FROM TALI TO TSEKOU 



particularly good to him, giving him more pay than he was 

 entitled to ; and yet here, in the prospect of increased labour, the 

 ungrateful hound left us without even a word of parting. The 

 makotou continued to a^ive us satisfaction, and, after two davs' 

 suffering from what we at one time feared to be a whitlow, was 

 now nearly fit again. The only fault to be found with him was 



V, 



'"^m^. 





'^^M^.'f^' 



' /f.a-^y 



Attachment of Cord Bridge at I'iao-tsen. 



his inability to make the mafous obey him ; when they refused a 

 task, he did it himself 



The defection was supplied by four Minchias, and we were 

 aeain able to set forward. As we left Piao-tsen we saw the 

 first cord bridge over the Mekong. It was constructed of two 

 hawsers of twisted bamboo, made fast to a stake on either bank, 

 propped by big stones. For the crossing a small wooden saddle, 

 called liou-pang, was attached to a running line {/iou-so). and 

 the person secured in it by leg and shoulder straps. It behoved 



171 



