Things are now what we in West China call "quiet." You can travel—with a big escort. "A bevy of schoolgirls going home recently reached their destisfation within all but a few li; but as the remainder of the journey was dangerous they were given an escort who charged the girls 600 cash, rather a large sum if you are schoolgirl.
The Consul-General'has given instructions that all travellers must procure an escort, and so like loyal British subjects we all obey.
Not long ago a traveller found it necessary to go from Anhsien to Chongba; and so he asked for the privilege of an escort. The authorities provided him with a dozen men carrying rifles. Just before they came to Hsiangshui they reached the bandit region. From the tops of the hills the brigands hailed them, "Hi! you there! Who are So and So going to Chongh shouted back the escort. There was 'a halt of five minutes while the information was passed up to headquarters, after which permission was gi "Now," said the traveller, "we are safely through you may all go back." There was consternation in the ranks. "We can't go back; we are going to take you to Chongba."" But this road is quite safe, you need not come." "We must, look at these (pointing to their rifles). If we go back the bandits will take them." So on they went to Chongba, and returned in due course with the foreigner who really turned out to be the escort.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.