The party consisted of the Rev. and Mrs. H. J. Bowden and their seven-year old daughter, Joan; Miss G. E. Wells; Miss D. A. Martin, and the writer with his wife and one-year old baby. Twice on the smaller river above Chungking our boat was warned to put into shore. On the first occasion the No. 2 brethren (lao er) as the boatmen almost invariable call them, descended from their lair on the hills, and boarded the boat. Finding only foreigners, and no signs of soldiers or firearms, they kindly allowed us to pass on. Immediately following our boat was a junk which was also called in, and apparently not let off so easily.
On the second occasion the visitors were of a more reckless type. They pulled up the front decks and invaded our compartments, but assured us that they did not intend to take anything belonging to us. One man asked for the gift of a small towel, which was accorded him. But they spotted a tradesman, who had taken passage on our boat without our sanction, and hauled him off with his bundle. No doubt he would have to pay up to the extent of his ability, as they adjudged it. Probably he had thought himself safe on a boat flying the Union Jack, but is now a wiser, if sadder, man. We were sorry, but could do nothing for him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.