272 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XVII. 
them the usual gratuit}? for wine, or sam-shoo, which 
they always expect on these occasions. They appeared 
perfectly satisfied, and, after making many low bows, 
went their way back to Pouching-hien. 
Sing-Hoo now went out to engage a boat to take us 
down the river. While he was absent a barber came 
into the room where I was, and politely asked me if I 
wanted my head shaved after coming off such a long jour- 
ney across the mountains. I need scarcely say I begged 
to decline any attention of this kind. My servant soon 
came back, bringing a boatman with him, whom he had 
engaged to take us down to Nechow, a small town near 
the mouth of the river. 
As I glided smoothly and quickly down the river I 
looked upon the difficulties and dangers of my journey 
as at an end. Although between two and three hundred 
miles to the westward of any of the ports at which 
foreigners reside, yet the river seemed like an old 
friend who had met me at Ching-hoo to carry me safely 
home. 
Nothing further happened to damp the pleasure of 
my journey. On my way down I paid another visit to 
the pretty towTi of Nan-che ; I also stopped a day at 
Yen-chow-foo to procure some plants of the weeping 
cypress for Mr. Beale's garden at Shanghae, and arrived 
at last at Nechow. 
The route which I had now before me has been 
already fully described. I arrived at Shanghae in due 
time, having been absent on this long journey nearly 
three months. Although I had been eating with chop- 
