CHAPTER IV. City of Wae-ping-Threatened attack from boatmen A false alarm A Chinese play A border country and a border guard - Enter the district of Hwuy-chow - The tea-plant and other crops Ferry-boat and ladies my bed Cargo transshipped Two coffins below A new A mandarin's garden - Botany of the hills plant (Berberis japonica) - My servant's advice Leave the boat -The opium-smoker outwitted Town of Tun-che Its importance in connection with the tea-trade Features of country, soil, and productions First view of Sung-lo-shan. - On the evening of the 31st of October we reached Wae-ping. It is a city of considerable size, walled and fortified, and probably contains 150,000 inhabitants. This place is just on the borders of the district of Hwuy-chow.. The dispute between Wang and the boatman had not been forgotten, and the latter considered this a fitting time to have his revenge. During the last two days he had been hinting to some of the passengers that he intended doing something at Waeping. These men duly reported to Wang what had been told them, and he began to be very much frightened. The rest of the Chinamen, with whom he was no favourite, seemed to enjoy his fears, and did everything in their power to exaggerate the dangers to which he had exposed himself. He had had several disputes with them also during the journey, and nearly the whole of them bore him a grudge. Things were in this very unsatisfactory state when we reached the city of Wae-ping. It was about eight o'clock in the evening, and quite dark, when we moored our boat close under the city walls. The boatmen went on shore, as they did every evening when we happened to stop near a town. One or two of their number, who had been left to take care of the boat, tired with the labours of the day, lay down to sleep, and the greater part of the passengers followed their example. I now observed my two men in close conversation, but as this was a matter of frequent occurrence I paid little attention to the matter. Tired with my day's rambles, I lay down upon my bed, and allowed my thoughts to wander to far distant lands. My meditations were gradually merging into dreams when I felt a hand touch me, and a voice, which I knew to be Wang's, informed me that I must not go to sleep. When I asked the reason, he informed me that he had just discovered that the boatmen had entered into a conspiracy against us, and that we were all to be drowned that night in the river. "They have now gone into the town to get some of their friends to assist them," said he, “and they are only waiting until they think we are fast asleep." I scarcely knew what to think of the business. We were now about three hundred miles from either Shanghae or Ning-po, the night was very dark, and if the threatened attempt should be made we had little chance of receiving any assistance from others. But I could not allow myself to believe that in the interior of this country, where the people were generally quiet and harmless, an act of the kind could be committed with impunity. I therefore did not get up as Wang wished, but told him that I should take care to remain awake. The city of Wae-ping stands on the high banks of the Hwuy-chow river. One of the gates was visible to us owing to a blaze of light thrown over it by the torches and lanterns of the Chinese. An inclined. plane, which formed the road, reached from the river up to the gate, and was visible from the boat. As all the Chinese carry lanterns, it was easy for us to see those who came out of the city and descended towards the river. The evening, although dark, was perfectly still, so that the slightest noise could be distinctly heard at a considerable distance. At last the city gate opened, and about a dozen men came out, each carrying a lantern, and descended the hill towards the boat. "Get up, get up! quick, quick!" said my servant, "for here they come." I jumped up immediately, and waited for the threatened attack with all the composure I could command. My two Chinamen appeared in a state of great alarm, and kept as close to me as they possibly could. At last the foremost man in the band approached, and, jumping lightly on board, peeped in at the door of our boat. "Hilloa! what do you want?" cried both of my men at the same time. The fellow gave a grin, said he did not want us, and jumped from our boat to another which lay alongside. His companions also disappeared amongst the surrounding boats, and left us unmolested. "Now, do you see that?" said Wang; "you would not believe me when I told you that they intended to seize and drown us; but had we not been awake and fully prepared, it would soon have been all over with us." I must confess I felt a little shaken in my opinion, and scarcely knew what to think of the business. The whole scene, to a looker-on who could have foreseen the result, would have been highly amusing, but it appeared to be much too serious for me to enjoy it. None of the other passengers were asleep, although they were all in bed, and they kept up a whispering conversation, which seemed ominous and suspicious. I felt quite certain that no assistance would be rendered us by them; on the contrary, it was not impossible that they would turn against us and assist the boatmen. About half an hour after the first alarm the city gate was again opened, and some men were observed coming down the hill with lanterns, as the former ones had done. This time it proved to be the missing boatmen, who were supposed to be concocting a conspiracy with their friends inside the city. When they came on board they tried to look astonished at the state in which they found us. They laughed at Wang, and said they had no intention of drowning him. He quietly told them that he did not believe them, and, turning to me, said he was sure they still meditated an attack. The fellows now lay down to sleep, and requested us to put out our lantern and do the same. This, however, my servants would not consent to do, as they firmly believed that the sleep of the boatmen was only feigned. We were in this state of excitement from eight o'clock in the evening until three next morning. Long before this time the boatmen seemed to be sound asleep. The night was perfectly calm, and the only sound which I heard was the clank of waterwheels, similar to those of the machines I have already described, several of which were moored on the rapids opposite the city. The walls and ramparts of the old town loomed black and prison-like in the darkness, but everything was perfectly quiet, and the whole place seemed sunk in deep sleep. I felt very much inclined to go to sleep myself. myself. This, however, my men remonstrated against, and I was obliged to keep them company for an hour longer. At the end of that time, nothing having happened to keep up the excitement, I felt cold and sleepy-so much so, that no persuasion could keep me awake. Telling Wang to call me if anything suspicious occurred, I lay down without undressing, and was soon dreaming of robbers, boatmen, and water-wheels. When I awoke I found that it was daylight, and that we were under way, and proceeding rapidly up the stream. Fifteen of our men were on shore, tracking the boat; the cook was busily employed making preparation for our morning meal, and everything was going on in the usual way, as if nothing had happened to disturb us. My own men, wearied with watching, had fallen into a sound sleep, and |