START FOR WA-SHAN 107 
to allow me to travel by the route I had chosen arose 
from the fact that it passed close to the frontier of the 
Lolos, who are an independent tribe, or rather race, 
with whom the Chinese Government are constantly in 
a state of war, and whom they had never been able to 
subdue. He feared that in one of the raids which they 
frequently make I might be taken prisoner, and then 
he would be held responsible. 
On May 19, having got thirty coolies for my loads, 
a start was made at 10 a.m. for Wa-shan, where I in- 
tended to stay the whole of the summer, and return to 
the boat in the autumn, run down the river to Ichang 
and send my collections home. Besides the coolies, I 
had Mr. Kricheldorff, the two soldiers as a guard, and 
an interpreter with me. It was a soaking wet day, and 
my halting-place, a small market town called Su-chi, 
was reached at 4.p.m. The footpaths are narrow and 
the country passed through of a red sandstone forma- 
tion. Four branches of rivers were crossed, and this 
caused some delay. I found an indifferent inn and 
was able to purchase some eggs, and felt a sense of 
relief now that Kia-ting-fu, where I was forced to 
remain in my boat, was left behind. 
May 20.—Left Su-chi at 6.30, passing through a 
lovely country reminding me of Hampshire. It is very 
fertile, and water wheels of large diameter, fitted with 
