START FOB WA-SHAN 107 



to allow me to travel by the route I had chosen arose 

 from the fact that it passed close to the frontier of the 

 Lolos, who are an independent tribe, or rather race, 

 with whom the Chinese Government are constantly in 

 a state of war, and whom they had never been able to 

 subdue. He feared that in one of the raids which they 

 frequently make I might be taken prisoner, and then 

 he would be held responsible. 



On May 19, having got thirty coolies for my loads, 

 a start was made at 10 a.m. for Wa-shan, where I in- 

 tended to stay the whole of the summer, and return to 

 the boat in the autumn, run down the river to Ichang 

 and send my collections home. Besides the coolies, I 

 had Mr. Kricheldorff, the two soldiers as a guard, and 

 an interpreter with me. It was a soaking wet day, and 

 my halting-place, a small market town called Su-chi, 

 was reached at 4 p.m. The footpaths are narrow and 

 the country passed through of a red sandstone forma- 

 tion. Four branches of rivers were crossed, and this 

 caused some delay. I found an indifferent inn and 

 was able to purchase some eggs, and felt a sense of 

 relief now that Kia-tiui:f-fu, where I was forced to 

 remain in my boat, was left behind. 



May 20. — Left Su-chi at 6.30, passing through a 

 lovely country reminding me of Hampshire. It is very 

 fertile, and water wheels of large diameter, fitted with 



