On the L1-ti-ping a4 
then been at a loss which way to turn; for there was 
nothing further to indicate my route. 
The official himself sent round a polite message to the 
effect that he would be pleased to see me, and on the 
following day I went round to the Yamen accompanied by 
Ho-shing. On the way I made him coach me in the things 
I ought to say, and the answers I might expect to receive, 
though Ho-shing was a difficult person to understand, on 
account of his vile patois. 
The T’ing, a middle-aged, ascetic-looking, but rather 
handsome man, somewhat reserved and cold in manner, 
greeted me with every mark of politeness, and smiled drily 
for the first time when I thanked him for sending out 
soldiers to look for me. He made no trouble about my 
going on to A-tun-tsi, and indeed wrote out directions to 
his subordinates that I was to be supplied with an escort of 
three soldiers and receive every facility on the way, but 
like all Chinamen, he exaggerated the difficulties of the 
road ridiculously. 
As a parting gift he sent me round a haunch of bacon, 
a chicken, and some eggs, and not to be outdone in 
generosity, I retaliated with two cakes of scented Vinolia 
soap, which I could certainly ill afford. Taking it all round 
the T’ing and I became quite friendly, a circumstance 
which later was to stand me in good stead. 
