208 CHANGE OF ESCOBT 



melting of the snow above, which had lain much later 

 than usual on account of the severity of the weather. 

 When the warmth came and caused a sudden thaw, the 

 water thus freed brought the earth and stones down. 

 The Tung Eiver had evidently been quite lately much 

 swollen, but was now lower. 



The mail man from Chung-king to Ta-tsien-lu was 

 passed to-day, and though I felt certain that there were 

 letters for me, I could not get them as they were in a 

 sealed packet directed to Mgr. Biet. 



Lu-ting-chiao was reached in the evening, and here 

 my escort was changed, those that had accompanied 

 me going back to Ta-tsien-lu and others coming on as 

 far as Chin-chi-hsien. 



July '2d. — The road travelled over to-day was in a 

 very bad state, much damage having been done l3y the 

 late rains. This, however, is nothing more than what 

 one may expect where the roads are mere tracks that 

 are only kept open at all by the traffic that passes along. 

 As a rule, no attempt is made to form what we should 

 consider to be a road. Arrived at Hua-hng-ping in the 

 evening, the coolies arriving much later, having had a 

 hard day's work. 



July 'M. — To-day, when on the march, I met a man 

 and woman, the latter evidently seriously ill, apparently 

 suffering from dysentery. I could do nothing except 



