houses, and so forth-are complete. At the A-mi Concession there must be quite thirty Europeans, including two women and three children.
The people of A-mi appeared to be friendly. As I approached the town, I was addressed by one or two as "Messer," and an old man of whom I inquired my way seized and shook vigorously my hand-the left hand-while he answered.
This friendly attitude may well in part be due to the little hospital which had been attached to the Construction Company's compound. The hospital is in charge of Dr. Sureaud and his "infirmier."
As it was Dr. Sureaud who, in the absence of M. Garcia, acted as my host.
The next stage, Siao-lung-t'an, is only 16 kilom. distant, I did not start till after déjeuner on the second day (the 20th May), but took the opportunity to walk round the town, for the most part on the wall. The town is small, but even so a considerable space within the walls is occupied by vegetable gardens and banana or pomegranate plantations. On the west side are some temples, apparently in good repair, and a number of fine old trees. The place seems to have little or no trade, nor could I learn that there are any mines of value in the district, with one exception, to be noted presently. The future railway station is to be outside the town, on the north-east.
After tiffin M. Savoyard, the sub-contractor, an Italian, rode with me to the end of his lot. He told me he had bought his tools and other implements at Hong Kong, for the contractors are free to procure them whence they please. He had paid some 500l. for them at Hong Kong, but their transport to A-mi had cost three times that sum. Work, I noticed, had been commenced at several points along the line, notably at the tunnel connecting the A-mi Plain with the valley of Pei-ta Ho, and at the further tunnel at the entrance to the Pei-ta Ho gorge. We followed the service road which joins these points and mounts the side of the gorge above the tunnel. On the way, M. Savoyard pointed to a village near which, he said, is a copper mine that would repay exploitation by Europeans. At the tunnel by the gorge were a couple of white men, one of them an elderly Italian who had been with M. Savoyard in Macedonia. Their lodging is a hut of four tiny rooms. In one of these tea was served to us, stewed in a saucepan and poured out, leaves and all, into thick glass tumblers. The river water is undrinkable during the rains, which had evidently begun up country; for the stream was of a bright orange colour, a colour it retained as far as the I-liang Plain.
From this tunnel commence the defiles of the Pei-ta Ho, defiles that continue with brief intervals till the I-liang Plain is reached. The "trace" keeps to the right bank up to the first of these intervals, an amphitheatre on the southern edge of which is the contractor's post of Siao-lung-t'an (kilom. 237). Here the railway is to cross to the left bank, where it remains till past Lu-feng Ts'un (kilom. 345). Only one bridge, as I understand, is to be of iron; all others will be built of stone.
At Siao-lung-t'an the railwaymen had no temple for their base, but were obliged to erect everything themselves. Here I found M. Serpieri, an Italian, and his wife who, thanks to M. Guibert's circular, were expecting me, and received me most hospitably. M. Serpieri was at first employed in the Nam-hti Valley, but, as his health was greatly suffering, succeeded in effecting an exchange. There were half-a-dozen other Italians, surveillants and "tâcherons," in the compound, which was so full that I had to take for my bedroom the office, while my servants camped out under their bell-tent.
The next day (21st May) M. Serpieri showed me the way past some railway embankments on the comparatively level ground of the amphitheatre, to the river side, after which it was impossible to miss my road, the "chemin de service." The scenery becomes presently most remarkable. On the right hand is a towering precipice; on the left the river describes a double S curve, having in each concave bend a lofty crag topped with pines. The railway, keeping now always to the left of the stream, runs parallel to the line of the precipice, piercing by tunnels the great banks which join precipice to crag. Near the second of these tunnels I met two Italians, who asked me if it was true that I was in charge of Italian interests.
I replied that I am in charge only of British and Austrian interests: on which one of the two observed that he had understood from his Minister at Peking that they would be able to refer to me. The Italians along the line, he added, were now about 1,000 in number, of all grades from chief of section to a foreman. They were not altogether satisfied with the condition of affairs, and, as I understand, had telegraphed to their Minister accordingly.
Page 9
I tiffined in a cavern by the side of the service road, still in the gorge. About 4 o'clock the country again opened out, and in less than an hour later Ta-lung-t'an was reached. The "dragon spring" is a tank up which wells a strong and steady stream.
Nailed to a tree hard by was a board with the inscription "Chalet de Tao-long-tang," and beside it a long flight of steps led up to the temple occupied by a sous-chef, M. Chevalier, and his assistant ("conducteur") M. Lebadie. The former was away, but the latter received me and most amply entertained me. I spent the night in the quarters of his absent chief, with every comfort—I might say, with every luxury. M. Lebadie told me that a large part of his duties consists in arranging for the purchase of land for the line; and that when the prospectors first appeared the farmers used to turn out with guns to warn them off. The people were now, however, accustomed to the sight of the "yang-kuan" (foreign official—the stock term for the railway man) and no longer threatened them.
By the Regulations land should be purchased by the officials; but, as I was told elsewhere, if the contractors waited till this was done work would never begin. The Provincial Government, in answer to remonstrances from the French Consulate-General, pleaded want of funds. The Canton Viceroy had been instructed to assist his colleague of Yün-kuei, but all his spare cash had gone in the attempt to suppress the Kuangsi rising. Finally, the Railway Company had offered to advance 2,000,000 dollars. Even so the Company would, M. François told me, be paying twice over for the land; because they found it more satisfactory to purchase themselves direct from the owners than to await the slow results of mandarin action. On the other hand the Chinese (not the officials only) complain of hasty and high-handed proceedings on the part of the engineers and contractors, who will endeavour to hustle the East. It is fortunate for the peace of Yunnan that quite 90 per cent. of the line passes through uninhabited mountains, where tunnelling disturbs no one's ancestors, and there are no paddy fields to be smothered by rubble.
The railway track keeps close to the river, and so passes at a little distance to the west of the "Chalet de Tao-long-tang." I did not, in fact, again strike the track till about 11 in the forenoon of the next day. M. Lebadie rode with me to La-li-hei, about an hour's journey north, to the spacious temple filled with railway plant and occupied by the contractor for the 17th-19th "lots," M. Parboni. He was away along the line, but two of his associates received us. After a stay of an hour or so I left, in the company of M. Kalos, a young Greek, who acts as paymaster for the line between La-li-hei and Yunnan-fu. The road, leaving the river, mounts a plateau sparsely planted with pines and walnuts; then, after traversing a poor village, skirts some reservoirs (at present half dry) and descends abruptly through a valley inhabited chiefly by Lo-los, a not uncomely race. Where this valley joins the Pei-ta Ho the service road recommences. Following this I arrived at midday at the hut of M. Poirçon, a French "conducteur," where I was presently joined for tiffin by M. Kalos, who had stayed behind to make sure of his treasure train. The Company remit to Europe, free of charge, such portions of each employee's salary as the recipient may desire; the balance is paid in piastres, and these it is M. Kalos' duty to distribute.
M. Poirçon's station is the last point south of Posi where work on the actual line is being conducted. The service road, indeed, thence to Posi has only lately been finished. Round a bend just above this station magnificent cliffs shut in the river. Here a "barque," a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, is kept for the service of the Company, and in this M. Kalos and I took passage, sending our baggage ahead by the "chemin de service," cut into the almost precipitous east side of the gorge. We were punted or hauled up stream, frequently running aground, until we began to despair of reaching our destination by dinner-time. Night had, in fact, fallen before we emerged from the defile into the Posi Plain. We stumbled along a broken stone road round three sides of a wide stretch of paddy ground, until at last, at half-past 9 o'clock, we found ourselves in the temple compound occupied by the chief of section and his staff. The Chief was ill and in bed, but his kindly assistant, M. Vialard, though himself far from well, and Mme. Vialard, were most good to us. I spent the night in the newly-erected offices, rooms absolutely bare; but the traveller in Yünnan would be only too content if he could always get quarters equally clean and dry.
The Plain of Posi is evidently not healthy, and I can answer for it that it can be exceedingly hot. The crops then (May 23rd) showing above ground included cotton and sugar-cane, proofs of a tropical climate. I do not think that any railway work (beyond the housing of the staff) has yet been begun on Posi Plain. It was not until
Page 572
5
houses, and so forth-are complete. At the A-mi Concession there must be quite thirty Europeans, including two women and three children.
The people of A-mi appeared to be friendly. As I approached the town, I wan addressed by one or two as " Messer," and an old man of whom I inquired my way seized and shook vigorously my hand-the left hand-while he answered.
This friendly attitude may well in part be due to the little hospital which had been attached to the Construction Company's compound. The hospital is in charge of Dr. Sureaud and his "infirmier."
As
It was Dr. Sureaud who, in the absence of M. Garcia, acted as my host. the next stage, Siao-lung-t'an, is only 16 kilom. distant, I did not start till after déjeuner on the second day (the 20th May), but took the opportunity to walk round the town, for the most part on the wall. The town is small, but even so a con- siderable space within the walls is occupied by vegetable gardens and banana or pomegranate plantations. On the west side are some temples, apparently in good repair, and a number of fine old trees. The place seems to have little or no trade, nor could I learn that there are any mines of value in the district, with one exception, to be noted presently. The future railway station is to be outside the town, on the north-east.
After tiffin M. Savoyard, the sub-contractor, an Italian, rode with me to the end of his lot." He told me he had bought his tools and other implements at Hong Kong, for the contractors are free to procure them whence they please. He had paid some 5001. for them at Hong Kong, but their transport to A-mi had cost three times that sum. Work, I noticed, had been commenced at several points along the line, notably at the tunnel connecting the A-mi Plain with the valley of Pei-ta Ho, and at the further tunnel at the entrance to the Pei-ta Ho gorge. We followed the service road which joins these points and mounts the side of the gorge above the tunnel. On the way, M. Savoyard pointed to a village near which, he said, is a copper mine that would repay exploitation by Europeans. At the tunnel by the gorge were a couple of white men, one of them an elderly Italian who had been with M. Savoyard in Macedonia. Their lodging is a hut of four tiny rooms. In one of these tea was served to us, stewed in a saucepan and poured out, leaves and all, into thick glass tumblers. The river water is undrinkable during the rains, which had evidently begun up country; for the stream was of a bright orange colour, a colour it retained as far as the I-liang Plain.
From this tunnel commence the defiles of the Pei-ta Ho, defiles that con- tinue with brief intervals till the I-liang Plain is reached. The "trace" keeps to the right bank up to the first of these intervals, an amphitheatre on the southern edge of which is the contractor's post of Siao-lung-t'ari (kilom. 237). Here the rail- way is to
eross to the left bank, where it remains till past Lu-feng Ts'un (kilom. 345). Only one bridge, as I understand, is to be of iron; all others will be built of stone.
At Siao-lung-t'an the railwaymen had no temple for their base, but were obliged to erect everything themselves. Here I found M. Serpieri, an Italian, and his wife who, thanks to M. Guibert's circular, were expecting me, and received me most hospitably. M. Serpieri was at first employed in the Nam-hti Valley, but, as his health was greatly suffering, succeeded in effecting an exchange. There were half-a- dozen other Italians, surveillants and "tâcherons," in the compound, which was so full that I had to take for my bedroom the office, while my servants camped out under their bell-tent.
The next day (21st May) M. Serpieri showed me the way past some railway embankments on the comparatively level ground of the amphitheatre, to the river side, after which it was impossible to miss my road, the "chemin de service." The scenery becomes presently most remarkable. On the right hand is a towering preci- pice; on the left the river describes a double S curve, having in each concave bend a lofty crag topped with pines. The railway, keeping now always to the left of the stream, runs parallel to the line of the precipice, piercing by tunnels the great banks which join precipice to crag. Near the second of these tunnels I met two Italians, who asked me if it was true that I was in charge of Italian interests.
I replied that I am in charge only of British and Austrian interests: on which one of the two observed that he had understood from his Minister at Peking that they would be able to refer to me. The Italians along the line, he added, were now about 1,000 in number, of all grades from chief of section to a foreman. They were not altogether satisfied with the condition of affairs, and, as I understand, had telegraphed to their Minister accordingly.
9
I tiffined in a cavern by the side of the service road, still in the gorge. About
4 o'clock the country again opened out, and in less than an hour later Ta-lung-t'an Cas reached. The "
dragon spring" is a tank up which wells a strong and steady stream.
Nailed to a tree hard by was a board with the inscription "Chalet de Tao-long-tang," and beside it a long flight of steps led up to the temple occupied by a sous-chef,"
M. Chevalier, and his assistant (“ conducteur") M.Lebadie. The former was away, but the latter received me and most amply entertained me. I spent the night in the quarters of his absent chief, with every comfort--I might say, with every luxury. M. Lebadie told me that a large part of his duties consists in arranging for the pur- chase of land for the line; and that when the prospectors first appeared the farmers used to turn out with guns to warn them off. The people were now, however, accus- tomed to the sight of the "yang-kuan" (foreign official-the stock term for the railway man) and no longer threatened them.
By the Regulations land should be purchased by the officials; but, as I was told elsewhere, if the contractors waited till this was done work would never begin. The Provincial Government, in answer to remonstrances from the French Consulate- General, pleaded want of funds. The Canton Viceroy had been instructed to assist his colleague of Yün-kuei, but all his spare cash had goue in the attempt to suppress the Kuangsi rising. Finally, the Railway Company had offered to advance 2,000,000 dollars. Even so the Company would, M. François told me, be paying twice over for the land; because they found it more satisfactory to purchase themselves direct from the owners than to await the slow results of mandarin action. On the other hand the Chinese (not the officials only) complain of hasty and high-handed proceedings on the part of the engineers and contractors, who will endeavour to hustle the East. It is fortunate for the peace of Yunnan that quite 90 per cent. of the line passes through uninhabited mountains, where tunnelling disturbs no one's ancestors, and there are no paddy fields to be smothered by rubble.
The railway track keeps close to the river, and so passes at a little distance to the west of the "Chalet de Tao-long-tang." I did not, in fact, again strike the track till about 11 in the forenoon of the next day. M. Lebadie rode with me to La-li-hei, about an hour's journey north, to the spacious temple filled with railway plant and The latter was occupied by the contractor for the 17th-19th "lots," M. Parboni. away along the line, but two of his associates received us. After a stay of an hour or so I left, in the company of M. Kalos, a young Greek, who acts as paymaster for the line between La-li-hei and Yunnan-fu. The road, leaving the river, mounts a plateau sparsely planted with pines and walnuts; then, after traversing a poor village, skirts some reservoirs (at present half dry) and descends abruptly through a valley inhabited chiefly by Lo-los, a not uncomely race. Where this valley joins the Pei-ta Ho the service road recommences. Following this I arrived at inidday at the hut of M. Poirçon, a French "conducteur," where I was presently joined for tiffin by M. Kalos, who had stayed behind to make sure of his treasure train. The Company remit to Europe, free of charge, such portions of each employe's salary as the recipient may desire; the balance is paid in piastres, and these it is M. Kalos' duty to distribute.
pany,
M. Poirçon's station is the last point south of Posi where work on the actual line is being conducted. The service road, indeed, thence to Posi has only lately been finished. Round a bend just above this station magificent cliffs shut in the river. Here a "barque," a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, is kept for the service of the Com- and in this M. Kalos and I took passage, sending our baggage ahead by the "chemin de service," cut into the almost precipitous east side of the gorge. We were punted or hauled up stream, frequently running aground, until we began to despair of reaching our destination by dinner-time. Night had, in fact, fallen before we emerged from the defile into the Posi Plain. We stumbled along a broken stone road round three sides of a wide stretch of paddy ground, until at last, at half-past 9 o'clock, we found ourselves in the temple compound occupied by the chief of section and his staff. The Chief was ill and in bed, but his kindly assistaut, M. Vialard, though himself far from well, and Mme. Vialard, were most good to us. I spent the night in the newly- erected offices, rooms absolutely bare; but the traveller in Yünnan would be only too content if he could always get quarters equally clean and dry.
The Plain of Posi is evidently not healthy, and I can answer for it that it can be exceedingly hot. The crops then (May 23rd) showing above ground included cotton and sugar-cane, proofs of à tropical climate. ï do not think that any railway work (beyond the housing of the staff) has yet been begun on Posi Plain. It was not until
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