A Long Journey North and South Ending in Capture by Yunnanese Outlaws The following is 4 ture by brigands D Arey Weatherbe's account of his cap-Yunnam.
Mr. Weatherbe was recently in Shanghaa, Out declined to LO interviewed. In response, however, to many requests he finally agreed to write his story. Readers will find it most vivid and. interesting.
After crossing the Yuragan Pass, and the Sy La Pass in June, following on a strenuous journey from the headwater streams of the Ivrawady and through the upper Burman Jungle, I came down to the Mekong River at Tzekou (Tzechong) where there is a Catholic Mission, and there I was most hospitably received. From there I continued north to Atunze, which lies at an altitude of over 11,000 fect, and close to the frontiers of Szechuan. I stayed a day or two at this place with M. Gaston Perronne a French trader who has been in the region for upwards of 20 years and who is the only European the I proceeded to Yakalo in Southern Tibet, though geographically and ethnologically most of the country north of Tzekou is really Tibetan. At Yakalo, I found that my proposed route rid Batang and the north was entirely closed by Chinese bandits and Tibetan revolutionaries, oth to the east and north of that place, so I started for Gartok in Markham (in Kam or southeastern Tibet) hoping to be able to make my way through Gonjo and Beiyu to the famous grassland country of the Ko Ko Nor—a great plateau between 12,000 and 16,000 feet in elevation, From there I would have crossed to Lanchowfu way of Hsinning in western Kau-ssu and thence rid Ninghsia and the Yellow River (this country you may see on the maps marked as the "Ordos Tribes') across to Peking. Alas, I was stopped in Markham after crossing thy Hiung La Pass (over 14,000 feet above the sea) and found that 1 should have to wait here till the "Teji" (the chief Tibetan official at Gartok), sent to Chamdo for special permission from the Kalon Lama, the official next below the Dalai Yama, at Lhasa for me to pass. I was already much later than I had expected to be here, and, from all I could gather, it was unlikely that such special permission would be given, as ne application had been made wy the Indian Government, I had neglected to apply for this, not thinking that the Batang route (where such special permission was unnecessary) would be closed. Notwithstanding all this, I should, even then, have pushed on, had not my.muletcers been intimidate ed by the "Teji's" messengers and refused to proceed. I waited one day at Getoding and then decided that, as it might take months to hear from Chamdo (in fact, they might not have sent there at all) there was nothing to do but to return through Yunnan Province, the roads through Szechuan and the Lolo country being out of the question. I therefore, perforce, set out from Getcding on June 22, for the long trek south, and, passing through Yakalo and Atunze on June 2 and June 29, respectively, I again reached Tzechong and the French Mission on July 1.
THE BRIGANDS' ATTACK, From here to Talifu is a journey normally occupying a fortnight or more if one does not stop en route. I left Tzechong on July 4 and,' reaching Weihsiting on the 8th, stayed there at the Protest-unt Mission until the 11th, as it Was necessary at this place to change my mules and to procure an escort, South of Weihsi. one enters the "brigand" infested country. The magistrate provided me with four militia soldiers so-called, in reality merely village coolies who had been provided with uniforms and rifles, for the occasion. We had a hard journey, for three days, as the upper Yangtze was in violent flood and in many places we had to make detours over impossible looking trails 2,000 feet and more above the river. The scenery, in places, was grand, but I am afraid that it was rather lost on me, as I was, this time, most anxious to reach Talifu as quickly as possible. On July 15 we stopped for lunch, and to rest the mules, at a place called Chioho (pronounced "Ju Ho") and I noticed my brave escort busily engaged in cleaning their rifles. It appears that they had heard that there were tufet (bandits) in the neigh bourhood, Lut they did not know where. We pushed on in the afternoon, hoping to reach the fairly large town of Chienchouanchou, by evening, this lying three to four days north of Tali.
About 4 p.m, we were suddenly attacked by a line of brigands who came running across the paddy fields from a village, a quarter of a mile away. It was useless to try to escape on the road, as the mules were not good for much more than a walk, and, in any case, the baggage could not be saved. Personally, it di not occur to me that they desired anything ut my money and guns, etc. They opened fire at about 150 yards and kept firing till at almost point blank range. Their marksmanship on this cecasion must have been exceptionally bad, as there were about 50 of them firing, and though I heard many shots striking the trees behind me, neither I, nor my mule, was touched. One of the escort was killed, one was shot through the stomach, close to me
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.