On our second visit to Moukden we had rather a rickety droshky, and were amused to see the way the driver arranged the luggage. The Chinese never make any difficulty about the quantity, for fear by so doing of losing a fare. The man therefore entirely filled his footboard with luggage, and seated himself on it with a large bag of bedding on his lap. We had not gone far when a wheel rolled off into the gutter, and we waited some time for it to be put on again, the luggage meanwhile being deposited in the road. The job was not satisfactorily managed, for we had to go very, very slowly, and have the wheel continually hammered on. It began to rain, and in order to put up the hood most of the luggage had to be piled on the top of ourselves, and we found it, to say the least, both hot and heavy. At last our driver gave up in despair, and by means of signs made us understand that he would go and fetch another vehicle. When he returned with a cart the transfer was soon made, and our driver with great secrecy explained that he had bargained with the carter to take us to our destination for a certain sum. The difficulty then arose as to how we were to pay him, for we only possessed Japanese and Pekingese money, which he eyed with distrust, and declined to accept. We gave him, however, a rather liberal fare, and pointed to him to take it to a big shop, opposite which we were standing. There he was reassured as to its value, and came back smiling; he thrust his head into the cart with a final rejoinder to us only to pay the right fare to the carter, evidently feeling that we were liable to spend our money too lavishly. CHAPTER III Hsin Muntun