吾族系出安化，籍隶盐官。十四世祖迁于海盐之水北，十九世祖复归于原籍之旧仓。乾隆间，曾王父遭海溢
之患，携吾祖吾父侨居钱塘。嗣为吾父娶于杭，生余昆季六人，而殇其三，故虽行四而字孟英。尝忆吾父之归葬
曾王父暨大父也，谓先世邱垄所在，意将挈家回籍而未逮。道光纪元，府君遽捐馆舍，时余甫十四，童昏无知。
家无担石储，衣食于奔走有年，不获时省祖墓，罪戾实深，而敝庐数椽，地土数亩，亦遂悉为人 。是以先府君
之葬，势难归 祖茔。因循重载，吾母命卜地仁和之皋亭山，以为海昌便道，子孙易于祭扫，余敬谨恪遵。先孺
人弃养，即合葬焉。迨癸丑春，金陵失守，杭城迁徙者纷如。窃谓吾侪藉砚田以糊其口，家无长物，辛丑之警，
有老母在，尚不作避地计，况今日乎！第省会食物皆昂，既非寒士之所宜居，而婚嫁从华，向平之愿亦不易了，
倘风鹤稍平，可不继志以归籍耶？余虽未有子，而女已多，从子亦数辈，必乘其年尚幼稚，俾乡居以习于俭约，
斯谓遗之以安。然族已久疏，怅难如愿。先是有嘉兴谢君再华者，端人也。家于杭之保佑坊，以白手致小康。甲
辰春，余谓其地将有郁攸灾，嘱其移居，从之。及秋而不幸余言偶中。谢以获免感于心，至是曲为余筹之。久之，
引一人来曰∶此管君芝山也，与我为垂髫交，醇谨朴诚，一乡称之。世居海昌北乡之 溪，地既幽僻，俗亦淳良，
小有市廛，颇堪栖隐，距海较远，水患无虞。子欲归故乡，盍与结邻乎？余闻之慰甚，遂与订交。既而偕弟季杰，
舟往访。至其地，如渔人之入桃源，且有朱姓旷宅，愿我赁，心益喜。返杭告庙而卜之吉，季杰复谋诸赵君笛楼，得
壬占曰∶利久居，宜子孙。而会垣僦居之屋适易主，爰诹吉携眷往家焉。时咸丰五年乙卯冬十月中浣三日也。回思先府
君以四十九岁弃诸孤，余昨岁之病，几如汤睢阳与父同寿。然而一事无成，虚延人世，霜侵两鬓，余年几何。赖良
友启余，得以勉承遗志。谢君之德，曷敢以忘！而机缘相凑，殆亦先人之灵有以默相欤？设谓无田可归，必待买
山有资，则岁不我与。 此志而弗能偿者，举目皆是也。余窃悲之。乃余自失怙后，即携一砚以泛于江、浮于海，
荏苒三十余年，仅载一砚以归籍，人皆患之，而余载砚时游，亦足以行吾之痴，而乐吾余年，他非所知也。游时
偶有所录，渐积成卷，题曰《归砚》。盖虽以砚游，而游为归之计，归乃游之本也。因识其归之所以于简端，以
为序，并示我后人。
咸丰丁巳冬十一月下浣安化后人南渡第二十七世半痴王士雄书于吴门归棹
我的家族祖籍安化，户籍隶属于盐官。十四世祖迁居到海盐的水北地区，十九世祖又回归原籍的旧仓。乾隆年间，曾祖父遭遇海水泛滥的灾害，带着祖父和父亲侨居钱塘。后来父亲在杭州娶妻，生下了我们兄弟六人，但其中三人早夭，所以我虽然排行第四，却取字为“孟英”。
我曾记得父亲将曾祖父和祖父归葬时曾说，先祖的坟墓所在地，打算带领全家回原籍定居，但未及实现就去世了。道光元年，父亲突然去世，当时我年仅十四岁，年幼无知。家里没有一石米的储备，多年来靠奔波谋生衣食，没能按时去祭扫祖墓，罪过实在深重。而且破旧的几间房屋、几亩土地，也都被人占有了。因此，父亲下葬时，形势上难以归葬祖茔。因循拖延加重了负担，母亲便命人在仁和县皋亭山占卜选地，作为去海宁（海昌）的便利通道，方便子孙祭扫，我恭敬谨慎地遵从了。先母去世后，便合葬在那里。
等到癸丑年春天，金陵失守，杭州迁徙的人多如云集。我心里想，我们依靠教书（砚田）来糊口，家中没有多余财物，辛丑年的警报发生时，因为有老母亲在，尚且不做避难打算，何况今天呢？只是省会的食物价格都昂贵，这本来就不是寒门士子所适宜居住的，而且婚嫁讲究排场，向平（汉代隐士向长，此处指子女婚嫁之事）的愿望也不容易完成。如果风声鹤唳稍加平息，能不能继承遗志回到原籍呢？
我虽然没有儿子，但女儿已经很多，侄子也有好几辈，一定要趁他们年纪还小，让他们在乡下居住以习惯俭约的生活，这才是留给他们的安稳。然而宗族关系已久疏远，遗憾难以如愿实现。在此之前，有嘉兴谢君再华，是个正派人。家住杭州保佑坊，凭借白手起家达到小康水平。甲辰年春天，我对他说那里将有火灾之灾，嘱咐他搬迁，他听从了。到了秋天，不幸我的话偶然应验。谢君因为得以幸免而心存感激，到这时便为我周密筹划。过了很久，引荐一个人来说：“这位是管君芝山，与我从小交好，为人醇厚谨慎、朴实真诚，全乡人都称赞他。”他家世代居住在海昌北乡的某溪，地方既幽静偏僻，风俗也淳朴善良，虽有少量集市，很适合隐居，距离海边较远，不用担心水患。你想回到故乡，何不与他做邻居呢？我听了非常欣慰，于是与他结交。
不久后，我和弟弟季杰乘船前往拜访。到了那个地方，就像渔夫进入桃花源一样，而且有朱姓人家的空旷宅院愿意出租给我，心里更加欢喜。返回杭州告祭祖先并占卜得吉兆，季杰又与赵君笛楼商量，得到壬日占卜的结果说：“利于久居，宜于子孙。”而此时省会租赁的房屋恰好换了主人，于是选择吉日携带家眷前往那里安家。时间是咸丰五年乙卯冬十月中旬的第三天。
回想先父以四十九岁的年纪抛下孤儿离世，我去年生病时，几乎像汤武王与父亲同寿一样危险。然而一事无成，虚度人生，两鬓染霜，余生还有多少年？依赖良友启发我，得以勉强继承遗志。谢君的恩德，怎敢忘记！而机缘巧合凑在一起，大概也是先人的神灵在默默相助吧？如果说没有田地可归，必须等待有钱买山，那么岁月不等人。这种志向不能实现的例子，举目皆是。我私下为此感到悲伤。
自从我失去父亲后，就带着一方砚台泛游于江河，漂浮于大海，匆匆三十多年，仅仅载着一方砚台回到原籍，人们都对此感到担忧或奇怪，而我带着砚台游学，也足以践行我的痴心，快乐我的晚年，其他的事就不必知道了。游学期间偶尔有所记录，逐渐积累成卷，题名为《归砚》。大概是虽然以砚台游学，但游学是为了回乡做准备，回乡才是游学的根本。因此在书简开头记下回归的原因，以此作为序言，并展示给我的后人看。
咸丰丁巳年冬十一月下旬，安化后人南渡第二十七世半痴王士雄写于吴门归舟之上。
My clan originates from Anhua, and our household registration belongs to Yanguan. My fourteenth-generation ancestor relocated to Shuibeihai in Haiyan, and my nineteenth-generation ancestor returned to the old residence at Jiucang in the original jurisdiction. During the Qianlong reign, my great-grandfather suffered from a disaster of sea water overflow, bringing my grandfather and father to reside temporarily in Qiantang. Subsequently, my father married in Hangzhou, and we six brothers were born, three of whom died young; therefore, although I ranked fourth, I was given the courtesy name Mengying.
I recall when my father returned my great-grandfather and grandfather for burial, he said that since the location of our ancestors' tombs was known, he intended to lead the family back to the original jurisdiction but did not live to do so. In the first year of the Daoguang era, my father suddenly passed away. At that time, I was only fourteen years old, childish and ignorant. Our family had no storage of even one dan of rice, and for years we struggled to earn food and clothing through labor, failing to visit and pay respects to our ancestral graves on time; my guilt was indeed deep. Moreover, our dilapidated few rooms and several mu of land were all taken over by others. Thus, it was difficult under the circumstances to return my father's remains to the ancestral cemetery. Due to prolonged delay and heavy burden, my mother ordered a site to be divined at Gaoting Mountain in Renhe County, considering it a convenient route to Haichang (Haiyan), making it easier for descendants to sweep the tombs. I respectfully and diligently obeyed. When my late mother passed away, she was buried there together with him.
When spring arrived in the Gui Chou year, Jinling fell, and those migrating from Hangzhou were as numerous as clouds. I secretly thought that we rely on teaching (the inkstone field) to make a living, and our family possessed no surplus goods. During the alarm of the Xin Chou year, because our elderly mother was still alive, we did not even consider seeking refuge elsewhere; how much less so now! However, food prices in the provincial capital were all high, which was not suitable for a poor scholar to inhabit. Furthermore, marriages and weddings followed extravagant customs, and fulfilling the wish of Xiang Ping (referring to completing children's marriages) was not easy to achieve. If the panic subsided slightly, could we not follow in his footsteps and return to our original jurisdiction? Although I have no sons, I have many daughters and several nephews. I must take advantage of their tender age to let them live in the countryside to practice frugality; this is what constitutes leaving them security. However, the clan ties have long been distant, and it is regrettable that my wishes are hard to fulfill.
Prior to this, there was Mr. Xie Zaihua from Jiaxing, a man of integrity. He lived at Youbaofang in Hangzhou and achieved a modest prosperity starting from nothing. In the spring of the Jia Chen year, I told him that his area was prone to fire disasters and advised him to move; he complied. By autumn, unfortunately, my words came true by chance. Grateful for having escaped the disaster, Mr. Xie carefully planned for me at this juncture. After a long while, he introduced a person saying, "This is Mr. Guan Zhishan, who has been my childhood friend. He is honest, cautious, simple, and sincere, praised by the whole township." His family has resided for generations at Xi Stream in the north of Haichang. The place is secluded and remote, the customs are pure and good, there are small markets, and it is quite suitable for seclusion. It is far from the sea, so there is no worry about water disasters. If you wish to return to your hometown, why not become neighbors with him? Hearing this, I was greatly comforted and thus formed a friendship with him.
Soon after, accompanied by my younger brother Jie, I traveled by boat to visit. Upon arriving at the place, it felt like a fisherman entering the Peach Blossom Spring. Moreover, an empty mansion owned by the Zhu family was willing to rent to us, which made me even more delighted. Returning to Hangzhou, I reported to the ancestral temple and obtained a auspicious divination result. Brother Jie also consulted Mr. Zhao Dilou, obtaining a divination for the Ren day stating: "Favorable for long-term residence, beneficial for descendants." Meanwhile, the rented house in the provincial capital happened to change ownership. Therefore, we selected an auspicious date and moved our families there to settle. This occurred on the third day of the middle ten-day period of the tenth month in the winter of Yi Mao, the fifth year of Xianfeng.
Looking back, my late father left us orphans at the age of forty-nine. Last year, during my illness, I nearly shared the same lifespan as King Tang and King Wu's fathers (implying near-death experience). Yet, I have accomplished nothing, vainly extending my life in this world. Frost has invaded both temples; how many years remain to me? Relying on the enlightenment of good friends, I have managed to strive to inherit his legacy. How dare I forget the virtue of Mr. Xie! The convergence of opportunities seems to be the silent assistance of our ancestors' spirits. If one claims there is no land to return to and must wait until having funds to buy mountains, then time waits for no one. Cases where such aspirations cannot be fulfilled are everywhere before one's eyes. I privately feel sorrow for this.
Since losing my father, I carried only an inkstone to wander on rivers and float on seas. Thirty-plus years passed in a flash, and I returned to my original jurisdiction carrying only an inkstone. People worried about this, yet traveling with an inkstone allows me to pursue my obsession and find joy in my remaining years; other matters are unknown to me. Occasionally recording things during my travels, they gradually accumulated into volumes, titled *Gui Yan* (Returning with an Inkstone). Although I travel with an inkstone, the travel is a plan for returning, and returning is the root of travel. Therefore, I record the reasons for returning at the beginning of the manuscript, using this as a preface, and showing it to my future generations.
Written on the return boat in Wumen by Nan Du, the 27th generation descendant of Anhua, Ban Chi Wang Shixiong, in the latter part of the eleventh lunar month, winter of Ding Si, Xianfeng era.