importance and value. Groups of pine-trees were observed scattered over the country. They marked the last resting-places of the dead, and had a pleasing and pretty effect. Amongst these pines I frequently observed the beautiful weeping cypress (Cupressus funebris) which I had discovered in the green-tea country the autumn before. It is certainly a handsome and striking tree.

The camphor-tree is also common in this valley, and so is the tung-eau or oil-tree, which I have already described. Amongst grains, rice is cultivated in the low lands, whilst wheat, barley, millet, and Indian corn are grown on higher elevations, where the land is comparatively dry.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, the stream having become less rapid, we proceeded on our journey. Between Ta-yang and Nan-che we had many rapids to pass, but the wind being fair we made good progress. The next day, about two o'clock, we were within 30 le of Nan-che, and had every prospect of being able to reach it the same evening. A circumstance happened, however, which detained us by the way. We had been sailing quickly up the right side of the river for some time, and, as we had reached a rapid, it was necessary to cross to the other side to it "close in-shore." As soon as we got across, pass four men, who had been concealed behind a bank, suddenly jumped up and seized our boat. A noisy altercation now took place between our crew and the strangers in a dialect which was perfectly unknown to me. I called Sing-Hoo, who, Chinaman like, was

already in the midst of the fray, and asked him what was the matter. He told me that the captain of our boat on a former voyage had bought some rice, for which he had not paid, and that the creditor and some of his friends had come with the determination of getting the money, or, if not, they intended to carry off our sail. This was tantamount to stopping our boat, for we could not stem the current, which was still very strong, if our sail was taken away from us.

When I went out I found two men already on the roof of the boat, unbending and hauling down the sail. The old creditor was standing in the bows, coolly looking on, and watching the progress of his men. Our captain had retired to the stern, where he was quietly smoking his pipe. His wife, however, was not taking things so tranquilly. She was stamping about-I beg her pardon, I ought to say skipping -with her little feet, in a towering rage, now running to the creditor, and now to her husband. At one time she tried to coax, at another to storm, but all was of no avail. 66 Pay me the debt," said the obdurate creditor, "or I must take the sail." She begged him to allow the boat to proceed to Nan-che and deliver the cargo, when the debt should be paid.

66

Ah," said he, "I did that once before, and, instead of paying me, you got a fresh cargo, and ran down to Hang-chow-foo. No, no, you must pay me here, and while I have your sail there is no great danger of your running away." Threats, promises, and coaxing were alike useless, the old man was inex

orable. The sail was unbent, one of the men got it on his shoulders, and our visitors walked away.

This was a serious mishap to me, as I could see no means of getting on to Nan-che. At last SingHoo proposed to walk to the town, and bring down a small boat for me and the luggage. This appeared to be the best plan under the circumstances, so I consented, and he took his departure. The people in the boat did not seem to give themselves much uneasiness about the business. With the exception of the captain and his wife, they all lay down in their berths, and were soon fast asleep.

At daylight on the following morning I was awakened by a noise in the boat, and on opening my eyes I observed the captain standing on the bows and threatening to drown himself in the river. He was held back by his wife and one of his men, who were both entreating him to desist from his purpose and to come inside. He struggled with great violence until he shook them both off, when he commenced deliberately to throw off his clothes. The others looked on in silence, and as he was still intoxicated I fully expected to see him plunge into the stream. When left to himself, however, he seemed to change his mind, and, after looking moodily on the river for a few seconds, he walked quietly into the boat, called for his pipe and began to smoke. Soon afterwards he started for Nan-che to try and raise some money to satisfy his creditor.

About mid-day my servant arrived with a small boat which he had brought to take me on to Nan

che. A dispute now arose between him and the captain's wife about four hundred cash-one shilling and sixpence which he had agreed to pay for the small boat. According to his ideas of justice the proprietors of the large boat were bound either to take us on to Nan-che themselves, or to pay for our conveyance thither. As they did not do the former, he determined to deduct the charge for the small boat from the amount of the bill which was presented for the food with which they had supplied us on our way up. I saw plainly enough we should have a great disturbance if the money was not paid, and advised him to pay it at once. This, however, he strongly protested against, and began getting our luggage out into the small boat. In the mean time the woman declared she would rather go with us than lose her four hundred cash. As good as her word, she scrambled into the small boat, and called to one of her people to hand in her child, a young thing about a year old. The whole scene, to one not concerned, must have been highly amusing. It would have been very inconvenient for me to travel with such baggage, so, to cut the matter short and stop all further proceedings, I ordered Sing-Hoo to pay the money. Our luggage being removed into the small boat, we shoved her off, and by dint of sculling and tracking got up to Nan-che about six o'clock the same evening.

Nan-che, or, as it is sometimes called in the maps, Lanchee, is about 120 le westward from Yen-chowfoo. It is one of the prettiest Chinese towns which

I have seen, and reminded me of an English place more than a Chinese one. The houses are generally two-storied and have a clean and neat appearance. It is built along the banks of the river, and has a picturesque hill behind it: an old tower or pagoda in ruins heightens the general effect of the scene. The town is about two and a half or three miles round, and probably contains about 200,000 inhabitants. The river in front of it is covered with boats, which are constantly plying between it and Yen-chow, Hangchow, and many other towns both to the east and west.

Sing-Hoo was anxious to make a great many purchases in this town. He told me that everything was good which came out of Nan-che, and advised me to lay in a large stock of provisions for the remainder of our journey by water. In the mean time we had engaged another boat to take us to the town of Chang-shan, a city situated near the source of this river, or as far up as it is navigable. By the time this business was settled and our purchases on board it was nearly dark. Having had little to eat during the day, we were hungry and weary enough. Our new boatmen, however, were very kind and attentive to all our wants. An excellent dinner was soon ready, consisting of rice, fish, eggs, and vegetables, added to which we had some of the good things of Nan-che, such as cakes and wine, which had been highly recommended by Sing-Hoo.

The next morning I went on shore to see the town, and also to inspect some gardens in which plants are kept for sale. I had been informed that Nan-che