106 VISIT FROM TAO-TAI 
that it was reported that [had an infernal machine, and 
that my intention was to destroy the city. I tried to 
assure him that such was not the case, and eventually 
succeeded in convincing him that my object was only 
the collecting of objects interesting to naturalists, such 
as birds, butterflies, &c. He could not or would not_ 
understand, and asked what good could they be, and 
what was I going to do with them. I said that I had 
a passport for the province and intended to go to Wa- 
shan for the purpose, when after I had made such col- 
lections as I could, they would be sent home to people 
who were greatly interested in such things, and who- 
would highly appreciate them. 
He then appeared to be to a certain extent satisfied, 
but said he could not give me a guard to Wa-shan, or 
allow me to proceed there, and from what I could 
gather he wished me to go in the direction of Cheng-tu. 
This I refused to assent to, and said that my destina- 
tion was Wa-shan, and that I intended to go there 
whether I had his permission or not, as I had a perfect 
right to travel in any part of Sze-chuen. After some 
further conversation he left, apparently not in a good 
temper. My object, however, was gained, for just 
before I left, he sent a guard of two men to accompany 
me as far as Oméi-hsien, where they would be relieved 
and fresh ones sent on. I found out that his reluctance 
