102 



CHAPTER VIII 



KTA-TING-FU TO WA-SHAN 



Arrival at Kia-ting-fu — Attack by students — Stone throwing — Retreat to 

 a safe position — Message from Tao-tai — Am prisoner in boat — Prepare 

 for overland journey — Assistance from missionaries — Instructions to 

 lowban — Adopt Chinese dress — Colossal image — Visit from Tao-tai — 

 Reports about boat — Explanations — Difficulty as to route— Leave for 

 Wa-shan — Su-chi — Dendrobium seen — Omei-hsien — Wax insect, how 

 made use of — Yang-tsun — Hsin-chang — Robbers outside inn — Lolo 

 houses — Dangerous paths — ' Times ' of 1877 at Lulu-ping — Tung 

 River — Antelopes at Chin-kou-ho — Arrive at Ta-tien-chih — Pere 

 Martin — Wild animals and birds in district — Fruits and flowers — 

 Trip to base of Wa-shan — View — Icicles — Tributary Lolos — Collec- 

 tions — Arrival of mail — Description of Mount Wa. 



May 14. — After a very rainy night a start was made 

 early in the morning, tracking as usual against a strong 

 current. Kia-ting-fu was reached at 3.30 p.m., and the 

 boat made fast close to the city. Before long, however, 

 a shower of stones astonished us, and the crew set to 

 work to get the boat under way again in the hope of 

 getting to a safer place. This was a matter of no slight 

 danger, and several of my men were injured by the 

 stones, many of which, as large as big apples, fell into the 

 boat. The men, however, stuck to their work, and the 

 boat drifting down the river was followed by the^apidly 



