FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



(3) The Pd-Pats, or White Pais ; women — black trousers, 

 white vest. 



(4) The Hd-Pais, or Black Pais ; women wear skirt instead of 

 trousers, and a waistcoat ; men in dark blue. 



He averred that the Hou-Nis had no writing like the Lolos. 

 They reckon numbers by means of parallel lines ; thus, £, 2, 3, 4, 

 etc., and are only conversant with two characters, signifying 

 100 and 200 respectively. But the Hou-Nis and the Lolos 

 understand each other in speech, indeed their vocables revealed 

 many similarities of sound. This particular guide styled himself 

 a Hei-Lolo ; farther west are found the P^-Lolos. The Miaotses, 

 too, have a writing. It is well known that M. Devdria found, in 

 a published Chinese work, a page the characters of which were 

 ascribed to the Miaotses. We met women here clad only in a 

 sort of bathing costume, with a loose open vest. Their hair 

 was parted behind, and drawn forward in two bands to form a 

 top-knot, protected with a copper sheath. They were said to 

 belong to the Hei-Hou-Nis. I remembered a like head-dress 

 among the independent Lolos of Setchuen, whom the missionaries 

 called " Licornes." 



Beyond Ta-yang-ka we were enveloped in a Scotch mist, with 



the thermometer down to 46° Fahr. The Chinese who paid 



us a visit carried a small basket containing an earthen vessel 



filled with hot charcoal. Some of them concealed this Sybaritic 



warming-pan under their garments, and looked as if they were 



deformed. At Lou-tchou we bore away pleasant recollections of 



the hospitality of the chief, who insisted on killing a pig in 



our honour, and gave me a jade cup as a souvenir. I also 



acquired copious information, costumes, and some manuscripts. 



The chief was a toussou in command of a hundred men, nomi- 



60 



