SOJOURN AT TSEKOU 



ardent zeal as unquenched at fifty, after twenty - eight years of 

 tribulation, as at thirty. The traveller, whoever he may be, must 

 needs honour these soldiers of the faith, whose life is made up 

 of self-devotion and perseverance. 



Our stay lasted for three weeks. I stood in need of rest, 

 being a prey to fever and neuralgia ; and the interval gave my 

 comrade an opportunity of making an expedition to Atentse, and 

 of comparing his observations with those that Gill had made in 

 the same districts. Meanwhile I had leisure to enjoy many long 

 talks with the missionaries about the country they dwelt in, 

 though, as I have no present intention of publishing an ex- 

 haustive study of these regions, the reader will not be surprised 

 if 1 omit any discussion of more or less familiar topics, and only 

 throw tos:ether those fragments of information which in the 

 course of casual conversation seemed to me of rather special 

 interest. 



The population of Tsekou is composed of Mossos, Lissous,. 

 Loutses, Thibetans, Chinese, and hybrids. Tradition ascribes to 

 the Lissous a southern origin, as their forefathers are reputed 

 to have possessed elephants. A certain Chinese general having 

 once upon a time subjugated them after revolt, reported to head- 

 quarters their complete extermination ; after which, of course, 

 their existence could not be officially admitted by the Govern- 

 ment. But they continue to engage in partial rebellions, and look 

 upon themselves as insurgents by nature. Those that are most 

 active in such vocation are the Kimer Lissous, or Tchioui Lissous 

 (Tchioui being Thibetan). 



Suicide is of common occurrence with them : drownina:, hane- 

 ing, or poison is the ordinary sequel to a family quarrel. Their 

 most usual method is an arrow poison which, when absorbed, 



