Chap. XVI. 
A DOWNFALL. 
259 
We now crossed the river, which, I believe, here 
divides Fokien from Chekiang. Another high hill was 
before us, and we began to ascend it soon after we had 
crossed the river; and here an accident happened, which, 
had it taken place in the midst of the town through 
which we had just passed, might have been attended 
with disagreeable results. One of the bamboo levers of 
my chair, which I had often thought rather unsound, 
suddenly snapped in two, and the chair came down upon 
the road. This was very annoying, yet I felt thankful 
that it had not occurred while we were within the Tartar 
lines. 
The chair-bearers said they could procure another 
bamboo at some cottages close by, so, leaving Sing-Hoo 
to look after the luggage and broken chair, I went on 
towards the pass, examining the botany of this remark- 
able district by the way. I met again with the pretty 
Spiroea which I had first seen on the western ranges of 
the Bohea mountains. Here also it had chosen its home 
at a high elevation, and was never met with in the val- 
leys, or on the lower sides of the hills. 
When I reached the top of the pass I observed my 
chairmen and coolies far below. They had evidently 
got everything right again, and were coming onward 
as fast as they could. I waited for them on the top of 
the mountain. They said they had been obliged to 
pay the sum of 200 cash for a pair of new bamboos, a 
sum which I told them should be repaid to them at 
the end of their journey. They seemed very much 
pleased, and afterwards showed their gratitude in many 
little ways. 
