three in
the afternoon
Farther up they observed a couple of coolies irrigating the land with a machine which had four paddles for moving the water , with four more each side of the stream , under a frame to which two men were holding on , and working treadmill fashion , with their feet on each of the four arms . They noticed mixed teams of horses and bullocks , such as one sees in Naples . The most curious was a mule-litter , which was simply a sedan between two animals . Felipe drove the launch at a nine-knot speed , and at half-past three in the afternoon the boat arrived at Tung-chow . Contrary to their expectation , the passengers had greatly enjoyed the trip ; but it was out of their own hilarity rather than their surroundings . Pitts had arranged the lunch in a very tasty manner on the tables in what the boys had called the fore and after cabins . They found all the variety of vehicles they had seen on the road , and in three hours they came to the great gate of Pekin .