it is not lawful for strangers to pass through the town of
Ning-Hia without a passport." Instead of replying we called the
innkeeper and desired him to write upon a small piece of paper, his name
and that of his inn. Our demand greatly surprised him. "What is the
good of this writing? what are you going to do with it?" "We shall soon
have need of it. We are going to the great tribunal, to inform the
Mandarin that three thieves have sought to rob us in your inn." At these
words the three collectors of passports took to their heels; the landlord
loaded them with imprecations, and the mob, who were already assembled in
great numbers, laughed heartily. This little adventure caused us to be
treated with especial respect. Next morning, ere day had dawned, we were
awakened by a terrible noise, which arose all at once in the court-yard
of the inn. Amid the confusion of numerous voices that seemed in violent
dispute, we distinguished the words, "Stinking Tartar--camel--tribunal."
We hastily dressed ourselves, and proceeded to investigate the nature of
this sudden uproar, with which it struck us we had something to do, and
so it turned out; our camels had devoured, in the course of the night,
two cart-loads of osiers which were in the yard. The remnants still lay
scattered about. The owners, strangers at the inn like ourselves,
required to be paid the price of their goods, and their demand we
considered perfectly just, only, we thought that the landlord alone was
bound to repair the damage. Before going to rest, we had warned him of
the danger in which the osiers lay. We had told him that he had better
place them elsewhere, for that the camels would certainly break their
halters in order to get at them. The owners of the carts had joined with
us in advising their removal, but the landlord had laughed at our fears,
and asserted that camels did not like osiers. When we had sufficiently
explained the matter, the mob, the standing jury among the Chinese,
decided that the whole loss should be made good by the landlord; however,
we had the generosity not to demand the price of the halters of our
camels.

Immediately after this impartial judgment had been pronounced, we
departed on our way. The southern part of the town seemed to us in even
a worse condition than that which we had passed through on the preceding
evening. Several portions were altogether pulled down and deserted: the
only living things to be seen were a