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80 later last night, or come in the morning. The town is large, long, and straggling, being nearly two miles from one end to the other, so this took me some time.

"I gained no information, so I set off for Hai-ning Chau, wearied and footsore, in the full heat of the sun. The journey (25 li) took me a long time; but a village half-way, Shih-sing, afforded a resting-place and a cup of tea, of both of which I gladly availed myself. When about to leave it, a shower of rain came on, heavy but short. The delay occasioned by this, enabled me to address a few words to the people.

"The afternoon was far spent before I approached the northern suburb of Hai-ning Chau, where I commenced enquiring, but heard no tidings of my servant or things. I was told that outside the East Gate I should be more likely to hear of them, as it was there the sea-junks called; I therefore proceeded thither, and sought for them outside the Little East Gate, but in vain. Very weary, I sat down in a tea-shop to rest; and while there, a number of persons from one of the Ya-muns (mandarins' offices) came in, and made enquiries as to who I was, where I had come from, &c., &c. On learning the object of my search, one of the men in the tea-shop said, 'A bamboo box and a bed, such as you describe, were carried past here about half-an-hour ago; the bearer seemed to be going towards either the Great East, or the South Gate: you had better go to the hongs there and enquire.' I asked him to accompany me in the search, and promised to reward him for his trouble; but he would not. Another man offered to go with me, so we set off together, and both inside and outside the two gates made diligent enquiries, but in vain. I then engaged a man to make a thorough search, promising him a liberal reward if he should be successful. In the meantime I had some dinner, and addressed a large concourse of people who had gathered together.

"When he returned from a fruitless search, I said to him, 'I am quite exhausted—will you help me to find quarters for the night, and then I will pay you for your trouble?' He said, 'Yes' and we set off in search of lodgings. At the first place or two at which we enquired, they would not receive me—for though on our first enquiring they seemed willing to do so, the presence of a man who followed us, and who, I found, was engaged in one of the Ya-muns, seemed to alarm them, and I was refused. We now went to a third place, and being no longer followed by the Ya-mun people, we were promised quarters: some tea was brought, and I paid the man who had accompanied me for his trouble. Soon after he was gone, some of the people of the Ya-mun came in; they soon went away, but the result of their visit was, that I was told I could not be entertained there. A young man blamed them for their heartless behaviour, and said to me, 'Never mind, come with me, and if we cannot get better lodgings for you, you shall sleep at our house.'

"I went with him, but we found the people of his house unwilling to receive me. Weary and footsore, so that I could scarcely put one foot before the other, I had again to seek quarters, and at length got promise of them; but some people collecting about the door, they desired me to go to a tea-shop and wait there till the people had retired, or they would be unable to accommodate me. There was no help for it, so we went and waited till past midnight; then we left for the promised resting-place, but my conductor would not find it; he led me about to another part of the city, and finally, between i and 2 a.m., left me to pass the night as well as I could.

"I was opposite a temple, but it was closed; so I lay down on the stone steps in front of it, and putting my money under my head for a pillow, should soon have been asleep in spite of the cold, had I not perceived a person coming stealthily towards me. As he approached, I saw he was one of the beggars so common in China, and I had no doubt his intention was to rob me of my money. I did not stir, but watched his movements, and looked to my not to leave me in this time of trial. The man came up, looked at me for some time to assure himself I was asleep (it was so dark he could not see that my eyes were fixed on him), and then began to feel about me gently. I said to him in the quietest tone, but so as to