Fight for a Coal-mine 189 



the neighbourhood, and a night-attack determined upon. 

 This attack was led in person by my companion on the 

 present occasion — Tung chiu-ye, or the honourable ninth 

 Tung, he being the ninth brother (all first cousins being 

 included) of his generation. At early dawn the party of 

 some twenty men, armed with spears and a few matchlocks, 

 set forth, hoping to catch the enemy unprepared, and so 

 gain peaceable possession of the place; though it was still 

 dark, however, they were discovered, and met with a volley 

 which fortunately injured no one. The Tung men now 

 made a rush, whereupon the enemy fled into the surrounding 

 jungle, not, however, unfortunately for Tung, before one of 

 their number had bitten the dust, transfixed by a spear. 

 Possession was thus gained and the law's delay avoided; 

 the late mortgagee, however, was not a man to neglect the 

 advantage he had gained in losing one of his men, while 

 the Tung force had escaped scot free. A charge of murder 

 was preferred before the prefect, and it cost Mr. Tung 

 another 4000 taels, a very large sum in these parts, before 

 he got clear of the authorities. He now holds the mine 

 undisturbed, and receives from it the moderate income 

 detailed above. 



There appears to be no taxation of mining property, the 

 officials contenting themselves with whatever transit dues they 

 can collect while the produce is being transported. This 

 mine is eight li, or little more than two miles, distant from 

 the banks of the river, where there is a dep6t for its sale, and 

 whence the buyers transport it by water to Chung-king. 

 Porterage over the mountain to Shih chia-liang (the depot) 

 costs twenty-seven cash per picul, while the thirty miles of 

 water-carriage to Chung-king cost fourteen cash only. The 

 coal is sold (delivered at Shih chia-liang) for 130 cash for 

 lump, and no cash for dust, per picul of 133 pounds, or 



