138 Across the China-Tibet Frontier 
the patient stood with great fortitude; but when it came to 
cauterising the wound without stint there were shrieks and 
struggles. However I was adamant and thoroughly burnt 
out the surface flesh, after which I bandaged the wound 
and made the little fellow as comfortable as possible. | 
wanted to try my hand at putting in stitches but the father 
thought the boy had stood enough, so I desisted, at the 
same time pointing out that it would leave a deeper scar. 
In return for my work I asked the father to collect for 
me and send to Batang the seeds of certain flowers I 
showed him just outside the village, about five plants in all. 
This he promised to do, but the seeds never arrived at 
Batang, and distrustful of Chinese gratitude, I decided 
that never again would | attend a Chinaman unless I knew 
him. After all, I had used up all my caustic on that boy, 
and it might have been awkward if I myself had been 
subsequently bitten by a dog! 
Another patient who came to me in Chianca was the 
Tussu, an old man of sixty, who showed me some nasty 
sores on his wrists and ankles, filthy with mud and pus. 
I simply washed them and dusted them over with iodoform, 
for which kindness the Tussu sent me several rotten eggs 
and a big bowl of excellent milk. 
Later in the afternoon I went up the valley and 
scrambled about on the sandstone cliffs, now gay with 
flowers such as Meconopsis Ward, several Labiatae, species 
of Campanula, Pedicularzs, and so on, making a very striking 
show against the red rock, in strange contrast to the fields 
of barley down below which were suffering badly from 
smut. Meanwhile Gan-ton had made arrangements for 
the continuation of the journey next day to Samba-dhuka 
on the Mekong, as I wished to return by a different route. 
My Chinese soldier had now to return to Batang, and I 
was given instead a Tibetan soldier. I have already 
remarked that the official was away, and had I wished, 
there was nothing to prevent my continuing along the road 
to Lhasa, distant about five weeks’ journey over extremely 
difficult country ; but time was getting on and I was due 
back in A-tun-tsi if I wished to make the most of the 
season in that region. 
