FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



all hands into mafous, ourselves included, and by dint of great 

 exertions, and forming a chain to pass the scattered contents of 

 the packs from hand to hand, we eventually picked all the cases 

 out of the bushes and torrent and got them to the top, where 

 we were rewarded by finding that the rest of the animals had 

 strayed into the woods ; where most of them passed the night. 

 These contretemps meant a short stage and much grumbling, 

 hardly allayed by a ration of tchaotiou. The next day was 

 therefore devoted to a rest, and to preparations for climbing the 

 mountain which reared itself before us. We also got out our 

 thick clothes, for it might have been winter, and we longed to 

 reach a less rigorous climate. 



On the iith (July) we made an early start, as the ascent had 

 been described to us as hardly to be accomplished in one day. 

 Also our guns and carbines came out of their cases, in readiness 

 for the savages who were said to be likely to assail us half-way. 



The road at first entered a forest, and though the gradient 



was steep it was less severe than I had expected, and the mules 



got on fairly well. The woods were beautiful, and reminded me 



of some parts of Thibet ; the mighty boles were hidden under 



a coat of moss, and the long grey beards that hung from 



their boughs seemed a mark of venerable age. At the base of 



some we found small altars formed of branches, erected by the 



superstition of the Lissous to ward off evil spirits. As we 



mounted, the trees grew more stunted and gnarled, and presently 



gave place to lean bamboos overtopped by Alpine larches. Here 



and there I was surprised to notice fine magnolias side by side with 



the red and white bark of the wild cherry. At the end of four 



hours, during which, notwithstanding the prevalent moisture, we had 



not found a spring, we came out upon the grass of the summit. 



1 66 



