was, therefore, a work requiring much patience and diplomacy. At length,
however, in 1867, the British Government in India succeeded in gaining
the consent of the King of Burmah to the passage through his dominions
of a mission combining the necessary strength and limits. Under the
command of Major Slade, this little army made its way safely through the
debatable land of the Kakhyens and Shans, and, entering the province of
Yunnan, penetrated as far into the Chinese empire as the city of Momien.
But here its further progress was checked.

Yunnan was at the moment in the very crisis of a rebellion against the
imperial government. The population of the province is largely
Mohammedan. How the religion of the Prophet first obtained so firm a
foothold there is still for antiquaries to discover. A semi-historical
legend says that the germs of the faith were planted by a colony of
Arabs who settled in the country more than a thousand years ago. However
this may be, it is certain that the first Mohammedans were not Chinese.
By intermarriage, propagation, and adoption, they slowly but steadily
communicated their belief to the original inhabitants, until, at the
time of which we are writing, more than a tenth of the ten million
inhabitants were fanatical Mussulmans. To the mixed race that embrace
this creed the general name of Panthays has been given, though for what
reason is not known.

In 1855 the Panthays, oppressed, it is said, by the Chinese officials,
rose up in rebellion against the imperial government. Led by an obscure
Chinese follower of Mohammed, called Tu-win-tsen, the insurrection grew
rapidly in extent and success. One imperial city after the other fell
into the hands of the rebels, until the entire western section of the
province was in their possession and organized as a separate and
independent nation, under the sovereignty of Tu-win-tsen, who had in the
mean while assumed the more euphonious title of Sultan Soleiman.

It was when Soleiman had attained the height of his glory that Major
Slade's party entered Yunnan, and it was with him as the governor _de
facto_ that the British commander entered into negotiations. Such a
proceeding, though it may have been necessary, was fatal to the further
progress of the expedition. The Chinese authorities naturally refused to
pass on a party that had, however innocently, entered into friendly
relations with its rebellious subjects. Major Slade had the good sense
to unde