208 CHANGE OF ESCORT 
melting of the snow above, which had lain much later 
than usual on account of the severity of the weather. 
When the warmth came and caused a sudden thaw, the 
water thus freed brought the earth and stones down. 
The Tung River had evidently been quite lately much 
swollen, but was now lower. 
The mail man from Chung-king to Ta-tsien-lu was 
passed to-day, and though I felt certain that there were 
letters for me, I could not get them as they were in a 
sealed packet directed to Mgr. Biet. 
Lu-ting-chiao was reached in the evening, and here 
my escort was changed, those that had accompanied 
me going back to Ta-tsien-lu and others coming on as 
far as Chin-chi-hsien. 
July 23.—The road travelled over to-day was in a 
very bad state, much damage having been done by the 
late rains. This, however, is nothing more than what 
one may expect where the roads are mere tracks that 
are only kept open at all by the traffic that passes along. 
As a rule, no attempt is made to form what we should 
consider to be a road. Arrived at Hua-ling-ping in the 
evening, the coolies arriving much later, having had a 
hard day’s work. 
July 24.—To-day, when on the march, I met a man 
and woman, the latter evidently seriously ill, apparently 
suffering from dysentery. I could do nothing except 
