TSEKOU TO KHAMTI 



cross-bow or wooden lance in hand, with here and there a big 

 straw hat. Fine men they were, tall and with expressive faces, 

 ingenious, but industrious only to the bare limit of their need. 

 Leading a life of perfect freedom, they preferred not to engage 

 in traffic with other folk, which might in the end lead to a loss 

 of individuality and liberty. They reminded me of the fable 

 of the wolf and the dog. The Kioutses have chosen the part 

 of the wolf, and are very likely right. 



A diversified woodland march ended for the day in a real 

 village. Five houses, each 90 feet long, placed parallel to 

 one another, testified with the barking of dogs and grunting 

 of pigs to an approach to comparative civilisation. We cele- 

 brated the event in a cup of rice wine with an old greybeard in 

 silver bangles, and repressed the grimace which the insipid 

 stuff evoked. The two ensuing days afforded little of incident. 

 The marching, although somewhat easier, tired the men from 

 its monotony, and we had to invigorate them with the incentive 

 of Moam and all its prospective joys. 



On the loth (November), after being disturbed early by the 



cries of invisible troops of monkeys that infested the woods, we 



performed a long and toilsome stage, a great part of which was in 



a watercourse. But at its close we debouched upon a fine sandy 



beach, ideal camping ground, by the shores of a considerable 



river, the Nam Tsam. The stream was 40 yards in width, 



and expanded into a small lake at the foot of a sounding cataract. 



Here, deluded by a curious appearance on the surface of the 



water, we one and all delivered ourselves to fishing. Hut as 



the fish, if fish they were, remained indifferent to baited lines, 



stone-throw^ing, or Sao's ineffectual gun, we had to fall back on 



our usual supper of rice and water. 



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