himself for his political career by visiting the places in which France is specially interested in the East.
From Chengtu, which they left yesterday, the travellers go south to Hsü-chou Fu (Sui Fu), and then proceed overland to Yunnan Fu.
This part of their journey, M. Foy said, would be of great interest to him, as he had no doubt that France would sooner or later wish to extend her railway from Yunnan Fu to the Yang-tsze.
Having made this journey myself, I mentioned that the task, owing to the mountainous nature of the country, would be no easy one; but he replied that it would not be more difficult than carrying our railway from Burmah up the Chien-ch'ang Valley to Chengtu.
From Yunnan Fu he will go south to Tonquin, descend the Mekong, visit Bangkok and Rangoon, where he will take rail to Myitkina, cross over into India, and proceed homewards through Afghanistan to the Caspian,
M. and Mme. Berthelot, who, as stated in previous correspondence, arrived in Chengtu on the 12th January, left for Peking on the 26th ultimo. As they travel overland by way of Hsi-an, K'ai-feng, and Chi-nai to Kiao-chau, they do not expect to reach the capital within four months.
Two of the three experts sent out to inspect the districts covered by the French Concessions in Szechuan lately arrived here. One is an Englishman named W. Meischke Smith, and the other a Belgian called Lanet. The latter is an oil expert who has been engaged at Baku. They are at present collecting information as to the most likely places where oil is to be found and propose to make a tour of inspection through the province.
I am informed that an expectant Taotai, named Lin, who speaks French, and is a member of the Foreign and Mining Boards, has been appointed Chinese Director under the Concessions at a salary of 500 taels a month. He will reside at Chungking,
Lamas who have recently arrived here from Lhassa confirm the report of the arrest of the four Kalön, one of whom—Hsia Cha—referred to in previous correspondence, has had eighty charges laid against him. The Dalai Lama is said to have discovered letters proving that Hsia Cha has been in secret correspondence with a foreign Government, from which he has been receiving bribes.
It is rumoured in Ta-chien-lu that Russia has offered to station troops in Thibet provided she is allowed to make a good road into the country.
M. Bons d'Anty, who has ceased to remind me of his temporary residence here, informs me that the French gun-boat "Olry," sent to Shanghai for repairs at the end of last year, will return to Chungking.
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SOUTH-WEST CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[May 14.]
SECTION 1.
Acting Consul Litton to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received May 14.)
Teng Yueh, April 18, 1904.
(No. 4. Confidential.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to submit a Report on a journey performed last month in the northern part of this Sub-prefecture. A sketch map is attached, but it does not profess to do more than give a general idea of the country traversed.
My objects in making this journey were:—
1. To get some further knowledge of the valleys and country to the north of this city. I came to the conclusion that the population and resources of those regions are very considerable, and justify proposals for developing communications with Burmah.
2. To explore the water-divide between the N'maikha on the one hand and the Salwen and Shweli Rivers on the other. I find that this divide would make a convenient frontier.
It would assign all the Chinese villages to China and all the Kachins to Burmah. There are no villages for 5-6 miles on either side of the divide.
3. To collect information as to the alleged claims of the Chinese to certain tracts in the N'maikha Basin. I find that these claims are rather more extensive than was at first supposed, but that they are very flimsy, and, with possibly one exception, not based on any administrative control or acts. They are claims, moreover, not of the Chinese Government, but of the families of certain Chinese Chiefs.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
I have, &c. (Signed)
G. LITTON.
Report on a Journey in the North of the Teng Yueh Sub-prefecture, with special reference to the undelimited Burmah-China Frontier.
(Confidential.)
I. Description of Journey and Country.
THE stone-paved high road, which leads out of the north gate of Teng Yueh city up the valley passes through populous country, and is usually busy with traffic from the villages of the plain and of the Upper Shweli Valley. At 64 miles we ascend to the gloomy little valley of Hai Kou, surrounded by limestone peaks covered with pines, and watered by a small lake or tarn, whence the Teng Yueh tributary of the Taiping River takes its source. An easy ascent to a col 6,500 feet leads into the basin of the Shweli, or Lung Chiang. The traveller descends a picturesque gorge between forest-clad hills inhabited by barking deer and pheasants to the Hsiang Yang Chiao, where there is a suspension bridge over the west or Ming Kwang branch of the Shweli, a little to the north of its junction with the east or Ta Tang branch. Close by is the busy little market of Chu Chih.
The river here emerges from a gorge, and is 30 to 40 yards wide, much broken by rapids, and with some deep pools, which afford good mahseer fishing. As I had already visited the fertile and populous valley of Kai Tou, through which the Ta Tang River flows, and which is situated along the west flank of the great Salwen divide, I turned north from the bridge into the mountains on the left bank of the Ming Kwang branch, and soon reached a country of upland downs (at an average elevation of 7,000 feet), which is characteristic of the northern part of Teng Yueh Sub-prefecture. Grassy slopes, diversified with clumps of pine trees or patches of heavy forest, afford abundant pasture for considerable flocks of sheep and herds of ponies and cattle. I was astonished to find such a large head of animals throughout the country, and the numbers would no doubt be largely increased if there was good ...