A family owning a houseboat and living upon it was engaged for the journey.  This family consisted of a recently widowed father, his two sons, newly married, and a helper.  They were to transport us and provide sleeping quarters for myself, Mr. Haden and a cook for the consideration of $3.00, Mexican, per day and to continue the journey through the night, leaving the day for observation in the hills.

The recent funeral had cost the father $100 and the wedding of the two sons $50 each, while the remodeling of the houseboat to meet the needs of the new family relations cost still another $100.  To meet these expenses it had been necessary to borrow the full amount, $300.  On $100 the father was paying 20 per cent interest; on $50 he was compelled to pay 50 per cent interest.  The balance he had borrowed from friends without interest but with the understanding that he would return the favor should occasion be required.

Rev. A. E. Evans informed us that it is a common practice in China for neighbors to help one another in times of great financial stress.  This is one of the methods: 

A neighbor may need 8000 cash.  He prepares a feast and sends invitations to a hundred friends.  They know there has been no death in his family and that there is no wedding, still it is understood that he is in need of money.  The feast is prepared at a small expense.  The invited guests come, each bringing eighty cash as a present.  The recipient is expected to keep a careful record of contributing friends and to repay the sum.  Another method is like this:  For some reason a man needs to borrow 20,000 cash.  He proposes to twenty of his friends that they organize a club to raise this sum.  If the friends agree each pays 1000 cash to the organizing member.  The balance of the club draw lots as to which member shall be number two, three, four, five, etc., designating the order in which payments shall be made.  The man borrowing the money is then under obligation to see that these payments are met in full at the times agreed upon.  Not infrequently a small rate of interest is charged.

Rates of interest are very high in China, especially on small sums where securities are not the best.  Mr. Evans informs me that two per cent per month is low and thirty per cent per annum is very commonly collected.  Such obligations are often never met but they do not outlaw and may descend from father to son.

The boat cost $292.40 in U. S. currency; the yearly earning was $107.50 to $120.40.  The funeral cost $43 and $43 more was required for the wedding of the two sons.  They were receiving for the services of six people $1.29 per day.  An engagement for two weeks or a month could have been made for materially lower rates and their average daily earning, on the basis of three hundred days service in the year, and the $120.40 total earning, would be only 40.13 cents, less than seven cents each, hence their trip with us was two of their banner days.  Foreigners in Shanghai and other cities frequently engage such houseboat service for two weeks or a month of travel on the canals and rivers, finding it a very enjoyable as well as inexpensive way of having a picnic outing.