ed every step. Looking down, sheer down as
from some lofty palace window, I saw the green snake waiting, waiting
for me. Slipping, there would be no hope--death and the river alone lay
down that treacherous mountain-side. And then, at times, pursuing that
white-faced wriggling demon which stretched out far over the mist-swept
landscape in incessant writhing and annoying contortions, we quite gave
up the chase. It seemed leading me on to some unknown destiny. I knew
not whither; only this I knew--that I must follow.

And so each hour and every hour was fraught with peril which seemed
imminent. But He who guards the fatherless and helpless, feeds the poor
and friendless, guarded the traveler in those days. Mishaps I had none,
and when at night I reached those tiny mountain seats, perched
majestically high for the most part and swept by all the winds of
heaven, I seemed to be the lonely spectator and companionless watcher
over mighty mountain-tops, which appeared every moment to be hesitating
to take a gigantic dive into the roaring river several hundred feet
below our lofty resting-place.

Some of the larger villages had the arrogant look of old feudal
fortresses, and up the paths leading to them, cut out in a defile in the
vertical cliffs, we passed with difficulty coolies carrying on their
backs the enormous loads, which are the wonder of all who have seen
them, their backs straining under the boomerang-shaped frames to which
the merchandise was lashed. Hundreds passed us on their toilsome journey
with tea, lamp-oil, skins, hides, copper, lead, coal and white wax from
Yuen-nan, and with salt, English cotton, Chinese porcelain, fans and so
on from Szech'wan. One false step, one slight slip, and they would have
been hurled down the ravine, where far below, in the roaring cataract,
dwarfed to the size of a toy boat, was a junk being cleverly taken
down-stream. And down there also, one false move and the huge junk would
have been dashed against the rocks, and banks strewn with the corpses of
the crew. As it was, they were mere specks of blue in a background of
white foam, their vociferating and yelling being drowned by the roar of
the waters. On the road, passing and re-passing, I saw coolies on the
way to Yuen-nan-fu with German cartridges and Japanese guns, the packing,
so different generally to British goods which come into China, being
particularly good. This is one of the cries of the importer in China
against the Bri