We did not reach the cave. My energy gave out when we were
only half-way, so we sat down in the grass and, to use a phrase that I
fancy I have heard before, we feasted our eyes on the scene before us.
And here we gathered many bunches of edelweiss.

As we were coming back down the hill, picking our way among the graves,
a pensive Chinaman stopped us to ask our assistance in finding him a
lucky spot in which to bury his father, who died a year ago but was
still above ground. He was sorry to hear that we could not pretend to
any knowledge of such things. He was of an inquiring mind, for he then
asked us if we had seen any precious stones in the hillside--every
Chinaman knows that the foreigner with his blue eyes can see four feet
underground--but he was again disappointed with our reply, or did not
believe us.

At the poor old shrine to the God of Riches, half a dozen Chinamen in
need of the god's good offices were holding a small feast in his honour.
They had prepared many dishes, and, having "dedicated to the god the
spiritual essence, were now about to partake of the insipid remains."
"_Ching fan_," they courteously said to us when we approached down the
path. "We invite (you to take) rice." We raised our clasped hands:
"_Ching, ching_," we replied, "we invite (you to go on), we invite," and
passed on. They were bent upon enjoyment. They were taking as an
_aperitif_ a preliminary cup of that awful spirit _tsiu_, which is
almost pure alcohol and can be burnt in lamps like methylated spirit.

On the level sward, between this poor temple and the city, the annual
Thibetan Fair is held on the 17th, 18th, and 19th of April, when
caravans of Thibetans, with herds of ponies, make a pilgrimage from
their mountain villages to the ancient home of their forefathers. But
the fair is falling into disfavour owing to the increasing number of
likin-barriers on the northern trade routes.

There are many temples in Tali. The finest is the Confucian Temple, with
its splendid halls and pavilions, in a beautiful garden. Kwanti, the God
of War, has also a temple worthy of a god whose services to China in the
past can never be forgotten. Every Chinaman knows, that if it had not
been for the personal aid of this god, General Gordon could never have
succeeded in suppressing the Taiping rebellion. In the present rebellion
of the Japanese, the god appears to have maintained an attitude of
strict neutrality.

The City Temple is near the drill