My friend was a keen photographer and great on finding " good views," and walking by the water one day he said excitedly, " Ah, now I see where to get that pagoda from," and excitedly jumped on to what seemed like a piece of land jutting out into the water. Alas ! it was not solid, and in he went, up to his knees in slush dredged from the river and laid there to be used as manure ! After much pulling I got him out, but had to desire him, when we got into the sampan, to sit at the other end while we crossed to our boat. A coolie was then detailed to scrape and wash him down till he was fit to come on board.
After a few days at Bing-oo we up anchor and started once more, this time propelled by coolies using the two great oars, Or yuloes, a slow but very pleasant means of progress. Without event we reached Kashing, an old town, once important, but greatly devastated in the Taiping Rebellion : large spaces within the walls still show nothing but ruins.
Mooring our boat at the Custom-house wharf we were soon greeted by the genial Commissioner, who seemed rather surprised to find that an artist should have come to that part of the world to sketch. He
kindly volunteered to show us round, and suggested a visit by boat to a lake near. We therefore hired a Chinese boat of less draught than our own, and went off on it accompanied by Mr. Commissioner and one of his friends. The friend put on board a grama phone, and as we moved along the busy waterway he set it going with one of those popular laughing songs ; and never before or since have I seen Chinese laugh so much or so heartily. On all sides they took it up, and, where they could, hurried along the banks to keep near us ; but gradually our speed lessened, and when we called out to the lawdah to go on, his reply mixed with laughter was, " Master, my no can yulo, so muchee laugh." But we reached the lake, a rather pretty stretch of water with low hills round. We visited a small temple nicely placed on an eminence on the banks, and amused the natives with the gramaphone once more.