ai; {103} he took with him
Swiss watches to the value of 40,000 francs (1,600 pounds), and, in
speaking to a friend, congratulated himself on the cautious manner
he had packed them up, without letting his servants know anything
about it. This, however, could not have been the case: and, as the
pirates have spies among the servants in every house, they were
unfortunately but too well acquainted with the circumstance.

During my stay in Canton, the house of a European was pulled down by
the populace, because it stood upon a piece of ground which, though
Europeans were allowed to occupy, they had not hitherto built upon.

In this manner there was hardly a day that we did not hear of acts
of violence and mischief, so that we were in a continual state of
apprehension, more especially as the report of the near approach of
a revolution, in which all the Europeans were to perish, was
everywhere bruited about. Many of the merchants had made every
preparation for instant flight, and muskets, pistols, and swords
were neatly arranged ready for use in most of the counting-houses.
Luckily, the time fixed for the revolution passed over, without the
populace fulfilling its threats.

The Chinese are cowardly in the highest degree; they talk very large
when they are certain they have nothing to fear. For instance, they
are always ready to stone, or even kill, a few defenceless
individuals, but if they have to fear any opposition, they are sure
not to commence the attack. I believe that a dozen good European
soldiers would put to flight more than a hundred Chinese. I myself
never met with a more dastardly, false, and, at the same time, cruel
race, in my life; one proof of this is, that their greatest pleasure
consists in torturing animals.

In spite of the unfavourable disposition of the populace, I ventured
out a good deal. Herr von Carlowitz was untiring in his kindness to
me, and accompanied me everywhere, exposing himself to many dangers
on my account, and bearing patiently the insults of the populace,
who followed at our heels, and loudly expressed their indignation at
the boldness of the European woman in thus appearing in public.
Through his assistance, I saw more than any woman ever yet saw in
China.

Our first excursion was to the celebrated Temple of Honan, which is
said to be one of the finest in China.

This temple is surrounded by numerous out-buildings, and a large
garden enclosed with a high wall. You first