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bank of the Yung-ning River, here about 40 yards wide, a short distance above its junction with the Yang-tzu. This river is barred every few hundred yards by rapids, over which a boat would not be taken in any other country; but here imperturbable patience, and the uniform application of the first rule in arithmetic, overcome all difficulties and make good all deficiencies. If ten men cannot pull a boat over a rapid, try twenty, thirty, or forty. Do not alter your method—that would be complicated and fatiguing. But man is here a cheap and common animal, a fact which modifies many problems.
There is a remarkable lack of solidly-constructed buildings in this province. This may be due in part to the rareness of good stone in this immediate neighbourhood; but the great reason is that the people prefer to spend their money in ways that give a quicker return. They are well clothed; tobacco of good quality, opium, and spirits seem to be within the reach of every one. The greater number eat pork, and amuse themselves to a surprising extent. Lin Ta-jên's remark, that his countrymen live at home in peace and plenty, is no empty boast as far as Ssu-ch'uan is concerned. There is no doubt whatever that the mass of the people, although to a newly-arrived European they appear sunk in squalor, enjoy a considerable measure of comfort.
At the same time, in case of mishap, a paternal Government leaves them to take their chance with the other mammals. Thus, in the winter of 1884-85, when an army was recruited here to march into Tonquin, hundreds of workmen from the salt-wells came down to Lu-chou, and, not being accepted as recruits, died there of starvation.
On the road from Na-chi Hsien I noticed for the first time square pillars of stone, carved at the top to represent the head of Amita Buddha. At a distance they look just like terminal statues, but a closer view dispels all thought of classical sculpture. They are the most grotesque and hideous images. Many were loaded with straw sandals, the votive offerings of porters whose prayers for the relief of sore feet or aching backs had been answered.
For some 10 miles before Chiang-mén is reached the country is most picturesque. The river here flows between the red sandstone slopes of mountains that rise from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above its level. The sides are too steep for terrace cultivation, and are abandoned to a most luxuriant wild vegetation, the whole surface being covered with a profusion of ferns and flowers watered by cascades that tumble over the tilted strata. The boats add a touch of fairyland to the picture, for they are long, curved structures, floating high on the water, with an immense bow, sweep-shaped like an ancient halbert. Seen from the cliffs above they suggest some strange, unwieldy water-monster, who has strayed into a narrow stream and has much difficulty in getting out.
About 6 miles beyond Ma-ling, on the right of a narrow valley, down which the road passes, a sandstone bluff comes into view presenting the interesting spectacle of about twenty Man-tzŭ caves. Most of the entrances, 3 to 4 feet square, are cut in the vertical cliff some 10 feet above the ground, so that they are not to be reached without a ladder, and we had no time to wait. These caves may richly reward the otiose explorer, for no Chinaman would ever think of taking the trouble necessary to disturb what they contain. The face of the cliff, beside the portals, is adorned in one or two cases by sculptures in relief, the most striking being a round human face, which at once recalled to my mind a print in Smith's Classical Dictionary, representing the sun (from a coin of Rhodes). Other caves were accessible, and proved to be cut in the solid rock (sandstone) about 8 feet square, with a domed roof some 5 ft. 6 in. high in the centre. These caves are cut on exactly the same plan as those described by Mr. Baber, common in South Ssu-ch'uan, and are called by the same name, i.e., "Caves of the Man-tzu." My hopes were raised by a heap of earth in one cave, that had evidently been deposited there with a purpose, and was considering how to get the earth turned over without attracting the attention of the neighbours, when a villager remarked, "We buried a beggar there last year. There was no coffin for him, so we put him in the cave and covered him with earth." This valley was, no doubt, formerly the head-quarters of a Man-tzu tribe, for some miles lower down the site of the castle of a Man-tzu Chief (Man-tzu Wang) is pointed out. Not one stone remains upon another; but the sculptured blocks that lie about the garden of a farm-house, just built over the site, bear witness to a considerable advance in civilization. There was a stone lintel, measuring 5 feet by 1 ft. 6 in., by 9 inches, very evenly cut and adorned with a simple pattern much resembling that figured Mr. Baber (p. 137).
On the 5th November we reached Yung-ning Hsien, an important trading entrepôt fifteen years ago, when the Kwang-si and Kuei-chou routes were blocked by rebels, for
* See "Nineteenth Century," October 1880, p. 615.
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bank of the Yung-ning River, here about 40 yards wide, a short distance above its junction with the Yang-tzu. This river is barred every few hundred yards by rapids, over which a boat would not be taken in any other country; but here imperturbable patience, and the uniform application of the first rule in arithmetic, overcome all difficul- ties and make good all deficiencies. If ten men cannot pull a boat over a rapid, try twenty, thirty, or forty. Do not alter your method-that would be complicated and fatiguing. But man is here a cheap and common animal, a fact which modifies many problems.
There is a remarkable lack of solidly-constructed buildings in this province. This may be due in part to the rareness of good stone in this immediate neighbourhood; but the great reason is that the people prefer to spend their money in ways that give a quicker return. They are well clothed; tobacco of good quality, opium, and spirits seem to be within the reach of every one. The greater number eut pork, and amuse themselves to a surprising extent. Lin Ta-jên's remark, that his countrymen live at home in peace and plenty, is no empty boast as far as Ssu-ch'uan is concerned. There is no doubt whatever that the mass of the people, although to a newly-arrived European they appear sunk in squalor, enjoy a considerable measure of comfort.
At the same time, in case of mishap, a maternal Government leaves them to take their chance with the other mammals. Thus, in the winter of 1884-85, when an army was recruited here to march into Tonquin, hundreds of workmen from the salt-wells came down to Lu-chou, and, not being accepted as recruits, died there of starvation.
On the road from Na-chi Hsien I noticed for the first time square pillars of stone, carved at the top to represent the head of Amita Buddha. At a distance they look just like terminal statues, but a closer view dispels all thought of classical sculpture. They are the most grotesque and hideous images. Many were loaded with straw sandals, the votive offerings of porters whose prayers for the relief of sore feet or aching backs had been answered.
For some 10 miles before Chiang-mén is reached the country is most picturesque. The river here flows between the red sandstone slopes of mountains that rise from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above its level. The sides are too steep for terrace cultivation, and are abandoned to a most luxuriant wild vegetation, the whole surface being covered with a profusion of ferns and flowers watered by cascades that tumble over the tilted strata. The boats add a touch of fairyland to the picture, for they are long, curved structures, floating high on the water, with an immense bow, sweep-shaped like an ancient halbert. Seen from the cliffs above they suggest some strange, unwieldy water-monster, who has strayed into a narrow stream and has much difficulty in getting out.
About 6 miles beyond Ma-ling, on the right of a narrow valley, down which the road passes, a sandstone bluff comes into view presenting the interesting spectacle of about twenty Man-tzŭ caves. Most of the entrances, 3 to 4 feet square, are cut in the vertical eliff some 10 feet above the ground, so that they are not to be reached without a ladder, and we had no time to wait. These caves may richly reward the otiose explorer, for no Chinaman would ever think of taking the trouble necessary to disturb what they contain. The face of the cliff, beside the portals, is adorned in one or two cases by sculptures in relief, the most striking being a round human face, which at once recalled to my mind a print in Smith's Classical Dictionary, representing the sun (from a coin of Rhodes). Other caves were accessible, and proved to be cut in the solid rock (sandstone) about 8 feet square, with a domed roof some 5 ft. 6 in. high in the centre. These caves are cut on exactly the same plan as those described by Mr. Baber, common in South Ssu-ch'uan, and are called by the same name, i.e., "Caves of the Man-tzu." My hopes were raised by a heap of earth in one cave, that had evidently been deposited there with a purpose, and was considering how to get the earth turned over without attracting the attention of the neighbours, when a villager remarked, "We buried a beggar there last year. There was no coffin for him, so we put him in the cave and covered him with earth." This valley was, no doubt, formerly the head-quarters of a Man-tzu tribe, for some miles lower down the site of the castle of a Man-tzu Chief (Man-tzu Wang) is pointed out. Not one stone remains upon another; but the sculptured blocks that lie about the garden of a farm-house, just built over the site, bear witness to a considerable advance in civilization. There was a stone lintel, measuring 5 feet by 1 ft. 6 in., by 9 inches, very evenly cut and adorned with a simple pattern much resembling that figured Mr. Baber (p. 137).
On the 5th November we reached Yung-ning Hsien, an important trading entrepôt fifteen years ago, when the Kwang-si and Kuei-chou routes were blocked by rebels, for
* See "Nineteenth Century," October 1880, p. 615.
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