TALI-FOU 



his tongue to protrude from the creases of his fat Httle coun- 

 tenance. 



If we were well treated within the Father's domicile, we were 

 not neglectful of the external forms of ceremony advisable towards 

 the authorities. The day following our arrival we duly sallied 

 forth to the houses of the two mandarins, the military chief, and 

 the taotai, whom we had previously advertised of our visit, and 

 who had signified their oiracious intention to accord us an inter- 

 view. But on our presenting ourselves at their respective yamen, 

 we were, in each case, refused audience on the plea of a headache. 

 We regretted having so far put ourselves out for such ill-bred 

 curmudgeons ; and when, a few days afterwards, some soldiers were 

 sent with a demand for our passports, we took the opportunity of 

 replying that men of our rank were accustomed to travel in formal 

 order, and that as the mandarins had declined to see us personally 

 there could be no necessity for them to inspect our papers. 



Tali has a population of about twenty thousand souls. Two 

 principal streets traverse it, one long one running north and south, 

 and the other descending towards the east to the lake side. The 

 town offers but few points of interest to the traveller. The eye 

 is attracted by a great grey block of masonry at the entrance to 

 the main gate. This is the bell and drum tower, furnishing 

 quarters to a few soldiers, whence a bell gives the signal for 

 gun-fire at night-fall, and every two hours for the watch. Small 

 shops line the sides of the two chief streets, as in most Chinese 

 towns. Goods of European manufacture, chiefly English, come 

 from Burmah, or from Pese on the Canton River ; those brought 

 from the east have, before reaching Tali, to pass the head of the 

 shortest route of penetration into China by the Red River. A 

 few silk stuffs descend from Setchuen. 



135 



