This journey, though, was off the mai track. 'The next' town on the route was Yachow, now Yaan. It is possible to go there by bus, which costs $7.50 and takes the better part of a day. The intending passenger must be warned, however, that some times it is not possible for buses to be ferried across an important river. Ju such eases a bus may leave Chens-and take one as far as the river. A ferry is available for passengers always, but the traveller may find himself stranded on the other side owing to there being no bus to continue the journey, in spite of what tone may hear in Chengtu. Tt does not occur to local passengers that such a delay isan inconvenience al all, and therefore no proper arrangements were In force, at least last ummer, to allow for trouble in gel-ill, ting the bus across the river.
We were strongly advised to Ket our bearers and chair carriers Chengtu, rather than at Yan, as they would be more reliable, "We did 0, andi got really excellent men, who were never discontented or reasonable, and who did not. make stops every few miles 0 smoke plum, 4 Food prices were high, and' so each was paid $1.20 per day" when
stopped, oF when there was no work, 40" cents "when we which was seldom. In ddition we! nave: them a pork meal every. few days, which kept them well satisfied. 'At "Tachienla surprise was' Jaler expressed at the {ood appearance of our men, which surprise in itself was We travelled to Chungking by the Min Lai, a now boat belonging to! the Min Song company for $60 tis! class, which we had to. ourselves, The Attings were modern and sod: Electvie fans in our cabins anda Kood bathroom, The foed, of course, was. Chinese, Brom Chungking there ix a bus and to Chenztu, that is in very good condition. The fare fs ubout $10 and understand that one is put up for the night in the off tee of a bunk that in two thirds of the way to Chengtu, the Journey taking roughly one day: and a half, We actually travelled in 8 lorry belonging to the Canadian Mission, and were allowed to camp out in the bus station From Chungking 1 made a. short trip to Kuanhsien, My main reason was 1 scientific one, but 1 can thoroughly recommend the trip the casual tourist. Here is a town between mountain and plain, where the road from "Tibet reaches the prosperous Chonytu plain, "Here are the most, interesting racial types to bbe seen in the streets. But perhaps Just_as interesting is the ayo-old control of the Min River whose waters are here split up into, braneh= for irrigation purposes" in the Chengtu plain, The river is crossed by an amazing bamboo bridge—a new one, as the last was destroyed by fire. Near at hand is the famous temple dedicated 19 the memory of the venerable Li Ping who devised the irrigation scheme. wall are characters containing advice that absolutely scientific, namely to keep the dykes tow and keep the river trenches deep. "When it can carried out that Is-the way to avert floods It must be mentioned, however, that the road from Chenytu 16 Kuanbsien is simply vile, whether you by bus of taxi, When you come fo a streamlet almost invariably the planks of wood that form the bridge have been broken down by the last lorry, and so delays, are frequent, The Jolting is so great that it was: not surprising that a Chinese lost a bag of valuable medicine that had been strapped on to the back of the machine. After miles and miles of travel across Tibet on the safe backs of yak, the first jolts of civilization had ung it away' beyond reeoveryat least, as far ax our fellow passe er was concerned. The single far by the way, from Chengtu, iz about $450 by bus, No Tachienlu Motor toad There are three roads to Tachienla from Yaan; the old Imperial road, faking eight days, the new road, which we took on our return, and the short road taking five days. This we heard was not safe at that Gime-T have many times been asked what the motor road to Tachienlu is like, The fact. is that. there The authorities are contemplat building one, that Is all. The roads are aeluatly" paths that "are usually paved with stone.
The inns on the road are pretty poor, but it isa fact that none of lus was troubled with vermin. It is true that we had plenty of Flit and Keatings, but we actually did not see any obnoxious creatures.. These inns, however, can be very filthy. At one place we slept between a room full of opium smokers on one side and tone of pigs on the other. Central Government troops were alt alanis the road at that time, and so we were glad we had brought a good supply food. On three oeczsions we had {o interview commanding oticers for rooms sleep in, as everything had been taken, They were invariably: Polite and helpful. We were most impressed by the veneral smartness of the soldiers and particularly by the orderlies. "Their equipment, moreover, was frequently Fight Up: to-date.
'The gruesome is not always far' away, and after a time the bie and purple corpse pathway failed to arouse horror, pity. Perhaps the most distr Sight was that we encountered when descending to the Tums Valley. We meta straggling gran ragged, immeasurably spears. We heard. that they were being brought back home to Sze-¢huen, and had "been taken away from there by the Reds, who compelled them to carry loads during, their retreat,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.