Pere Valours has left the frontier for his beloved France. Arriving in Tachienlu in 1924, he spent the intervening years at different points along the border. Like most. of the young French priests the: Tibetan Marshes, Pere Valours soon acquired a very good knowledge of the Chinese language, and afler three months study was able to take an active part in the! Work of his mission. An industrious student of life along the frontier he also proved him~ self an intrepid traveller and there are few parts of the Tung River that he did not explore from Danba to Kiating. With Louis Pasteur, now on the mission board in Paris, Pore Valours made an interesting journey overland from Wasi to Mowkung, from there to Danba and down the Tung River to Wasi.
It is sometimes quite difficult in border travel that one may say he has been the first white man to pass along a certain road, This claim has frequently been made) only to discover that some years ago a young. French priest had tramped along this road before, There are few rugged piths, mountain trails or unknown roads along the Tibetan frontier that have been travelled over by some member of the Paris Mission Etrangeres, Pere Doublet, Pere Gratton, Pore Charrier, Pere Pasteur and Pere Valours have travelled along rough and dangerous roads to visit another lonely pere hidden away somewhere among the moun-fains. Many of these brave fellows must live a very lonely existence dwelling as they do one by one in their mission stations. The yearly conference surely is a blessing and relief to them, giving as it does some intercourse with priests from other outposts.
Fortunately these men have other interests apart from their mission work, There are few scientific journals or museums throughout the world where the name of Pere David does not appear, Bird, animal and insect life along the Tibetan foothills was carefully studied by this young scientist, and, as he: hunted for bugs, beetles and bats, he kept his keen scientific eye on the souls of men. He was first of all a missionary and an evangelist and in his patient search for men he found time to search for flowers. In going through the dried specimens in the Edinburgh herbarium some years ago, we were surprised to find how frequently the name of Pere David appeared over the head of some rare and interesting flower. Living so much alone these brave fellows devote their leisure to the study of anthropology, ethnology and kindred subjects.
Their homes are very simple and so also is their dress and menu and this gives them considerable time to devote to their daily task and any outside interest they may have. When Pere Valours left the east gate his baggage consisted of 40 1b. including his! food, bedding and clothes, and a little Tibetan rug he was taking to France.
As a French officer during the Great War, Pere Valours no doubt, discovered what he could conveniently do without and still carry on the fight, and in the good fight of faith he has also discovered that much baggage is a weariness to the flesh, not to mention the mind, So with only 40 1b, if luggage he will be able to cover, as he hopes to do, long distances every day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.