"Bless you, sir, I can post several thousand bills in a couple of nights." "How will you go about it? Mind, we should be very sorry indeed for you to lose your life." "Leave it to me, sir. Of course there's risk in it, but it ain't no worse than I've run before for mere fun. Provided no soul but us knows about it I'll do it, and be back in a few days, as right as a trivet." "Very well, Mr. Thompson; you ought to know how far you can go." "Yes, sir, I means to go right in and come out again; and please goodness if I've any luck. I'll stick a programme right before old Yeh's front door." The acting boatswain left the ship about dusk, and shortly afterwards returned with a suit of scavenger's clothes and a hat, both very dirty, two filthy pails, and a bamboo bearing-pole, also a Chinese pass, which, being translated, ran as follows:-- "Chuy, Bearer of garbage from the city of Kwan-tung to boats on the river, by this enters and departs from The Gate of Eternal Purity and Joy between the hours of sunset and sunrise." "Respect this. "(Signed) CHIH-FA, "HO-PO-SO" (Director of Boats), "KWANG-CHOW-FOO" (City district of Canton). The ship's barber--a marine named Reece--was called into Thompson's cabin, and in a short time the acting warrant-officer once more appeared in his old character of Lew; then having besmeared his person with some clay brought on board for the purpose, the upper deck was cleared, and, under cover of the night, Jerry landed and wandered about until he came across other scavengers, with whom he proceeded to "The Gate of Eternal Purity and Joy," that being the sweet name of the dirtiest gate in the city, through which all the rubbish was carried in tubs and pails, underground sewerage being one of the modern improvements unknown to the Celestials. Upon arrival at the gate, which was guarded by a considerable number of Tartar soldiers, each man was stopped and searched, and Thompson feared they would find the six thousand small proclamations which he had secreted under his jacket, but at that moment the guard was relieved, and as the man deputed to search him felt weary, he merely gave him a kick, and in a few moments Jerry found himself inside the outer wall. Like all other large cities, Canton had its day and its night population; the latter being composed of night watchmen, who struck the hour on bamboos, scavengers, and the people who supplied them with refreshments, or assisted them in their vocation.