FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



incursions of wild animals. The fauna of the mountains was rich 

 in deer, chamois, monkeys, and wild oxen, but we heard of no 

 tigers. 



We stopped at Lao, where the gaping crowd of Chinese had a 

 more cut-throat look than usual. They could give us no clearer 

 information than at Fey-long-kiao. One route led to the Salwen, 

 which they called the Cheloung-kiang, but it was not possible to 

 go farther north because of the jejeu (savages). We resolved 

 to see for ourselves, and next morning moved off slowly, for it 

 behoved us to be patient with our mafous, who, though tired, were 

 performing their work well. The way wound up the defile of the 

 torrent we had begun to follow on the day before ; brushwood and 

 boulders obstructed the passage, and the mules had to pick their 

 footing cleverly among the treacherous shingle. At sundown the 

 column was checked for half an hour at an abrupt landslip. The 

 makotou, who had been in advance, came back with the news that 

 the path was choked by a mass of rock, and that several of the 

 animals had rolled down the slope. As night was approaching, we 

 camped where we were, on a bank of shale. Above, the mouth 

 of the gorge was dimly outlined against a triangular patch of sky, 

 and the dark bushes that lined the channel were lit with dancing 

 fireflies. The men beneath the sheltering pack-saddles talked 

 together in low tones by the glare of the fire till far into the night, 

 while without the circle of light the shadowy forms of the mules 

 moved or lay among the reeds. Little by little silence fell over 

 the camp, and the echoing torrent alone broke the stillness. 



Apart from the arduous nature of the road, the day had offered 

 little of incident. We had sighted some natives fishing down 

 stream with bamboos, to which a bunch of worms was tied ; they 

 thrust the rod under the large rocks, and netted the catch in an 



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