Shanghai, May 6.
'OR the foreigner wishing to return home these days, getting out of interior China is almost as great a problem as entry into China!
A family of four lately planned an exit via Hengyang and Shaokwan, but as this route is closed, another way had to be found. By air was finally ruled out, as accumulated luggage after nearly forty years in China had to be considered. For impediment to follow later incurred too- great risks of loss and delay.
Accordingly arrangements were made {o travel by trucks going to Rangoon for supplies. though to Lashio would have done as well, the Burma railway being there available. Slow and careful driving was agreed upon. the start being made the mid-ale of March. "About the heaviest Grades (eight per cent.) were parts Of the roads either side of Kwely The dust was bad in places. for road ig much used. and herd had been no recent rains.
Sleeping on Trucks Equipped with food supplies, cot beds. and mosquito nets. we were rather independent of rest houses and {nns. These. indeed, were often full. The ladies of the party found sleeping on the truckt very satisfactory and one was far less likely to acquire portion of "China's millions'—all too often in evidence.
"AS the population is sparse. sup~ plies may sometimes be dificult to. Durchate, especially in Burma, but With a look ahead we never went Bungey. If night overtook us on mountain-side. we settled ourselves and enjoyed sleeping on the trucks. Water is usually near by as well fuel for cooking (if one is not supplied with a kerosene stove) A meal of Chinese food. hot from the Kettle of a wayside shop, is now and then enjoyable. The hotter it is the safer. og £0F a5 flies are concerned. There wore not even rumours of robbers. though in Kunming valuable tools were stolen from the tool box of one of our trucks. This was at night. despite there being two men sleeping in the truck. Good locks would have prevented this thieving.
Passport formalities and customs requirements were not as troublesome as anticipated, because our convoy leader took special pains beforehand to have in hand the neces sary papers. etc. The regulations are tenerally reasonable and there is, usually neither delay nor trouble. fact; the officials are, mast accom: mo dating and reasonable. especially If the applicant is wisely police.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.