CONTENTS xiii 
PAGE 
Caravan drivers—Their dress—The landlady’s wealth—Value 
of gold—City of Ta-tsien-lu—Its inhabitants—Their dress and 
arms—Lamas—Funeral rites of a lama—Brick tea—Loads 
carried by coolies—Trade—Distance travelled by caravans— 
Currency—Sealing-wax— Women’s feast—Sanscrit inscriptions 
—Despatch carriers between Pekin and Lhassa—Departure of 
Mr. Rockhill—Misfortunes of his men—Tibetan dogs—Expe- 
dition to Chet-tu-—Poor lodgings—Crossoptilon Tibetanwm seen 
—Parnassius Imperator—Expedition to the north—Shooting 
Crossoptilon—Prepartions for departure : ; - 134 
CHAPTER XI 
RETURN JOURNEY TO ICHANG 
Departure for Wa-ssu—Difliculty at Fu-lin—Huang-mu-chang— 
Road lost—So-i-ling Pass at night—Arrive at Ta-tien-chih 
at midnight—Collectors work—Horses ‘procured—Guard of 
soldiers-—Arrive at Kia-ting-fu—Carelessness with mails—Go to 
my boat—Very heavy flood—Great loss of life—False rumours 
concerning the object of my journey—Inspection of boat by Tao- 
tai—Visit to city—Lowban procures flag—Leayve for Ichang— 
Destruction of village—Boat aground in wrong channel—Pass 
Sui-fu—Lu-chau—Delayed by heavy rain—Arrival at Chung- 
king—Delayed by high river at Quei-chow-fu—Wrecks of 
junks—Pass the Sin-tan and Ta-tung rapids— Waterfalls . 147 
CHAPTER XII 
SECOND JOURNEY TO TA-TSIEN-LU 
Arrival at Ichang—Story of the lowban’s flag—Despatch collec- 
tions—Leopard on the river bank—Trip to Hankow—Telegraph 
line—Official letters concerning my boat—Prepare for journey 
up river—Boat damaged on rock—Curious pagoda at Shi-po- 
chia—Arrive at Chung-king—Collector sent to Quei-chau—Sui- 
fu — Kia-ting-fu — Prepare for journey — Despatch coolies to 
Kia-kiang— Oméi-hsien—Wan-nien-tze—Bronze elephant and 
Buddha—Peculiar tea—Tibetan worshipper—The summit of 
Mount Oméi—Bronze Temple—Pagoda—Tremendous precipice 
—Tigers on the mountain—Suicides—View of the Snowy 
