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diff --git a/44842-0.txt b/44842-0.txt index ac5a5b4..3fea246 100644 --- a/44842-0.txt +++ b/44842-0.txt @@ -1,39 +1,4 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Western China, by Alexander Hosie - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Three Years in Western China - A Narrative of Three Journeys in Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Yün-nan - -Author: Alexander Hosie - -Release Date: February 8, 2014 [EBook #44842] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN WESTERN CHINA *** - - - - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note - - -Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and superscript text by caret -signs. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - - THREE YEARS - IN - WESTERN CHINA. - -[Illustration: ICHANG GORGE: SALT JUNK, PROPELLED BY OARS, MAST BEING -UNSHIPPED FOR DOWNWARD VOYAGE.] - - - - - THREE YEARS - IN - WESTERN CHINA; - - A NARRATIVE OF THREE JOURNEYS - IN - SSU-CH'UAN, KUEI-CHOW, AND YÜN-NAN. - - - BY - ALEXANDER HOSIE, M.A., F.R.G.S., - H.B.M. CONSULAR SERVICE, CHINA. - - - SECOND EDITION. - - - LONDON: - GEORGE PHILIP & SON, 32 FLEET STREET. E.C. - LIVERPOOL: PHILIP, SON & NEPHEW, 45 TO 51 SOUTH CASTLE STREET - 1897. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The following pages are intended to present a picture of Western China -as the writer saw it in 1882, 1883, and 1884. Chapter VII., in a -somewhat modified form, was read at a meeting of the Royal Geographical -Society on the 22nd of February, and published in the Proceedings for -June, 1886; Chapter XI. was read at the Aberdeen meeting of the British -Association in September, 1885; and Chapter XII. was addressed to a -special meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on the 12th of -May, 1886. The remaining Chapters are now published for the first time, -and, if they meet with half the favour bestowed upon the Parliamentary -Papers in which the journeys were first, and somewhat roughly, -described, the writer will consider himself amply rewarded for the work -which want of leisure has compelled him to neglect so long. - - THE AUTHOR. - - _Wênchow, China, - September 6, 1889._ - - - - -PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. - - -Since the publication of the first edition of this book, in 1890, -several important changes have taken place in foreign commercial -relations with Western China, and sufficient time has now elapsed -to admit of a decision being arrived at as to how far these changes -have affected trade. The following Additional Article to the Chefoo -Agreement of 1876, which owed its existence to the murder of Margary in -the west of Yün-nan in 1875, was signed at Peking on March 31, 1890, -and the Ratifications were exchanged on January 18, 1891: - -"The Governments of Great Britain and China, being desirous of settling -in an amicable spirit the divergence of opinion which has arisen with -respect to the first clause of the third section of the Agreement -concluded at Chefoo in 1876, which stipulates that--'The British -Government will be free to send officers to reside at Ch'ung-k'ing to -watch the conditions of British trade in Szechuen [Ssu-ch'uan], that -British merchants will not be allowed to reside at Ch'ung-k'ing, or -to open establishments or warehouses there, so long as no steamers -have access to the port, and that when steamers have succeeded in -ascending the river so far, further arrangements can be taken into -consideration,' have agreed upon the following Additional Article: - -"I. Ch'ung-k'ing shall forthwith be declared open to trade on the same -footing as any other Treaty port. - -"British subjects shall be at liberty either to charter Chinese -vessels, or to provide vessels of the Chinese type, for the traffic -between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing. - -"II. Merchandize conveyed between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing by the above -class of vessels shall be placed on the same footing as merchandize -carried by steamers between Shanghae and Ichang, and shall be dealt -with in accordance with Treaty, Tariff Rules, and the Yang-tsze -Regulations. - -"III. All Regulations as to the papers and flags to be carried by -vessels of the above description, as to the cargo certificates with -which they shall be provided, as to the re-package of goods for the -voyage beyond Ichang, and as to the general procedure to be observed -by those engaged in the trade between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing, with a -view to ensuring convenience and security, shall be drawn up by the -Superintendent of Customs at Ichang, the Taotai of the Ch'uan Tung -Circuit, who is now stationed at Ch'ung-k'ing, and the Commissioner of -Customs in consultation with the British Consul, and shall be liable to -any modifications that may hereafter prove to be desirable and may be -agreed upon by common consent. - -"IV. Chartered junks shall pay port dues at Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing -in accordance with the Yang-tsze Regulations; vessels of Chinese type, -if and when entitled to carry the British flag, shall pay tonnage -dues in accordance with Treaty Regulations. It is obligatory on both -chartered junks and also vessels of Chinese type, even when the latter -may be entitled to carry the British flag, to take out the Maritime -Custom-house special papers and a special flag when intended to be -employed by British subjects in the transport of goods between Ichang -and Ch'ung-k'ing, and without such papers and flag no vessel of either -class shall be allowed the privileges and immunities granted under this -Additional Article. Provided with special papers and flag, vessels -of both classes shall be allowed to ply between the two ports, and -they and their cargoes shall be dealt with in accordance with Treaty -Rules and the Yang-tsze Regulations. All other vessels shall be dealt -with by the Native Customs. The special papers and flag issued by the -Maritime Customs must alone be used by the particular vessel for which -they were originally issued, and are not transferable from one vessel -to another. The use of the British flag by vessels the property of -Chinese is strictly prohibited. Infringement of these Regulations will, -in the first instance, render the offender liable to the penalties in -force at the ports hitherto open under Treaty; and should the offence -be subsequently repeated, the vessel's special papers and flag will be -withdrawn, and the vessel herself refused permission thenceforward to -trade between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing. - -"V. When once Chinese steamers carrying cargo run to Ch'ung-k'ing, -British steamers shall in like manner have access to the said port. - -"VI. It is agreed that the present Additional Article shall be -considered as forming part of the Chefoo Agreement, and as having the -same force and validity as if it were inserted therein word for word. -It shall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged at Peking, and -it shall come into operation six months after its signature, provided -the ratifications have been exchanged, or if they have not, then on the -date at which such exchange takes place." - -In other words, Ch'ung-k'ing was constituted a Treaty port, but -British steamers were denied access to it until Chinese steamers -carrying cargo should be pleased to lead the way. No attempt to -navigate west of Ichang was ever made, nor, so far as I am aware, -was it ever contemplated by the latter, and trade between that port -and Ch'ung-k'ing has up to the present been conducted in junks, in -accordance with the terms of this Additional Article. But it fell to -Japan, after the war of 1894-95, to claim the right of steam navigation -to Ch'ung-k'ing, and by Article VI. of the Treaty of Peace, signed at -Shimonoseki on April 17, 1895, not only was Ch'ung-k'ing opened to the -trade, residence, industries, and manufactures of Japanese subjects, -but steam navigation for vessels under the Japanese flag for the -conveyance of passengers and cargo was extended on the Upper Yang-tsze -from Ichang to Ch'ung-k'ing. - -By this most-favoured-nation clause, therefore, Ch'ung-k'ing is now -open to foreign trade on the same conditions as the other Treaty -ports in China, and it remains to be seen which country will take the -initiative in still further developing the trade of Western China -by steam. The mere opening of Ch'ung-k'ing as a Treaty port, even -without the immediate prospect of steam communication, was undoubtedly -a step in the right direction, and the establishment there on the -1st of April, 1891, of a British Consulate, and of an office of the -Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs, soon rendered possible a more -exact estimate of the capacity of this great trade emporium of the -province of Ssu-ch'uan, and of the west of China generally. In that -year, virtually from June to December, 300 junks, of a capacity of -7,332 tons, provided with Customs Charter Certificates and flying the -Chinese flag, reported at the Foreign Custom-house at Ch'ung-k'ing from -Ichang, with foreign goods of the value of Haikwan Taels 1,371,027, -and native produce of the value of H.T.[A] 94,003; while 307 similarly -chartered junks, of a capacity of about 4,404 tons, left Ch'ung-k'ing -for Ichang, with exports of the value of H.T. 1,389,683, and silver -(sycee) valued at H.T. 84,381. In addition to this, foreign goods, of -the value of H.T. 2,346,055, and H.T. 643,475, were sent, under transit -pass to Ichang and Hankow respectively, to Ssu-ch'uan, and native goods -of the value of H.T. 443,269 were brought down under transit pass from -that Province to Ichang for shipment. The trade steadily increased, -and in 1895 as many as 1,200 junks, whereof 878 were chartered by -British, 112 by American, and 210 by Chinese merchants, of a total of -36,881 tons, carried to Ch'ung-k'ing from Ichang foreign goods valued -at H.T. 5,618,213, native goods valued at H.T. 1,238,816; while 917 -chartered junks carried away from Ch'ung-k'ing native produce of the -value of H.T. 6,396,743; a total of imports and exports of the value -of H.T. 13,253,772. Besides this, goods of the value of H.T. 662,679 -were sent to Ssu-ch'uan, mostly to Ch'ung-k'ing, under transit pass -from Hankow and Ichang. These figures refer only to the trade which -comes under the cognizance of the Imperial Maritime Customs, and -Mr. Woodruff, Commissioner of Customs, writing from Ch'ung-k'ing -in January, 1896, in reference to the trade of the previous year, -says--"Our petty share of the trade (_i.e._, the trade passing through -the Foreign Custom-house) has prospered;" and again, "With prosperity -based on such uncertain foundations, it would be unwise to draw too -definite conclusions, but there is enough else in the appended tables -to give abundant promise: there are the possibilities of a great -trade." The Customs Returns give precise details of this petty share -of the trade of Ssu-ch'uan, and an examination of the list of exports -reveals a state of things which cannot but appear startling to those -unacquainted with the Province. In 1895, as stated above, the value -of the exports reported at the Foreign Custom-house at Ch'ung-k'ing: -was H.T. 6,396,743, and of this amount native opium alone ranked -for H.T. 2,875,180. When Ch'ung-k'ing was made an open port, Mr. H. -E. Hobson, then Commissioner of Customs, despatched to Shanghai, -for analysis, specimens of native opium from the three Provinces of -Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Yün-nan, and, after embodying the results -of this analysis in his Report for 1891, he adds--"The above details -go to prove that of late years the native farmers have paid closer -attention to the production of unadulterated drug, and have succeeded; -whilst there is now but little doubt that, with anything approaching a -favourable season, the out-turn of the poppy fields of Western China -alone are ample to the ordinary requirements of pretty nearly the whole -Empire. It would be idle to attempt an estimate of the probable total -yield of what is now the favourite spring crop of regions vaster in -extent than individual European kingdoms; but the fact is patent that, -as regards her opium supply, China is now practically independent." -Next to native opium comes white-wax of the value of H.T. 940,699. A -description of the remarkable industry by which this wax is produced -will be found in Chapter XI. Silk of all kinds ranks third, with a -value of H.T. 811,764; but this is a mere fraction of the production -of, and export from, the Province, for Ssu-ch'uan is an immense silk -district, and the production is practically unlimited. Then follow -medicines (H.T. 589,472), musk (H.T. 540,662), sheep's wool (H.T. -99,377), bristles (H.T. 96,152), hemp (H.T. 68,806), fungus (H.T. -26,202), brown sugar (H.T. 22,973), feathers (H.T. 15,092), leather -(H.T. 13,770), safflower (H.T. 11,696), turmeric (H.T. 6,314), and -some minor articles which go to make up what is practically a petty -share of the export trade of Ssu-ch'uan. Moreover, the great and most -valuable salt export from Ssu-ch'uan is under Government control, and -is excluded from the supervision of the Imperial Maritime Customs. A -glance at the list of imports shows that the principal foreign goods -consumed by Ssu-ch'uan are--Indian cotton yarn (H.T. 2,600,637), plain -grey shirtings (H.T. 1,169,966), white shirtings (H.T. 162,162), cotton -Italians, plain and figured (H.T. 158,803), American clarified ginseng -(H.T. 131,687), cotton lastings (H.T. 128,292), woollen lastings -(H.T. 97,822), analine dyes (H.T. 86,041), long ells (H.T. 63,648), -seaweed and agar-agar (H.T. 60,917); while the principal imports of -native goods include raw cotton (H.T. 515,891), silk piece-goods (H.T. -200,776), medicines (H.T. 92,046), cotton yarn from Hankow (H.T. -86,329), China-root (H.T. 42,162), paper (H.T. 28,253), paper fans -(H.T. 24,519), and cuttle-fish (H.T. 22,399). These are exclusive of -the goods, mentioned above, sent to Ssu-ch'uan under transit pass -from Ichang and Hankow. When the goods have arrived at Ch'ung-k'ing -they are distributed over the Province, part going to Kuei-chow and -Yün-nan; but as transit passes are not taken out at the port to cover -their further distribution, it is impossible to state with accuracy -their ultimate destinations. Mr. Hobson, in his Report for 1891, gives -the following reasons why inward transit passes are not availed of. He -says--"During the December quarter documents were taken out to cover -parcels of Indian yarn to inland marts within the Szechuan borders, -but, owing to a misunderstanding at the barriers, operations quickly -came to a conclusion." And in the same place, writing of outward -transit, he says--"There were no applications for passes to convey -cargo from the interior, which is not surprising when it is explained -that accumulated tax charges, _en route_, are slighter than transit -dues would amount to." It must be borne in mind that all these figures -refer to a fraction of the trade of Ch'ung-k'ing, and, therefore, to a -much smaller fraction of the trade of the whole Province of Ssu-ch'uan, -conducted between the Upper and Lower Yang-tsze. - -[A] H.T. = Haikwan or Customs Taels. - -Much has been heard in recent years of the rivalry of the French -for the trade of Western China, by way of Tonquin and the Red River -(Song-koi): but we are now in a position to test it by actual results. -By Art. II. of the Convention Additionelle de Commerce entre la France -et la Chine, signed at Peking on the 26th of June, 1887, the city of -Lungchow, in the Province of Kwangzi, and the city of Mêng-tzu, in -Southern Yün-nan, as well as Man-hao at the head of navigation of -the Red River, and south-west of Mêng-tzu, were opened to trade, and -by Art. III. the following differential duties were, with a view to -a more rapid development of trade between China and Tonquin, agreed -upon:--Foreign goods imported into China through these cities shall -pay seven-tenths, and Chinese goods exported to Tonquin by the same -routes shall pay six-tenths, of the general tariff in force at the -Treaty ports of China. In August, 1889, a Custom-house was established -at Mêng-tzu, with which I propose to deal more particularly in this -place, for the route by way of the Red River, Man-hao, and Mêng-tzu -is practically the only way of access from Tonquin to Yün-nan and -the South-Western Provinces of China, and by it the whole trade is -conducted; so that the Custom-house Returns of Mêng-tzu supply complete -data as to its value, volume, and distribution. The following table -gives the value of the trade from 1890 to 1895:-- - - --------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+--------- - | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 - --------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+--------- - IMPORTS.| H. T. | H. T. | H. T. | H. T. | H. T. | H. T. - Foreign| 466,089| 744,480| 887,606|{1,524,290|1,241,879|1,809,253 - Native | 169,014| 202,336| 261,459|{ | | - EXPORTS.| 468,904| 583,275| 736,355| 735,204| 943,321|1,033,066 - +---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+--------- - Total |1,104,007|1,530,007|1,885,420| 2,259,494|2,195,200|2,842,319 - --------+---------+---------+---------+----------+---------+--------- - After 1892 no distinction was made between foreign and native imports. - -An analysis of the trade shows that it is composed for the most part of -a few articles of considerable value. The year 1895 may be taken as an -example. - - --------------------------------------+-------------------------- - IMPORTS. | EXPORTS. - --------------------------+-----------+---------------+---------- - | H.T. | | H.T. - Indian cotton yarn | 1,303,108 | Yün-nan opium | 160,197 - Raw cotton (Tonquin) | 60,515 | Tin in slabs | 812,819 - Prepared tobacco (Canton) | 234,995 | Other goods | 60,050 - Coffin wood (Tonquin) | 46,086 | | - Other goods | 164,549 | | - --------------------------+-----------+---------------+---------- - Total | 1,809,253 | Total | 1,033,066 - --------------------------+-----------+---------------+---------- - -As the transit pass system is in full working order at Mêng-tzu, it is -possible to describe with accuracy the area which this route supplies. -In 1895--the latest figures available--the value of the imports, as -stated above, was H.T. 1,809,253; and all these imports, principally -from Hong-kong, are entitled, on payment of seven-tenths of the General -Tariff import duty, and of an additional half full import duty, to be -conveyed under transit pass to any destination in the interior without -further taxation. Eighty-four per cent. were so carried, of the value -of H.T. 1,521,021, and of this the Province of Yün-nan itself consumed -H.T. 1,509,491, leaving a balance of H.T. 11,530 for distribution in -other Provinces. Of this latter, Ta-ting Fu, in Kuei-chow, took seven -piculs of prepared tobacco, of the value of H.T. 210; Chang-sha and -Ch'ang-tê Hupeh, on the opposite bank of the Yang-tsze from Hankow, -took 41 catties of cassia lignea, of the value of H.T. 14. There still -remains goods of the value of H.T. 10,936 to be accounted for. These -were sent to three places in the Province of Ssu-ch'uan, namely, -Ning-yüan Fu, which is situated in that part of the Province which -juts into the north of Yün-nan, and is separated from the highest -navigable point on the Yang-tsze by the inaccessible Lolo country. I -visited this city on March 20, 1883, by the only available mountain -road from Ch'êng-tu, the capital of Ssu-ch'uan, and it is not at all -surprising, when the difficulties of this route are taken into account, -that it draws its supplies from Mêng-tzu. Its requirements, however, -amounted to the small sum of H.T. 10,085, consisting almost entirely -of Indian cotton yarn. The other two places in Ssu-ch'uan which drew -from Mêng-tzu were Ch'êng-tu, which took 25 catties of cinnamon, valued -at H.T. 800, and Hsü-chou Fu, at the junction of the Chin-sha Chiang -(Upper Yang-tsze) and the Min River, whose requirements consisted of -203 catties of inferior cardamoms, of the value of H.T. 51. While -Ning-yüan will in all probability continue to satisfy its wants from -Mêng-tzu, there is not the remotest likelihood of other parts of -Ssu-ch'uan deserting the Yang-tsze route and Ch'ung-k'ing. Although -Kuei-chow drew seven piculs of prepared tobacco, and Chao-t'ung, the -northern prefecture of Yün-nan, took four pieces of T cloths and 14-1/2 -piculs of tobacco from Mêng-tzu, I see no reason to alter what I wrote -eight years ago in the concluding paragraph of Chapter XII. "The only -route to Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Northern Yün-nan is the Yang-tsze, -on whose upper waters a large trade in foreign goods is even now -conducted, a trade which is capable of enormous development when the -present burdensome taxation is reduced. The opening of Ch'ung-k'ing by -the ascent of a steamer--an event anxiously looked forward to by the -native merchants of Ssu-ch'uan, will, as I have pointed out, reduce -that taxation, and will enable millions, who at present look upon -foreign goods as articles of luxury, to become themselves consumers; -and I trust the day is not far distant when the British flag will float -over entrepôts of British manufactures throughout Western China." -The unwieldy junk, which, if it succeeds in covering the distance of -400 miles between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing in less than a month, is -considered to have made a good passage, is still the only means of -communication between the Lower Yang-tsze and Ssu-ch'uan. This long -passage entails heavy freights, thereby enhancing the retail prices -and hindering the free distribution of our manufactures; and it is -sincerely to be hoped that the permission granted by the Japanese -Treaty of Shimonoseki, to employ steam on the Upper Yang-tsze, will -soon bear fruit. The French have succeeded in running small steamers -on the Red River from Hanoi to Lao-kai, that is, to the frontier -of Yün-nan, and a weekly service is maintained between Yen-bai and -Lao-kai; but in winter the river is too shallow to admit of the passage -of even small steamers. In 1895 a cargo steamer was placed on the line -in summer, for junk navigation, owing to the strong current, virtually -ceases from the beginning of May until September; but the Chinese, -even although freights were as light as by junk, refused to ship by -her on the plea that "the arrival of goods could not be regulated as -at present, and that prices would consequently fall." The long journey -overland from Mêng-tzu, or rather Man-hao, to Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, -and Northern Yün-nan, is, in my opinion, an insuperable barrier to a -successful rivalry of the Red River with the Yang-tsze. - -On the 1st of March, 1894, a Convention between Great Britain and -China, relative to the boundaries of, and overland trade between, -Burmah and China, was signed at London. Art. VIII. of that Convention -says--"Subject to the conditions mentioned hereafter in Articles X. -and XI., the British Government, wishing to encourage and develop the -land trade of China with Burmah as much as possible, consent, for a -period of six years from the ratification of the present Convention, to -allow Chinese produce and manufactures, with the exception of salt, to -enter Burmah by land duty free, and to allow British manufactures and -Burmese produce, with the exception of rice, to be exported to China by -land free of duty. The duties on salt and rice imported and exported -shall not be higher than those imposed on their import or export by -sea." Art. XI. says--"The exportation from Burmah into China of salt -is prohibited," and "the exportation from China into Burmah of cash, -rice, pulse, and grains of every kind is prohibited;" and, again, "The -importation and exportation across the frontier of opium and spirituous -liquors is prohibited, excepting in small quantities for the personal -use of travellers." Art. XI. says--"Pending the negotiation of a more -complete arrangement, and until the development of the trade shall -justify the establishment of other frontier Customs stations, goods -imported from Burmah into China, or exported from China into Burmah -shall be permitted to cross the frontier by Manwyne and by Sansi. -With a view to the development of trade between China and Burmah, the -Chinese Government consent that for six years from the ratification of -the present Convention the duties levied on goods imported into China -by these routes shall be those specified in the General Tariff of the -Maritime Customs, diminished by three-tenths, and that the duties on -goods exported from China by the same route shall be those specified in -the same tariff, diminished by four-tenths. Transit passes for imports -and exports shall be granted in accordance with the rules in force at -the Treaty ports." Art. XIII. says--"It is agreed that His Majesty -the Emperor of China may appoint a Consul in Burmah, to reside at -Rangoon; and that Her Britannic Majesty may appoint a Consul to reside -at Manwyne." By this Convention, therefore, the same differential -duties have been fixed as in the trade between Tonquin and China; but -it will be observed that while Yün-nan pays for a considerable part -of its imports by the Red River with native opium, it is debarred -from exporting it to Burmah. What progress trade is making across the -Burmah-Yün-nan frontier under these conditions I am not in a position -to say, for I have seen no recent statistics bearing on the subject; -but it labours under the same disadvantages in regard to its area of -supply as the Red River route. The overland transit is too long, and -therefore too expensive, to admit of the richest parts of Western China -being "tapped" by it. - -On the 1st of December, 1888, a Convention between France and China -was signed at Chefoo, whereby, _inter alia_, the junction of the -Chinese and French telegraph lines in Yün-nan and Tonquin respectively -was agreed to, and Mêng-tzu and Lao-kai, which lies just within the -Tonquin frontier, were subsequently united by wire; and on the 6th -September, 1894, a similar Convention, respecting the junction of the -Chinese and Burmese telegraph lines, was signed at Tien-tsin between -Great Britain and China, wherein it was stipulated that the junction -should be effected between the British station at Bhamo and the Chinese -station at Têng-yüeh (Momein), at latest on the 31st May, 1895, unless -prevented by accident or by _force majeure_. - -By a Supplementary Convention, concluded between France and China at -Peking on the 20th of June, 1895, and ratified in 1896, Man-hao, the -station opened by Art. II. of the Convention of 1887, at the head of -navigation of the Red River in Yün-nan, is superseded by Ho-k'ou, a -place on the left bank of the same river, and just within the Chinese -frontier. - -Of recent years Western China has acted as a magnet, not only to -exploring expeditions, but also to more practical commercial missions. -In 1890 a French expedition, including Prince Henry of Orleans, passed -southwards through Western Ssu-ch'uan and Yün-nan by way of Ta-li Fu, -Mêng-tsu, and the Red River, from Tibet to Tonquin; and in 1895 the -Prince was again at Ta-li Fu, whence he proceeded west to the Mekong, -ascended the right bank of the latter to Tse-ku, and then struck -westwards across the Salwen and Irrawady to Sadiya in Assam. To show -the spirit of rivalry which exists, I may quote from the paper which -the Prince read before the Royal Geographical Society on the 18th of -May, 1896, and published in the December number of the _Geographical -Journal_ of that year. He says--"We heard [at Ssu-mao] that two -Englishmen had just left the town. This news was not calculated to -rejoice our hearts. Reconnoitring parties are numerous in Yün-nan, and -there is a race between the French and English, and even amongst the -French themselves. The field of the unknown is day by day being reduced -with marvellous rapidity, and to find unexplored ground on the map one -must hasten. At Ta-li Fu we were told that one of these Englishmen was -Captain Davis, who arrived from Burmah by way of T'êng-yüeh and Ta-li, -intending to return by Mien-ning, Ssu-mao, P'u-êrh Fu, and Tamano. We -twice crossed the itinerary of these travellers, and were lucky enough -only to travel along 120 miles of the same road." - -A French commercial mission (Mission Lyonnaise d'Exploration -Commerciale en Chine), consisting of a dozen members, and including -several experts, has recently overrun Western China from Tonquin to -the borders of Tibet, part of the mission remaining at Ch'ung-k'ing -for some considerable time. A Japanese Commercial Mission visited -Ch'ung-k'ing in December, 1895, and returned in January, 1896, and the -United States Mission, which left Tien-tsin overland for Chêng-tu to -arrange a settlement, so far as American missionaries were concerned, -of the anti-missionary outrages which occurred there and in other parts -of the Province of Ssu-ch'uan in May and June, 1895, returned by way -of Ch'ung-k'ing and the Yang-tsze in January, 1896. At the present -moment the Blackburn Commercial Mission, headed by Mr. Bourne, of the -British Consular Service in China, my successor as Consular Agent at -Ch'ung-k'ing in 1884, is traversing the Western Provinces of China; -and it is certain that all these missions have collected, and are -collecting, information which cannot fail to be of great assistance in -developing foreign trade with the West of China. - - ALEX. HOSIE. - - NEWCHWANG, - _February 18, 1897_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - UP THE YANG-TSZE TO WESTERN CHINA. - - PAGE - - Western China and the interest attaching to it--The way - thither--An unsuccessful attempt to reach Ichang--Ichang at - last--Difficulties of navigation--Commercial importance of - Ichang--My native passenger-boat, opium-smoking skipper, - and crew--The navigability of the Upper Yang-tsze by - steamers--Dangers and difficulties of the Ching T'an Rapid--Up - and down the rapid--The poppy--Ch'ung-k'ing. 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - CH'UNG-K'ING TO THE CAPITAL OF KUEI-CHOW. - - My overland caravan--Harvesting - opium--Field-fishing--Wood-oil--The manufacture of paper--Salt - carriers--Silkworms and their food--Rice or Pith paper, and - its manufacture--The Kuei-chow frontier--Minerals--First - meeting with Miao-tzu--Poetical description of Chinese - inns--T'ung-tzu, its poppy valley and tunnelling--Ingenious - bamboo water-wheels--Scant population amid ruins of fine - houses--Coal-dust as fuel--The Wu Chiang River--Destruction - of the iron suspension bridge--Northern Kuei-chow, a Miao-tzu - graveyard--Opium-sodden inhabitants--The capital of the - Province--An interview with the Governor of Kuei-chow 14 - - - CHAPTER III. - - WESTWARD TO YÜN-NAN. - - White wax insects--Terrific hailstorm and its effects--Miao-tzu - houses and women--An-shun Fu--Limestone cave--Pai-shui - waterfall--Reception at Lang-t'ai T'ing--Lang-wang Mountain - and the "Cave of the Spirits"--Caught in a thunderstorm--The - pebbly strand of the Mao-k'ou River--Pack-animals and their - treatment--The Yün-nan frontier--A cart at last--Exploring a - cave--Underground rivers--Exceptional courtesy--Goître--Breeding - ground of the Yün-nan pony--Trade route to Tonquin--Marching - knee-deep in mud and water--Poverty of inhabitants--Queen's - Birthday dinner in a back yard--Chinese inquisitiveness--The - Sung-ming Lake--A local escort--A glorious view--Yün-nan Fu. 35 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - THROUGH NORTH-EASTERN YÜN-NAN TO THE YANG-TSZE. - - The city of Yün-nan Fu--P'u-êrh tea--Opium-smoking, - chair-bearers, and personal care--Exposure of robbers' - heads--Chinese school--Rainbow superstition--Entertainment - at Tung-ch'uan Fu--A successful ruse--Stopped by a mountain - torrent--Lodged in a byre--On the banks of the Niu-lan - River--The Chao-t'ung plain and its lakes--Stories of Lolo - bloodshed--Down from the plain--Narrow escape of a porter--Back - to Ssu-ch'uan--Descent of the Nan-kuang River--Down the - Yang-tsze to Ch'ung-k'ing 54 - - - CHAPTER V. - - FROM CH'UNG-K'ING TO THE CAPITAL OF SSU-CH'UAN. - - Fu-t'ou-kuan--The country and its products--Chinese New - Year--Charcoal from bracken--Ramie fibre and grass-cloth--Down a - tributary of the T'o--The T'o and its commercial importance--The - salt wells of Tzu-liu-ching--Sugar and safflower--The Ch'êng-tu - plain--Beggars--The capital of Ssu-ch'uan 70 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - THROUGH LOLODOM AND THE VALLEY OF CHIEN-CH'ANG. - - A Tibetan criminal in a cage--The armed ruffians of - Chiung Chou--A floating bamboo bridge--Brick tea for - Tibet--Fraternizing with Tibetan pilgrims on the summit of the - Flying Dragon Pass--Chinese originality--Over the Ta Hsiang Ling - Pass--A non-Chinese race--Across the Ta-tu River under Sifan - protection--In the country of the Lolos--Lolo language--Sifan - language--Asbestos cloth--A dangerous country--Lolo rogues--Over - the Hsiao Hsiang Ling Pass--Lolo women--The valley of - Chien-ch'ang--Ning-yuan Fu 88 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - THROUGH CAINDU TO CARAJAN. - - Earthquakes--The reception of foreigners at Ning-yuan--The - fertility of the Ning-yuan plain--Goître and the salt - supply--Historical hailstorm--A Tibetan caravan--Crossing the - Ya-lung River--A riot at Hang-chou--Reception at Yen-yuan and - increased protection--Brine wells of Pai-yen-ching--Driven back - by mountain barriers--The Yün-nan frontier--A sight of the - Yang-tsze--Results of the Mohammedan rebellion--The Lake of - the Black Mist--On the banks of the Golden River--A deserted - town--The plague--First glimpse of the snow-capped Tsang-shan--A - magnificent view--On the shores of the Erh Hai--Ta-li Fu at - last. 112 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - TA-LI FU TO YÜN-NAN FU. - - A view from the walls of Ta-li--The Mohammedan rebellion--A - dying patriot's prayer--Tibetan dogs--Amherst pheasants--A visit - to the marble quarries--False musk--Min-chia maidens--The Ta-li - plain--Playful gusts from the Tsang-shan--Good-bye Ta-li--A - folklore hunting ground--The Erh Hai and the Mekong--Trade - with Upper Burmah--Canton peddlers--Hsia-kuan, or the "Lower - Fortress"--Ruined cities--Wretched roads--Half-starved--The - foreigner and the camel--Marked courtesy at Ch'u-hsiung - Fu--Yün-nan salt wells--A sackful of mails--A roadside - trial--Across the Yün-nan lake--Three days in Yün-nan Fu--Trade - with Western China and the introduction of railways. 131 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THROUGH THE WEST OF KUEI-CHOW TO THE YANG-TSZE. - - The advantages of scholars _en route_ to Examination--Highroad - converted into a reservoir--Quartered in a chimney--Intolerable - inquisitiveness--Travellers, beware of T'ang-t'ang!--The - Yün-nan-Kuei-chow border--Lakes and their drainage--Again - among the Miao-tzu--The valley of the Ch'i-hsing River--Bark - paper--"Heaven's Bridge" and its mining catastrophe--The copper - traffic--Across the Ch'ih-shui River into Ssu-ch'uan--Over - the Hsüeh-shan Pass--A child of nature--A refractory roadside - deity--Down the Yung-ning River--A narrow escape--Down the - Yang-tsze to Ch'ung-k'ing 147 - - - CHAPTER X. - - TO THE WHITE WAX COUNTRY, THE SACRED MOUNT O-MEI, AND THE - HIGHEST NAVIGABLE POINT ON THE YANG-TSZE. - - An unfortunate start--North to Ho Chou--Chinese soy--Varnish - and its collection--Young trees from the old--Light-hearted - peasants--The garden of Ssu-ch'uan--Otter fishing--Man-tzu - caves--A great sugar country--Glimpse of O-mei--Chief silk - country in Western China--Ascent of O-mei--Sweet tea of - O-mei--The Golden Summit--The Glory of Buddha--Pilgrims and - their devotions--O-mei beggars--A difficult descent--Official - obstruction--Sick followers--On the banks of the Ta-tu--Man-tzu - raids--Down with fever--Guerilla warfare--Hard-up for food--An - exhausting march--The welcome Yang-tsze--Its highest navigable - point--Down the upper rapids--Death of my horse-boy--Back to - Ch'ung-k'ing 161 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - CHINESE INSECT WHITE WAX. - - References to Insect White Wax in Europe and China--Area - of production--Chief wax insect producing country--The - insect tree--The insect "buffalo" beetle, or parasite--The - insect scales--The transport of insects to the wax producing - districts--Method of transport--The wax tree--How insects are - placed on the wax trees--Wax production--Collection of the - wax--An ignominious ending--Insect metamorphosis--Uses of the - wax--Quantity and value 189 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - THE TRADE OF WESTERN AND SOUTH-WESTERN CHINA. - - The waterways, trade-routes, condition, and commercial prospects - of Yün-nan--Trade-routes to Kuei-chow and the mineral wealth - of the province--The waterways of Ssu-ch'uan--General trade - of Ssu-ch'uan--Foreign trade of Ssu-ch'uan and how it is - conducted--The defects in the present system and the remedy--The - rapids and the difficulties they present--Advantages to be - gained from the opening of Ch'ung-k'ing--The Yang-tsze the only - route--Trade bound to the Yang-tsze 202 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - THE PHÖ. - - Non-Chinese races of Western and South-Western - China--Imperfect knowledge regarding them--A traveller's - difficulties--Phö language approaching extinction--The - Miao-tzu rebellion--Relationship of the Miao-tzu tribes--Art - among the Phö--Music and dancing--Characteristics of the Phö - language--English-Phö Exercises and Vocabulary 224 - - - Note on Opium Cultivation in China and India 287 - - - - -THREE YEARS IN WESTERN CHINA. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -UP THE YANG-TSZE TO WESTERN CHINA. - - Western China and the interest attaching to it--The way thither--An - unsuccessful attempt to reach Ichang--Ichang at last--Difficulties - of navigation--Commercial importance of Ichang--My native - passenger-boat, opium-smoking skipper, and crew--The navigability - of the Upper Yang-tsze by steamers--Dangers and difficulties of the - Ching T'an Rapid--Up and down the rapid--The poppy--Ch'ung-k'ing. - - -The most interesting part of China, from a geographical and -ethnological point of view, is the West--geographically, because its -recesses have not yet been thoroughly explored, and ethnologically, -because a great part of it is peopled by races which are non-Chinese, -and one at least of which, though nominally owing allegiance to -the Great Khan, is in reality independent. It was my fortune to be -stationed in Western China from 1882 to 1884, and, during these three -years, I was enabled, in the performance of my duties, to collect -information regarding the country and its people; and it is in the hope -that this information may not be unacceptable that I venture to lay -the following pages before the public. - -Reports of the journeys which I made in Western China during the above -years have already appeared in the shape of Parliamentary Papers[A]; -but, written as they were without any idea of publication and intended -as mere trade notes, strung together from day to day on the march, they -are not sufficiently connected to present a fair picture of this remote -region. - -[A] China, No. 1 (1883); China, No. 2 (1884); and China, No. 2 (1885). - -That part of Western China, with which I am personally acquainted and -with which I propose to deal, lies to the south, and embraces the -provinces of Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow and Yün-nan, which, interesting in -themselves, have become of considerable importance since the extension -of the Indian Empire to the frontier of China and the absorption of -Tonquin by the French. - -[Sidenote: _THE WAY THITHER._] - -The great highway to the West is the River Yang-tsze. By the Agreement -of Chefoo of September, 1876, the port of Ichang, situated on the -north bank of the Yang-tsze about a thousand miles from the sea, was -opened to foreign trade and foreign steam navigation; and, by the -same Agreement, the residence of a Consular Officer at the city of -Ch'ung-k'ing, in Ssu-ch'uan, to watch the conditions of British trade, -was provided for. It was to take up this post that I left Wuhu towards -the end of October, 1881. On arrival at Hankow, I discovered that the -steamer, which had for some years been employed to run to Ichang, was -undergoing extensive repairs at Shanghai, to better fit her for the -navigation of the Upper Yang-tsze, and that another and larger steamer -belonging to the same Company had just returned from Ichang with little -hope, owing to the sudden fall of the river, of being then able to make -another trip. A large quantity of cargo, however, which had accumulated -at Hankow, induced the Company, much against the captain's will, to -send the steamer forward again; but, drawing only nine feet, she was -unable, after a day's journey, to push her way through six feet of sand -and water, and had to return. After about a month's delay, the smaller -steamer arrived at Hankow, and, laden to six feet, reached Ichang -with considerable difficulty on the 17th of December, the trip having -occupied eight days. On this section of the river, navigation commences -at daybreak, and, unless there is good moonlight, ceases at dark. -Owing to the shifting sands, which constitute the bed of the river, -the channel is constantly changing, and it is not uncommon to find the -passage, which the steamer took on the up passage, completely barred on -the down trip. The consequence is that soundings have constantly to be -taken, and delay is the result. This refers to the winter months only, -when the river is low, as, during high water, little difficulty exists, -and the distance has been covered in fifty hours. - -The selection of Ichang as an open port has frequently been called in -question, and it has been pointed out that Sha-shih, a town farther -down the river and one of the six calling stations for steamers, would -have been a preferable choice. Much may be said for Sha-shih, which is -the principal terminus of the junk traffic between Ssu-ch'uan and the -eastern provinces of China, but statistics clearly prove that Ichang -has after all been a success. Although it is neither a producing nor a -consuming district of any importance itself, the net value of the trade -which has gravitated towards it has risen from £18,000 in 1878 to over -£1,000,000 in 1888. This, it should be remembered, represents the trade -in vessels of foreign build only. - -After a few days bargaining at Ichang--passage by steamer being no -longer available--I succeeded in hiring a native passenger-boat to -convey myself, servants, and baggage the four hundred miles that still -lay between me and my destination for the exorbitant sum of one hundred -and eighty taels, or forty-five pounds. A larger sum was at first -demanded, and, there being only two or three boats of this class in -port, whose owners combined to "squeeze" me, I was ultimately obliged -to pay about a third more than the customary price. Travelling boats -on the Upper Yang-tsze are, as a rule, very roomy and comfortable. -They can usually be divided off into as many as four or five small -rooms by wooden partitions; and, travelling as I was in winter, I had -a stove fitted up, regulating the temperature by the windows which run -along the sides of what is really an oblong house placed on the boat's -deck. In a good boat, the roof is over six feet in height, so that one -can walk about comfortably from end to end. A mast is shipped right -in front of and against the deckhouse, and this is utilized both for -sailing and tracking--the tracking line running through a noose fixed -near the top. In front of the mast is a broad deck, contracting towards -the bows, accommodating from ten to a dozen rowers, and convertible at -night into sleeping quarters for the crew. Over a well in the bows, and -attachable to the deck by a noose, hangs a long heavy spar by which the -boat can be speedily steered in any required direction--an absolute -necessity where, tracking being carried on, sunken rocks close in-shore -have to be avoided, or the tracking line gives way in a strong current. - -[Sidenote: _SKIPPER AND CREW._] - -In the agreement entered into between the skipper of the boat and -myself, it was stipulated that there should be seven of a crew and -fifteen trackers. The crew consisted of the skipper, the bowsman or -pilot, who stood at the bows all day long and sounded continually with -a long iron-shod bamboo, the steersman, three deck hands, and the cook, -who exercised his culinary art in a primitive kitchen constructed in an -opening in the deck near the bows. - -[Sidenote: _AN AMUSING EPISODE._] - -The skipper, being a confirmed opium-smoker, proved of little use; and -it was not until the second night from Ichang that I discovered his -smoking propensities. I lay with my head towards the bows and, being -awakened during the night by someone crying, I saw a light shining -through the chinks of the partitions. On calling my servant to see what -was the matter, I learned that the light was the light of an opium -lamp, and that the wife of the skipper was crying because her husband -would not come to bed. I got up and found him lying at full length -alongside his lamp. I bundled him into the little room which he, his -wife, and two children occupied over the stern, and blew out his lamp. - -After this episode, the smoking was never carried on in any place -likely to attract my attention, although the sickening odour frequently -penetrated to my rooms from deck and stern, several of the crew -being also addicted to the drug. I had repeated conversations with -the skipper as to the craving he had contracted; and, one morning, I -overtook him on shore walking rapidly and in rather an excited state. I -asked him what was the matter, and he replied that the weather was so -cold that it was necessary to lay in a supply of coal at once, and that -in order not to delay the boat, he was hurrying to the next village to -make the purchase. I left him there and continued my walk. - -On boarding the boat above the village, I asked my servant where the -coals had been stowed, when, to my surprise, he told me that no coals -had come aboard, but that the skipper had laid in a fresh supply of -opium, that his stock had been exhausted over night, and that he had -been dying all morning for a smoke! He fought shy of me for several -days after this, knowing that his tampering with the truth had been -discovered. Smoking had reduced him to such a state that he had really -no command over the boat or crew; when an accident happened--an event -of common occurrence--he used to crawl on to the top of the deckhouse -and find fault in a querulous voice, which was quickly suppressed by -the bowsman telling him to mind his own business. When high words -ensued, the cook, in addition to his own special functions, assumed the -part of mediator, and used to groan and plead for silence after each -explosion. When the trackers were on shore and the other hands were -all busy on deck, it likewise devolved on the cook to jump from his -lair and signal the trackers, who were nearly always out of calling -distance, by beating the small drum which lay at the foot of the mast. -The bickerings between the skipper and his crew sometimes reached a -climax. On one occasion, after dancing an angry jig on the roof of the -deckhouse to a stormy vocal accompaniment, he scrambled on deck and was -proceeding on shore to continue his harangue from _terra firma_, when -the plank gave way and he disappeared amid the boisterous laughter of -the crew, quickly reappearing like a drowned rat, and thoroughly cooled -for the rest of the day. - -The trackers, too, deserve a word of mention. They were, with the -exception of the musician and the diver, almost all lithe young -fellows, always willing to jump on shore, never spending more than a -quarter of an hour over their rice and vegetables, and never out of -temper. The musician and the diver were somewhat aged. When there was -no tracking ground, and the oars had to be called into requisition, -the former used to sing his boat songs, the whole crew joining loudly -in the choruses, the echoes reverberating from cliff to cliff in the -gorges. If the tracking line got entangled among the rocks off the -shore, the diver would doff everything, slip overboard, and swim to -the rescue. I pitied this individual very much; he used to scramble -on board chattering with cold, and had no sooner got warm than his -services were again in demand. The boat was always moored before -dark, and, until supper was ready, the crew were busy rigging up the -roof-mats to form their night quarters. Then the beds with their coir -mattresses were produced from under the deck; and, with the exception -of two or three opium-smokers, these hard-working fellows dropped off -into well-earned sleep until daybreak, when the same round of toil -awaited them. - -Such was the boat and crew with which I ascended from Ichang into -Western China, reaching Ch'ung-k'ing on the 24th of January, 1882, -after a passage of a month. It is unnecessary for me to describe this -journey in detail. Blakiston, Gill, Little, and others have given their -experiences; they have painted living pictures of the grand, majestic -gorges; they have brought the world within earshot of the hissing, -seething rapids; and it only remains for me to say a few words on a -subject which has of late years received no little attention--the -navigability of the Upper Yang-tsze by steamers. The question is about -to be put to the test in accordance with clauses in the Agreement of -Chefoo, which state that "British merchants will not be allowed to -reside at Ch'ung-k'ing, or to open establishments or warehouses there, -so long as no steamers have access to the port. When steamers have -succeeded in ascending the river so far, further arrangements can be -taken into consideration." - -[Sidenote: _NAVIGABILITY OF THE YANG-TSZE._] - -Ever since I ascended the Upper Yang-tsze, I have not ceased, both in -China and England, to advocate the advisability, from a commercial -point of view, of steamers attempting the navigation of these waters. -Difficulties have been pointed out, but I have endeavoured to show -that these have been greatly exaggerated; and the "Upper Yang-tsze -Steam Navigation Company," lately formed, would appear to be of like -mind. The obstacles that exist lie between Ichang and the Ssu-ch'uan -frontier, a distance of about one hundred miles: beyond the frontier, -all is plain sailing, not only as far as Ch'ung-k'ing but even to -Hsü-chou Fu, some two hundred miles further west. They consist of a -series of rapids, which prove very trying to native craft when the -river is low, that is, from the middle of November to the middle of -March or a little later--the very time when junks are best able to -ascend; as, during the rest of the year, the increased volume of -water, although obliterating the rapids altogether, flows with a -strong current, which renders tracking very difficult and frequently -impossible. - -[Sidenote: _THE CH'ING T'AN RAPID._] - -The season, then, that proves all but impossible for junks is the very -season when steamers could run, and _vice versâ_. During low water, -there is, in my opinion, one, and only one, insuperable obstacle to a -steamer--the Ch'ing T'an Rapid, the first serious rapid above Ichang. -It lies at the eastern entrance of the Mi-tsang or "Granary" Gorge. -When I passed down in the end of December, 1884, there were three -channels in the rapid--the chief or central channel never attempted -by ascending junks, and two side channels separated from the central -by masses of rock. The central was the only channel available for a -steamer, but it consisted of a clear fall of from six to eight feet. -The side channels were narrow, with a very much less volume of water -and fall. In ascending these, junks could be dragged over close to the -rocks, which would be impossible in the case of a steamer. In the -gorge itself, the current was very sluggish, and boats were passing -and re-passing just above the rapid. I stood a hundred yards to the -west of it, and saw junks disappearing one after the other. As their -masts are always unshipped in the down passage, they seemed to me to -be passing with their human freight into eternity. The strange sight -insensibly drew me to the rapid itself, and I stood facing it to watch -the movements of my own boat. It was pulled out into mid-stream, and -allowed to float stern down until about to enter the rapid, when it -was gently wheeled round and drawn into the fall. It is difficult to -describe what happened next: a sudden plunge, considerable confusion -on board, the junk herself floating helplessly stern down stream, the -skipper on the roof of the deck-house frantically waving his arms, one -of the three lifeboats, which are always stationed below the rapid, -approaching the boat and then rescuing the crew, the deserted junk -making for the scattered rocks which jut out from the right bank at -the second rapid two hundred yards below the fall, its safe passage -through the rocks and rapid, its salvage by our accompanying gunboat, -all presented a picture which will never be effaced from my memory. -The cause of the accident was thus described to me. In shooting the -rapid, several of the crew lost their heads and their oars, and the -others, unable to keep the bows down river or to control the boat, and -being afraid that she would be dashed against the rocks at the second -rapid, called for the lifeboat and abandoned her. Such accidents are -of frequent occurrence, and are very often accompanied with damage, -wreck, and loss of life. We were lucky in being able to continue our -journey after a couple of hours' delay. - -I have described the descent of the Ch'ing T'an Rapid in this place, in -order to show the different phases which it presents at the same season -in different years, for when I ascended it on almost the same day -(December 29th) in 1881, not a rock was visible above water, and we had -little difficulty, with the aid of some fifty additional trackers, in -being dragged over it. Were this rapid a race, as it is not, I should -have more hesitation in describing it as insuperable for a steamer -during low water; but I consider it extremely doubtful whether the -slow fall would be sufficiently powerful to raise a steamer's bows off -the sunken rocks. It has been said that, if the Upper Yang-tsze were -navigated by steam, collisions would be of frequent occurrence, but not -more so than in the section between Hankow and Ichang. In ascending, -junks are tracked as close to the banks as possible, while in -descending, they keep to the middle of the river. In fact, collisions -should be of rare occurrence. West of the Ch'ing T'an Rapid, there is -nothing to interfere with the ascent of a steamer for more than five -hundred miles. - -It was during my daily rambles along the banks of the river, that I -first made acquaintance with the poppy of commerce. Before entering the -province of Ssu-ch'uan, I spoke to the boatmen, and asked them to tell -me as soon as they saw the plant growing; and from Wan Hsien westwards -to Ch'ung-k'ing there was one continuous yell of _Ya-pien-yen_, which -means the opium! It shared the banks of the river with wheat, peas, -and beans. The spikelets were from four to five inches above ground, -and little did I think, when I looked at these tiny plants, that it -would be my lot at no distant date to wander through hundreds of -miles of beautiful poppy flowers. On arrival at the district city of -Yün-yang, I visited the picturesque temple that peeps through the dense -foliage which clings to the steep sides of the hill forming the right -bank of the river; and, in course of conversation with the head priest, -I remarked that there seemed to be less poppy here than farther east. -Raising his hand and pointing to the opposite hills, he replied, "There -is nothing but poppy beyond." - -[Sidenote: _THE CITY OF CH'UNG-K'ING._] - -The city of Ch'ung-k'ing, in lat. 29° 33´ 50´´ N. and long. 107° 2´ -E., occupies the apex of the peninsula caused by the attempt of the -Yang-tsze on its north bank to pierce the sandstone cliffs under the -little walled town of Fu-t'ou-Kuan, and join its turbid waters with -the clear flow of the Chia-ling Chiang some four miles from the actual -junction of the two rivers. It is built on a slope which extends from -hill-tops overlooking the Chia-ling to the bed of the Yang-tsze. -Outside the walls there are no suburbs of any importance. A bird's-eye -view from the opposite hills shows that there is scarcely a patch of -ground which is not built upon. One or two plots of vegetables inside -the north-west corner of the wall, and a few trees here and there, -are the only exceptions to the grey mass of buildings clinging firmly -to the hill-side. It contains a population estimated at some 200,000 -souls, and may be described as the commercial metropolis of Western -China. This was the spot chosen for the residence of a Consular -Officer, to watch the conditions of British trade in Ssu-ch'uan; and -it was here that I took up residence in January, 1882. I do not intend -to weary my readers with trade statistics; those who are interested in -commerce will find some of the results of my enquiries and observations -in a subsequent chapter specially devoted to that subject. What I -propose to do is to carry them with me in my wanderings through Western -China, with Ch'ung-k'ing as a base, and endeavour to show them the -country and its people as they appeared to my eyes. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -CH'UNG-K'ING TO THE CAPITAL OF KUEI-CHOW. - - My overland caravan--Harvesting opium--Field-fishing--Wood-oil--The - manufacture of paper--Salt carriers--Silk-worms and their - food--Rice or Pith paper, and its manufacture--The Kuei-chow - frontier--Minerals--First meeting with Miao-Tzu--Poetical - description of Chinese inns--T'ung-tzu, its poppy valley and - tunnelling--Ingenious bamboo water-wheels--Scant population - amid ruins of fine houses--Coal-dust as fuel--The Wu Chiang - river--Destruction of the iron suspension bridge--Northern - Kuei-chow, a Miao-tzu graveyard--Opium-sodden inhabitants--The - capital of the Province--An interview with the Governor of - Kuei-chow. - - -[Sidenote: _MY OVERLAND CARAVAN._] - -Having acquainted myself with my surroundings, perused the records left -by my predecessors, and gained an insight into the duties expected -of me, I resolved to make a journey into the provinces of Kuei-chow -and Yün-nan. To this end, I obtained a general passport from the -Viceroy of Ssu-ch'uan, and a special passport from the authorities of -Ch'ung-k'ing covering the ground to be traversed, and proceeded to -make arrangements for the trip. As the greater part of the journey -was to be made overland, it was necessary to organize a caravan of -chair-bearers and porters. However willing one may be to walk, Chinese -etiquette demands, in a civil official, the presence of a sedan; and, -in visiting the native authorities--a part of my programme--a chair -is a _sine quâ non_. Ch'ung-k'ing being well supplied with chair -_hongs_ or establishments, I had no difficulty in collecting about a -score of coolies to accompany me to Yün-nan and back. This included a -headman, whose duty it was to maintain order, and supply the places of -those who, from sickness or other causes, might fall out on the march. -The terms were three hundred large copper cash per man per day, two -hundred to be paid while travelling, the balance to be handed over on -our return to Ch'ung-k'ing. On resting days, a sum of only one hundred -large cash was payable. A contract to this effect was duly drawn up and -signed, and it only remained to adjust the loads and assign the men -their respective places. - -Cash being the only currency in China, I had to take with me a large -supply of silver ingots, each of the value of about ten taels or -Chinese ounces, which had to be sliced, weighed, and exchanged _en -route_. This is one of the many annoyances of Chinese travel, as each -place has its own weights and its own exchange. For example, when I -left Ch'ung-k'ing a tael was worth 1,480 large cash; further south -it was equivalent to only 1,200, while on one occasion in Yün-nan it -rose to 1,580 cash. The risk of carrying silver could not, however, -be avoided, for it would have required the services of all my men at -starting to lift the equivalent in cash of the silver necessary to pay -their wages for the journey, not including the balance to be handed -over to them on our return. - -Rice and vegetables, supplemented occasionally by a little fish, or -pork and sauce, constitute the daily food of the Chinese; but they do -not commend themselves to the European palate. To ensure a fair measure -of comfort, therefore, I took with me some tinned provisions, to be -broached as necessity demanded. - -April the 19th was the day fixed for our departure, and at daylight we -groped our way through the mist which, in Spring, hangs continually -over the city, and descended to the Great River--the local name of -the Yang-tsze--across which we were ferried in a couple of large -flat-bottomed boats. The river at this point is about eight hundred -yards in breadth, and flows with a current of from four to five knots. -The most conspicuous objects on the south or right bank, which consists -of a range of hills from seven to eight hundred feet in height, are -the temple of Lao-chün Tung, nestling amidst a grove of trees, and -Blakiston's "Pinnacle Pagoda," crowning the highest peak of the range. -The high-road to Kuei-chow winds up the bank between them, and, after -a slight descent, enters a limestone valley beyond. The bank itself is -composed of coal and lime, both of which were being quarried for use in -Ch'ung-k'ing. - -[Sidenote: _HARVESTING OPIUM._] - -In this valley, which extends for miles, I first made acquaintance with -the poppy in full bloom. Fields of white and purple equalled in number -the patches of wheat, barley, and rape. Where the flowers had fallen, -the peasants, principally women and children, were busy harvesting -the juice. The tools used in the operation are simple but effective. -Towards evening, the peasants may be seen moving in the poppy fields, -each armed with a short wooden handle, from one of the ends of which -protrude three and sometimes four points of brass or copper blades, -firmly inserted in the wood. Seizing a capsule with the left hand, -the operator, with his right hand, inserts the points of the blades -near the top of the capsule, and draws them downwards to the stem of -the plant. From the incisions thus made a creamy juice exudes, which -gradually becomes of a dark brown colour. This is scraped off in the -early morning by means of a short curved knife, and deposited in an -earthenware bowl, the contents of which are afterwards fired or left in -the sun to dry. In this way, the weight is reduced about one half, and -the opium is then ready for boiling. The whole process is simple, and -may be accomplished by the women and children of the family, thereby -permitting the more able-bodied to attend to the other farm duties, -thus reducing the price of labour and consequently the cost of the -drug. The bleeding of the capsule is continued until the flow of juice -is exhausted. - -The remainder of the valley was occupied by rice fields, submerged -in preparation for the summer sowing. Sometimes they are allowed to -soak for months, their surfaces being frequently covered with floating -water-plants, which are afterwards utilized as manure. They are -likewise stocked with fish; in the early spring, reeds and rank grass -are cut from the hill sides and made up into small bundles, which are -then strung on bamboos, laid down in shallow water in the Yang-tsze, -and weighted with stones. Here the fish spawn, and the ova adhere to -the grass and reeds, which are then taken up and sold. The grass is -afterwards scattered in the higher fields, between which and the lower, -water-communication is kept up by digging small outlets, which can -easily be filled up at a moment's notice. Here the ova are hatched, and -good fishing may be had after a few months. - -The _modus operandi_ deserves a short description. Neither line nor -hook is used, the requisite gear consisting of a long bamboo and a -round wicker basket, open at the bottom with a hole at the top. The -fisherman wades into the field, the water usually reaching to the knee; -grasping the bamboo in his right, he sweeps the surface of the water -in front of him with a semicircular motion until a silver streak and a -dash into the mud meet his eye, when he plunges forward and caps the -spot with the basket which he has been carrying in his left hand. He -then gropes for his prey through the basket, and is, I may say, rarely -at fault. The fish--some six inches long--is then tossed over the -shoulder into a smaller basket strapped to the back, and the farmer -recommences his field-fishing. - -The wood-oil tree--_Aleurites cordata, M. Arg._--was scattered about -among the fields. It seems to prefer thin-soiled, rocky ground, being -met with in great abundance on the banks of the Yang-tsze west of -Ichang. It grows to a height of about fifteen feet, and has large, -beautiful, shady green leaves, which were lighted up as we passed -with bunches of small pink-white flowers. It produces a large green -fruit like an apple, the large pips or seeds of which contain the -oil for which the tree is famous. The fruit is gathered in August -and September. Primitive wooden presses with wedges are used for -extracting the oil, which is sent to market in wooden tubs with -tight-fitting lids, and is employed for a variety of purposes, such as -the manufacture of paint, varnish, waterproof paper, umbrellas, as well -as for lighting. The seeds, if eaten, cause nausea and vomiting. - -[Sidenote: _THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER._] - -Between Ch'ung-k'ing and Ch'i-chiang Hsien, the first city of any -importance on the southern road to Kuei-chow, there are a number of -factories for the manufacture of the ordinary coarse Chinese paper. -Here, too, the process is exceedingly simple. There is an entire -absence of machinery for washing and shredding rags; there are no -troughs of pulp, chemicals for bleaching, resin for watering, wire -moulds for receiving, and drums for firming the paper as it comes from -the pulp-troughs. Bamboo stems and paddy straw are steeped with lime -in deep concrete pits in the open air, and allowed to soak for months. -When nothing but the fibre remains, it is taken out and rolled with a -heavy stone roller in a stone well until all the lime has been removed. -A small quantity of the fibre is placed in a stone trough full of water -and the whole stirred up. A close bamboo mould is then passed through -the mixed fibre and water, and the film which adheres to it emerges as -a sheet of paper, which is stuck up to dry on the walls of a room kept -at a high temperature. The sheets are afterwards collected and made up -into bundles for market. - -Ch'i-chiang Hsien is a city somewhat irregularly built along the foot -and on the slope of a hill which rises from the left bank of a river, -a tributary of the Yang-tsze and bearing the city's name. It is of very -considerable importance as a trade depôt for north-eastern Kuei-chow, -and, being in water communication with the Yang-tsze, it is a valuable -inlet for the Ssu-ch'uan salt trade with that province. Kuei-chow, -unlike Ssu-ch'uan and Yün-nan, is unprovided with salt wells within -its borders, at least they have not yet been discovered, and the Lu -Chou junks have their terminus at Ch'i-chiang, whence the mineral is -distributed on the backs of bipeds. - -This latter was to me a painful sight. Men and boys (children, I should -rather say, many of them being not more than eight years of age) -staggered on with enormous loads of cake salt packed in small creels -and on wooden frameworks projecting above them. Walking in Indian file -along the pathway that served as a road, they halted every few yards, -resting their loads on a crutch which each carried in his hand, and, -uttering that half whistle, half sigh, which proclaims the body's utter -weariness and its gratitude for a moment's relief, scraped from their -brows and faces, by a ring of split bamboo attached to the load by a -string, the sweat that literally gushed from them. Of a surety they -earn their bread by the sweat of their brow! - -One expecting to find amongst such men a splendid development of muscle -would be sadly disappointed. Like the brick-tea carriers on their way -to Tibet, of whom I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, they were -painfully wanting in leg. Yet the maximum load is about two hundred -and forty pounds. For carrying the salt the distance of one hundred -miles between Ch'i-chiang and T'ung-tzu, the first district city across -the Kuei-chow border, they were paid at the rate of ten cash a catty, -or one and a third pounds. As the journey occupied them ten days, and -the return, empty-handed except for their wages in cash, two days, the -strongest man earned not more than sixpence a day. But rice and lodging -are cheap, and they are more or less happy at the end of each day's -weary toil. - -[Sidenote: _SILKWORMS AND THEIR FOOD._] - -The hills around Ch'i-chiang were thickly clad with scrub-oak, on -the leaves of which silkworms had been placed to feed. In Ssu-ch'uan -sericulture is a most important industry; every homestead, where -mulberry leaves are procurable, is engaged in it. Small market-towns -are thickly dotted over the whole province, and at each place a market -is held every five days. Thither agents resort and buy up cocoons and -opium at their respective seasons. Besides the mulberry and the oak, -the leaves of the _Cudrania triloba, Hance_, are much in demand -for feeding the young worms; and near Chia-ting, the very centre of -silk culture in Ssu-ch'uan, I was informed that these leaves are -particularly suited to the infant palate, and that the silk produced -from this diet is superior in quantity and quality. Frequently have -I seen small wooden tubs filled with white and yellow cocoons--the -produce of a single little homestead--exposed by the roadside for sale. -The duty of nursing, rearing and feeding the worms and of collecting -their food devolves on the women and children, the former hastening the -hatching of the eggs by wearing them in their breasts. - -South of Ch'i-chiang, the wood-oil tree was very abundant, and banyan -and pumelo trees were dotted about here and there; firs, cypresses, -palms, bamboos, and the mulberry were also to be seen. Of growing -crops, wheat, beans, and hemp--_Abutilon avicennae Gaert._--were -conspicuous. The small patches of land, into which Chinese crofts are -divided, give ample scope for careful agriculture. It is, I believe, an -established fact that wheat planted at intervals of from nine to twelve -inches produces a heavier crop than wheat sown broadcast. By planting, -which is here and in China generally the rule, not only is seed saved -but sufficient room is given for tillering, whereas in sowing, the -intervals are irregular and tillering is cramped. The wild rose, -honeysuckle, and strawberry crept along our path. - -It was on leaving Ch'i-chiang on the morning of the 22nd of April -that my attention was arrested by a large white bundle on two legs -approaching the city. As it neared us, it developed into what appeared -to be a huge mass of long white candles half enveloping a human being, -and rising four feet above where, under ordinary circumstances, the -individual's head ought to be. Questioning the bundle, I discovered -from a series of sounds that issued from its centre that it was the -pith from which the far-famed "rice" paper is manufactured. It is the -pith of the large-leaved bush-like _Fatsia papyrifera, Benth._ and -_Hook._, which grows luxuriantly in the province of Kuei-chow, whence -it is brought to Ch'ung-k'ing to be made into sheets. The plant also -grows in Ssu-ch'uan, but the stems are not so fully developed as those -produced in the more southern province. I may as well now describe the -process of manufacture, and save my readers a further reference to the -subject. - -[Sidenote: _THE PITH WORKER._] - -On my return to Ch'ung-k'ing from the journey now described, I was -invited to visit a worker in pith after nightfall. Although somewhat -surprised at the hour named, I accepted the invitation. On arrival, -I was ushered into a badly lighted room, where a man was sitting at -a table with his tools in front of him. These consisted of a smooth -stone, about a foot square and an inch and a half thick, and a large -knife or hatchet with a short wooden handle. The blade was about a -foot long, two inches broad, and nearly half an inch thick at the -back. It was sharp as a razor. Placing a piece of round pith on the -stone and his left hand on the top, he rolled the pith backwards and -forwards for a moment until he got it into the required position. -Then, seizing the knife with his right hand, he held the edge of the -blade, after a feint or two, close to the pith, which he kept rolling -to the left with his left hand until nothing remained to roll; for the -pith had, by the application of the knife, been pared into a square -white sheet of uniform thickness. All that remained to be done was to -square the edges. If the reader will roll up a sheet of paper, lay it -on the table, place the left hand on the top, and gently unroll it to -the left, he will have a good idea of how the feat was accomplished. -It seemed so easy that I determined to have a trial. Posing as a -professional worker, I succeeded in hacking the pith, and in nearly -maiming myself for life. A steady hand and a keen eye are required -for the work, and hence it is that the so-called "rice" paper is -manufactured only at night, when the city is asleep and the makers are -not liable to be disturbed. - -The third day from Ch'i-chiang brought us to the Kuei-chow frontier, -the road following for the most part the banks of the Ch'i-chiang -River. Coal and iron are here found in abundance, and the market town -of Kan-shui, which lies within the Ssu-ch'uan border, is famed for the -manufacture of the iron pans, without one of which no house can be -looked upon as properly furnished. Copper is also found at no great -distance, and specimens of the ore, which I forwarded to Shanghai for -analysis, contained thirty per cent. of metal. - -It was near the Kuei-chow border that I first came in contact with -the Miao-tzu, the aboriginal inhabitants of that province. I was -sauntering along in front of my followers when, at a bend in the road, -I was suddenly confronted by a couple of neatly-dressed figures which -turned out to be two Miao-tzu girls, about fourteen and sixteen years -of age as far as I could guess, arrayed in short jackets and kilts of -a greyish-black woollen material, with turbans to match. They were -very good looking, and, although somewhat coy, did not show that -abject terror which, under similar circumstances, would have betrayed -the Chinese female. With heads erect and black eyes lighted up with -astonishment, they passed me by with no uncertain gait. Although the -Miao-Tzu are generally supposed to be confined to Kuei-chow, not a -few families are settled in this corner of Ssu-ch'uan. Those who are -interested in this people will find another chapter specially devoted -to them. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE INNS._] - -Seas of bare rocky mountains met my eyes as I sat on the borders -of Ssu-ch'uan and Kuei-chow, and gazed southwards. It was like a -transformation scene. From smiling fields of poppy, wheat, and beans, -we were suddenly brought face to face with hill-side patches of the -same crops sadly stunted. The poppy, which to the north was being bled, -had not even burst into flower, and the scanty soil looked barren and -profitless. The rich valleys were still invisible, and the prospect -was very depressing; nor was the feeling in the least minimised by the -appearance of our lodgings for the night. So bad were they, indeed, -that I had to ask the local authority of Sung-k'an whether he could not -find me more decent quarters. Another room was hunted up, but I failed -to discover any great improvement. I have occupied hundreds of Chinese -inns in the course of my travels, and I think that, on the whole, a -Chinaman's own description which I found written on the wall of a room -which I once tenanted in Ssu-ch'uan, errs on the side of leniency. In -English garb it runs thus-- - - "Within this room you'll find the rats - At least a goodly score, - Three catties each they're bound to weigh, - Or e'en a little more; - At night you'll find a myriad bugs - That stink and crawl and bite; - If doubtful of the truth of this, - Get up and strike a light." - -It must have been the poet's up-bringing or his being overpowered by -other ills that prevented him from finishing the work so well begun. -Let me endeavour to complete the picture-- - - Within, without, vile odours dense - Assail the unwary nose; - Behind, the grunter squeaks and squeals - And baffles all repose; - Add clouds of tiny, buzzing things, - Mosquitoes--if you please; - And if the sum is not enough, - Why, bless me, there are fleas. - -[Sidenote: _BAMBOO WATER-WHEELS._] - -To reach T'ung-tzu, a range of mountains over three thousand feet high -had to be crossed. The summit was dotted with smooth, hollowed-out, -limestone rocks, between which the scanty soil was being turned over by -the peasants. On the south side of the range, a narrow valley, about -nine miles in length, down which flows a stream, leads to the district -city. As the latter is approached, the valley expands from a quarter -to half a mile in breadth, and runs with the stream for another five -miles until it is blocked by a low range of hills, through which the -stream finds its way by a series of caverns. In the narrower part of -the valley, I noticed a very ingenious contrivance for irrigating the -fields. The stream flows about ten feet below the surrounding plots, -and drains instead of watering them. To utilize it, a large light -bamboo wheel, from forty to fifty feet in circumference, and two feet -thick, was erected. Layers of split bamboo were inserted at short -intervals in the outside edge as float-boards, and the water rushing -against them caused the wheel to revolve. Short bamboos closed at -the outer end were fixed on the rim at a slight angle. As the wheel -revolved, these bamboos were immersed and filled with water, and on -reaching the top poured their contents into a wooden trough raised -nearly to the height of the wheel. Bamboo pipes led the water from the -trough to the fields requiring irrigation. No care was required, and -wheel after wheel was doing its work silently and alone. - -Rice is hulled by a somewhat similar process. An ordinary water-wheel -is fitted with a long axle, through the centre of which two planks -at either side of the wheel are inserted at right angles and project -several feet. As the wheel revolves, the planks descend, catch, -depress, and release a lever, the far end of which is weighted with a -heavy blunt stone about two feet long. When the lever is released, the -stone descends and plunges into a hollow, usually lined with concrete, -into which the paddy is placed. By a single revolution of the wheel the -lever is depressed and released four times and, when the hulling is -completed, the lever can be drawn aside and the contents of the hole -removed and winnowed. - -I took advantage of a day's rest at T'ung-tzu to follow up the stream -to the point where it enters the range of hills. The whole valley and -the hill-sides were one mass of poppies in full bloom--white, mauve, -and white tipped with pink being the chief colours. The capsules were -less rounded, but more elongated than those of the Ssu-ch'uan plant. -The Ku-lu, as the stream is called, enters the hill by three caverns, -emerges through a single cavern some distance beyond, crosses another -valley a few hundred yards in breadth and at right angles to the -T'ung-tzu valley, again enters the hills and, after leaving by another -single cavern, discharges itself into the Ch'ih-shui River. As might -naturally be expected, both valleys are liable to inundation during the -rainy season and, at the time of my visit, an attempt was being made to -cut a tunnel behind the first range and induce the surplus waters to -seek a nearer passage to the larger river. A mile of tunnel had already -been completed, but a part had fallen in and hindered the progress -of the work. As it seemed to me, the passage through the first range -must always be liable to be choked by an increase in the volume of the -stream and by floating débris, and little would appear to have been -accomplished beyond scattering to the winds £10,000 to £12,000, and -giving employment to a large number of men. - -There is little of interest to attract the eye of the traveller -between T'ung-tzu and Tsun-i Fu, the next city of any importance -on the way to the provincial capital. The road runs over hills and -through valleys, past coal mines and through poppy-fields, until a -few miles north of the city the country opens out and shows the usual -crops. The population, as everywhere in Kuei-chow, is scant; and if -a field is wanted to relieve the congested provinces of the Empire, -Kuei-chow and Yün-nan can easily accommodate millions, and feel all -the better for the increase. With the exception of the Miao-tzu, who -have been driven into the south of Kuei-chow, the inhabitants consist -of immigrants from Ssu-ch'uan, Hupeh and Hunan, who, for the most -part, are satisfied with scratching small parts of the ground and -disposing of the opium which they themselves are unable to consume to -the eastern province of Hunan. A lazier set of people it would be hard -to find anywhere. The mountainous character of the country renders -overland transport excessively difficult, the consequence being that -the products of the soil are exceedingly cheap and living inexpensive. -Ruins of superior stone buildings are everywhere to be met with, but, -instead of repairing these, the inhabitants are content to raise wattle -and mud walls on the solid foundations, and turn the floors of the -superfluous houses into vegetable gardens. The Miao-tzu must, indeed, -have had a hot time of it. Where forests of oak once stood, only black -charred roots and columns of dressed granite now remain, to tell the -tale of a well-to-do Miao-tzu peasantry in hand to hand conflict with -better-armed opponents. - -[Sidenote: _COAL-DUST AS FUEL._] - -How to utilize coal-dust as fuel has always been a fruitful topic of -discussion where coal mines are worked. I notice that the most recent -invention in England is the admixture of pitch with the dust. Here and -elsewhere in China, clay is the ingredient used; and the mixture, after -being reduced to the necessary consistency by the addition of water, -is placed in moulds, whence it issues, about two pounds in weight, in -the shape of the base half of a cone, and is then exposed to the sun to -dry. This fuel is fairly tenacious, and will bear considerable rough -transit. From personal experience in Peking, I may add that ignition is -not a difficult matter, and that a powerful heat results. - -The walls of Tsun-i, which we entered on the afternoon of the 29th -of April, are said to contain a population of 45,000 souls. It is -a manufacturing city. Wild silk, gathered from the scrub-oak in the -neighbourhood, is spun and woven into a coarse fabric, which is largely -exported through Ssu-ch'uan to the central and eastern provinces. It -is a peculiarity of Kuei-chow towns that there are no suburbs outside -the walls; but, when the struggles that have taken place within the -province and the consequent insecurity are considered, their absence is -not a matter for surprise. - -About forty miles to the south of Tsun-i, we struck the left bank of -the Wu Chiang, which here flows with a swift current through a deep -limestone gorge in an east-north-east direction. Looking down into -the gorge, I could make out on the opposite bank a solid platform of -masonry, over which dangled a row of iron chains or rods into the -river. Descending through accumulations of building materials, we soon -reached a similar platform, where I discovered that a great catastrophe -had recently occurred. Seven months before our visit the chains or -hooked rods--each about a yard long--for supporting the roadway, had -been successfully stretched, built into the masonry on either side and -the ends fixed into the solid rock. The side suspension chains, which -were carried over stone turrets on either side of the piers, were -in process of being stretched, when the whole structure collapsed, -carrying with it a large number of workmen, many of whom were drowned -or fatally injured. Their graves are to be seen on the left bank of the -river. The turrets were all carried away, and nothing remained but the -piers, the severed chains, and many of the planks which had formed the -roadway. In manufacturing the chains, which was done on the spot--the -workshops were still standing--local iron, which appeared to be of an -inferior quality and to have been insufficiently malleated, had been -used. The bridge was rebuilt in the year of our visit (1882), but iron -from Yün-nan was employed. - -[Sidenote: _THE KUNG-T'AN RIVER._] - -The Wu Chiang, or, as it is called near its mouth, the Kung-t'an River, -after a course of about five hundred miles, enters the Yang-tsze at -the city of Fu Chou, seventy-two miles to the east of Ch'ung-k'ing. -Owing to rapids, it is unnavigable until it approaches the province of -Ssu-ch'uan; but even in its short navigable course of over a hundred -miles above its junction with the Yang-tsze it is an important trade -highway. By this route, north-eastern Kuei-chow is supplied with salt -from Ssu-ch'uan, sending in return gall-nuts and other minor products. -At one time it formed part of the great commercial highway between -Canton and Western China, which has practically ceased to exist since -the opening of the Yang-tsze to steam navigation. - -A brief glance across the Wu Chiang warned me that there was no time -to tarry on the left bank, for the road could be seen zig-zagging -up a gulley on the opposite shore. Collecting our forces, which had -scattered on a tour of inspection, we descended to the river, a stream -sixty yards in breadth, and were ferried across by detachments in a -rickety old boat. A weary climb of two hours, past disused iron mines -overgrown with brushwood, brought us to the Kuan-ai Customs barrier, -perched on the summit of the range. Beyond the barrier we obtained a -splendid view of the country to the south; barren, treeless peaks, -on the same level as ourselves--three to four thousand feet--lay -before us, cheerless, uninhabited, lifeless. What a picture! Where are -the Miao-tzu that used to till these fields and tend their herds on -the mountain sides? They were butchered and their bones are rotting -underneath. Northern Kuei-chow is a huge graveyard, with no monuments -to mark the fierce struggle against extortion and oppression, of rude -weapons against foreign arms of precision. Justice is a fine thing to -talk about and inculcate, but a hard thing to practise. - -[Sidenote: _ARRIVAL AT KUEI-YANG._] - -Three miles from the river my followers clamoured for a day's rest. -Although only a three days' journey from Kuei-yang, the capital of -the province, where I proposed to make a short stay, I was compelled -to accede to their request. Twenty miles may seem a poor day's work; -but my readers should bear in mind that roads, in the proper sense -of the word, do not exist, and that the mountain paths which we have -been travelling have been sadly neglected. During the whole of my time -in Kuei-chow I never once saw a cart, the entire trade--such as it -is--being conducted on the backs of bipeds and quadrupeds. A nearer -acquaintance with the country between the Wu Chiang and Kuei-yang -failed to leave on my mind a livelier impression than that derived from -the panorama of desolation as seen from the Kuan-ai barrier. During the -day here and there a hut or a poppy-patch was the only sign of human -existence, and at night came the miserable village full of lethargic -opium-sodden inhabitants. - -Ten miles of grassy downs and fifteen miles of barren mountain sides -constitute the approach to the provincial capital. At the village, -which lies between, an escort of eight soldiers, two mounted officers, -and a host of runners from the Magistrate's Yamên, awaited us to -protect me from the dangers of the wilderness. The occasional huts give -place to guard-houses, which would seem to imply that the country is -not so safe as it looks. Passing through an archway bridging the road -between two steep mountain peaks, where the officer at the receipt of -customs glared greedily at our caravan; and, rounding a mountain side, -we soon caught a glimpse of Kuei-yang lying in a plain far below us. On -the left is the graveyard of the city, its white stones like glittering -specks dotting the hill side. A white wall surrounds the town; and -numerous green trees rising above the house-tops were suggestive of -coolness and shade. But all is not gold that glitters, and there was -soon revealed to us an ordinary Chinese city containing the usual marks -of decay. - -On the morning of the 6th of May--the day after our arrival--I spent -a very pleasant half-hour with the Governor of the province, who was -courtesy itself. His Excellency was deeply interested in the subject -of the navigation of the Upper Yang-tsze by steam, and showed complete -familiarity with the sayings of the Shanghai vernacular press. He -pressed me to stay a few days; but the heat was oppressive, and I -determined to push on to Yün-nan without delay. To His Excellency I -owe much; he was good enough to send orders along the route that I was -to be accommodated in the official rest-houses as much as possible, so -that I was enabled to get rid of the crowds which collect and gaze -with glassy eyes at the unfortunate foreigner. It is difficult to -satisfy a Chinese crowd; one may sit or stand before one's room-door -in an inn for hours, yet the inquisitiveness remains unabated. Enter -the room, and every crack in the woodwork of the walls is occupied -by peering eyes, while the paper windows are quickly converted into -sieves by moistened finger-tips, and black glittering orbs are glued to -them. A boot deftly aimed gives momentary, but only momentary, relief. -Kuei-chow is not a chief sinner in this respect. In Western China, -Ssu-ch'uan undoubtedly takes the palm. - -During the afternoon of my stay in Kuei-yang I made a flying -perambulation of the city. In the southern part, the shops were large -and apparently prosperous, and the streets, which were fairly broad, -were crowded. Foreign cottons brought from Hankow by way of the -Tung-t'ing Lake and the Yuan River were plentifully displayed. I shall -have occasion to refer again to this route, which was followed by the -unfortunate Margary on his way across China to Burmah. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -WESTWARD TO YÜN-NAN. - - White wax insects--Terrible hailstorm and its effects--Miao-tzu - houses and women--An-shun Fu--Limestone cave--Pai-shui - waterfall--Reception at Lang-t'ai T'ing--Lang-wang Mountain and - the "Cave of the Spirits"--Caught in a thunderstorm--The pebbly - strand of the Mao-k'ou River--Pack-animals and their treatment--The - Yün-nan frontier--A cart at last--Exploring a cave--Underground - rivers--Exceptional courtesy--Goître--Breeding ground of the - Yün-nan pony--Trade route to Tonquin--Marching knee-deep in mud - and water--Poverty of inhabitants--Queen's birthday dinner in a - back-yard--Chinese inquisitiveness--The Sung-ming Lake--A local - escort--A glorious view--Yün-nan Fu. - - -On the morning of the 7th of May, we turned our faces westwards towards -the province of Yün-nan, the capital of which I hoped to reach before -the end of the month. Soon after leaving the west gate of Kuei-yang, we -met a number of carriers with long round baskets slung at the ends of -poles in the usual Chinese manner. The exceptional speed at which they -were going tempted me to examine their loads, and most unwillingly did -they submit, for they were bearing eastward to Hunan burdens of living -insects of great industrial value. They were white wax insects in their -scales, which had been collected in the An-shun prefecture further -west, packed in layers of trays to ensure a free current of air and -thus prevent their escape during their long journey. The lamps which -the owners, who accompanied the porters on foot, carried, told me that -the tiny insects were being hurried night and day to their destination. -The whole subject of white wax insects and their valuable product will -be found detailed in Chapter XI. - -[Sidenote: _TERRIFIC HAILSTORM._] - -Ten miles west of Kuei-yang is the main coal-field for supplying the -provincial capital with fuel. The road winds among and over low hills -untouched by the hoe of the peasant; rank grass and brushwood tell -the tale of a meagre population content to exist on the produce of -the narrow valleys--patches of barley or wheat, and poppy and rice in -their season. Beyond the hills, a valley leads to the district city of -Ch'ing-chên, and here a surprising sight met the eye. Up to the very -walls of the city stretched an immense poppy-field, the stems fresh -and erect, but hardly a capsule remaining. Here at last, thought I, -have the authorities in a fit of virtuous indignation advanced beyond -issuing proclamations laden with threats of punishment; here surely -must be a Magistrate who has a will of his own and the courage to carry -it into effect. Alas! I wronged him. 'Twas another celestial authority -that did the deed. On the night of the 2nd of May, a terrible hailstorm -burst over the district, destroying not only the growing crops but -even playing havoc within the walls. The streets were full of broken -tiles, many of the roofs having succumbed to the hailstones, which were -described to me as weighing as much as seven and even eight ounces. The -capsules, which were scattered on the ground, had all been collected -for the sake of the sweet cooking-oil which is obtained from the seed, -and of the cakes which are manufactured from the seed itself. Six miles -by six represented the area over which the hail had descended. The -stems and branches of the roadside trees, which were all but denuded of -leaves, looked as if they had been hacked with a blunt axe. Rapeseed, -beans, wheat, and barley, which were growing in scant patches to the -west of the city, were flattened with the ground. - -In this part of the country, cultivation is confined to the -neighbourhood of towns and villages. The distance between Ch'ing-chên -and An-p'ing, the next district city, is twenty miles; and, if we -except the poppy which was growing abundantly near the latter, there -was no cultivation worthy of the name. Grass-covered plains, once -smiling fields, intercepted by curious conical hills partly clad with -brushwood and bracken, are happy hunting grounds for herds of tame -buffaloes. Truly, the land of the Miao-tzu was devastated, and its -inhabitants butchered and scattered. Poverty reigns along the highroad. -Three miles west of Ch'ing-chên, we stopped for breakfast at a hamlet -overlooking a tributary of the Wu Chiang. Neither chair nor table was -procurable; but they were hardly necessary, for it did not take long -to put away the remains of my dinner of the previous evening. Here I -found that the knowledge possessed by the local escorts is not above -suspicion. Sitting on the stone bridge which spans the stream just -mentioned, I asked them the name and destination of the latter; but I -failed to receive a satisfactory answer. One of the soldiers, however, -who volunteered the statement that the bridge on which I was sitting -had nine arches, was somewhat non-plussed to find, on being sent to -count, that it was two short of the number he gave. - -An-p'ing has not yet recovered from the ravages of the civil war; -the walls are in a state of decay, and many of the houses which they -encircle are represented by heaps of ruins. The surrounding country is -almost entirely inhabited by Miao-tzu, whose hamlets are perched on -inaccessible hill-tops--stone refuges occupying the commanding heights. -When hard pressed, they drove their cattle into the latter for safety -and, sheltering themselves behind the walls, bade defiance to their -assailants. - -The villages, through which the road passes between An-p'ing and -An-shun, are of a non-Chinese type. The walls of the houses are built -of loose stones and are very thick, the roofs being composed of broad -stone slabs. The inmates appeared to be of a degraded race, and have, -in all probability, a strain of Miao-tzu blood. The men were dressed in -sombre Chinese clothes, while the women were inclined to gaudy colours. - -At one of these villages it was market day; herds of oxen, horses, and -pigs were on the ground, and the women, arrayed in all the colours of -the rainbow and ornamented with silver earrings, bangles and rings, -were hurrying in with baskets of eggs and vegetables. In the market -were four slender, sinewy Miao-tzu men, somewhat curiously dressed. -Black cloth bands encircled their foreheads, loose gowns of similar -material, fastened with girdles, covered them from neck to ankle, huge -silver earrings swung from their left ears and their feet were encased -in straw sandals. Bowls of opium were being hawked about the village, -and I was told that the Miao-tzu, although extensive cultivators of the -poppy, do not themselves smoke the drug. - -[Sidenote: _AN SHUN-FU._] - -An-shun is approached through a long valley, which contracts as the -city is neared. At the eastern end, the road, which is lined with -memorial stone archways, ascends a gentle slope--the graveyard of the -town--to the walls. From the gate we looked down into a broad street, -crowded with people engaged in business. On stalls at either side, -goods of all kinds were plentifully displayed, and the shops behind -them were large and apparently prosperous. Ponies laden with salt -jostled us in the gateway, and I found, on enquiry, that An-shun is -supplied with this necessity of life by way of the Yung-ning River, -which enters the Yang-tsze at the district city of Na-chi, and is the -most important trade highway to Western Kuei-chow. This route, which I -followed in 1883, will be found described in a subsequent chapter. - -The main roads of China are each divided into stages, only one of which -can, with convenience and comfort to the traveller, be accomplished -in a day. The plan which I followed was invariably as follows. Rising -at daybreak, I had a cup of coffee or tea, pushed on to the first -hamlet or village, where we all breakfasted, travelled till noon when -we lunched at the most convenient spot, and arrived at the end of the -stage about four or five o'clock in the afternoon. Inns were not -always available during the day, and at our first halting place after -leaving An-shun, we took possession of a house which we shared with a -couple of carriers, who seemed to prefer a whiff of the opium pipe to -eating. On one occasion only, as far as I can recollect, was I refused -temporary lodgment, the inmates, as a rule, being only too willing to -shelter us for a few cash. As a matter of fact, they had little to -fear, for they had nothing to steal. - -Chên-ning Chou, which was the end of the stage on the 10th of May, is -a poor city, built on a hill slope, and consists of one decent street -and a number of dilapidated thoroughfares. It lies at the western end -of a valley, which was filled with yellow wheat and barley, submerged -paddy-land, and poppy-fields. Our landlord told me that, previous -to the rebellion, the walls sheltered from seven to eight thousand -families, now, however, reduced to a thousand. A mile to the west of -Chên-ning we came upon a cave close to the highroad. It was formed of -a single limestone dome, which has been converted into a temple. To us -it presented the appearance of a poorhouse, for our entrance aroused a -crowd of squalid beggars, who had taken up their quarters in its cool -shade. They did not look as if they had a very close acquaintance with -the clear, limpid stream which flows through it and enters a limestone -hill fifty yards beyond. We were no longer the only travellers going -west; a number of men were carrying silver to Yün-nan to purchase -opium. The value of the drug, its small bulk and superiority, enable -it to be carried across the province of Kuei-chow to Hunan and other -provinces at a profit. - -[Sidenote: _THE PAI-SHUI RIVER._] - -The Pai-shui, or "White Water" river, spanned by a stone bridge of -five arches at the eastern end of the village of Huang-kuo-shu, goes -south to join the northern section of the Canton or West River. It is a -shallow stream thirty yards in breadth and forms a beautiful waterfall -in the rear of the village, creeping leisurely over the brown rocks and -falling about a hundred feet. In the temple of the "Dragon Prince" we -spread our mid-day meal, having had to fast since daybreak, the hamlets -on the road west of Chên-ning being unable to supply us even with a -single egg. A series of weary ascents and descents ultimately landed us -in the small village of P'o-kung, which had recently been the scene of -a conflagration. Ten days before our arrival it was all but consumed, -and the inhabitants were huddled together amidst its charred remains, -still wanting in courage or in funds to re-erect their homes. - -Is there no level ground anywhere in the province of Kuei-chow? This -was the question that suggested itself to me as I gained the ridge -that rises to the west of P'o-kung. The answer lay ahead. Waves of -conical hills and mountain ranges beyond seemed to block the passage -to Yün-nan. Down and up, and down again, brought us to a valley, -extending for miles, at the far end of which rests the prosperous city -of Lang-t'ai T'ing, famous for the superiority of its opium. Some miles -from its walls we were met by two escorts, one sent by the Sub-prefect, -the other by the Colonel. As we approached, they dropped on their knees -and bade me welcome. The military escort, which was composed of five -soldiers armed with matchlocks and four with banners, had evidently -taken advantage of their excursion to do a little shooting. One man had -bagged half a dozen pigeons, and a bird of about the same size with a -perfect yellow plumage, which I failed to recognize. As every one is -aware, the Chinese do many things in a way the exact reverse of what we -consider right and proper. How should a soldier carry his musket? Is it -easier to carry the stock or the barrel over the shoulder? My escort -preferred to handle the barrel. - -On arrival at Lang-t'ai, the Colonel, to whom I sent a message of -thanks for his foresight and precaution, pressed me to stay and -witness a review that was to be held in a couple of days; but the -comparatively cool weather, and the fact that I had already seen enough -of his soldiers and their little ways, decided me to decline the kind -invitation. - -Lang-t'ai lies low, and by the eastern approach nothing is visible but -a part of the wall, the town itself being obscured by dense foliage. -A thick mist concealed everything from view as we left the following -morning. After struggling for two hours among the hills that overlook -the city on the north-west, we cleared the mist and entered a coal -district where the miners were hard at work. A splendid view was -obtained from the Wang-shan temple on the ridge where we breakfasted; -the Lang-wang Shan, the highest mountain in the province, towered -on our right. Under the summit, which is of bare rock, there is a -cave--the "Cave of the Spirits"--which has a very wide reputation, and, -as a consequence, is much visited by devotees. As we passed, pilgrims -were burning joss-paper far below it. Half-way down on the western -side we were overtaken by a terrific thunderstorm, which continued -far into the night. When we reached the grass-covered plain that lies -below, I took refuge in my chair; but the violent gusts of wind, which -accompanied the sheets of descending water, soon wrenched off the rain -covers and exposed us to the full blast of the storm. - -[Sidenote: _THE VILLAGE OF MAO-K'OU._] - -Wet to the skin we entered the village of Mao-k'ou, which consists -of one street, with numerous gardens surrounded by hedges of cactus, -on the left bank of a stream fifty yards in breadth, which issues -from a gorge a few hundred yards above the village. Here there was -no resisting the appeal for a day's rest which was at once made to -me. A carrier's luggage is of the lightest possible description; the -single suit of clothes in which he stands is, as a rule, all that he -possesses, and when that is reduced to a pulp, it has to be washed and -dried before he can again venture out. - -I spent the morning of our day of rest on the pebbly strand of the -Mao-k'ou river, which goes south to swell the upper waters of the north -branch of the West River, in the province of Kwang-si. Numerous fossils -are to be found here, and I purchased three different specimens from -the landlord of our inn. The current of the river is very rapid. - -On leaving Mao-k'ou on the following morning, we ascended its left bank -five hundred yards before attempting the crossing; our boats did not -reach the right bank until we were opposite the village. An undulating -upland stretches westward, covered with rank wild grass, affording -excellent cover for game, which was plentiful. Pheasants crowed all -round us, and took wing when we approached too close. In the middle -of this grassy waste we were caught up by a caravan of twenty ponies, -laden with bamboo hats, on their way from Kuei-yang to Yün-nan Fu. They -were strong, hardy little animals, game to the very last. Each had a -load of three hundred and sixty hats; and I found, when I afterwards -saw them turned loose to graze, that not one had a whole back. One -poor beast was a pitiful sight; it had a sore at least a foot long, -and down almost to its ribs. The flies, attracted by the smell in a -temperature of 90° F., rendered its life miserable, and I offered to -buy it at a reasonable price and put it out of agony, but the owner -was devoid of the least spark of humanity and would not listen to my -entreaties. He even grumbled loudly when I made him take off half the -load and distribute it amongst the others. The greed of the ordinary -Chinese leaves little room for kindness to man's humbler assistants. -An instance occurs to me at the moment. I once visited the Great -Wall, and, as visitors do, hired a donkey to carry me up the rough -Nan-k'ou Pass. I had not proceeded far when a horrid stench assailed my -nostrils; its continuance baffled me until a sudden lurch of the saddle -revealed a sickening sight. Needless to say, I walked the rest of the -way. - -Towards the western end of the grassy upland, the fir and the oak -are dotted about and relieve the monotony of the barren undulations, -which are succeeded by a coal-producing valley and two mountain ranges -following closely on each other, being separated by only a few rice -fields. The village of Kuan-tzu-yao, which lies behind the ranges, -marks the boundary of the bare, uncultivated hills. A reddish tilled -soil now covers immense carboniferous deposits. If my reader is as -tired of hearing of these uninteresting mountain ranges as I was in -crossing them, he will be relieved to know that the plateau of Yün-nan -will soon be reached. - -[Sidenote: _THE YÜN-NAN FRONTIER._] - -A journey of three days and a half from Kuan-tzu-yao along cultivated -valleys, and including two more ascents and descents, brought us early -in the afternoon of the 20th of May to the Yün-nan frontier. During -this time two new crops put in an appearance--buckwheat and oats. I -saw, too, a new method of manuring the fields. For some days I had -been puzzled to account for the peculiar growth of certain trees whose -branches were very short, and for which I could obtain no satisfactory -explanation; but all at once I came upon a peasant hacking off the -branches, and another ploughing them into the rice fields. A barren -waste leads up to the frontier town of Shên-ching-kuan, where we -were received with the usual Chinese salute of three guns. Stopping -for a rest, I discovered that the little town possesses, besides its -two memorial archways, four stone lions, two facing Kuei-chow, with -imitation scales to represent the rainy character of that province, and -two facing west, with imitation scales and dust, indicating the rainy -as well as the windy reputation of Yün-nan. - -My Ssu-ch'uan followers entertained a wholesome dread of the latter -province. For some days they had been talking of the miseries that they -would have to endure in the matter of food and lodging, and they had -come to the conclusion that the only possible reason that could have -tempted me to travel in that remote region was to _chih Yün-nan k'u_, -or partake of the bitterness of Yün-nan. Often did they discuss, in my -hearing, the motive which led me to question everybody and everything, -and transfer the answers to my note-book; but all they seemed able to -arrive at was that I was not doing it for nothing. - -The excitement of entering a new province raised the spirits of my -bearers, who hurried me along the red sandy road, which slopes past -several nullahs to a plain only partly cultivated, because liable to -inundation. Could it be possible? It seemed almost too good to be true. -Lumbering towards us came a couple of bullocks, dragging an apology -for a cart behind them. The faces of my men were a study; with one or -two exceptions, they had never seen this method of transport, and they -stood and gazed at this thing on wheels, which, proud as they were -of their province, was not in use among their Ssu-ch'uan hills. Rude -though the vehicle was, it was a welcome innovation, for it presaged -better roads and a level country. Two low, thick wooden wheels, joined -together by a ponderous beam, supported a small platform of planks -encircled by a framework about two feet in height, while a single short -shaft projected from the platform in front. - -P'ing-i Hsien, the first district city across the Yün-nan frontier, -is built on the south face of a low hill overlooking an extensive -well-watered plain, which was covered with wheat, nigh unto harvest, -and poppies. It is a great wheat country, and the district is one of -the chief feeders of the provincial capital. Oats, too, were growing on -the hills which bound the plain on the eastern side; but there was a -decided want of straw, for the stalks had only shot a couple of inches -above ground. - -[Sidenote: _EXPLORING A CAVE._] - -Less than a mile beyond the city we came upon the cave mentioned by -Margary in his journal. Lighting our lamps, we explored it for a few -hundred yards in a straight line, from its mouth to the point where -it branches off to the right. In the far interior, huge stalactites -hung from the roof. The utter silence of the cavern, broken only by -our stumbling over the rough floor, and the weird appearance of the -contorted limestone lighted up by our dim lamps, did not tempt us to -tarry in the dank and cheerless atmosphere. It had thundered and rained -heavily over-night; and, about a mile and a half to the west of the -cave, the high-road was blocked by a deep, raging torrent, twenty yards -in breadth. My followers, always intent upon a rest, advocated a return -to P'ing-i, until the violence of the torrent had abated; but to this -I would not listen. Fortunately, a native of the place soon came upon -the scene, and mildly suggested that there was a path across some hills -farther east. Scouting the statement, they clamoured all the more for -a return to dry quarters. Seeing, however, that he was in earnest, -I resolved to try the hills, and told my men to follow me or remain -where they were till able to ford the torrent. As the rain increased -in violence and the atmosphere became sensibly colder, they agreed to -accompany me, stating, at the same time, their firm conviction that we -were going on a fool's errand. The native proved to be right, however, -for we found an excellent pathway, and from the ridge overlooking the -other side of the plain I tried to make out the raging stream that -had just baffled us. It was nowhere to be seen, and I soon learned -that we had already crossed it by a natural bridge, for it entered a -cavern only a few hundred yards from the high-road, the entrance being -concealed by a bend in the hills. This adventure cost us our breakfast, -as it was noon ere we reached the first hamlet. These underground -rivers are very numerous in Kuei-chow and Yün-nan; the composition of -the rocks, which are of lime and sandstone, facilitates the drainage of -the valleys and plains, which would otherwise be converted into lakes. - -In the hills to the west of the plain, coal is found in abundance, the -interstices in the walls of the houses being frequently filled with -black lumps instead of stone. The villagers told us that snow falls in -winter, and that the climate is exceedingly cold. On the bare treeless -highlands beyond, potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and a little poppy, were -being cultivated. - -As a rule, a Chinese has little to gain by showing civility to a -foreigner, be he official, merchant, or missionary; and courtesy, even -of the barest description, is thoroughly appreciated in a land where -stone-throwing, mobbing, and threatening are too often indulged in with -impunity. The marked attention paid to us at Pai-shui, the end of the -first stage from P'ing-i Hsien, was a very pleasant surprise. The small -local officials, with an escort, met me some miles from their village, -and hurried on to receive me at the gate. A Taotai, who had been -travelling in my company on his way to Western Yün-nan, and with whom -I had afterwards a pleasant chat about those terrible Kuei-chow roads -and our struggles to get the best inns, had just preceded me, and taken -up his quarters in the official rest-house; but a comfortable room was -quickly procured for me, the authorities, much against my will, having -gone the length of ejecting a number of occupiers. As we left early -next morning, the authorities awaited us at the opposite gate of their -once-walled village, to speed us on our way. It would greatly lessen -the misery of travelling in China if such courtesy were more frequently -forthcoming. - -[Sidenote: _THE TRANSPORTATION OF COPPER._] - -The people in the neighbourhood of Pai-shui are very much afflicted -with goître, especially the women, and the idea is prevalent among them -that the impurities contained in the salt which they consume is the -cause of the malady. Here we came across a consignment of red copper -for the metropolis, transported on the backs of nearly four hundred -mules and ponies from the mines of Tung-ch'uan Fu to Pe-sê T'ing, the -head of navigation of the West River, in the province of Kwang-si. It -seemed a roundabout way of sending copper north, but I was informed -that on one occasion, when shipments used to be despatched by way -of the Yang-tsze, a great storm arose and overwhelmed more than a -hundred junks and their cargoes. I heard afterwards that peculation had -probably more to do with the loss than a storm. - -The city of Chan-i Chou, fifteen miles to the west of Pai-shui, lies -in the north of an immense plain, famous throughout Western China as -the breeding ground of the sturdy Yün-nan pony. Brood mares and their -foals were grazing on the large grass fields, which occupied no mean -part of the plain. A stream, spanned by a good three-arched stone -bridge, flows south past the east gate of the city on its way to join -the northern branch of the West River. It was at one time a section -of the route by which lead was carried from the north of Yün-nan to -Tonquin. Consignments were conveyed by boat from Chan-i Chou to Ma-kai, -a place fifty miles to the south, and thence overland to Mêng-tzu -Hsien, on the head waters of the Song-koi, now the residence of a -French Consul. - -Rain descended in torrents during the night of our stay in Chan-i, and -the dawn of the 23rd of May was not accompanied by the usual movements -and noises that betokened an early start. On the contrary, I was soon -waited upon by a deputation, which begged me, on account of the rains, -to defer my departure for a day; but the fact that I was almost in the -presence of my goal compelled me to resist their demand. After two -hours spent in arguing, we trooped sullenly out of the city. The plain, -which on the previous afternoon was bright with its golden crops of -wheat and barley, was now cold and cheerless; the road was one mass -of mud in which we sank to the knees; a great part of the surrounding -country was under water; and the rain fell in sheets. - -The hamlets in the neighbourhood were poor in the extreme. Stopping for -breakfast, we borrowed a room and despatched a youngster to forage for -a table and eggs. The way in which these people live is astounding: -they occupy rooms begrimed with smoke--chimneys are considered -superfluous--willingly sharing them with dogs, pigs, fowls, and insect -pests. - -The unceasing downpour obliged us to abandon the idea of completing a -day's stage, which we broke at the market town of Mien-tien, having -accomplished only twelve miles, or half the distance necessary to -ensure decent accommodation. We were quartered in a loft over a stable, -where a dozen ponies, unable like ourselves to proceed farther, were -installed. - -[Sidenote: _QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY DINNER._] - -As the morrow was the anniversary of Her Majesty's Birthday, I -determined to secure a good dinner for the occasion; my tinned -provisions had long since given out, and I was entirely dependent on -local supplies. I succeeded in purchasing a fowl and a few potatoes, -which we carried with us over the plain of yellow-ochre soil which lies -between Chan-i and Ma-lung Chou. - -At the latter city, I experienced very considerable civility at the -hands of the chief civil official, who paid me a visit, and, being a -native of Ch'ung-k'ing, plied me with many questions regarding his -Ssu-ch'uan home. He also added considerably to our larder, which -was now in a very prosperous condition indeed. He complained of the -poverty of his jurisdiction, stating that the people over whom he ruled -were nearly all poor immigrants from Ssu-ch'uan, who, owing to the -barrenness of the soil, could hardly earn enough to keep clothes on -their backs. - -We halted for the night at a hamlet ten miles from Ma-lung, where we -secured a single room for our whole party. After I had had a corner -of it partitioned off by a mat, the cooking of the dinner commenced; -but, there being no chimney, the interior soon became so thick as to -necessitate a removal into the fresh air. A table was brought and -placed outside a back door, and the meal spread under Heaven's starry -vault. Here my little dog and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves; and even -now, after the lapse of some years, I have very pleasant memories -of that sumptuous dinner, probably because I took special care in -the catering. If there is a bitterness in the memory, it is that the -little, fearless, faithful, intelligent, amusing sharer of that repast, -the companion of all my travels, is no more. - -The inquisitiveness of the Chinese is hard to bear with equanimity. I -sat down to breakfast the following morning in what I took to be an -uninhabited house, for it consisted of two gables and a roof without -a stick of furniture. The necessary chair and table we had, as usual, -borrowed. No sooner was the cloth spread, than all the goîtred old -women of the village trooped in, each carrying a tub of old garments -steeped in water, and proceeded in the most matter of fact way to -wash. The splashing and watching were endurable; but when one of them -proceeded to light a fire on the floor, I felt that we had reached the -last straw, and bundled them out without ceremony, tubs and all. They -looked upon the climax as a good joke. - -Following the road over weary red highlands only partly cultivated, we -sighted, on the afternoon of the 26th of May, a large sheet of water, -which, as we approached, we found to be swarming with wild duck. At -Yang-lin, which is built on the south-western margin of the Sung-ming -Lake, we occupied a room in a new inn, and were regaled with excellent -fish from the clear water we had just passed. How easy it is for a -Chinese official to show his contempt for a foreigner. On the way to -Yang-lin, I was provided with an escort in the shape of a small boy of -thirteen, wearing a sword nearly as long as himself, who turned out to -be fonder of bird-nesting than of affording protection and assistance! - -[Sidenote: _A GLORIOUS VIEW._] - -A broad stone road, in excellent repair, leads from Yang-lin to the rim -of the plain in which lies the capital of Yün-nan. Half-way we caught -a glimpse of a lake to the south-west; but it was not till the rim -was reached that the glorious expanse of water, backed by a mountain -range, burst upon our view. The city itself was still concealed by -the north-eastern continuation of the rim, which juts into the plain, -dotted with houses and trees. Yün-nan Fu lies near the northern shore -of the Lake; and, after descending the low rim, we followed the road -westward for a short distance, then turned due north, and, after a -couple of miles, struck the south-eastern corner of the wall. No escort -met us; no attention was paid to us, beyond a demand for my card, as we -entered the south gate. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THROUGH NORTH-EASTERN YÜN-NAN TO THE YANG-TSZE. - - The city of Yün-nan Fu--P'u-êrh tea--Opium-smoking chair-bearers - and personal care--Exposure of robbers' heads--Chinese - school--Rainbow superstition--Entertainment at Tung-ch'uan Fu--A - successful ruse--Stopped by a mountain torrent--Lodged in a - byre--On the banks of the Niu-lan River--The Chao-t'ung plain and - its lakes--Stories of Lolo bloodshed--Down from the plain--Narrow - escape of a porter--Back to Ssu-ch'uan--Descent of the Nan-kuang - River--Down the Yang-tsze to Ch'ung-k'ing. - - -Yün-nan Fu is a walled city, over three miles in circuit, 6420 -feet above the level of the sea and at a short distance from the -north-eastern shore of the lake, with which it was formerly connected -by a canal. The southern half of the square is thickly populated, -while the northern half consists of swamp and vegetable gardens. The -city was shorn of its ancient glory by the outbreak of the Mohammedan -rebellion, which raged for years round it and in the northern part -of the province. The old and extensive suburbs are gradually being -rebuilt from their ruins. Outside the south gate (there are six gates) -there is now a long street of depôts for the salt, which comes from -the wells to the north-west. The city itself is kept decidedly clean; -bullock carts daily go round and collect the garbage from the streets, -which are fairly broad for a Chinese town. What strikes the traveller -most, in passing through these streets thronged with well-dressed -and evidently well-to-do foot-passengers, is the large admixture of -non-Chinese features. Here Mohammedans, Chinese, Shans, and Lolos, and -mixtures of these races, jostle each other in the market place and in -the daily business of the world. - -[Sidenote: _COURTESY OF MISSIONARIES._] - -During my two days' stay in the city, I received every possible -kindness at the hands of the members of the two missionary bodies at -work there--Les Missions Etrangères de Paris and the China Inland -Mission. At the handsome palace of the French Bishop, I met a Father -from Ta-li Fu, who gave me such a glowing account of Western Yün-nan, -that I at once made up my mind to visit that part of the province on a -future occasion, a resolution which I was fortunately able to carry out. - -The good Bishop handed me a letter which he had just received from -Mr. Colquhoun, from P'u-êrh Fu, stating that his funds were all but -exhausted, and requesting a loan to enable him to proceed from Ta-li, -whither he was bound, to Bhamo. I at once arranged with the Bishop to -despatch a messenger with sixty taels of silver; but Mr. Colquhoun -succeeded in obtaining funds from the China Inland Mission at Ta-li, -and, ere my messenger reached that city, he and his companion, Mr. -Wahab, had left on their westward journey. - -To speak of Yün-nan Fu without a reference to the famous tea, for -which it is the entrepôt, would be a serious omission. P'u-êrh tea, so -named from the department in which it is widely grown, is the leaf of -the _Camellia thea Link._, and for purposes of transit is steamed and -made up into cakes, which find their way to the remotest parts of the -Empire. Much of the leaf, however, is brought to the city of P'u-êrh -from the Shan States, beyond the southern frontier of Yün-nan. It -varies in price, according to quality, from tenpence to one shilling -and fivepence a pound; but the cost of overland transit is so great as -to virtually exclude it from the foreign market. - -The lake, known in books as the Tien Ch'ih, and colloquially as the -K'un-ming--the name of the district in which the city of Yün-nan -is situated--is a fine expanse of water, said to be seventy miles -long, and in some places to attain a breadth of twenty miles. These -figures are, however, very much exaggerated. The lake drains into the -Yang-tsze, an artificial channel having been cut, to prevent flooding, -from a point on its south-western shore to the river which flows past -An-ning Chow, a city to the west of the provincial capital. Junks and -passenger boats of fair size navigate the lake between the cities and -villages that lie on and near its shores. In 1883 it was my own fate to -be a passenger on its waters. - -At Yün-nan Fu a number of trade routes converge and connect it with the -Yang-tsze, Burmah, the Song-koi, and the West River; but I will not -dwell upon them now. They will be found discussed at some length in -Chapter XII., which is specially devoted to the trade of Western and -South-Western China. - -I had now reached the place which I had fixed upon as my farthest -point, and, having attained the object of my journey, I resolved to -strike the Yang-tsze at Hsü-chou Fu, following in the main the route -traversed six years before by the Grosvenor Mission on its way to -Yün-nan Fu to enquire into the death of Margary. With an _au revoir_ -to the city on the morning of the 31st of May, we began to retrace our -steps to Yang-lin, where the Kuei-yang and Hsü-chou roads to Yün-nan Fu -meet. For some days previous to our arrival in the provincial capital, -rain had considerably interfered with our progress, nor, when we -proceeded to return to Yang-lin, did the province belie its reputation. - -[Sidenote: _A PRUDENT CHAIR-BEARER._] - -It was during one of these downpours that an incident occurred which -deserves a passing notice. Several of my followers were opium smokers, -and one of my bearers had contracted a great craving for the drug. -He was somewhat disreputable in appearance, but a willing worker. -His baggage consisted of the clothes on his back and a small bundle, -containing his opium pipe and the necessary paraphernalia for smoking. -I observed when leaving Yün-nan Fu that the bundle had assumed larger -dimensions; but certain speculations which I had made as to its -contents were soon proved to be erroneous and altogether wide of the -mark. - -A few miles to the west of Yang-lin, a halt was called for a rest and -the cakes on a roadside stall were quickly bought up and devoured. -Sitting apart on the edge of the stone road the opium smoker thus -addressed another of my bearers:--"How is it that you are all eating -and drinking, and I haven't a single cash to follow your example?" The -other put his thumb to his mouth and, pretending to inhale, pronounced -the single word "Opium," at which the smoker smiled and was silent. -Next day we were suddenly overtaken by a sharp rainstorm, and, when -the other bearers were searching for shelter, the smoker solemnly -produced his bundle and, gravely undoing the cover, unfolded and -donned a first-class waterproof coat which he had wisely purchased in -the capital. The astonishment visible on their faces, and the look -of triumph in which the smoker indulged, were a study. The latter, -notwithstanding his misfortune, had more respect for his back than his -belly. - -An immense plain, beautifully irrigated, stretches north from Yang-lin; -and, as we passed through it northwards on the 2nd of June, it was -teeming with life. The numerous villages, nestling among trees which -dot the plain, had sent forth their able-bodied men and women to pluck -up the paddy shoots from the nurseries, make them into bundles, and -carry them to the submerged rice-fields, where they were being planted -out in rows. Truly a happy, sunny picture. Not cloudless, however; -for what are those high upright posts with balance beams near their -tops, which occur at somewhat regular intervals along the plain? They -are intended for suspending cages containing the heads of highwaymen, -who waylay travellers and traders and rob and murder without mercy. -Nor were the cages all empty. Two ghastly heads adorned the entrance -to the village, which sheltered us at the end of the first stage from -Yang-lin. - -In the northern part of the plain, which is stony and unsuitable for -rice and which ultimately merges in the red-soiled uplands already so -familiar in the west of Kuei-chow and the east of Yün-nan, the potato -was growing abundantly between rows of withered poppy stems. Yellow -wheat and barley were being plucked up by the roots, for not even -the sickle was here in use. Patches of buckwheat and oats completed -the cultivation. Much of the land, however, was covered with wild -grass, on which herds of swine, goats, sheep, ponies, and oxen were -feeding. The whole country, from the immediate north of Yang-lin to the -southern edge of the large plain, wherein lies the prefectural city of -Tung-ch'uan Fu, may be described as a series of valleys barred by red -uplands, mountain ranges stretching away to the west to the Yang-tsze -and the home of the Lolo. The road is frequently the bed of a mountain -torrent, which has to be crossed and re-crossed many times a day. - -[Sidenote: _INSECURITY AND DISTRUST._] - -The people along the route seemed to entertain the greatest distrust of -us; small wonder, when robberies are of such frequent occurrence. They -even refused us house-room for our meals, which had often to be spread -in the shade of a pine tree. At one village we borrowed the public -school-room, an act which, I fear, gave a half-holiday to the scholars -who, five in number, divided their attention for a time between writing -their characters and watching the frolics of my dog. The master -himself disappeared, and the scholars were not slow to follow his -example, each, however, preparatory to leaving, carefully depositing -his books, paper, pens, and ink in his own basket hanging from a bamboo -partition in the room. A sixth basket was for the discarded written -characters. - -It was just before entering this village that I was witness of a -curious superstition. We were caught in a drizzle, and, as the shower -clouds with a vivid rainbow approached us, my followers covered their -mouths with their hats, fearful of the poisonous vapour which, they -said are given forth by rainbows. I laughed at their superstition, and, -as luck would have it, was seized, a few hundred yards beyond, with a -sudden fit of vomiting. I received no sympathy, and my sickness gave -strength to their theory. - -The city of Tung-ch'uan lies five miles from the edge of the plain, -down the west of which, through one of the most fertile fields of -Western China, flows the I-li River on its way to join the Yang-tsze. -The plain was one mass of green tints, from the light green of the -paddy in the nurseries to the dark green of the more matured shoots -in the fields. The town, which is nearly eight hundred feet above the -Yün-nan Fu plain, is not at all imposing, consisting, as it does, of -one main street; but the hills to the west impart to it its reputation -of being one of the wealthiest prefectures of the province. They -contain the most celebrated copper mines in the Empire. - -A French Father, who resided here, welcomed me as if I had been a -compatriot, and insisted on my spending the whole of the 8th of June -in his company. He had a regular battery of rifles and fowling pieces, -and turned out to be a keen sportsman. He had a stable of two splendid -ponies, on whose backs we spent nearly the whole day careering through -the Tung-ch'uan plain. None but those who have spent years in solitude -in a strange land can realize what it is to meet a fellow European. -China was entirely forgotten in the discussions of French and British -politics, and it was with the greatest difficulty that I could tear -myself away from his kind hospitality on the following morning. All -honour to men of surpassing ability who give up their lives for -heart-breaking work in China! - -[Sidenote: _A SUCCESSFUL RUSE._] - -On entering the hills which bound the Tung-ch'uan plain on the north, -and which were almost devoid of human habitations, we were overtaken by -a rainstorm, which continued throughout the day, and compelled us to -abandon the hope of reaching the end of the stage that night. The road -was soon reduced to a mass of pulp, bordering yawning chasms, whose -circumvention by chairs was a source of difficulty and delay. The roof -of the room in which we huddled together, in the wretched hamlet of -Pan-pien-ch'ing, leaked at every tile, and necessitated the erection of -a tent with our india-rubber sheeting. My troubles were only beginning, -however, for, the rain still continuing on the following morning, my -men refused to stir. My appeal that they were daily nearing Ssu-ch'uan, -and that they had just rested a whole day in Tung-ch'uan, moved them -not; and, seeing that the limit of concessions for their convenience -had been reached, I took up the small iron box containing my supply of -silver, and, calling my dog, set out alone. Plodding through a shallow -mountain torrent, which now occupied the valley, I proceeded until I -was out of sight of the hamlet, when I sat down upon a rock to wait the -issue of events. The ruse was thoroughly successful; in half an hour -the whole caravan turned up in the sullenest of tempers. - -As luck would have it, our difficulties were just beginning. The -torrent was soon blocked by hills, its waters obliterated the -high-road, and we had to take to the hills on the left before it could -be regained. We had not proceeded a mile, after a late breakfast, when -we found the road effectually cut off by a raging torrent thirty yards -in breadth and reaching above the waist. A whole hour was wasted in -trying to find a shallow crossing, but in vain. The village of "Natural -Bridge" (what a mockery!) lay on the left bank, and we called in eight -of its most able-bodied to strip and assist in carrying our chairs -across. - -The sensation of fording was not a pleasant one. Twelve men with hands -joined shouldered my chair, which rocked about like a boat in a stormy -sea, now up, now down, as this or that man was washed off his feet. -One of my servant's bearers was carried away for a distance of thirty -yards, and was ultimately rescued more dead than alive by a cordon of -men from the opposite bank. Several strings of cash which he had round -his neck acted as an anchor to his head, and it was only when they -disappeared in the current that he was able to regain his footing. -Another who attempted to cross with the assistance of a pole had also -to be dragged ashore. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE HOSPITALITY._] - -On a ridge five miles beyond is the hamlet of Liang-shui-ching, -which, as the name implies, is provided with a splendid well of cold, -clear water. Here the inhabitants had turned the middle of the road -into a kitchen, where sundry messes were being cooked for hungry -wayfarers. Sitting round a stove, presided over by a buxom young lady, -my followers regained their good humour in recounting the adventures -of the day; and, when a complaint was raised because salt was not -forthcoming, the beauty laughingly told them that travellers by this -route did not care for salt! - -It is a trite but true saying, that misfortunes never come singly. -Owing to the numerous delays that had occurred during the day, it was -late in the afternoon before we reached the hamlet of Shan-hu-shu, -where, notwithstanding its uninviting appearance, we found it necessary -to put up for the night. There was no inn, and every room was already -occupied by its legitimate owners. The quest seemed hopeless when -I stepped into a mud hut of two rooms, one tenanted by a crowd of -natives, the other by a couple of cows and a pig. After a considerable -expenditure of argument and less money, we induced the owners to remove -and fraternize with their cattle for the night, and hand over the byre -for our accommodation. The pig was the only one who offered any serious -objection; his gruntings over-night and attacks on the intervening door -somewhat disturbed our slumbers, while sundry squeals told me that my -men found his familiarities too pronounced. - -Trade had now begun to assume formidable dimensions; hundreds of -ponies, mules, and donkeys, laden with native cottons from the central -provinces and salt from Ssu-ch'uan, were daily hurrying southwards, -while P'u-êrh tea and lead kept us company. It was no great surprise -to us, when crossing the cultivated hills to the north of Shan-hu-shu, -to come upon carcases of beasts of burden that had succumbed to the -hardships of the route. Strong as these little ponies are, there comes -a time when they are tried beyond their strength by their merciless -drivers, and fall down never to rise again. - -[Sidenote: _CHAIN BRIDGE OVER THE NIU-LAN._] - -The delays that occurred during the first day north of Tung-ch'uan, -threw our marches into utter confusion; instead of striking the Niu-lan -River on the 11th June and resting for the night on its left bank, we -were compelled by darkness to stop at the hamlet of Tu-kê-t'ang, where -I occupied an underground mud chamber, certainly not an improvement on -the byre of the previous night. This was our consolation after a march -of thirty miles, begun at four o'clock in the morning and continued -till dark. Part of the road was exceedingly precipitous, and had to be -accomplished on all fours. Loud were the lamentations of my followers -when we attained the ridge overlooking the Niu-lan River; the road -zigzagged down a deep precipitous valley strewn with huge boulders, -while opposite rose an equally steep range of mountains, which had to -be overcome during the day. The Niu-lan rushed north-west, hurrying to -the Yang-tsze between two steep mountain ranges, which are connected at -the village of Chiang-ti, where we would fain have tarried for the day -and gazed into the roaring torrent from the windows of a promising inn, -by the chain bridge of "Eternal Peace." Ten rows of iron rods linked -together are built into twenty yards of solid masonry at either end -of the bridge and into stone piers, one distant twelve yards from the -Chiang-ti, the other twenty yards from the opposite shore, leaving a -central span of thirty-five yards. Planks placed on the chains formed a -roadway four yards in breadth, and slight iron supports were suspended -on either side from a row of thick linked rods stretched over stone -supports erected on the piers. Thankful were we for the rest-houses -that dotted the opposite bank, which proved the steepest and most -difficult ascent we had yet encountered; and grateful we were for the -beverage compounded of water and brown sugar exposed to allay the -thirst of weary wanderers. Talk of railways by this route--as well talk -of railways to the moon! Both are equally feasible. - -To compensate man and beast for their struggles on the banks of the -Niu-lan, a spring of deliciously cold water gushes from the highest -ridge that separates the river from the Chao-t'ung plain. It rises out -of an extensive coal-field. Beyond the spring a glimpse of the plain, -with several sheets of water, is obtained, and eagerly did we commence -the descent, which is comparatively easy. The city of Chao-t'ung Fu, -which is 6580 feet above the level of the sea, lies nearly twenty -miles from the southern edge of the plain, which ultimately stretches -westward and is bounded eight miles to the north of the city by low -hills. Flourishing villages dotted the plain, and the city itself -showed signs of being a great trade centre. Traffic was no longer -confined to man and beast, for the level ground had called the cart -into requisition. To reach the city with greater despatch we engaged a -number of small skiffs and crossed a large lake--shallow, and, to judge -from dykes appearing here and there, occupying former paddy land. These -lakes are numerous, and well stocked with fish. - -The hills to the north of the plain are inhabited chiefly by Lolos, -who have not a very honourable reputation. Stories of bloodshed and -robbery committed by them poured from the lips of the villagers who -dwelt by the roadside, and an idea that I entertained of spending a day -with this degenerate branch of the tribe had to be abandoned. There -would appear to be some foundation for these roadside statements; -villages, and even single residences, were provided with watch-towers -and refuges, and ammunition in the shape of stones was piled on the -battlements to resist attacks. - -The descent from the Chao-t'ung plain commences in earnest thirty miles -to the north of the city. In company with a caravan, consisting of one -hundred ponies laden with P'u-êrh tea and tin, we zigzagged in a dense -fog down the northern face of the plateau, over a stone road, rendered -all but impassable by over-night rain. In many places it skirts deep -chasms, down which mountain torrents were leaping and roaring. On the -edge of one of these a carrier narrowly escaped destruction; he lost -his footing, and was just in the act of falling over with his load, -when I succeeded in grasping the end of his carrying pole and dragging -him back to the pathway. - -[Sidenote: _CITY OF TA-KUAN T'ING._] - -On the afternoon of the 15th of June, we entered the sub-prefectural -city of Ta-kuan T'ing, which is barely 3000 feet below the plateau. -The tinkling of many bells, issuing from the inns which we passed on -the way to our hostel, announced that several caravans had already -taken up their quarters for the night. These bells are fixed in rows on -broad leather straps, which run over the necks and down the breasts of -the pack animals. In some caravans, only the leader is provided with -such a circlet. The head waters of the Hêng River, which we had struck -soon after our steep descent, flow northwards to the west of the city; -but, the current being very rapid and the bed strewn with boulders, -navigation is out of the question. Another descent of 2500 feet had -to be made before boat traffic commenced, the river meantime being -considerably augmented by an affluent from the west. - -The road, which was execrable, follows the banks of the river to the -market-town of Lao-ya-t'an, or Lao-wa-t'an, which lies on the right -bank, and is the point of junction of the two trade routes from -Hsü-chou Fu, in Ssu-ch'uan, to Yün-nan Fu, by way of the Hêng and -Nan-kuang Rivers, which enter the Yang-tsze, the one to the west and -the other to the east of the former city, respectively. Lao-wa-t'an -is entered over a fine suspension bridge, the road following for -about sixty miles the left bank of the river through scenery of -considerable grandeur, resembling at some spots, though on a less -magnificent scale, the gorges of the mighty river it helps to swell. -Four, instead of two, suspension chains divide the bridge into a like -number of alley-ways, each of sufficient breadth to admit of the -passage of a single chair only. As the Grosvenor Mission had followed -the land route, by the banks of the Hêng River from the Yang-tsze to -Lao-wa-t'an, I resolved to strike east, cross the Yün-nan-Ssu-ch'uan -frontier and descend the Nan-kuang River. Only one range now lay -between us and Ssu-ch'uan, and from the summit we looked north-east on -range after range of mountains, which, happily for us, we had not to -cross. - -[Sidenote: _RETURN TO CH'UNG K'ING._] - -My men, who for the last few days had been unable to procure rice, -and had subsisted for the most part on bean-curd, rejoiced to find -themselves in a valley of their own province where paddy, maize, -tobacco, hemp, and beans were well advanced, where silk was being -reeled and tea-plantations abounded. A streamlet flows north-east down -the valley, and following its course for two days, we found ourselves -on the 24th of June in the village of Huang-shui-k'ou, where we soon -engaged a long empty cargo boat; and, shipping our whole caravan, sped -down the Nan-kuang River. On its upper course it is confined by rocky -hills, some eight hundred feet in height, and little wooded, while huge -boulders coop up its waters and cause numerous rapids, down which our -craft, guided by stern and bow sweeps, dashed four and five feet at a -bound. In its lower course the country opens out, and the boulders and -rapids disappear. A bed of rocks, over which the river falls, obstructs -navigation within a few hundred yards of its mouth, and we landed on -the 25th at the market town of Nan-kuang on its left bank, whence the -river derives its name. Had my followers known how to cheer they would -have made the welkin ring, when, just beyond Nan-kuang, the mighty -Yang-tsze in full flood burst upon us. For the present their work was -done; and, instead of carrying, they were now to be carried back to -their homes in Ch'ung-k'ing. Crossing in boats to Hsü-chou Fu, which -lies on the north bank at the junction of the Chin-sha Chiang--the -upper waters of the Yang-tsze--and the Min river, we at once proceeded -to hire a large travelling boat, and at 1 P.M. the following day we -were gliding eastwards to Ch'ung-k'ing, which we reached on the evening -of the 28th of June after an absence of sixty-eight days. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -FROM CH'UNG-K'ING TO THE CAPITAL OF SSU-CH'UAN. - - Fu-t'ou-kuan--The country and its products--Chinese New - Year--Charcoal from bracken--Ramie fibre and grass-cloth--Down a - tributary of the T'o--The T'o and its commercial importance--The - salt wells of Tsu-liu-ching--Sugar and Safflower--The Chêng-tu - plain--Beggars--The capital of Ssu-ch'uan. - - -In February, 1883, I found myself at liberty to carry out the -resolution which I had made to visit Ta-li Fu and the west of -Yün-nan--all that remained for me to do was to decide what route I -should follow. Mr. Baber's admirable description of that part of -Western Ssu-ch'uan which he had explored, induced me to endeavour to -penetrate Yün-nan through the valley of Chien-ch'ang, and accomplish -the journey which Baron von Richthofen had attempted, but, owing -to an unfortunate accident, had been compelled to relinquish. As a -preliminary to the execution of this scheme, it was necessary to reach -Chêng-tu, the capital of Ssu-ch'uan, and the present chapter will be -devoted to a description of the products and industries of the country -lying between Ch'ung-k'ing and that city. - -My caravan was, owing to the length of the proposed journey, somewhat -larger than on the previous expedition. There was one pack animal -which, however, succumbed to the hardships of the route. - -[Sidenote: _FU-T'OU KUAN._] - -The small walled town of Fu-t'ou-kuan, some four miles to the west of -Ch'ung-k'ing, is perched on the sandstone shoulders of the peninsula -which divides the Yang-tsze from its northern tributary, the Chia-ling. -Midway, and near the entrance to the village of Hsin-p'ai-fang, is a -large Mohammedan cemetery, sloping towards the left bank of the Great -River. In Ch'ung-k'ing, the followers of the Prophet are reckoned by -thousands, and it is to their presence that the foreign resident owes -one or two of the daily luxuries--in more civilized parts of the world -they would be called the necessities--of life. With the exception of a -spacious temple, erected in honour of the Goddess of Sericulture, with -extensive grounds crowded with mulberry trees, just inside the west -gate, Fu-t'ou-kuan has little to boast of in the way of architecture; -but outside the gate a number of fine memorial stone portals arch the -roadway, which is also edged at short intervals with stone tablets -recounting the virtues of deceased officials, and acts of filial -affection. - -To the west of Fu-t'ou-kuan the country is somewhat broken; low hills -alternate with plains dotted with farm-houses, nestling amid clumps -of bamboo--a proof that here at least there is security for life -and property. Nor are villages and market-towns wanting. The latter -frequently vie with walled cities in commercial importance. In the -plains, wheat, beans, rape, poppy, and peas were growing luxuriantly, -while many plots of paddy land were submerged in preparation for the -summer sowing. The hill-sides were also covered with beans, which seem -to thrive well on a scanty soil. The low, umbrageous wood-oil tree -was likewise scattered thickly on the rocky ground. Beneath the huge, -dark-green, spreading banyans by the road-side, houses and restaurants -spring, mushroom-like, and invite the traveller to tarry for a moment -and enjoy their cool shade. As pack animals are usually turned loose to -forage for themselves, the peasantry, whose lands adjoin the high-road, -have hit upon a novel plan to prevent their depredations. Wheat and -beans were thickly sprinkled with feathers, which, as might naturally -be supposed, are not a pleasant sauce. - -For some days at the Chinese New Year, business of every description -comes to an absolute stand-still; houses and shops are shut, and in -semi-darkness the inmates eat, drink, and make merry. As we started -from Ch'ung-k'ing on the fourth day of the first moon (February 11th), -we found that the people were still bent on pleasure, and that dice and -theatrical performances were dividing the attention of those who had -escaped from their New Year's imprisonment. - -Although coal is found in abundance near the district city of -Yung-ch'uan--some sixty miles to the south-west of Ch'ung-k'ing--I -noticed in the streets large quantities of charcoal, prepared from the -stems of bracken. These are placed in a pit and covered over, so as to -prevent blazing after ignition. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE CLOTH MAKERS._] - -The district city of Jung-ch'ang Hsien lies on the left bank of a -tributary of the T'o River, which enters the Yang-tsze at the city -of Lu Chou. It is distant forty miles west by north from Yung-ch'uan, -and is approached through the same broken hilly country. It is famous -for its breed of pigs, and is noted as a centre for the manufacture -of fans and grass-cloth. The bamboos, of which the framework of the -fans is made, are carefully cultivated along the banks of the river, -while the cloth is manufactured from Ramie fibre, _Boehmeria nivea_, -grown extensively in the district. The Chinese, unlike the home -manufacturers, have not yet been inflamed with the desire to possess -machinery capable of separating the fibre, and at the same time -preserving the silky gloss which adds so much to the beauty and value -of the cloth. Here it is entirely hand labour. The stems are cut down -in the fields and carried home for manipulation. The skin or bark is -first removed from the stems by hand and the branches and leaves from -the bark, which is steeped for a few minutes in water. The strips are -then taken one by one by the operator, who is provided with a thick -broad iron thumb ring on which a short blunt blade is fixed and a -curved knife equally blunt, and passed rapidly between the two blades, -which are held in the left hand. By this means the green or outer bark -is removed and the inner white fibre remains. The latter is afterwards -handed over to women, who shred and twist it into thread ready for -weaving. - -The process of removing the bark from the stem has reached a higher -state of development in the seaboard provinces, and merits the -attention of cultivators in other countries. In the province of -Chê-kiang, where I am now writing, decortication is effected in the -field. The workman grasps the plant between the finger and thumb of his -left hand, about six inches above the ground, and drawing it slightly -towards him, seizes it two inches or more higher up, between the thumb -and forefinger of his right hand. A smart forward push with the right -at once causes a compound fracture of the stem; the forefinger of the -right hand is inserted at the point of fracture and drawn up to the -top of the plant, separating the bark on the left from the bark and -broken stem on the right; the bark on the left is then drawn down -and is easily detached at the root, the bark and stem on the right -being treated in the same manner. The stem is removed with ease, and -the branches and leaves give way when the strips of bark are passed -through the right hand. By this means a much longer fibre is obtained, -and the branches and leaves remain on the field to assist in manuring -the second and third crops. Care must be taken not to twist the plant -in giving the forward push; I spoiled at least a dozen stems before I -succeeded in causing the necessary compound fracture. In Chê-kiang, a -flat piece of wood takes the place of the blade on the thumb-ring, and -the curved knife is supplanted by an instrument resembling a shoe-horn -made of iron. The cloth, after it leaves the loom, has to undergo a -considerable amount of bleaching, before it attains the beautiful white -colour which it presents in the piece. It is of various qualities, -and ranges from one pound to two shillings and sixpence per piece of -forty-six Chinese feet long and eighteen inches broad. - -Instead of crossing the handsome stone bridge of seven arches, the -"Lion's Bridge," which spans the river to the west of the city, we -took boat and dropped westward with the stream for a distance of five -miles. The river frequently expands to a breadth of one hundred yards; -but even in the short space it bore us, rocks project into it at two -places from the left and right bank respectively, leaving only a very -narrow channel just sufficient for one of these small boats to pass. -A little above our landing place on the right bank, a stone bridge of -thirty-eight arches runs across the river, rocks showing everywhere. -The arches are very low--only one is available for boat traffic--and -we slipped through with very little to spare between the roof of the -arch and the tops of our chairs. Excellent coal in large quantities was -being carried up river to Jung-ch'ang. - -[Sidenote: _THE CITY OF LUNG-CH'ANG._] - -On the afternoon of the 15th of February we entered the city of -Lung-ch'ang, which presented a picture of business both outside and -inside its walls. It is also famed for its grass-cloth. It lies in the -centre of a carboniferous region, about a hundred mines existing in the -neighbourhood. Many of them, however, have suffered that fate which -attaches to most mining industries in China: they have been flooded, -and the workmen are not supplied with the necessary appliances called -pumps. - -The immense salt traffic, which we met going east, tempted us to leave -the main road to the capital and pay a visit to the celebrated salt -wells of Tzu-liu-ching, farther west. Two stages lay between us and the -wells, and we spent the first night on the left bank of the T'o River, -probably the busiest stream of its size in Western China. Rising to -the north-east of the provincial capital, it flows through the great -sugar region of the province, and to the south of the district city of -Fu-shun it is joined by a tributary which connects it with the salt -wells. In return for its salt and sugar, it absorbs enormous quantities -of raw cotton and cotton cloth, so that there is one continuous stream -of traffic on its waters. The sugar factories to the west of the river -were indeed merry; the din that came from them resembled very much the -music from an iron foundry, only louder. - -On the following day we struck the left bank of the tributary, took -boat for a short distance, and again landed on the left bank before -ascending the low hill, on the slope of which the town of Tzu-liu-ching -is built. - -This great salt belt stretches west to the left bank of the Min River -and south towards the Yang-tsze. In the Shê-hung district, a hundred -miles to the north-west, salt beds are also found and worked; but it is -from the former that the greater parts of the provinces of Ssu-ch'uan, -Kuei-chow, and the north-east of Yün-nan are supplied. I spent a whole -day in visiting the larger wells, which are situated inside the town, -and a short description of one of the greatest industries of Western -China cannot fail to be of some interest. - -[Sidenote: _SALT WELLS._] - -When I had prevailed on the immense crowd that accompanied me on my -round of sight-seeing, to leave an open space, so that I might be -observed to greater advantage, and that I might catch a glimpse of -what I had come so far to see, I found myself seated--a settle had been -procured for me--beside a square stone embedded in the ground, with a -central hole a few inches in diameter. From the hole there was issuing -a hempen rope, about an inch thick, which, ascending, passed over a -movable wheel fixed at the top of a staging some sixty feet high and -bearing a striking resemblance to the shears at a dockyard. On leaving -the shears, the rope descended and passed under another wheel fixed -a few feet above ground, whence for the moment it escaped from our -range of vision. After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, the top of a -tube, from nine to ten inches in circumference, attached to the rope, -made its appearance and was drawn up to within a foot of the wheel. -Meantime a workman, stationed at the mouth of the wheel, had thrown a -rope round the tube, which was composed of the stems of a number of -bamboos fixed together, and, immediately the lower end appeared, he -drew it to one side and over a wooden reservoir built into the ground. -Embracing the tube with his left arm, he plunged an iron rod which he -held in his right hand into the bottom, and raising a leather valve, -which was there adjusted, allowed the contents, consisting of black, -dirty-looking water, to escape into the reservoir. This was the brine. -The tube was again placed over the well, and descended with great -rapidity. Whence the motive power that raised the brine? Following the -rope after it left the second wheel, I found that it entered a large -shed, the floor of which was several feet underground. In the centre -of the building was an enormous bamboo wheel or drum, twelve feet in -height and sixty in circumference, placed on a vertical axis, to which -the rope was attached six feet from the ground. As I entered, four -huge water-buffaloes were being harnessed, at equal distances, to the -circumference of the drum; each buffalo had a driver, whose duty it -seemed to be to belabour the animal with a short, stout hempen rope to -induce it to break into a trot. As the drum revolved, the rope coiled -round it at a sufficient height not to impede the buffaloes. For a -quarter of an hour, that is, until the tube had been again raised, -this unmerciful beating went on, when the poor beasts, exhausted and -white with froth, were unharnessed and led back to their stable, whence -a fresh relay was brought. When the animals were unharnessed and the -signal given, the drum reversed with great velocity, creating a violent -wind all round. Forty animals were employed at this well, and each -relay raised the brine about ten times every twenty-four hours. They -are specially selected for the work, and cost from forty to fifty taels -apiece. The specimens I saw were fat and in excellent condition; but, -although they are carefully fed and attended to--each costing three -hundred cash a day--their staying power does not exceed five years. -Many even fail within the first year; nor is this to be wondered at, -for the make of the animal fits it for a slow plodding life only. - -[Sidenote: _PROCESS OF EVAPORATION._] - -Retracing my steps to the large reservoir by the well, I found that -the brine was being carried off in bamboo pipes laid down between it -and smaller wooden reservoirs in the evaporating sheds, which I next -visited. On the floors of the latter, rows of brick furnaces with -round openings at the tops were built. On each furnace rested a round, -shallow, iron pan, about four feet in diameter, filled with brine -conducted in open bamboo pipes from the reservoirs, which occupy one -side of each shed. Where was the fuel? Under each pan was a flame -blazing from a bamboo tube coated with lime and fitted with an iron -burner, while all round flames burst from smaller upright tubes and -lighted the sheds, for there is no cessation, night or day, in the work -of evaporation. I was next conducted to the "fire-well" whence the fuel -is procured. It was quite close to the brine well, and was carefully -built over, bamboo tubes covered with lime to prevent escape ramifying -from the cap covering the mouth to the evaporating sheds. There can -be little doubt that the "fire wells," which are nearly all situated -within the town, contain petroleum from which the vapour or gas arising -supplies the natural fuel. They have, however, never been worked for -the oil. The stench which permeates the whole town reminds one forcibly -of a gasworks, but the gas has not, as in some parts of Ohio, been -utilized to light the streets. All the wells, which are worked by -private companies, are now under Government control, and there is an -office established at Tzu-liu-ching through which all salt transactions -are carried on. The actual cost price of the salt is thirteen to -fourteen cash a catty, but the Government manages to extract from -buyers twenty-two to twenty-three cash. - -[Sidenote: _THE WORKING OF THE SALT WELLS._] - -The salt is of two kinds--pan or lump, and granular salt. The former is -from two to three inches in thickness, and is of the same shape and -size as the evaporating pans. In preparing the latter, bean flour is -used to give it a whiter appearance. The work of evaporation occupies -from two to five days, according to the strength of the gas-flame. As -the salt wells number over a thousand, and the "fire wells" only about -a score, much of the brine is carried into the town for evaporation. -Pans are leased by the year, the privilege costing about forty taels -each. A contractor supplies the pans, which weigh 1600 lbs. apiece, -for from thirty to forty taels a year each--the old pans, which are -changed about once a fortnight, being the property of the contractor. -Brine is found at depths varying from 700 to over 2000 feet, and from -a dirty yellow in the shallower, becomes a deep black in the deepest -wells. Twice as much salt is evaporated from the black as from the -yellow brine--the deeper the well the stronger the solution. As the -region in which the wells are situated is of sandstone formation, the -difficulties of boring to these great depths, even with primitive -machinery, are not very great. A bamboo lever is erected over the -spot where the operations are to be carried on; an iron jumper over -one hundred pounds in weight is attached by a bamboo rope to the thin -end of the lever; on both sides of the thicker end, scaffoldings with -plankways are built; several men jump simultaneously from the planking -on one side to the planking on the other, using the lever as a stepping -stone; and the jumper is raised, released, and falls crushing the -stone, a rotary motion being imparted to the weight by a man who stands -by the mouth of the well, and twists the bamboo rope as the lever is -about to drop. The rope is lengthened as required by adding strips -of split bamboo. I have heard doubts expressed as to the depths of -these wells; but the figures given are unimpeachable. The well which I -visited was over 2000 feet in depth, and I arrived at this result by a -very simple calculation. The drum was sixty feet in circumference, and -thirty-four coils of rope were wound up before the tube reached the -mouth of the well. In boring in the vicinity of the town, at least, it -is impossible to predict whether petroleum or brine will be struck; but -as both are valuable, the result is always satisfactory. - -The workmen presented a very worn and unhealthy appearance, and, to -judge from the alarming number of beggars in the town, life at the -wells must be very trying and short. Their wages range from 1200 to -1300 cash per month, with board--not a large sum for labour amid -noxious gases which permeate the whole place. - -The history of this great industry is lost in antiquity; but salt is -said to have been worked at Tzu-liu-ching as early as the Minor Han -Dynasty, which was established in Ssu-ch'uan, A.D. 221-263. - -We had found the inns on the main road comparatively comfortable; on -the branch road to Tzu-liu-ching we were confronted with wretched dens -specially intended for the accommodation of salt carriers. A bed-room -is easily described. A trestle framework, two feet high, ran the length -of the narrow cell; on the top was spread a straw mattress, an inch and -a half thick, covered with a rush mat. During the day the bedding, -which consisted of a long bag padded with cotton, was stowed in the -office, and was not issued till payment of the few cash necessary to -ensure a night's lodging. - -Daylight of the 19th of February found us marching northwards to regain -the high-road to the provincial capital. On leaving the salt area the -road winds round low hills terraced and cultivated, each terrace rising -above the other and faced by a wall of dark, bare sandstone. So much -did they resemble circular forts, that one felt inclined to look for -the embrasures and guns. These rocks were, however, fast crumbling -into soil, their colour being easily distinguishable in the adjacent -fields amid the beans and peas springing up from the old cane-brakes, -and the rape and wheat which occupied the rest of the arable land. -Farther north the yellow soil showed that hills had been entirely -disintegrated by the weather, assisted by the hoe. In other places the -hills were partly clad with stunted pines, while clumps of bamboo and -an occasional pumelo and banyan were to be seen. The poppy was not at -all prominent--it prefers a heavier soil than sandstone. The 20th of -February broke dull, and by noon, when we struck the right bank of the -T'o River, opposite the city of Tzu Chou, the day had fairly broken -down; and on a vote being taken whether we should proceed or spend the -afternoon and night within the walls, my followers to a man--just as I -expected--preferred the latter course. The river was of no great depth: -a bamboo proved sufficient to guide the movements of the small boats in -which we were ferried across. - -[Sidenote: _SUGAR AND SAFFLOWER._] - -Tzu Chou is an inviting city; it possesses broad streets of large, -prosperous-looking shops, and its numerous blue-brick houses give it -an air of substantiality. The district in which it is situated is a -great producer of sugar; while the soil, being light and sandy, is -likewise favourable to the growth of the ground-nut, _Arachis hypogæa -L._, whence a sweet cooking-oil is extracted. Coal is also found in the -immediate hills. The distance from this city to the provincial capital -is reckoned as four stages; but, although we succeeded in accomplishing -the first without mishap, rain and snow compelled us to distribute -the remainder over four days. Beyond the weather, no other difficulty -presented itself. The sandstone country extends a little to the -north of the district city of Tz'u-yang Hsien, which, like Tzu Chou, -stands on the right bank of the T'o River, whose course the high-road -follows in the main. Bare, red hills then put in an appearance, and -cultivation, except at their bases, stops. This belt of hills extends -for twenty-five miles, when it gives place to a long, wide plain--the -plain of Chien Chou--famous for its opium. It is interesting to watch -the effect which one foreign industry has had on this remote spot. -Previous to the introduction of aniline dyes into China, the department -of Chien Chou was widely famed for its safflower, _Carthamus tinctorius -L._, which, with that grown within the Shun-ching prefecture, not -only sufficed to meet the wants of the province, but was annually -sent eastward in large quantities. All is now changed. Safflower has -been supplanted by "Pure Soluble Scarlet" in bottle, and the plain -of Chien Chou has been converted into a poppy garden. The plant is -still cultivated, but in very small quantities and almost entirely for -local use. The plain, which was dotted with farm-houses and homesteads -peeping out from bamboos and cypresses, runs due north and south. In -the north lies the city of Chien Chou, the approach to which is marked -by three pagodas, one of them thirteen storeys high. It occupies the -right bank of the river, which is joined to the immediate north of the -city by a tributary from the west. Crossing the latter by a five-arched -stone bridge, we followed the main river through orange groves and -copses of bamboo and cypress, which would have met with admiration but -for a low thermometer, a piercing north wind, and a drenching rain. A -few salt wells to the north of the city were being worked, charcoal -being the fuel used in evaporation. - -[Sidenote: _A STARTLING CONTRAST._] - -Leaving the river we struck west by north through the belt of low -hills which separates the Chien Chou and Ch'êng-tu plains. These hills -are rocky and little cultivated, the thin poor soil not holding out -that inducement which even a Chinese expects for his labour. Snow was -falling thickly when we reached the rim of the immense plain--the plain -_par excellence_ of the province of Ssu-ch'uan--and the imperfect -glimpses which we caught through the snow-flakes revealed flooded -paddy-fields and the ordinary winter crops, the most prominent of which -was the poppy. Over fifteen miles still separated us from the eastern -wall of the city, but we were fated, before reaching this centre of -wealth and luxury, to be reminded that riches and poverty always go -hand in hand. Under a memorial archway near the entrance of one of the -market-towns in the plain, lay a beggar stark and stiff. The yard of -matting, which was the only clothing he possessed and which covered his -loins, had proved insufficient to ward off the chill hand of death. A -few yards off sat some companions, listless shivering wretches, with -faces pinched and worn, outcasts from their kind. Hundreds of beggars -crowded the eastern suburb of the city, and it was with difficulty -that we pushed our way through the mass of rags and dirt that held the -bridge, which spans the stream flowing southwards under the eastern -wall. They seemed to have just returned from the public soup-kitchens, -which open in the large towns of China during winter, and dole out to -the most necessitous enough to keep them from actual starvation. We had -no sooner settled down in a comfortless inn than the underlings of the -various officials came to prey upon us. They came laden with offers of -assistance; they departed, each with a handful of cash, satisfied that -they had done their duty. We saw none of them again--the key to peace -and quietude was cheap at the price. - -Ch'êng-tu, the capital of the largest and probably the richest province -in the Empire, is a splendid city, fifteen hundred feet above the -level of the sea, enclosed by an excellent wall about twelve miles in -circumference. It is the seat of a Viceroy, or Governor-General, whose -jurisdiction extends over the one province only. With the exception of -Chihli, it is the only province in China which is thus honoured. Of the -other sixteen, each is entrusted to the care of a Governor; but with -the exception of Shantung, which has no superintending Viceroy, and of -the three Provinces of Kiangsu, Kiangsé, and Anhui, which are under -one Viceroy, they are divided into groups of two, with a Viceroy over -each group. The city is divided into two parts, the quarter occupied by -the Tartar garrison and their families, and the Chinese or commercial -quarter. It is without exception the finest city I have seen in China; -Peking and Canton will not bear comparison with it. The streets in the -Chinese quarter are fairly broad, paved with stone, and slope gently -to either side. They were clean and in excellent repair. During my two -days' sojourn I traversed many of the streets, and, notwithstanding -the fact that it rained heavily the whole time, they were crowded with -moving masses of bustling, gaily-dressed, well-to-do people. Chairs -with their passengers and ponies with their riders were everywhere on -the move. But the prettiest sight of all was the signboards. The reader -must bear in mind that these are not placed horizontally over the shop -doors as in Europe; they hang vertically from iron bars projecting -from the walls. In Ch'êng-tu they are one mass of gold and colour, -decorating the streets and proclaiming, at the same time, the names -of the shops--not the names of the owners--and the wares on sale. It -may be that the unfortunate weather prevented me from seeing anything -prepossessing or attractive in the Tartar quarter. Here the streets -were broad, unpaved, and muddy; the people, especially the women, were -badly, even slovenly, dressed; everything announced the presence of -parasites battening on Government pay, without affording any adequate -return. Much of the land in this quarter, which is thickly wooded, is -devoted to gardens; but I should question whether these slip-shod, -down-at-heel, lazy-looking Tartars possessed the energy to grow -sufficient vegetables to supplement their government rice. - -Ch'êng-tu derives considerable importance from being the meeting point -of the great high-roads from the Eastern and Northern provinces, from -Yün-nan and Tibet, and it is undoubtedly the place whence the latter -may most easily be entered from the Chinese side. - -[Sidenote: _A FRESH START MEDITATED._] - -My aim was now to reach Ta-li Fu, in Western Yün-nan, by way of Ya-chou -Fu, the valley of Chien-ch'ang or Ning-yuan, and Yung-pei T'ing. In -undertaking a long and arduous journey such as this, it might have -been more advisable to take boat to Chia-ting on the Min River, or -even as far as Ch'êng-tu, and then start afresh; but in that case I -would have missed one of the most interesting sights and industries of -the province--the salt wells of Tzu-liu-ching. My men grumbled loudly -because I declined to stay longer than two days in Ch'êng-tu. Finding, -however, that I was inexorable, they gave in, and on the morning of -the 28th of February, we were all ready to penetrate the wilds and -backwoods of Western China. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THROUGH LOLODOM AND THE VALLEY OF CHIEN-CH'ANG. - - A Tibetan criminal in a cage--The armed ruffians of Chiung Chou--A - floating bamboo bridge--Brick tea for Tibet--Fraternizing with - Tibetan pilgrims on the summit of the Flying Dragon Pass--Chinese - originality--Over the Ta Hsiang Ling Pass--A non-Chinese - race--Across the Ta-tu River under Sifan protection--In the - country of the Lolos--Lolo language--Sifan language--Asbestos - cloth--A dangerous country--Lolo rogues--Over the Hsiao Hsiang Ling - Pass--Lolo women--The valley of Chien-ch'ang--Ning-yuan Fu. - - -Leaving the city by the south gate and crossing the bridge which spans -the river flowing under the wall, we proceeded south-west through the -great plain of Ch'êng-tu. Here there is a perfect network of limpid -streams and irrigating canals rushing swiftly southwards, and fitted -with sluices to ensure the flooding of the plots which in summer and -autumn form one vast rice-field. As might be expected, this water-power -is not allowed to run to waste; tiny mills for hulling rice and -grinding wheat were to be seen on the banks of many of the streamlets. -Clumps of bamboo and plantations of fir encircled the farm-houses, -and a tree called by the Chinese _ching-mu_--probably a species of -beech--grew extensively along the narrow waterways. It is a tree of -rapid growth; it is allowed three years to develop, when it is cut down -for firewood and supplanted by a young sapling. The primitive Chinese -barrow was much in use in the plain for passenger and other traffic, -nor was the squeaking of the wheel absent. - -[Sidenote: _A CAGED CRIMINAL._] - -To the south of the small district city of Shuang-liu, we met a party -of Tibetans clad in their long, reddish, woollen gowns. They were -on foot, but each was leading his pony by the bridle. A few hundred -yards behind them was a large, wooden, barred cage, slung on a couple -of carrying-poles supported by a pair of bearers. In the chair sat -an individual heavily chained, and clothed in even a more pronounced -red than his guards. Although I was unable to get at the details of -the case, beyond the apparent fact that the gentleman in irons was a -criminal being escorted to Ch'êng-tu, yet the method of conveyance told -me that he was a criminal of no ordinary type. - -Cotton spinning and weaving and the manufacture of looms and iron pans -were the chief industries of the plain. At many of the country villages -the raw cotton, which comes by water from the central provinces, was -being handed to the women, who brought in exchange yarn and cotton -cloth of their own spinning and weaving. - -Before entering the district city of Hsin-ching, which lies about -fifteen miles south by west of Shuang-liu, we had to cross three -branches of a river, a tributary of the Min, by wooden bridges of -somewhat novel construction. Stones in bamboo baskets were piled on -both banks of the river, and on these the ends of the bridges rested. -On the stages supporting the floors, similar baskets of stones were -suspended, to keep them from being washed away by the rapid current. -Pigs' bristles, which, the western farmer will be somewhat surprised -to learn, are highly prized as manure, formed an important item of the -trade seen on the plain. - -From Hsin-ching the road runs west over a fine level tract of country -as far as the city of Chiung Chou. I must confess that I felt -considerable anxiety in approaching this place. Baron von Richthofen -has drawn a very dark picture of it. He says:--"All the men are armed -with long knives and use them frequently in their rows. I have passed -few cities in China in which I have suffered so much molestation -from the people as I did there; and travellers should avoid making -night quarters there, as it was my lot to do. The city is large and -overcrowded with people. They are badly dressed, and have repulsive -features." - -It was with the view of ascertaining whether the morals of the people -of Chiung Chou had improved since the Baron's visit, and to impress -upon the inhabitants, if necessary, the words of their sage Confucius, -who preached "How pleasant a thing it is to be able to attract -strangers from afar," that I resolved to spend the night of the 1st -of March within the walls. I was quite prepared to be greeted by a -population of armed ruffians; but, more fortunate than the Baron, I -was agreeably disappointed. The people were not more curious than in -other towns; and, as for knives, I failed to see any except in the -hands of innocent-looking butchers. My writer, however, declared that -he saw one young fellow with a knife, but he explained that only the -young blades carry such dangerous weapons. I did not observe any one -particularly well dressed or good looking, nor, on the other hand, did -I see any one with repulsive features. There were beggars and dirt as -a matter of course. What I did specially notice, however, was that the -place had a very sleepy atmosphere; the whole street of shops, which -strikes the main street at right angles and leads to the south gate, -remained closed as we left the city early next morning. - -[Sidenote: _CELESTIAL MEDICINES._] - -Chiung Chou lies on the south-western edge of the Ch'êng-tu plain. A -fine stone bridge of fifteen arches spans the river--the Nan Ho--which -flows eastwards to the south of the city. It is two hundred and fifty -yards long and twenty-four feet broad; at either end there is a stone -archway, and on the centre stands a pavilion, whence we caught a -glimpse of snow-clad mountains to the west. The piers of the bridge are -heavily buttressed. To the south of the river low uplands, well covered -with pine, succeed the plain, and stretch with two breaks of valleys, -wherein lie the market-town of Pai-chang-ch'ang, or Pai-chang-yi, -and the district city of Ming-shan, respectively, as far as the left -bank of the Ya Ho. In the Pai-chang valley a stream flows north-east -to join a larger affluent of the Min River. Here we met a number of -carriers with medicines from Yün-nan. The Chinese pharmacopoeia is very -comprehensive; tigers' bones and deer's horns are well-known celestial -remedies, but dried armadillo skins as a drug had hitherto escaped our -ken. Bundles of rush wicks--the pith of the _Juncus effusus L._--were -also going north in large quantities from the Ming-shan district. -The road west of Ch'êng-tu was for the most part unpaved, but to the -south of Chiung Chou boulders from the bed of the Nan Ho were laid in -glorious disorder on the pathway. Even for the Chinese straw sandal -they proved impracticable, and one of my bearers slipped and fell -forward on his carrying pole, one of the brass spikes of which pierced -his temple. Now, thought I, had the time arrived to display my store -of foreign medicines, and I was looking forward to the effect which -an application of Friar's Balsam would have on the patient and his -comrades, when there was a sudden call for tobacco. My pleadings to be -allowed to treat the case were in vain--a handful of cut tobacco was -placed over the wound, and all the assistance I was permitted to give -was the loan of my handkerchief to bind the head and keep the narcotic -in position. - -From the low, rising ground to the west of Pai-chang-ch'ang we obtained -a good view of the country beyond; dark hills with a snow-clad range -in their rear lay before us. The white foamy crest of a huge billow -breaking on a darker sea would fairly represent the picture. The -Chin-chi pass, two thousand feet above the sea, divides the valley -in which Ming-shan is situated from the valley of the Ya Ho. The -cultivated terraces on the hill sides which bound the latter were built -up with rounded stones and baskets of shingle lying by the left bank -indicated that the valley is liable to inundation. We struck the river, -which flows east, five miles from Ya-chou Fu, the city on the right -bank from which it derives its name. Crossing a tributary by a wooden -bridge of seven arches, we were soon face to face with the main river, -which we passed over by a floating bridge, the first of its kind I -had seen in China. High cones of stones in baskets were piled on both -banks, and round these a huge cable of woven split bamboo was wound; -bundles of bamboos firmly tied together, about a foot apart, floated on -the surface of the water, each bundle being securely fastened to the -cable at its up-river end; planks were spread on the bundles to form -a roadway; and rails of bamboo ran along both sides of the plankway. -The city, which is picturesquely situated on rising ground, has broad -streets and possessed, what was indeed a luxury to us, a good inn. It -was altogether too tempting, and I determined to take a day's rest, and -make some enquiries as to the trade in brick tea, of which it is the -centre. - -[Sidenote: _BRICK TEA FOR TIBET._] - -Within and on the borders of the prefecture of Ya-chou, all the brick -tea sent to Tibet is prepared. The tea-growing districts, in their -order of production, are Jung-ching, Ya-an, and Ti'en-ch'üan Chou. -Chiung Chou produces least. On the Mêng-shan Hills, which lie within -the Ming-shan district, a tea is grown exclusively for use in the -Imperial Palace, and is brought to Ya-chou for transmission to Peking. -The estimated total value of the tea grown within the prefecture is one -million taels, while the duties collected were given as forty thousand -taels. The best tea is picked by hand in the second moon; the coarse -tea is picked, or rather cut--a knife is used for the purpose--during -the third moon, when leaves and twigs are indiscriminately collected. -The growers sell to the tea hongs, fine leaf at from four to five taels -per picul (133-1/3 lbs.), coarse leaf at about 1·8 taels for the same -quantity. Three qualities of tea are prepared, known respectively as -"Ku yü," "Mao chien," and "Sui fang," the selling price being two, -one and a half, and one mace per catty. The leaf is steamed, and made -up into long, narrow, flat packages, having an inner casing of banana -leaf, and an outer casing of matting. A package of the finer tea weighs -eighteen catties, or twenty-four pounds, while a package of the coarser -tea frequently weighs only ten catties, or thirteen and a third pounds. -The standard of sale at Ya-chou is the sum of fifty taels, the number -of packages that can be bought for this sum varying according to the -state of the market. - -The total value of the tea trade with Tibet amounts in round numbers -to between £150,000 and £200,000. All this tea is carried on the backs -of porters, piled on a wooden framework which curves forward over the -head, and is thus conveyed from Ya-chou to the town of Ta-chien-lu, -near the Tibetan frontier, the journey usually occupying fifteen days. -The number of packages in a load varies, of course, according to the -quality of the tea. I have counted as many as fourteen packages, but -the average load contained from eight to nine. The freight per package -between the two places was said to be three hundred cash, but as -loads varied as to the number of packages or bricks, and the bricks -themselves as to weight, there must be some more satisfactory method -of calculation in making payment. Like the salt carriers in Kuei-chow, -these porters, whom we counted by hundreds daily to the south of -Ya-chou, were wanting in leg, nothing beyond an ordinary development -being observable. During their arduous mountain journey they rest -frequently and long. - -This tea differs altogether from the brick tea prepared in the Russian -tea hongs at Hankow. The latter is manufactured from the dust and -broken leaf of fine teas into hard, solid bricks, or into thin, ridged -cakes, an infusion of which is exceedingly palatable. The Tibetans, on -the other hand, eat the leaves churned up with butter, not even a twig -being lost. - -But the products of the prefecture are not confined to tea; two -varieties of drugs are largely exported. They are called _Hou p'o_ and -_Huang lien_. The former is the bark of _Magnolia hypoleuca, S. et -Z_, and the latter consists of the rhizomes of _Coptis teeta Wall_. The -bark of the wild Magnolia being thicker, is preferred to the bark of -the cultivated tree and fetches a much higher price. Coal and iron are -also mined and worked. - -[Sidenote: _THE FLYING DRAGON PASS._] - -We spent the greater part of the 5th of March struggling in a dense -mist along the right bank of a small tributary of the Ya Ho. A pass, -called the "Flying Dragon," 3580 feet above the sea, lies between this -and a larger tributary of the same river. A long pull over a frightful -road brought us to the summit, where we sat down and made friends with -a number of Tibetans of both sexes, who were engaged in a pilgrimage -to the sacred mountains of Western China. The women were sturdy and -good-looking, gaily ornamented with ear-rings and brooches, and had -none of that lifelessness and insipidity which characterize their -almond-eyed sisters. No mock-modesty debarred them from chaffing and -laughing at my European features and dress. Up the west side of the -pass scrambled about twenty ponies and mules, panting and blowing; not -without sufficient cause, for they were carrying heavy loads of copper -from Ning-yuan, and, from Yün-nan, the bark of a species of _Rhamnus_, -which is used for making a green dye. - -Are the Chinese wanting in the faculty of invention? It is well known -that they will make an exact copy of any pattern that may be supplied -to them. A tailor has been known to produce a new coat duly patched to -match the exemplar; but the ability of the race to give an original -idea to the world has been hotly disputed. I think the water-wheels of -Kuei-chow, which I have described in a previous chapter, are novel and -ingenious, and south of Ya-chou I saw the water-wheel turned to two -skilful and, at the same time, practical uses. A part of the horizontal -axle of the wheel was removed, and an iron elbow inserted; to the elbow -a long iron rod was attached by an eye; to the lower end of the rod was -fixed a polisher, which, as the wheel revolved, was drawn backwards and -forwards over the surface of a stone pillar being prepared for building -purposes. On exactly the same principle, except that the axle of the -wheel was vertical instead of horizontal, the rod was made to blow a -blacksmith's bellows. - -[Sidenote: _TRUTH AT A DISCOUNT._] - -Descending from the pass, we took up our head-quarters for the night -on the right bank of the Jung-ching River, as this tributary of the -Ya Ho is called. Great excitement now began to manifest itself among -my followers. We were only a day's journey from the foot of the Ta -Hsiang Ling Pass, and carriers from Yün-nan, who came to our inn, were -cramming them with the difficulties that had to be surmounted. Snow, so -they said, was lying deep on the passes, and they had only just managed -to get through with their lives. Chinese statements have invariably -to be heavily discounted, and the problem as to how far a Chinese -believes his most intimate friend has been present with me for many -years, and still remains unsolved. Instead of following the hill road -along the right bank of the river to the city of Jung-ching, we crossed -to the left bank by a ferry a few miles from our night's quarters, -and traversed a plain well watered and cultivated. We saw one or two -villages on the plain, but they were miserable places, and scarcely a -soul was visible as we passed through them. Recrossing the stream by a -plank bridge, we soon caught sight of the low stone walls of the city. -The universal clanging of the blacksmith's anvil, loudly proclaimed -the local industry. Coal and iron are both found in the neighbourhood, -and agricultural implements, cooking pans, and crampoons were being -hammered into shape. South of Jung-ching the valley contracts, -frequently leaving room for the bed of the stream only, and the hills -are more precipitous, rocky, and uncultivated. They were not bare, -however, for the tea-tree was everywhere prominent. - -The village of Huang-ni-p'u lies 1400 feet above the city of -Jung-ching, and 5640 feet under the summit of the Ta Hsiang Ling, -which was clad with snow. When we awoke on the morning of the 7th of -March, we found the whole mountain enveloped in a thick mist, which -became denser as we ascended. When we reached the Hsiao Kuan, or Lower -Pass (4800 feet), the snow lay thick by the roadside; but all around -was buried in white gloom. Huge icicles hung from rocks projecting -over the rugged path, and we frequently heard their crashing as they -fell, amid the din of roaring torrents, into the depths below. As -we ascended, the snow became deeper, increasing from two to three -inches above the Lower Pass to a couple of feet. The pathway, which -skirts the edges of ravines and precipices, was one continuous mass -of slush, snow, and ice--higher up, dry and crisp; and, starting from -Huang-ni-p'u at half-past six in the morning, we stood on the summit -(9366 feet) at half-past two in the afternoon, having indulged in two -short intervals of rest. A stiff, north wind was blowing over the -ridge, and I overheard one of the escort duly warning my followers that -shouting on the summit would most certainly provoke a storm. For a time -not a sound but that of our own footfalls on the crisp snow broke the -stillness of the gloomy scene. It became monotonous, and, when I took -to snowballing my dog in sheer desperation, my laughter and his joyous -barking made them hurry down the southern face of the Pass. - -On leaving the clouds, we looked down into a plain shut in by lofty -ranges and broken by spurs bounding ravines washed out by mountain -torrents. On a plateau in the plain, stands the district city of -Ch'ing-ch'i Hsien, nearly four thousand feet below the summit of the -Ta Hsiang Ling. Down the plain, which runs almost due north and south, -flows a stream, nurtured by the melting snows on the surrounding peaks. -The city is of no great size; but it is exceedingly interesting, as -being the junction where the main high-road from Tibet to China and the -road from Yün-nan by the Chien-ch'ang valley meet. Here we parted with -the brick-tea carriers, sorry that it was not our fortune to accompany -them to Ta-chien-lu, and attempt the country beyond that famous border -town. From Ch'ing-ch'i the road goes south, descending to the bases of -the precipitous mountain ranges hemming in a valley, which expands and -contracts, and is plentifully strewn with stones and pebbles. Fifteen -miles to the south of the city, the road suddenly descends about two -hundred feet down into a wider valley. Far below us, we could see the -hamlet of Lung-tung, encircled by plots of yellow rape and green wheat -and poppy--a real oasis in the white stony valley. This descent leads -not only to a new country, but to a new race. - -[Sidenote: _A NON-CHINESE RACE._] - -At Lung-tung I noticed a marked difference in the features of the -people, especially the women. The faces were sharper and more pointed -than the ordinary Chinese type, while the foreheads were exceedingly -prominent. There was an undoubted mixture of foreign, probably Sifan, -blood. It is a peculiarity of all these non-Chinese races that the -women are the last to abandon their national dress, and they cling with -tenacity to profuse decoration. The women of Lung-tung backed up their -facial distinction with a lavish display of silver ornaments. - -For some distance south of the hamlet there was no attempt at -cultivation in the stony wilderness; but gradually we found signs of -stones having been collected, patches of land dyked, and rivulets -diverted for irrigation purposes. Watercress was growing wild in the -limpid water. Trees, although not very numerous, were not wanting; the -mulberry, orange, red-date, and pear were to be seen. The orange was -a tall tree, bearing a small round fruit with a thick wrinkled skin, -which reminded me forcibly of a miniature "Buddha's Hand"--_Citrus -sacrodactylus_. Cotton in small quantities was also growing in this -valley. Many of the houses were roofed with thin boards weighted with -stones, instead of the usual Chinese tiles, and the graves were covered -with mounds of rounded stones carefully whitewashed. - -The garrison town of Fu-lin, whence a bridle-path leads over the -mountains to Ta-chien-lu, lies at no great distance from the left -bank of the Ta-tu River, the southern boundary of the valley. In the -immediate neighbourhood of the town were a few cultivated patches; but -agriculture, to judge from the precautions taken against inundation -from the waters of the Liu-sha, which was hurrying down the valley to -join the Ta-tu, would appear to be carried on under difficulties. A -line of white shingle, running east and west, backed by rising ground, -was the only visible indication of the presence of a watercourse, and -it was only on reaching the miserable village of Wa-wa, built on a -sandbank held together by bushes of luxuriant cactus, that we were able -to espy the green waters of the Ta-tu rushing violently eastward in -its pebbly bed, to be quickly lost in a gap in the mountains to the -south-east. Several forks, into which the river is divided, unite to -the west of Wa-wa. - -[Sidenote: _AN EXCITING SCENE._] - -Descending to the ferry, we found ourselves face to face with a -pure non-Chinese race. The boatmen, who were tall--one was over six -feet--wiry fellows, with level grey eyes, at once fraternized with me -and took me under their protection. They were Sifans, and spoke Chinese -with a decidedly foreign accent. One of them, with a fearlessness -impossible in a Chinese, asked me a few questions in a most respectful -manner, and answered with readiness and evident pleasure the queries I -put to him regarding the river. To a random question as to its breadth, -a Chinese by my side at once answered over a hundred _ch'ang_, or one -thousand Chinese feet, but my protector quietly rebuked him, remarking -that one should not answer such a question off-hand, and, after some -reflection, said the river was six hundred feet broad. I estimated -the breadth at nearly two hundred yards; but it was difficult to fix -distances with any accuracy in the presence of mountains which threw -everything else into insignificance. The Sifans smiled when I tried to -ascertain the depth by plunging a bamboo over the side of the boat in -mid river. - -Owing to numerous falls and rapids, only rafts can be navigated the -entire distance to Chia-ting Fu, where the Ta-tu, after its junction -with the Ya Ho, enters the Min. Once a year there is a busy scene -on the banks of the Ta-tu River. In the end of April, thousands of -carriers have to cross the river at this very spot, with their precious -loads of white wax insects from the valley of Chien-ch'ang, on their -way to the prefecture of Chia-ting. As delay is injurious to their -living freight, they haste and race to be first at the ferry. Crossing -the Ta-tu as we did on the 9th of March, we were too early to witness -the flight of these carriers, which ceases not night or day. Trade, as -we saw it, was of a less exciting nature; copper and pine boards from -the south, met cotton and salt from the north. - -In the walled town of Ta-shu-pao, less than a mile from the south bank -of the river, the fine tall men and sprightly women of an alien race, -could, without difficulty, be picked out from the Chinese. They wore -white turbans jauntily inclined to one side, and carried themselves -with a grace that savoured of independence. The Ta-tu River may be -looked upon as the southern limit of the region inhabited by Sifan -tribes, and the northern boundary of the Lolo country which stretches -southwards to the Yang-tsze and east from the valley of Chien-ch'ang -towards the right bank of the Min. I found a few Sifans to the south -of the Ta-tu, but they were isolated families who had lost touch with -their respective tribes. Amongst the Chinese they have an evil repute -for immorality; yet my experience of them, limited as it necessarily -was, proved that they possessed certain traits of character which are -altogether wanting in the Celestial, or, if not altogether wanting, at -least existing in a very rudimentary form only. - -[Sidenote: _A "TAME WILD MAN."_] - -One instance will suffice to explain my meaning. I had expressed -a wish for a lengthened interview with a Sifan, and, on arrival at -P'ing-pa, the second stage south of the Ta-tu, word was brought to me -that there was a "tame wild man" in the village. With some difficulty -he was induced to come to our inn, the reason of his hesitancy being, -as he explained when alone with me in my room, that the Chinese might -treat him badly if they knew that he was talking with me. When I had -calmed his fears and elicited from him as much information as I could -regarding his language, I asked him before leaving to accept a couple -of hundred cash for the trouble I had caused him, and as a reward for -the knowledge which he had imparted. This he absolutely declined, -saying that he had rendered me no service deserving of reward. As, in -the course of conversation, he had informed me that his home was in the -hills three miles distant, and that he had come to P'ing-pa to make a -few purchases, I pointed out to him that, by accepting this trifling -sum, he would be able to secure a small present from me to his family. -More argument convinced him that there would be no harm in accepting it -on this condition, and he left after profuse thanks on behalf of the -other members of his household. Would a Chinese have hesitated? I trow -not. - -[Sidenote: _LOLO LANGUAGE._] - -South of P'ing-pa we found ourselves fairly in Lolodom. When we were -breakfasting at the hamlet of Shuan-ma-ts'ao on the morning of the 11th -of March, ten wild-looking fellows suddenly put in an appearance. They -were dressed in brown felt woollen cloaks from neck to knee, their legs -and feet were tightly bandaged with cotton cloth, they wore straw -sandals instead of shoes, and their hair was drawn forward in the shape -of a horn, projecting above the forehead and bound with cloth. Each -was armed with a long wooden javelin, fitted with a large broad iron -arrow-head. Some snatched a hasty meal, while others sharpened their -javelins on a stone by the side of the street. We began to think that -they had sinister intentions regarding ourselves or our property, but -they quickly disappeared in Indian file up a narrow path over the hills -to the south-west. Sheep were being driven in the same direction, and -these men were probably shepherds preparing to ward off the attacks of -wild animals from their flocks. At Hai-t'ang, which we reached after -a steep descent, we took up our quarters in a new inn just completed -and therefore clean. As the morrow was market-day, we resolved to be -present and swell the crowd. Snow fell heavily and somewhat dulled the -market, so I induced two out of the living mass of Lolos to come and -spend an hour or two with me at the inn. I jotted down their numerals -and a few common words, and can thus compare my transcription of the -sounds with those taken down by Mr. Baber from Lolos in other parts of -the country. - - Lolos near Wa-shan. Lolos near Ma-pien. Lolos of Hai-t'ang. - (Mr. Baber.) (Mr. Baber.) - - 1. Ts'u Tchih Tzu - 2. Ni Ni Ni - 3. Su (or Soa) Su Swa - 4. Erh Li Li - 5. Ngu Ngu Ngou - 6. Fo K'u Hu - 7. Shih Shih Shih - 8. Shie Hei Hei - 9. Gu Gu Gu - 10. Tch'ie (or Ts'e) Tch'e Tsei - -It will be noticed that, with a very few exceptions, these numerals -are almost identical, and it may, without any great stretch of the -imagination, be taken for granted that the Lolos speak one language -with only slight dialectic differences. Unfortunately, the men whom I -met were unable to write--that they have a written language has been -distinctly proved--so that I was powerless to assist in deciphering -what up to the present moment remains a sealed book. - -It will be appropriate in this place to compare the numerals of the -Sifans as taken down by different travellers at different places, and -the comparison, I think, shows that, as in the case of the Lolos, the -Sifan tribes have also one language, with local dialectic variations. -My Sifan told me that their written language resembles Tibetan, which -is very probably the case. - - Sifan of Tzu-ta-ti. Sifan of (?) Lu-ku. Sifan of P'ing-pa. - ( Mr. Baber.) (Mr. Hodgson.) - - 1. Tu Ta Ta - 2. Nu Na Na - 3. Si Si Hsi - 4. Jro Rê Ro - 5. Ngei Nga Nga - 6. Tch'u Tru Ch'u - 7. Shun Skwi Shön - 8. Jih Zi Ris - 9. Ngo Gu Anga - 10. Tch'i-tch'i Chê-chi Chei-chei - -I agree with Mr. Baber that the sound given by Mr. Hodgson for seven is -impossible. The former follows Sir Thomas Wade, who, in transliterating -Chinese characters, uses the letter _j_ to represent a semi-_r_ sound; -and this will account for the seeming difference, which does not -actually exist, in the words for four and eight. To my ear the sound -was sufficiently broad to warrant a full _r_. - -White and brown cloaks appeared to be worn indiscriminately by the -Lolos, and during the whole of my passage through their country I -noticed only one exception, and that was a blue cloak with red fringes. -Of this divergence from the usual custom I was unable to find any -satisfactory explanation. When we were strolling in the market at -Hai-t'ang, several loads of China-root--_Pachyma cocos_--passed us on -the way north. This product is found in great abundance in the hills of -Ssu-ch'uan, and Yün-nan and is highly esteemed as a medicine. - -At Hai-t'ang I thought I had made a discovery that would revolutionize -the whole world of dress. On returning from the market to my inn, I -caught sight of a piece of cloth of somewhat loose texture in the hands -of one of the waiters, and, when examining it, was astonished to learn -that, instead of being washed when dirty, it was thrown into the fire, -which consumed the dirt and left the material itself intact. Shades of -angry washerwomen rose before my mental vision and seemed to curse the -age of invention. Nothing deterred, I promptly put the statement to -the test, and had the pleasure of seeing the cloth extracted from the -fire clean and again ready for use. It was described to me as being -manufactured from the fibrous roots of a grass which grows in the -gullies of the mountains in the neighbourhood. With that inconsistency -which characterises the Chinese, it was called "fire-consuming," not -"fire-proof" cloth. Reader, it is sometimes very hard to be rudely -undeceived. Must I confess that the only discovery I made was, that -asbestos exists in Western Ssu-ch'uan? Washerwomen, your career is not -yet ended! - -[Sidenote: _LOLO MARAUDERS._] - -An additional escort of Lolos joined us at Hai-t'ang. They wore their -national dress, and the petty officer in command was further ornamented -with a thin oval brass plate, fixed in his left ear by a brass ring. We -left our comfortable quarters to face a snowstorm, and plodded all day -through snow and slush half a foot in depth. Garrisons, each supposed -to be thirty strong, lined the road at intervals of a mile with -guard-houses between. This part of the country, skirting as it does the -western border of independent Lolodom, is the scene of frequent Lolo -raids, whole caravans--goods, animals, and men--being swept off, and -carried into the inaccessible mountains to the east. - -Our escorts were now relieved at each garrison, and the men were armed -with swords. Just before entering the Yüeh-hsi plain, a soldier pointed -out the spot where, a few years previously, an army of five thousand -men had invaded Lolodom to punish marauders, and he added that not -a man had returned to tell their fate. The buildings on the plain, -which runs north-east and south-west, are more like watch-towers than -dwelling houses; they have two storeys, but no windows on the ground -floor. We saw numbers of Lolos in the city of Yüeh-hsi T'ing, many -of them nominally in official employ, though, in reality, salaried -hostages for the good behaviour of their tribes. Here our escort was -again strengthened, and, when we left the city on the morning of the -15th of March, we were preceded by an army of gaily-dressed soldiers -armed with flags, pikes, and halberts. The south of the plain is -divided into two valleys by a range of hills; that to the south-east -leads to independent Lolodom, where no Chinese dare venture; through -the other to the south-west runs the road to Ning-yuan Fu and Yün-nan. - -The latter gradually narrows, being bounded on the east by precipitous -rocky cliffs, and on the west by sloping heights to a certain extent -amenable to cultivation. In the bed of the valley, which is rough and -stony, were garrisons and guardhouses fully tenanted. Treble stockades -of wooden piles were thrown up round them, but they would be perfectly -useless against a determined raid, there being no escape in case of -defeat except by steep paths leading up the mountain sides into the -country of the Lolos. - -During our stay at the small town of Hsiao-shao, which lies at the -end of the valley and at the northern entrance of a narrow pass, -many of my followers were struck down by fever, and I passed a most -uncomfortable night amidst their groans--hardly a suitable preparation -for the morrow, when the Hsiao Hsiang Ling Pass had to be surmounted. -Here I found that there were rogues even among the Lolos. Soon after -our arrival, four ruffian-looking fellows turned up, and announced that -they had been deputed to form my Lolo escort next day. I told them that -I was much gratified at the forethought of their officials, and asked -them to come on the morrow; but they were persistent in their demands -for a gratuity beforehand. This I declined, until their persistence -became an absolute nuisance, when I was weak enough to make them a -small present and trust to their word. Needless to say, they broke it. - -Having mounted my sick on ponies, we passed through the south gate -of Hsiao-shao and entered the pass, our approach being heralded by a -musket-shot from the sentry of the Chinese and Lolo guardhouses, which -mark the entrance. A couple of guardhouses could be made out on rocky -heights up the pass to the south-west, and their sentries, warned -by the report of the musket-shot, could be seen standing out darkly -against the snowy mountain behind. The same signal was given by each -sentry as we advanced. - -[Sidenote: _ASCENT OF HSIAO HSIANG LING._] - -Turning south-west, we soon began the actual ascent of the Hsiao -Hsiang Ling, which, though less precipitous than the Ta Hsiang Ling, -was somewhat troublesome, owing to the greater depth of snow. On the -summit, which is 9800 feet above the level of the sea, we were shrouded -by a white gloom which entirely hid the surrounding country from our -view. The southern slope is gentle, the path, after a short descent, -entering a gorge which leads to the garrison town of Têng-hsiang, -lying at the feet of lofty mountains and occupying the head of a -narrow valley running north and south. Here the soldiery were busy -strengthening the walls at the north gate. When we left by the south -gate next morning, accompanied by an additional escort of bearers -of flags, spears, swords, tridents, and muskets, the peaks of the -mountains bounding the valley on the west side were lit by the rising -sun, throwing the steep pine-clad sides of the eastern range into -gloom. The bed of the valley was wild and uncultivated, but the full -bloom of some wild fruit trees helped to brighten the scene and the -silence was broken only by the humming of bees in search of food. A -range running east and west soon blocks the valley, and the road goes -west through the sub-district of Mien-shan till again intercepted, when -it turns south-west along the left bank of a branch of the An-ning -River. A rocky gorge, with just sufficient room for the stream, then -supervenes, and the road is cut out of the solid rock to within a short -distance of the town of Lu-ku, which lies close to the north-eastern -corner of the great plain of Ning-yuan. - -While we were watching the cormorant fishers at the point where the -stream leaves the gorge, a bevy of Lolo women, who had been marketing -at Lu-ku, came up, and afforded us the rare opportunity of a close -inspection. They were chatting and laughing on the way back to their -mountain homes. They wore large round caps of black cloth, _à la_ "Tam -O' Shanter," short jackets, and petticoats just long enough not to -conceal their bare feet. A pink strip let into the skirt in front from -waist to foot seemed to be the fashion. Their bodices were fastened -at the neck by embroidered collars decked with silver ornaments and -clasps. Most of them were pretty, but some suffered from loss and -decay of the front teeth. They might, without any great stretch of the -imagination, have been taken for a group of Italian peasant women. - -[Sidenote: _ENTRY INTO NING-YUAN._] - -On the morning of the 18th of March we left Lu-ku, and, ascending a -low plateau, found ourselves on an immense plain stretching southwards. -The stream which flows by the town is joined, a little to the west, -by another from the north, and the two combined form the An-ning -River, which goes south down the plain and enters the Ta-ch'ung or -Ya-lung, a large tributary of the Yang-tsze, or, as it is here called, -the Chin Chiang--the "Golden River." Only about twenty miles now -separated us from the prefectural city, but, owing to the sickness of -my followers, who were happily beginning to recover in the face of the -southern breezes blowing the very breath of life into their fevered -and toil-worn frames, we had to divide the distance over a couple of -days. Early in the afternoon of the 19th of March, we crossed the -last spur which projects into the plain from the hills which form its -eastern boundary and, passing through the beautifully cultivated and -well-wooded gardens in the suburbs and then through a busy thoroughfare -alive with pack-animals laden with long hollow cones of salt, we -entered the west gate of Ning-yuan, more generally known in Western -China as Chien-ch'ang Fu. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THROUGH CAINDU TO CARAJAN. - - Earthquakes--The reception of foreigners at Ning-yuan--The - fertility of the Ning-yuan plain--Goître and the salt - supply--Historical hailstorm--A Tibetan caravan--Crossing the - Ya-lung River--A riot at Hang-chou--Reception at Yen-yuan and - increased protection--Brine wells of Pai-yen-ching--Driven back - by mountain barriers--The Yün-nan frontier--A sight of the - Yang-tsze--Results of the Mohammedan Rebellion--The Lake of the - Black Mist--On the banks of the Golden River--A deserted town--The - plague--First glimpse of the snow-capped Tsang-shan--A magnificent - view--On the shores of the Erh Hai--Ta-li Fu at last. - - -History records that a terrible earthquake visited the plain of -Chien-ch'ang in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, and that the old -city of Ning-yuan sank bodily into the ground, and gave place to the -large lake which lies to the south-east of the present city. In 1850, -again, according to the information supplied to Mr. Baber, Ning-yuan -was reduced to ruins by a similar catastrophe. If the former tradition -be true, the lake had no existence when Marco Polo passed through -Caindu, and yet we find him mentioning a lake in the country in which -pearls were found. Curiously enough, although I had not then read the -Venetian's narrative, one of the many things told me regarding the -lake was that pearls are found in it, and specimens were brought to me -for inspection. - -[Sidenote: _RECEPTION OF FOREIGNERS AT NING-YUAN._] - -Previous to my arrival only two foreigners had visited Ning-yuan, and -that, too, both in 1877. The first, a Roman Catholic French Father, -was stoned and driven from the city. Two months later came Mr. Baber, -who, fortified with instructions issued by a new Viceroy, commanded -the respect of the very official who had incited the attack on the -unfortunate missionary. When I appeared upon the scene, I had the -greatest difficulty in securing quarters, and, while search was being -made, spent an hour the target for thousands of black eyes. But fortune -did not forsake me. As soon as I reached the inn, which was at last -found, a thunderstorm burst over the town, and brought nourishment -to the plain which had been athirst for a month. The arrival of a -foreigner and a copious rainfall were two events which, to their -superstitious minds, could only be cause and effect, and I was soon -waited upon by a deputation of townspeople, who came to thank me for my -timely visit. From an intruder, I was suddenly raised to the rank of a -benefactor. - -I took advantage of the presence of the deputation to gather -information regarding the products of the plain and the mineral -resources of the prefecture. Rice, poppy, cotton, safflower, a variety -of fruits, medicines and dyes, cassia, beans, wheat and maize are grown -in their respective seasons, while copper, zinc, and iron are found in -the neighbouring hills. Mulberry trees abound, and silk is produced and -exported to Yün-nan. But the chief product of the plain is white-wax -insects, to which allusion has already been made and which will be -found treated at length in Chapter XI. Pine boards are also a special -export from this region. Immense trees are found deeply embedded in the -soil on the hills, their positions being discovered from lines of pine -sprouts. They are dug up, sawn, and sent north in large quantities. - -When I made it known that, instead of proceeding south through Hui-li -Chou to Yün-nan Fu, I was about to attempt the road through Yen-yuan -Hsien to north-western Yün-nan and Ta-li Fu, hundreds of objections -were at once forthcoming. The road was a mere bridle-path impassable -for chairs, there were no inns, no rice, nothing but wilderness. A very -little experience in an Eastern land teaches the traveller to discount -native statements, and I told my men that one of the objects of my -journey was to establish facts, and that I considered it my duty to go -and test the validity of the objections raised. - -Leaving Ning-yuan on the 21st of March, we skirted the western edge of -the lake, which is some eight miles long and two to three broad, and -made for the low hills which bound the plain to the south-west. Eight -miles from the city we struck the left bank of the An-ning River, and -having effected a passage at the ferry, we proceeded south over a sandy -waste, whereon close reed fences were erected to keep the sand from -being blown over the cultivated ground. Farther south, the plain was -dotted with mud houses and villages, and the plots of arable land by -which they were surrounded were thickly edged with mulberry trees. - -[Sidenote: _FERTILITY OF THE NING-YUAN PLAIN._] - -The plain from Lu-ku southwards is noted throughout Western China for -its fertility; but from that point until south of Ning-yuan, the river -flows along the base of the lofty hills bounding the western edge of -the plain, which slopes gently from east to west, and its waters are -little available for purposes of irrigation. The plain, therefore, -depends for the most part upon the rainfall for its water supply, and, -owing as we have seen to the fact that rain had not fallen for a month -previous to our arrival, the cracked and arid ground, with its stunted -crops of poppy, wheat, and beans, presented a striking contrast to the -glowing description we had received of this happy Eldorado. South of -Ning-yuan, however, the plain is perfectly level and the river winding -about in it is extensively utilised for irrigating the fields. - -Although fortune usually smiles upon the valley of Chien-ch'ang, the -inhabitants of its many villages are not to outward appearances a -happy race. What strikes the traveller most with regard to them is the -prevalence of the unsightly goître, from which neither sex nor age is -exempt. The natives attribute it to the impure salt from the brine -wells of Pai-yen-ching, within the jurisdiction of Yen-yuan Hsien, and -their belief is, that north of Ning-yuan Fu the salt supply comes from -the northern salt springs, and that where this salt is consumed, goître -is exceedingly rare, while south of Ning-yuan only local salt is used -and goître is excessively common. This can hardly be reconciled with -the statements made to me by the inhabitants of the mountainous regions -of the province of Kuei-chow, where goître is likewise remarkably -prevalent. They were unanimously of opinion that the disease is due -to the salt from the northern springs of Ssu-ch'uan, which supply the -entire province of Kuei-chow. But the true origin of the disease is -doubtless to be ascribed to calcareous and other substances held in -solution in the water supply of the districts. - -The small town of Ho-hsi, "West of the River," the first stage from -Ning-yuan, lies in a bend at the foot of a mountain range, which forms -the divide of the An-ning and Ya-lung rivers. It, too, has its story -of war with nature. A small stream from the western mountains flows -through the town on its way to join the river in the plain. In 1881, a -terrific hailstorm swept over mountain and plain; the stream became a -roaring torrent and annihilated nearly the whole town--the number of -killed and drowned being estimated at a thousand souls. - -Following up the stream towards its source, we attained, after a few -hours' climb, the ridge of the mountain, where the roads are worn -out of the solid limestone to a depth of twelve feet by the constant -traffic between the salt springs to the south-west and Ning-yuan Fu. -The steep eastern slope of the mountain was covered with rank coarse -grass, nor did cultivation appear until the ridge was crossed. Even -then there were only a few clearings here and there, and these were -occupied by the large-leaved privet, the pear and other fruit trees, -while the uncultivated ground was clad with stunted pine. Beyond -the ridge, the road, a mere bridle-path, runs west by south along -the mountain side, whence we could make out to the south the green -waters of the Ya-lung River flowing north-east and suddenly bending -southwards, its progress in the former direction being obstructed -by a mountain barrier. As might be expected in such a country, -the population is very scant, and only an occasional hut for the -refreshment of the traveller was to be seen during a day's journey. - -[Sidenote: _A TIBETAN CARAVAN._] - -While resting at a solitary tea-house on the mountain side, and -speculating on the advisability and wisdom of attempting this route -in chairs, I perceived in the far south-west a long line of moving -objects coming towards us. Red flags and gaily-caparisoned mules and -ponies warned me that something more than ordinary was approaching. -The red-clad muleteers, armed with swords and spears, and the large -powerful dogs trotting at the heads of the pack-animals, told us that -we were face to face with a Tibetan caravan. It consisted of some fifty -animals laden with medicines, musk, and sundries. Our spirits rose as -we heard that the road was open for pack-animals. - -Our resting-place during the night of our second stage from Ning-yuan -was the village of Tei-li-pao, overlooking the Ya-lung River, which we -reached by a steep descent on the following morning. Ascending its left -bank for four miles through dense hedges of prickly pear, growing with -a profusion I have not seen elsewhere in Western China, we crossed it -at the ferry of Ho-pien Hsün, a customs station on its right bank. The -river itself, which is about two hundred yards in breadth, is deep, -and flows with an even current until it reaches the sharp bend which -I have already mentioned, when it lashes itself into foamy billows -against submerged rocks. The Ya-lung is unnavigable, and the only craft -on its green waters were three ferry boats, each about thirty feet -long. From the bed of shingle which lies below the customs station, we -followed for a short distance the right bank, which is here lined with -huge boulders, and then turned south-west up a gully, down which flows -a streamlet to the main river. The country gradually opens out, and -cultivation, which had practically ceased since we left the Ning-yuan -plain, began to reappear on the gentler slopes of the mountain sides to -the south-east. - -[Sidenote: _INHOSPITABLE HANG-CHOU._] - -Our struggles through the day on the precipitous banks of the Ya-lung -had, we imagined, earned a good night's repose at the little town of -Hang-chou, which lies on the left bank of the streamlet. In this, -however, we were sadly disappointed. Surmounting a low eminence we -beheld, to our surprise, little but its charred remains, the town -having been destroyed by fire only a few days before. On entering, -we found, as might have been expected, wretched accommodation. The -homeless inhabitants were huddled together in the few houses that had -escaped the ravages of the fire. The mass of idlers seemed to require -some outlet for the superfluous energy which had not yet been expended -in the rebuilding of their homes. Our arrival was their opportunity. No -sooner had we settled down in the apartment which we had the greatest -difficulty in procuring, than we were surrounded by a gaping and -insolent crowd. So insolent and threatening indeed did they become, -that we had to solicit the intervention of the local authority in -suppressing what, to every appearance, was fast becoming a riot. He -came, but his presence was powerless and his commands were unheeded. -He left, and matters assumed a still more serious aspect. A free fight -thereupon resulted between the rioters and my followers. At this point -my intervention became necessary, and, for the first and only time -during my wanderings in China, I was compelled to show my revolver. -Happily for all, the sight of the weapon was sufficient, and, under -its awe-inspiring muzzle, four of the ringleaders, who had threatened -me with death, were arrested. This quelled the riot for the night, but -threats were thrown out of vengeance on the morrow. The local authority -was duly warned, and he was good enough to promise us all available -protection, and to accompany us on the next stage. When day dawned he -was duly present, and we were glad to shake the dust of inhospitable -Hang-chou and its riotous inhabitants from our feet. - -The valley in which Hang-chou lies contracts towards the south-west. -Recrossing the stream, the road runs along the mountain side for -some distance; but the mountains soon recede, leaving an undulating -stretch of country rising as we advanced. This we ascended amid low -pines and dense underwood, past numerous unworked copper-mines, until -at its highest point the road is at an elevation little below the -mountain peaks on both sides, now white with snow. Here a thunderstorm -delayed our progress; the brilliancy of the lightning, and the roar -of the thunder echoed and re-echoed from the surrounding mountains, -reflecting credit on the forgers of Zeus. But the chilly hail and the -rude mud hut in which we were compelled to seek shelter for the night, -speedily turned our thoughts from the dreams of classical romance -to the stern actualities of a wanderer's life. The local authority -of Hang-chou, however, pressed on with his prisoners to the city of -Yen-yuan Hsien, where our non-arrival excited no little consternation -among the authorities, who, anxious as to our safety, sent messengers -and soldiers to ascertain the cause. - -With the exception of a short distance where the road zigzags, the -descent to Yen-yuan is easy. We followed a small mountain stream down -a valley for some time, leaving it by a fine level road to the west, -and soon entered the city, which lies on the north-east side of a -plain, backed by a range of high hills running east and west. Here -due satisfaction was given to us for the outrage at Hang-chou, whose -inhabitants, through their unwilling representatives, were taught a -practical, if a painful, lesson as to the treatment of strangers from -the West. The officials were profuse in their apologies and in their -attention to our wants, promising absolute protection as far as the -first city across the Yün-nan frontier--a promise which was faithfully -carried out. - -The city of Yen-yuan, though small, is the capital of the district -which borders on the province of Yün-nan, a district rich in copper and -salt, and one of the chief habitats of that industrious and interesting -creature, the white wax insect, which is propagated on the branches -of the _Ligustrum lucidum_, or large-leaved privet. The brine wells -from which the salt is derived lie at Pai-yen-ching, fourteen miles to -the south-west of the city, which we reached by a good road across the -plain, down which one or two rivulets flow north-westwards. The way in -which the farmers manipulate these rivulets for purposes of irrigation -is truly wonderful--here the water ripples in one direction, there in -exactly the opposite. This plain is one of the very few places in the -province of Ssu-ch'uan where carts can be utilised for transport. - -[Sidenote: _SALT MAKING._] - -The brine wells of Pai-yen-ching, mentioned above, are only two in -number, and comparatively shallow, being only fifty feet in depth. -Bamboo tubes, ropes and buffaloes are here dispensed with, and small -wooden tubs, with bamboos fixed to their sides as handles for raising, -are considered sufficient. At one of the wells a staging was erected -half way down, and from it the tubs of brine were passed up to the -workmen above. Passing from the wells to the evaporating sheds, we -found a series of mud furnaces with round holes at the top, into which -cone-shaped pans, manufactured from iron obtained in the neighbourhood, -and varying in height from one to two and a half feet, were loosely -fitted. When a pan has been sufficiently heated, a ladleful of the -brine is poured into it, and, bubbling up to the surface, it sinks, -leaving a saline deposit on the inside of the pan. This process is -repeated until a layer, some four inches thick and corresponding to the -shape of the pan, is formed, when the salt is removed as a hollow cone -ready for market. Care must be taken to keep the bottom of the pan -moist; otherwise the salt cone would crack, and be rendered unfit for -the rough carriage which it experiences on the backs of pack animals. A -soft coal, which is found just under the surface of the yellow-soiled -hills seven miles to the west of Pai-yen-ching, is the fuel used in the -furnaces. The total daily output of salt at these wells does not exceed -two tons a day, and the cost at the wells, including the Government -tax, amounts to about three-halfpence a pound. The area of supply, -owing to the country being sparsely populated, is greater than the -output would lead one to expect. - -At the time when Marco Polo passed through Caindu, this country was in -the possession of the Sifans, and there can be little doubt that the -salt cakes, which then constituted the currency, were evaporated at -these very wells. Nor are the Sifans wanting at the present day; they -occupy the country to the west, and are known under the generic name of -Man-tzu. - -Our progress--I hardly like to use the word--during the five days from -the brine wells of Pai-yen-ching to the frontier of the province of -Yün-nan, a distance of less than forty miles as the crow flies, is -one long story of mountain travelling. Several times did we approach -the frontier, but as often were we driven back, south and south-east, -by impenetrable mountain barriers covered with pine forests. To the -south, the ranges run east and west, and a day's work, sometimes -lasting as long as thirteen hours, consisted in climbing and descending -steep mountain sides, and in endeavouring, with but poor success, to -circumvent the huge boulders which lay in the beds of streams in the -bottom lands between the mountain ranges, where the road should have -been. Cultivation, as can readily be imagined, was not conspicuous in -such a country; but here we found in abundance the animal best suited -to rugged mountains, the goat. Its flesh, too, was greatly appreciated -where rice could not be procured, and where our supplies had long since -run short. To the west of our route, we found many places inhabited by -Man-tzu tribes, whose districts, however, lie principally beyond the -frontier. - -[Sidenote: _CLOSE PROXIMITY OF ALIEN RACES._] - -At Shao-shang, on the last ridge which has to be crossed before -reaching Yün-nan, six Lolos, deputed by their chief, who had been -apprised of our approach by the Chinese authorities, awaited us to pay -their respects, and as we stood looking at the mountain ranges within -the southern province, one of them, tall and powerful, every inch a -king, stepped forth and did us homage. Here, then, on the very borders -of Ssu-ch'uan and Yün-nan, we find the Lolo from the east, the Man-tzu -from the west, and the Chinese holding the narrow strip of land which -separates these alien races. Alien races, and what a contrast! On the -east the Lolo, still retaining his distinctive costume, one of a nation -hemmed in, but not absorbed, by the Chinese--on the contrary, able to -raid and carry off into slavery the people of the country bordering -on his territories; on the west the Man-tzu, clad in a garb differing -little from that of his conquerors, timid, and ready to flee at the -approach of a stranger. The Man-tzu women, however, like the women of -all these different tribes scattered through Western China, retain the -costume of their race, and, though on a less elaborate scale, dress -very much like their European sisters. But the latter have not yet -donned the turban, nor do they care to walk about with unshod feet. The -turbans, which were mostly of brown cloth, were in many cases adorned -with circlets of hogs' tusks. As among the Lolo women, strings of beads -were the favourite ear-rings. - -[Sidenote: _YUNG-PEI T'ING._] - -The little border town of Hui-lung-ch'ang, or Mien-hua-ti as it is -locally called, lies at the base of a high mountain range running east -and west. From the summit of the range, which was attained after a five -hours' climb, we could make out to the south-west seven other ranges -with similar directions, and in the far south a clear glittering ribbon -marked the position of the Chin Chiang, the head-waters of the mighty -Yang-tsze. The tops of these sandstone ranges were clad with dark -pines, while the slopes were covered with rank grass and shrubbery, -among which herds of ponies and water buffaloes and flocks of sheep -and goats were feeding. From Chiu-ya-p'ing, a mud-walled town of some -five thousand inhabitants, surrounded by the two Man-tzu tribes--the -Li-su and the Pai-yi--two stages to the south of the Ssu-ch'uan-Yün-nan -frontier, where I was most hospitably entertained by a French -missionary on the 3rd of April, two roads lead to Yung-pei T'ing, -the first departmental city within the latter province. Although we -selected what was described to us as the easier road, we were obliged -to make a long detour, and, instead of entering the city from the -north, we actually approached it from the south. It lies in the centre -of a plain some five miles long and two broad, bounded on the north -by a semi-circle of mountains, on the east by a lofty range running -north and south, on the west by gentle hills, and on the south by low -sandstone ridges, fast disintegrating and drifting into the plain. To -the south and east of these ridges were numerous pools of water and a -rivulet, whose edges and banks were covered with thin coatings of soda. -The sturdy little Yün-nan pony which I rode, champed at the bitterness -of the water. Yung-pei itself is a city of very little importance. The -plain on which it stands has a stiff clayey soil, and the beans and -poppy were decidedly below the average of Ssu-ch'uan crops. It is, -however, the point where the Burmese trade with Yün-nan by way of Ta-li -Fu stops, and as such deserves mention. - -From Yung-pei the road runs south-west to the edge of the plain, and -then over hills clad with pine and oak, until a large expanse of -water lying in a plain running north and south comes into view. On -the hill-side east of the plain we saw the first traces of the great -highway which, prior to the Mohammedan rebellion, is said to have -connected Ta-li with Ssu-ch'uan; but wild grass and brushwood have all -but obliterated the remains of the broad paved roadway. The lake, a -fine sheet of clear water, is ten miles long, and at its broadest part -about five miles across, and the road, here also paved, skirts its -eastern shore. On Chinese maps the lake is called the Ch'êng Hai; but -the only name known to the villagers living on its shores is the Hei-wu -Hai-tzu, the "Lake of the Black Mist." Numerous mud villages and -houses dot the plain, but they are all in an advanced stage of decay, -and their inhabitants are evidently well acquainted with poverty, and -are miserably clad even for a hot climate. - -We crossed and re-crossed the plain to the south of the lake in -search of the river, which is represented on all maps of China that I -have seen as connecting the lake with the Chin Chiang, the Brius of -Marco Polo. We searched in vain; we crossed one or two deep nullahs -containing a little water, trickling not from, but to the lake. Further -south, however, a brooklet rising in the east of the plain, and -strengthened by another from the west, flows down to the Chin Chiang. -As the river is approached, the plain, a great part of which was lying -waste, while the remainder was growing crops of sugar-cane, cotton, -poppy, and beans, contracts, and is blocked to the south by low hills, -on reaching which the road turns west and south-west to the market-town -of Chin-chiang-kai, on the left bank of the Golden River. - -At this point the river presents a striking contrast to its appearance -as it flows through the central and eastern provinces of China. About -three hundred yards in breadth, its clear waters flow gently east over -a bed of shingle, soon, however, to be cooped up in wild mountain -gorges, and ultimately to issue as a turbid, muddy river, to become -more turbid and muddy as it nears the sea. The river was still low; -the melted snows from the Tibetan Mountains had not yet descended to -stir the quietude of its crystal waters; but the granite foundations on -which the houses of Chin-chiang-kai are built, strongly shored as they -are with wooden planks at a height of fifty feet above the shingle-bed, -indicate the addition which the present waters may annually expect. - -[Sidenote: _DEVASTATION AND DISEASE._] - -Mr. Baber has already disposed of the question of the navigability of -the river at a point very much farther east, and I need only remark -that the queries put by me to the ferrymen on this subject were met -with the answer "impossible." A few hundred yards to the west of the -town of Chin-chiang-kai, where we had been warmly received by the local -authorities on the previous evening (April 10th), and where we enjoyed -a good night's repose undisturbed by the low murmurings of the waters -on the pebbly strand, we crossed the river at a point where, flowing -northwards, it bends sharply to the east. The road runs south along the -soft shingle forming the right bank of the river, which is frequently -concealed in its deep sandy bed as it skirts the western edge of the -plain. Anon it touches the eastern edge, and at this point we looked -up a long reach of the river as it flows from the west eastward, till, -blocked by bold rocky heights which have repulsed its attacks, it has -been compelled to seek a northern course. The roadway crosses these -rocky heights and descends to the right bank of a stream, which is lost -in the mighty river at the bend. - -The plain or valley down which the stream flows has a most unenviable -notoriety. Little can be seen in it but the ruins caused by the -Mohammedan rebellion. Here a town enclosed by four walls, with open -gates and streets covered with wild grass, deserted, desolate; there, -the remains of houses and villages concealed under a luxuriant growth -of shrubbery and cactus. Notice, too, the blackened walls which have -been licked by the flames that accompanied the sword of the Mohammedans -or their conquerors. Sad enough truly, but not all. A dreadful plague -annually sweeps down the valley and mows down its inhabitants. Can -it be wondered that few people care to risk their existence in the -plague-stricken hollow, and that accommodation unworthy of the name is -all that can be obtained? I managed to distribute my followers over -the small village of Huang-chia-p'ing; but I was unfortunate enough to -be laid up with an attack of fever, which compelled us to remain for a -couple of days in a small mud stable without door or window. - -But we were within three days' journey of Ta-li Fu, and the hope of -reaching a state of comparative comfort spurred us on in spite of our -enfeebled condition. From Huang-chia-p'ing the road at first runs -west through uncultivated ground. Stone dykes peeping out here and -there through rank grass and cactus, were the only traces of former -cultivation; but as the road turns south-west, patches of poppy and -wheat began to appear along the banks of the stream flowing north-east -down the valley, and the farther we advanced the more numerous became -the signs of tillage, while the slopes of the mountains flanking the -valley were covered with tall grass and dwarf fir and oak. As we -approached Ta-wang-miao, our eyes were gladdened, though the picture -was blurred and imperfect, by the first glimpse, through the white-hot -haze of the afternoon sun, of the summits of the Tsang-shan range -capped with snow, at the base of which lies Ta-li Fu, the capital of -Marco Polo's Western Carajan. - -[Sidenote: _PICTURESQUE SCENERY._] - -Dense hedgerows of sweetbriar and bramble in full bloom lined the -pathway to the north and south of Ta-wang-miao and greatly impeded our -advance. At a distance from the pathway, patches of ground were bright -with the purple and white flowers of the poppy, while high up, white -shining gravestones peeped out from the tall grass with which the hills -on both sides of the valley were covered. A ridge still hid all but the -summits of the Tsang-shan from our view; but when we had traversed the -reddish flat which stretches north-west from the brow, a magnificent -panorama of plain, mountain, and lake lay before us. We struck the -eastern rim of the plain near the northern shore of the Erh Hai, in -whose crystal waters, stretching southwards, the snow-capped summits -of the range bounding the western edge of the plain were clearly -reflected. We felt, as we gazed on the brilliant picture, that we were -more than rewarded for our toilsome journey. Descending the eastern -rim, we soon reached the northern margin of the lake, in skirting which -we crossed a couple of streams which enter it from the north. A small -temple, perched on a rocky height, stands clear out of the waters in -the northern part of the lake. Than such a spot it would have been hard -to find a better vantage ground from which to view the picture. The -valleys to the north were full of poppies, and the white fields, which -stretched along the western shore, confused the eye as they merged and -were lost in the glitter of the lake. - -The villages to the north of Shang-kuan--the "Upper Fortress"--are -inhabited by a race called the Min-chia, no doubt Shans, who differ in -manners, language, and, to a certain extent, in dress from the Chinese. -Like the Man-tzu, they are timid in the extreme, and afraid that by -fraternizing with a stranger they might compromise themselves with the -Chinese. As we entered the gates of Shang-kuan on the 15th of April, I -thought of the members of the French Commission, who, in 1868, narrowly -escaped from it with their lives, and of the stout-hearted missionary -who braved the anger of the Sultan on their behalf. Père Leguilcher -still lives; he no longer hides in caves and woods, but spends a -peaceful life within the very walls of Ta-li itself. At Shang-kuan we -made the acquaintance of several Ku-tsung, a Tibetan tribe inhabiting -the country to the north-west of Li-chiang Fu; but the term Ku-tsung -is also applied by the people of Ta-li to Tibetans generally, and is -synonymous with the Hsi-tsang of other parts of China. The road from -Shang-kuan runs south along the plain, dividing the cultivated land, -which stretches east to the edge of the lake, from the stony and -rougher ground, which stretches west to the bases of the Tsang-shan, -near which it is covered with mounds--the resting-places of the -Mohammedan dead. Passing through the ruins which line the approach to -the city, we entered the north gate of the capital of Western Carajan, -and were welcomed by the Chinese authorities and no less heartily by -the French and English missionaries within its walls. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -TA-LI FU TO YÜN-NAN FU. - - A view from the walls of Ta-li--The Mohammedan Rebellion--A dying - patriot's prayer--Tibetan dogs--Amherst pheasants--A visit to - the marble quarries--False musk--Min-chia maidens--The Ta-li - plain--Playful gusts from the Tsang-shan--Good-bye, Ta-li--A - folklore hunting ground--The Erh Hai and the Mekong--Trade - with Upper Burmah--Canton peddlers--Hsia-kuan, or the "Lower - Fortress"--Ruined cities--Wretched roads--Half-starved--The - foreigner and the camel--Marked courtesy at Ch'u-hsiung Fu--Yün-nan - salt wells--A sackful of mails--A roadside trial--Across the - Yün-nan lake--Three days in Yün-nan Fu--Trade with Western China, - and the introduction of railways. - - -"The pen is mightier than the sword." But the pen has not yet been -manufactured which is able to present a living picture of Ta-li Fu and -its environs. I have read the few published descriptions of the scene, -and, good though some of them undoubtedly are, how short, how far short -they all fall of the reality! I would fain throw down this worthless, -halting pen, and leave the grandeur to the imagination of the reader, -and, if I venture to daub a few rough outlines on the canvas, I must -beg that full play be given to the imagination in adding the finishing -touches. - -On the afternoon of a day towards the end of April 1883, I stood on the -north-west angle of the walls of the city of Ta-li. Overhead, white -fleecy clouds were floating eastward across the azure blue, veiling, -at short intervals, the warm glow of the declining sun. To the north -stretched a plain studded with villages peeping through the light green -of encircling trees, beginning to array themselves in the garb of -summer. Three miles to the west the Tsang-shan range, serrated, capped -with snow, towered seven thousand feet above the plain, itself nearly -seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. Three miles to the -east, the western shore of a fine sheet of water, which runs the whole -length of the plain and is backed by high hills which rise from its -eastern margin, was lost among the glistening white poppy fields, which -seemed to merge in the silver beyond; and specks of white, favoured -by the cool breezes from the snows, were skimming over the bosom of -the glorious lake. Wait a moment. The sun is now half hidden by the -white belt of snow. He is gone. Darker and yet darker grows the face of -the giant range, throwing into still greater prominence the numerous -gullies down which flow the icy rills to nurture the plain and then -lose themselves in the waters of the Erh Hai. How calm, how peaceful! - -From these I am loth to turn to the city itself and account for its -ruined condition. Within this walled square of about four miles in -circumference there are only two good streets, which cross each other -at right angles and terminate at the four gates. What of the rest? -It consists of ruined and dilapidated houses and cultivated plots of -land. During the Mohammedan rebellion, Ta-li was the centre round which -the fiercest struggle raged. When the rebellion broke out, it was -seized by the insurgents and held by them until they surrendered to the -Imperialist forces which beleaguered the city. Then occurred that scene -of bloodshed, butchery, and destruction, the like of which, happily, is -to be witnessed in uncivilised countries only. Extermination was the -order passed along the ranks of the besiegers, and the streets of Ta-li -were quickly turned into shambles ankle-deep in blood. Men, women, -and children who managed to elude the murderers fled into the fields -bordering on the lake, into which they were ultimately hunted like wild -beasts, preferring death by drowning to mutilation, defilement, and -massacre. - -[Sidenote: _A DYING PATRIOT'S PRAYER._] - -This, then, was the answer to the prayer of the Mohammedan leader, -Tu Wên-hsiu, when he surrendered to the besiegers. The interview -is graphically described by Mr. Baber:--"When the Mohammedans had -surrendered and given up their arms, Tu Wên-hsiu, the so-called -'Sultan,' came into the camp of the besiegers, borne in a sedan chair, -and inquired for Ma, the Imperialist commander. Being introduced into -his presence, he begged for a cup of water, which being given him, -he said, 'I have nothing to ask but this--spare the people.' He then -drank the water and almost immediately expired. It appears that he had -taken poison, which was suddenly brought into action by the water. -His head was immediately cut off and exposed, and, heedless of his -prayer--probably the most impressive and pathetic ever uttered by a -dying patriot--the victors proceeded to massacre the helpless garrison -and townsfolk." - -More fortunate than the members of the Grosvenor Mission, who were -lodged in an inn where a thousand Mohammedans were cooped up and -butchered in cold blood, I was, through the kindness and hospitality -of Mr. George Andrew, of the China Inland Mission, provided with a -comfortable room in his house, where I rested a fortnight before -turning my face toward Ch'ung-k'ing. During my stay I visited the lake, -the marble quarries in the Tsang-shan, and the annual fair which was -being held outside the west gate. I was also fortunate in being able -to witness a review of about five thousand troops, which took place on -the parade ground close to the Mission House. I was most courteously -received by the Commander-in-chief of Western Yün-nan, and the Taotai, -who claimed to be an old friend--having travelled in my company to -Yün-nan Fu the previous year--was kindness itself. - -As to the fair, I can add little to the description of it given by -Mr. Baber. The Ku-tsung, or Tibetan men and women, were present with -their encampments and wares in great numbers, and I was so charmed -with their fine powerful dogs that I endeavoured to procure one. The -idea had, however, to be abandoned, for the animal brought to me for -inspection required the whole strength of a Tibetan to keep him in -check. Had I bought the dog, which was offered for ten taels, I should -have had to engage his keeper also. I succeeded in purchasing a tiger -and two leopard skins, unprepared of course, for a sum equivalent to -a little over two guineas, and, for several hundred cash, a couple of -live Amherst pheasants, which I carried in baskets to Ch'ung-k'ing. -This beautiful variety of _phasianidae_, now common enough in Europe, -is very abundant in Western Yün-nan, where its tail-feathers are highly -prized for decking pack-animals. They are inserted, several together, -in the brow of the bridle, and wave over the animal's head. Trade -is dear to the Chinese heart. I found that, while I was buying, my -followers were rapidly disposing, at an immense profit, of a bundle of -razors which they had carried all the way from Ch'ung-k'ing. - -[Sidenote: _MARBLE QUARRIES._] - -Small slabs of white marble streaked with dark green, and supposed -to represent trees, mountains, and lakes, were extensively exposed -for sale in the shops and on street stalls. Their abundance pointed -to a very considerable industry, the working of which I resolved to -see for myself. One morning, taking a few men with me and a guide, I -left the city by the north gate, and, proceeding over the plain in a -north-westerly direction, struck, in a couple of hours, the base of -the mountains where the ascent to the quarries begins. A stiff climb -of over three thousand feet through a botanist's paradise landed us at -the mouth of a quarry, where a number of men were bringing out blocks -of pure white marble. I told the workmen that I was anxious to see -streaked marble in the rough; but they innocently replied that such -marble was rare indeed, and that they considered themselves lucky if -they came across such a block in the course of a year. Whence, then, -all the streaked marble? The villagers on the plain can answer the -question, for to them is confided the polishing, painting, and baking -of the slabs, and the filling up of inequalities with bees' wax. -A scene to suit a purchaser's taste can be ordered in advance. The -inhabitants of the Ta-li plain are not behind their brothers on the -eastern seaboard. A couple of pods of musk, which had been purchased -for a trifle at the fair, were brought to me to look at; although to -outward appearances they were intact, a close inspection revealed that -they had been opened, and again carefully closed by means of a needle -and thread. Their buyer probably paid a high price for all the musk -which they contained. - -From the quarries a splendid panorama of plain and lake stretched -below us. To the north lay Shang-kuan, with its extended southern wall -connecting the lake with the western mountains--the northern defence -of the city and plain. Hsia-kuan--the "Lower Pass or Fortress"--was -concealed by mountain spurs, which creep into the plain to the south -of the city. The two pagodas, each of thirteen storeys, which grace -the plain between the city and the Tsang-shan, and which are built of -bricks stamped with Tibetan characters, looked in the distance like -inverted clubs. As we sat drinking in this never-to-be-forgotten scene, -a number of Min-chia maidens, with bundles of pine branches on their -backs, passed swiftly down the mountain side. The most striking part -of their dress was a close-fitting black cloth cap, shaped very like a -fireman's helmet, and adorned with rows of white beads. Our appearance, -I regret to say, somewhat hastened their movements. - -As might naturally be expected, the half of the Ta-li plain which lies -near the foot of the Tsang-shan range, is less fertile than the eastern -half. It consists of stones, pebbles, and gravel, which have been -quickly dropped by the mountain streams, while the finer particles of -mud have been carried along to add to the soil of the half bordering -on the lake. The shores of the lake itself are composed of fine yellow -sand thickly scattered with a variety of large shells. Cold water, -whether for drinking or washing, is abhorrent to the Chinese; and when, -on reaching the lake one day, I expressed my desire to engage a small -boat at a fishing hamlet to take me out for a swim, my local escort -stood aghast and tried to dissuade me with all sorts of imaginary -dangers. The end of it was that we were soon, escort included, at a -distance from the shore; and my little dog and I, followed by our -guardians in the boat, disported ourselves for a quarter of an hour, -chasing each other in the clear cool lake. The fish in the lake, to -judge from the specimens I saw caught, belong to the carp family. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE PREJUDICE._] - -As a general rule, the Chinese, as I have just remarked, abhor to eat -or drink anything cold; but in Ta-li, snow mixed with sugar is eagerly -devoured by the people in summer. This brings me to the question of -perpetual snow on the Tsang-shan range, and, although snow is visible -on the plain for only ten months, yet there can be no doubt that it is -found during the other two months in the crevices near the summit, and -can be bought in the streets throughout the whole year. The temperature -even in summer is delightful; the wind sweeps down from the snows in -sudden gusts and cools the atmosphere of the plain. Of these sudden -gusts I had myself a somewhat startling experience. As we neared the -city on the day of our arrival, the large heavy top of my official -chair, weighted though it was with pens, ink, paper, and thermometers, -was lifted up bodily and carried into an adjacent field. Another effect -of the presence of the Tsang-shan is that the crops are always late, -the early setting of the sun behind the range depriving the plain of -two hours' daily sunshine. - -So pleasant had been our stay in Ta-li that I was troubled with a heavy -heart when, on the morning of the 2nd of May, everything was ready for -a fresh start, and I had to bid good-bye to my kind host, who worked -at his remote station with a heartiness and a will that I have not -seen surpassed. To me, Ta-li and its surroundings had become a kind -of paradise, and had it not been that duty called me back to my post, -I would fain have lingered there during the summer months. Passing -through the south gate we entered a long-ruined suburb, which in -former years must have been very extensive. Streets and cross streets -are numerous; but the floors of the fallen houses have been converted -into vegetable gardens. There is, indeed, a legend that in palmier -days this suburb ran as far as Hsia-kuan, a busy town on the high-road -which connects China and Upper Burmah, ten miles to the south of Ta-li. -Frontier towns are noted, however, as the cradle of romance, and, if I -could remember half the myths which were related to me about the White -Prince of the "Country of the Golden Teeth," of which Ta-li is a part, -they would make a very interesting volume. The object of my journey -was, fortunately or unfortunately, to collect facts, not fables; but -to the student of folklore, untrammelled with trade statistics, I can -confidently recommend the Ta-li plain as a happy hunting-ground. The -lake is drained by a river which, leaving its south-western corner, -divides Hsia-kuan into two parts, and then goes west and south to join -the Mekong, or, as it is called in China, the Lan-tsang Chiang. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE TRADE WITH BURMAH._] - -Some days previous to my departure from Ta-li, I despatched my writer -to Hsia-kuan to collect all available information on the subject of -Chinese trade with Burmah; and, on my arrival there, I spent some time -in overhauling the statistics which he had amassed, and in obtaining -corroborative evidence. This, added to valuable information which -I subsequently obtained from a gentleman in Bhamo, led me to the -conclusion that the total annual value of the trade between Western -China and Burmah amounted at that time to about half a million -sterling. As we were discussing trade matters in the inn, a crowd of -Canton peddlers turned up, and grinned from ear to ear at the strange -apparition of a foreigner so far from the seaboard. They were a -rough-looking lot; instead of the usual carrying pole, at the ends of -which the loads are swung, each was provided with a wooden spear fitted -with a long iron blade, from which dangled an antiquated horse-pistol. -They were on their way to Ta-li to exchange their wares for new opium. -Hsia-kuan lies much nearer to the nearest point on the Burmese frontier -than to Yün-nan Fu, and, had I possessed the necessary authority, how -gladly would I have gone west to Bhamo. It was not to be, and I had -to content myself with walking to the western end of the town, and -looking longingly in the direction of our Indian Empire, so near, and -yet to remain unvisited. - -There is little for me to add to the descriptions given by Margary, -and by Messrs. Baber and Davenport of the Grosvenor Mission, of the -country between Ta-li Fu and Yün-nan Fu. After our experiences of the -Chien-ch'ang valley, it was so tame and monotonous that I resolved to -push on with all despatch, and we succeeded in covering the distance -of two hundred odd miles in thirteen days without resting. Of the six -cities which lie on the high-road, the only one that may be singled -out for special mention is Ch'ao Chou, the end of the first stage -from Ta-li. It showed more promising signs of revival than any of the -others. Chên-nan Chou, Ch'u-hsiung Fu, Kuang-t'ung Hsien, Lu-fêng -Hsien, and An-ning Chou were in a very dilapidated condition. In -most of them the walls, which were breached, had not been repaired; -nor within the walls was there any marked indication of returning -prosperity. In many of the villages, however, building operations were -going forward apace. To say that the road was best where there was no -road may seem paradoxical. It is nevertheless true, for, where the -paving had disappeared, fine battened sand or clay gave an excellent -foothold except when it rained. In many places paved mounds rose in -the middle of the roadway, and these were carefully avoided by man and -beast. Not unfrequently, too, so distorted was the paving that it had -every appearance of having been convulsed by an earthquake. - -[Sidenote: _CURIOSITY DOMINANT._] - -East of Ch'ao Chou the cities occupy valleys drained by streams, -which go north to join the Yang-tsze. Between the valleys are hill -ranges covered with pine, oak, and brushwood, affording excellent cover -for game. It was no uncommon occurrence for half a dozen pheasants -to rise from the cover by the roadside, startled at our approach, -and drop within easy range. Poppy, wheat, and beans occupied the few -patches of ground under cultivation among the hills. On the third day -from Ta-li we skirted the southern shore of a large lake, called the -Ch'ing-lung Hai, which was literally covered with duck. An incident -which occurred the same evening photographed that picture on my mind. -We lodged for the night in the miserable village of Yün-nan-yi, -where, with an exhausted larder, I could get nothing to eat for love -or money. It is not a very pleasant position to be stranded in the -dark without food, and to know that only a few miles off there are -thousands of duck cackling to their hearts' content. On the whole, I -thought it as well to take the matter philosophically, so I smoked -vigorously for an hour to ward off hunger, and then went to bed. Next -day at noon, while I sat in my chair in the street which constitutes -the village of Shui-p'ang-p'u, breaking my fast by devouring a couple -of hard boiled eggs, I found myself the object of intense attraction -to the inhabitants, who were parading backwards and forwards with a -business air that seemed somewhat out of harmony with their wretched -surroundings. Their curiosity was still unsatisfied when the head, and -gradually the ponderous body, of a camel appeared at the other end of -the street. In a moment we were deserted, and as we left the village -we looked back, and saw the whole population following the camel -westwards. - -On the seventh day from Ta-li we reached the remains of the prefectural -city of Ch'u-hsiung, where we were received with marked attention -and courtesy at the hands of the local authorities. A mile from the -city a temporary reception room was erected, and a captain, with a -file of soldiers, awaited our arrival, and conducted us to a spacious -inn outside the west gate; and early next morning the same ceremony -was repeated outside the east gate. On the 10th of May we lodged for -the night in the village of Shê-tz'u, to the immediate west of which -branches a road to the chief salt wells in the province, about fifty -miles to the north. Up to this point, nothing of commercial importance -had been noticed going eastward; but from Shê-tz'u to Yün-nan Fu -there was one long string of caravans laden with pan salt. From the -east came caravans of cut tobacco from Chao-chou Fu, in the Canton -province, straw hats, and tin from the Kuo-chiu-ch'ang mines in the -district of Mêng-tzu, in the south of the province. They were bound for -Ta-li and the west of Yün-nan. The tobacco was said to be in exchange -for tin exported from the above-named mines to Tonquin. Soon after -leaving Shê-tz'u we came upon a man carrying a sack, the contents of -which--seven bundles of despatches, letters, and papers forwarded to me -from Ch'ung-k'ing--were soon emptied by the road-side. At Ta-li, Père -Leguilcher favoured me with a perusal of the latest telegrams which he -had received by native post from Ch'ung-k'ing, where all the important -items of news appearing in the Shanghai papers are translated by, -and printed under the superintendence of, my friend Père Vinçot, and -forwarded to the various Mission Stations throughout the West of China. - -[Sidenote: _A ROADSIDE TRIAL._] - -While I was deep in the middle of my letters, my escort came up with -a man they had made a prisoner, and I at once proceeded to hold a -roadside investigation. The charge brought against him was that he had -allowed one of the animals of his caravan to push one of my baggage -waggons, with a bearer, down a gully which the road skirted, much to -the damage of the baggage and the injury of the bearer. An examination -of the former failed to prove any damage, while the latter had escaped -with a few skin-deep bruises about the face. After a prolonged inquiry, -I found that both parties were to blame; but I added a rider that I was -of opinion that the chief blame lay with the local authorities, who -allowed the road to remain in such a frightful condition. My own men -grumbled at the decision; but I ordered the immediate release of the -driver, and advised him to hurry back to his caravan as fast as his -legs could carry him--which he did. - -A noble stone bridge of seven arches--the most substantial and -artistic I have seen in Western China--spans a stream which flows -southwards to the west of the district city of Lu-fêng, on its way to -swell the Song-koi. The city itself is badly ruined; but the plain in -which it lies contrasts very favourably in an agricultural point of -view with the valley occupied by the next city to the east--An-ning -Chou. The latter suffered severely during the rebellion. The walls -lie where they fell, the gates are wanting, and the whole scene was -dreary, desolate, and dead. There is, indeed, a local industry of -inconsiderable proportions. In the eastern part of the city are three -wells, about a hundred feet deep, containing weak brine, which, on -being passed through earth, leaves a saline deposit. From this, which -is collected and placed in water, salt is evaporated and consumed -locally. The river which drains the Yün-nan Fu lake flows north under -the eastern wall of the ruined city to the Yang-tsze. The village and -tax-station of Pi-chi-kuan crowns the last ridge that has to be crossed -before descending into the large plain, wherein lie the provincial -capital and the lake. Instead of following the high-road we made for -the north-western margin of the lake, and at the fishing village of -Kao-ch'iao engaged a couple of junks, which bore us eastward, with -the aid of a stiff breeze, past beds of tall reeds sheltering teal, -duck, and geese, to within a short distance of the western wall of the -capital. - -In Yün-nan Fu I found Mr. Mesny, of the Chinese Military Service, whom -I had met eleven weeks before in Ch'êng-tu. He had now made up his mind -to proceed to Canton by way of the West River, and he was good enough -to give me the first offer of his horse and mule, which he could easily -have disposed of to Chinese. I closed with his offer, and a bargain -was soon struck. The same kind hospitality was held out to me by the -members of the French and China Inland Missions as on my previous -visit, and I spent three very pleasant days with old and new friends. - -Three roads lead from Yün-nan Fu to Ch'ung-k'ing; there is the road by -way of Tung-ch'uan and Chao-t'ung to the Yang-tsze, and the road by way -of Kuei-yang, the capital of the province of Kuei-chow. Both of these -routes I traversed in 1882. But there is an intermediate road which, -leaving the high-road to Kuei-yang at Chan-i Chou, goes north and east -through the north-west corner of Kuei-chow to the Yung-ning River and -the Yang-tsze, and this route I now decided to follow. - -[Sidenote: _PROSPECTIVE TRADE OUTLOOK._] - -Before giving a description of this country, however, I must say a -word about the West of Yün-nan, and the prospects of trade across -the Burmese frontier. The most casual reader will have observed that -the province of Yün-nan is covered with ruined cities, towns, and -villages; that its soil, fruitful without a doubt, is only partly -cultivated; and that its population is exceedingly scant. True it is, -immigration is taking place from the northern province of Ssu-ch'uan, -and lands laid waste by the rebellion are being taken up; but the -process is very slow, for, among the hardy Ssu-ch'uanese, Yün-nan -has an evil name, and they are loth to quit their own productive -fields to till what is at present inferior land. Room must, however, -be found for the ever-increasing population of Ssu-ch'uan, which is -surely destined to develop both Kuei-chow and Yün-nan; yet many years -must elapse before such a happy consummation can be effected. Until -that time comes, no great development of our trade with Western China -through Burmah need be looked for. It will be said that these are the -views of a pessimist, and that the introduction of railways would put -new life into the country. Granted that there are people foolish -enough to furnish capital for the construction of railways through an -impossible country--that is, supposing the necessary permission to have -been obtained--I have yet to learn that there can be trade without -trade-products, and that shareholders would expect no remuneration -from their capital. It will be time enough to think of railways when -half the province of Yün-nan is under cultivation and some of its dead -industries have been revived. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THROUGH THE WEST OF KUEI-CHOW TO THE YANG-TSZE. - - The advantages of scholars _en route_ for examination--High-road - converted into a reservoir--Quartered in a chimney--Intolerable - inquisitiveness--Travellers, beware of T'ang-t'ang!--The - Yün-nan-Kuei-chow border--Lakes and their drainage--Again among the - Miao-tzu--The valley of the Ch'i-hsing River--Bark paper--"Heaven's - Bridge" and its mining catastrophe--The copper traffic--Across the - Ch'ih-shui River into Ssu-ch'uan--Over the Hsüeh-shan Pass--A child - of nature--A refractory roadside deity--Down the Yung-ning River--A - narrow escape--Down the Yang-tsze to Ch'ung-k'ing. - - -Having in a previous chapter described the country between Kuei-yang -Fu and the capital of Yün-nan, I need offer no apology for requesting -my reader to accompany me once more into the plain of Chan-i Chou, now -yellow with golden wheat, and thus obviate the necessity of describing -another weary ride over the red uplands of Eastern Yün-nan. Yet I would -fain impart that confidence which was placed in me by some scholars who -were my companions during these five stages; and, to this end, I must -first say a few words on the subject of competitive examinations in -China. - -With few exceptions, these examinations are open to any candidate who -thinks he possesses sufficient ability to pass. The lowest degree is -that of licentiate, and the examination takes place at the capital of -the prefecture within which the candidate's district happens to be. -The next degree is that of provincial graduate, the examination for -which is also triennial, and is held in the capital of the province. -The candidates for this second degree are mostly those who have taken -the degree of licentiate in open competition. The competition for -the highest degree, that of metropolitan graduate, takes place at -Peking in the year following the examinations for provincial graduates -throughout the Empire, to whom alone it is open. Success in this final -examination is always a certain stepping-stone to official employment. -I speak of the civil, not of the military service. To provincial -graduates proceeding to compete at the metropolis, passes are issued -on application, and these, pasted on their cases, exempt their baggage -from examination and taxation _en route_. This is no small matter, -for a graduate's effects usually consist of some of the products or -manufactures of his province, for which he can find a ready market -in Peking. My companions were three in number, and they were jointly -interested in a caravan of seventeen pack-animals laden with protected -cases, which they unhesitatingly told me contained opium and marble -from Ta-li. It would be a consideration to many a Scotch student if, -in going up to London to compete in the Civil Service Examinations, -they were allowed to carry with them as baggage a few kegs of duty-free -whiskey! - -[Sidenote: _QUARTERED IN A CHIMNEY._] - -In parts of the Chan-i plain, which we entered on the afternoon of the -22nd of May, some little anxiety was being manifested as to the supply -of water for irrigation purposes. At one spot we found the high-road -dammed, and my followers had to doff their nether garments before they -could get through. The luckless peasants did not escape considerable -abuse. "How dare you," rose the angry shouts, "turn the roads into -reservoirs?" A low undulating plateau, only partly cultivated, succeeds -the plain to the north-east. The few villages dotted about were partly -concealed in groves of walnut trees, and the encircling crops of -oats, potatoes, beans, buckwheat, Indian corn, wheat, and poppy were -decidedly inferior. What else could be expected of a light clay soil? -There was one redeeming feature about this plateau, however, which -should not be passed over. The roads were available for cart-traffic. -Would our quarters be sufficiently comfortable to detain us over the -24th of May? was the question that occupied my mind as I rode into the -village of Lai-yuan-p'u on the evening of the 23rd, drenched to the -skin, and far in advance of my followers. We had been overtaken in the -open by a tremendous rain-storm, and I left the caravan and pushed on -for shelter. I immediately selected the loft as my share of the inn, -and everything promised well until my men turned up, when a fire had to -be lit to dry their clothes and cook our food. It was only then that I -discovered that the smoke had no outlet except through the loft, that -I had, in fact, taken up my quarters in the chimney of the inn. The -loft had to be abandoned for a mud cell on the ground floor, and the -morrow's holiday had to be dispensed with. - -To the north of Lai-yuan-p'u the road passes through a short barrier -of rocky heights, and enters a small plain containing a village and -a lakelet to the north-east of it. To this succeeds an undulating, -all but uncultivated, rain-washed plateau, where the road was in many -places swept away--deep nullahs showing the direction the torrents had -taken. This plateau was not altogether without value, for it contained -numerous wells or pits whence coloured clays for the manufacture of -earthenware were being extracted. - -Here the people were of a very inquisitive turn of mind. To have to -take one's meals in a chair is bad enough--infinitely preferable, -nevertheless, to a smoky, dirty, mud cell; but to be surrounded by a -mob of gaping men, women, and children, watching every mouthful, does -not tend to the preservation of temper, and it required all the banter -I could command to make even a temporary impression and keep the peace. -This was our experience a few miles to the south of Hsüan-wei Chou, the -last city through which we had to pass before entering the province of -Kuei-chow. - -This city, which is of very little importance, lies on the left bank -of a stream flowing south-east to swell the West River, and not the -Yang-tsze, as some map-makers would try to make us believe. Coal and -iron are both found in the neighbourhood, and a coolie, with a load of -the latter on his back, asked us whether it was the case, as he had -heard, that the Governor-General of Yün-nan and Kuei-chow was in want -of all the available metal for the manufacture of guns. I regretted my -inability to satisfy the curiosity of this would-be trader. Lime is -also found and was being extensively used as manure. - -[Sidenote: _TRAVELLERS, BEWARE OF T'ANG-T'ANG!_] - -T'ang-t'ang, the terminus of the first stage from and to the north-east -of Hsüan-wei, is approached through a series of narrow valleys -separated by precipitous hills. It lies on a hill-side near the meeting -of two streams. How well I remember the miserable village! Travellers, -beware of T'ang-t'ang! Its bugs were ravenous, and a sorry figure we -all cut next day as we hurried to the Kuei-chow frontier. - -From T'ang-t'ang the road ascends northwards to the hamlet of -Mu-kua-shao, whence commences a steep descent to a narrow valley which -leads to the K'o-tu River flowing east. On the way down, we passed -through the hamlet of Shui-t'ang-p'u, insignificant in itself, but -destined at some future time to be of greater importance. - -A few hundred yards to the south-east of the hamlet there is a silver -mine, which may some day prove productive. The owners bewailed to me -their inability to make the mine do more than pay the expenses of -working. Yet what could be expected from the ordinary Chinese furnace -which was employed to smelt the ore? - -Although a narrow strip of land on the north bank of the river is -within the jurisdiction of Yün-nan, the K'o-tu may, for all practical -purposes, be considered the boundary at this point of the Yün-nan and -Kuei-chow provinces. - -A plaited bamboo rope was stretched across the river--about sixty feet -broad--and used by the ferrymen for hauling their boat backwards and -forwards. High cliffs, up which the road zigzags, form the north bank -and tower above the river. This borderland is very rich in metals; -silver, as I have just said, is found to the south of the river, and to -the immediate north copper and lead are both worked. The copper reefs -would appear to run right across Southern Ssu-ch'uan and north-eastern -Yün-nan into the west of Kuei-chow. - -Wei-ning Chou, the first city within the Kuei-chow borders, is -picturesquely situated on rising ground, a few hundred yards from the -northern margin of the eastern portion of a large lake, which, like -the smaller basins a few miles to the north, would appear to have -no outlet. The same phenomenon, if it may be called a phenomenon, -is observable in the Chao-t'ung plain in north-eastern Yün-nan. We -have already seen, however, that underground rivers are very common -in Kuei-chow and Yün-nan, and it is not impossible that the surplus -waters of the lake may find their way by underground channels into the -head-waters of the K'o-tu River, which is over a thousand feet below -the level of the Wei-ning plain. To reach the city we skirted the -eastern shore of the lake, crossing a small three-arched stone bridge -which spans a rivulet draining a valley to the south-east and entering -the lake. To the north-east of Wei-ning, the paved road, which runs -through small basins full of coal, was in such an excellent state of -repair that our animals fought shy of it, preferring the rough grassy -ground through which it passes. Here we found ourselves again among -Miao-tzu, busy tilling their fields. The women were as usual clad in -their native dress, while the men wore coarse hempen clothes in Chinese -style. - -[Sidenote: _"LEATHER" PAPER._] - -Twenty miles north of Wei-ning, the road goes east for four days -through rough mountainous country to the busy city of Pi-chieh Hsien, -on the left bank of a tributary of the Wu Chiang, and nearly 5000 feet -above the level of the sea. Twenty-five miles to the east of the city -is the second depression of any importance on the road from Yün-nan -Fu to the Yang-tsze. This depression forms the bed of the Ch'i-hsing -River, one of the two main branches of the Wu Chiang, and is little -more than four thousand feet above the level of the sea. The river is -crossed by a stone bridge of two arches, with spans of eighteen and -fifteen yards respectively, with a centre pier five yards broad, so -that the total breadth of the Ch'i-hsing at this point is thirty-eight -yards. The bridge is roofed and adorned with three pavilions, one at -either end and one on the centre pier. Although the wooden floor is -thirty feet above the river, I was told that it was by no means safe -during floods, and that the water frequently swept over it. Fifty yards -to the north of the present structure are the two piers of a former -stone bridge, which came to grief during a flood. Pi-chieh is a great -depôt for Ssu-ch'uan salt, which finds its way to Western Kuei-chow by -the Yung-ning River as far as Yung-ning Hsien, and thence overland by -pack animals and carriers. In Pi-chieh I saw a quantity of that famous -tough paper which is manufactured in the province of Kuei-chow, and -which is wrongly called "leather" paper. The mistake is pardonable, for -the character which means "leather" also means "bark;" and the paper -is made from the fibrous inner bark of the _Broussonetia papyrifera, -Vent._ - -There is considerable romance in the names which the Chinese apply -to their cities and villages. At the end of the first stage from -Pi-chieh is the village of Chin-yin-shan, the characters for which, -literally translated, mean "Gold-silver-mountain." True, the street -occupies the face of a hill; but the precious metals, to judge from the -surroundings, were conspicuous by their absence. - -It not unfrequently happens, however, that the name is in -strict accordance with actual facts. On our second stage from -Wei-ning Chou we passed through a village called T'ien-ch'iao, or -T'ien-shêng-ch'iao--"Heaven's Bridge," "Heaven-born Bridge," or -"Natural Bridge"--which is really built on the top of a limestone -cavern through which a stream has pushed its way. Some twenty years -ago this latter village was the scene of a dreadful catastrophe. Gold -and silver, so runs the story, were both found in a mountain a little -to the east of the high-road, and one day, when the miners were all at -work, the tunnelling collapsed and buried every soul. Since that time -all attempts to find the ore have failed. - -Squalid though the villages were, evident signs of improvement were -manifesting themselves, and the following proclamation, which had -lately been issued by the Financial Commissioner of the province of -Yün-nan, and which was widely posted along the whole route, may have -accounted for the unwonted energy which we observed:--"The copper, -which the mines in Yün-nan are bound to supply annually for use in -Peking, was in former years conveyed to Lu Chou for export, and at -that time there was a flourishing trade along the route. Within recent -years the sea route has been attempted, with the result that this -trade has dwindled into insignificance. The Board of Revenue has now -decided that the copper shall be carried by the old route, so that -people and traders of Yün-nan and Kuei-chow may look forward to more -prosperous times. The copper from the prefectures of Tung-ch'uan and -Chao-t'ung will go to Hsü-chou Fu [Sui Fu], and from the district of -K'un-ming [within which the capital of Yün-nan lies] to Hsü-yung T'ing -[the highest navigable point on the Yung-ning River, which enters the -Yang-tsze to the west of Lu Chou]. On these two important routes, by -which the copper is to be conveyed into Ssu-ch'uan, make all haste to -open hostelries for the accommodation of these consignments of copper -and their carriers. This will cause a development of trade generally, -and traders and people along these roads may depend on a profitable -business." - -[Sidenote: _A PLEASURE IN STORE._] - -In many places to the north of Pi-chieh the high-road reminded me of -a country lane at home. It was frequently hedged with dense bushes of -sweetbriar and hawthorn laden with blossom, and had it not been for the -universal poppy, the resemblance would have been far more complete. - -The 6th of June was a day of great excitement amongst my followers, -as we were to cross the Kuei-chow frontier and rest for the night -within the Ssu-ch'uan border. A dense mist obscured everything at the -start, and it was not till the great event of the day--the descent to -the Ch'ih-shui River--began, that we were enabled to get a view of -the country that lay before us. The village of Kao-shan-p'u stands -on the southern rim of the third great depression between Yün-nan Fu -and the Yang-tsze. Beyond the deep defile lies the Hsüeh-shan range -running east and west, over 5000 feet above the level of the sea and -at least a thousand feet higher than the southern rim. Up its face -zigzags the narrow stone road, visible almost to the summit of the -range. Down from the southern rim runs the roadway for a distance of -ten _li_--equal to nearly three miles--to the right bank of the river -flowing swiftly eastward. The river, which is eighty yards broad, is -about two thousand feet above the level of the sea, and, as it enters -the Yang-tsze at the city Ho-chiang Hsien ninety-five miles to the -south-west of Ch'ung-k'ing, it is not navigable in its upper waters, -there being a fall of about thirteen hundred feet. Few facilities are -provided for the passage of the immense traffic which exists between -the province of Ssu-ch'uan and the provinces of Kuei-chow and Yün-nan; -a couple of ferry-boats, each sixty feet long, and capable of carrying -ten pack-animals and their drivers, afford the only means of crossing. - -The white-washed houses of the village of Ch'ih-shui Hsün or Ho-pei -Hsün, as it is also called, on the north bank straggle from the -mountain foot a short distance up, and here we found shelter for the -night. Next morning, we ascended by a series of steps for a distance of -twenty-five _li_--nearly eight miles--to a solitary temple crowning a -ridge which the road surmounts. - -If I assume--and it is no great assumption--that the river forms the -apex of a right-angled triangle with sides three and eight miles long -respectively, a simple mathematical calculation will give the distance -in a straight line from rim to rim. Now, this is the route by which -it has been proposed to carry a railway from Burmah through the Shan -States and Yün-nan to Ssu-ch'uan, and, granting that the necessary -permission could be obtained, who will undertake to bridge the chasm -and who will pay the piper? - -[Sidenote: _A CHILD OF NATURE._] - -The descent of the Hsüeh-shan on the north side is very precipitous, -the road winding downwards to the hamlet and coal mines of Lan-ma-lu, -where a somewhat curious spectacle attracted my attention. Seated near -the mouth of one of the two tunnels was a begrimed and dirty miner clad -in the garb of Eden prior to the Fall, and in his hands clasping a tiny -red flower, which he was caressingly applying from time to time to his -olfactory organ. Here, surely, was a case in which a man was to be -judged not by his exterior, but by his inclinations and actions. - -It was on the following day, when we were making our way through the -ridges which bar the path to the north of the Hsüeh-shan, that we -came up with a refractory roadside deity. His tongue, which slightly -protruded, had been lavishly smeared with opium, and, as might -naturally be supposed, he appeared to object strongly to the drug in -its crude form, for it had trickled down and disfigured his neck and -breast! - -From the market-town of Mo-ni-ch'ang, our resting place for the night -after the passage of the Hsüeh-shan, the road runs northwards for two -days through valleys and hilly country to the Yung-ning River and the -city of Yung-ning Hsien, from which the river derives its name. In one -or two of the valleys there was no natural outlet for the streams to -which the encircling hills gave birth, and exits had been cut through -the solid rocky heights. Yung-ning Hsien and Hsü-yung T'ing occupy -the right and left banks of the river respectively, a stone bridge -connecting the two cities. Here we found ourselves in the centre of -bustle and business, and, what delighted us more than anything else, -in direct water communication with the Yang-tsze and Ch'ung-k'ing. Our -overland journeying was, for the present, at an end. - -In Chapter IV., I referred to the Hêng River and described our descent -of the Nan-kuang River, which is blocked near its entrance to the -Yang-tsze by a rocky reef barring navigation. On reaching the district -city on the 9th of June, I immediately proceeded to make arrangements -for our conveyance to Lu Chou, a great trade centre on the north bank -of the Yang-tsze, a few miles to the east of its junction with the -Yung-ning. I had little difficulty in engaging for a small sum a boat -which had just discharged its cargo of salt and was about to descend. -It lay with a number of others of the same class under the walls of -the city, and on the morning of the 10th of June we embarked, leaving -our animals to be walked overland to Ch'ung-k'ing in charge of the -horse-boy. Although our boat, which was narrow and about fifty feet in -length, drew little water, we had no sooner got her bows down stream -than she grounded in mid-river, necessitating several of the crew -jumping overboard and pushing her off the shallows. - -[Sidenote: _A PERILOUS POSITION._] - -For some miles north of Yung-ning Hsien the river retains its breadth -of fifty yards, flowing between low hills which were well cultivated. -These give place to a rocky country, huge boulders lining the banks -and encroaching on the river's bed to such an extent as to leave only -sufficient breadth for one boat to pass. This cooping-up of the waters -and declivity in the bed give rise to a series of rapids, two of which -are really dangerous. In this, what may be called, mid-section of the -river, oars were abandoned (there not being room to use them), and the -navigation was conducted by means of a long spar which projected over -the bows, and had often as many as six of the crew hanging on to its -butt end. At one of the dangerous rapids we narrowly escaped being -dashed to pieces. The boat was rushing down at full speed through huge -boulders to a four foot fall, when the bow spar snapped in two, the -projecting part falling into the river, the butt end rolling on deck -and the crew sprawling over and under it. Amid their frantic yells -the steersman, fortunately, did not lose his head, and succeeded in -bringing us up alongside the rocks just above the fall. We were now -perfectly helpless, and the greater part of the afternoon of the 11th -was spent by the skipper in visiting adjacent villages in search of a -new spar. He was at length successful, and over the fall we went, the -planks of the boat quivering under us. - -To the north of the rocky section the country opens out, gently -undulating and cultivated; the sloping banks of the river, which -here attains a breadth of a hundred yards, were fringed with feathery -bamboos, the current became actually sluggish, and trackers were sent -on shore to expedite the descent. The Yung-ning loses itself peacefully -in the Yang-tsze at the district city of Na-ch'i Hsien, which lies -on the right bank of both rivers. Under the busy market-town of -Lien-ch'ien-tzu, which occupies the bend opposite Na-ch'i, lay a fleet -of about fifty salt junks ready to ascend to Yung-ning Hsien. They were -summoning their crews by beat of gong, when we issued from the river on -the morning of the 12th of June. - -I must not leave the Yung-ning River without saying a few words as -to its importance as a trade route. By it, Western Kuei-chow is -supplied with salt from Ssu-ch'uan, principally from the Tzu-liu-ching -wells, and it is the main thoroughfare for the distribution of native -cottons, manufactured in Ssu-ch'uan from raw cotton from the Central -Provinces of China, required by Western Kuei-chow and Eastern Yün-nan. -Foreign cottons go as far as Sui Fu, and thence by way of the Hêng and -Nan-kuang Rivers to Northern and Eastern Yün-nan. - -At noon we lay under the walls of Lu Chou, and soon found a comfortable -passenger boat, into which I forthwith transhipped all my followers, -and early next morning we were off. The swollen waters of the Yang-tsze -carried us swiftly eastward, and, on the afternoon of the 14th of June, -we moored under the southern wall of Ch'ung-k'ing, after an absence of -one hundred and twenty-four days. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - TO THE WHITE WAX COUNTRY, THE SACRED MOUNT O-MEI, AND THE HIGHEST - NAVIGABLE POINT ON THE YANG-TSZE. - - An unfortunate start--North to Ho Chou--Chinese Soy--Varnish - and its collection--Young trees from the old--Light-hearted - peasants--The garden of Ssu-ch'uan--Otter fishing--Man-tzu caves--A - great sugar country--Glimpse of O-mei--Chief silk country in - Western China--Ascent of O-mei--Sweet tea of O-mei--The Golden - Summit--The Glory of Buddha--Pilgrims and their devotions--O-mei - beggars--A difficult descent--Official obstruction--Sick - followers--On the banks of the Ta-tu--Man-tzu raids--Down with - fever--Guerilla warfare--Hard up for food--An exhausting march--The - welcome Yang-tsze--Its highest navigable point--Down the upper - rapids--Death of my horse-boy--Back to Ch'ung-k'ing. - - -In the spring of 1884, I received instructions from the Foreign -Office to report fully, for the information of the Director of the -Royal Gardens at Kew, on the subject of Chinese Insect White Wax, and -to collect and transmit specimens illustrative of this remarkable -industry. In China, so much of the marvellous is always mixed up with -fact that, in order to gain trustworthy information on anything that -savours of obscurity, personal observation is essential. To comply -with my instructions, therefore, I found it necessary to pay a visit -to the centre of this wax culture in the province of Ssu-ch'uan, and I -resolved to combine with my researches the ascent of the Sacred Mount -O-mei, from whose summit the famous Glory of Buddha is to be seen, and -to strike on my way back the highest navigable point on the Yang-tsze. -I was, fortunately, able to carry out this programme, and the present -and subsequent chapters are devoted to an account of the journey and -its results. - -In the two preceding years, I had been able so to regulate my departure -from Ch'ung-k'ing as to enjoy comparatively cool weather during my -journeys, but the fact that the white wax industry is carried on and -completed during the summer months, compelled me to delay starting till -June. My caravan was much the same as on previous occasions. Had I so -willed, I might have ascended the Yang-tsze by boat to Sui Fu and its -tributary the Min to Chia-ting, and thus saved myself much overland -toil; but, as every explorer knows, the thirst for new fields becomes -after a time irresistible and must be satisfied. Boat-travelling -would have been altogether too monotonous and uninteresting. My plan, -briefly, was to make for Ho Chou, a trade centre on the Chia-ling, -which enters the Yang-tsze at Ch'ung-k'ing, strike west in as direct -a line as possible to the Min River and Chia-ting, go west to Mount -O-mei, then proceed south along the eastern borders of Lolodom to the -Yang-tsze, and return, if possible, by water. - -The evening of the 1st of June, which was an excessively hot day even -for Ch'ung-k'ing, saw all our arrangements completed for a start the -following morning. Overnight, thunder and rain raised some doubts -whether my followers would be willing to proceed until the weather had -settled, and when the rain was still descending heavily at daylight, my -doubts became almost a certainty. They turned up, however, and begged -for delay; but I succeeded in persuading them, by a series of rather -doubtful arguments, that the heavens had all but exhausted themselves, -and that the sun would show his face before noon. Unfortunately, -my prognostications did not come true, and by the time we reached -Fu-to'u-kuan we were all drenched. But a start had been effected, and -there was no turning back. - -[Sidenote: _A FERTILE DISTRICT._] - -At Fu-to'u-kuan the road to Ho Chou leaves the highway to the capital, -and goes north by west through broken country to avoid the windings -of the Chia-ling, which twists and turns from east to west and west -to east in its hurry to reach the Yang-tsze. In the bottom lands, on -terraced hill-sides, and wherever water could be retained, paddy was -planted out; Indian corn, tall millet, [_Sorghum vulgare_], tobacco, -melons, ginger, taros [_Arum aquaticum_], indigo, beans, and hemp or -China grass were everywhere growing luxuriantly. Amid these plots were -the farm-houses, the homesteads nestling in clumps of bamboo and fir. -Here and there rose a fan-palm and a banyan, and the wood-oil tree was -at home on rocky ground. Bushes of scrub-oak occupied uncultivated -hill-sides, and plantations of mulberry trees and orange groves were -occasionally to be seen. Coal and lime were everywhere abundant. -Several small streams flow through this country and swell the Chia-ling. - -On the afternoon of the 4th of June, we stood on the northern brink of -this broken country, to the north-east and not far below us stretched -a plain, while four miles to the north rose a thirteen-storied pagoda, -which marks the approach to the city of Ho Chou. On reaching the -pagoda, we found ourselves near the right bank of the Fu Chiang, one -of the chief tributaries of the Chia-ling. The busy market town of -Nan-ching-kai, which stands on the right bank, seemed to be almost -entirely devoted to cotton-weaving; the click-clack of the loom -was heard in every street through which we passed to the ferry. Ho -Chou occupies low rising ground just above the junction of the two -rivers; to it come for distribution the rich and varied products of -north-eastern Ssu-ch'uan--salt, silk, safflower, lumber, rape-oil, -tobacco, grass-cloth, vegetables, spirits, and a whole catalogue of -medicines. - -A special industry of the city is the manufacture of a soy, which is -famous, not only in Ssu-ch'uan, but in other provinces. Chinese soy, -as is well known, is imported into England in large quantities, and -is, I believe, used in the manufacture of sauces. In China itself -there is amongst foreigners a decided prejudice against soy, and a -fresh arrival is often solemnly assured that it is made of boiled down -cockroaches; yet, to the best of my information, it contains nothing -more deleterious than the juice of a bean. - -[Sidenote: _THE VARNISH TREE._] - -On leaving Ho Chou we were again ferried across the Fu Chiang, and -soon reached the western rim of the plain. Beyond stretches the same -broken hilly country, where I noticed, besides the trees already -mentioned, the varnish tree--_Rhus vernicifera_--growing to a height -of about twenty feet. To obtain the varnish, incisions are made in -the bark near the foot of the tree in July and August and slips of -bamboo inserted. As in the case of the poppy, the incisions are made -at night and the sap collected next morning. On exposure to the air, -it quickly assumes a dark brown and ultimately a jet-black colour, and -becomes very sticky. It is used for a great variety of purposes, and I -may state for the information of those interested in the subject that -pure varnish is an excellent natural cement. The chief objection to its -employment for this purpose is its black colour; but chemical science -might come to the rescue and make it white or colourless. - -In this fertile land every available spot is utilised; even on the low -dykes which divide the paddy fields, mulberry trees and beans spring -up. Great though the quantity of silk produced in the province of -Ssu-ch'uan is, the output might be quadrupled if some means could be -devised for delaying the hatching of the silkworm eggs. The silk season -is over, and the trees are still laden with leaves. Here I observed -an ingenious device for obtaining young trees from the old; round a -promising branch of a tree a piece of bamboo about a foot in length, -which has previously been divided into two parts along its length, is -tied, and the hollow between the branch and the interior of the bamboo -filled with mould. In a short time suckers leave the branch and descend -into the mould, and, when they are sufficiently developed, the branch -is cut off and planted, the suckers forming the roots of the young tree. - -The Ssu-ch'uanese are essentially a light-hearted and merry race. I -have already mentioned how the boatmen on the Upper Yang-tsze give -vent to their feelings in song as they toil upwards through the gorges. -In the paddy fields I frequently noticed as many as twenty men and boys -advancing in line, nearly knee-deep in mud and water, removing with -their toes the weeds from the roots of the young shoots, and firming -the latter in the ground. A song with a rousing chorus invariably -accompanied the work. - -Six miles to the south of T'ung-liang Hsien, the first district city -through which we passed to the west of Ho Chou, there is a range of -hills, about two thousand feet above the surrounding country, where tea -is grown in considerable quantities. The summits of the range, in which -coal, iron, and lime are all found, were fringed with firs. On leaving -T'ung-liang, which is a centre of cotton-weaving, we succeeded in -accomplishing a stage of about twenty miles in a burning temperature, -which towards night culminated in a thunder and rain storm, bringing -down the thermometer from 90° F., at which it stood at 9 P.M. on the -6th, to 69° F. at noon the following day. So pitilessly did the rain -continue to descend on the 7th of June, that we had to break the day's -march at eleven o'clock at the city of Ta-tsu Hsien, having only -covered ten miles. We were all wet, cold, and dispirited; the only -living things that seemed to be positively enjoying themselves were -the ducks flapping their wings and wagging their tails on the edges, -the bull frogs croaking in the centres, and the swallows skimming low -over the surfaces of the flooded paddy-fields. To the east of Ta-tsu we -crossed, by a fine stone bridge of five arches, that tributary of the -T'o River on which we took boat for a short distance last year at the -city of Jung-ch'ang farther south. - -[Sidenote: _A CHARMING SPOT._] - -A long march of nearly thirty miles from Ta-tsu, through a beautiful -country, brought us on the evening of the 8th of June to the -market-town of Hsing-lung-ch'ang, on the left bank of the Ching-liu, -another tributary of the T'o. A slight sketch of this splendid country -is applicable to the whole of eastern Ssu-ch'uan. On the slope of a -red-soiled hill is a clump of bamboos bending their feathery heads -before the breeze. Creeping down the bank is the melon with its mottled -leaves and large yellow star-shaped flower; and on the edge is a -framework supporting ripe cucumbers. Beneath is a plot of taros, with -their graceful heart-shaped leaves lowering their tips to the water -which half covers their stems, while underneath, terrace after terrace -of flooded plots of young paddy, divided by fringes of beans, stretches -into the valley, and miniature foamy cascades dash from terrace to -terrace to join the gurgling brook below. Frame the picture with tall -firs, straight young water-oaks, low umbrageous wood-oil trees, and -the palm with fan-shaped leaves, and, if the peasantry of this part of -Ssu-ch'uan are not content with all this beauty, we will add a rich and -fertile soil, and an abundant water supply. - -At the western end of Hsing-lung-ch'ang a large stone bridge of -seven arches spans the river, here sixty yards in breadth. Instead -of crossing the bridge, we hired four small boats, and dropped down -stream for a distance of ten miles, where a waterfall, with a drop of -from fifteen to twenty feet, obstructs navigation. The river teemed -with fish, and otter-fishing was in full swing. The net was circular -and fringed with sinkers, and the fisherman, standing in the bows of -the boat, cast his net with a semicircular sweep, covering a large -surface of water. The net disappeared, the fisherman holding on to a -rope attached to the centre of the net, where there was also a small -circular opening. Drawing the rope gently until the centre of the net -appeared above the surface, he seized the otter, which was chained to -the boat, and dropped it into the opening. After allowing the otter a -short time to rout out the fish from the bottom and drive them upwards, -net, fish, and otter were all drawn up together into the boat. The -results were fairly successful. - -Two miles south-west of the waterfall we again took boat, and descended -for seven miles between boulders backed by cliffs full of Man-tzu -caves. I had already explored similar caves on the right bank of -the Chia-ling above Ch'ung-k'ing; but my followers, who had never -previously heard of their existence, listened breathlessly to the -boatman, who described them as the ancient dwelling-places of the -aborigines of the country. These cave-dwellings extend westward to the -Min River, along the banks of which they are particularly numerous. -Landing on the right bank, we proceeded westward, and soon entered -a busy market-town on the left bank of the T'o River, opposite the -important district city of Nei-chiang Hsien. This city lies on the -high-road from Ch'ung-k'ing to the capital of the province, but, -as last year I made a detour in order to visit the salt wells of -Tzu-liu-ching, it did not at that time come within our ken. Before -striking the river, I noticed a few patches of a plant very much -resembling _Abutilon Avicennae_, or Ssu-ch'uan hemp. There was this -important distinction, however, the stems were dark brown, almost -black. It was locally called _T'ung-ma_. Ropes and sacking are -manufactured from its disintegrated bark. - -[Sidenote: _AN EXTENSIVE SUGAR REGION._] - -Nei-chiang, where we rested for a day, is the centre of an extensive -sugar region, and, being in water communication with the Yang-tsze, -it has the great advantage of being able to distribute its produce -speedily and cheaply. It also exports opium, a little cotton, -excellent grass-cloth, silk, wood-oil, and bean-sauce. To the west -of the T'o, the soil is lighter than to the east, and there was the -necessary adjustment of crops; paddy, of course, filled the valleys, -while sugar-cane, ground-nuts, tall millet, buckwheat, and sweet -potatoes--_Batatas edulis, Chois_--covered the hill slopes. Tobacco -was also prominent and growing luxuriantly; the tops of the stems had -recently been plucked to cause a greater development of the large under -leaves. - -It took us six days to cross from the T'o to the Min; the country -is very similar throughout, the existence of reservoirs showing, -however, that the water supply is not so good to the west as to the -east of the former river. The crops were the same; but a number of new -trees put in an appearance, including the tallow tree--_Stillingia -sebifera_, or _Sapium sebiferum, Roxb._, a bushy thorn some fifteen -feet in height--_Cudrania triloba, Hance_, and the wax tree--_Fraxinus -Chinensis_--a species of ash. A belt of salt wells extends for some -miles to the east of the left bank of the Min, where the brine was -being raised much in the same way as at Tzu-liu-ching. - -Two days before reaching the Min, we caught sight of Mount O-mei -towering away to the westward. As the river is neared, the road winds -between stone cliffs full of ancient cave-dwellings, which are still -more numerous on the left bank of the Min itself. Beautiful relief -carvings adorned the entrances of many of them. The city of Chia-ting -Fu stands on the right bank of the Min at its junction with the T'ung, -which consists of the waters of the Ya Ho and Ta-tu, both of which I -crossed in their upper reaches last year, and which unite a little to -the west of the city. It is the greatest centre of sericulture and -silk-weaving in the province, and it marks the eastern boundary of -the white wax industry. I spent the 17th of June among the wax trees -to the north-east of the city; but, finding that I could conduct my -investigations with greater ease and quietude farther west, I resolved -to proceed at once to the district city of O-mei Hsien, some twenty -miles distant and near to the base of the Sacred Mountain. - -[Sidenote: _PILGRIMS TO MOUNT O-MEI._] - -We passed through the west gate of Chia-ting soon after daybreak of -the 18th of June, accompanied by hundreds of pilgrims of both sexes -from all parts of Ssu-ch'uan on their way to visit the sacred shrines -of O-mei. The road follows the left bank of the Ya Ho till the latter -bends southwards, when it crosses a mile of sand and shingle, and again -strikes the river at the ferry. From the right bank we entered one of -the prettiest and most fertile plains in Western China, watered by -streamlets which, rising in the mountains to the west, go to join the -Ya and Ta-tu Rivers, are easily available for purposes of irrigation, -and fill a perfect network of canals surrounding the plots of land -into which the plain is divided. On the divisions of the plots rows of -wax trees grew thickly. In the city of O-mei Hsien I spent four days, -pursuing my investigations into the subject of wax culture and the -general trade of the whole district; and at daylight on the morning of -the 23rd, I left with a few of my followers to ascend the mountain. As -it was impossible to obtain meat in the sacred precincts of Buddha, we -purchased and killed a goat and carried the carcase with us. A stream -of pilgrims, each provided with a bundle of joss-sticks, candles in -baskets, and small pieces of sandalwood slung in a yellow bag over -the shoulder, bore us company. The mountain lies to the south-west -of the city; and, issuing from the west gate, we proceeded under the -western wall to the south gate, which, at the time of our visit, was -closed against a lengthened drought. The road then runs south-west -over the plain. Banyans--some of them of immense size--lined the road, -and, farther west, wax trees took their place. Shrines and temples -were thickly dotted on both sides, and at each of these the pilgrims -made obeisance, lighted joss-sticks or candles, and passed on. There -was an impressive solemnity in the worship which I have not observed -elsewhere in China. No levity broke the living cord of gravity which -stretched from shrine to shrine and temple to temple. The wax trees -increased in numbers as we advanced, and the under sides of the boughs -and twigs were here and there silvered with the wax; they appeared as -if a gentle snowstorm had recently passed over and scattered its flakes -on the branches. But trees and temples were not the only things that -lined the roadway; beggars, mostly women and girls, were obstinate -in their demands for alms, and no sooner had one gone than another -appeared. Mount O-mei towered above the other ranges that bound the -plain to the south-west, itself the highest point in a range which -descends southwards with giant strides and blocks the plain. The gray, -rocky, rugged, precipitous face lit up by the morning sun seemed to bid -defiance to the pilgrim, while the lower slopes that hid the giant's -feet were dark with pine, broken occasionally by bare patches where -cultivation had encroached. Gradually the plain began to undulate, and -we soon entered the mountains under pine woods, through patches of tall -millet, beans, and Indian corn, and up stone steps--ladders would be a -more appropriate term--until at a distance of nearly twenty miles from -the city we reached Wan-nien-ssu--the "Temple of a Myriad Ages"--where -we spent the night. - -No sooner had we settled down in the fine clean quarters which the -temple affords than the priests came to pay their respects, and regaled -me with the "sweet tea," which the discovery of Mr. Baber has rendered -famous. All the way up the mountain side, I had been making enquiries -regarding this tea and its preparation, but the evidence was decidedly -conflicting. Some said that it was prepared in the ordinary way; -others, that the leaves were first steeped in molasses. Although the -infusion was extremely sweet, I must confess that I failed to detect -any flavour of tea. Be it remembered that the Chinese never take sugar -in their tea. The priests told me that the plant, whence the leaves -are picked, grows in only one gorge in the mountain. The leaves are -large and do not bear the slightest resemblance to the tea-leaf. I -subsequently forwarded a packet of this "tea" to Hankow to be tasted, -and the reply of an expert came back prompt and concise, "I never -tasted such muck in all my life!" But all doubts have recently been set -at rest, for the plant which provides the leaves has been identified as -the _Viburnum phlebotrichum_. - -[Sidenote: _ASCENT OF MOUNT O-MEI._] - -A glance at a map showing the comparative heights of mountains, will -give a good idea of how the top of the giant has to be reached. Peak -rises behind peak, and each of these has to be surmounted on the way -to the summit. Beyond Wan-nien-ssu, which is more than 3000 feet above -the plain, the road is so steep that no means of conveyance is possible -and cultivation soon ceases. Starting at five o'clock on the morning of -the 24th, we ascended this steep winding ladder and gained the summit -in twelve hours after many a weary step and many a rest. In fact, had -it not been that British pluck was in the balance, I should have given -in long before. As it was, drenched with perspiration and mist, I just -succeeded in dragging my weary aching limbs into the temple that crowns -the summit, 11,100 feet above the sea. - -A few hundred yards above Wan-nien-ssu we entered the clouds, and from -that point upward nothing but impenetrable whiteness was visible. The -road, if I may use the word, ascends through dense pine and brushwood, -and here and there a gulf of whiteness warned us that we stood on the -verge of a precipice. - -At the rear of the temple on the "Golden Summit" is the terrible -precipice which is seen from even beyond the Min. On its very brink -once stood a temple of bronze, which has twice succumbed to lightning -shafts and fire. It was built during the Ming Dynasty, and rebuilt -after its first fall; but on the second occasion portions of it -fell over the precipice, and the only parts still in their original -positions are three small bronze pagodas, bearing unmistakable traces -of fire. Their tops have been melted and twisted. Beautifully carved -bronze doors, pillars, tiles, and other pieces of what must have been -a magnificent building, lay about in heaps. It is from the terrace on -which the three pagodas stand that the celebrated "Glory of Buddha" -is to be seen. A low fence of boulders of iron ore prevents the too -anxious sightseer from precipitating himself into the terrible abyss. -If the future traveller should be as unfortunate as I was, he will -stand by this fence with white clouds overhead and around him, and gaze -down eastwards into impenetrable whiteness, in the vain hope of seeing -the sun burst through the clouds overhead, and reveal his image on the -clouds below. Not once did this occur during the day of the 25th of -June, and we left the spot in the belief that the "Glory of Buddha" was -not for us. But a single gaze into this impenetrable white gloom was to -me as impressive as a thousand "Glories of Buddha" could possibly have -been. - -[Sidenote: _PRIESTLY RAPACITY._] - -The pilgrims in their penance--for it is a penance to ascend the -mountain--frequently appealed to the Great Buddha of O-mei as they -scrambled up the steep steps polished by the feet of myriads. On the -summit they paid their devotions to Buddha, lighted their joss-sticks -and candles, prostrated themselves on long stools covered with -palm-coir, threw their incense into the flames, and gazed to see the -"Glory of Buddha." This ceremony over, they took from their pockets a -few cash and polished them on the bronze pagodas and doors. These they -carry back to their homes as charms and souvenirs of their visit to the -Golden Summit of O-mei. The pilgrims come from their native places in -groups, accompanied by one who can read. The latter is the mouthpiece -of his comrades, and recites their prayers to the Great Buddha. - -I have already said that beggars lined the road to the mountain; but -greater and still more importunate beggars dwell on the mountain side -and on the summit. The priests, smooth-tongued and polite, draw from -the pockets of the pilgrims money to repair the temples and the road. -I did not escape their rapacity. The appeal was, however, made in such -a pleasant way that it could not be resisted. A few potatoes grown on -the acre which forms the summit were presented to me, and had to be -paid for by a sum much in excess of their value. The workmanship of -the temples, which are numerous and built of pine from the forests by -which they are surrounded, is often excellent, the artificers being -the priests themselves. The mountain is credited as being the home of -various kinds of wild animals--among them the tiger. Fortunately for -us, he did not put in an appearance, and we saw nothing more deadly -than a couple of large monkeys, one of which had just leaped from a -tree on one side of a chasm to a tree on the other, while the second -was arrested in his pursuit by our sudden appearance. Medicines of -several sorts, including a species of wild ginseng, were exposed for -sale on the stalls which clung to the mountain side. As the day of -the 26th of June broke as gloomy as its predecessor, and there was no -hope of catching even a glimpse of the "Glory of Buddha," I resolved -to delay no longer on the chance of a struggle with the unseen. The -descent was more difficult than the ascent, and I must confess to three -fair falls on the slippery steps, rendered still more slippery by mist -and rain, which accompanied us half-way down to Wan-nien-ssu. Two -hundred yards above the temple, I succeeded in placing my right foot -between two stones forming a step, and so twisting it that a tendon -behind the knee refused to perform its duty and, with excruciating -pain, I managed to crawl down a hundred yards of precipitous steps, -where a small chair could reach me from below. - -On the morning of the 27th we continued the descent by a different -road from that by which we ascended, previously, however, purchasing a -couple of curiously-carved alpenstocks from the priests, their makers. -A snake in relief twined upwards round the stock, ending in a head -surmounted by a couple of horns. - -The road wound eastward down a gorge between high precipices, from -which numerous cascades leaped and bounded into a stream flowing -eastward, over a narrow bridge of iron rods spanning the stream near -the end of the gorge, and, after crossing several small plains, joined -the high-road to O-mei Hsien. - -[Sidenote: _CHINESE DUPLICITY._] - -On my return to the city, I found that every possible obstacle was -being raised to prevent the completion of my journey. The magistrate -sent his secretary to inform me that there was no road southwards to -the Yang-tsze, and even those of my own men who had been left behind -were unwilling to proceed. It was suggested that I should return to -Chia-ting, take boat to a point farther south, and then strike inland. -I thereupon sent in search of a trader, who quickly appeared, and -gave me the names of the different stages to the next city of Ma-pien -T'ing. Arming my writer with the list, I packed him off post haste -to the magistrate with a demand for a double escort to enable me to -penetrate this unknown country. He at once complied with my demand. -Had I been told, what the magistrate himself probably did not know, -that a desultory warfare was being waged with the aborigines to the -west near Ma-pien, I should have reconsidered my route, so as not to -embroil responsible officers in case of any accident to my party; -but so palpable was the untruth told me that I did not hesitate for -a moment about proceeding. The unwillingness of my own men, as I -subsequently learned, was due to the fact that two of my bearers were -struck down by typhoid fever during my absence; and, on my return, they -had to be sent back to Chia-ting, and thence shipped to Ch'ung-k'ing. -It is well that the future is not revealed to us, for, had I known -then that one human life was to be sacrificed to the privations of the -route, I should at once have relinquished further exploration, and -left to others the honour of descending the Yang-tsze from its highest -navigable point. - -The O-mei plain stretches south and south-east for some fifteen miles -to within a short distance of the left bank of the Ta-tu River, when -it is bounded by a spur which projects south-east from a low range -of hills which lies to the south and east of the chief O-mei range. -The southern half of the plain was in as high a state of cultivation -as the northern, while the wax tree was still more thickly grown. On -descending to the river we found it in full flood; junks and rafts were -being hurried along by the current at lightning speed, and on the right -bank trackers were dragging their craft up river at snail's pace. The -road followed for two days first the left and then the right bank of -the Ta-tu--which we crossed at the market-town of Fu-lu-ch'ang--till, -baulked in its eastern course by hilly ground to the south of the -walled village of Tung-kai-ch'ang, the river flows northwards under -precipitous rocky heights forming its left bank. - -Leaving the Ta-tu at the bend, we struck south over the mountains to -Tz'u-chu-p'ing, which, like every other town and village, is surrounded -by a wall and provided with a garrison. Great excitement was visible -everywhere; the defences of even the meanest hamlet were conspicuously -displayed; rusty gingalls, mounted on tripod stands and loaded, were -placed within the gates ready to resist attack. But why all this -excitement? A raid by Lolos--Man-tzu they were called--was recently -successfully organised and carried out, a village was burned to the -ground, and many of its male inhabitants carried off into the mountains -to the west, to be utilised as shepherds or to await ransom. What the -Chinese greatly resented, however, was the slaughter of a harmless -blind man. The Lolos had swept him off with the crowd; but, finding -after a time that he was sightless, they did him to death. "Might -it not be that they mistook his blindness for unwillingness to be a -slave?" "No," said the Chinese, "the Lolos have no mercy." - -There must be something very unhealthy about this part of the country. -At the end of the first stage from O-mei Hsien, two more of my men were -struck down with fever; one of them had to be left behind, the other -determined not to leave us and soon recovered under repeated doses of -quinine. Little did I think when I was acting the _rôle_ of physician -that I was to be the fifth victim. - -[Sidenote: _PRECAUTIONS AGAINST A SURPRISE._] - -When we left Tz'u-chu-p'ing on the morning of the 1st of July, I -observed that my escort had been very materially strengthened, and -that the soldiers, instead of straggling hither and thither, kept -close to our caravan. Rumours were current that a band of Lolos, some -two hundred strong, were in the immediate hills ready to raid, but -undecided as to their ultimate point of attack, and extra precautions -were taken against our being made unwilling visitors to Lolodom. - -Proceeding south-east we crossed a low range, and dropped into a -narrow valley between low rocky heights clad with brushwood. Beyond -the valley, waves of terraced hills crowned with fir and oak had to -be surmounted, and early in the afternoon we looked down into a deep -narrow gorge, wherein a stream flowing northwards suddenly turns east. -On the north bank, on the only piece of level ground to be seen, stands -the walled town of Chou-pa-ch'ang, facing precipitous cliffs on the -opposite shore. Most of the houses were furnished with watch-towers -on their roofs, and in these, round smooth stones from the stream's -shingly bed were piled to resist attack. - -Here very poor quarters were available; my room was over a tenanted -pig-sty, and the floor was full of holes. I awoke next morning, after -a restless night, burning with fever, and scarcely able to leave my -bed. In this wretched inn I lay five whole days, and had ample time to -ponder over the discomforts which the traveller, who has been brought -up under sanitary laws, has to endure in this land of dirt. Confinement -ultimately became so irksome and depressing that, although unable to -walk to my chair without assistance, on the morning of the 7th of July -I determined to proceed, and trust to the invigorating influence of -fresh air to effect a cure. - -Chou-pa-ch'ang is the highest navigable point for small craft on the -river which is known on Chinese maps as the Ching-shui, but is locally -called the Ma-pien River, from the city of that name near its source. -Two rapids to the south of the town obstruct navigation, except for -descending rafts. Crossing a streamlet, which enters the Ma-pien four -miles to the south of Chou-pa-ch'ang, by a narrow chain bridge, the -road leaves the main river, where it makes an eastern bend and goes -south through broken country fairly wooded with the mulberry, wood-oil, -and tallow trees, and, after ascending some low heights, descends -into a large basin, at the southern end of which we again struck the -left bank of the river at the town of Ni-tien-ch'ang, with the usual -miserable accommodation. Next morning we crossed the river, and after -two days' winding west and south-west along its right bank, reached the -departmental city of Ma-pien T'ing. Our approach had been announced by -one of the escort who had preceded us in search of an inn, and half the -population lined the left bank, on which the city stands, and blocked -the streets through which we had to pass to our quarters. - -[Sidenote: _GUERILLA WARFARE._] - -A guerilla warfare had been waged with the Lolo mountaineers some time -previous to the date of our arrival; detachments of fifty soldiers had -been repeatedly sent to carry on the work of extermination, but had not -returned to announce their success. Preparations were being made to -conduct operations on a larger scale, and fifteen hundred troops were -quartered in the city and its neighbourhood. It was forbidden to kill -or dispose of cattle and live stock generally, except for the use of -the soldiery, and we had considerable difficulty in procuring supplies -of any sort. - -My escort was now strengthened by a dozen men, mostly Hunan braves, -armed with swords, to conduct me in safety to the Yang-tsze. To the -south-east of the city the road enters the mountains, where not a -single Lolo was to be seen; the few houses visible were in reality -forts, built on most inaccessible heights. A solid square of masonry, -ten to twelve feet in height, with only one opening to serve as a -doorway, supported a storey with windows and frequently a watch-tower. -On this stage there was great trouble about food; rice could not be had -for money, and, when I was partaking of my frugal breakfast, which I -had taken the precaution to carry with me from Ma-pien, I saw my writer -triumphantly waving in his hand, to the envy of all my other followers, -an egg which he had either purloined or purchased, and off which he was -about to make as hearty a meal as circumstances would allow. - -During the day I was told that we should be able to buy an ox at -Ting-nan-pa, the end of the stage, and we hurried on to prepare -the feast of which we were all so much in need. On arrival, it was -suggested in answer to our enquiries that an ox might be had some miles -further on; but this was little satisfaction to hungry men. A Good -Samaritan at length came to the rescue, and sold us, at a fabulous -price, a leg of some animal or other--to this day I have no idea what -it was--which made an excellent repast. - -[Sidenote: _A FATIGUING JOURNEY._] - -According to the record of stages which I had procured in Ma-pien, -we were still a three days' journey from the Yang-tsze; but so many -difficulties were crowding around us--no food, and my horse-boy very -sick--that I determined to make a forced march and avoid at least -one day of misery. When we left Ting-nan-pa on the morning of the -11th of July, I at once abandoned my chair, proceeded with my escort -on foot, and, after a brisk walk of four hours, reached the hamlet -which was marked on my list as the end of the stage. It was a dismal -place, and without waiting for my followers, who were still miles in -our rear, I pushed on to the next stage. I was duly warned that the -road was difficult, but the traveller in this land is accustomed to -prevarication, and invariably finds it hard to elicit the truth. - -For some distance east and south-east, the road was all that could be -desired for a Chinese road, and I was beginning to chuckle to myself -at the exposure of the imaginary difficulties, when it descended to -the right bank of a stream which we had struck and crossed early in -the morning. Here it was studded with huge boulders, over which we had -literally to crawl. After an hour of this work, I stopped to allow my -men to catch us up. When they arrived they were bursting with anger. - -Having breakfasted off a couple of boiled Indian corn cobs, I followed -my tactics of the morning and went ahead with my escort. There is no -language strong enough to describe the road that we had then to follow; -it wound with the right bank of the stream through a mountain gorge and -ultimately descended into a stony plain, through which we made our way -to the market-town of Chung-tu-ch'ang, the end of the stage. I arrived, -dead beat, at five o'clock in the afternoon, after a walk of thirty -miles over a frightful road and under a broiling sun. The whole caravan -did not turn up till long after dark; my chair was battered, torn, and -tattered; and my horse and mule were hopelessly lame. The only thing -that saved us from utter collapse was the knowledge that we were only -one short stage from the left bank of the Yang-tsze, where our overland -journeying would probably be at an end. - -With as light hearts as we could muster, on the morning of the 12th -of July we left Chung-tu-ch'ang and the stream which flows behind -it, and struck south-east and south over high hills. To the north -towered confused mountain ranges, peak rising behind peak, dark -and cloud-capped as we passed. On reaching the southern edge of an -undulating plateau we looked into a deep ravine, down which flowed the -stream; and far away to the south-east a yellow spot could be made -out at the base of a dark mountain range. "What is that yellow spot?" -I asked the keeper of a solitary inn shaded by a large banyan, just -under the brow of the plateau. "That is the Chin Chiang," was the -welcome reply--the Golden River, the upper waters of the Yang-tsze. For -a long time we sat under that shady banyan, indulging recklessly in -rice-broth to strengthen and cheer us in our hour of joy. There was no -laggard now; down the steep mountain side we hurried to the stream, and -followed its right bank for four miles to the town of Man-i-ssu, which -clings to the steep face of the left bank of the Golden River, and is -about fifty miles higher than the highest point reached by the Upper -Yang-tsze Expedition in 1861. Here, after a vain search for suitable -night quarters, we engaged three small boats which were moored under -the town, and dropped down river for a distance of twelve miles to -the town of Fu-kuan-ts'un on the right bank and within the province of -Yün-nan. - -To my surprise, I found that the Yang-tsze is the boundary of the -provinces of Ssu-ch'uan and Yün-nan to within a short distance of the -mouth of the Hêng River, which enters it opposite the town of An-pien, -on the left bank, sixteen miles west of Sui Fu. Fu-kuan-ts'un was -crowded with agents buying up native opium, and it was only with the -assistance of the local authorities that I was able to secure a small -room in an inn. At the back, however, I soon discovered an outhouse -which I much preferred to the room, and where I was removed from the -glassy eyes of crowds. - -[Sidenote: _PREPARING TO SHOOT THE RAPIDS._] - -Two courses were now open to me--to proceed overland to P'ing-shan -Hsien and there take junk to Sui Fu and Ch'ung-k'ing, or to risk -the descent of two dangerous rapids in a boat from Fu-kuan-ts'un. I -decided to adopt the latter alternative; but, as trade so far west -is insignificant and boats do not attempt the descent unless heavily -laden, I had to wait three days till sufficient cargo had been -collected for the craft which I had engaged. It was so hot on shore -that I spent the night of the 15th on board, for the double purpose of -catching any stray breeze on the river, and of being able to start at -daylight on the morrow. - -Our boat was of considerable length, deeply laden, and fitted with long -sweeps at both ends, weighted with large stones to balance the outlying -portions. At daylight we shipped a special crew of ten men, including a -pilot, to help us down the rapids. They took entire possession of the -fore part of the boat, while the regular crew, also numbering ten, -were relegated to the stern, to work the sweep and a side spar which -four men kept pumping up and down in front of the sweep. The pilot was -a small wizened man of about sixty, with grizzled beard and moustache, -and a keen piercing eye. His crew of nine--all young active fellows--at -first took to the oars, the bow sweep being fastened to the deck by -a noose. Six men hung on the stern sweep, and four worked the side -spar. The descent was comparatively easy for twelve miles as far as -Shih-ch'i-ch'ang, a market-town on the Yün-nan side, where we moored -above a rapid, and my followers, with the exception of my writer, -personal servant, and one of the soldiers who had special instructions -never to lose sight of me, took eager advantage of the skipper's order -to go on shore. I also landed my horse and mule. - -Casting off our moorings, we soon slid into the Chi-kan-shih, which -is a long confused mass of water stretching across the whole breadth -of the river. Currents rush in all directions, causing waves and -whirlpools. The moment we entered the rapid, the pilot shouted out the -order, "To the bow sweep!" Seven of the oars were quickly thrown aside, -and the seven rowers with the pilot clung round the sweep. With his -left hand on its butt end, the pilot gave his orders to the steersmen -by means of an old fan which he carried in his right, for the noise -and hissing of the waters drowned his shrill voice. The difficulty -was to keep the boat's bows with the stream through the currents and -whirlpools. This we accomplished, shipping only a little water. - -[Sidenote: _A SKILFUL PILOT._] - -From this rapid the river rushes with considerable force south-east -and south, till it is barred in the latter direction by a mountain -whose bare cliffs, which have successfully resisted the attacks of -the current, rise sheer from the angry waters. Foiled in its southern -onset, it rushes east and at right angles to its former course, causing -the most dangerous of all the rapids--of which the boatmen enumerate -twenty--on this section of the river. It is called the _Wan-wan T'an_, -or "Winding Rapid," and well does it deserve the name. The river rushes -swiftly to the cliffs, seemingly bent on carrying all with it. The -confusion caused by the rush, the sharp bend and the sudden contraction -is terrible, and we were, to all appearances, being swiftly hurried -to destruction. But the eye of the pilot wavered not. His crew on the -bow sweep and his old fan saved us from the cliffs. Once, however, the -steersmen were slow in obeying an order, when the old man threw his -fan on the deck, and with his clenched right hand repeatedly struck -his left palm. The boat's stern was within arm's length of the cliffs! -Our soldier fired a shot from a horse-pistol as we entered each rapid, -whether in its honour or in its defiance I know not. The rapids passed, -the pilot and his crew left us, and we re-shipped our men, escort, and -animals, and proceeded to Sui Fu, which we did not reach till dark. - -We spent the greater part of the 17th of July in hiring and inspecting -a passenger boat to convey us to Ch'ung-k'ing, and in the afternoon -everything was arranged for a start next morning. Towards night, word -was brought to me that my horse-boy, who occupied a room in the inn -immediately underneath my own, and who, I noticed, left the boat very -much exhausted the previous night, was dangerously ill with dysentery, -brought on by the hardships of the route. I at once consulted his -wishes as to proceeding or remaining to recruit with one of my -servants, who was a relative, to attend to him. He expressed a desire -to proceed, and I ordered a chair to be in waiting next morning to take -him on board. At two o'clock in the morning I was roused from my sleep -by what appeared to be a shout in Chinese, "Your horse-boy is dead." -I got up and lit my candle; but there was neither sound nor movement -anywhere. I went to bed again, and at daybreak my servant announced -the poor man's death. After the funeral--I buried him at Sui Fu--we -embarked, and before noon of the 21st of July we lay off Ch'ung-k'ing, -glad that our overland struggles were at an end. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -CHINESE INSECT WHITE WAX. - - References to insect white wax in Europe and China--Area - of production--Chief wax-insect producing country--The - insect tree--The insect "buffalo" beetle, or parasite--The - insect scales--The transport of insects to the wax-producing - districts--Method of transport--The wax tree--How insects are - placed on the wax trees--Wax production--Collection of the wax--An - ignominious ending--Insect metamorphosis--Uses of the wax--Quantity - and value. - - -Although the substance called Chinese Insect White Wax has long been -known in Europe, it is only within recent years that the mystery which -has surrounded this remarkable industry has been cleared up. Amongst -Europeans, we find Martini in his _Novus Atlas Sinensis_--a work -descriptive of the Chinese Empire, published in 1655--mentioning _alba -cera_ as a product of the Hu-kwang provinces, and of the province of -Kwangsi. Again, Gabriel de Magalhaes, in his "Nouvelle Rélation de -la Chine," published in 1668, states that white wax is produced in -the provinces of Hunan, Hupeh, and Shantung; while in the "Lettres -Edificantes," published in 1752, Père Chanseaume has a "Memoire sur -la cire d'arbre," or tree wax. In the "Comptes Rendus de l'Académie -des Sciences" of 1840, Stanislas Julien adds some notes on tree wax -and the insects which produce it, and quotes from Chinese authors on -the same subject; and in volume XII. of the Pharmaceutical Journal, -published in 1853, there is an article by Daniel Hanbury entitled "The -Insect White Wax of China." More recently, Fortune, the two delegates -of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce who ascended the River -Yang-tsze into Western China in 1868, Baron von Richthofen, and Gill, -have all alluded to the subject; and Mr. Baber, while he held the post -of Her Majesty's Agent in Western China, wrote a special and very -interesting report on Insect White Wax, to which, as his successor, I -had free access. In 1880, Père Rathouis published at Shanghai a short -memoir on the white wax insect. - -As early as 1522, this wax is mentioned in Chinese books; but at that -time the idea seems to have been prevalent that the insects, by some -mysterious process of metamorphosis, were themselves converted into a -white substance and did not excrete the wax. - -Although the province of Ssu-ch'uan has always been recognized as the -chief breeding country of the white wax insect, and the great field -for the production and manufacture of the white wax of commerce, the -wax is found and manufactured in several other provinces, notably in -Kuei-chow, Hu-nan, Fuh-kien, Chê-kiang, and An-hui, and in reality -exists in small quantities from Chih-li in the north to the island of -Hainan in the south of China. - -[Sidenote: _INSECT WHITE WAX._] - -In the spring of the year 1884, I received instructions from the -Foreign Office to procure for Sir Joseph Hooker dried specimens -of the foliage and flowers of the trees on which the insects are -propagated and excrete the wax; specimens of the twigs incrusted with -the wax; samples of the cakes in the form in which the wax occurs in -commerce; and Chinese candles made from the wax. I was also instructed -to obtain, if possible, information on the whole subject of wax -production, in addition to that furnished in Mr. Baber's Report. My -report on this interesting subject was published as an Appendix to a -Parliamentary Paper in February, 1885; but at the time that that Paper -was written and despatched I had not completed my investigations, -and, unfortunately, some further notes which I sent to the Foreign -Office were too late for publication with the Parliamentary Paper. As, -therefore, the information already made public is but fragmentary, -and as there are some mistakes into which, owing to my distance from -scientific advice, I have fallen, I think it right that I should take -the first opportunity that has offered since my arrival in England of -supplying details and correcting mistakes. - -If we glance at a map of China, we will find that the upper Yang-tsze, -or Golden River as it is there called, is joined by a river called -the Ya-lung or Ta-ch'ung, a little to the west of the one hundred and -second degree of longitude, and that the united waters flow south-east -below the twenty-sixth degree of latitude, and again turn north, -forming, as it were, a loop towards the province of Yün-nan. Between -these two rivers flows another smaller river called the An-ning, which -joins the Ya-lung before the latter unites with the Golden River. -The An-ning flows down a valley called the valley of Chien-ch'ang, -the local name of Ning-yuan Fu, the principal town within the river -loop. This valley, the northern boundary of which is lat. 29° 20´, -and southern boundary, lat. 27° 11´, is the great breeding ground of -the white wax insect. In the valley, which is about 5000 feet above -the level of the sea, and on the hills which bound it, there is one -very prominent tree, called by the Chinese of that region the _Ch'ung -shu_, or "Insect Tree." It is known under different names in the -same province of Ssu-ch'uan; it is called the _Tung-ching shu_, or -"Evergreen Tree," and the _Pao-kê-ts'ao shu_, or "Crackling-flea Tree," -from the sputtering of the wood when burning. It is an ever-green -with leaves springing in pairs from the branches. They are thick, -dark-green, glossy, ovate, and pointed. In the end of May and beginning -of June, the tree bears clusters of small white flowers, which are -succeeded by fruit of a dark purple colour. From the specimens of the -tree which I forwarded to Kew Gardens, the authorities there have come -to the conclusion that it is _Ligustrum lucidum_, or large-leaved -privet. - -In the month of March 1883, I passed through the Chien-chang valley; -but, knowing that Mr. Baber had already furnished a report on the -subject of white wax, I confined myself to a mere cursory examination -of the insect tree. In that month, however, I found attached to the -bark of the boughs and twigs, numerous brown pea-shaped excrescences. -The larger excrescences or scales were readily detachable, and, when -opened, presented either a whitey-brown pulpy mass, or a crowd of -minute animals like flour, whose movements were only just perceptible -to the naked eye. - -[Sidenote: _THE WHITE WAX INSECT._] - -In the months of May and June 1884, when I was called upon for -more detailed information on the subject, I had the opportunity of -examining these scales and their contents with some minuteness in -the neighbourhood of Ch'ung-k'ing, and also within the jurisdiction -of Chia-ting Fu, the chief wax producing country in the province of -Ssu-ch'uan. Ten miles to the east of Ch'ung-k'ing, I plucked the -scales from the trees--the _Ligustrum lucidum_--and on opening them -(they are very brittle) I found a swarm of brown creatures, crawling -about, each provided with six legs and a pair of _antennae_. Each of -these moving creatures was a white wax insect--the _coccus pe-la_ -of Westwood. Many of the scales also contained either a small white -bag or cocoon covering a pupa, or a perfect imago in the shape of a -small black beetle. This beetle is a species of _Brachytarsus_. For -this information I am indebted to Mr. McLachlan, to whom the insects -forwarded by me to Kew were submitted for examination. - -If left undisturbed in the broken scale, the beetle, which, from -his ungainly appearance, is called by the Chinese the _niu-êrh_, or -"buffalo," will, heedless of the _cocci_ which begin to crawl outside -and inside the scale, continue to burrow in the inner lining of the -scale, which is apparently his food. The Chinese declare that the -beetle eats his minute companions in the scale, or at least injures -them by the pressure of his comparatively heavy body; and it is true -that the scales from Chien-ch'ang in which the beetles are numerous -are cheaper than those in which they are absent. But, although Chinese -entomology is not to be trusted, there is, after all, a grain of truth -in the statement. The genus _brachytarsus_ is parasitic on _coccus_, -and the grub, not the imago, is the enemy of the white wax insect. The -Chinese, therefore, are not far wrong when they pay a lower price for -the beetle-infested scales. - -When a scale is plucked from the tree, an orifice where it was attached -to the bark is disclosed. By this orifice the _cocci_ are enabled to -escape from the detached scales. If the scales are not detached, but -remain fixed to the bark, it may be asked, "How are the _cocci_ to -find their way out?" It has been stated by entomologists that they -know not of any species of the family _Coccidae_ that cannot find -their way from underneath the mother-scale without assistance. This -may also hold good in the present case; but all I contend for is, that -the _cocci pe-la_ take eager advantage of the opening pierced from -inside the scale by the beetle to escape from their imprisonment. In -addition to the branches with intact scales, which I carried home with -me for examination, I closely observed the scales that had been left -undetached on the _ligustrum_, and found only one orifice in each -scale--a circular hole similar in every respect to the orifice pierced -by the beetles in the scales which I had beside me. At Chia-ting I -examined scales that had been brought from the Chien-ch'ang valley. -They were suspended on the wax trees and were for the most part empty. -They had only one orifice--that by which they had been attached to the -bark of the _ligustrum_, and by which the _cocci_ had no doubt escaped. -In the very first scale I opened there, however, I found a solitary -beetle. - -The Chien-ch'ang valley is the great insect-producing country; but the -insects may be, and are, propagated elsewhere, as in Chien-wei Hsien to -the south of Chia-ting Fu, and even as far east as Ch'ung-k'ing. These -insects are, however, declared by the Chinese to be inferior, and they -fetch a lower price. - -Two hundred miles to the north-east of Chien-ch'ang, and separated from -it by a series of mountain ranges, is the prefecture of Chia-ting, -within which insect white wax as an article of commerce is produced. -In the end of April, the scales are gathered from the _ligustrum_ in -the Chien-ch'ang valley, and collected for the most part at the town of -Tê-ch'ang, on the right bank of the An-ning River, which I have already -mentioned, in latitude 27° 24´. - -[Sidenote: _TRANSPORT OF THE INSECTS._] - -To this town porters from Chia-ting annually resort in great -numbers--in former years they are said to have numbered as many as ten -thousand--to carry the scales across the mountains to Chia-ting. The -scales are made up into paper packets, each weighing about sixteen -ounces, and a load usually consists of about sixty packets. Great care -has to be taken in the transit of the scales. The porters between the -Chien-ch'ang valley and Chia-ting travel only during the night, for, at -the season of transit, the temperature is already high during the day, -and would tend to the rapid development of the insects and their escape -from the scales. At their resting places, the porters open and spread -out the packets in cool places. Notwithstanding all these precautions, -however, each packet, on arrival at Chia-ting, is found to be more -than an ounce lighter than when it started from Chien-ch'ang. In -years of plenty, a pound of scales laid down in Chia-ting costs about -half-a-crown; but in years of scarcity, such as last year, when only a -thousand loads are said to have reached Chia-ting from Chien-ch'ang, -the price is doubled. - -In favourable years, a pound of Chien-ch'ang scales is calculated to -produce from four to five pounds of wax; in bad years, little more than -a pound may be expected, so that, taken as a whole, white wax culture -has in it a considerable element of risk. - -[Sidenote: _THE WHITE WAX TREE._] - -West from the right bank of the Min River, on which the city of -Chia-ting lies, stretches a plain to the foot of the sacred O-mei -range of mountains. This plain, which runs south to the left bank of -the Ta-tu River, which forms the northern boundary of the Chien-ch'ang -valley farther west, is an immense rice-field, being well-watered by -streams from the western mountains. Almost every plot of ground on -this plain, as well as the bases of the mountains, are thickly edged -with stumps, varying from three or four to a dozen feet in height, -with numerous sprouts rising from their gnarled heads. These stumps -resemble, at a distance, our own pollard willows. The leaves spring -in pairs from the branches; they are light green, ovate, pointed, -serrated, and deciduous. In June, 1884, when I visited this part of the -country, some of the trees were bearing bunches apparently of fruit -in small pods; but, as no flowering specimens were then procurable, -there still exists a little uncertainty as to this tree. I am informed, -however, that it is, in all probability, the _Fraxinus Chinensis_, a -species of ash. The tree is known to the Chinese as the _Pai-la shu_, -or "white wax tree." - -It is to this, the great home of the wax tree, that the scales are -carried from the Chien-ch'ang valley. On their arrival, about the -beginning of May, they are made up into small packets of from twenty -to thirty scales, which are enclosed in a leaf of the wood-oil tree. -The edges of the leaf are tied together with a rice-straw, by which the -packet is also suspended close under the branches of the wax tree. A -few rough holes are drilled in the leaf with a blunt needle, so that -the insects may find their way through them to the branches. - -On emerging from the scales, the insects creep rapidly up the branches -to the leaves, among which they nestle for a period of thirteen days. -They then descend to the branches and twigs, on which they take up -their positions, the females, doubtless, to provide for a continuation -of the race by developing scales in which to deposit their eggs, and -the males to excrete the substance known as white wax. Whether or not -the wax is intended as a protection to the scales, I am not prepared -to say. I have frequently observed, however, scales far removed from -any deposit of white wax, and it may be asked whether or not it is -in these scales at a distance from the wax that the female beetles, -cuckoo-like, deposit their eggs. The Chinese in Chia-ting have learned -to distinguish the wax-producing from the non-wax-producing insects. -They divide them into two classes, called respectively, the _la-sha_, -or "wax sand," and the _huang-sha_, or "brown sand." The former, which -are of a reddish-white colour, are declared to be the wax producers, -while the latter, which are of a brownish colour, are said to produce -no wax. These are, without doubt, the males and females respectively. -During the thirteen days after their escape from the scales, and their -future life when studded on the bark, the insects must derive their -nourishment from the sap of the tree, although to the unaided eye there -is no visible impression on leaves or bark. From the absence of any -such marks, the Chinese declare that the insects live on dew, and that -the wax perspires from their bodies. - -The wax first appears as a white coating on the under sides of the -boughs and twigs, and resembles very much sulphate of quinine, or a -covering of snow. It gradually spreads over the whole branch, and -attains, after three months, a thickness of about a quarter of an inch. -When the white deposit becomes visible on the branches, the farmer may -be seen going the round of his trees, carefully belabouring each stump -with a heavy wooden club, in order, as he says, to bring to ground -the _la-kou_, or "wax dog," a declared enemy of the wax insect. This -probably refers to the beetle-mother. This clubbing of the stumps was -done during the heat of the day, when the wax insects are said to have -a firm hold of the bark. - -After the lapse of a hundred days from the placing of the insects on -the wax tree, the deposit is complete. The branches are then lopped -off, and as much of the wax as possible removed by hand. This is -placed in an iron pot of boiling water, and the wax, melting, rises -to the surface, is skimmed off and placed in a round mould, whence it -emerges as the white wax of commerce. Where it is found impossible to -remove the wax by hand, twigs and branches are thrown into the pot, -so that this wax is darker and inferior. Finally, not satisfied that -all the wax has been collected, the operator takes the insects, which -have meantime sunk to the bottom of the pot, and placing them in a bag, -squeezes them until they have given up the last drop of their valuable -product. They are then--an ignominious ending to their short and -industrious career--thrown to the pigs! - -[Sidenote: _WAX INSECT METAMORPHOSIS._] - -On the 27th of August, 1884, branches of the _ligustrum_ coated with -wax were brought to me. On removing the wax I found, close to the -bark, a number of minute brown bags, evidently the male _cocci_ in a -state of metamorphosis. I examined the undisturbed branches from day -to day, and on the 4th September I observed quite a number of white -hair-like substances rising above the surface of the wax deposit. These -ultimately proved to be the white forked tails of the male insects -forcing their way up from the bark, and dislodging, as they emerged, -small quantities of the wax. They were now provided with long wings, -and, after tarrying for a time on the branches, flew away. By the 13th -of September they had all disappeared, leaving visible the tunnels from -the bark, upwards, by which they had escaped. - -It will be seen from the above remarks that, as the branches of the -wax tree are boiled with the wax, the scales are destroyed, and hence -it is necessary to have recourse annually to the Chien-ch'ang valley -for fresh scales with eggs or insects. - -When the branches are lopped off a wax tree, a period of three years -is allowed to elapse before the scales are suspended under the new -branches of the same tree. Wind and rain are greatly dreaded at the -season of suspending the insects, and the sprouts of one and two years' -growth are considered too weak to resist a gale. - -So much for the wax insect and its product. I come now to the subject -of the quantity produced, its value and uses. - -Since the introduction of kerosene oil into China, and its almost -universal use in the remotest provinces of the Empire, the demand for -white wax has declined considerably, and the supply has decreased in -a corresponding ratio. Not many years ago, as I have already stated, -ten thousand porters were required to carry the scales from the -Chien-ch'ang valley to the wax tree country, and in 1884 we find that -a thousand porters were able to transport the Chien-ch'ang supply. In -many homesteads in Ssu-ch'uan, where candles were formerly the only -lights, kerosene has been introduced, and it is now only when lighting -is required outside--for there is no public lighting in China worthy of -the name--that candles are employed by those who find it necessary to -leave their homes after nightfall. I find, however, from the returns -of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs for 1884, that the quantity -of Insect White Wax imported into Shanghai in foreign vessels from the -ports on the Yang-tsze, amounted to 7,628 piculs, or 454 tons, valued -at 381,440 taels, or about £95,000--say on an average £200 a ton. - -The value, like the demand, has also declined. Not many years ago it -was quoted at double the prices realized at present. - -[Sidenote: _USES OF INSECT WAX._] - -Various uses are ascribed to this wax; but in Western China, as far as -I have been able to gather, its sole use is for coating the exteriors -of animal and vegetable tallow candles, and for giving a greater -consistency to these tallows before they are manufactured into candles. -Insect White Wax melts at 160° F., whereas animal tallow melts at -about 95° F. Vegetable and animal tallow candles are therefore dipped -into melted white wax; a coating is given to them, and prevents them -guttering when lighted. It is also said to be used in other parts of -China as a sizing for paper and cotton goods, for imparting a gloss -to silk, and as a furniture polish. Chemists are likewise declared to -utilize it for coating their pills; but, being in all probability of -more value than the pills, the coating is removed before the latter are -administered. In the Fuh-kien and Chê-kiang provinces it is employed to -impart a polish to steatite, or soapstone ornaments, after the carving -is completed. - -Such, then, is a brief history of the production, manufacture, and uses -of Chinese Insect White Wax--a substance interesting from a biological, -as well as from a commercial, point of view. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE TRADE OF WESTERN AND SOUTH-WESTERN CHINA. - - The waterways, trade-routes, condition, and commercial prospects - of Yün-nan--Trade-routes to Kuei-chow, and the mineral wealth - of the province--The waterways of Ssu-ch'uan--General trade - of Ssu-ch'uan--Foreign trade of Ssu-ch'uan and how it is - conducted--The defects in the present system and the remedy--The - rapids and the difficulties they present--Advantages to be - gained from the opening of Ch'ung-k'ing--The Yang-tsze the only - route--Trade bound to the Yang-tsze. - - -I felt very highly honoured by a recent invitation, which was addressed -to me by the Chamber of Commerce of the great manufacturing city of -Manchester, to speak on the subject of trade with China; but I confess -that I had the greatest diffidence in appearing before a commercial -audience, before men who make trade the business of their lives. A -residence of ten years in a country like China does not necessarily -imply an acquaintance with its trade, and, were this the only -qualification that I possessed, I should have hesitated to accept the -invitation. The trade of China, like the Empire itself, is vast and -varied, and to examine and discuss it in anything like an exhaustive -manner would have occupied far too much time. Instead, therefore, of -speaking of the general trade of China, I drew their attention to that -part of the country which has of late attracted considerable notice -from its proximity to Upper Burmah, now incorporated in our Indian -Empire. - -South-western China was not unfamiliar to the audience I then -addressed, its trade and trading capabilities having been brought -before the principal Chambers of Commerce in Great Britain by Mr. -Colquhoun and Mr. Hallett, two gentlemen who took great interest in -the subject--an interest, too, which they tried to instil into the -commercial world. The part of China, then, of which I spoke embraced -Ssu-ch'uan, Yün-nan, and Kuei-chow, and the observations I made were -based on a three years' residence and recent journeys, covering some -five thousand miles in these three provinces. - -[Sidenote: _PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS._] - -It is impossible to arrive at any definite conclusion regarding -the trade of a country without some knowledge of the geography of -that country; it is therefore necessary, at the outset, to note the -physical characteristics of Western China. The hundred and tenth degree -of longitude divides China Proper into two almost equal parts. It -does more; it divides the level from the mountainous half. Yün-nan, -Kuei-chow, and Ssu-ch'uan, constitute the southern section of the -latter or mountainous half. Let us, then, deal with these three -provinces in the above order. - -[Sidenote: _CONDITION OF YÜNNAN._] - -Yün-nan is bounded on the north by the province of Ssu-ch'uan, on the -west by Upper Burmah and the Shan States, on the south by the Shan -States and Tonquin, and on the east by the provinces of Kwang-si and -Kuei-chow. It is the birth-place of several well-known rivers. On -the west are the Ta-ping and Shweli, tributaries of the Irrawady; the -Salwen and Mekong flow through its whole length; the Song-koi, or Red -River, and the Hsi Chiang, or West River, take their rise in the south -and east of the province respectively. The Chin Chiang, or Chin-sha -Chiang, as the upper waters of the Yang-tsze are called, flows through -the north-western corner, and for a considerable distance divides -Yün-nan from Ssu-ch'uan. In the north-east there is one small river, -the Ta-kuan, or Hêng Chiang, a tributary of the Yang-tsze. Of all these -rivers, the only two that are navigable into Yün-nan are the Song-koi -and the Yang-tsze, with its tributary the Ta-kuan, and these not -without some difficulty. - -Here, then, we have two water-routes into Yün-nan, one in the south and -the other in the north. But the West River is navigated from Canton -to Pe-sê, close to the south-eastern frontier of the province, and is -a very important trade highway to southern and eastern Yün-nan. In -default of a waterway in the west, communication is kept up by the -Bhamo-Ta-li Fu route, which, being now partly within our Indian Empire, -has attracted no little attention, and raised considerable expectations -for British trade. - -It is indeed a pity that these expectations are doomed to -disappointment. The total import and export trade by this route three -years ago did not exceed half a million sterling. I entered very -minutely into the question of this trade when I visited Ta-li Fu in -1883, and I am thus well acquainted with the area which this route -supplies. Ta-Li Fu and Yang-pei T'ing form its eastern and northern -boundary respectively, and it is from it that the Ta-ping valley draws -its requirements. The country east of Ta-li Fu is supplied from Yün-nan -Fu, the capital of the province, which again draws both from Canton by -the West River, and from Shanghai by the Yang-tsze. The difficulties of -the Bhamo route are so great that no great improvement is possible, and -no great development of trade can result. Yün-nan has been described -as a rich province. I have no hesitation in saying that it is; but it -contains a poor population, and, until the condition of the latter is -improved, no great development of trade need be looked for in that -direction. It is estimated to contain a population of from five to six -millions, the great mass of which is engaged in agricultural pursuits. -True, there are copper mines in the north and east, and tin and lead -mines in the south of the province; but mining industries are so -hampered by official interference as to profit little the owners or -the workmen. Agriculture, too, is carried on under a system of small -farms, and the absence of good roads and the impossibility of greatly -improving those that exist, owing to the mountainous character of the -province, do not tend to the enrichment of the peasantry. Nor is this -all; immense tracts in the north and west of the province have lain -waste since the Mohammedan rebellion, and owing to the antipathy of -the Chinese to settle on lands which they look upon as the property -of people who may still be living, or whose descendants may still be -living, it must be many years before the agriculture of the province -is properly developed. It will be said that I take a gloomy view of the -south-western corner of China; and I am indeed sorry, for the sake of -our own commerce, that I cannot present a brighter picture. - -I turn now to the province of Kuei-chow, which, owing to its proximity -to the great waterway of China, is better situated for trade than -Yün-nan, but which, from causes which I shall presently describe, is -even less developed than that province. Kuei-chow has not inaptly been -called the "Switzerland" of China. The greater part of the province, -which is exceedingly mountainous, was formerly peopled by a non-Chinese -race, called by the Chinese, _Miao-tzu_; but some twenty years ago a -struggle arose between the aboriginal tribes and the Chinese, in which -the latter from their superior equipment proved victorious, and drove -the conquered into the southern half of the province, although even in -the northern half scattered families may still be found. The struggle, -which lasted for years, was a desperate one; and, at the present -time, traces are everywhere to be seen in the shape of ruined towns -and villages and lands lying waste and desolate. The waterways that -lead to the province of Kuei-chow, with one exception, flow through -Ssu-ch'uan. That exception is the Yuan River, which, rising in the -east of the province, flows east and north-east into the Tung-t'ing -Lake, which debouches into the Yang-tsze, one hundred and twenty-three -miles to the west of Hankow. This river, which, although obstructed by -numerous rapids, is navigated to within one hundred and thirty miles -of Kuei-yang Fu, the capital of the province, is _the_ trade highway -to Eastern Kuei-chow. - -[Sidenote: _A PROSPEROUS PROVINCE._] - -The trade of the rest of the province is intimately bound up with that -of Ssu-ch'uan, through which, owing to its remaining waterways, it -naturally passes. The population of Kuei-chow is estimated to equal -that of Yün-nan. It consists of immigrants from other neighbouring -provinces, who seem to have left behind them whatever energy they may -have at one time possessed. Like Yün-nan, Kuei-chow is rich in the -variety of its mineral wealth. Coal, iron, copper, and quicksilver -exist in large quantities; but they are very imperfectly worked. -What it lacks is salt, a necessary which binds it and its trade to -Ssu-ch'uan, which is able to supply not only its own wants, but those -of the southern province, the north of Yün-nan, and parts of other -eastern provinces. - -I am happy to be able to pass from these two provinces, half -depopulated by internecine struggles, only partly cultivated and partly -developed, to a brighter picture. Ssu-ch'uan is really a picture of -what peace, contentment, industry, and consequent trade are able to -accomplish. When Yün-nan and Kuei-chow were convulsed by civil wars, -the Ssu-ch'uanese were peacefully journeying up and down the Great -River, as the section of the Yang-tsze in the east of the province is -called, disposing of their surplus produce, and bringing back not only -what they required to satisfy their actual wants, but also luxuries in -the shape of goods of foreign manufacture. There have been, and still -are, skirmishings in the far west of the province; but rebellions have -been short-lived, and have little affected the commercial section which -lies to the east of the Min River. It is of the trade of this province, -itself as large as France, and as populous, that I wish particularly to -draw attention. I shall endeavour to point out the value of that trade, -the conditions under which it is carried on, and the means that should -be taken for its development. - -Although Ssu-ch'uan is hilly in the east and centre and mountainous -in the west, cultivation has been carried to a state bordering on -perfection. The dense population of the province has no doubt largely -contributed to this end; but its fine waterways have greatly helped -the energy of the people. The river Yang-tsze, which flows through the -province, is the great trunk, having for its northern branches the Min -with its tributaries, the T'o, and the Chia-ling with its affluents. On -the south are the Ta-kuan, the Nan-kuang, the Yung-ning, the Jên-huai -or Ch'ih-shui, the Ch'i-chiang, and the Kung-t'an Rivers. - -On all these rivers there is one constant stream of traffic, and it -will be asked, in what does that traffic consist? No other province -in China can vie with Ssu-ch'uan in the richness and variety of its -products, and I will refer only to those of them which constitute the -chief articles of eastern export. They are, in the order of their -value, opium, silk, salt, sugar, and medicines. Of these, silk is the -only article that reaches Europe; but, amongst the minor exports, -tobacco, hides, musk, and rhubarb are well-known in this country. The -total value of the export trade of Ch'ung-k'ing, which is situated on -the north bank of the Yang-tsze, at the mouth of the Chia-ling River, -and is the great trade emporium of the province of Ssu-ch'uan, amounts -to more than five million sterling annually. This must not be assumed -to represent the total value of the surplus produce of the province. -There are several important trade centres that lie between Ch'ung-k'ing -and the western frontier of the province of Hupeh, such as Fu Chou, -Fêng-tu Hsien, Wan Hsien, and K'uei Fu, each of which contributes its -quota to the large export trade of Ssu-ch'uan. Moreover, the west of -the province supplies Tibet with brick-tea, and the south-western -corner, known as the valley of Chien-ch'ang, sends its silk into -Yün-nan and even into Burmah. - -[Sidenote: _THE COTTON TRADE._] - -What, then, does Ssu-ch'uan purchase with these surplus millions? What -does this rich province lack? The answer is easy. Cotton will not -flourish in Ssu-ch'uan, and the greater part of her surplus wealth is -consumed in the purchase of raw cotton, native cottons, and, what is of -great importance to British commerce, foreign cotton and woollen goods. -But what proportion do these imports bear to each other? Raw cotton -exceeds, while native cottons and foreign piece goods range, each about -one million sterling. I should state, however, that all this cotton is -not consumed in the province of Ssu-ch'uan. The Ssu-ch'uanese are a -great manufacturing people, and cottons manufactured from the imported -raw material form an important export from Ssu-ch'uan to Yün-nan and -Western Kuei-chow. - -But it is the import of foreign goods into Western China that is of -paramount interest to the people of this country. Let us, then, look -back for a period of years and see how this branch of trade has been -conducted. In the various treaties concluded between this country and -China, it is agreed that goods of British manufacture may, on payment -of the tariff import duty and of a transit duty, be carried into the -interior for sale; but the transit certificates which were issued to -the owners of the goods on payment of the transit duty were by no -means respected. Not only were these certificates not respected, but -the rules and conditions under which they were issued differed at each -port, and this want of uniformity proved a great hindrance to the -development of the trade. It was not till 1876 that the transit pass -system was placed upon a solid footing. - -In the Agreement of Chefoo concluded in that year, the following clause -occurs:--"The Chinese Government agrees that Transit Duty Certificates -shall be framed under one rule at all the ports, no difference being -made in the conditions set forth therein; and that so far as imports -are concerned, the nationality of the person possessing and carrying -these is immaterial." This has proved a new epoch for the transit -import trade of China, and I will now point out its effect on Western -China, and on the province of Ssu-ch'uan in particular. Before entering -into the details of this trade, however, I should mention that -Ichang, the nearest port to Ssu-ch'uan, was opened to foreign trade -by the Agreement of Chefoo in 1876, and that, previous to that year, -Ssu-ch'uan drew its supplies from Hankow, which is four hundred miles -to the east of Ichang and six hundred miles from Shanghai. - -[Sidenote: _TRADE STATISTICS._] - -In 1875, that is to say, when Ichang was not an open port, foreign -goods to the value of £40,000 were sent under transit pass from Hankow -to Ssu-ch'uan; in 1876, the year in which the Agreement of Chefoo was -signed, they rose in value to £160,000, and in 1877 to £290,000. - -In the spring of 1877, Ichang was opened; but, owing to defective -steamer communication between that port and Hankow, it was not -till 1878 that it began to take its share in the transit trade to -Ssu-ch'uan. In that year, it sent up goods of the modest value of -scarcely £4,000, against the still increasing transit trade of Hankow -of the value of nearly £400,000. It was naturally supposed that the -opening of Ichang would attract a considerable share of the transit -trade of Hankow; but, curiously enough, the transit trade of both ports -with Ssu-ch'uan went on concurrently increasing. In 1879, Hankow sent -up £600,000, and Ichang £50,000, a total of £650,000; in 1880, Hankow -sent up £500,000, and Ichang £250,000, a total of £750,000; in 1881, -Hankow figured for £800,000, and Ichang for £200,000, a total of one -million; in 1882, Hankow figured for £350,000, and Ichang for £200,000, -a total of £550,000; in 1883, Hankow figured for half a million, and -Ichang for £350,000, a total of £850,000; and in 1884, Hankow figured -for £340,000, and Ichang for £260,000, or a total of £600,000. - -The decline of 1884 was due to several causes, the chief of which -were a local drought and the complications with France. The average -annual value of the foreign goods sent under transit pass to Ssu-ch'uan -for the five years ended the 31st December, 1884, thus amounted to -£750,000, a sum in striking contrast to the forty thousand pounds' -worth forwarded to the same destination in 1875. - -The following are the figures for 1885-88:--1885--Ichang, £412,000; -Hankow, £491,000. 1886--Ichang, £342,000; Hankow, £379,000. -1887--Ichang, £465,000; Hankow, £255,000. 1888--Ichang, £547,000; -Hankow, £250,000. - -The enormous increase in trade since 1875 says much for the transit -pass clauses in the Agreement of Chefoo; but I will endeavour to show -that, so far as Western China is concerned, these transit regulations -are by no means perfect. Everyone is aware of the conservative -character of the Chinese, and of the difficulties that have to be -met in inducing them to leave an established groove. The groove in -the present instance is the city of Ch'ung-k'ing, where the native -merchants of Shanghai and Hankow have established agencies, to which -their foreign goods are consigned for sale and distribution throughout -the province of Ssu-ch'uan. These goods, having paid the tariff import -duty at Shanghai, are carried to Hankow and Ichang, whence, on payment -of a transit duty equal to half the tariff import duty, they are -conveyed to the province of Ssu-ch'uan. The destination of the goods -must be expressly stated in the transit duty certificate under which -they are carried, and for Ssu-ch'uan that destination is Ch'ung-k'ing, -where, as I have said, the mercantile agencies are established. So -rooted is this custom, that goods are frequently carried past their -ultimate destination a distance of more than one hundred miles, thus -necessitating their paying an up-freight to Ch'ung-k'ing and a -down-freight to their destination, and, owing to their being no longer -covered by a transit duty certificate, the usual local taxation. - -[Sidenote: _GRINDING TAXATION._] - -Foreign goods, therefore, when landed at Ch'ung-k'ing, have paid -an import duty and a transit duty, and, immediately they leave the -duty-free area in the hands of the country buyers, they are liable to -payment of _likin_ and not unfrequently to additional local taxation. -It will naturally be asked, is there no remedy for this grinding -taxation, which seriously affects the development of trade and limits -the consumption of our manufactures? There is a remedy; but before I -touch on it, let us note how the vast trade of Ssu-ch'uan, including -the trade in foreign goods, is carried on. - -The import and export trade of Ssu-ch'uan, with the exception of the -greater part of the export opium trade, is conducted on the great -water highway--the Yang-tsze. This river is navigated by steamers for -one thousand miles, as far as Ichang; but west of that port the total -trade, with the above exception, is carried on by a fleet of native -boats, numbering from five to seven thousand. Few of these native -boats or junks have a carrying capacity exceeding one hundred tons, -and it will be more intelligible to commercial people if I endeavour -to convert this river trade value into tonnage. It is estimated -that, on an average, thirty junks arrive at or pass Ichang daily -from Ssu-ch'uan, and that a like number ascends; and if twelve tons -be taken as the average capacity of these junks--a low estimate--it -will be found that over twenty thousand tons of cargo are monthly -carried to and from Ssu-ch'uan. The junks also carry a considerable -number of passengers, in addition to the regular passenger traffic -which is conducted between Ssu-ch'uan and the Lower Yang-tsze in -specially-constructed boats. But the conditions under which the -navigation of the four hundred miles that separate Ichang from -Ch'ung-k'ing is carried on are deserving of special examination. - -[Sidenote: _DIFFICULTIES ATTENDING NAVIGATION._] - -Ichang lies at the eastern end of a series of gorges, which, with -extensive breaks, stretches for a distance of one hundred miles as far -as the city of K'uei-chou Fu. It is within this hundred miles that -native boats encounter difficulties. These difficulties, which are of -two kinds, vary according to the season and according to the state of -the river. At low water, that is to say, during the months of December, -January, February, and March, the volume of the Yang-tsze, which -owing to the contraction of the channel is cooped up in the Gorges, -on emerging from them pours into the wider bed of the river, forming -races, and in one place a rapid of considerable importance. - -This rapid lies at the eastern end of the Mi-tsang Gorge, thirty-three -miles from Ichang, and is caused by a sudden declivity of the bed of -the river, in the centre of which, at very low water, two ridges of -rock appear, leaving a narrow channel between. Besides this narrow -passage, however, there are two channels, one on each side, between -the central rocks and the banks. Fortunately, at low water the current -in the gorges, where there is no possible tracking ground, is sluggish, -and the unwieldy native craft are either rowed or sail through them. -When the river is high, that is, during the remaining eight months of -the year, the races and rapid are altogether obliterated, being covered -to a depth of thirty or more feet. The effect of this rise, on the -other hand, is to strengthen the current in the gorges, against which -the junks, there being no towing path, find it very difficult to make -headway. The section of three hundred miles of river that lies between -the gorges and Ch'ung-k'ing presents no difficulty to navigation. - -The time required to navigate a junk between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing -depends upon the state of the river. In winter, twenty-five to thirty -days are usually required, while at high water, in July for example, -six to eight weeks are considered fair passages. The down journey -occupies from six to twelve days. The time required, the labour -employed, and the risks incurred in navigating a junk on the Upper -Yang-tsze, ensure very heavy freights. The sum of seventy shillings is -a low estimate for a ton of up-cargo between Ichang and Ch'ung-k'ing, -and I notice in the most recent trade report from the former place, -that ten to twelve shillings were charged as freight on a bale of piece -goods weighing about a hundredweight and a half. It will hardly be -matter of surprise, therefore, that trade in British goods is heavily -handicapped in the comparatively wealthy province of Ssu-ch'uan, when -it is borne in mind that these goods, before they reach the hands -of the consumer, have paid an import duty, a transit duty, a heavy -freight, _likin_ taxes, and in many instances other local exactions. - -I come now to the remedy, which, under our existing treaties and -engagements with China, can, so far as I am able to judge, afford the -only relief to British trade. That remedy is the opening of a port -in the province of Ssu-ch'uan, on the same conditions as any one of -the nineteen ports at present open to foreign trade. This is no new -scheme. It has been before the mercantile world for some years, and -it has received the sanction of the Chinese Government, subject to a -condition which has not attracted the attention it deserves. I quote -from the Agreement of Chefoo:--"The British Government will further be -free to send officers to reside at Ch'ung-k'ing to watch the conditions -of British trade in Ssu-ch'uan. British merchants will not be allowed -to reside at Ch'ung-k'ing, or to open establishments or warehouses -there so long as no steamers have access to the port. When steamers -have succeeded in ascending the river so far, further arrangements can -be taken into consideration." The opening of Ch'ung-k'ing, therefore, -is contingent on steamers reaching that place; in other words, on the -navigability of the Upper Yang-tsze. - -This, then, is the point upon which the question of the development -of British trade with Western China turns, and it is one on which it -would be too much to expect unanimity. The great majority of those who -have ascended in native boats are of opinion that the river could be -navigated by powerful light-draught steamers, and nowhere have I seen -an opinion which declares the passage by steamers as impossible. The -successive British Agents at Ch'ung-k'ing have repeatedly urged the -claims of the Upper Yang-tsze on the attention of British shipbuilders -and merchants; but it is to be feared that Blue Books are not perused -with that care which they sometimes deserve. - -[Sidenote: _NAVAL REPORT ON THE RAPIDS._] - -There is one opinion, however, which, because it is the only published -nautical opinion, and because it is somewhat adverse, cannot be passed -over without comment. In 1869, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce sent -two delegates up the Yang-tsze to Ch'ung-k'ing, to collect information -on all points bearing on the trade of Western China, and two naval -officers were, at the request of the Chamber, deputed by Admiral -Keppel, then Commander-in-chief on the China Station, to accompany -the expedition. These officers ascended to K'uei-chou Fu, which, as I -have already stated, lies at the western end of the gorge and rapid -section, and I will now quote from the report of Lieutenant Dawson so -far as it concerns this part of the river. He says:--"Having made as -detailed a survey between the entrance to the Upper River and Ichang as -the nature of the river demanded, and sufficient examination above that -port to satisfy me as to the navigability or otherwise of the rapids, I -conclude the following:-- - -"(1)--That the river to Ichang is navigable for steamers of 7 feet -draught and powerful steering apparatus, from the beginning of April to -the end of September, and probably, if native report is to be believed, -for the winter months also. - -"(2)--That the rapids and other difficulties of the River above Ichang, -as at present known, are so numerous as to preclude the possibility -of steamers of any description navigating this part until a thorough -detailed survey is made, and the changes of the river at the different -seasons watched and noted by competent persons. - -"(3)--That such survey could only be made in the winter months when the -river is at its lowest, and would, if carried as far as Ch'ung-k'ing, -in all probability, occupy two surveyors for two winters. - -"(4)--To particularise or describe any one rapid from the month's -changes, under which I saw them, would be useless, as they are -continually altering in danger, as rocks cover and uncover, and -doubtless what would be a dangerous rapid in summer, would be -dangerless in winter, and _vice versâ_. In the month of April, the -rapids of Tsing-tan and Shan-tou-pien were the worst. - -"(5)--As far as my experience on the upper part of the river above -Ichang extended, the depth of water is not a difficulty to be -apprehended at any time of the year, as the average was seldom less -than ten fathoms. Velocity of current, want of anchoring ground, and -intricacy of navigation, are the difficulties previously alluded to." - -Since 1869, our knowledge of the upper waters of the Yang-tsze has very -much improved. We know that the section between Hankow and Ichang is -navigable by steamers all the year round, and we know that the annual -rise of the river is not to increase the difficulties of the rapids, -but to obliterate them altogether. With respect to the current, it -no doubt runs stronger at high water; but, regarding the matter in -a practical light, we may say that, if a large heavily-laden junk -can be tracked against the strongest current by a hundred men, is it -impossible for a full-powered light-draught steamer to follow in its -wake? There is one advantage, too, which the upper section of the river -has over the lower; its channel never shifts, and, once navigated by a -steamer, there is no chance of its being lost. It is not too much to -say that, during the winter months, the masters of the steamers running -between Hankow and Ichang have to conduct surveying operations every -trip, and I have found no one more anxious than these very masters to -navigate the river from Ichang to Ch'ung-k'ing, so confident are they -of success. - -I pass now to the advantages which the opening of Ch'ung-k'ing would -afford to British trade. Our manufactures could then be laid down -in Ch'ung-k'ing on payment of the tariff duty, and from that point -the buyers from the chief cities of the province, as well as from -Kuei-chow and Yün-nan, would be able to carry their purchases under -transit pass to their ultimate destination, on payment of the transit -duty only. No other tax or duty, _likin_ or _octroi_, would add to -the price which the consumer has to pay, and I have no hesitation in -stating that, under such an improved system, Ssu-ch'uan would soon -take a very high place in the markets of the world as a consumer of -British manufactures. The improvement of communication would cause an -enormous development of the products and industries of the province. -I need only mention silk as an example. There is really no limit to -the possible development of this valuable product. In almost every -homestead in the centre and east of the province, silk-culture is -carried on by the women and children of the family, and the development -of this and other exports, which would arise from the safer, speedier, -and cheaper means of communication between the Upper and Lower -Yang-tsze, would greatly raise the buying capacity of the peaceful, -industrious, and well-to-do Ssu-ch'uanese. - -Nor is Ch'ung-k'ing the head of navigation of the Yang-tsze. The -section of the river between Ch'ung-k'ing and Hsü-chou Fu, usually -called Sui Fu, a distance of two hundred miles, is as suited to steamer -navigation as between K'uei-chou Fu and Ch'ung-k'ing, and it is by this -stretch of the river that the trade of Northern and Western Kuei-chow -and Northern Yün-nan is conducted. West of Sui Fu the trade on the -upper waters of the Yang-tsze, which I have descended from a point -fifty miles higher than P'ing-shan Hsien--the farthest point reached -by the Upper Yang-tsze Expedition in 1861--is insignificant, and -above P'ing-shan there are several rapids which would present serious -obstacles to a steamer, but the trade is insignificant, and steamers -will never be required to run west of Sui Fu. - -I may state here that, in Western China, coal is abundant and is found -close to the Yang-tsze. - -[Sidenote: _ROUTES TO WESTERN CHINA._] - -I have thus endeavoured to point out the amount and value of the trade -of Western China, the conditions under which it is carried on, and the -means which should be taken for its development. I propose now to -show that, so far as Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Northern Yün-nan are -concerned, there is no possible rival to the Yang-tsze route. The fact -that there are half a dozen trade routes to Yün-nan affords a proof of -the inaccessibility of the province. I agree with Mr. Colquhoun when -he says:--"The configuration of Yün-nan is such that no single route -can reach or 'tap' the whole trade of the province. To propose one -route for the whole country is like advocating some quack medicine for -a patient who lies ill with half a dozen ailments." What, then, are we -to think of the proposed route, which is to pass through Yün-nan from -south to north, and "tap" Ssu-ch'uan? It is as absurd as the proposal -of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce to reach Ssu-ch'uan from the city of -Li-chiang Fu in North-western Yün-nan. Ssu-ch'uan is hemmed in on the -west and south by range after range of mountains, which will remain -formidable barriers to any feasible trade route until the science of -engineering has advanced far beyond its present stage. Writing of the -Yang-tsze route to Yün-nan, Mr. Colquhoun says:--"The Yang-tsze route, -there can be no doubt, can only deal with the northern part of the -province. The physical features of the northern portion of the country -preclude the possibility of trade penetrating beyond that mountainous -and barren region." I am sorry that Mr Colquhoun has designated the -part of Yün-nan, which I claim for the Yang-tsze route, barren. It -is exceedingly rich in copper, and contains some of the most fertile -plains in the west of China. The plains of T'ung-ch'uan and Chao-t'ung -are famous. The admission, however, that Northern Yün-nan will continue -to belong to the Yang-tsze route is important, because, to reach -that part of the country, goods are carried through the province of -Ssu-ch'uan. There can be no question, therefore, as to the trade-route -to Ssu-ch'uan. But I need not rest my argument on the opinions or -admissions of others. I have traversed all the existing trade-routes -between Yün-nan and Ssu-ch'uan, and between Yün-nan and Kuei-chow, and -I have very vivid and bitter recollections connected with them. In -proof of the difficulties that exist, I may state that it is a common -occurrence to see pack animals lying dead on the mountain sides, and -this recollection is all the more deeply impressed on my mind by the -fact that one of my own horses fell a victim to a vain search after a -practicable trade-route. - -But, in addition to the physical features of the country, there is -another consideration that binds the trade of Western China to the -River Yang-tsze. I have already said that the cotton plant does not -flourish in Ssu-ch'uan, and that raw cotton and native cottons are -largely imported by the province. Whence are they imported? From the -Central Provinces of China, through which the Yang-tsze flows. - -[Sidenote: _PROBABLE REDUCTION OF TAXES._] - -The only route to Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Northern Yün-nan, is the -Yang-tsze, on whose upper waters a large trade in foreign goods is even -now conducted, a trade which is capable of enormous development when -the present burdensome taxation is reduced. The opening of Ch'ung-k'ing -by the ascent of a steamer--an event anxiously looked for by the -native merchants of Ssu-ch'uan--will, as I have pointed out, reduce -that taxation, and will enable millions, who at present look upon -foreign goods as articles of luxury, to become themselves consumers; -and I trust the day is not far distant when the British flag will float -over entrepôts of British manufactures throughout Western China. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE PHÖ. - - Non-Chinese races of Western and South-western China--Imperfect - knowledge regarding them--A traveller's difficulties--Phö language - approaching extinction--The Miao-tzu rebellion--Relationship - of the Miao-tzu tribes--Art among the Phö--Music and - dancing--Characteristics of the language--Exercises--English-Phö - vocabulary. - - -[Sidenote: _THE NON-CHINESE RACES._] - -The very imperfect nature of our knowledge regarding the non-Chinese -races of Western and South-western China, constitutes the great -impediment to their exact scientific classification. Notwithstanding -this, however, there are certain well-marked distinctions that cannot -fail to attract the eye and the ear of the traveller. So great a -contrast do the Lolos bear to the Chinese, that not for a single moment -can any idea of affinity be entertained. And the same holds good with -the Miao-tzu of Kuei-chow and the Shans of Yün-nan who, with the Lolos, -form the three great distinctive races of Kuei-chow, Yün-nan, and -Ssu-ch'uan. With regard to the Ku-tsung of North-western Yün-nan and -the Sifan of North-western Ssu-ch'uan, the former, from their physique, -dress and language, are undoubted Tibetans, while the latter are in all -probability a branch of the same stock. The term Man-tzu, although -applied by the Ssu-ch'uanese to the inhabitants of the region to the -west of Lolodom and often to the Lolos themselves, is generically used -to designate the non-Chinese races of Western China. - -Our knowledge of these races is defective, for the simple reason that -no foreigner has ever paid them a lengthened visit, which is essential -to a thorough grasp of their ethnological characteristics. Nor is this -a matter for surprise, as the opportunities, which foreigners possess -of visiting these tribes, whose haunts are removed from beaten tracks, -are few and far between; and those few who have had such opportunities -have been too much occupied with other work to study ethnological -details or acquire a new language. - -As recorded in the preceding pages, I passed through the countries -of most of these tribes; but, like others, I found myself wanting in -leisure to cultivate a closer intimacy with them. I need only appeal -to travellers in Western China as to the facilities afforded for -undertaking such a task. In what does the traveller's day usually -consist? He gets up at daybreak, hurries on to the end of the stage, -writes up an account of the day's journey, endeavours to get something -to eat, and tries to enjoy a few hours' sleep ere the labours of -another day begin. The miseries of travel, too, breed a feeling of -restlessness and a hankering after something more comfortable than -his present experiences. But all the comfort the traveller in these -regions may expect, and too frequently gets, is shelter in a miserable -mud hovel without chair or table--hardly a promising spot in which to -commence ethnological studies. - -Nor is this all; given a chair and a table, the next difficulty is -to find the man whose characteristics it is intended to study. The -treatment which these aborigines receive at the hands of the Chinese, -and the contempt in which they are held by them, have induced a -timidity which is hard to overcome, and they have often expressed to -me their fears that they would get into trouble through accepting my -invitation to visit me. - -In traversing the country between the Ta-tu River in Western Ssu-ch'uan -and the north-west frontier of Yün-nan, I have frequently seen -so-called Man-tzu suddenly quit the roadway and conceal themselves in -the bordering brushwood and tall reeds until we had passed. And even -when an interview has with difficulty been obtained, my visitors were -always anxious to get away as soon as possible, so that the most the -traveller can do is to note down a few of their more common words, -without attempting the analysis of even a few simple sentences. - -A few short vocabularies are all that I was able to collect during -my journeys; but, towards the end of 1884, chance threw in my way an -opportunity of entering more fully into the language of the principal -branch of the aborigines of Kuei-chow, known to the Chinese as the Hei -or Black Miao, or, as they call themselves, the Phö. - -In that year Mr. Broumton, who was then in charge of the China Inland -Mission station at Kuei-yang, came to Ch'ung-k'ing bringing with him -a man belonging to this tribe from the south-east of Kuei-chow, and -he was good enough to place the services of this individual at my -disposal. He was fairly well versed in Chinese, and I endeavoured to -learn something of his language, and, with his assistance, to translate -a few of the easy exercises of Sir Thomas Wade's Chinese Colloquial -Course into Phö. - -[Sidenote: _SUBJUGATION OF THE PHÖ._] - -I should state that, according to my teacher, there is no written -character, and my aim was to preserve a specimen of a tongue which must -sooner or later become extinct. Of late years, the authorities of the -province of Kuei-chow have been endeavouring to compel the Miao-tzu to -adopt the Chinese dress and learn the Chinese language. Their efforts, -too, are meeting with considerable success, and it is safe to predict -that the Phö tongue is within a measurable distance of extinction. - -About twenty years ago a desperate struggle commenced between the -Chinese and the Phö, the alleged origin being attempted extortion on -the part of the former. The struggle lasted for five years, and had it -not been, so say the Phö, that the Chinese obtained a supply of foreign -rifles, it would not have ended so disastrously for the aborigines. In -bright clear weather no advantage was gained by the Chinese; but the -Phö were pressed hard in rainy weather, when they were unable to keep -the powder of their matchlocks dry. In this connection I may state that -the Phö manufacture their own guns and ammunition--their powder, which -is of a brown colour, being famous for its strength and superiority -even among the Chinese. - -The result of the struggle was that the Phö were terribly decimated; -and the population of the tribe is now estimated not to exceed seventy -thousand souls. The Chinese were assisted in the war against the Phö by -the Ka-tou, generally called the Hua, or Coloured Miao, and so named -because they wear fancy-coloured garments, just as the Phö are called -Black Miao because they affect dark clothes. - -There can be no doubt that the Miao-tzu are a race altogether different -from the Chinese. In physique they are decidedly inferior; in dress, -manners, and customs they stand alone; and their language, although -it contains a considerable number of borrowed Chinese words, is -undoubtedly distinct. The problem that presents itself to the traveller -in Kuei-chow is not the affinity between the Miao-tzu and the Chinese, -but the relationship of the Miao-tzu to each other. They are divided -into a number of tribes whose traits are recognized not only by the -Chinese, but even amongst themselves; and, as I have already observed, -one tribe is prepared to go to war with the other. In physique they are -the same, but in dress they differ. Do they speak the same language? -The following is a comparative table of the numerals of three different -tribes dwelling in South-east, Central, and North-west Kuei-chow, -respectively:-- - -[Sidenote: _ASSIMILARITY OF DIALECTS._] - - -----------+-----------------+-----------+----------------- - I. | II. | III. | IV. - Numerals.| S.E. Kuei-chow | Central | N. W. Kuei-chow - | Phö. | Kuei-chow.| Ka-tou. - -----------+-----------------+-----------+----------------- - 1 | Yi | Yi | Yi - 2 | Au | Ou | Ou - 3 | Pieh | Peh | Pu - 4 | Hlao | Plou | Pi - 5 | Chia | Psu | Pa - 6 | Tiu | Tsou | Chou - 7 | Hsiung | Hsiang | Chiung - 8 | Ya | Yi | Yi - 9 | Chu | Chia | Chu - 10 | Chiu | Ku | Ko - -----------+-----------------+-----------+----------------- - -A glance at the above will show that there is a great resemblance; and, -as the difficulty of transcribing the living sounds is great, I have -no hesitation in saying that a more careful study will evolve a still -more marked resemblance. The transcription of the Phö sounds in column -II. may be taken as fairly accurate, for they have been repeated and -repeated by me in many hundreds of combinations without leading to a -single mistake. Nor is the comparison limited to the numerals. I have -transcribed hundreds of words of different tribes, and the resemblance -is equally evident. - -The conclusion I have arrived at, after careful comparison and -research, is that the Miao-tzu tribes of Kuei-chow are branches of the -same stem, speaking somewhat different dialects of the same language. -This conclusion, I must not omit to mention, is at variance with the -statements of my Phö teacher, who insisted that the Ka-tou tongue is -totally unintelligible to a Phö; but I am inclined to think that he was -more than anxious to disclaim all affinity with his quondam enemy. - -But there is another proof that they are of the same stock. At a -gathering of the Phö held once a year, representatives of the other -tribes are present and take part in the proceedings. This gathering, -which takes place at full moon of the third Chinese month, is of a -character altogether different from the annual fair held during the -third month at Ta-li Fu, where many different races meet. The latter is -a market pure and simple, whereas the former appears to partake of a -religious nature, and to be connected with the coming harvests. - -What the religious aspect is, it is difficult to say, for deep -potations would seem to be the order of the day. The Miao-tzu, like the -Lolos, are great drinkers, the wine being a native spirit. Art is not -wanting among them; the women are exceedingly skilful at embroidery, -and the beautiful silver ornaments--rings, clasps, bracelets, -ear-rings, brooches, and necklaces--which they wear on _fête_ days, are -highly finished. Some of the sterner sex also affect one large silver -ear-ring in, if my memory is not at fault, the left ear. - -The dress of the Phö male consists of black loose trousers surmounted -by a short jacket with tight sleeves. The garments of the female are -far more striking. They consist, to begin at the top, of a black -turban, short jacket and kilt reaching almost to the feet, the wrists -and backs of the sleeves and the hem of the kilt being ornamented with -embroidery, usually with silk. At the gathering in question, music and -dancing are much indulged in. - -The musical instruments are manufactured from bamboos of different -sizes, some of them from twelve to fifteen feet long, fitted with a -mouth-piece, their lower ends being inserted in a large hollow cylinder -(the hollowed out trunk of a tree), while the upper end of the longest -reed is usually surmounted by a cone made of the sheath which grows at -the joints of large bamboos. This instrument is called the _ki_, and -from it a loud booming noise is, owing to the presence of the cylinder, -extracted. The musicians move round in a circle as they play, followed -on the outskirts by the young women, who dance in a slow, solemn -manner. Of course the ladies, like their Lolo and Shan sisters, do not -bind their feet. They lead altogether a freer life than the Chinese, -both sexes sitting down to meals at the same table, and entering fully -into the conversation even in the presence of a foreigner. - -[Sidenote: _MUSIC AND DANCING._] - -The language of the Phö, while following to a great extent the -Chinese idiom, exhibits at the same time considerable divergence. -A "cart-before-the-horse" principle is very marked throughout. An -example or two will suffice to explain my meaning. The Chinese for -"beef" and "mutton" is "niu jou" and "yang jou"--that is, "ox-meat" -and "sheep-meat." The Phö, on the other hand, say "ngi lia" and "ngi -li," which, literally translated, mean "meat-ox" and "meat-sheep." -Again, for "good man" the Chinese say "hao jên," where "good man" is -the subject of the sentence; the Phö say "nai ghou"--"man good," and -"very good man" is "nai ghou kuai," that is, the adjective follows -the noun and the adverb the adjective. There are eight tones readily -distinguishable, but they are not so marked as in Chinese, where a -false tone may lead to endless confusion. I have read over sentence -after sentence to my teacher, carefully avoiding to distinguish tones, -and, as a rule, he has interpreted in Chinese the exact meaning -intended to be conveyed. With these brief remarks I leave the language -to the student of philology. Appended are a few exercises and a -short vocabulary in English and Phö. Those conversant with Chinese -will at once detect the large admixture of Chinese words, which are -for the most part only slightly modified; but the two most striking -peculiarities of the language are the aspirated _l_ and the _v_ sound. - - - - -EXERCISES - -IN - -THE PHÖ LANGUAGE. - - -EXERCISE I.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. One. Yi. - 2. Two. Au. - 3. Three. Pieh. - 4. Four. 'Hlao. - 5. Five. Chia. - 6. Six. Tiu. - 7. Seven. Hsiung. - 8. Eight. Ya. - 9. Nine. Chu. - 10. Ten. Chiu. - 11. Some. Nao hsiu. - 12. A thousand. Yi say. - 13. Several. Hao nao. - 14. A hundred. Yi pa. - 15. Ten thousand. Yi ver. - 16. Not. A. - 17. To come. Ta. - 18. Many. Nao. - 19. Few. Hsiu. - 20. To be; have. Mai. - 21. Good. Ghou. - 22. Some; few. Pa. - 23. Numerative. Lai. - 24. To return. Loh. - 25. Odd; more. Ka. - 26. Man; men. Nai. - 27. Long. Ta. - 28. Inch. Sai. - 29. Share; part. Fai. - 30. Single. Chiang. - 31. Catty. Chiang. - 32. Flesh; meat. Ngi. - 33. Cow. Lia. - 34. Sheep. Li. - 35. Fish. Nieh. - 36. Bushel. Toh. - 37. Wheat. Ka mieh. - 38. Rice. Sai; Kah. - 39. Buckwheat. Chiu. - 40. Door. Tiu. - 41. Tooth; teeth. Mpi. - 42. Li--a measure. Li. - 43. Mountain. Pieh. - 44. High. 'Hi. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--16. 19. 20. 34. 57. 68. - - 2.--17. Two or three hundred. 2 or 3 thousand. 2 or 3. 3 or 5. Five - or seven hundred men. - - 3.--One. 27. 1865. - - 4.--1,000,300. 570,610. 700,020. - - 5.--1,000,000. 350,000. 5,000,001. 60,507. 100,000. - - 6.--70,191. 10,000,000. 461,000. - - 7.--50,088. 98,402. 1005. 4072. 8367. 10,006. 103. - - 8.--118. 254. 9,993,000. - - 9.--A number of people have come. There are some people. How many - people are there? There are several people come. Upwards of 30,000. - - 10.--Some score. Several score. Ten and more. Two. Some. Over ten. - Eight or nine. Ten and more. Nine or ten. Two hundred and more. - 5000 and more. - - 11.--3-4/10 inches. A single one. Five catties of beef. Six catties - of mutton. Some catties of fish. - - 12.--Seven bushels of wheat. Nine bushels of rice. One bushel of - buckwheat. - - 13.--Some teeth. Several myriads of li in length. Forty thousand - li. There is a mountain full two hundred li high. - - 1.--Chiu tiu. Chiu chu. Au chiu. Pieh chiu 'hlao. Chia chiu hsiung. - Tiu chiu ya. - - 2.--Chiu hsiung. Au pieh pa. Au pieh say. Pieh au lai. Pieh chia - lai. Chia hsiung pa nai. - - 3.--Yi. Au chiu hsiung. Yi say ya pa tiu chiu chia. - - 4.--Yi pa ver pieh pa lai. Chia chiu hsiung ver tiu pa ka. Hsiung - chiu ver au chiu. - - 5.--Yi pa ver. Pieh chiu chia ver. Chia pa ver yi. Tiu ver chia pa - hsiung. Chiu ver. - - 6.--Hsiung ver yi pa chu chiu yi. Yi say ver. 'Hlao chiu tiu ver yi - say. - - 7.--Chia ver ya chiu ya. Chu ver ya say 'hlao pa au. Yi say chia. - 'Hlao say hsiung chiu au. Ya say pieh pa tiu chiu hsiung. Yi ver - tiu. Yi pa pieh. - - 8.--Yi pa chiu ya. Au pa chia chiu 'hlao. Chu pa chu chiu chu ver - pieh say. - - 9.--Mai pa lai nai ta. Mai pa lai. Mai hao nao nai. Mai nao hsiu - nai ta. Pieh ver nao. - - 10.--Pa chiu lai. Pa chiu lai. Chiu nao lai. Au lai. Pa lai. Chiu - lai nao. Ya chu lai. Chiu lai nao. Chu lai chiu lai. Au pa nao. - Chia say. - - 11.--Pieh sai 'hlao fai ta. Chiang lai. Chia chiang ngi lia. Tiu - chiang ngi li. Pa chiang nieh. - - 12.--Hsiung toh ka mieh. Chu toh sai. Yi toh chiu. - - 13.--Pa tiu mpi. Pa ver li ta. Mai 'hlao ver li. Mai pieh 'hi au pa - nao li. - - -EXERCISE II.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Thou. Moung. - 2. I. Vai. - 3. He. Ngi. - 4. They. Ngi Tau. - 5. You. Mich. - 6. We. Pieh. - 7. This. Nung. - 8. At. Niang hang. - 9. That. Moung. - 10. That. Ai. - 11. Son. Pu tia. - 12. What. Kai shi. - 13. To buy. Mai. - 14. To sell. Mei. - 15. To get. Tao. - 16. Very. Kuai; va. - 17. Who? Tê shi. - 18. To want. Ou. - 19. To be. Tiao. - 20. East. Keh nich. - 21. Daughter. Po a. - 22. Things. Keh nung keh ai. - 23. Large; great. 'Hlioh. - 24. Small. Niu. - 25. Sign of poss. case. Pieh. - 26. As. Liu. - 27. That. Tieh. - 28. Whence. Kêng hang. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Thine. Mine. His. - - 2.--You. We. They. - - 3.--Your. Our. Their. - - 4.--We two men. - - 5.--This. That. - - 6.--Here. There. - - 7.--As large as this. As small as that. - - 8.--What man? - - 9.--What thing or things? - - 10.--Who is that man? That man is a good man. - - 11.--To buy things. To sell things. - - 12.--He is a trader. What does he sell? He sells a good many things. - - 13.--I want good ones. Have you any? None. - - 14.--This is very good. That is bad. - - 15.--Who is it that has come? There is no one come. - - 16.--What place is he from? He is not of this place. - - 17.--How many people have come? A good number. - - 18.--I do not want this one. They want it. - - 19.--This is ours. That is theirs. - - 20.--Have you got this thing? We do not want it. - - 21.--How many people are there there? Ten people and more. - - 22.--Is he come? He is not come. - - 23.--This man is very good. That man is very bad. - - 24.--Whose is this thing? It is ours. How many have you of these? - Not many. - - 25. Have you got any very good ones there? None good. Unless you - have some very good, we do not want any. - - 1.--Moung pieh. Vai pieh. Ngi pieh. - - 2.--Mieh. Pieh. Ngi tau. - - 3.--Mieh pieh. Pieh pieh. Ngi tau pieh. - - 4.--Au au lai nai _or_ Vai au lai nai. - - 5.--Tieh nung. Tieh ai. - - 6.--Niang hang nung. Niang hang ai. - - 7.--'Hlioh liu nung. Niu liu moung. - - 8.--Kai shi nai. - - 9.--Kai shi keh nung keh ai. - - 10.--Tieh nai tiao tê shi. Tieh nai tiao lai nai ghou. - - 11.--Mai keh nung keh ai. Mei keh nung keh ai. - - 12.--Ngi tiao mai mei nai. Mei kai shi. Mei hao nao keh nung keh ai. - - 13.--Vai ou ghou ti. Mai a mai. A mai. - - 14.--Tieh nung ghou kuai. Tieh moung a ghou. - - 15.--Mai kai shi nai ta. A mai nai ta. - - 16.--Ngi kêng hang to ta. Ngi a tiao hang nung nai. - - 17.--Ngi tau ta nao hsiu nai. Ngi tau ta hao nao nai. - - 18.--Vai a ou lai nung. Ngi tau ou lai nung. - - 19.--Tieh nung tiao pieh pieh. Tieh nung tiao ngi tau pieh. - - 20.--Mieh mai tieh nung a mai. Pieh a ou tieh nung. - - 21.--Mai nao hsiu nai moung. Mai chiu nao nai. - - 22.--Ngi ta a pa. Ngi a pa ta. - - 23.--Tieh nai nung ghou kuai. Tieh nai moung kuai a ghou. - - 24.--Tieh nung tê shi nai pieh. Pieh nai pieh. Moung mai nao hsiu - lai tieh nung. A mai nao. - - 25.--Mieh hang moung ghou kuai a mai. A mai ghou. Mieh a mai ghou - kuai pieh a ou. - - -EXERCISE III.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. To enter. Pou. - 2. Wall of a city. Hao. - 3. House, home. Chieh. - 4. Inhabit, dwell. Niang. - 5. Dust. Ka pai. - 6. Street. Ka. - 7. Up, ascend. Chieh. - 8. Numerative of houses. Say. - 9. A room. Ch'ung. - 10. Inside. Keh tiung. - 11. To open. Pu. - 12. A shop. P'au. - 13. To shut. Su. - 14. Window. Kantlong. - 15. To go out. 'Hliu kou. - 16. To go away. Moung. - 17. To go towards. Moung. - 18. Outside. Keh kou. - 19. The head. Koh. - 20. To know. Pang. - 21. Road. Keh. - 22. To do. Ai. - 23. To pass. Tioh. - 24. Trade. Chiang. - -WORDS COMBINED - - 1.--To live in a house. 2.--To live at home. 3.--Inside the city - walls. Outside the city walls. 4.--Inside. Outside. - - 5.--In a room. 6.--Three houses. 7.--Eighteen rooms. 8.--Four - shops. 9.--Shut the door. 10.--Open the window. 11.--To go out. To - come in. 12.--To pass, to go past. - - 13.--Going or walking. 14.--To go up the street. 15.--Walking in - the street. 16.--To go east. To go west. 17.--The eastern and - western divisions of the city. 18.--To know. 19.--What doing? - or, why? 20.--Where do you live? I am in the city. 21.--How many - buildings have you over there? Thirty-five. - - 22.--Is the house you live in large or small? I live in three - small rooms. 23.--This house is a great deal better than that one. - 24.--Open the door. Shut the window. 25.--To come into the room. - - 26.--There is a great deal of dust outside. 27.--What is he doing - at home? He is not at home. Do you know where he is gone? He is - gone up the street. - - 28.--That man keeps seven shops. Dealing in what? And where are - they all? - - 29.--They are inside the city. Three in the east division and four - in the west. We have no such thriving business here. - - 30.--Those shops have a large number of customers. - - 31.--There are five or six people come out. Who are they? I do - not know. 32.--No one lives in this room. 33.--That shop is mine. - 34.--He did not come in. He went past westwards. What has he gone - out to do? He is gone up the street to buy something. - - 35.--There are a great number of people in the street. - - 1.--Niang chieh. 2.--Niang chieh. 3.--Hao keh tiung. Hao keh kou. - 4.--Keh tiung. Keh kou. - - 5.--Ch'ung chieh keh tiung. 6.--Pieh lai chieh. 7.--Chiu ya ch'ung - chieh. 8.--'Hlao lai p'au. 9.--Su tiu. 10.--Pu kantlong. 11.--'Hliu - kou. Pou chieh. 12.--Tioh moung. - - 13.--'Hei keh. 14.--Chieh ka. 15.--Tioh ka 'hei keh. 16.--Moung keh - nieh. Moung keh chioh. 17.--Hao keh nieh. Hao keh chioh. 18.--Pang. - 19.--Ai kai shi. 20.--Moung niang hang to. Vai niang hao keh tiung. - 21.--Mieh niang ai mai hao nao chieh. Mai pieh chiu chia chieh. - - 22.--Moung niang lai chieh 'hlioh niu. Vai niang pieh ch'ung chieh - niu. 23.--Lai chieh nung pi lai chieh ai ghou kuai. 24.--Tiu pu yeh - _or_ Pu tiu kantlong su yeh _or_ Su kantlong. 25.--Pou chieh ta. - - 26.--Keh kou 'hlioh ka pai. 27.--Ngi chieh keh tiung ai kai shi. A - niang chieh. Moung hang to, moung pang a pang. Chieh ka moung. - - 28.--Tai lai nai mai hsiung lai p'au. Ngi lai p'au mai mei kai shi. - Pu niang hang to. - - 29.--Niang hao keh tiung. Hao keh nieh mai pieh lai. Hao keh chioh - mai 'hlao lai. Pieh niang hang nung a mai tieh nai chiang 'hlioh. - - 30.--Lai p'au mai keh nung keh ai nao nai. - - 31.--Keh kou ta chia tiu lai nai. Kai shi nai. Vai a pang. 32.--Lai - ch'ung chieh nung a mai nai niang. 33.--Lai p'au tiao vai pieh. - 34.--Ngi a pou ta. Tioh moung chioh. Ngi moung ai kai shi. Chieh ka - mai keh nung keh ai. - - 35.---Tiu ka nai nao. - - -EXERCISE IV.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Before. Keh tang. - 2. Behind. Keh kai. - 3. To call; bid. Koh. - 4. To stand up. Hsiu. - 5. To rise. Fa. - 6. To recline. Pang. - 7. Earth; ground. Tah. - 8. Fast. 'Hi. - 9. Slow. A 'hi. - 10. All. Tou. - 11. To love. A. - 12. To sit. Niang. - 13. Chair (sedan). Cho. - 14. Storey (upper). Pang. - 15. Below; down. Nga. - 16. To return. Loh. - 17. To arrive at. Leh. - 18. Donkey. Lui. - 19. Mule. Luh. - 20. Numerative of horses, &c. Tei. - 21. Numerative of carts, &c. Lai. - 22. A pace. Tuoh. - 23. Language. Si. - 24. Public office. Ngah. - 25. To speak. Kang. - 26. Horse. Ma. - 27. Cart. Lioh. - 28. Fast (of animals). Hang. - - -WORDS COMBINED. - - - 1.--To recline. To sit. To rise. To stand up. To walk. To go on - foot. - - 2.--To go fast. To go slow. - - 3.--In front. In rear. - - 4.--To come back. To have arrived. - - 5.--Do you like it or not? Not at all. - - 6.--To call somebody. Call some one here. - - 7.--A public office. Upstairs. On the ground. - - 8.--A cart. A sedan chair. Three horses. Two mules. Four donkeys. - - 9.--He is lying down on the road. Tell him to get up. - - 10.--I am, or was, sitting upstairs. He is, or was, sitting down - below. - - 11.--He was on foot. I came in a cart. He came on foot. - - 12.--I walk fast. He walks slow. - - 13.--I was walking in front. He was behind. - - 14.--Is that man come back or not? He is not back, but he soon will - be. Where is he gone to? He has gone to the public office. Did he - go in a chair or in a carriage? In a small chair. He does not like - being in a carriage. - - 15.--Do you like that man? I do not like any of those men. - - 16.--Has he been buying horses? No. Mules and donkeys. If he wanted - to buy horses, there is not a horse to be had. How many mules or - donkeys has he bought? Three mules and seven donkeys. - - 17.--Which are the better, the mules from this place or those from - that? The mules here are not so good as those there. The mules here - are slower than what you get there. Both the mules and donkeys from - that place are fast. - - - 1.--Pang. Niang. Fa lo. Hsiu. 'Hei moung. 'Hei Keh. - - 2.--'Hei 'hi. 'Hei a 'hi. - - 3.--Keh tang. Keh kai. - - 4.--Loh. Leh yeh. - - 5.--A a a. Tou a a. - - 6.--Koh nai. Koh nai loh. - - 7.--Ngah. Ku pang. Ka tah. - - 8.--Lai lioh. Yi lai cho. Pieh tei ma. Au tei luh. 'Hlao tei lui. - - 9.--Ngi niang tiu keh pang. Koh ngi fa loh. - - 10.--Vai niang ku pang niang. Ngi ka tah niang. - - 11.--Ngi yi tuoh yi tuoh 'hei. Vai niang lioh loh. Ngi 'hei keh loh. - - 12.--Vai 'hei 'hi. Ngi 'hei a 'hi. - - 13.--Vai keh tang 'hei. Ngi keh kai 'hei. - - 14.--Ngi tieh nai loh a pa. Ngi a pa loh. Ngi loh 'hi. Ngi moung - hang to. Chieh ngah moung yeh. Ngi niang cho moung, ngi niang lioh - moung. Niang yi lai cho niu. Ngi a a niang lioh. - - 15.--Ngi tieh nai moung a a a. Ngi tau au pieh nai vai tou a a. - - 16.--Ngi mai tiao ma a tiao. Ngi mai luh lui. Ngi ou mai ma yi tei - ma tou a mai. Luh lui mai hao nao tei. Mai pieh tei luh hsiung tei - lui. - - 17.--Hang nung pieh luh ghou hang ai pieh luh ghou. Hang nung pieh - luh a mai hang ai pieh luh ghou. Hang nung pieh luh pi hang ai pieh - hang. Hang ai pieh luh lui tou hang. - - -EXERCISE V.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. True. Tei. - 2. Upright. Ta ti. - 3. To copy. Cha. - 4. To write. Sei. - 5. To teach. Chiao. - 6. To learn. Liu. - 7. To request. Sai. - 8. To see. Ngieh. - 9. To lay hold of. Tieh. - 10. Written words. Li. - 11. Before (in time). Hsüeh. - 12. To recognize. Hsiang. - 13. To seek. Hao. - 14. To repay. Poh. - 15. To wish. Hang. - 16. To tell; inform. Hsieh. - 17. To remember. Nieh. - 18. To ask. Nai - 19. To ride. Chieh. - 20. To run; gallop. Yeh. - 21. Like; similar. Toh. - - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Teacher. 2. To teach. 3. A pupil. 4. To take hold of a book. - To read. 5. To look out characters. To recognize characters. 6. To - copy. To write. - - 7.--To look out for a teacher. To engage a teacher. Be so good as - to inform me. - - 8.--I ask you. Be so good as to tell me. - - 9.--Do you remember. - - 10.--Correct pronunciation. Intelligible diction. - - 11.--To see. Have you seen it or not? Have you not seen it yet? I - have seen it. - - 12.--To ride. To run. Did you come on foot or on horseback? I came - on horseback. That horse gallops fast. - - 13.--Have you found a teacher? I have. - - 14.--Teacher, please teach me to talk. - - 15.--Teacher, please look out a word for me in the book. What word? - I want to find the word _Ngieh_, to see. - - 16.--Have you ever met with this word? I have. Tell me what word it - is. I do not remember the word. Are there any other words that you - do not remember? Of course there are. I remember but few compared - with the number I forget. - - 17.--Your pronunciation is correct. So is your diction. - - 18.--I will ask you whether you know this word or not. I have never - seen this word. - - 19.--I have requested a teacher to come and teach me. He will not - come. What is it you requested him to teach? I asked him to teach - us the spoken language. He says he objects to come on account of - the large number of pupils. - - 20.--Tell me, is that man's pronunciation as good as yours? My - pronunciation is not very good. He knows more words than I do. - - 1.--Hsiang li. - - 2.--Tung tu. - - 3.--Chu tai. - - 4.--Tieh pai tu. Ngieh li. - - 5.--Chau li. Hsiang li. - - 6.--Chia lo. Sei li. - - 7.--Chau hsiang li. Hla hsiang li. 'Hla chiao. - - 8.--Vai nai moung. 'Hla moung hsieh. - - 9.--Nieh a nieh. - - 10.--Ghou ho shay. Kau si toh a. - - 11.--Pang yeh. Moung ngieh ku a pa. Moung a pa ngieh ku. Ngieh yeh. - - 12.--Chieh yeh. Moung 'hei keh ta kai chieh ma ta. Vai chieh ma ta. - Tieh ma yeh hang. - - 13.--Moung hao hsiang li a pa. Hao yeh. - - 14.--'Hla hsiang li chiao si. - - 15.--'Hla hsiang ta pai tu [tou vai] hao lai li. Hao lai li toh. Ou - hao ngieh lai li. - - 16.--Lai li moung ngieh ku a pa. Ngieh ku yeh. Moung hsieh vai lai - li tiao kai shi. Vai a nieh lai li. Niang mai nieh lai li a mai. - Kai shi a mai. Ngieh hsiu a ngieh nao. - - 17.--Moung ghou ho. Kang si toh. - - 18.--Vai nai moung lai li nung moung hsiang a hsiang. Lai li nung - vai a pa pang ku. - - 19.--Vai 'hla hsiang li chiao vai. Ngi a hang ta 'hla ngi chiao - moung kai shi. 'Hla ngi chiao pieh kang si. Ngi chiu chu tai nao a - hang ta. - - 20.--Moung hsieh vai, tieh lai nai ai pieh ho mai moung pieh ghou a - mai. Vai pieh ho a mai ghou. Ngi hsiang li pi vai hsiang nao. - - -EXERCISE VI.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Paper. Tu. - 2. Sheet. Lieh. - 3. Pen. Chieh. - 4. Numerative of pen. Kai. - 5. Ink. Mö. - 6. Numerative of ink. 'Hli. - 7. To take hold of. Wa. - 8. Numerative of book. Pai. - 9. Book. Tu. - 10. To study. Ngi. - 11. To end; finish. Chiu. - 12. To be right; able. Ku-i. - 13. To give. Pai. - 14. Officer. Kuei lieh. - 15. To meet. Hui. - 16. To divide. Fai. - 17. To hear. Tang. - 18. Clear. Ka. - 19. Also. Nung. - 20. Understand. Tang. - 21. Peaceful Pi. - 22. A sound Poh. - 23. To forget. Tung. - 24. To err. Sa. - 25. To be able. Pang. - 26. A month. Pu. - - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1--A sheet of paper. A volume. Two cakes of ink. Five pens. - - 2--To understand. To hear. To have forgotten. - - 3.--Quite right. To have finished. Not to be able to. It will do - well enough. - - 4.--Bring that volume here for me. Show me that sheet of paper. - Bring me ten pens and two cakes of ink. - - 5.--I hear that you are learning a language, and getting on very - well. Can you distinguish four dialects? I can distinguish them all. - - 6.--Have you read that book yet? I have read four-fifths of it. - Do you understand it? There are portions of it that I do not - understand. There are also some words that I do not know. - - 7.--How long have you been studying? I have been studying ten - months. Do you remember all the words in the book you have been - studying? Not all. I have forgotten a good number, and there are - some I do not remember accurately. - - 8.--Does that man understand the language? I have heard people say - that he does not. Does he know the written characters? That he - does. He knows four or five thousand. How do you know? Last month - we read together. If I tell him to copy, will he be able to? There - is no reason why he should not. - - 9.--Tell me, do you understand him when he speaks? - - 10.--You must on no account forget the books you read. Certainly - not. You are quite right. - - 1.--Yi lieh tu. Yi pai tu. Au 'hli mö. Chia kai chieh. - - 2.--Tang. Tang. Tung keh. - - 3.--Ya sa. Chiu yeh. A pang. Ku-i. - - 4.--Moung ta pai tu tiao vai. Lieh tu moung vai nieh. Moung tou vai - mai chiu kai chieh, au 'hli mö. - - 5.--Vai tang moung liu si, liu si ghou kuai. 'Hlao tiu si moung - pang keh fai a pang. 'Hlao tiu tou fai lu. - - 6.--Yi pai tu moung nieh chiu a pa. Chiu fai vai ngieh chiu ya fai. - Ming pai a ming pai. Mai pa fai a ming pai. Mai au pieh lai li a - hsiang. - - 7.--Moung tung li hao nao tai. Val tung chiu ta pieh tu. Tieh tu li - moung tou nieh a nieh. Nieh a chiu. Tung keh pa lai. Tu nieh sa yeh. - - 8.--Ngi tieh nai tang si a tang. Vai tang chiu ngi a tang tau. Ngi - hsiang li a hsiang. Li si hsiang. Hsiang chiu 'hlao chia say li. - Moung hsieh pang. 'Hla vai pieh niang yi tiao ngieh li. Vai koh ngi - sei li, ngi pang a pang. A mai a pang. - - 9.--Vai nai moung, ngi pieh si moung tang loh kai tang a loh. - - 10.--Moung tung ku li, a keh tung keh. A sa. Moung chiu tiao a sa. - - -EXERCISE VII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Mat. Tieh. - 2. Bed. Ch'u. - 3. Curtain. Hsiao. - 4. To spread. Pou. - 5. Cover, lid. Mo. - 6. Table. Tang. - 7. Chair. Kuei yüeh. - 8. Wax. La. - 9. Lamp. Tai. - 10. Numerative of lamp. Lai. - 11. Numerative of boat. Chao. - 12. Wine. Chu. - 13. Cup. O. - 14. Tea. Chiang. - 15. Bowl. Ti. - 16. Kitchen. Kau sao. - 17. To boil. Hao. - 18. Rice. Ka. - 19. Cooking pan. Vi. - 20. Fork. Tia. - 21. Spoon. Tiao Kên. - 22. To spoil. P'a. - 23. Fire. Tu. - 24. To use. Hsia. - 25. Difficult Hsia. - 26. To drink. Hou. - 27. Boat. Niang. - 28. Bedding. Pang pung. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - - 1.--A bed. 2.--Curtains. Mats. Bedding. - - 3.--A table. A chair. 4.--A lamp. A candlestick. - - 5.--Kitchen. A knife. A fork. A spoon. A cooking pan. A cooking-pan - lid. A tea cup. A wine cup. - - 6.--To boil rice. 7.--It is spoiled. 8.--He spread a mat on the - bed. 9.--I want to lie down on this bed. Be quick and make the bed. - 10.--Are there curtains upon the bed? - - 11.--He is lying on the bed. I was sitting on a chair. - - 12.--It is very dark in the room, bring a lamp. - - 13.--Some one has taken the lamp away. - - 14.--Who took away the candlestick that was on the table? It was I - that took it to the kitchen. - - 15.--There is no fire in the kitchen. - - 16.--A _vi ka_ is a pan for boiling rice. A _vi mo_ is the lid of a - rice pan. Tea cups may have covers. - - 17.--There is no great difference between a wine cup (_o chu_) and - a wine bowl (_ti chu_). - - 18.--The chairs and tables in that room are all spoiled. - - 19.--Have you bought those tea cups I told you to buy? I have. - Have you bought several? Twenty. Where did you buy them? They were - bought in a shop outside the city. - - 20--Have you mats in your apartments? There are mats on all the - beds in our apartments. - - 1.--Yi lai ch'u. 2.--Hsiao. Pêng tieh. Pang pung. - - 3.--Yi tieh tang. Yi lai Kuei yüeh. 4.--Yi lai tai. La tai. - - 5.--Kau sao. Yi ti tiu. Yi lai tia. Yi lai tiao kên. Yi lai vi ka. - Yi lai ka mo vi. Yi lai o chiang. Yi lai o chu. - - 6.--Hao ka. 7.--P'a yeh. 8.--Ngi niang ku ch'u pou tieh. 9.--Vai - ou niang lai ch'u nung pang yeh. Moung hang tai ta pung pou tiao. - 10.--Lai ch'u mai hsiao a mai. - - 11.--Ngi niang ku ch'u pang yeh. Vai niang kuei yüeh. - - 12.--Chung chieh 'hui tieh tai ta. - - 13.--Mai nai tieh lai tai moung yeh. - - 14.--Tieh tang keh vai lai la tai, tê shi tieh moung yeh. Tiao vai - ta tiao kau sao tieh moung yeh. - - 15.--Kau sao a mai tu. - - 16.--Vi ka tiao hao ka hsia. Vi mo tiao vi ka mo. O chiang tou ku i - mai mo. - - 17.--O chu ti chu au lai nung hsia fai. - - 18.--Chung chieh tang kuei yüeh tou p'a yeh. - - 19.--Vai koh moung mai o chiang moung mai a pa. Mai yeh. Mai tao pa - lai. Mai tao au chiu lai. Niang hang to mai lo. Tou niang hao keh - kou tiu pau mai lo. - - 20.--Mieh pieh tiu chieh mai tieh a mai. Pieh pieh tiu chieh ku - ch'u tou mai tieh. - - -EXERCISE VIII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Furniture. Chia shih. - 2. Stool. Tang. - 3. Numerative of stool. Lai. - 4. To upset. Koh. - 5. Pot. Chieh. - 6. Flower. Pieh. - 7. Vase. To. - 8. To break. T'u. - 9. To receive. Shou. - 10. To repair. Hsüeh. - 11. Plate. Pieh. - 12. Saucer. Pieh niu. - 13. To eat. Nang. - 14. A little. Nang. - 15. To blow. Choh. - 16. Extinguish. Ta. - 17. To burn. Pieh. - 18. A stove. Sao. - 19. Empty. Kung. - 20. Full. Pai. - 21. With. Na. - 22. To reckon. Sui. - 23. In fragments. Sai. - 24. To light. Tiao; tou. - 25. To pour. Liang. - 26. To pour (as tea). Chia. - 27. To take. Tieh. - 28. In. Tiu. - 29. Is; to be. Si. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Furniture. 2.--A stool. 3.--A stove. - - 4.--Flower vase. Wine pot. Tea pot. Dishes. Plates. - - 5.--Light the lamp. Blow out the lamp. Light the fire. Blow out the - fire. - - 6.--To pour or upset water. 7.--Empty pot. The pot is full. - - 8.--To spoil by breaking. To mend. - - 9.--Everything that is used in a house is furniture. - - 10.--Beds, tables, chairs, stools, are all room furniture. - - 11.--Table furniture consists of knives, forks, spoons, plates, - rice bowls and wine cups. - - 12.--Stoves are of different sizes. The house stove for cooking - rice is large. Bedrooms have all small stoves. The stove used to - warm a room is a small stove. - - 13.--May flower vases also be considered furniture? They may be so - considered. - - 14.--Wine pots, tea pots, and tea cups are all miscellaneous - furniture. - - 15.--The water in the cup is poured into the pan. - - 16.--_Chia chiang_ means to ask some one to pour tea into the cups. - - 17.--Have you lit the lamp? I lit it; but he blew it out. - - 18.--To blow out a lamp is to extinguish the flame of the lamp. To - extinguish fire is to put out a fire (as) in a fireplace. - - 19.--Is there water in these two kettles? One is full, the other is - empty. Fill the empty one with water. - - 20.--Who is it that has broken the flower vase? I do not know who - it was. Had I not better get some one to mend it at once? Yes, you - had much better tell some one to mend it. - - 1.--Chia shih. 2.--Yi lai tang. 3. Yi lai sao. - - 4.--To pieh. Chieh chu. Chieh chiang. Pieh. Pieh niu. - - 5.--Tou tai. Choh tai. Tiao tu. Ta tu. - - 6.--Liang ou. 7.--Kung chieh. Chieh pai. - - 8.--T'u p'a yeh. Hsüeh hsüeh. - - 9.--Tiu chieh hsia keh nung keh ai tou tiao chia shih. - - 10.--Ch'u, tang, kuei yüeh, tang tou tiao tiu chieh chia shih. - - 11.--Nang ka pieh chia shih tiao tu, tia, tiao kên, pieh niu, ti - ka, o chu. - - 12.--Lai sao mai 'hlioh mai niu a toh. Chieh sao hao ka tiao sao - 'hlioh. Chieh ch'u keh tiung tou mai sao niu. Tiu chieh hsia sao - tiao tu tiao sao niu. - - 13.--Lai to pieh tou sui tiao chia shih a tiao. To pieh tou sui - tiao chia shih. - - 14.--Chieh chu, chieh chiang, o chiang tou si hsia chia shih. - - 15.--Ti ou liang tiao tiu vi. - - 16.--Chia chiang koh nai pa chiang chia tiao tiu o. - - 17.--Moung tou tai a pa. Vai tou ku tai. Tiao ngi choh ta yeh. - - 18.--Choh tai tiao ta tai tu. Ta tu tiao ta sao pieh tu. - - 19.--Au lai chieh keh tiung mai ou a mai. Yi lai pai yi lai kung. - Moung pa lai kung liang pai ou. - - 20.--Lai to pieh tê shi tui tu. Vai a pang tê shi. Hang moung koh - nai hsüeh hsüeh, ku i a ku i. Koh nai hsüeh hsüeh ghou kuai. - - -EXERCISE IX.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. The present. Nung. - 2. Year. 'Hniu. - 3. Time. Shih. - 4. Warm. Hsioh. - 5. Yesterday. Tai nung. - 6. Heaven; day. Vai. - 7. Consequently. Chiu. - 8. To fix. Ting. - 9. Day-time. Fieh. - 10. Light. Ka. - 11. Half. Tang. - 12. To engrave. Tioh. - 13. Air; breath. Poung. - 14. Section of time. Shau. - 15. Cold. Si. - 16. Snow. 'Hliu. - 17. Cool; cold. Hui. - 18. Hurricane. 'Hlioh chiang. - 19. To return. Tiang. - 20. To rise; get up. Fa. - 21. Rain. Nung. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--The year before last. Last year. This year. Next year. The year - after next. 2.--Last moon. This moon. Next moon. - - 3.--The weather may be distinguished as cold, hot, cool, warm, - windy, clear, snowy. - - 4.--Time. Day-break. Day-time. Night-time. A short space of time. - - 5.--That man there has studied upwards of twenty years, and has - been a teacher five or six months. - - 6.--I am going to-day, and I may be back next moon. - - 7.--You were not up at eight o'clock to-day. - - 8.--_'Hniu tang_ and _Sai yang 'hniu_ are the terms used for the - year before last and the year after next; _'Hla tang_ and _'Hla - kai_ for the moon before last and the moon after next. - - 9.--At this place it rains in the hot weather and snows in the cold. - - 10.--It blew hard last night, and at daybreak it was very cold. - - 11.--It is his habit to go out riding in the daytime, and to go - home at night and read. - - 12.--It rained last night, but it is fine to-day. - - 13.--This is a clear day. - - 14.--The weather is very mild this year; not so cold as it was last - year. - - 15.--You and I have been here a good many years. - - 16.--He came last year. I arrived last moon. They two were over - here last year. - - 1.--'Hniu tang. 'Hniu fa. 'Hniu nung. Pu 'hniu. Sai yang 'hniu. - 2.--Nga 'hla. 'Hla nung. Chieh 'hla. - - 3.--Lai vai ku i fai, vai si, vai hsioh, vai hui, vai hsioh, 'hlioh - chiang, ka vai, ta 'hliu. - - 4.--Shih hou. Fieh vai. Vai 'hliu. Yi shau. - - 5.--Tai lai nai ngieh ku au chiu nao 'hniu pieh tu, tang chia tiu - 'hla pieh hsiang tu. - - 6.--Vai tai nung moung. Chieh 'hla ku i tiang loh. - - 7.--Moung ya tien chung a fa loh. - - 8.--'Hniu tang, sai yang 'hniu ku i ch'iu. 'Hla tang 'hla kai ku i - ch'iu. - - 9.--Niang hang nung vai hsioh pieh shih hou ta nung, vai si pieh - shih hou ta 'hliu. - - 10.--Tai nung nung chiu 'hlioh chiang. Pieh vai pieh shih hou si va. - - 11.--Ngi a vai 'hlu 'hliu kou chieh ma, chiu vai tiang chieh ngieh - tu. - - 12.--Tai nung chiu vai ta nung. Tai nung ka yeh. - - 13.--Tai nung ka vai. - - 14.--'Hniu nung hsioh kuai, a mai 'hniu ta si. - - 15.--Au au lai lei hang nung mai hao nao 'hniu. - - 16.--Ngi si 'hniu fa ta. Vai si nga 'hla ta. Ngi au lai si 'hniu fa - ta ku yeh. - - -EXERCISE X.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Night Watch. Kêng. - 2. Working man. 'Hou. - 3. Night. Pang. - 4. Must. Tao. - 5. To strike; beat. Tüeh. - 6. To end. Chiu. - 7. Early. Soh. - 8. Late. Pang. - 9. Noon. Tiung-tai. - 10. Length of time. Tah pang. - 11. Affair. Shih. - 12. Circumstances. Ch'ing. - 13. Put; place. 'Hlia. - 14. Each; every. Ka. - 15. Kind. Tiu. - 16. Short. Lai. - 17. Clouds. Tang-ang. - 18. Dark. Hui. - 19. Mist. Ngioh. - 20. Leisure. K'ung. - 21. To do. Pieh. - 22. Black. 'Hlai. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - - 1.--Every year. Every moon. Every day. 2.--Each kind. - - 3.--Early in the morning. Noon. In the evening. Forenoon. Afternoon. - - 4.--By night. Before midnight. After midnight. - - 5.--To set the watch. To strike the watch. A watchman. - - 6.--The days are long. The days are short. The nights are long. The - nights are short. - - 7.--At what time? 8.--Time for work. 9.--A dull day. Clouds. There - is a mist. 10.--There must be one or some. 11.--Affairs. 12.--To - place. 13.--It is ended. - - 14.--He rises early; goes for a walk at noon; comes home in the - evening and reads; and in the third watch of the night he goes to - bed. He does the same every day. - - 15.--One's self. You must go yourself to settle the business. He - lives by himself in that house. - - 16.--It rained in the forenoon. The afternoon was fine. - - 17.--It was warm before midnight, but cold after. - - 18.--The third watch is midnight. - - 19.--As regards the watches which a watchman strikes during the - night, the night is divided into five. The beginning of the first - is the watch-setting. - - 20.--When the days are long there is more time to do things. When - they are short one has no leisure for them, and they must just wait. - - 21.--When will he be back? Possibly to-morrow. - - 22.--Where is the tea-pot put? On the table in the room. - - 23.--When the sky is overcast, the day is dull. - - 24.--There was a thick mist this morning; and the mountains were - invisible. - - 1.--'Hniu 'Hniu. 'Hla 'hla. Tai tai. 2.--Ka tiu. - - 3.--Tiung tah. Hsing tiung tai. Tiung pang. Chieh tai. Tiung nga - tai. - - 4.--Tiung pang. Tang pang tang. Tang pang keh. - - 5.--Ting kêng. Tüeh kêng. 'Hou kêng. - - 6.--Ta tai. Lai tai. Ta pang. Lai pang. - - 7.--Kai shi shih hou. 8.--Ai kou. 9.--'Hui tai. Tang-ang. Ta ngioh. - 10.--Sung ou mai. 11--Shih ch'ing. 12.--'Hlia. 13.--Chiu yeh. - - 14.--Ngi tiung tah fa lo; Hsing tiung tai chieh ka hei; Tiung pang - moung chieh ngieh tu; Lei pieh kêng ngi pieh chiu yeh. Ngi tai tai - tou si tiu. - - 15.--Vai chiang lai. Moung chiang lai sung ou moung pieh shih. Lai - chieh tiao ngi chiang lai niang. - - 16.--Nga tai ta nung. Chieh tai ka yeh. - - 17.--Tang pang tang hsioh, tang pang keh si. - - 18.--Pieh kêng tiao tang pang. - - 19.--Tiung pang kêng 'hou tüeh kêng, yi pang fai chia kêng. Tou - kêng tou tiao ting kêng. - - 20.--Ta tai pieh shih ai kou nao. Lai tai a mai k'ung, shih Ch'ing - sung ou 'hlia nioh. - - 21.--Ngi kai shi shih 'hou loh. Fu fa kai loh. - - 22.--Chieh chiang 'hlia tiao hang to. 'Hlia tiao chieh keh tiung - tang keh vai. - - 23.--Keh vai tang ang pai yeh tiao vai hui. - - 24.--Tai nung tiung ta ta ngioh 'hlioh kuai; Pieh 'hlioh tou ngieh - a pang. - - -EXERCISE XI.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. To fear. Hsi. - 2. Clothes. Uh. - 3. Dirty. Va. - 4. To exchange. Tioh. - 5. Dry. Nga. - 6. Clean. Sang niang. - 7. To brush. Shua. - 8. To wash. So; sa. - 9. Face. Mai. - 10. Cold. Sang. - 11. Leather. Ka li. - 12. Hands. Pieh. - 13. Basin. Keh. - 14. To stitch. Ngang. - 15. To patch. Hsi. - 16. To put on. Nieh. - 17. Shoes. Ha. - 18. To take off. Ta. - 19. A pair. Niu. - 20. Stockings. Wa. - 21. To change (as water). Vai. - 22. Torn or broken. Ni. - 23. Long (in time). La. - 24. To wear. Tiao. - 25. Numerative of clothes. P'ang. - 26. Water. Ou. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--To brush and wash. 2.--Dirty. Clean. 3.--Clothes. Boots. Shoes. - Stockings. - - 4.--To put on clothes. To take them off. To change clothes. - - 5.--To mend by stitching. 6.--A pair of shoes. Two pair of shoes. - Ten pair of stockings. A handkerchief. Eight articles of dress. A - wash-hand basin. - - 7.--The water in this basin is dirty. Change it and bring me some - clean water instead to wash my face. - - 8.--These clothes are dirty; take a brush and brush them. This - article of dress is torn, call some one here to mend it. - - 9.--Get up quick and dress. - - 10.--He has taken off his clothes and is lying down. - - 11.--He has had that thing on for several days without changing it. - - 12.--It is cold to-day; you must put on something more. - - 13.--Has he got on boots or shoes? He has on boots. - - 14.--This handkerchief is dirty; put it in the basin and wash it. - - 15.--Are you in the habit of wearing boots or shoes? In the house I - wear shoes. When I go to the office I wear boots. - - 16.--These leather boots of yours have been lying by a long time; - they must be brushed and washed. - - 17. When you wash your hands, do you prefer cold water or boiling - water? Both are bad. Cold water is too cold; boiling water is too - hot. Warm water is the best. - - 18.--Be quick and pour this water into the pan and warm it. - - 19.--This fire is out. This water has been on some time and will - not boil. - - 20.--To wash clothes it is best to use hot water. The water used to - clean boots must be cold. - - 1.--Shua so. 2.--Va. Sang niang. 3.--Uh. Ha. Ha. Wa. - - 4.--Nieh uh. Ta nga loh. Vai uh. - - 5.--Ngang hsi. 6.--Yi niu ha. Au niu ha. Chiu niu wa. Yi liu chang. - Ya p'ang uh. Yi lai keh sa mai. - - 7.--Keh ou nung va yeh. Vai sang niang tieh ta vai sa mai. - - 8.--P'ang uh nung va tieh shua shua i shua. Yi p'ang uh nung ni - yeh, koh lai nai ta ngang hsi. - - 9.--Moung hang fa loh nieh uh. - - 10.--Ngi ta uh pieh. - - 11.--Yi p'ang uh nung ngi nieh hao la a vai. - - 12.--Tai nung si, moung sung ou nao nieh yi p'ang uh. - - 13.--Ngi tiao ha ngi tiao hsüeh. Ngi tiao tiao ha. - - 14.--Liu chang nung va 'hlia tiu keh so i so. - - 15.--Moung a tiao ha kai a tiao hsüeh. Vai tiu chieh niang tiao ha, - chieh ngah tiao hsüeh. - - 16.--Moung pieh niu ka li hsüeh 'hlia la, sung ou shua so. - - 17.--Moung sa pieh, a hsia ou sang a hsia ou kai. Ou tiu a ghou. Ou - sang sang va, ou kai kai va. Tou ghou ou hsioh. - - 18.--Moung hang tieh ou nung liang tao tiu vi t'oh hsioh. - - 19.--Lai tu nung ta yeh. Tieh ou nung t'oh yi tang tai t'oh a kai. - - 20.--Ou so uh hsia ou hsioh tou ghou. So shua hsüeh sung ou hsia ou - sang. - - -EXERCISE XII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Farthest. Chiung. - 2. To uncap. 'Hlüeh. - 3. To wear. Tou. - 4. To dust. Ma. - 5. Cap. Mau. - 6. To cut. Ma. - 7. Shoulders. Hang chieh. - 8. Sweat. Tiang. - 9. Shirt. Uh lai. - 10. Single. Tei. - 11. Lined. Tang. - 12. Wadded. Pong. - 13. Cotton. Mêng. - 14. Trousers. K'au. - 15. To cut (as clothes). Kêng. - 16. Coat. Kua. - 17. Sleeve. Mu. - 18. Comb. Gah. - 19. Hair (of the head). Ka 'hliang. - 20. Needle. Chiu. - 21. Body. Chieh. - 22. To mend. P'ai. - 23. Must. Sung ou. - 24. A thread. Foh. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Wadded clothes. Lined clothes. Clothes not lined. - - 2.--Waistcoat. Shirt. Coat. Trousers. - - 3.--Cap. To have the cap on. To take the cap off. - - 4.--To sew. A needle. A thread. - - 5.--A tailor. To cut out clothes. To make up clothes. - - 6.--A duster. To dust clothes. 7.--To bathe. - - 8.--The hair of the head. To comb the hair (head). - - 9.--Clothes not lined are such as have an outside with nothing - inside it. Clothes lined are such as have both a lining and an - outside. Wadded clothes are clothes with cotton between the outside - and the lining. - - 10.--A waistcoat is that article of dress which has a back and - front but no sleeves. The shirt is the garment without lining worn - innermost of all. The coat is the garment worn outermost of all. - When short it is called a riding jacket. - - 11.--Is this pair of trousers wadded or lined? - - 12.--Caps are distinguished as small caps and official caps. - Official caps are of two sorts, winter and summer caps. Out of - doors one must have a cap on; when one returns one may take it off. - - 13.--Do you know how to sew? I do not. Then call a tailor here to - mend my shirt. - - 14.--The waistcoat is cut out but not made up yet. - - 15.--The riding jacket is torn, it must be mended. - - 16.--Tap the dust off the clothes with a duster. - - 17.--Who is it that combs his hair with that wooden comb? - - 18.--The expression _sa chieh_ means to bathe the whole body. It is - a good thing to bathe every day. - - 1.--Uh pong. Uh tang. Uh tei. - - 2.--Uh liang chieh. Uh lai. Kua. K'au. - - 3.--Mau. Tou mau. 'Hlüeh mau. - - 4.--Chiu foh (Ngang). Yi tieh chiu. Yi chiao foh. - - 5.--Hsiang ngang. Kêng uh. Ngang uh. - - 6.--Ka 'hliang kei. Ma uh. 7.--Sa chieh. - - 8.--Ka 'hliang. Hsia koh. - - 9.--Uh tei chiu mai yi tang a mai au tang. Uh tang mai pi kou pi - tiung. Uh pong tiao uh tang keh tiung mai mêng sang. - - 10.--Uh liang chieh mai keh kai keh mai a mai mu yi p'ang uh. Uh - lai tiao keh tiung nieh pieh uh tei. Kua tiao keh kou nieh pieh uh. - Uh lai kua koh ma kua. - - 11.--Yi lai k'au nung mai mêng sang kai mai tang. - - 12.--Mau fai au tiu mai mau niu mai mau ka lai. Mau ka lai mai au - tiu mai mau hui mai mau hsioh. Nai niang tiu ka sung ou tou mau, - pou chieh loh ku i 'hlüeh mau. - - 13.--Moung pang chiu foh a pang. Vai a pang. Moung koh hsiang kêng - ta tieh vai pieh pang uh lai ai p'ai. - - 14.--Pang uh liang chieh moung kêng yeh a pa ngang. - - 15.--Pang ma kua ai ngi sung ou ngang p'ai. - - 16.--Ta kah 'hliang kei ma i ma uh chieh ka pai. - - 17.--Lai gah tou ai, tiao tê shi hsia koh. - - 18.--Sa chieh tiao yi chieh tou sa. Tai tai sa chieh ghou kuai. - - -EXERCISE XIII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Silver. Ngi. - 2. Copper. Tou. - 3. Iron. 'Hlou. - 4. Coin. Pei si. - 5. String of cash. Tioh. - 6. A note. Piao. - 7. Numerative of guns, &c. Ka. - 8. A balance. Tai. - 9. To weigh. 'Hlia. - 10. Price. Ka. - 11. To be worth. Hsi. - 12. Dear. Kuei. - 13. Cheap. Chien-i. - 14. Suitable. Pi-i. - 15. Light (weight). Fa. - 16. Heavy. Tiung. - 17. To borrow. Hsi. - 18. An account. Hang. - 19. To owe. K'eh. - 20. To expend. Fai. - 21. Represent. Tang. - 22. To be fond of. Ghou. - 23. Weight. Tiung fa. - 24. Yet. Niang. - 25. To lend. T'u. - 26. Ounce. Liang. - 27. Gold. Chieh. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--To owe bills. To borrow money. To lend money. To owe money. - - 2.--A bill or an account. 3.--To spend. 4.--Value. Cost. - - 5.--Of very small value. Not dear. Cheap. 6.--Silver money. Copper - money. Iron coin. Bank notes. 7.--An ounce of silver. A thousand - cash. A 4000 cash note. - - 8.--This is light; that is heavy. Weigh it in the balance if you do - not know its weight. - - 9.--He owes different people a good deal of money. - - 10.--The expression _vai hsi pei si_ means that I get other - people's money for my own use. _Vai tu pei si_ means that I let - other people have my money for their use. - - 11.--His debts do not amount to less than one thousand ounces of - silver. - - 12.--_Hsia fai_ means to expend money. Our daily expenditure is not - very large. - - 13.--He loves to spend money. He is fond of spending money. He - spends too much money. - - 14.--That is not a dear house. The price asked for this fur coat is - very small. That flower vase is worth nothing. Cotton is very low - this year. - - 15.--He has not a cash to live on. - - 16.--Seven-tenths of these ten-cash pieces are copper, and - three-tenths iron. - - 17.--A _piao_ is a paper note on which is written the number of - cash it is worth (_lit._, its buying value). It is the same as coin. - - 18.--Gold is heavier than silver. Iron is lighter than silver. - - 19.--If one wants to weigh things that one is buying, one must use - the balance. - - 20.--What weight are these balances equal to weighing? The largest - will weigh 300 catties. - - 1.--Hsioh hang. Hsi pei si. Tu pei si. K'eh pei si. - - 2.--Hang. 3.--Hsia fai. 4.--Hsi ka. Ka pei si. - - 5.--Chien-i kuai. A kuei. Chien-i. 6.--Pei si ngi. Pei si tou. Pei - si 'hlou. Piao. 7.--Yi liang ngi. Yi tioh pei si. 'Hlao tioh pei si - piao. - - 8.--Lai nung fa, lai moung tiung. A pang tiung fa ta tieh tai 'hlia - i 'hlia. - - 9.--Ngi hsioh nai pieh hang a hsiu. - - 10.--Vai hsi pei si tiao vai ta toh nai pieh pei si vai hsia. Vai - tu pei si tiao nai tiao ta vai pieh pei si ta tiao nai hsia. - - 11.--Ngi hsioh hang a ngah yi say liang ngi. - - 12.--Hsia fai tiao ta pei si hsia chiu yeh. Pieh pieh tiu chieh tai - tai hsia fai a nao kuai. - - 13.--Ngi a hsia pei si. Ngi ghou hsia pei si. Ngi ku yüeh hsia pei - si nao. - - 14.--Lai chieh moung ka pei si a kuei. Yi p'ang nung ka 'hliang kua - ka pei si chien-i kuai. Lai pieh to moung a hsi pei si. 'Hniu nung - mêng sang chien-i kuai. - - 15.--Ngi tiu chieh yi lai pei si tou a mai. - - 16.--Lai pei si 'hlioh moung tang chiu lai pei si niu keh tiung mai - hsiung fai tou pieh fai 'hlou. - - 17.--Piao tiao yi lieh tu keh vai si pei si suh mai keh tiung keh - ai. Pei si ngi piao si chiang tioh. - - 18.--Chieh pi ngi tiung. 'Hlou pi ngi fa. - - 19.--Mai keh tiung keh ai ou 'hlia tiung fa sung ou hsia tai. - - 20.--Au pieh ti tai ku i 'hlia hao nao chiang liang. Tou 'hlioh ku - i 'hlia pieh pa chiang. - - -EXERCISE XIV.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Coal. Mai. - 2. Charcoal. T'ai. - 3. Firewood. T'u. - 4. Flour. Pai. - 5. Oil. Tiang. - 6. Egg. Keh. - 7. Sugar. T'ang. - 8. Salt. Hsieh. - 9. Coarse. Sa. - 10. Fine. Moung. - 11. Broth. Ou. - 12. Chicken. Kei. - 13. To eat. Nêng. - 14. Milk. Voh. - 15. Fruit. Chiang. - 16. Vegetables. Ngau. - 17. To drink. 'Hou. - 18. Prepare. Hao. - 19. Arrange. Shu. - 20. Remove. Hsiou. - 21. Ripe. Hsieh. - 22. Discuss. Lai. - 23. Picul (133-1/3 lbs.) Tan. - 24. Soup. Ch'ia. - 25. Rice. Sai. - 26. To make. Ai. - 27. Grow. Lai. - 28. Here. Ha nung. - 29. There. Ha moung. - 30. Raw. Niu. - 31. As well; also. Niang. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Firewood. Coal and charcoal. 2.--Rice and flour. White sugar. - Fowl's eggs. Cow's milk. Fruit. 3.--Lamp oil. 4.--Coarse salt. Fine - salt. 5.--To cook food. To put food on the table. To clear away, - remove (as food). - - 6.--To eat one's meals. To drink soup. 7.--I bought yesterday 300 - catties of coal, 50 catties of charcoal, 80 catties of firewood, - four piculs of rice, and two hundred catties of flour. - - 8.--Lamp oil is made from the bean. Sweet oil is made from sesame. - Lamp oil costs less than sweet oil. 9.--_Tiao t'u_ means to light a - fire. - - 10.--When the weather is cold, the consumption of coal and charcoal - is larger. - - 11.--In a stove one uses coal. In a chafing dish charcoal. A - chafing dish is for use in a room. One cannot cook food or heat - water with it. - - 12.--Food is either raw or cooked. When prepared over a fire it is - cooked. It is raw when it can be eaten in the natural state. - - 13.--You go and buy me a small chicken, and three or four eggs. Do - you want any milk as well? I should like some catties of milk if - it is cheap. In this part of the world we do not buy milk by the - catty, but by the cup or bottle. Fruit is not bought by the catty - either, but by the piece. - - 14.--Do you prefer flour or rice? Neither. I like soup. What soup? - Either meat soup or chicken soup suits me. - - 15.--Go and get the food ready directly. As soon as it is ready put - it on the table. - - 16.--What does _hsiou_ mean? The removal of the things when you - have done eating. - - 1.--T'u. Mai t'ai. 2.--Ka pai. Hsia tang _or_ Tang 'hlou. Keh kei. - Voh lia. Chiang. 3.--Tiang tai. 4.--Sa hsieh. Moung hsieh. 5.--Hao - ngau. Shu ngau. Hsiou nioh. - - 6.--Nêng ka. 'Hou ch'ia. 7.--Vai tai nung mai pieh pa chiang mai; - Chia chiu chiang t'ai; ya chiu chiang t'u; 'Hlao tan sai; au pa - chiang ka pai. - - 8.--Tiang tai tiao tou ai. Ou yu tiao yu mi ai. Tiang tai pi ou yu - chien i. 9.--Tiao t'u tiao tiao t'u. - - 10.--Tai si pieh shih 'hou hsia mai t'ai nao. - - 11.--Keh sao tiao mai. Hu pai tiao t'ai. Hu pai tiu chieh tiao. A - pang hao ka hao ou. - - 12.--Ngau mai niu mai hsieh. Niang t'u keh vai hao tou tiao ngau - hsieh. Ngau niu tiao ka ta lai ta ku i nêng tao. - - 13.--Moung moung tou vai mai yi tai kei niu; Pieh chia lai keh kei. - Niang ou voh lia a ou. Voh lia chien i vai ku i ou hsiu chiang pieh - ha nung mai voh lia a lai chiang chiang, tou tiao lai ti lai to. - Mai chiang si a lai chiang chiang, tou tiao lai ka lai. - - 14.--Moung a kêng ka pai a nêng ka. Au tiu tou a a. Vai a 'hou - ch'ia. A 'hou kai shi ch'ia. Ngi ch'ia kei ch'ia tou ghou. - - 15.--Moung hang hao ka moung. Ka hsieh hsiu ta. - - 16.--Kai shi tiao hsiou. Moung nêng chiu ka tou tieh ngah moung tou - tiao hsiou yeh. - - -EXERCISE XV.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. A capital. Chieh. - 2. Far. T'o. - 3. Near. Ngeh. - 4. South. Nan. - 5. North. Pei. - 6. Road. Keh. - 7. Straight. Tei. - 8. Winding. Koh. - 9. River. Tiang. - 10. Sea. Hai. - 11. Side. Pau. - 12. Deep. To. - 13. Shallow. Nieh. - 14. Boat. Niang. - 15. Guest. K'a. - 16. Inn. P'au. - 17. Innkeeper; Landlord. Kuei p'au. - 18. To reckon. Ngieh. - 19. To receive. Hshou. - 20. Trouble. Goh. - 21. Bitterness. I. - 22. To join. 'Ha. - 23. A province. Sai. - 24. To live at. Ai. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--To go to the capital. It will do to go straight or go round. - - 2.--In reckoning distance, the straight road is the shortest. - - 3.--The south. The north. 4.--A ship. - - 5.--To be on board a ship. To cross a river. To go by sea. The - water is deep. The water is shallow. 6.--An inn. The innkeeper. - 7.--Trouble. Sorrow. To be in trouble. To be resting. - - 8.--When you went to the capital last year, where did you live? At - an inn. I have heard it said that the inns outside the city are - some of them not very good to stay at. That is all as the innkeeper - is a good or a bad one. In my opinion, when one is tired, any inn - is good. All you go to it for is to rest yourself. - - 9.--When you go travelling, do you prefer a cart or a ship? That - all depends upon the country. There are no carts in the south, and - travellers all go by water. The vessels used in river-travelling - are small. Sea-going vessels are larger. - - 10.--The water in rivers is shallow, not so deep as in the sea. - - 11.--In the voyage you made by sea the year before last, you had - a hard time of it, hadn't you? I had. It blew hard, and the ship - got ashore on the coast of Shan-tung. All of us who were on board - suffered dreadfully. - - 12.--Who looks after the messing on board ship? The people of the - ship look after it. - - 13.--What costs most, travelling by water or travelling in a cart? - One spends more travelling in a cart. What! Does the fare of a cart - come to more than one's passage on board a vessel? The cart costs - more, the reason being that the people we hire our carts of in the - north have also their money to make out of it. - - 1.--Chieh chieh. Tei 'hei, koh 'hei, tou ku i. - - 2.--Ngeh sui keh t'o ngeh, tei 'hei ngeh koh 'hei t'o. - - 3.--Nan pau, pei pau. 4.--Yi chiao niang. - - 5.--Niang niang. Tioh tiang. 'Hei 'hai. Ou to. Ou nieh. 6.--P'au - k'a. Kuei p'au. 7.--'Hi i. Hshou goh. Hsioh goh. - - 8.--Moung 'hniu fa chieh chieh niang hang to ai. Niang p'au k'a. - Vai tang chiu hao keh kou p'au k'a mai a ghou kuai ai. Tou ngieh - kuei p'au ghou a ghou. Sai vai chiu nai koh hang to tou ghou. Lei - p'au keh tiung a ku hsioh goh. - - 9.--Moung 'hei keh a niang lioh a niang niang. Tou tiao ngieh fieh. - Nan pau a mai lioh, 'hei keh pieh k'a tou tiao niang niang. 'Hei - keh tiang tou tiao niang niu. 'Hei hai pieh tiao niang 'hlioh. - - 10.--Tiang keh tiung ou nieh a mai hai ou to. - - 11.--Moung 'hniu tang niang hai niang hshou goh a hshou. A sa. Tiao - 'hlioh chiang niang niang Shan-tung pau chieh 'hlia nieh; pieh ku - nai 'hi i fi a chiu. - - 12.--Niang chieh nêng ka kai shi nai kuei. Tiao niang chieh kuei. - - 13.--Sui ngieh pieh chieh tiao niang niang kuei tiao niang lioh - kuei. Niang lioh pi niang niang hsia pei si nao. Hang to. Lioh ka - pi niang ka kuei. Lioh ka kuei tiao pieh pieh pei pau keh tiang - kuei pau ou hsia hsiu lai pei si. - - -EXERCISE XVI.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Baggage. 'Hi. - 2. Box. Tiang. - 3. Bundle. Kuei. - 4. Bag. Tui. - 5. Felt. Hsi. - 6. Cotton fabric. Hsi. - 7. To feed. I. - 8. Camel (one hump). Lu. - 9. Camel (two humps). T'u. - 10. Animals. Tieh 'hi. - 11. Heel. Lia. - 12. A set. Pang. - 13. Contain; pack. Chi. - 14. Girdle. Hsioh. - 15. Load. Tu. - 16. Pursue. Ngong; t'ou. - 17. Follow. Hang. - 18. Wrap up. Kuei. - 19. Interest. Liang. - 20. To harm. Ha. - 21. Injurious. Nia; tiu. - 22. Spring. Ch'ün. - 23. Summer. Hsia. - 24. Autumn. Ch'iu. - 25. Winter. Tung. - 26. Early. So. - 27. Carry. Tiang. - 28. Wood. Tou. - 29. Care for. Yeou. - 30. On. Vai. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Baggage. Trunk. Bundle. Bag. Blanket or Felt. - - 2.--A bale of cotton cloth. 3.--To feed beasts. The camel. Beast - of burden. 4.--To put in a box. To carry things with one. To lead - animals. - - 5.--To pursue. 6.--Very dreadful, injurious. - - 7.--Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. - - 8.--_'Hi_ means whatever a traveller carries with him. 9.--Trunks - are made some of leather, some of wood, and will hold all sorts of - things. A _kuei_ is a bundle of things wrapped up in anything. He - has wrapped up that small box in a rug. A _tui_ is a bag to hold - odds and ends. Those bags we use are made of cotton. - - 10.--On a journey the beasts have to be fed as soon as one arrives - at an inn. - - 11.--Camels all come from other places. - - 12.--The beast which bears a load is called a _t'u_. One may speak - of an ass, a mule, or a horse as a _t'u_. - - 13.--Take care of the baggage. It will be all right if the baggage - is all there. - - 14.--The gatekeeper is a servant. He called him to put his boxes - into the cart. - - 15.--As I came out his gatekeeper came after me, but did not - overtake me. - - 16.--Where is that man? He has gone out. If you run fast enough you - may overtake him. He went out early, I fear it will not be possible - to overtake him. Whether he is to be overtaken or not, you just run - after him as hard as you can. - - 17.--Winter is very cold; summer very hot; spring is not so cold as - winter; nor is autumn so hot as summer. - - 1.--'Hi. Tiang. Kuei. Tui. Hsi. - - 2.--Yi lai hsi. 3.--I tieh 'hi. Lu t'u. Tu. 4.--Chi tiang. Tiang - chia shih. Tioh tieh 'hi. - - 5.--Ngong t'ou. 6.--Nia tiu kuai. - - 7.--Ch'ün. Hsia. Ch'iu. Tung. - - 8.--'Hi tiao 'hei keh pieh ka nai tiang chia shih. 9.--Tiang mai ka - li ai mai tou ai, kai shi chia shih tou ku i chi. Kuei tiao ta chia - shih hsia kai shi kuei loh. Ngi ta hsi kuei lai tiang niu moung - loh. Tui tiao chi ka sai. Pieh hsia tou tiao tui hsi. - - 10.--Chieh keh lei p'au keh tiung sung ou i tieh 'hi. - - 11.--Lu t'u tou tiao kang 'hi ta. - - 12.--Tieh 'hi chiao chieh a chia shih koh t'u. Lui t'u, lu t'u, ma - t'u tou ku i ch'iu. - - 13.--Moung yeou 'hi. Tu tou tiao chieh chiu ghou. - - 14.--Ngo tiu tiao hsia nai. Ngi koh ngo tiu ta tiang chi tioh lioh - vai. - - 15.--Vai 'hliu kou moung ngi pieh ngo tiu niang keh kai ngong t'ou - vai; ngong yi tang tai t'ou a t'ou chia. - - 16.--Tai lai nai moung niang hang to. Ngi 'hliu moung yeh. Moung - hang yeh ku i t'ou chia ngi. Ngi so moung, hsi t'ou a chia. A lai - t'ou chia a t'ou chia, moung hang yeh ngong ngi, chiu tiao yeh. - - 17.--Tung t'ien si va; hsia t'ien hsieh va; ch'ün a mai tung si; - ch'iu a mai hsia hsioh. - - -EXERCISE XVII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Brains. 'Hlui. - 2. Pigtail. Chiao mi. - 3. Ear. Ngi. - 4. Eye. Mai. - 5. Pupil of eye. Chiu chi. - 6. Mouth. Lo. - 7. Lips. Pou lo. - 8. Beard. Hsieh nieh. - 9. Armpit. Ka sho. - 10. Arm. Kou. - 11. Finger. Ta pi. - 12. Fingernail. Kang pi. - 13. To clutch. Wa. - 14. Loins; waist. 'Hla. - 15. Legs; thigh. Pa. - 16. Strong; robust. Mai^1 go. - 17. Weak. Mai^4 go. - 18. To pull. 'Hlioh - 19. To haul. Toh. - 20. Disease. Mang. - 21. Pain. Mang. - 22. Strange. Lo. - 23. Monstrous. Hsüeh. - 24. Nose. Pao nüeh. - 25. Old. Lu. - 26. Tongue. Ni. - 27. Strength. Go. - 28. Woman. Mi. - 29. Close; tight. Koh. - 30. Hands. Pi. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--Head. Queue. Ear. Eye. Nose. Mouth. In the mouth. The lips. - The beard. Arm. Finger. Nail. Back and legs. 2.--Robust. Weak. - 3.--Pulling. Hauling at. To haul with great effort. To tear or - injure in clutching hold of. 4.--Connected, consecutively. 5.--To - be ill. Very sore. Strange. - - 6.--A man's head has brains inside it, and is therefore called a - head-bag. - - 7.--This tail of yours wants combing. - - 8.--When a man is old, he can neither see well nor see clearly. - 9.--That man has a very odd-looking nose. 10.--This man is very - strong. That man is very weak. - - 11.--Have you anything the matter with you? I am weak, but not ill. - 12.--In these five or six years that you and I have not met, your - beard has turned quite white. I have been sadly ailing for some - years. - - 13.--That man who is lying on the road has both legs broken. - 14.--To have something the matter with the back that makes it - impossible for one to stand upright. 15.--Do you move so slowly - because you have something the matter with you? No; it is age which - makes me weak in the back and limbs. - - 16.--He has something the matter with his tongue, and his mouth and - lips are broken out. - - 17.--It may be said that eating and speaking both are of the mouth. - 18.--That woman's nails were so long that when she clutched hold of - his arm they tore it. 19.--My finger is sore. 20.--What animals are - used to draw carts? They may be drawn by mules, donkeys, or horses. - - 21.--_Toh_ means to pull hard with the hand. Pull the door fast to. - He pulled and hauled at me. - - 1--Koh. Mi. Ngi. Mai. Pao nüeh. Lo. Lo keh tiung. Pou lo. Hsieh - nieh. Kou. Ta pi. Kang pi. 'Hla pa. 2.--Mai^1 go. Mai^4 go. - 3.--'Hlioh. Toh. 'Hlioh toh. Wa ni. 4.--'Ha. 5.--Mai mang. Mang - kuai. Lo hsüeh. - - 6.--Nai koh keh tiung mai 'hlui, chiu koh koh tou. - - 7.--Moung pieh chiao mi nung sung ou hsia. - - 8.--Nai lu, ngi tang a ghou, mai tou ngieh a vai. 9.--Tai nai moung - pieh pao nüeh mai lo hsüeh. 10.--Tai nai nung mai^1 go. Tai nai ai - mai^4 go kuai. - - 11.--Moung chiao chieh mai mang a mai. A mai mang. Vai chiao chieh - mai^4 go. 12.--Pieh chia tiu 'hniu a pang, moung pieh hsieh nieh - tou 'hluh yeh. Vai pieh chiao chieh mai mang nia tiu. - - 13.--Tiu ka keh vai lai nai pang ai au pa tou ni yeh. 14.--Ka 'hla - mai mang fa a lei loh. 15.--Moung kai shi keh keh 'hei, chiao chieh - mang a mang. A tiao; tiao nai lu yeh, 'hla pa tou a ghou. - - 16.--Ngi chiao ni mai mang, lo pao nüeh tou ni yeh. - - 17.--Lo keh tiung nêng ka, lo keh tiung ch'iu si, tou ku i ch'iu. - 18.--Tai mi moung kang pi ta, li ngi pi kou wa ni yeh. 19.--Vai - pieh ta pi mang. 20.--'Hlioh lioh hsia kai shi tieh 'hi. Hsia lu, - lui, ma, tou ku i 'hlioh tau. - - 21.--Toh tiao nai pieh pi hsia go 'hlioh. Lai tiu 'hlioh koh. Ngi - 'hlioh toh vai. - - -EXERCISE XVIII.--SINGLE WORDS. - - 1. Eyebrows. Keh nang. - 2. Jaws. Mang. - 3. Capture. Vi k'a. - 4. Chin. Ka kang. - 5. To build. Poh. - 6. Neck. Ka 'hlieh. - 7. Throat. Ka kung. - 8. Joint. Yeh. - 9. To scrape. Kieh. - 10. To shave. T'i. - 11. Breast. Kang. - 12. The back. Kou. - 13. Spine. Tiu. - 14. Foot. Lao. - 15. Belly. Ka chiang. - 16. Wave. Lang. - 17. Respectable. Lah. - 18. Ankle. Tiu ngêng. - 19. Heart. 'Hlu. - 20. Conduct. 'Hi. - 21. To behead. Sai. - 22. Robbers. Tsui. - 23. Heads (of criminals). Fi. - 24. The brow. Yen tieh. - 25. Knee-cap. Koh chiang. - 26. Above. Keh vai. - 27. Below. Keh ta. - 28. Bone. Sung. - -WORDS COMBINED. - - 1.--The eyebrows. The hair. The jaws. The chin. The nostrils. The - neck. The gullet. 2.--The shoulders. The spine. The breast. The - belly. - - 3.--The knee-cap. The ankle-bone. The joints. 4.--To scrape the - face. To shave the head. To behead. - - 5.--Respectable. 6.--The eyebrows are the hair above the eyes. _Ki - koh_ means the hair on either side of the forehead. 7.--The jaws - are the flesh on either side of the mouth. 8.--The bone below the - mouth is the chin. 9.--The shoulders are at the top of the back. - - 10.--The space behind the shoulders is called the _tiu koh_ and the - _tiu kou_. - - 11.--What is behind the head is called the neck. - - 12.--The breast is below the throat and above the belly. 13.--The - knee-cap is the joint in the middle of the leg. The joint above the - foot is called the ankle. 14.--When people are too young to have - beards their faces have to be scraped. - - 15.--In shaving, what is shaved off is the short hair growing - outside the queue. Outlaws who do not shave the head are called - long-haired rebels. - - 16.--When a rebel is captured he is beheaded, and the head cut off - is called a _koh fi_. - - 17.--When you say a man is respectable, you mean that his conduct - has nothing bad about it. When you say that that man _lai tao lah_, - you mean that he is good-looking. - - 18.--You may also say that his house is respectable--that it is a - fine house. - - 1.--Keh nang. Ka 'hliang. Mang. Ka kang. Kang nüeh. Ka kung. Tiung - kung. 2.--Chieh. Tiu. Kang. Ka chiang. - - 3.--Koh chiang. Sung ngêng. Yeh. 4.--Kieh mai. T'i koh. Sai koh. - - 5.--Lah. 6.--Keh nang tiao mai keh vai ka 'hliang. Ki koh tiao yen - tieh au p'i pieh ka 'hliang. 7.--Mang tiao lo au p'i pieh ngi. - 8.--Lo pi ta pieh sung tiao ka kang. 9.--Chieh tiao kou keh vai. - - 10.--Au chieh keh kai pieh 'hli koh tiu koh tiu kou. - - 11.--Lai koh keh ta koh ka kung. - - 12.--Kang tiao ka kung keh ta ka chiang keh vai. 13.--Koh chiang - tiao tou ka tiung pieh sung yeh. Lao keh vai pieh sung yeh chiu koh - tiu ngêng. 14.--Nai i a mai hsieh nieh pieh shih 'hou sung ou kieh - mai. - - 15.--T'i koh; T'i pieh tiao chiao mi pieh pi kou pieh ka 'hliang - lai. A t'i koh tiao tsui moung koh ta 'hliang tsui. - - 16.--Vi k'a tsui chiu sai. Sai lo pieh koh chiu koh fi. - - 17.--Ch'iu lai nai lah tiao ch'iu lai nai moung pieh 'hi a mai kai - shi a ghou. Ch'iu lai nai moung lai tao lah tiao ch'iu ngi lai tao - ghou ngieh. - - 18.--Ngi pieh lai chieh poh tao lah tou ch'iu tao. - - - - -ENGLISH-PHÖ VOCABULARY. - - - ------------------------+------------------------ - ENGLISH. | PHÖ. - ------------------------+------------------------ - Able, to be | Pang; Hang; Ku-i - About to | Nung - Above | Keh vai - According to | Sai - Account (bill) | Hang - Add, to--to | Lai - Advantage | Liang - Affair | Shih - Again | Niang - Ago, a moment | Fa - Air | Poung - All | Tou - Alley | Ka - Allow | Hsüeh - Also | Nung; niang - Ancestor | Kau - Animals | Tieh 'hi - Ankle | Tiu ngêng - Arm | Kou - Armpit | Ka sho - Arrange | Shu - Arrive at | Leh - As | Liu - As well | Niang - Ascend | Chieh - Ashamed | Shi sa - Ask | Tou; Nai - At | Niang hang - Attend to | Kuei - Authorise | Chün - Autumn | Ch'iu - Avoid | Vieh - Back, the | Kou - Bag | Tui - Baggage | 'Hi - Balance, a | Tai - Ball | Poh - Bamboo | Tou ki - Basin | Keh - Be, to | Mai; Tiao; Si - Beans | Tou pang - Beard | Hsieh nieh - Beasts | Tieh 'hi - Beat, to | Tüeh - " (the ground) | Pieh - Because | Yi vai - Bed | Ch'u - Bedding | Pang pung - Bee | Keh vah - Beeswax | Chieh - Before (place) | Keh tang - " (time) | Hsüeh - Beginning, in the | Tang tang - Behave, to | Ta - Behead | Sai - Behind | Keh kai - Belly | Ka chiang - Below | Nga; Keh ta - Bend, a | Kung - Bestow | Hsiang pai - Bid, to | Koh - Bind | Suh - Bitterness | I - Black | 'Hlai - Blow, to | Choh - Blue | Lieh - Boar, wild | Pa ghou - Boat | Niang - Body (person) | Chieh - Boil, to | Hao - Bone | Sung - Book | Tu - Borrow | Hsi - Bowl, a | Ti - Box | Tiang - Brains | 'Hlui - Break, to | T'u - Breast, the | Kang - Breath | Poung - Brick | Hsüeh - Bridge, a | Luh - Bright | Ka - Brightness | Ka - Brisk | Niang 'hui - Broad | Fieh - Broken | Ni - Broom | Tioh - Broth | Ou - Brother (elder) | Tiah - " (younger) | Tei uh - Brow, the | Yen tieh - Brush, to | Shua - Buckwheat | Chiu - Buffalo | Niang - Build | Poh - Bundle, a | Kuei - Burn, to | Pieh - Bury | Liang - Bushel | Toh - Busy | Niah - Button | Koh - Button-hole | Niang - Buy | Mai - Cabbage | Go 'hlou - Cage | Nguh - Call, to | Koh - Camel | Lu; T'u - Cap | Mau - Capital (of a province) | Chieh - Capture | Vi k'a - Care for | Yeou - Carpenter | Hsiang tou - Carpet | Ch'i ta - Carrot | Go pang hsia - Carry, to | Tiang - " on shoulder | Keh - Cart | Lioh - Cast, to | Yoh - Catty | Chiang - Certainly | A sa. - Chair | Kuei yüeh - " (Sedan) | Cho - Change, to | Kieh - " (as water) | Vai - Charcoal | T'ai - Cheap | Chien-i - Chicken | Kei - Child | Ka-tai - Children | Ngang a - Chin | Ka kang - Choose | Tioh - Circumstances | Ch'ing - Clean | Sang niang - Clear | Ka - Close (tight) | Koh - Cloth | Hsi - Clothes | Uh - Clouds | Tang ang - Clutch | Wa - Coal | Mai - Coarse | Sa - Coat | Kua - Coin, a | Pei si - Cold | 'Hui; Si - Collar, a | 'Hlieh - Colour | Ka mai - Comb | Gah - Comb, to | Hsia - Come, to | Ta - Comfortable | 'Hla - Commission, to | Sai - Communicate | Ch'üeh - Company, to bear one | Pai - Complete | Yeh - Conduct | 'Hi - Confused | Nioh - Consequently | Chiu - Constant | Ka ka - Consult | Hsiang - Contain | Chi - Continual | Ka ka - Cool | 'Hui - Copper | Tou - Copy, to | Cha - Correct, to | Kieh - Cotton (raw) | Mêng - " (fabric) | Hsi - Cover, a | Mo - Cow | Lia - Crack, to | 'Hlah - Crape | Hsiah - Crow, a | Au voh - Cup | O - Curtain | Hsiao - Cut open | P'a - " (clothes) | Kêng - Cypress | Tou hsiang - Damp | Hsiu - Dark | 'Hui - Daughter | Po a - Day | Vai - Daytime | Fieh - Dear | Kuei - Deceive | 'Hla - Deck (of a boat) | Pi niang - Deep | To - Dense (wood) | Toh - Depressed | Mang 'hi - Detain | 'Hlia - Die, to | Ta - Difficult | Hsia - Dilly-dally | 'Hliao ta - Dirty | Va - Discuss | Lai - Disease | Mang - Disorder | Lui - Dispense with | Vieh - Disperse | Say - Divide | Fai - Do | Pieh; ai - Dog | Koh - Donkey | Lui - Door | Tiu - Down | Nga - Draw out | 'Hlia - Dreadful | Nia tiu - Dream | Pang - Dream, to | 'Hlieh - Drink, to | Hou - Drum | Li - Dry | Nga - Duck | Kah - Dust | Ka pai - Dust, to | Ma - Dwell | Niang - Dye, to | Tou - Each | Ka - Ear | Ngi - Early | So - Earth | Tah - East | Keh nieh - Eat | Nêng - Egg | Keh - Eight | Ya - Empty | Kung - End | T'i - End, to | Chiu - Enemy | Hsi - Engrave | Tioh - Enough | Ko - Enter | Pou - Envelope | Ku - Err | Sa - Escape, to | Chu - Eternal | Sang sang - Every | Ka - Examine | Cha; kau - Exchange | T'ioh - Expect | Sang nieh - Expend | Fai - Extinguish | Ta - Extreme | Chiang - Eye | Mai - Eyebrow | Keh nang - Face, the | Mai - Far | T'o - Farthest | Chiung - Fast | 'Hi; Hang - Fear, to | Hsi - Feed, to | I - Feel (touch), to | Sang - Felt (fabric) | Hsi - Female | A - Fern | Ho chiang - Fetch | 'Hlioh - Few | Hsiu; Pa - Fight, to | Tüeh - Fine | Moung - Finger | Ta pi - Fir | Tou kei - Fire | T'u - Firewood | T'u - First | Tang tang - Fish | Nieh - Five | Chia - Fix, to | Ting - Flat | P'i - Flesh | Ngi - Float, to | Ch'a - Flour | Pai - Flow, to | 'Hlao - Flower | Pieh - Follow | Hang - Fond of | Ghou - Foolish | Niah - Foot, the | Lao - " (a measure) | Ch'i - Forest | Ghou - Forget | Tung - Fork, a | Tia. - Four | 'Hlao - Fowl | Kei - Fragments, in | Sai - Frank | Niang 'hui - Friend | Ka pou - Fruit | Chiang - Full | Pai - Furniture | Chia shih - Gain, to | Hsüeh - Gallop, to | Yeh - Generation | Pai - Get, to | Tao - Girdle, a | Hsioh - Give | Pai - Go away | Moung - " out | 'Hliu kou - " towards | Moung - Goat | Li ghou - Gold | Chieh - Gong | Nioh - Good | Ghou - Good-looking | Niang - Goods | Hu - Goose | Ngieh - Granary | Niung - Grandson | 'Hlieh - Grasp, to | Wa - Grass | Niang - Grasshopper | Kou - Grave, a | Pa liang - Gray | Hsiang - Great | 'Hlioh - Green | Nioh - Grief | A shi - Ground, the | Tah - Grow | Lai - Guest | K'a - Hair | Ha 'hliang - Half | Tang - Hand | Pi - Hang, to | Tioh - " up | Fi - Hard | Koh - Hare | Lo - Harm, to | 'Ha - Haul, to | Toh - Have | Mai - He | Ngi - Head | Koh - " of criminal | Fi - Hear | Tang - Heart | 'Hlu - Heavens | Vai - Heavy | Tiung - Heel | Lia - Helm | Tui niang - Here | Ha nung - High | 'Hi - Hold (ship's) | Niang nung - Hold (in hand), to | Luh - " (of), to lay | Tieh - " (of), to clutch | Wa - Home | Chieh - Hope, to | Sang nieh - Horn | Ki - Horse | Ma - Hot | Hsioh - House | Chieh - Hundred | Pa - I | Vai - Idle | Ngai - In | Tiu - Inch | Sai - Inform | Hsieh - Inhabit | Niang - Injure | 'Ha - Injurious | Nia tiu - Ink | Mö - Inn | P'au - Insect | Ai tiou - Inside | Keh tiung - Interest | Liang - Iron | 'Hlou - Jaws | Mang - Join, to | 'Ha - Joint (of body) | Yeh - Jump | Ti; Shu - Kill | Ma - Kind (sort) | Tiu - Kitchen | Kau sao - Kite (bird) | 'Hlieh - Kneecap | Koh chiang - Know | Pang - Lake | Ung - Lamp | Tai - Language | Si - Large | 'Hlioh - Late | Pang - Laugh, to | Tioh - Layer | Lang - Leaf | Nou - Learn | Liu - Leather | Ka li - Leg | Pa - Leisure | K'ung - Lend | T'u - Length (time) | Tah pang - Leopard | Mpieh - Letter | Sai - Lie, to tell a | 'Hli si - Light | Ka - " (weight) | Fa - " to | Tiao - Lightning | Li foh - Like | Toh - Lime | Gi 'hui - Lined | Tang - Lips | Pou lo - Little, a | Nang - Live at, to | Ai - Load (pack) | Tu - Loins | 'Hla - Long | Ta - Lose | Fa; Fieh - Louse | Keh hsiang - Loutish | Niah - Love, to | A - Magpie | Au kah - Make | Ai - Male | Tia - Man | Nai - Many | Nao - Market, a | Hsiang - Mast | Tou niang - Master | Ka - Mat | Tieh - Meat | Ngi - Medicine | Chia - Meet, to | Hui - Mend | P'ai - Method | Hsiang - Milk | Voh - Miserly | K'ei - Miss, to | Fa - Mist | Ngioh - Moist | Li - Monstrous | Lo hsüeh - Month | Tu - Moon | 'Hla - Mountain | Pieh - Mouth | Lo - Move (act), to | Tioh - Mulberry | Chieh - Mule | Luh - Musket | Hsiung - Must | Tao; Sung ou - Nail | Tiang - " (finger) | Kang pi - Name | Pieh - Narrow | Ngi - Nation | Kuei - Near | Ngeh - Neck | Ka 'hlieh - Needle | Chiu - New | 'Hi - Niggardly | K'ei - Night | Pang - Nine | Chu - Noon | Tiung tai - North | Pei - Nose | Pao nüeh - Not | A - Note (bank) | P'iao - Numerative of boats | Chao - " books | Pai - " carts | Lai - " clothes | P'ang - " guns | Ka - " horses | Tei - " houses | Say - " ink | 'Hli - " lamps | Lai - " men | Lai - " pens | Kai - " stools | Lai - Oak | Tou kau - Oar | 'Hliu niang - Odd (over) | Ka - Office (public) | Ngah - Officer (military) | Kuei lieh - Oil | Tiang - Old (years) | Lu - " (not new) | Koh - On | Vai - One | Yi - Onion | Gha sung - Open, to | Pu - Or | Hu - Order (in series) | Ka - Ounce | Liang - Outside | Keh kou - Owe (money) | K'eh - Ox | Lia - Place, a | Tuoh - Pack, to | Chi - Pain | Mang - Paint, to | 'Ha - Pair, a | Niu - Pan, cooking | Vi - Paper | Tu - Part | Fai - Pass, to | Tioh - Paste | 'Hnieh - Patch, to | Hsi - Peaceful | Pi - Peas | Vieh chioh - Pen | Chieh - Pheasant | Niung - Picul | Tan - Pig | Pa - Pigeon | Koh ghoa - Pipe (tobacco) | Tiung yeh - Pit, a | Kang - Pity, to | Ch'i kuei - Place, to | 'Hlia - " a | Tiao - " in a series | Ka - Plates | P'ieh - Play, to | A chieh - Plough | Kah - Point, a | Ngah - Poor | Hsia - Possessive particle | Pieh - Pot | Chieh - Pour, to | Chia; Liang - Powder | Chia pa - Prepare | Hao - Present, the | Nung - " to | Pai - Price | Ka - Prohibit | A hsüeh - Prompt | Niang 'hui - Proud | Au - Province, a | Sai - Pull | 'Hlioh - Pupil | Chu tai - " of eye | Chiu chi - Pursue | Ngong; T'ou - Put, to | 'Hlia - " on | Nieh - Queue | Chiao mi - Quick (temper) | 'Hi - " (speed) | Hang - Quiet | T'ieh - Rage, to be in a | Toh - Rain | Nung - Raise | Sai - Rat | Nieh - Raw | Niu - Rebel, to | Fieh - Receive | Hshou - " (a guest) | Sei - Reckon | Sui; Ngieh - Recline | Pang - Recognise | Hsiang - Red | Hsiau - Rejoice | Ka 'hi - Relatives | Hsiu ka - Release, to | Hsiang - Remember | Nieh - Remove | Hsiou - Repair | Hsüeh - Repay | Poh - Repeatedly | Chi chiang - Repose, to | Hui - Represent | Tang - Request, to | Sai; Tou - Resemble | Tung - Respectable | Lah - Return, to | Loh; Tiang - Rice | Ka; Sai - Ride, to | Chieh - Ridge (mountain) | Fai 'hlong - Right, to be | Ku-i - Ripe | Hsieh - Rise, to | Fa - River | Tiang - Road | Keh - Robber | Tsui; Nieh lei - Room, a | Ch'ung - Root (tree) | Chiung - Round | 'Hlui - Rounds, to go the | 'Ha - Rub, to | Mang - Run, to | Yeh - " against | Luh - Sad | Mang 'hi - Salt | Hsieh - Saucers | P'ieh niu - Scatter | Tiang - Scrape, to | Kieh - Sea | 'Hai - See, to | Ngieh - Seek | Hao - Select, to | Tioh - Sell | Mei - Sentence (words) | Ho - Set, a | Pang - Seven | Hsiung - Several | Hao nao - Shallow | Nieh - Shame | Sa - Share | Fai - Shave | T'i - Sheep | Li - Sheet (paper) | Lieh - Shine | Chieh - Shirt | Uh lai - Shoes | 'Ha - Shop | P'au - Short | Lai - Shoulders | Hang chieh - Shut | Suh - Side | Pau; P'i - Sides (body) | Hang - Silk | Hsieh - Silly | Niah - Silver | Ngi - Similar | Toh - Sing | Tiao - Single | Tei; Chiang - Sit | Niang - Six | Tiu - Sleep, to | Pieh 'hlai - Sleeve | Mu - Slow | A 'hi - Small | Niu - Snow | 'Hliu - Soft | Mai - Soldier | Lieh - Some | Nao hsiu; Pa - Son | Pu tai - Sound, a | Poh - Soup | Ch'ia - South | Nan - Sovereign | Vang - Sow, to | Tiang - Spacious | Fieh - Sparrow | Nau tioh - Speak | Kang - Spider | Keh gah - Spine, the | Tiu - Spirit, a | Sai - Spoil, to | P'a - Spoon | Tiao kên - Spread | Pou - Spring | Ch'ün - Sprinkle | Tia - Sprouts | I - Staff, a | Pang - Stand up | Hsiu - Stars | Tai kai - Steal | Nieh - Still (quiet) | T'ieh - Stitch | Ngang - Stockings | Wa - Stone, a | Gi - Stool, a | Tang - Storey, upper | Pang - Stove, a | Sao - Straight | Tei - Strange | Lo - Street | Ka - Strength | Go - Strike, to | Tüeh - String (of cash) | Tioh - Strong | Mai^1 go - Study, to | Ngi - Stupid | Chiu niu - Stutterer | La - Subscribe | Chiang - Suddenly | Ngai - Sugar | T'ang - Suitable | Pi-i - Summer | Hsia - Sun | Tai - Surname | Sai - Swallow, to | Kuai - Sweat | Tiang - Sweep, to | Ch'ieh - Swim, to | Ch'a - Table | Tang - Take, to | Tieh - " off | Ta; 'Hlüeh - Tea | Chiang - Teach | Chiao - Teacher | Hsiang li - Tell | Hsieh - Temple | Nioh - Ten | Chiu - Tender | Igi - Terrace, a | Tiang - That | Ai; Moung; Tieh - There | Ha moung - They | Ngi tau - Thick | Ta - Thigh | Pa - Thin | Ngieh - Thing | Keh nung keh ai - Think | Niah - This | Nung - Thou | Moung - Thousand | Say - Thousand, ten | Ver - Thread | Foh - Three | Pieh - Throat | Ka kung - Throw, to | Yoh - Thunder, to | Poh foh - Tie up | Chiah - Tiger | Hsioh - Tile, a | Ngai - Time | Shih - Time, a long | La - Tin | Say - Tobacco | Yeh - Together with | 'Ha - Tongue | Ni - Tooth | Mpi - Torn | Ni - Towards | Sang - Trade | Chiang - Treat, to | Ta - Tree | Tou - Trifle | A chieh - Trouble | Goh - Trousers | K'au - True | Tei - Turnip | Go pang 'hluh - Two | Au - Typhoon | 'Hlioh chiang - Ugly | Hsia ka - Uncap, to | 'Hlüeh - Understand | Tang - Up | Chieh - Up, to get | Fa - Upright | Ta ti - Upset, to | Koh - Urge | Sui - Use, to | Hsia - Vase | To - Vegetables | Ngau - Very | Kuai; Va - Village | Yüeh - Visit, to | Ch'iu - Wadded | Pong - Wait | Tang - Waist | 'Hla - Wall, city | Hao - Want, to | Ou - Warm | Hsioh - Wash | So; Sa - Watch (night) | Kêng - Wave, a | Lang - Wax | La - We | Pieh - Weak | Mai ^4go - Wear, to | Tou; Tiao - Weigh | 'Hlia - Weight | Tiung fa - Well, a | Mai - Wet | Hsiu - What? | Kai shi - Wheat | Ka mieh - Whence | Kêng hang - White | 'Hluh - Who? | Tê shi - Wild | Ghou - Wind | Chiang - Winding | Koh - Window | Kantlong - Wine | Chu - Winter | Tung - Wish, to | Hang - With | 'Ha; Na - Woman | Mi - Wood, a | Ghou - Wooden | Tou - Wool | 'Hliang li - Words | Li - Worth, to be | Hsi - Wrap, to | Kuei - Write | Sei - Yam | Nah - Year | 'Hniu - Yellow | Fieh - Yesterday | Tai nung - Yet | Niang - You | Moung - You (pl.) | Mieh - Youth | Yi - - - - -NOTE ON OPIUM CULTIVATION IN CHINA AND INDIA. - - -In Chapter II. I made special reference to the cultivation of the poppy -and to the method of harvesting opium in Western China; but subsequent -personal observation in the eastern provinces has taught me that the -process, employed in the west, of collecting the juice is not the only -system practised in China. At Wênchow, in the province of Chêkiang, -where the poppy is extensively grown, a small instrument resembling a -carpenter's plane takes the place of the multi-bladed wooden handle, -and the workman planes the skin of the capsule from the top downwards, -leaving a thin shaving adhering to the lower end of the poppy-head. -This is repeated four or five times round the same capsule at due -intervals. A dry cloudy day is selected for harvesting the drug, for -sunshine and rain are said to be inimical to a good collection. In -the former, the sap will not flow freely, while the latter dilutes -the drug. As soon as the side of the capsule has been planed, the -sap exudes from the exposed surface--sometimes so rapidly as to drop -down on the leaves and stem and be lost--and the collector, provided -with only a hollow bamboo wherewith he roughly scrapes off the juice, -follows close on the heels of the workman with the plane. - -That the system in use in Western China approximates very nearly to -the Indian method will be seen from the following remarks on opium -cultivation in Western Malwa, for which I am indebted to my brother, -Andrew Hosie, C.M., M.D., Army Medical Staff, Mhow:-- - -"Opium cultivation in Western Malwa is carried on entirely by the -subjects of the native princes who rule in this part of India. The -seasons in Malwa are three, the hot, the rainy, and the cold; the hot -prevailing from the middle of March to the middle of June, the rainy -from the middle of June to the end of September, and the cold from that -onwards to the middle of March. The average rainfall is about thirty -inches, and the extremes of heat and cold experienced in Northern -India are wanting in this region. The soil is of the cotton variety, -resting on disintegrating trap rock. It is well watered by numerous -small streams, which ultimately find their way into the Jumna. Along -the banks of these streams, towards the end of the rainy season, the -industrious ryot and his family set about preparing the fields for -the poppy planting. They are first carefully manured with the village -refuse, ploughed and rolled after a most primitive fashion, and then -divided into rectangular plots about five feet by four, with a raised -border of earth some four inches high all round. These plots are so -arranged as to allow of their being watered with the greatest facility -from the stream or wells in the immediate vicinity. The seed having -been sown in the plots, the watering commences, the poppy, like the -sugar cane, being one of the thirstiest of plants. Morning and evening, -the ryot with his bullocks may be seen at the wells dragging up the -big skins of water, which is run by a series of gutters into the plots -all over the thirsty fields. This watering is carried out every third -day. The seeds having germinated and reached a few inches in height, -the superfluous plants are carefully weeded out, leaving ample space -for every individual plant remaining. About the beginning of January -they burst into beautiful red and white flowers, and the odour of the -poppy pervades the land. Towards the end of February, when the petals -begin to fall, and the capsules are still unripe and filled with milky -juice, the collection of the crop begins. In the evening, the opium -collector goes round and with a sharp knife scarifies each capsule on -one side in three parallel perpendicular cuts. He is careful that these -cuts are only superficial, for, if they penetrated into the interior -of the capsule, a loss of opium would take place and the oil-bearing -seed be spoiled. Next morning the collector goes round and collects -the tears of opium which have exuded during the night; these, as he -collects them, he either places in the palm of his hand or in a small -flat dish. The morning collection having been made, it is placed in an -earthenware vessel containing linseed oil. After this the process of -scratching and collecting is repeated three times on opposite sides of -the same capsule. It takes about a month to collect the whole crop. -Here the ryot's dealing with the opium ends; it is conveyed to the -opium merchants at such centres as Indore, the capital of the Maharajah -Holkar, where it is made up for exportation. - -"Malwa opium is found in many varieties, the principal of which are -flat circular cakes of about 4 to 8 and 16 ounces in weight, without -any external covering, soft blackish brown, with a heavy odour, and -pungent, bitter taste. Another variety occurs in balls about 10 -ounces in weight, covered with broken poppy petals, dry, hard, and -brittle, and of a reddish colour. The yield of morphia--the true test -of quality--varies from 3 to 8 per cent., a very good percentage, so -that Malwa opium is looked upon in the medical world as being a very -reliable drug. - -"After the opium crop has been obtained, the capsules are collected, -crushed, and the seed gathered. From this a yellowish oil is extracted, -much used by the natives for burning and cooking purposes. The seeds -themselves have no narcotic properties, and enter into the ingredients -of curries, and in some parts a sort of bread is made from them. - -"Opium in its crude form is largely consumed by the cultivators -themselves, but not, as far as I am aware, to much excess. I have often -asked why they took it, and the answer has invariably been that it made -them feel happy, and that they were only by it able to do their day's -work. - -"Opium has been called the gift of God to man, and its many uses in -alleviating human suffering justify the expression; but the miserable -wrecks of humanity one sees from its abuse remind one forcibly how a -good may be turned to an evil, a blessing to a curse. - -"Mhow, May 8, 1889." - - - - -INDEX. - - - _Abutilon avicennae_, 22, 169 - - Agencies at Ch'ung-k'ing, Mercantile, 213 - - Agents at Ch'ung-king, British, 217 - - Agriculture in Yün-nan, 205 - - _Alba cera_, 189 - - _Aleurites cordata_, 18 - - Alien races, 123 - - Alpenstocks, Buddhist, 176 - - Amherst pheasants, 134 - - Ammunition, Stone, 66; - Phö, 227 - - Andrew, Mr. George, 134 - - Anhui, 190 - - Aniline dyes, 83 - - Animals, Chinese cruelty to, 44, 64 - - An-ning Chou, 56, 140, 143 - - An-ning River, 110, 111, 114, 116, 191, 192, 195 - - An-pien, 185 - - An-p'ing Hsien, 37, 38 - - An-shun Fu, 35, 38, 39, 40 - - Aquatic plants, 17 - - _Arachis hypogæa_, 83 - - Arbre, Memoire sur la cire d', 189 - - Archways, Memorial, 39, 45, 71, 84 - - Armadillo skins, 91 - - _Arum aquaticum_, 163 - - Asbestos cloth, 106 - - Ash, 170, 197 - - _Atlas Sinensis, Novus_, 189 - - - Baber, Mr., 70, 104, 105, 112, 113, 127, 133, 134, 140, 172, - 190, 191, 192 - - Bamboo, 22, 27, 73, 82, 84, 88, 89, 160, 163, 165, 167; - hats, 44; - paper, 19 - - Bangles, 38 - - Banyan, 22, 72, 82, 163, 171, 184 - - Bark paper, 153 - - Barley, 16, 36, 37, 40, 50, 59 - - Barrow, Chinese, 89 - - _Batatas edulis_, 169 - - Beads, 124, 136 - - Bean-curd, 68; - bean-sauce, 169 - - Beans, 12, 22, 25, 37, 68, 71, 72, 82, 113, 115, 125, 126, 141, - 149, 163, 165, 167, 172 - - Bedroom, Description of a Chinese, 81 - - Beech, 88 - - Bees, 110 - - Bees' wax, 136 - - Beetle, Wax insect, 193, 197 - - Beggars, 40, 85, 91, 172, 175 - - Bells of pack-animals, 67 - - Bhamo, 55, 139, 204, 205 - - Birthday, Queen's, 51 - - Blakiston, Captain, 8, 16 - - Blue Books, 217 - - _Boehmeria nivea_, 73 - - Botanist's paradise, A, 135 - - Bracelets, 230 - - _Brachytarsus_, 193, 194 - - Bracken, 37, 72 - - Bramble, 129 - - Brick tea, 93, 95, 209; - its picking, value and carriage, 93-95; - carriers, 20, 94, 99; - preparation, 93; - Russian, 95; - standard of sale, 94; - three qualities of brick tea, 94; - transport, 94, 209 - - Bridges, 48, 62, 67, 84, 90, 91, 93, 97, 143, 152, 153, 158, - 166, 167, 177, 181; - floating, 93; - natural, 48, 62, 154; - plank, 9; - suspension, 67 - - Bristles, Pigs', 90 - - Brius, 125 - - Bronze pagodas, 174, 175; - temple, 174 - - Brooches, 96, 230 - - Broumton, Mr., 226 - - _Broussonetia papyrifera_, 153 - - Buckwheat, 45, 48, 59, 149, 169 - - Buddha, 171, 175 - - Buddha, Glory of, 162, 174-175, 177 - - Buddha's hand, 32; - tree, 100 - - Buddhist alpenstocks, 176; - priests, 172, 175; - temples, 173, 175 - - Buffalo, White wax, 193 - - Buffaloes, 37, 124 - - Bugs, 151 - - Burmah, 34, 56, 138, 145, 157, 296; - Upper, 138, 203; - trade with China, 125, 139, 145 - - - Cactus, 43, 100, 128 - - Caindu, 112, 122 - - Cakes, Insect-wax, 191 - - Cakes, Poppy-seed, 37 - - Camel, 140 - - _Camellia thea_, 56 - - Canals, Irrigating, 88, 171 - - Candles, Wax, 191 - - Cane-brakes, 82 - - Canton, 31, 86, 144, 204, 205; - Canton peddlers, 139; - Canton province, 142; - Canton River, 41 - - Carajan, Western, 129, 130 - - Caravan, 14, 67, 68, 70, 142, 148, 149, 162, 179, 183 - - Carcases of pack-animals, 64 - - Carp, 137 - - _Carthamus tinctorius_, 83 - - Carts, 32, 46, 55, 66, 121, 149 - - Cash currency, 15 - - Cassia, 113 - - Catastrophe, A mining, 154 - - Cave dwellings, 168, 170; - exploring, 47; - limestone, 40, 154; - Man-tzu caves, 168; - of the spirits, 42 - - Cement, A natural, 165 - - Central Provinces of China, 160, 222 - - Cereals:-- - Barley, 16, 36, 40, 50, 59 - Buckwheat, 45, 48, 59, 149, 169 - Indian corn, or maize, 68, 113, 149, 163, 172 - Millet, 163 - Oats, 45, 47, 48, 59, 149 - Rice, 15, 36, 68, 113, 163, 224 - Wheat, 12, 22, 25, 36, 37, 40, 46, 50, 59, 71, 82, 99, - 113, 115, 128, 141, 147, 149 - - Chair coolies, 14; - Hongs, 15 - - Chambers of Commerce:--Bengal, 221; - Manchester, 202; - Shanghai, 190, 217 - - Ch'ang--a Chinese measure of distance, 101 - - Chan-i Chou, 40, 50, 51, 145, 147 - - Chan-i-Chou Plain, 147, 148-149 - - Chanseaume, Père, 189 - - Chao-t'ung Fu, 65, 145, 155, 222; - Lake, 65; - Plain, 65, 66, 152, 222 - - Ch'ao Chou, 140 - - Chao-chou Fu, 142 - - Charcoal, 78, 84 - - Chefoo Agreement, 2, 8, 210, 211, 212, 216 - - Chê-kiang, 73, 190, 287 - - Chên-nan Chou, 140 - - Chên-ning Chou, 40, 41 - - Ch'êng Hai, 125 - - Ch'êng-tu Fu, 70, 85-87, 89, 92, 144 - - Ch'êng-tu Plain, 84, 88 - - Ch'i-chiang Hsien, 19, 20, 21, 22 - - Ch'i-chiang River, 20, 24, 208 - - Ch'i-hsing River, 153; - Bridge, 153 - - Chi-kan-shih, 186 - - Chia-ling River, 12, 71, 162, 163, 164, 168, 208, 209 - - Chiang-ti, 64, 65 - - Chia-ting Fu, 21, 87, 101, 102, 162, 170, 177, 178, 193, - 194, 195, 196, 197 - - Chien-ch'ang, 70, 87, 99, 102, 111, 112, 192, 193, 195, 196; - Valley, 115, 140, 192, 194, 195, 197, 200, 209 - - Chien Chou, 83; - Plain, 83, 84 - - Chien-wei Hsien, 195 - - "Chih Yün-nan K'u," 46 - - Chihli, 85, 190 - - Ch'ih-shui Hsün, 156 - - Ch'ih-shui River, 28, 155, 208 - - Chimneyless houses, 51, 52 - - Chin-chi Pass, 92 - - Chin Chiang, 111, 124, 126, 184, 204 - - Chin-chiang-kai, 126, 127 - - Chin-sha Chiang, 69, 204 - - Chin-yin-shan, 154 - - China, Commercial Metropolis of, 13; - grass, 163; - Inland Mission, 55, 144, 226; - "Nouvelle Rélation de la Chine," 189; - Old Commercial Highway in, 31; - root, 106; - South Western, 57, 203, 224; - trade, 203; - Western, 1, 2, 8, 57, 60, 76, 87, 95, 111, 114, 117, 139, - 143, 145, 171, 190, 201, 203, 210, 212, 216, 217, 220, - 221, 223, 224, 225, 287. - - Ch'ing-chên Hsien, 36, 37 - - Ch'ing-ch'i Hsien, 98-99 - - Ching-liu River, 167 - - Ch'ing-lung Hai, 141 - - Ching-mu tree, 88 - - Ching-shui River, 180 - - Ch'ing T'an Rapid, Descent of the, 9-11 - - Chiu-ya-p'ing, 124 - - Chiung Chou, 90, 91, 92, 93 - - Chou-pa-ch'ang, 180, 181 - - Ch'u-hsiung Fu, 142 - - Ch'ung-k'ing, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 31, 51, - 69, 70, 71, 72, 134, 135, 142, 145, 156, 158, 160, - 162, 168, 178, 185, 187, 188, 193, 195, 209, 212, - 213, 214, 215, 216, 217,218, 219, 220, 222, 226 - - Ch'ung-shu (or "Insect Tree"), 192 - - Ch'ung-tu-ch'ang, 183, 184 - - _Citrus sacrodactylus_, 100 - - Civility, Chinese, 48 - - Civil War, Ravages of, 38, 127-128, 145, 205 - - Clays, Coloured, 150 - - Coal, 6, 16, 24, 28, 36, 42, 44, 48, 65, 72, 75, 83, 95, 97, - 122, 150, 152, 157, 163, 166, 207, 220; - dust as fuel, 29 - - _Coccus pe-la_, 193, 194, 199 - - Cocoons, 21, 193 - - Coir, 8, 175 - - Colquhoun, Mr., 55, 203, 221 - - Commerce, Bengal Chamber of, 221; - Manchester Chamber of, 202; - Shanghai Chamber of, 190, 217 - - Commissioner, Financial, 154 - - Competitive Examinations in China, 147-148 - - "_Comptes Rendus_," 189 - - Confucius, 90 - - Conservative character of the Chinese, 212 - - Consular Officer at Ch'ung-k'ing, 2, 13 - - Contempt for foreigners, Chinese official, 53 - - Copper, 24, 49, 60, 96, 102, 113, 119, 120, 152, 154, 205, 207, 221 - - _Coptis teeta_, 95 - - Cormorant fishing, 110 - - Cotton, 76, 89, 100, 102, 113, 126, 160, 164, 166, 169, 209, 222; - foreign cottons, 34, 160, 209; - native cottons, 64, 76, 160, 209 - - "Country of the Golden Teeth," 138 - - Courtesy, 134; - marked Chinese, 142 - - "Crackling-flea Tree," 192 - - Crampoons, 97 - - Cucumbers, 167 - - _Cudrania triloba_, 21, 169 - - Customs, Chinese Imperial Maritime, 200 - - Cypress, 22, 84 - - - Date tree, 100 - - Davenport, Mr., 140 - - Dawson, Lieutenant, 217 - - Deers' horns, 91 - - Defences, Native, 66 - - Degrees, Chinese, 148 - - Deity, A roadside, 157 - - Devotees, 42 - - Dice, 72 - - Diet, Chinese, 20 - - Dinner, A sumptuous, 52 - - Discomforts of travel, 15, 39, 61, 63, 64, 114, 118, 128, - 141, 149, 163, 180, 182, 183, 184, 225 - - Dog, Tribute to my, 52 - - Dogs, Tibetan, 134 - - "Dragon-Prince" temple, 41 - - Duck, Wild, 53, 141, 144, 166 - - Dyes, 83, 96, 113 - - Dysentery, 188 - - - Ear-rings, 38, 39, 96, 124, 230 - - Earthquake in the Plain of Chien-ch'ang, 112 - - Eastern export, Chief articles of, 208 - - Eldorado, A Chinese, 115 - - Entomology, Chinese, 194 - - Erh Hai, 129, 132 - - Escorts, 33, 37, 41, 48, 53, 98, 107, 109, 143, 177, 179, 181, 183 - - "Eternal Peace" Bridge, 65 - - Ethnology of non-Chinese races, 225 - - Europe, 208 - - Evaporation (salt) sheds, 78 - - "Evergreen Tree," 192 - - Examinations in China, Competitive, 147-148 - - Exchange in China, 15 - - Expedition (1861), Upper Yang-tsze, 184, 220 - - - Fair at Ta-li Fu, 134, 230 - - Fan palm, 163, 167 - - Fans, 73 - - Father, A sporting French Missionary, 60-61 - - _Fatsia papyrifera_, 22 - - Feathers, Novel use of, 72 - - Fêng-tu Hsien, 209 - - Ferry-boats, 156 - - Fever, 108, 128, 177, 179, 180 - - Financial Commissioner of Yün-nan, 154 - - Fir, 22, 44, 88, 128, 163, 166, 167, 180 - - Fire-wells, 80 - - Fish, 17, 53, 66, 137, 168 - - Fishing in the Yang-tsze, Method of, 18 - - Floating bridge, 93 - - "Flying Dragon" Pass, 95 - - Folklore, 139 - - Food of the Chinese, Daily, 15 - - Fording a torrent, 62 - - Foreign Office, 161, 190, 191 - - Fortune, R., 190 - - Fossils, 43 - - France, 208, 212 - - _Fraxinus Chinensis_, 169, 197 - - French Bishop, 55; - Commission, 130; - Consul, 50; - hospitality, 60-61, 124; - the French in Tonquin, 2 - - Friar's Balsam, 92 - - Frogs, Bull, 166 - - Fruit trees, 116; - Wild, 110 - - Fruits:--date, 94, 100; - melons, 163, 167; - orange, 94; - orange groves, 84, 163; - pear, 94, 100, 116; - strawberry, 22; - walnut, 149 - - Fu Chiang River, 164 - - Fu Chou, 31, 209 - - Fu-kuan-ts'un, 185 - - Fu-lin, 100 - - Fu-lu-ch'ang, 178 - - Fu-shun Hsien, 76 - - Fu t'ou-kuan, 12, 24, 163 - - Fuel, Coal-dust, 29 - - Fuhkien, 190, 201 - - - Gall-nuts, 31 - - Geese, 144 - - Gill, Captain, 8, 190 - - Gingalls, 178 - - Ginger, 163 - - Ginseng, 176 - - Glory of Buddha, 162, 174-175, 177 - - Goats, 59, 123, 124 - - Goître, 49, 52, 115, 116 - - Gold, 154 - - Gold-silver-Mountain, 154 - - "Golden River" (Chin-Chiang), 111, 126, 184, 191, 192 - - "Golden Summit," 174, 175 - - "Golden Teeth," Country of the, 138 - - Gorges of the Yang-tsze, 7, 8, 9, 30, 214, 215, 217 - - Governor-Generals, or Viceroys, in China, 85 - - Governor of Kuei-chow, 33 - - Graduates, Chinese, 148 - - "Granary" Gorge, 9 - - Granite, 29; - granite foundations of houses, 126 - - Grass, China, 163; - cloth, 73, 75, 164, 169; - plains, 37, 43 - - Gravestones, 129 - - Great Khan, The, 1 - - Great River (Upper Yang-tsze), The, 16, 71, 207 - - Great Wall, The, 44 - - Greed, Chinese, 44 - - Grooves, Trade, 212 - - Grosvenor Mission, 57, 68, 134, 140 - - Ground-nuts, 83, 169; - ground-nut oil, 83 - - Guard-houses, 33, 107, 108, 109 - - Guerilla warfare against the Lolos, 181 - - - Hailstorm, Terrific, 36, 116 - - Hainan, 190 - - Hai-t'ang, 104, 106 - - Hallett, Mr., 203 - - Han Dynasty, Minor, 81 - - Hanbury, Daniel, 190 - - Hang-chou, 118, 119, 120; - Valley, 119 - - Hankow, 2, 3, 11, 34, 95, 173, 206, 211, 212, 218, 219 - - Harpies, Official, 85 - - Hats, Bamboo, 44; - Straw, 142 - - Hawthorn, 155 - - Heads, Exposed, 58 - - "Heaven-born-bridge," 154 - - "Heaven's Bridge," 154 - - Hei (or Black) Miao, 226 - - Hei-wu Hai-tzu, 125 - - Hemp, 22, 68, 163, 169; - hempen clothes, 152 - - Hêng River, 67, 68, 158, 160, 185, 204 - - Hides, 208 - - Highwaymen's punishment, 58 - - Ho-chiang Hsien, 156 - - Ho Chou, 162, 163, 164, 166; - Plain, 164 - - Ho-hsi, 116 - - Ho-pei Hsün, 156 - - Ho-pien Hsün, 117 - - Hodgson, Mr., 105 - - Hogs' tusks, 124 - - Holkar, The Maharajah, 289 - - Honeysuckle, 22 - - Hooker, Sir Joseph, 191 - - Horse-boy's death, 188 - - Horse-pistol, 139, 187 - - Horses, 38 - - Hosie, Dr., 288 - - Hou-p'o, The drug, 95 - - Hsi Chiang (or West River), 204 - - Hsi-tsang, 130 - - Hsia-kuan, 136, 138, 139 - - Hsiao Hsiang Ling Pass, 108, 109 - - Hsiao-kuan, 97 - - Hsiao-shao, 108, 109 - - Hsin-ching Hsien, 89, 90 - - Hsin-p'ai-fang, 71 - - Hsing-lung-ch'ang, 167 - - Hsü-chou Fu (or Sui Fu), 9, 57, 67, 69, 155, 160, 162, - 185, 187, 188, 220 - - Hsü-yung T'ing, 155, 158 - - Hsüan-wei Chou, 150, 151 - - Hsüeh-shan range, 156, 157 - - Hua (or Coloured) Miao, 228 - - Hu-kwang, 189 - - Huang-chia-p'ing, 128 - - Huang-kuo-shu, 41 - - Huang-lien, The drug, 95 - - Huang-ni-p'u, 97, 98 - - Huang-sha, 198 - - Huang-shui-k'ou, 68 - - Hui-li Chou, 114 - - Hui-lung-ch'ang, 124 - - Hunan, 28, 35, 40, 189, 190; - braves, 181 - - Hung River, 67 - - Hupeh, 28, 189, 209 - - - Ichang, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, - 215, 217, 218, 219 - - I-li River, 60 - - Immigrants, Chinese, 28, 145, 207 - - Imperial Palace, Tea for the, 93 - - Indian Corn, or maize, 68, 113, 149, 163, 172 - - Indian Empire, 2, 140, 203, 204; - Opium cultivation in Western Malwa, India, 288-290 - - Indigo, 163 - - Indore, 289 - - Inns, 85, 92, 97, 104, 106, 113, 139, 142, 149, 180, 184, 185; - poetical description of, 25 - - Inquisitiveness, Chinese, 34, 52, 141, 150 - - Insect White Wax:--35, 102, 114, 120, 141, 161, 170, 195, 261; - tree, 169, 170, 171, 178, 191, 192; - culture, trees, insects, uses and value, 189-201 - - Inventiveness, Chinese, 96 - - Iron, 24, 31, 95, 97, 113, 121, 150, 166, 174, 207; - bridges, 30-31; - pans, 24, 89, 97 - - Irrawaddy, River, 204 - - Irrigation, Ingenious, 26, 121 - - - Jên-huai River, 208 - - Julien, Stanislaus, 189 - - Jumna, River, 288 - - _Juncus effusus_, 92 - - Jung-ch'ang Hsien, 72, 75, 167 - - Jung-ching Hsien, 93, 97 - - Jung-ching River, 97 - - - Ka-tou tribe, 228; - tongue, 229 - - Kan-shui, 24 - - Kao-ch'iao, 144 - - Kao-shan-p'u, 156 - - Keppel, Admiral, 217 - - Kerosene oil, 200 - - Kew, Royal Gardens at, 161, 192, 193 - - Khan, The Great, 1 - - Ki--a musical instrument of the Phö, 231 - - Kilts, Miao-tzu, 24, 230 - - K'o-tu River, 151, 152 - - Ku-lu River, 27 - - Ku-tsung tribe, 130, 134, 224 - - Ku-yü tea, 93-94 - - Kuan-ai Customs barrier, 31 - - Kuan-tzu-yao, 45 - - Kuang-t'ung Hsien, 140 - - Kuei-chow, 2, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28, 31, 32, - 39, 40, 41, 45, 48, 59, 76, 94, 96, 115, 145, - 150, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 160, 190, 203, 206, - 207, 219, 220, 221, 222, 224, 226, 227, 228 - - K'uei-chow Fu (K'uei Fu), 209, 214, 217, 220 - - Kuei-yang Fu, 32, 33, 34, 36, 44, 145, 147, 207, 226 - - K'un ming Hsien, 56, 155 - - K'un-ming Lake, 56 - - Kuang-t'an River, 31, 208 - - Kuo-chin-ch'ang, 142 - - Kwang-si, 43, 49, 189, 203 - - - La-kou, 198 - - La-sha, 198 - - Lai-yuan-p'u, 149, 150 - - Lakes:--Chao-t'ung 65; - Ching-lung, 141; - Sung-ming, 53; - Yün-nan, 53, 56; - Lake of the Black Mist, 125 - - Lan-ma-lu, 157 - - Lan-tsang River, 139 - - Lang-t'ai T'ing, 41, 42 - - Lang-wang-shan, 42 - - Lao-chün-tung, Temple of, 16 - - Lao-wa-t'an or Lao-ya-t'an, 67, 68 - - Lead, 50, 64, 152, 205 - - Leguilcher, Père, 130, 142 - - "Leather" paper, wrongly called, 153 - - "_Lettres Edificantes_," 189 - - Li--a Chinese measure of distance, 156 - - Li-chiang Fu, 130, 221 - - Li-su--a Man-tzu tribe, 124 - - Liang-shui-ching, 63 - - Licentiates, Chinese, 148 - - Lien-ch'ien-tzu, 160 - - Life-boats, 10 - - _Ligustrum lucidum_, 121, 192, 193, 194, 195, 199 - - Likin, 213, 216, 219 - - Limestone, 16, 28, 48, 151, 163, 166 - - "Lion's Bridge," 75 - - Lions, Stone, 45 - - Little, Mr., 8 - - Liu-sha River, 100 - - Lolos, 55, 59, 66, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108, 110, 123, - 162, 179, 181, 182, 224, 225, 230; - a Chinese army destroyed by the, 107; - deputation of, 123; - dress of the, 106, 110; - frequent raids of the, 107; - ornaments of the, 107; - weapons of the, 104 - - London, 148 - - Looms, 89, 164 - - Lu Chou, 20, 72, 154, 155, 158, 160 - - Lu-fêng Hsien, 140, 143 - - Lu-fêng Bridge, 143 - - Lu-fêng Plain, 143 - - Lu-ku, 110, 115 - - Lumber, 164 - - Lung-ch'ang Hsien, 75 - - Lung-ch'ang, Mines near, 75 - - Lung-tung, 99 - - - Ma, Imperialist Commander, 133 - - Ma-kai, 50 - - Ma-lung Chou, 51, 52 - - Ma-pien River, 180, 181 - - Ma-pien Ting, 177, 180, 181, 182 - - Magalhaes, Gabriel de, 189 - - _Magnolia sp._, 95 - - Maize (or Indian corn), 68, 113, 149, 163, 172 - - Malwa, Western, 288 - - Man-i-ssu, 184 - - Man-tzu, 122, 130, 179, 225, 226; - caves, 168; - ornaments, 124; - tribes, 123, 124; - turbans, 124; - women, 123-124 - - Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 202 - - Manuring, A new method of, 45 - - Mao-chien tea, 94 - - Mao-k'ou, 43; - River, 43 - - Marble quarries, 134, 135, 148 - - March, A forced, 182 - - Margary, A. R., 34, 47, 57, 140 - - Maritime Customs, Chinese Imperial, 200 - - Market-towns, 21, 71 - - Martini, 189 - - Marvellous, Fact mixed with the, 161 - - McLachlan, Mr., 193 - - Medicines, 91, 92, 113, 117, 164, 176, 208; - Chinese distrust of foreign, 92 - - Mekong, 139, 204 - - Melons, 163, 167 - - Memorial portals, 71 - - "Memoire sur la cire d'arbre," 189 - - Mêng-shan Hills, 93 - - Mêng-tzu Hsien, 50, 142 - - Mesny, Mr., 144 - - Metals:--copper, 24, 49, 60, 96, 102, 113, 119, 120, 152, - 154, 205, 207, 221; - gold, 154; - iron, 24, 31, 95, 97, 113, 121, 150, 166, 174, 207; - lead, 50, 64, 152, 205; - quicksilver, 207; - silver, 15, 151, 152, 154; - tin, 66, 142, 205; - zinc, 113 - - Metamorphosis, Wax insect, 190, 199 - - Mhow, 288 - - Mi-tsang (or "Granary") Gorge, 9, 214 - - Miao, Hei (or black), 226 - - Miao, Hua (or coloured), 228 - - Miao-tzu, 24, 28, 29, 32, 37, 38, 152, 206, 224, 227, 228, - 229, 230; - dress, 152, 230; - ornaments, 230 - - Mien-hua-ti, 124 - - Mien-shan, 110 - - Mien-tien, 51 - - Millet, 163, 169, 172 - - Mills, Water, 88 - - Min River, 69, 76, 87, 89, 91, 101, 102, 162, 168, 169, 170, - 174, 196, 208 - - Min-chia tribe, 130; - maidens, 136 - - Ming Dynasty, 112, 174 - - Ming-shan District, 92 - - Ming-shan Hsien, 91, 92, 93 - - Mining in China, 75, 154, 205 - - Missionaries and Mission Stations:--55, 60, 113, 124, 130, - 134, 142, 143, 144, 190, 226; - Les Missions Etrangères de Paris, 55; - China Inland Mission, 55, 144, 226 - - Mo-ni-ch'ang, 157 - - Mohammedan Rebellion, 54, 125, 127, 132, 205; - cemetery, 71, 130; - leader, Tu Wên-hsiu, 133 - - Mohammedans, 55, 134 - - Monkeys, 176 - - Morphia, 290 - - Mu-kua-shao, 151 - - Mulberry, 21, 22, 71, 100, 113, 114, 163, 165, 181 - - Mules, 49, 96, 117 - - Musical Instruments of the Phö, 230-231 - - Musk, 117, 208; - false, 136 - - - Na-ch'i-Hsien, 39, 160 - - Nan-ching-kai, 104 - - Nan Ho River, 91, 92 - - Nan-k'ou Pass, 44 - - Nan-kuang, 69; - River, 67, 68, 158, 160, 208 - - Nationalities, Different, 55 - - "Natural Bridge," 62, 154 - - Nature, A child of, 157 - - Nei-chiang Hsien, 168, 169 - - New Year, The Chinese, 72 - - Ni-tien-ch'ang, 181 - - Ning-yuan Fu, 87, 96, 108, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, - 118, 192; - Lake of, 112; - Plain, 110, 115 - - Niu-êrh (or white wax beetle), 193 - - Niu-lan River, 64, 65 - - Non-Chinese Villages, 38 - - Novel plan to prevent animal depredations, A, 72 - - - O-Mei Hsien, 170, 171, 177, 179 - - O-mei, Mount, 162, 170, 172, 175, 196; - Excursion to, 171-177; - Plain, 178 - - Oak, 28, 29, 30, 44, 125, 128, 140, 163, 167, 180 - - Oats, 45, 47, 48, 59, 149 - - Obstruction, Official, 177 - - Octroi, 219 - - Ohio, Petroleum used for street-lighting in, 79 - - Open ports in China, 216 - - Opium, 5, 6, 8, 11, 16, 17, 21, 29, 32, 39, 40, 41, 57, 83, 139, - 148, 157, 169, 185, 208, 213, 287; - oil from opium capsules, 290; - Note on opium cultivation in Western Malwa, India, 288-290 - - Orange groves, 84, 163 - - Originality, Chinese, 96 - - Ornaments, Silver, 99, 110 - - Otter-fishing, 168 - - Oxen, 38 - - - _Pachyma cocos_, 106 - - Pack-animals, Ornaments of, 135 - - Paddy-land, 40, 72, 84, 163, 165, 166, 167, 169; - planting, 58 - - Pagodas, 84, 136, 164, 174, 175 - - Pai-chang-ch'ang (or Pai-chang-yi), 91, 92 - - Pai-chang valley, 91 - - Pai-la-shu (or white wax tree), 197 - - Pai-shui, 48, 49, 50; - River, 41 - - Pai-yen-ching, 115, 122; - salt wells, 121-122 - - Pai-yi (a Man-tzu tribe), 124 - - Palace, Tea for the Imperial, 93 - - Palm, 22, 163, 167; - palm-coir, 175 - - Pan-pien-ch'ing, 61 - - Panorama, A magnificent, 129, 136 - - Pans, Iron, 24, 79 - - Pao-kê-ts'ao-shu, 192 - - Paper, bamboo, 19; - bark, 153; - straw, 25; - factories, 19 - - Parasites, Soldier, 86 - - Parliamentary Papers on China, 2; - on Insect White Wax, 191 - - Passports, 18 - - Pear, Prickly, 117 - - Pear trees, 94, 100, 116 - - Pearls, 112, 113 - - Peas, 12, 71, 82 - - Peculation, Official, 49 - - Peking, 29, 86, 93, 148, 154 - - Pe-sê T'ing, 49, 204 - - Petroleum, 79 - - _Pharmaceutical Journal_, 190 - - Pharmacopoeia, The Chinese, 91 - - Pheasants, 44; - Amherst, 134, 141 - - Phö:--224, 226-231; - ammunition of the, 227; - annual religious gathering of the, 230; - dress of the, 230; - language, 228-229; - language and vocabularies, 231-285; - language dying out, 227; - music and dancing, 231; - musical instruments, 230-231; - ornaments of the, 230; - struggle between the Chinese and the, 227; - women, 231 - - Pi-chi-kuan, 144 - - Pi-chieh Hsien, 153, 154, 155 - - Pictures on white marble, 135-136 - - Pig, A familiar, 63 - - Pigeons, 42 - - Pilgrims, 170, 171, 175; - at their devotions, 175 - - Pilot, A river, 186 - - Pines, 59, 82, 91, 110, 116, 119, 124, 125, 136, 140, 172, 173; - boards, 102, 114; - forests, 122, 175; - sprouts, 114 - - P'ing-i Hsien, 46, 47, 48 - - P'ing-pa, 103 - - P'ing-shan Hsien, 185, 220 - - "Pinnacle Pagoda," Blakiston's, 16 - - Pith paper, 22; - plant, 22 - - Pits, Clay, 150 - - Plague, Yün-nan, 128 - - P'o-kung, 41 - - Polo, Marco, 112, 122, 126, 129 - - Ponies, 39, 44, 49, 50, 51, 59, 61, 66, 86, 89, 96, 109, 117, 124 - - Pony, The Yün-nan, 50 - - Poppy, 11, 12, 16, 25, 27, 28, 32, 36, 37, 40, 46, 48, 59, 71, 84, - 99, 113, 115, 125, 126, 128, 129, 132, 141, 149, 155, 165, - 287, 288; - extraction of the juice, 17 - - Potatoes, 48, 51, 59, 149, 169, 175 - - Poverty around Ch'ing-chên, 37 - - Poverty and riches always hand in hand, 84 - - Powder, Miao-tzu, 227 - - Prayer, A dying patriot's, 133 - - Press, Native, 33 - - Prince, The White, 138 - - Prisoner, A distinguished, 89 - - Privet, 116, 121, 192 - - Proclamation, A Chinese, 154-155 - - Provisions, Tinned, 16 - - Public street-lighting in China, 200 - - P'u-êrh Fu, 55, 56; - tea, 56, 64, 66 - - Pumelo, 22, 82 - - "Pure soluble scarlet," 83 - - - Quarters, Strange, 149 - - Queen's Birthday, The, 51, 149 - - Quicksilver, 207 - - - Races, Non-Chinese, 224, 225 - - Railways, 65, 146, 157 - - Rain-coat incident, 58 - - Rainstorm, A tremendous, 149 - - Ramie fibre, 73 - - Rape, 16, 37, 71, 82, 99; - oil, 164 - - Rapids, 8, 9, 11, 159, 180, 185, 187, 206, 214, 217, 218, 219, 220 - - Rathouis, Père, 190 - - Red River, The, 204 - - Reed fences, 114 - - Refuges, Stone, 38, 66 - - Rest-houses, Official, 33 - - Revenue, Board of, 155 - - Review of Chinese troops, 134 - - Revolver, Advantage of being armed with a, 119 - - _Rhamnus sp._, 96 - - Rhubarb, 208 - - _Rhus vernicifera_, 164 - - Rice, 15, 36, 68, 113, 123; - broth, 184; - fields, 17, 45, 58, 88, 163, 196, 224; - hulling, 27, 88; - mills, 88; - paper, 22; - paper manufacture, 23 - - Richthofen, Baron von, 70, 90, 190 - - Rings, 38, 230 - - Riot at Hang-chou, 119 - - Rivers, Underground, 48, 152 - - Roads, 32, 140, 149, 183 - - Rocks, Fortress-shaped, 82 - - Romance in Chinese topographical names, 154 - - Roofs, Chinese, 100 - - Rose, Wild, 22 - - Ruins in Kuei-chow, 29 - - Rush wicks, 92 - - - Sacred Mountain of Western China, 95, 162, 170 - - Safflower, 83, 113, 164 - - Salt, 20, 39, 55, 64, 75, 76, 102, 115, 120, 121, 142, 144, - 153, 160, 164, 207, 208; - brine, 80; - carriers, 20; - cones, 111, 122; - currency, 122; - evaporation, 121; - Government control of, 79; - granular, 79; - junks, 160; - pan, 79; - wells, 75, 80, 84, 87, 121, 142, 144, 168, 170 - - Salutes, Chinese, 45 - - Salwen, River, 204 - - Samaritan, A good, 182 - - Sandals, Straw, 39, 92, 104 - - Sandalwood, 171 - - Sandstone, 48, 125 - - _Sapium sebiferum_, 169 - - Scales, Wax insect, 192, 193, 195, 197, 200 - - School, A Chinese, 59 - - Sentries, Chinese, 109 - - Sericulture, 21, 170; - Goddess of, 71 - - Sha-shih, 3 - - Shan States, 56, 157, 203; - the Shans, 55, 130, 224 - - Shan-hu-shu, 63, 64 - - Shan-tung, 189 - - Shang-kuan, 130, 136; - Plain, 130 - - Shanghai, 2, 24, 201, 205, 211, 212; - Chamber of Commerce, 190, 217; - native press, 33; - papers, 143 - - Shao-shang, 123 - - Shê-hung Hsien, 73 - - Shê-tz'u, 142 - - Sheep, 59, 124 - - Shells, Fresh-water, 137 - - Shên-ching-kuan, 45 - - Shifting sands in the Yang-tsze, 3 - - Shih-ch'i-ch'ang, 186 - - Shuan-ma-ts'ao, 103 - - Shuang-liu Hsien, 89 - - Shui-p'ang-p'u, 141 - - Shui-t'ang-p'u, 151; - silver mine of, 151 - - Shun-ching Fu, 83 - - Shweli River, 204 - - Sifans, 99, 101, 122, 222; - reputed immorality, 102; - language, 104-105; - modesty of the, 103; - ornaments, 99; - probably Tibetans, 124; - tribes, 102 - - Signboards, Shop, 86 - - Silk, 30, 68, 113, 165, 169, 208, 209, 220; - embroidery, 230; - weaving, 170 - - Silkworm, 21; - diet, 21; - eggs, 21, 165 - - Silver, 152, 154; - ingots, 15; - mine, 151, 152 - - Sincerity, Chinese, 97 - - _Sinensis, Novus Atlas_, 189 - - Skiffs, 66 - - Skins, Tiger and leopard, 134 - - Snow, 48, 83, 84, 97, 104, 119, 129, 132, 137; - storm, 107 - - Soda, 125 - - Songkoi River, 50, 56, 143, 204 - - Songs, Boat, 7, 166 - - _Sorghum vulgare_, 163 - - Soup-kitchens, 85 - - Soy, 164 - - Spring, A fine water, 65 - - Spirits, 164 - - Ssu-ch'uan:--2, 3, 4, 11, 20, 28, 30, 31, 51, 61, 64, 67, - 68, 70, 76, 81, 106, 107, 116, 121, 123, 125, 145, - 155, 156, 157, 160, 161, 164, 167, 185, 190, 192, - 193, 200, 203, 204, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 212, - 213, 214, 215, 216, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226; - fertility of, 167; - frontier, 9, 11; - hemp, 169; - import and export trade of, 213; - people, 165-166; - Plain, 84; - products of, 164, 208; - Viceroy of, 14; - waterways, 208 - - Stalactites, 47 - - Statements unreliable, Chinese, 97, 183 - - Steatite (or soapstone) ornaments, 201 - - _Sterculia platanifolia_, 169 - - _Stillingia sebifera_, 169 - - Stockades, 108 - - Stone tablets, 71 - - Straw hats, 142; - straw paper, 19; - straw sandals, 39 - - Strawberry, 22 - - Suburbs, Absence of, 30 - - Sugar, 76; - factories, 75, 83; - cane, 126, 169, 208 - - Sui-fang tea, 94 - - Sui Fu, _i.e._, Hsü-chou Fu, 9, 57, 67, 69, 155, - 160, 162, 185, 187, 188, 220 - - Sultan at Ta-li-Fu, The so-called, 130, 133 - - Summer drink, A Chinese, 137 - - Sung-k'an, 25 - - Sung-ming Lake, 53 - - Superstition, 60, 98, 113 - - Swallows, 166 - - Sweet-briar, 129, 155 - - Sweet oil, Poppy, 37 - - Sweet potatoes, 169 - - Sweet-tea, 172-173 - - "Switzerland," The Chinese, 206 - - - Ta-chien-lu, 94, 99, 100 - - Ta-ch'ung River, 111, 191 - - Ta-Hsiang-Ling Pass, 97, 99, 109; - ascent of the, 98 - - Ta-kuan River, 204, 208 - - Ta-kuan T'ing, 67 - - Ta-li Fu, 55, 70, 87, 114, 125, 128, 129, 130, 131, - 132, 137, 138, 139, 141, 142, 204, 205, 230; - annual fair at, 134; - Lake, 132, 134, 136, 137, 139, 140; - marble quarries of, 135; - Plain, 132, 136, 139; - ruins at, 138; - siege of, 133; - the so-called "Sultan" at, 130, 133 - - Ta-ping River, 204; - Valley, 205 - - Ta-shu-pao, 102 - - Ta-tsu Hsien, 166, 167 - - Ta-tu River, 100, 101, 103, 170, 171, 178, 196, 226 - - Ta-wang-miao, 128, 129 - - Taels, 4, 15 - - Tallow tree, The, 169, 181 - - "Tam O' Shanters," 110 - - T'ang-t'ang, 151 - - Tariff Import Duty, 210 - - Taros, 163, 167 - - Tartar garrisons, 86; - quarter at Ch'êng-tu, 84 - - Taxation of foreign goods, Grinding. 213, 216 - - Tea:--Brick tea, 93, 95, 209; - picking, value, and carriage of brick tea, 93-95; - brick tea carriers, 20, 94, 99; - preparation of brick tea, 93; - Russian brick tea, 95; - standard of sale of brick tea, 94; - three qualities of brick tea, 94; - tea for the Imperial palace, 93; - tea-growing districts and plantations, 68, 93, 97, 166; - tea hongs, 94, 95; - P'u-êrh tea, 56, 64, 66; - sweet tea, 172-173; - Tibetan way of eating tea, 95 - - Teal, 144 - - Tê-ch'ang, 195 - - Tei-li-pao, 117 - - Temples, 15, 40, 41, 42, 71, 120, 156, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175; - "Temple of a Myriad Ages," 172; - temple of the Goddess of Sericulture, 71 - - Têng-hsiang, 109 - - Theatrical performances, 72 - - Thunderstorm, A terrible, 43 - - Tibet, 20, 87, 93, 94, 99, 209; - caravan, 117; - criminal, 89; - mountains, 126; - ornaments, 96; - pilgrims, 95; - travellers, 89, 134; - way of eating tea, 95 - - T'ien-ch'iao, 154 - - Tien Ch'ih Lake, 56 - - T'ien-ch'üan Chou, 93 - - T'ien-shêng-ch'iao, 154 - - Tigers, 176; - bones of, 91 - - Tin, 66, 142, 205 - - Ting-nan-pa, 182 - - T'o River, 72, 76, 82, 83, 167, 168, 169, 208 - - Tobacco, 68, 92, 142, 163, 164, 208 - - Tonquin, 2, 50, 142, 203 - - Torrents, Mountain, 47, 62 - - Town, A deserted, 127-128 - - Trackers, Boat, 7-8 - - Transit, certificates, 210, 212, 213; - duty, 210; - pass system, 210; - regulations, 212; - trade, 210 - - Travelling:--boat, 4, 5, 7; - discomforts, 15, 39, 61, 63, 64, 114, 118, 128, 141, - 149, 163, 180, 182, 183, 184, 225; - in China, 39 - - Tree-planting, Ingenious plan for, 165 - - Trees, Deeply embedded immense, 114 - - Trial, A roadside, 143 - - Tsang-shan range, 129, 132, 136, 137, 138; - Marble quarries of the, 134 - - Tsun-i Fu, 28, 29, 30 - - Tu-kê-t'ang, 64 - - Tu Wên-hsiu, The Mohammedan leader, 133 - - Tung-ching-shu (or "Evergreen Tree"), 192 - - Tung-ch'uan Fu, 49, 59, 60, 64, 145, 155 - - Tung-ch'uan Plain, 61, 222 - - Tung-kai-ch'ang, 178 - - T'ung-liang Hsien, 166 - - T'ung-ma, 169 - - T'ung River, 170 - - Tung-t'ing Lake, 34, 206 - - T'ung-tzu Hsien, 21, 26; - valley, 26, 28; - tunnelling on the T'ung-tzu River, 28; - inundations, 28 - - Turbans, Man-tzu, 124; - Miao-tzu, 24, 230; - Sifan, 102 - - Typhoid fever, 177 - - Tzu Chou, 82, 83 - - Tzu-chu-p'ing, 178, 179 - - Tzu-liu-ching 75, 76; - salt wells, 76-81, 87, 160, 168 - - Tz'u-yang Hsien, 83 - - - Underground Rivers, 48, 152 - - "Upper Fortress" (Shang-kuan), 130 - - Upper Yang-tsze Expedition (1861), The, 184, 220 - - - Varnish tree, The, 164-165 - - Vegetables, 164 - - _Viburnum phlebotrichum_, 173 - - Viceroys, or Governor-Generals, in China, 85 - - Vinçot, Père, 143 - - Vocabulary, English-Phö, 273-285 - - - Wa-wa, 100, 101 - - Wade, Sir Thomas, 105, 227 - - Wahab, Mr., 55 - - Walnut trees, 149 - - Wan Hsien, 11, 209 - - Wan-nien-ssu, Temple of, 172, 173 - - Wan-wan T'an, 187 - - Wang-shan Temple, 42 - - Watch-towers, 66, 180 - - Water, Chinese abhorrence of cold, 137 - - Watercress, 100 - - Waterfall, Pai-shui, 41 - - Waterproof coat, A bearer and his, 58 - - Water-wheels, 26, 96 - - Wax, Insect White, 35, 102, 114, 120, 141, 161, 170, 195, 261; - tree, 169, 170, 171, 178, 191, 192; - culture, trees, insects, uses, and value, 189-201 - - Weapons of the Lolos, 104 - - Wei-ning Chou, 152, 153, 154; - Lake, 152; - Plain, 152 - - Weights in China, 15 - - Wênchow, 287 - - "West of the River" (Ho-hsi), 116 - - West River (Canton River), 41, 43, 49, 50, 56, 144, 150, 204, 205 - - Westwood, 193 - - Wheat, 12, 22, 25, 36, 37, 40, 46, 47, 50, 59, 71, 82, 99, 113, 115, - 128, 141, 147, 149; - mills, 88; - planting and tillering, 22 - - Whirlpools, 257 - - "White Prince," The, 138 - - White wax, Insect, 35, 102, 114, 120, 141, 161, 170, 195, 261; - tree, 169, 170, 171, 178, 191, 192; - culture, trees, insects, uses, and value, 189-201 - - "Winding Rapid," The, 187 - - Wood-oil tree, 18, 21, 72, 163, 167, 169, 181, 197 - - Woollen goods, 209 - - Wu Chiang River, 30, 31, 32, 37, 153; - suspension bridge, 30, 31 - - Wuhu, 2 - - - Ya-an Hsien, 93 - - Ya-chou Fu, 87, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 - - Ya Ho (River), 91, 92, 93, 95, 101, 170, 171 - - Ya-lung River, 111, 116, 117, 118, 191 - - Ya-pien-yen (Opium), 11 - - Yang-lin, 53, 57, 58, 59 - - Yang-tsze River, 2, 3, 4, 8, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20, 31, - 33, 39, 49, 56, 57, 59, 60, 64, 68, 69, 71, 73, - 76, 102, 111, 140, 144, 145, 150, 153, 155, 156, - 158, 160, 162, 163, 166, 169, 177, 178, 181, 182, - 184, 185, 191, 201, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, - 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 220, 221, 222; - Head waters of the, 124; - Upper Yang-tsze Expedition (1861), 184, 220; - Upper Yang-tsze Steam Navigation Co., 9 - - Yarn, Cotton, 89 - - Year, The China New, 72 - - Yen-yuan Hsien, 114, 115, 120 - - Yuan River, 34, 206; - rapids on, 206 - - Yüeh-hsi Plain, 107 - - Yüeh-hsi T'ing, 107 - - Yün-nan, 2, 14, 15, 20, 28, 31, 33, 35, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, - 48, 49, 50, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 70, 76, 87, 91, 96, - 97, 99, 106, 108, 114, 120, 122, 123, 125, 134, 135, - 142, 145, 146, 147, 151, 152, 154, 156, 157, 160, 185, - 191, 203, 204, 206, 207, 219, 220, 221, 224, 226; - population, 205 - - Yün-nan Fu, 53, 54, 56, 57, 67, 114, 134, 139, 140, 142, 145, - 153, 156, 205; - Lake, 53, 144; - Plain, 60 - - Yün-nan-yi, 141 - - Yün-yang Hsien, 12 - - Yung-ch'uan Hsien, 72, 73 - - Yung-ning Hsien, 153, 158, 160 - - Yung-ning River, 39, 145, 153, 155, 158, 159, 160, 208; - descent of, 158-159; - its importance as a trade route, 160 - - Yung-pei T'ing, 87, 124, 126, 205; - Plain, 125, 126 - - - Zinc, 113 - -[Illustration: SKETCH MAP - -OF - -SOUTH WESTERN CHINA - -To illustrate the journeys of - -ALEXANDER HOSIE, H.B.M. CONSULAR SERVICE, CHINA.] - - -GEORGE PHILIP AND SON, PRINTERS, LONDON AND LIVERPOOL. - - - - - * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's Note - - -In the section EXERCISES IN THE PHÖ LANGUAGE, the lists of single words -were printed on facing pages. Duplicate headings have been removed from -the text. - - -The following apparent errors have been corrected: - -p. vi "C'hung-k'ing" changed to "Ch'ung-k'ing" - -p. xx "Tient-sin" changed to "Tien-tsin" - -p. 11 "aquaintance" changed to "acquaintance" - -p. 35 "courtesey" changed to "courtesy" - -p. 40 "aquaintance" changed to "acquaintance" - -p. 45 "_THE YUN-NAN FRONTIER._" changed to "_THE YÜN-NAN FRONTIER._" - -p. 83 "hypogoea" changed to "hypogæa" - -p. 91 "their is" changed to "there is" - -p. 140 "may seen" changed to "may seem" - -p. 147 "Yün-nan--Kuei-chow" changed to "Yün-nan-Kuei-chow" - -p. 161 "Omei" changed to "O-mei" - -p. 169 "_Cudrania triloba Hance_" changed to "_Cudrania triloba, Hance_" - -p. 173 "tea-leaf" changed to "tea-leaf." - -p. 182 "in need" changed to "in need." - -p. 195 "27° 24´" changed to "27° 24´." - -p. 211 "£750,000!" changed to "£750,000;" - -p. 241 "1. Pang." changed to "1.--Pang." - -p. 241 "2. 'Hei" changed to "2.--'Hei" - -p. 242 "7--To look" changed to "7.--To look" - -p. 243 "Li" changed to "Li." - -p. 243 "Hsiang" changed to "Hsiang." - -p. 246 "20--Have" changed to "20.--Have" - -p. 249 "Choh tai.." changed to "Choh tai." - -p. 250 "warm" changed to "warm," - -p. 251 "nao 'hniu" changed to "nao 'hniu." - -p. 261 "9. Sa" changed to "9. Sa." - -p. 264 "1. Baggage." changed to "1.--Baggage." - -p. 265 "7.--Ch'un" changed to "7.--Ch'ün" - -p. 266 "8--When" changed to "8.--When" - -p. 269 "T'i koh" changed to "T'i koh." - -p. 293 "avicennæ" changed to "avicennae" - -p. 293 "hypogoea" changed to "hypogæa" - -p. 293 "22, 87," changed to "22, 27," - -p. 294 "(or "Insect Tree")" changed to "(or "Insect Tree")," - -p. 295 "El Dorado" changed to "Eldorado" - -p. 300 "Shê-tzü" changed to "Shê-tz'u" - -p. 301 "Têng-hsian" changed to "Têng-hsiang" - -p. 302 "Shang-k'uan" changed to "Shang-kuan" - - -The following possible errors have been left as printed: - -p. 2 China, No. 2 (1884); and China, No. 2 (1885) - -p. 106 the hills of Ssu-ch'uan, and Yün-na - -On p. 300, the reference "<i>Sterculia platanifolia</i>, 169" does not match the text. - - -The following are inconsistently used in the text: - -Miao-Tzu and Miao-tzu - -Ning-yüan and Ning-yuan - -Szechuan, Szechuen, and Ssu-ch'uan - - -Inconsistent hyphenation and punctuation have otherwise been kept as printed.</p> - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Western China, by Alexander Hosie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN WESTERN CHINA *** - -***** This file should be named 44842-8.txt or 44842-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/8/4/44842/ - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Three Years in Western China - A Narrative of Three Journeys in Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Yün-nan - -Author: Alexander Hosie - -Release Date: February 8, 2014 [EBook #44842] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN WESTERN CHINA *** - - - - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44842 ***</div> <div class="transnote center"> <div> @@ -14119,386 +14080,6 @@ curse.</p> <p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> China, No. 1 (1883); China, No. 2 (1884); and China, No. 2 (1885).</p></div> </div> - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Three Years in Western China, by Alexander Hosie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN WESTERN CHINA *** - -***** This file should be named 44842-h.htm or 44842-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/8/4/44842/ - -Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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