I make this latter suggestion Lecause only the Gey before we had net an open sedan-chair with Lung Wang (the Dragon King who commands the rain) standing in the sun in the middle of the road, while the chair-bearers and the rest of the procession were sitting im a cool and shady tea-house fanning themselves and drinking tea, And when I asked them what they were doing, they said they were taking the Dragon King for a walk (Tai Lung Wang), in order, as I understood. it, to show him what a drought was really Wke and make him mend his ways.
Beyond Ninghsiang the first large place over the border, we left the mountains and towards evening when we entered the Hanchung plain the road became quite excellent, as good as anything in Chekiang or Kiangsu, and we bowled along at a greater speed than we had been able to do for many weeks, until we reached the walled town of Paocheng lying on the south bank of a branch of the Han River.
This is an important strategical point, as three main roads meet here: from Sian, from Chengtu, and from Hupeh viä Hanchung; and is therefore garrisoned by' troops of a Centi) Government division. And here I Fi mention the colonel of one Of those regiments, who was taking his evening constitutional with his bodyguard on the river bank and seeing that I was in some doubt as to my further route came up and of his own accord volunteered me the required information. A I turned east, away from the n Road, to do the last ten miles to Hanchung which we reached just as darkness was falling. Tt is not actually necessary to call in at Hanchhing, if one is making for Sian, put es it is the largest town in jose parts I had to call there to get supplies of gasolene and to find accommodation for the night; and the buses for the same reason also make it their terminus.
Photographs illustrating' this article appear on Page 11 of the Magazine.
Previous attic!
May 7, i1, 14, 2; 24, 27 and 30. published c une 6, 8, 13,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.