The morning was bright, the view was splendid. This lake might rank with some in Cumberland for beauty. The breakfastless passengers were cheered—but most with the prospect of " speedy push-ff. 'A sailing boat came from Yanghsin in fine style. It was hailed, and all but a few of the passengers clambered over and stood or squatted upon it, to lighten the launch. "All hands" jumped into the shal lows. with poles, to dig or push. while the propeller worked "full speed astern." A half an hour thus.
But it was no use. The bulk of the passengers, including the fast set" elected to go back to the town whener they came, with the favourable wind to speed them.
The rest of us waited in hope of another boat passing. Cargo-boats there were, but no Aua-for (or sampan) till 11 o'clock. At length one came along, apparently empty; but containing a passenger who refused to budge. He had called the boat, and he was going in it. In the end, however, he yielded to suasion—he could take the next to come along. The captain then bargained with the boatman to take "eight of us" to Yanghsin, in face of a contrary wind, for 2,000 cash' And he agreed. The "eight of us" turned out to be sixteen. He and his mate protested, but quite goodhumouredly.
80 I was stowed in a small Anastezr amongst fifteen others, with seventeen miles to go in the teeth of the wind. And although most of them had had nothing to eat since the mid-day before, we made s genial company; with 'a strong "touch of nature" that made us "akin."
The Inner Man.
"Worse troubles in war-time for walking. And I needed to walk off a head-ache. A townsman of Yanghsin asked if I would accept his company—the journey was a full nine miles. With and hearty wishes on we two said the canivalent of an revoir to the rest.
And on reaching the city ut five o'clock, felt all the better for the exercise.
Half-an-hour later the launch announced its arrival by whistling—it had managed to get free after we bad all gone, with our baggage. And my coolie and luggage arrived about six.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.