SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



The carter afterwards told us, as he sat drying 

 himself over the stove, that he had driven carts 

 to and fro across this creek bed all his life and 

 had never known it like this before. 



We struck camp next day with a view to finding 

 safer camping ground, but in crossing the main 

 stream experienced the misfortune of having our 

 cart capsize. Everything was soaked, and it was 

 with difficulty that we saved several articles, 

 which were being swept away on the flood. This 

 catastrophe necessitated our returning to Lama 

 Miao, where we put up at an inn and managed to 

 get our things dry. Unfortunately a whole set of 

 photographs of the races and scenes at the devil 

 dance was ruined. 



Next day, July 30, w^e left the vicinity, striking 

 due west towards some unusually high hills. The 

 heavy rains, as usual, had damaged the roads, 

 so that we experienced great difficulty in climbing 

 the slopes of the hills. Finally we pitched camp 

 in a green pasture near the top of the divide. Here 

 there was an unusual amount of vegetation, and 

 w^e were surprised to find roe-deer in the district. 

 A badger was also seen, besides some partridges. 

 This was the highest point we reached on the whole 

 journey, the top of the divide being about 5,000 

 feet above sea level and 1,000 feet above Lama 

 Miao. 



The following day we descended once more on 

 to rolling grasslands, reaching by mid-afternoon 



158 



