228 MASSACRE OF CHRISTIAN CONVERTS 
in from Ta-tsu, said to be 200 li distant, and from 
which place they had, with difficulty, escaped with their 
lives, a reward of 200 taels having been offered for their 
heads. A few days later the news came from Ta-tsu 
of the cruel murder of eleven native converts, who were 
reported to have been some boiled and others burnt to 
death by the savage mob. All the mission-houses and 
property having been looted and then destroyed. 
The collector I had despatched, when on my way up 
the river, to Quei-chau, returned here just before I did, 
having received orders to be here in August. He had 
.made a very good collection of lepidoptera, and had 
some long series of interesting cicadas. 1 should imagine 
that this poor province would be a very good field for 
a naturalist. It is known to abound in minerals. 
On September 18, the river had fallen so much as to 
be considered safe for boats, and all was got ready to 
start. Just before leaving I was disagreeably surprised 
to find the pilot missing, and soon found that he had 
deserted, taking with him part of his wages in advance, 
which, according to general practice, I had paid him. 
The engagement of another caused some delay, and after 
saying good-bye to all my kind friends at Chung-king, 
we left at 2 P.M. 
The river being so high and the current so strong, 
rapid progress was made. The night after leaving it 
