CHAPTER VIII 



THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF PA 



Narrative of a Journey from Tunghsiang Hsien 

 TO Paoning Fu 



FROM Tunghsiang Hsien the recognized route to Chengtu 

 or Paoning Fu descends the river via Suiting Fu to Ch'u 

 Hsien, then strikes westward to Chengtu, north-west to 

 Paoning Fu. I had no fancy for the main route, since, by 

 going due west from Tunghsiang Hsien to Paoning Fu, we 

 should explore new ground. My map (War Ofhce, Province of 

 Ssu-ch'uan, Eastern Sheet) gave no route, but indicated villages, 

 and it was evident, therefore, that these villages were connected 

 by a road of some sort. Chiangkou seemed a good place to 

 start for, so my men were instructed to find a cross-country 

 road to this town. At first the innkeepers, chair hongs, and 

 local officials denied all knowledge of any such road, and indeed 

 of such a place. But any one who has travelled in China values 

 such denials at their proper worth and is not discouraged. The 

 men who had charge of these inquiries were trusted followers of 

 ten years' standing, andthough entirely ignorant of the geography 

 of the region could be relied upon to ferret out a route if such 

 existed. After about six hours' investigation, from the magis- 

 trate's Yamen downwards, I was informed that a small 

 mountain road did exist, but was over hard and difficult 

 country, affording the poorest of accommodation. This was 

 sufficient ; they were told to get an itinerary of this route and 

 engage a few local men as extra carriers. I went to bed 

 about 10.30 p.m., satisfied that by 6 o'clock next morning 

 everything would be ready for our cross-country jaunt. In my 

 travels about China I have been singularly fortunate in never 

 having any trouble with the Chinese. In the spring of 1900 



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