FROM TONKIN TO INDIA 



ing, as the inhabitants only replied to our hungry pantomime by 

 signs that we should wait. 



At the end of some time three personages presented them- 

 selves. The central one was indicated as the chief. He was a 

 man of some stature and an intelligent face, wearing a white 

 turban, flannel trousers in coloured stripes like a clown, a small 

 rose silk vest, and an old patched pair of European shoes. His 

 confederate had a white vest like the Laos, and a shrewd quick 

 eye that recalled certain Siamese types. Until our interpreting 

 links were all collected we sat staring at each other like china 

 dogs. Then the story of the threatening letter from Bhamo was 

 repeated to us, and we were asked to explain our movements. 

 This we did as well as we could by means of a map, and with assur- 

 ances that we had not been in Burmah. Already the talk began 

 to turn upon presents ; so as our translators were now tired 

 we postponed any further discussion till the morrow. On 

 leaving, these officials graciously gave instructions that provisions 

 should be sold to us. We quickly realised that prices were 

 to run high : two rupees for ne.xt to nothing ; and I saw a 

 man refuse a quarter rupee for a bit of dead wood for Nam's 

 fire. 



The early mist lifted next morning and disclosed to us the 

 white summits of the Dzayul Mountains. We despatched the 

 gifts we had prepared by the hands of Joseph and Sao ; but they 

 returned without effecting their purpose, and with the information 

 that the gentleman we had seen on the previous day was only 

 the kine's son : the kino-, his father, would not rise before mid- 

 day. Throughout the forenoon a peeping crowd pressed round 

 our fence, and we felt rather like the exhibits in the Jardin 

 d'Acclimatation, to whom visitors poke cigarettes and small coins ; 



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