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27

Dec. 10. Today and yesterday we passed by and through field after field of growing opium, of which much more is being planted than last year. In 1928 the Nationalist Government decreed that opium should not be planted any more and that opium smoking should be discontinued within a reasonable time. None of these decrees were enforced in Szechuan. On the contrary, the opium tax was collected from farmers whether they planted opium or not. Those who did not plant the opium poppy had to pay a "Lazy Man's tax." This year official placards have been posted saying that the charge would be so much a "hole" and the "lazy man's tax" would be collected from those who did not plant. The result is that this year much more opium is being planted than last year, and probably more than ever before. Many of the Chinese estimate that between 40 and 60 % of the population smoke opium.

Today's journey was not extra hard, but I made several side excursions after specimens, and the result is that I am very tired. I got several birds. I shot a large crane and wounded him, but he escaped. I saw one bird as large as the largest cranes. It had a sharp bill, a light breast, and dark wings and back. I shot at it on the fly, but did not get it. I saw several of these near Yachow last winter, but I have not yet succeeded in killing one.

Dec. 11. I went out for a short hunt with a Chinese who is noted as a crack shot. He deserves his reputation. If I had two weeks to spare to go hunting with him, it is certain that we could get a good catch of mammals. He has promised to send me some, such as the porcupine, the fox, the wild boar, etc. We killed seven common birds. He used my shotgun twice, and got the birds both times. The Chinese at Gioh Chi and here are very friendly, and I have a number of old friends in both places.

We are unable to hire a boat to Suifu at a reasonable price, so we will go overland to the Min River and catch some boat going down the river to Suifu.

Dec. 12. There was only one boat to Gin Ban, and the captain asked too