CHAP DER «XV, 
THROUGH THE LAND OF THE CROSS-BOW 
WE left Wei-hsi-ting next day, November 23, our two 
Caravans creating quite a stir in the little city as they 
clattered down the stone-paved slippery street and set out in 
opposite directions. 
The main party, under the leadership of Kin, who with 
conscious dignity rode Beauty, comprised five pack-mules 
in charge of two muleteers, and an escort of three soldiers 
told off to accompany them across the Li-ti-p‘ing, a somewhat 
desolate region of forest and bog, as already described, at 
the summit of the watershed, generally supposed to be 
infested with Lissu robbers. The soldiers would escort the 
caravan only as far as the Yang-tze, two days’ journey hence, 
after which the care of my property devolved upon Kin, at 
least as far as Tali-fu. However, he was amply provided 
with silver, and carried my passport which, the official had 
informed me, would be respected by Imperialists and 
Revolutionists alike, did my caravan fall into their hands, 
so I apprehended no trouble on that score. My own party 
consisted of Sung; a yamen-runner who had charge of my 
local passport, with power to commandeer interpreters, 
escorts, and anything else he considered necessary for the 
safe prosecution of the journey; two porters carrying our 
bedding and a few cooking utensils ; and finally Ah-poh, who 
was destined to create a great sensation in southern Yunnan. 
As we went up the valley to the south-east we passed 
through several villages where groups of pretty Moso girls 
stood laughing and chatting in the sunshine ; many people 
were hurrying into the market at Wei-hsi, some of them 
from a considerable distance, but all, in spite of their heavy 
