I arrived at Yencheng at a most opportune time, for General Yen! had. just been appointed to ive nilitury protection to Chowkaikow land district, and the great man hhimsolf had already embarked on the boat prepared for him and was fixed to start the next day. Mr. Davis of Yencheng had also secured place on one of the General oats, and so T was just in time to have a night's rest before joining the party. Having of course no luggage of my own, kind friends Yencheng provided me with a change of clothes and also some bedding, and at daylight we started out for the boat. Alas, our hurry was not shared by General Yen or his men. A light rain was fallin, and after waiting some three how we learnt that no start would be made that day. It turned out th the party of troops, amounting all to about 1,500, were aking. a precautions against surprise and it was planned for some hundreds to walk' on either side of the river to shield the boats from any possible surprise attack from bandits. They of course were not prepared to walk {in the rain, and so fine weather was all important. I was keen to start {for the relief of tie ladies in Chow-Keaikow, but had been long enough in China to resign myself to inevitable delays for trifling reasons, and zo we returned to the Mission house. This meant a start on correspondence long delayed, and the time to rid myself of a month-old beard. eral's brother was in charge of one of his regiments, so this of course ment the going ashore of the chief, and a consequent delay the next morning.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.