of a fellow of about his own age. Aling was his name; Charley used to
call him Ting-a-ling, and would jabber horrible Chinese to him by the
hour. Aling jumped down the steps, two at a time, with Charley's
traveling bag; but Aho, more sedate and dignified, marched after him;
Charley and I joined Akong in the front of the boat, and with a chorus
of "chin-chins" from the coolies and house-servants left behind, and
the explosion of a pack of fire-crackers to propitiate the river
dragon, the boat was shoved from the jetty, the sail hoisted, and we
were soon slowly stemming the broad current of the Yang Tsze. On our
right was Hankow, with its million or more inhabitants, the hum of the
great city following us for miles; and the mouth of the Han, its
surface so covered with junks that their masts resembled a forest, and
only a narrow lane of water was left for the passage of boats. Just
beyond the Han was Han Yang, once a fine city, but now in ruins, one of
the results of the Tae-ping rebellion. Across the Yang Tsze, here a
mile wide, was Wuchang, the residence of the viceroy of the Hupeh
province. This place was supposed to be closed to foreigners, but
Charley and I had made many a secret visit, and had some rare sport
among the curiosity shops, with occasionally an adventure of a less
pleasing description, about which I should like to tell you if I had
time.

Rapidly we passed the suburbs of these cities, and drawing over to the
south bank, as the wind was light, the crew were ordered ashore, and
stretching themselves along a tow-rope extending from the mast-head,
the boat was soon moving quite rapidly. And that reminds me that I have
not yet described our boat. These boats, used by the gentry in
transporting themselves about the country, are almost like Noah's ark
on a small scale--a boat with a house running almost the entire length
of the deck, with little latticed windows on the outside, and the