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CHAPTER X 
TA-TSIEN-LU 
Meet Mr. Rockhill—His journey—Missionaries give great assistance— 
Christian collectors—Hard life and devotion of the missionaries— 
Description of the inn—Prayer papers—Caravans—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—Dis- 
tance travelled by caravans—Currency—Sealing-wax— Women’s feast 
—Sanserit inscriptions—Despatch carriers between Pekin and Lhassa 
—Departure of Mr. Rockhill—Misfortunes of his men—Tibetan dogs 
—Expedition to Chet-tu—Poor lodgings—Crossoptilon Tibetanwm 
seen—Parnassius Imperator—Expedition to the north—Shooting 
Crossoptilon—Preparations for departure. 
On my arrival at the inn I found Mr. Rockhill, an 
American, who had been previously attached to their 
legation at Pekin, and who had travelled from that 
place through the practically unknown region on the 
boundary between China and Tibet. Ihad been told by 
Monseigneur Biet that he was there, and was agreeably 
surprised that I should have an English-speaking fellow 
traveller living in the same house with me for at least 
some days. 
I do not know how to sufficiently thank Bishop 
Biet and the Fathers Soulié, Mossot and Dejean for all 
their kindness and attention to me during my stay. 
