vited him to breakfast. I found
him a very interesting person, really an enthusiastic missionary, and
kindly in his feelings towards the Chinese. He wears the Chinese
attire, not as a disguise, but to prevent crowds being attracted by
his appearance. He does not boast of much success in converting, but
the Chinese are very willing to listen to him and to take books. They
approve of all books that inculcate virtue, morality, &c., but they
have no taste for the distinctive doctrines of Christianity. As Yeh
said, when a Bible was presented to him from the Bishop:--'I know that
book quite well, a very good book. It teaches men to be virtuous, like
the Buddhistic books;' and then turning very politely to his captain,
'Will you be good enough to take care of this book till I want it.'

The country in this neighbourhood is very lawless. Burns, a few days
before he was arrested, slept with his two companions, two native
Christians, in a large village. During the night the house he was in
was broken into, and all they had stolen. Nothing remained but a few
of their books, which they carried tied to sticks over their
shoulders. A peasant came up to him and said, 'I see you are not
accustomed to carry loads,' and took his burden and carried it for him
six miles, asking for nothing in return. Other natives bought the
books (they had previously given them gratuitously), and thus they got
money enough to go on with. When they got into this principal town,
and were arrested by the police, the authorities seemed rather to
regret it. They underwent some interrogatories which Burns seems to
have turned into a sort of sermon, for he went at length into
Christian teaching, and the judges listened most complacently. They
confined them in prison, but did everything they could to make Burns
himself comfortable. His companions were not so well treated. He
joined them at one time at his own request, under circumstances
curiously illustrative of Chinese manners. A subordinate of the gaoler
with whom he was lodged died from swallowing opium. The gaoler was at
once held responsible, and his house was mobbed. On which Mr. Burns,
not knowing the cause of the disturbance, asked to rejoin his
companions. He found them shut up in a very loathsome cell, with
several other prisoners; a place something like my Canton prison