228 MASSACBE OF CHRISTIAN CONVEBTS 



in from Ta-tsu, said to be 200 li distant, and from 

 which place they had, with difficulty, escaped with their 

 lives, a reward of 200 taels having been offered for their 

 heads. A few days later the news came from Ta-tsu 

 of the cruel murder of eleven native converts, who were 

 reported to have been some boiled and others burnt to 

 death by the savage mob. All the mission-houses and 

 property having been looted and then destroyed. 



The collector I had despatched, when on my way up 

 the river, to Quei-chau, returned here just before I did, 

 having received orders to be here in August. He had 

 made a very good collection of lepidoptera, and had 

 some long series of interesting cicadas. I should imagine 

 that this poor province would be a very good field for 

 a naturalist. It is known to abound in minerals. 



On September 18, the river had fallen so much as to 

 be considered safe for boats, and all was got ready to 

 start. Just before leaving I was disagreeably surj^rised 

 to find the pilot missing, and soon found that he had 

 deserted, taking with him part of his wages in advance, 

 which, according to general practice, I had paid him. 

 The engagement of another caused some delay, and after 

 saying good-bye to all my kind friends at Chung-king, 

 we left at 2 p.m. 



The river being so high and the current so strong, 

 rapid progress was made. The night after leaving it 



