We now told Li Taotai that we would return to Hankow and seek an explanation of these things there. Besides by going straight back we were really taking' the quickest way of reaching Sungpu. He, however, begged us not to do this, we must not nct rashly. He would go along himself, and speak to the Huangkang magistrate for us, and we could come to his yamen in a little, and learn the result, At all events, we were on no account to leave the place till we heard from him again. I may mention that during all this time we had nothing eat, and what was worse nothing to drink, for the weather was stifling hot, and for a while not even water could be procured for us. But towards the end of our conversation a servant arrived with three small bowls of the commonest crockery each containing alittle mien, and Li Taotai introduced us to the bowls with as much circumstance as if they were a princely spread. "This, sirs, is a present, a present from the Huang-Kang hsien, please eat, please eat." I need not say that hungry though we were, through our not having had anything since pre Jefe Hankow, we did not touch this feast
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.