56
During the whole time that I had travelled with the P'uêrh Taoyin I had met with nothing but courtesy and kindness at his hands, and it was with real regret that I parted with him and resumed the company of the Tengyueh Taoyin.
Two days' travel, the first of which gave us a magnificent and extensive view of Wu- Liang-Shan, brought us to Nanchien, where our halt coincided with that of an unusually ragged and ruffianly party of Chinese regular troops, en route to suppress a local outbreak of brigandage some two days' journey to the south-west. received a visit from the district magistrate of Mitu, the limit of whose jurisdiction Here I was only a mile or so away. Two days later, 21st May, the large walled town of Menghua was reached, and here, much against my wish, we stayed a day at the request of the Taoyin, who asserted the receipt of important despatches requiring
urgent attention.
The large district of Mêughua is one of those which took the fullest advantage of the iniquitous permission accorded last year by the Governor of Yunnan for the cultivation of poppy; if rumour speaks true, the early harvest of the past season was considerable, and the local magistrate is asserted to have lined his pockets well by allowing a second crop, on learning that the inspecting officers would not be able to reach his district before May. But for several weeks prior to our arrival, military, police, and civil officials, including himself, had been out in all directions to ensure that no poppy should be left. Certainly none was to be seen along our route, and the predominating crops consisted of healthy-looking wheat.
From Menghua it is but two days' journey to Siakwan, the largest business town in West Yunnan; on the second day the route crosses a high mountain pass, which from the level of 8,800 feet affords a magnificent view of Tali lake.
Assembled at Siakwan, which was reached on Empire Day, to meet the Taoyin were a host of Chinese officials, including the magistrates of the three districts of Fêngi, Pinch'uan, and Tali. For many years past Siakwan has been one of the largest distributing centres for opium in all Yunnan, and the Chinese firm in whose premises quarters were found for me bears the reputation of being the wealthiest of all the opium dealers.
From Tali it had been originally suggested that the inspection tour should continue northwards to Likiang. Previous to our departure from Tengyueh I had invoked the aid of two well-informed foreigners with local knowledge to obtain for me reliable information on the subject of poppy crops in the north-west of the province; and letters from each of them were awaiting me at Siakwan. The first reported planting this season in the north of the Paoshan (Yungchang) district and north-east of Yungpei, but that none remained, save, perhaps, in inaccessible spots; the second affirmed that already by the middle of April no trace of cultivation remained in the Likiang, Hoch'ing, or Chiench uan districts, and that in the Yungpei district (north of the Yang-tsze) it was probably grown only by Liso and other tribal folk, over whom the Chinese have practically no control. These reports were con- firmed at Tali by the Rev. W. J. Hanna, of the China Inland Mission, and by the representative of the British-American Tobacco Company, both of whom travel extensively, and who assured me that it was several weeks too late for any likelihood of discovering opium crops on a visit to Likiang.
In view of this consensus of opinion and also of the clear indications of the opening, already overdue, of the rainy season, I decided to abandon the Likiang tour. As, however, I had received many weeks previously definite information that no poppy crops were to be seen anywhere along the main road (via Siakwan, Yung- ping and Yungchang) between Tali and Tengyueh, I elected to take the difficult and circuitous route via Tengch'uan, Yünlung and Kait'ou; this route, incidentally, cuts across the north of the Paoshan (Yungch'ang) district.
Leaving Tali on the 27th May, our first stage was the 16 miles of terrible ancient paved stone road to Shangkuan, at the north-west end of the Tali Lake. Here we hade farewell to the Tali magistrate and made the acquaintance of the official in charge of the district of Têngchuan. This town was passed the following morning after two hours of easy going, succeeded by a stiff climb to 8,900 feet, and a steep descent to the surprisingly large town of Fengvü (in the Erhyuan district), lying in a huge hasin of terraced rice-fields. From Fengvu the road climbs up to 10.700 feet, and then drops down to 6,100 feet. the level of the Yangpi River, which flows through the town of that name and Siakwan, into the southern end of the Tali Lake. Two days of travel through beautiful pine-forest country and one day of wilder scenery past several large salt-wells brought us to the town of
Yünlung.
57
The town of Yunlung lies at the eastern foot of the lofty range flanking the left bank of the Mekong River, and the day's journey to the 60-year old chain suspension bridge (the Fei-Lung, or Flying Dragon, bridge) over that turgid torrent consisted of a climb from 5,500 feet to 9,700 feet, succeeded by a long and stony descent to 4,600 feet, the elevation of the Mekong at this point. The fierce swiftness of its 80 yards broad current is sufficiently accounted for by the fact that it descends over 1,800 feet between here and the Tapêng ferry, by which we crossed it on the outward journey.
But a still more formidable day's march lay before us, over the yet higher range on the right bank of the Mekong. The altitudes on this section varied between 5,000 feet at the start (Chiuchou), 11,800 feet at the summit, and 7,000 feet at the halting-place, Ts aochien. Almost the whole of the climb was over the roughest of stone-boulder paving, and much of it in deep trough-like gullies, while, save at the very summit, the path was overgrown by dense jungle.
After two more days of very hilly travel, we came to the crossing of the Salween, here effected in a large, unwieldy-looking boat, the helmsman of which plied a huge stern sweep, some 20 feet long, to negotiate obliquely the passage of the intervening rapids. From the level of the Salween at this point (Mêngku ferry) to the summit of the range, on the right bank, is an ascent of all but 8,000 feet, and the climb over the summit, 10,500 feet, through dense jungle, followed by a steep and terribly rugged drop of close on 4.000 feet, made a day's journey scarcely less arduous than that over the Mekong range.
We were now back again in the Têngch'ung district, and three more days, the first two of which descended the undulating paddy-plains flanking the Shweli. brought our tour to a close on the 11th June.
The total period occupied by my tour was seventy-six days, all but seven of which were travelling days; my estimate of the total distance covered is 8884 miles, of which I accomplished fully 90 per cent, on foot. The route followed traversed some portion at least of eighteen separate districts, and while it cannot, of course, claim to be in any way exhaustive the start was far too late to admit of such a possibility-it served, in my opinion, to establish the fact that along considerable stretches of country in both the western and southern circuits of Yunnan the Chinese have undoubtedly made genuine efforts to stamp out, for the time being at any rate, the cultivation of opium. This effort must have cost the province a very large sum of money, estimated by the Tengyueh Taoyin at not less than half a million dollars. As an instance of the heavy expenditure incurred, he assured me that between the months of November and March last his bill for official telegrams on the subject of opium alone, at 6 cents per word, came to over 2.000 dollars.
I have the honour to append herewith an itinerary of the journey, together with a rough sketch mapt showing the various places passed en route.
cannot close this report without adding a few words to express my high appreciation of the very great assistance willingly and cheerfully rendered through- out the tour by the consulate writer, Mr. Chang-Po-tuan, in obtaining accurate information from day to day regarding both the route I desired to follow and the facts in relation to opium cultivation in the adjoining territory.
A. E. EASTES. His Britannic Majesty's Consulate, Tengyuek,
Sir,
June 26, 1917.
Enclosure 3 in No. 29.
Consul Tours to Mr. Alston.
Ichang, July 20, 1917.
IN accordance with your instructions, I have inspected the eastern portion of the province of Yunnan for opium-poppy cultivation; and I now have the honour to enclose herewith my report thereon.
I have, &c.
* Not printed.
† Fot reproduced.
B. G. TOURS.
518
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.