mon with the more celebrated
establishment in the province of Chan-Si, the Lamasery of the Five
Towers. It derives this appellation from a handsome square tower with
five turrets, one, very lofty, in the centre and one at each angle.

Just beyond this the broad street terminated, and there was no exit but a
narrow lane running right and left. We turned down what seemed the least
dirty of these, but soon found ourselves in a liquid slough of mud and
filth, black, and of suffocating stench--we had got into the Street of
the Tanners. We advanced slowly and shudderingly, for beneath the mire
lay hid, now a great stone, over which we stumbled, now a hole, into
which we sank. To complete our misfortune, we all at once heard before
us deafening cries and shouts, indicating that along the tortuosities of
the lane in which we were horsemen and carts were about to meet us. To
draw back, or to stand aside, were equally impossible, so that our only
resource was to bawl on our own account, and, advancing, take our chance.
At the next turning we met the cavalcade, and something extremely
disagreeable seemed threatening us, when, upon sight of our camels, the
horses of the other party took fright, and, turning right round, galloped
off in utter confusion, leaving the way clear before us. Thus, thanks to
our beasts of burden, we were enabled to continue our journey without
giving the way to any one, and we at last arrived, without any serious
accident, in a spacious street, adorned on each side with fine shops.

We looked about for an inn, but fruitlessly; we saw several inns, indeed,
but these were not of the kind we sought. In the great towns of Northern
China and Tartary each inn is devoted to a particular class of
travellers, and will receive no other. "The Corndealers' Arms" inn, for
example, will not admit a horse dealer, and so on. The inns which devote
themselves to the entertainment of mere travellers are called the taverns
of the Transitory Guests. We were pausing, anxiously looking about for
one of these, when a young man, hastening from an adjacent shop, came up
to us: "You seek an inn, gentlemen travellers," said he; "suffer me to
guide you to one; yet I scarcely know one in the Blue City worthy of you.
Men are innumerable here, my Lords Lamas; a few good, but, alas! most
bad. I speak it from my heart. In the Blue City you would with
difficulty find one man who is guided by his conscience; yet conscience
is a t