124 AIRE MULES 
was getting too severe. These having been promised, 
I dismissed the coolies from Wa-shan also, as I was 
informed that I could replace them here. 
June 29.—While we were at breakfast the Chinese 
horse owner brought the horses round, and was told to 
wait. He did so for a time, and then took the horses 
away, having no doubt been threatened with violence 
if he let his horses to the foreign devils. This put me 
in anice fix, for the coolies dismissed the evening before 
had gone back, and I had loads to be transported when 
neither horses nor coolies were to be hired. At last I 
sent a message to the headman by my interpreter, 
saying that if horses and coolies were not provided forth- 
with I should send to Ching-chi-hsien and report him for 
having caused me delay. This message had the desired 
effect, but not wholly, for I got coolies but no horses. 
These, however, enabled me to leave the place, and 
after going about ten li a man with mules was met and 
an agreement made with him to take us on to Ta-tsien- 
lu. The mules had no saddles, but he said he could 
procure them at Ni-tou, and so we had to make shift 
with blankets. The road all day led by the side of a 
river bed or watercourse now nearly dry, but showing 
unmistakable signs that at times there must be heavy 
floods. It was a barren country with rocks and 
boulders of red sandstone. Heavy rain fell in the 
