18G1.] Notes on the Siver Yang-tse- Xiang. 247 
Me (chow), Sintu, Mien (chow), Kin-sliu (hien), Pun-shan (hien), 
Ivien (eliow), Kwan (hien), Ho (chow), Ting-yuen, and Sue-ling 
(hien) ; several names in the two lists corroborate each statement ; 
from a Chinese map in the possession of the Prefect of Pino--shan, 
many places to the West of any of the above named either had been 
or were at the time in the hands of the rebels ; after getting all they 
can out of one town, they often leave it and move to another. 
Part of the Mussulman population of Yunnan is also in insurrec- 
tion under the leadership of a Hadji by name “ Ma Yussu his head 
quarters are at’Ta-lif (foo) in the West of the province, and on the 
high road leading from the Burmese frontier to Yunnan, the capital 
of the province, and to Chingtu (foo), the capital of Sz’chuan. 
China, to the South and West, may he said to he out of the hands 
of the government ; though the mandarins still govern some towns 
and districts, they are ready to take to flight on the first attack of 
the rebels ; the military commandant of Ping-shan was reported to 
have done so with his garrison, as soon as the town was attacked, 
and considered to have acted quite properly ; as far as the safety of 
the town was concerned, he did, no doubt, the best thing possible, 
for the rebels would in all probability have been admitted by some 
of the soldiers. 
Trade is, in the West, almost at a standstill, and it would seem 
of little use to open ports up the river for trade with that part of 
the country, until the rebels have been put down ; Ichang is the 
only place at present where trade might be carried on with advantage, 
and the prospect of it might assist in settling the western pro- 
vinces ; the rebels there are not the same fanatical savages that the 
Taipings are ; they do not 'destroy for the sake of destroying only, 
though in attacking a town they will burn buildings that interfere 
with their operations ; many of these men would undoubtedly be 
glad of a chance to escape from their present life, and the opening 
of trade with the foreigners would give them an opportunity of 
doing so 
A body of the Taipings under a leader called “ Shih-ta-kai” is said 
to be in the province of Kweichow, and this seems to be the most 
westerly point to which they have penetrated ; on our way down the 
river we found a large imperialist camp at Yochow, from which the 
lebels were said to he 180 li distant ; they were also reported to be 
oO li from Iving-kow, a town on the right bank a short distance 
