Viewing page 14 of 25

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-14-
One man, Mr. Lin Chin Lang, has rendered invaluable aid. He has given me the equivalent of several days' time, going to the lake and to the mountain Luh Shan, besides arranging escorts, helping me to get money at a reasonable exchange, having Lolos sent to me to be measured, etc.  He says that in the future he will forward snakes and mammals to me at Suifu. He has promised to secure several specimens of the mammal that has scales, peculiar to Yunnan and this part of Szechuan.  He will accept no money for his services.  I will have to secure an acceptable present and send it to him from Suifu as part of the collecting expenses.

This town is quiet, and I will have a good opportunity to rest up and get plenty of sleep in preparation for a longer journey tomorrow and a still longer one day after tomorrow. Today I had fresh figs for dinner.

On the way out from Yachow we met several caravans with mules, donkeys, and horses loaded with Standard Oil kerosene going out from Yunnan to Tatsienlu.

Most of the houses in this district are made of large, clay, sundried bricks. Many of them have towers with gunholes so that the inmates can defend themselves against the raids of the Lolos.

There are more horses and mules and donkeys than are seen in central Szechuan, and fewer water-buffalo.

The Lolos, full-bloods or half-breeds, are afraid to have me measure them with anthropometrical instruments.  They are afraid it may do them harm, or even cause their death. I think that if I can get measurements enough it will prove quite interesting. It seems evident now that Lolos are both darker and taller than Chinese.

Secured four birds and some insects.  One interesting insect is a very beautifully colored grasshopper.

Aug. 7.  This has been a day of bad luck. We started out in the rain--it was raining hard. I lost the handle to my umbrella. We came to a swollen creek that could not be waded. The bridge was so tottery that there was danger that the coolies should fall into the creek with their loads. There was a long log near by, and seven of us, including the three collectors Ho, Chen and Yang, in the pouring rain put that log on the bridge so that the coolies could cross safely with their loads. Later a pack animal ran into the load with the kerosene and knocked it over, spilling half the kerosene. We did not see a single bird worth shooting, and did not secure any mammals. We secured a few good insects.

So far we have secured a very meagre collection of mammals. We will make every endeavor to bring the collection of mammals up to what it ought to be.

Aug. 8. Today we travelled 100 li, with a gradual up-grade. We are about 8100 feet above sea level, having climbed today about 2000 feet.

Practically (all of them but the head coolie) all my coolies are opium smokers, and it is a problem every morning to get them out of bed in time to smoke their opium and get off early.

We saw many beautiful flowers yesterday and today.  One variety is a wild marigold