of
travellers in far Western China. Thus a very great traveller in China
and Thibet (W. W. Rockhill), writing in the _Century_, April, 1894, on
the discomforts of his recent journey, says:

"But never a word of complaint from either the Thibetans or my Chinese.
They were always alert, always good-tempered, always attentive to me,
and anxious to contribute to my comfort in every way in their power. And
so I have ever found these peoples, with whom I am glad to say, after
travelling over 20,000 miles in their countries, I have never exchanged
a rough word, and among whom I think I have left not one enemy and not a
few friends."

Two days after their arrival in Bhamo my three men started on their
return journey to Talifu. They were laden with medicines, stores,
newspapers, and letters for the mission in Tali, which for months had
been accumulating in the premises of the American Mission in Bhamo, the
missionary in charge, amid the multifarious avocations pertaining to his
post, having found no time to forward them to their destination to his
lonely Christian brother in the far interior. And, had I not arrived
when I did, they could not have been sent till after the rains. A coolie
will carry eighty pounds weight from Bhamo to Tali for _12s._; and I
need hardly point out that a very small transaction in teak would cover
the cost of many coolies. Besides, any expenditure incurred would have
been reimbursed by the Inland Mission. My three men were pursued by
cruel fate on their return; they all were taken ill at Pupiao. Poor
"Bones" and the pock-marked coolie died, and Laotseng lay ill in the
hotel there for weeks, and, when he recovered sufficiently to go on to
Tali, he had to go without the three loads, which the landlord of the
inn detained, pending the payment of his board and lodging and the
burial expenses of his two companions.

CHAPTER XXIII.

BHAMO, MANDALAY, RANGOON, AND CALCUTTA.

The finest residence in Bhamo is, of course, the American mission.
America nobly supports her self-sacrificing and devoted sons who go
forth to arrest the "awful ruin of souls" among the innumerable millions
of Asia, who are "perishing without hope, having sinned without law."
The missionary in charge told me that he labours with a "humble heart to
bring a knowledge of the Saving Truth to the perishing heathen among the
Kachins." His appointment is one which even a worldly-minded man might
covet. I will give an instance of h