On leaving Tseu Ping Hien, after a short ride in the early morning, we passed Chang Kieu. Outside of the wall to the east we saw four fine and very large waterwheels in motion. There is abundant water power in this neighbourhood. We dined at a small place called Lee Tien, in an inn remarkable for dirt and festooned with venerable cobwebs. The country is very flat.

In all these towns and villages coal is used as fuel. The people looked dirtier than in other parts, and particularly the little children were smutty in the extreme. Along the streets there was to be seen the perambulating coalman, ringing a bell hung under his wheelbarrow, the rope attached to the handle, and shouting ‘Coal! coal!’ It seemed to be very cheap indeed, and was sold by measure in a great square wooden trough. When a purchase was made the coal merchant obligingly took hold of two of the handles of the trough, and helped the purchaser to carry the coal into his house.

Outside the town of Lee Tien we saw many wheelbarrow loads of queer, hexagonal-shaped straw hats, with ventilating crown-pieces. For convenience of carriage the hats were all packed together, while the crown-pieces were in bunches by themselves. These hats were most ingeniously woven, and were meant to serve as hat and umbrella in one.