Aware that we were besieged, we hung shawls and rain coats round the room, before the doors and windows, hoping to prevent the usual peep-show made by perforating fingers, and thus fortified, seated ourselves in front of our trunk, which served for a table, to partake of our meal during the short respite thus gained. A smothered titter made us look quickly around. Long slender rods had been pushed through the peep-holes, the curtains lifted, multitudes of eyes applied to new holes, and we were well in view. I must honestly confess that in some of these baffled moments, in the hot fire of the enemy’s ungenerous triumph, I have thought with glee of the execution which could be done with a syringe well aimed at those eye-filled holes, if we were just common travelers and not longing to win all hearts and ready to bear all such small annoyances with patience for the love of these poor people, even the most annoying of them. And now that I am more fully seasoned, I endure these rude intrusions into my privacy with more _sang froid_, excusing and understanding it. About this stage in our journey our provisions ran very low, and among other things sugar gave out. Natives do not have this article of food, but we were able to get the Korean buckwheat honey, than which I have never tasted any more delicious, and we found that it improved the flavor of the finest tea. Here in these far recesses of the interior, where we were uncertain of the temper of the people, and where many more than doubtful characters were known to be in hiding, the magistrates thought it necessary to send at least one, sometimes two, officials with us. At the town of Huiju we found the scenery growing quite wild, the hills rising into mountains (though not very high ones), the road zig-zagging up and up, while a brawling, hurrying brook ran noisily below. Here we found the first spring flowers under the lingering snow, and above the snow were butterflies darting about in the sunshine, quite sure that they were in the right place, since the Father sent them, even though it did look a little cold and bleak; and then if one only looked up, there was the sun. Just here in the steepest, dizziest and most difficult part of the ascent, two of those poor little pack-ponies which I had been pitying all along for the terrible way their relentless mapoos overloaded them, began fighting (loads and all), and after kicking each other in the liveliest fashion for some time, squealing like little fiends, while the poor mapoos were dancing and vociferating around them trying to bring about a truce, they finally scampered off in different directions, and then and there my heart hardened, and never since has pity for these animals entered it. They are, I firmly opine, as self-willed, spoiled, obstinate, quarrelsome, uncertain, tricky and tough little beasts as ever carried a load.