HANOI TO MONGTSE 



when the boat was tied up for the night. They told me how, 

 away in the interior, beyond Longpo, the inhabitants were hairy, 

 and of others who had little tails, and sat upon seats adapted to 

 their conformation. I had already heard a similar distinction attri- 

 buted to the Mois. The conversation drifted into legends, and I 

 inquired if they knew the Chinese story of a country where there 

 were only women. They replied in the affirmative, and added that 

 it was an island in the midst of a lake which none might cross, for 

 the waters of it were so light that a feather cast on the surface 

 would not float. "And that is why," said they, "we have never 

 landed on the woman's realm." 



A laughter-loving lot, these boatmen also were hard workers. 

 Although less strong than when I had descended the river at high 

 flood, the rapids still were numerous ; and it was necessary at each 

 for the double crews to pass the junks through singly — a tedious 

 operation. The features of the country were monotonous ; valleys 

 enclosed by hills, sparse villages. We saw rather more on the after- 

 noon of the loth February, some days after leaving Laokay. In 

 one bend of the river we -discovered a religious monument in the 

 shape of a rectangular column with a niche at its base. Hard by 

 was a small town of bamboo houses, and others white in a setting 

 of large red-blossomed trees. The name of the place was Manhao. 

 Down by the river lay a number of junks, with their grove of 

 A-shaped masts, flying a little flame-like flag or sometimes a cock's 

 tail. On the opposite or right shore appeared a hamlet of thatched 

 one-storey houses, reached by a terrace of stone steps, shaded with 

 fine trees. The site of this place, Lao-Minchang, was fresh and 

 picturesque. 



Our men were very pleased with themselves. They had not 



told us that we were approaching the end of our stage, but kept it 



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