We took part in an interesting event while we were staying here—the purchase of land for a Christian university. Heavy bundles of silver “tings” had to be weighed before the payment was settled. Four different missionary societies have each agreed to build a college and to provide a certain number of qualified teachers. It is also proposed that Etonians should furnish a hostel. This university scheme for the west seems likely to be the forerunner of one also in the east of the empire, but the latter will be on more ambitious lines.

We were sorrier when the time came for us to leave Chengtu than we were to resume our journey on any other occasion. We had decided to go by river to Kiating, despite the fact that it was very low; and as we left the city we came to the wall where the new barracks are situated, and saw some soldiers doing the goose-step. Others were jumping into a trench, where nearly every one landed on all-fours. There was very great hesitation before they dared leap at all. The city is enclosed by one of the branches of the river, and we had not to go very far outside the wall before we reached the point where our boat was moored.

CHAPTER XVI
The Min River

We reached the riverside—it looked merely a stream—and found our boat, with the luggage already aboard, looking most unpromising, despite the efforts of our men. It was a small river craft about eight feet broad. Bamboo matting not more than five feet high formed our house-room, with a few planks for a door in front. Fragments of matting made a partial screen in the centre. The floor was of a rudimentary character, just a few boards with large gaps between them, through which one could study the depth of water over which our luggage was precariously poised on low props. In order to prevent all our small things from dropping through the floor, we spread over it our invaluable sheets of oil-cotton (a kind of waterproof largely used everywhere in China), and fastened up a curtain at each end of the tiny boat to secure a small amount of privacy. There was just space for our two carrying-chairs and our mattresses. One of the chairs we used as a wardrobe, and the other as a store-cupboard. The bamboo chairs we had procured at the penitentiary of Chengtu, despite the advice of our friends, as we found sedan-chairs very irksome, and decided that open ones would be more comfortable and enable us to see the country better. With long fur coats and foot muffs we felt that we could brave the cold, and there was always the resource of walking if we got too chilly. We never for a moment regretted our decision, and we found that the men carried the open chairs far better than the heavy closed ones. We profited at once by the exchange, as they were able to be used for going to Mount Omi, and we were carried some distance up the mountain. Under the seat was a box in which we could carry all our small things, and the coolies hung their coats, hats, &c., on the back.

As our room was so small we sat mostly on the floor, so as to have everything within reach without getting up. The cooking was a somewhat difficult matter, as the brazier on which it was done was only six inches in diameter, and rather apt to burn a hole in the floor if it was heated sufficiently to do any cooking. We were glad of its warmth, as the weather was very cold. Chopsticks were evidently the correct fireirons, and are just the right size to match the charcoal. With practice I got fairly expert at making palatable dishes, as naturally the range of the menu was much limited. From this time onward I did all the cooking, and I cannot help attributing to this fact mainly the excellent health we enjoyed throughout the whole journey.

It was on his way from Chang Te to Mount Omi that the unfortunate Lieutenant Brooke was murdered by Lolos about a year later than we were there. We were strongly warned about the care requisite in dealing with Lolos, and told that it was imprudent even to mention the name in public, as it is considered a term of reproach. It was suggested that we should spell it if desirous of speaking of them. Their country is marked on the maps as “Independent Lolos,” and covers about 11,000 square miles: no Chinaman dare penetrate into it without the safe-conduct of a Lolo. Their speech, dress, customs, religion, and laws are entirely different from those of the Chinese. No one has yet come into sufficiently close contact with them to ascertain even approximately the number of Lolo tribes in existence at the present time, speaking different dialects. What was true at the time that Baber explored Western Szechwan is equally true to-day—that practically nothing is known about them. He gives a graphic description of the Lolos whom he met, which I quote at length: “They are far taller than the Chinese; taller probably than any European people. During the journey we must have met hundreds of them, but we never saw one who could be called, even from an English standard, short or undersized. They are almost without exception remarkably straight-built, with thin muscular limbs. Their chests are deep, as becomes mountaineers: the speed and endurance with which they scale their native mountains is a prodigy and a proverb for the Chinese. Their handsome oval faces, of a reddish brown among those most exposed to the weather, are furnished with large, level eyes, prominent but not exaggerated cheekbones, an arched but rather broad nose, an ordinary mouth, somewhat thin-lipped, and a pointed and characteristic chin from which the beard has been plucked. The same process has denuded the upper lip, which is of good proportion. Their teeth are remarkably white and regular, a preservation for which they account by asserting that they never eat roast meat, but always boil their food. Perhaps the most marked character of their faces is a curious tendency to wrinkles, especially on the forehead, which is low, but broad and upright. The lowness of the features may be merely an illusive appearance, since it is overshadowed by a peculiar style of hairdressing. With very rare exceptions the male Lolo, rich or poor, free or subject, may be instantly known by his horn. All his hair is gathered into a knob over his forehead, and then twisted up into a cotton cloth, so as to resemble the horn of a unicorn. The horn with its wrapper is sometimes a good nine inches long.” Baber mentions slave raids made by the Lolos to capture Chinese children, whom they usually bring up like their own children. They tattoo the slaves on the forehead with a blue cross. Apparently it is to have a place of safety in case of such raids that the Chinese have built towers like the one I have sketched on the borders of Yünnan. Many of the customs of the Lolos are peculiar and interesting, and the position of woman is far above that enjoyed in China. The birth of a girl is more highly esteemed than that of a boy, and a stranger introduced by a woman Lolo has the best possible guarantee. Baber considered that a European would be quite safe in Lololand if properly introduced and of honest character. The most experienced and successful travellers always seem to emphasise the importance of the latter fact.

We were escorted by two soldiers, as usual. Our progress was far from rapid, as the river is extremely low at this season. For the first two days we were generally able to see to the bottom, and often we scraped the stones if we did not actually stick fast. The men seemed to spend nearly as much time in the river, pushing and pulling us, as on the boat. It was a picturesque and interesting journey, as we continually came to the dams made for irrigation purposes. We much regretted that we were unable to visit Kwan Hsien (thirty-six miles north of Chengtu), where the system of irrigation of the plain can be seen at its source. As we were short of time, and also heard that we should not see much at this time of the year, it did not seem worth while going there. The Min River flows from the Min Hills, and just near Kwan Hsien a cutting was made in order to divide it into two large branches. These again were subdivided into many others, forming a network to irrigate the whole of the plain in which Chengtu lies. This was done by an able governor more than 200 years B.C., and the original system, which is still in use to-day, has turned an unproductive plain into one of great fertility. Naturally, there have been many improvements made in the course of centuries, and dams and dikes have been erected to regulate the flow of water. We were able to see quite a number of these after leaving Chengtu, and to marvel at their simple and successful construction. They are mostly made of bamboo crates, filled with stones, and rising about three feet above water. These are placed in long lines, and the temporary dike is made of sand. The channels have to be cleaned regularly, and large sums have to be spent on repairs. The farmers pay a tax of about ½d. an acre, and, in order to get the money in regularly, they are compelled to pay double if it is not paid before a certain date. For about a month yearly the river below Chengtu is closed, and there is always a great crowd of boats at that time, both above and below the dam, waiting for the re-opening. The opening of a big dam, such as the “Frog’s Chin,” is an imposing ceremony, preceded by a day of worship at the temples and the inspection of dikes. All the officials attend, and when the sluice is opened the runners of the officials lash the water, and the women and the children throw stones in to make the water run faster to irrigate the fields!

HOUSE ON MIN RIVER

Throughout the plain there are many water-wheels to raise the water to higher levels, and some also are apparently used for grinding corn. At the close of our first day’s journey on the river there was a great deal of loud talk when we halted for the night, added to the tiresome beating of the drums by the night watchmen, who patrol the towns and big villages all night long. It turned out that a man had come to try and persuade our captain to undertake a bigger job than ours. On being warned that the interpreter would hear what he said, he remarked that it did not matter, as he would not be able to understand the dialect. Mr. Ku, however, had studied the dialect when he was at college, and thoroughly understood the plan that was being devised. This was that we should slip down the river in the middle of the night, while the escorts were away sleeping at the inn. Then some story would be trumped up that the boat could not take us any farther, and we should have been obliged to find another one. Mr. Ku had the good sense to go ashore at once and apply to the Yamen for a couple of soldiers to come and sleep on board, so that there was no opportunity for the captain to undertake the new job even if he had been willing to do so, and we had no further trouble. Certainly, one could hardly be surprised if the captain wished to make a little more money, for he receives about 6s. for a trip which lasts four days, and out of this money he has to pay and feed two other men besides feeding our two. We hear that a man can live (without starving) on a penny a day for food, and the regular allowance of soldiers is only 2d. per day.