the ships. On the following morning the
steamers went down the river; and then the question where they were to
go next came up, and the commander soon settled it by announcing that
the ship was bound to Tien-tsin, on the way to Pekin.

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE WALLS AND TEMPLES OF PEKIN

The company had hardly expected that Captain Ringgold would go to the
capital, for it was off the course to Japan, which was the next country
to be visited; but their curiosity had been greatly excited, and he was
disposed to gratify it.

"Pekin is not on navigable water, and we cannot go there in the ship,"
said he. "We go to Tien-tsin, which is the seaport of Pekin, about
eighty miles distant from it. It is a treaty port, and is said to have a
population of six hundred thousand; the number can doubtless be
considerably discounted. The next thing is to get to Pekin; though we
can go most of the way by boat to Tung-chow, thirteen miles from the
capital. Some go all the way on horseback or by cart. We will decide
that question when we get to Tien-tsin."

"How long will it take us to go there?" asked Uncle Moses.

"About two days; we are off Woo-Sung now. We have the pilot on board,
and we shall go to sea at once," replied the commander.

Nothing of especial interest occurred on the voyage; and before noon on
the second day out the two ships were off the mouth of the Pei-ho
River, and a Chinese pilot was taken. As they went up the river they saw
the Taku forts, where the Celestial soldiers won their only victory over
the English, but were badly beaten the following year. On the rising
tide the ships got up the river, and anchored off the town.

The place was like any other Chinese city, and was quite as dirty as the
dirtiest of them. Two of the guides from Shang-hai, who were couriers
for travellers, had been brought, one in each ship; and both of them
were intelligent men. The Blanchita had been put into the water as soon
as the anchors were buried in the mud; and the party went on shore in
her, to the great disgust of the boat-people.

The American consul came on board with the Chinese officials; and the
commander took him into the cabin for a conference in regard to getting
to Pekin, while the tourists were on shore with the guides. Mr. Smithers
had seen the steam-launch, and the question was whether the party could
go up Pekin River in her. The consul could see no difficulty in the way,
any more than there would be in the