WHA MIAO
All the next day we gradually descended towards the city of Chaotung, and it appeared to be a specially auspicious day for pig-killing (the people are very particular in such matters), in preparation for their New Year festivities. Every house almost that we passed that morning was the scene of these preparations, and the keenest interest and expectation was depicted on every face but our own. Our coolies would have dearly loved to stop to watch the entertainment, but, as may be supposed, we did not allow this.
MIAO WOMAN
The prefectural town of Chaotung was reached after passing through a dull plain, across which a piercing wind was blowing, which is characteristic of this district. It is an interesting little place, and is much frequented by many of the Miao (aboriginal tribes) in their picturesque dress. The Wha Miaos (= flowery Miao) are so called because of the colour of their dress, which is dyed blue and red by an ingenious method of stencilling the cloth, using beeswax to make the design. They are totally unlike the Chinese, the only point of similarity being the wearing of the pigtail by the men; but they have a religion and language of their own, and keep absolutely aloof from the Chinese. The women, when married, wear their hair erected into a horn, which sticks out from the side of the head; but as soon as they have children the horn is erected straight up from the top. They are very shy people, but as I was anxious to get a sketch of a woman, I got the missionary to persuade her to sing while I made a few notes. She was dressed in a pretty red and blue garment, with a large felt cape over it, and wore a full short petticoat of blue and white. Both men and women wear gaiters and loose leather boots, and the men’s sleeves are looped up in a picturesque way as in the accompanying sketch. The women carry their babies slung on their backs.
CHAPTER XIX
The Road to Yünnan Fu
After a couple of days’ halt we started for the capital, with new coolies for the most part—fine, strong men—who had arranged to do the twelve days’ stages at four taels per man, with the additional inducement of a pork-feast on New Year’s Day. The first day we passed through somewhat uninteresting country, but then we climbed up amongst the mountains and reached one specially fine point of view, from which we saw five ranges, one beyond the other, and to the west a lovely snow range. From there we made our way down a most precipitous slope to the bottom of a valley, where a noisy brook was spanned by one of the fascinating iron suspension-bridges. This bridge is composed of eight parallel thick iron chains with connecting links, and the masonry at each end is very fine. The hand-rails were decorated with graphic carvings of monkeys and other apocryphal beasts at each end. The little village was eminently picturesque, and the willows were already in their delicate spring green, contrasting well with the stiff blue-green prickly pears. Coming down the slope, our eyes had feasted on the sight of pink fruit blossom, and on the farther side of the stream we came next day to dazzling white pear-trees. Certain shrubs blossom even while snow is on the ground, and this is a favourite motif both in Chinese and in Japanese art.
UPLAND VILLAGE
