eath, the other trembled with cold all night long; the
fact being, that owing to our want of skill, the fire had actually caught
the planks on one side of the kang, while on the other the fuel had not
lighted at all. The host of the Hotel of the Temperate Climates was
naturally disgusted at the mischance, and in order to prevent its
recurrence, he locked the closing plank of the furnace, and himself came
every time to light it.

Our various domestic occupations, and the recitation of our Breviary,
passed away the time very smoothly at Ho-Kiao-Y. On the eighth day, as
had been agreed, Samdadchiemba returned, but not alone; he was
accompanied by a lad, whose features bespoke him a brother of our
cameleer, and as such Samdadchiemba presented him to us. Our first
interview was very brief, for the two Dchiahours had scarcely presented
themselves before they disappeared. We imagined, at first, that they
were gone to pay their respects to the host, but it was not so, for they
almost immediately re-appeared with somewhat more solemnity of manner
than before. Samdadchiemba marched in first: "Babdcho," said he to his
brother, "prostrate thyself before our masters, and present to them the
offerings of our poor family." The younger Dchiahour made us three
salutations in the Oriental fashion, and then laid before us two great
dishes, one of them full of fine nuts, the other laden with three large
loaves, in form resembling those made in France. To afford Samdadchiemba
the most practical proof in our power that we were sensible to his
attention, we forthwith applied ourselves to one of the loaves, which,
with some of the nuts, constituted quite a delicious repast, for never
since our departure from France had we tasted such excellent bread.

While engaged upon our banquet, we observed that the costume of
Samdadchiemba was reduced to its simplest expression; that whereas he had
gone decently attired, he had come back half-covered with a few rags. We
asked for an explanation of this change, whereupon he gave us an account
of the miserable condition in which he had found his family. The father
had been dead for some time; his aged mother had become blind, so that
she had not enjoyed the happiness of seeing him. He had two brothers,
the one a mere child, the other the young man whom he had brought with
him, and who, the sole support of the family, devoted his time to the
cultivation of a small field which still belonged to them