TSEKOU TO KHAMTI 



nerba at last issued a nioukd (in Loutse, a cliiteun\ or requisition 

 message, which was forwarded to a chief lower down. A second 

 moukd was required for a new cord bridge by which to cross the 

 Kiou-kiang. This was made with ease and dexterity. There was 

 no lack of bamboos, and of them a twisted cable was fashioned by 

 one man in one day. I could not but admire the address with 

 which a broad river is thus spanned. With all our vaunted science 

 we could not have beaten this in old Europe. 



On the 13th (October) baggage was triced up, beds folded, 

 tents struck, and our men began to emit sounds of rejoicing and 

 departure from bamboo tubes. But where were the local carriers .■* 

 Two reluctantly approached. And now appeared on the scene 

 a new bore, in the person of a Chinese delegate from the mandarin 

 at Ouisi. This dignitary was a man of immense self-importance. 

 Fresh palavers ensued. Tlie Celestial, after a long-winded speech, 

 would strut out of the apartment in seeming dudgeon. Negotiations 

 were apparently broken off The next minute he was back again 

 in the doorway, and the whole farce was acted anew. Then 

 the nerba, who had promised to set us a short distance on our 

 way, suddenly developed intense official preoccupation ; and the 

 carriers refused to go beyond two stages instead of six. And, 

 after all, we found the reason of this unexpected change of manner 

 was that one of our men had got into a scrape with a village belle. 

 An indemnity was graciously accepted by the latter, and we actually 

 made a move as far as the river-side. Here we passed a night 

 of vigil from the myriad mosquitoes. Tlie mere lighting of a 

 match caused a cloud to settle on our laces. At 2 a.m. I could 

 stand it no longer, and patrolled the camp till dawn. 



We were early astir, thankful to be off The nerba was 

 there, shouldering a mighty cross-bow, the Chinese sutler, and 

 s 273 



