CHAPTER. Tx 
ON THE ROAD TO BATANG—THE LAST TOWN 
IN CHINA 
On my return from the Salween I spent nearly a month 
in A-tun-tsi climbing the surrounding mountains and ex- 
ploring the neighbouring valleys for plants. 
Every day the south-west winds blew heavy masses of 
cloud across, but except at night, when the valley frequently 
filled with mist to the accompaniment of a steady drizzle, 
the rain which fell was generally in the form of passing 
showers swooping suddenly down from the west ridge and 
passing as quickly. In the month of July there were only 
five rainy days, when it rained for six hours or more. On 
the mountains all round us, however, heavy clouds usually 
rested throughout the day, lifting for brief intervals only, 
sometimes with astonishing suddenness. The high range 
to the east was frequently covered in the evening by a long 
white cloud-cap, cut off sharply below, which rose and fell 
like the tide, exposing more or less of the mountains. 
Pei-ma-shan to the south-east was always obscured and 
drenching rain fell there every day, frequently to the roll 
of thunder, while bright sunshine prevailed at A-tun-tsi— 
a local peculiarity due to the hot dry winds sweeping directly 
up from the Mekong valley. 
On June 30 Kin started for Wei-hsi to get me some 
silver and post my mail; I did not expect him back for 
three weeks at least. On July 5 Gan-ton also departed, as 
he wished to return to the bosom of his family at Tsu-kou 
for a week. Unfortunately he played me rather a shabby 
trick by staying away three weeks, so that for the rest of 
the month my journeys into the mountains had to be made 
