on to 3:00 a.m., and one knows that
he has to be again on the move by five, even first-rate Chinese music is
apt to be somewhat disturbing.

From the Salwen-Shweli watershed I got a fine view of the mountains I
had crossed yesterday. Some ten miles or so to the north was the highest
peak in the range--Kao-li-kung I think it is called--conical-shaped and
clear against the sky, and some 13,000 feet high, so far as I could
judge.

An easy stage brought me to Tengyueh. I stayed here a day only, Mr.
Embery, of the China Inland Mission, a countryman of my own, kindly
putting me up. But Tengyueh, as one of the quartet of open ports in the
province, is well known. It is only a small town, however, and one was
surprised to find it as conservative a town as could be found anywhere
in the province, despite the fact that foreigners have been here for
many years, and at the present time there are no less than seven
Europeans here.

I was glad of a rest here. From Tali-fu had been most fatiguing.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE LI-SU TRIBE OF THE SALWEN VALLEY

_Travel up the Salwen Valley_. _My motive for travelling and how I
travel_. _Valley not a death-trap_. _Meet the Li-su_. _Buddhistic
beliefs_. _Late Mr. G. Litton as a traveler_. _Resemblance in religion
to Kachins_. _Ghost of ancestral spirits_. _Li-su graves_. _Description
of the people_. _Racial differences_. _John the Baptist's hardship_.
_The cross-bow and author's previous experience_. _Plans for subsequent
travel fall through_. _Mission work among the Li-su_.

On my return journey into Yuen-nan, I stopped at Lu-chiang-pa,[BB] and
left my men at the inn there while I traveled for two days along the
Salwen Valley. My journey was taken with no other motive than that of
seeing the country, and also to test the accuracy of the reports
respecting the general unhealthy nature of this valley of the Shadow of
Death. The people here were friendly, despite the fact that my route was
always far away from the main road; and although my entire kit was a
single traveling-rug for the nights, I was able to get all I wanted. Lao
Chang accompanied me, and together we had an excellent time.

I might as well say first of all that the idea of this part of the
Salwen Valley being what people say it is in the matter of a death-trap
is absolutely false. With the exception of the early morning mist common
in every low-lying region in hot countries, there was, so far as I could
see, nothing