214 ABBIVAL AT KIA-TING-FU 



property had been recovered he cLamoured to be set 

 free, but the authorities would not listen to him. It 

 was not enough they said for the propert}^ to be found, 

 the thief must be found before he could be released. 

 When I left he was still in custody, and I have no 

 doubt that before he got his liberty he was squeezed for 

 some thousands of cash. 



The innkeepers do not seem to have a very happy 

 time of it, for they are made responsible for robberies" 

 committed on their premises, and when officials pass they 

 have to put them up for next to nothing. 



Crossing again to the right bank of the Ya I met a 

 French missionary going to Hung-j^a-hsien, but in the 

 rapid stream there was no time for anything but a short 

 salute. Arrived at Kia-kiang at 9 p.m. 



August 2. — To-day some very fine trees allied to the 

 banyan were passed. I measured one of the largest 

 and found the circumference of the trunk to be 36 ft. 

 I had. sent a messenger on ahead to make arrangements 

 for the storage of the collection belonging to Prince 

 Henri till a boat could be hired to take them down the 

 river. On arriving at Kia-ting-fu I went on board my 

 boat and found my collectors suffering from fever and 

 ague brought on by the great heat. 



I was also in a very poor state of health, owing to 

 hard work, and the insufficiency and poverty of the 



