106 VISIT FROM TAO-TAI 



that it was reported that I had an infernal machine, and 

 that my intention was to destroy the city. I tried to 

 assure him that such was not the case, and eventually 

 succeeded in convincing him that my object was only 

 the collecting of objects interesting to naturalists, such 

 as birds, butterflies, &c. He could not or would not 

 understand, and asked what good could they be, and 

 what was I going to do with them. I said that I had 

 a passport for the province and intended to go to Wa- 

 shan for the purpose, when after I had made such col- 

 lections as I could, they would be sent home to people 

 who were greatly interested in such things, and who 

 would highly appreciate them. 



He then appeared to be to a certain extent satisfied, 

 but said he could not give me a guard to Wa-shan, or 

 allow me to proceed there, and from what I could 

 gather he wished me to go in the direction of Cheng-tu. 

 This I refused to assent to, and said that my destina- 

 tion was Wa-shan, and that I intended to go there 

 whether I had his permission or not, as I had a perfect 

 right to travel in any part of Sze-chuen. After some 

 further conversation he left, apparently not in a good 

 temper. My object, however, was gained, for just 

 before I left, he sent a guard of two men to accompany 

 me as far as Omei-hsien, where they would be relieved 

 and fresh ones sent on. I found out that his reluctance 



