COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON in 



put down accurately in my survey. I went about 

 i,ooo yards from the gate to a place where there 

 are several houses and gardens, and from whence 

 a road branches off to the westward. I went along 

 this road and ascended the pass between the hills, 

 then turned to the left, getting up a knoll, from the 

 top of which I got a set of bearings. I then went 

 down the western side of the pass, and passed a 

 small joss-house on the right, thick trees overhanging 

 both sides of the narrow path making it quite dark. 



" I determined, as soon as I got clear of this 

 dangerous-looking place, to retrace my steps, but on 

 getting to the other end of the grove I became aware 

 that we were followed by a crowd of Chinamen. I 

 took no notice, but turned to the left, meaning to 

 go up the hill again, keeping to the open ground. 



" We had hardly turned when a Chinese soldier 

 rushed out from the crowd with a weapon in his 

 hand, with which he struck at my old lascar, the only 

 man I had with me. He avoided the blow and ran 

 up to me in great alarm. I took from him the iron 

 spade with which he used to dig the hole for a tent- 

 pole, and met the soldier, driving him back ; but a 

 great number of others charged me and my poor old 

 man, and it was evidently a hopeless job. I charged 

 them, and they got all round me, and then my poor 

 old man ran back about eighty yards, when he was 

 met, and I saw them pounding his head with large 

 stones as he lay with his face downwards. 



" I saw that attempt at flight was useless, and 

 set to work to make the rascals pay for it, and 



