaman. 
I attempted to reason with him on the folly and im- 
propriety of his conduct, but his excuse was plausible 
enough. " You see,'' said he, " it will be necessary to 
have a coolie to carry our baggage, but we have reduced 
it so much that he will not have half a load. Now the 
carriage of this cloth will not add anything to the ex- 
penses, and the mans load will be properly balanced. 
And,'' added he, with great gravity, " travellers in my 
country who have a goodly portion of luggage are 
always considered more respectable than those who have 
little." 
While this conversation was going on we were sailing 
rapidly down the stream in the direction of Hokow, a 
large town about ninety or a hundred le westward from 
the city of Quan-sin-foo. The valley through which the 
river flows is thickly studded with little hills, and far 
away to the right and left lofty mountains were seen 
rising in all their grandeur. I observed many curious 
rocks, shaped like little hills, but without a vestige of 
