Chap. XI. 
CHING-HU. 
177 
and are, perhaps, the first plants which have been 
brought direct from the Bohea mountains. 
The streams wliich flowed from the sides of the hills 
now ran to the southward, towards the town of Tsong- 
gan-hien, and I was doubtless at one of the many sources 
of the river Min. After travelling about thirty le from 
the pass, we approached a small town named Ching-hu, 
where we intended to remain for the night. We were 
now about seventy le from where we stopped the 
night before, and, as our road had been a steep and 
rugged one during the day, we were tired enough, and 
glad of rest. 
Ching-hu is a small town on the banks of the stream, 
which gradually swells as it glides onward until it 
becomes the noble river we see at Foo-chow-foo. The 
town is built in a ravine, and high, steep hills rise on 
each side of it. As we passed down the main street 
I observed three Canton men taking an evening stroll, 
and apparently admiring the beauty of the situation. 
Calling Sing-Hoo, I desired him to take care not to go 
to the inn where these men were staying, as I was not 
desirous of having any more encounters with natives 
who had been in the towns where foreigners reside. 
It was nearly dark when we reached our inn, a 
building with accommodation for man and beast. The 
latter title refers not to horses, but to pigs, which are 
great favourites with the Chinese, particularly in Fokien. 
The arrangements of the inn were exactly like those of 
the last one, and therefore I need not describe them. 
Tired with the fatigues of the day, I retired early, 
i3 
