FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



against evil spirits. In the streets were to be seen several 

 yellow - robed young bonzes, and as it was market-day a con- 

 siderable rabble was attracted by our passage ; but it was orderly, 

 and in many cases the pedestrians did reverence to us. We 

 could not help laughing at the figure cut by our soldier escort, 

 who, in addition to carrying the traditional parasol in bandolier, 

 wore in guise of martial casque an inverted rice kettle, like 

 Mambrino's helmet, on his pate. 



In the midst of the fields hereabouts there often rose circular 

 mounds planted with large trees and occasionally enclosed by 

 walls. The summit usually contained two or three tombs. 

 These barrows were very like the menhirs and dolmens seen 

 in Brittany, where they are called "fairy rings," or like the 

 cromlechs in parts of England. 



On riding into camp in the evening I saw Briffaud and Nam 

 coming towards me with evident tidings of annoyance. In 

 defiance of my injunctions, the men, at the instigation of Francois, 

 had tried to stop in Ta-tse-kai, which intention Briffaud had 

 frustrated. Shortly after, he had again occasion to tell Francois 

 to recall some of the mafous from a wrong road, whereupon the 

 interpreter in good round French grossly insulted him. My 

 comrade at once jumped down, tumbled him off his nag, and 

 gave him a drubbing. The rascal called loudly on the mafous 

 for aid, and Briffaud promised that the first man to lay a finger 

 on him would get his head broken. On my arrival Francois 

 pretended that his abuse had been levelled at a Chinese mafou 

 and not at Briffaud, declared he was my interpreter and no one 

 else's, and concluded by declining to go any farther. " Very 

 good," said I, "make out your account." 



Then Lichatan, the new makotou, approached with four mafous 



ii6 



