While thus engaged I said to the landlord, "I suppose I can arrange to spend the night here?" To which he replied in the affirmative; but bringing out his book, he added-- "In these unsettled times we are required by the authorities to keep a record of our lodgers: may I ask your respected family name?" "My unworthy family name is Tai," I responded. "And your honourable second name?" "My humble name is Ia-koh" (James). "What an extraordinary name! I never heard it before. How do you write it?" I told him, and added, "It is a common name in the district from which I come." "And may I ask whence you come and whither you are going?" "I am journeying from Shanghai to Ningpo, by way of Hang-chau." "What may be your honourable profession?" "I heal the sick." "Oh! you are a physician," the landlord remarked; and to my intense relief closed the book. His wife, however, took up the conversation. "You are a physician, are you?" said she; "I am glad of that, for I have a daughter afflicted with leprosy. If you will cure her, you shall have your supper and bed for nothing." I was curious enough to inquire what my supper and bed were to cost, if paid for; and to my amusement found they were worth less than three-halfpence of our money! Being unable to benefit the girl, I declined to prescribe for her, saying that leprosy was a very intractable disease, and that I had no medicines with me. The mother, however, brought pen and paper, urging, "You can at least write a prescription, which will do no harm, if it does no good." But this also I declined to do, and requested to be shown my bed. I was conducted to a very miserable room on the ground-floor, where, on some boards raised upon two stools, I passed the night, without bed or pillow, save my umbrella and shoe, and without any mosquito netting. Ten or eleven other lodgers were sleeping in the same room, so I could not take anything off, for fear of its being stolen; but I was, I found, by no means too warm as midnight came on. _August 5th._ As may be supposed, I arose but little rested or refreshed, and felt very far from well. I had to wait a long time ere breakfast was obtainable, and then there was another delay before I could get change for the only dollar I had with me, in consequence of its being chipped in one or two places. More than three hundred cash also were deducted from its price on this account, which was a serious loss to me in my trying position.