CHAPTER VII 



EASTERN SZECHUAN 



Narrative of a Journey from Taking Hsien to 



TUNGHSIANG HsiEN 



THE region described in this chapter was traversed by 

 Lieut. -Colonel C. C. Manifold and Captain E. W. S, 

 Mahon when surveying for a possible route for the pro- 

 posed Hankow-Szechuan Railway in 1903 or 1904, I am not 

 sure which. There is no record of any other traveller having 

 crossed this part of eastern Szechuan, though it is very 

 possible that missionaries may have done so. I do not know 

 the conclusions arrived at by these surveyors, but the con- 

 struction of a railway along the route I traversed would be 

 a difficult and costly undertaking. 



The following narrative is compiled from my diary, and may, 

 perhaps, convey a brief idea of the nature of the country and 

 the flora found in the more easterly parts of the Red Basin. 

 As will be gathered, I took ten days to cover the distance, 

 but I travelled leisurely, and the journey could be accomplished 

 in six days. 



June 28. — Yesterday we spent the day at Taning Hsien, 

 refitting and preparing for our journey westwards to Chengtu 

 Fu. Money exchange proved an involved and difficult business. 

 Ten-cash pieces, both Hupeh and Szechuan currency, are 

 accepted here at 20 per cent, discount. This means that the 

 purchasing power of a thousand such cash is only equal to 

 800 string-cash. Farther west, Hupeh lo-cash pieces are not 

 current, and the Szechuan lo-cash piece is only accepted for 

 two days' journey west of this town. We had therefore to 

 burden ourselves with string-cash, which added considerably 

 to the weight of our loads. A thousand cash in lo-cash pieces 



