cane, however, was the crop par excellence throughout the day; and for several days to come we passed through many miles of cane-brake. "Sugar is a great industry of Ssŭch'uan, and is largely exported eastwards," but the process of manufacture is primitive, and the taste is, to my mind, exceedingly nasty. Peter was right when he complained to me that the "sugar was very sour"; but acidity is not the quality one looks for in sugar.
I had not been much troubled with Chinese curiosity so far, but I was treated to an example of it to-day. I had halted for lunch as usual at a small town, and finding no regular inn, seated myself at an empty table in the principal eating-house, open as usual on to the street. The news of my strange presence spread like wildfire, and in an incredibly short time the population had turned out—men, women, and children—to see the foreigner eat. Joe had not turned up, and as they crowded round while my modest repast was being set out, I was constrained to address them in plain king's English, pointing out that they would all have a better chance of seeing me eat if
