124 HIBE MULES 



was getting too severe. These having been promised, 

 I dismissed the coolies from Wa-shan also, as I was 

 informed that I could replace them here. 



June 29. — ^Wliile we were at breakfast the Chinese 

 horse owner brought the horses round, and was told to 

 wait. He did so for a time, and then to(^k the horses 

 away, having no doubt been threatened with violence 

 if he let his horses to the foreign devils. This put me 

 in a nice fix, for the coolies dismissed the evening before 

 had gone back, and I had loads to be transported when 

 neither horses nor coolies were to be hired. At last I 

 sent a message to the headman by my interpreter, 

 saying that if horses and coolies were not provided forth- 

 with I should send to Ching-chi-hsien and report him for 

 having caused me delay. This message had the desired 

 effect, but not wholly, for I got coolies but no horses. 

 These, however, enabled me to leave the place, and 

 after going about ten li a man with mules was met and 

 an agreement made with him to take us on to Ta-tsien- 

 lu. The mules had no saddles, but he said he could 

 procure them at M-tou, and so we had to make shift 

 with blankets. The road all day led b}^ the side of a 

 river bed or watercourse now nearly dry, but showing 

 unmistakable signs that at times there must be heavy 

 floods. It was a barren country with rocks and 

 boulders of red sandstone. Heavy rain fell in the 



