The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-12
EXPLORATIONS IN CEiENA.
Progress of the French Expedition in Yunnan-
Where rhe Party Wenr nnd What They
Saw-What Was Learned or the Route
uo;o


Where rhe Party Wenr md What They
Saw-What Was Learned or the Route
Ancient History.
From the Rangoon Gazette, July 1871
In our issue of 7th June we gave some account OF
de Carns from ,He tine they entered the Province
OF Yunnan up to the date when they quilted Yunnan
foo and we then described the th.ee leading men OF
that Chinese provincial capital, viz. the Viceroy
the Commandant ana the Grand Muftl. From the
last named it WIN be remembered that The explorers
got letter which was to open for them the gates OF
the Papthay capital, Talifoo.
The party started from Yunnan-foo on the 18th
January, 1865 having taken advantage OF the liberal
offer OF money made to them by the Comman-
dant Ma, far as 10 accept oil 700 taels.
'rpr some time howeveT their rord money was as
days together they could get nothing TO pur-
chase, no matter wnat price they might choose to
pay for it. Often they came near to actual starya-
tiOn but they sill pushed bravey despite these
hardships and sickness produced thereby: Nearly
to be made on which they bore one another alter
natey. Now 1t was that NJ de Legree, the original
utter prostration which eventually brought him TO
his grave about q month later.
The first place Of importance that they reached
was T8y-ioo, where they were Hospitality received
by the CommaDdant, who, however, seemed puzzled
to understand how officers so highly recommended
to him should appear so thoroughly destitute. I'm
der his hospitabe treatment all seemed to recruit
their health and spirits except NJ. de Legr6e who
became gradually worse When leaving, the Com
mandant supplied them with rats on which they
noated down an alliuent of the Yang-tse to the
town OF Tungchuen, which stands on small canal
which joins this stream.
This part OF the voyage we leave NJ. de Carne to
describe for himself thus
It was narrow Tivas, which from our, experience of
other ideas on the SUBJECT Of navigation We all went
together BY very slender threads rope This kind Of
boat bends but does not break The boat launched and
the bed Of the river, passing rapids and water
ing ITSELF became river. rhe country traversed
by this wateresursc Ear exceeds In uginess the
notwithstanding bn monoonous mountains without
ssssafs s sa aas os
appeared at long intervals from the base the top OF the
on ana 10 axe feSaaess OF sgue The straightes
aSs ssS' s
ton from the surrounding country the ghul aspect Of
By surrounding nseasss ibis the result Of OUR gene
nent? cannot, even to this day explain the strange i'm.
except the sky and the water literally the OF booo
has for the last two years died me.
Tung.chuen Is an important town in the northeast
portion of Yunnan, and situated on the left bank Of
the Yang-tse. Here too, they were cOurteousy
received by the Governor, an extraordinary man.
VINO, while he remained faithful to the imperial
cause was at the same time on friendly terms with
the Mussulmans, and his town consequently enjoyed
an amount of quiet and prosperity which contrasted
ers had passed. AT Tung-ohuen NJ. de Legree
became SO i'll that his attempting to pur.
ton. All that remained for him was to remain
where he was till his health should improve, and
then attempt 20 reach some point the Yang-tse
from which he might embark In native boat for
Shanghai. He left his companions To choose for
themselves whether they would with hun abandon
the enterprise or proceed without him.
ONWARD.
After serious consideration they determined On
pursuing the latter course, and having bid NJ. de
Legree, as 1t proved last and long farewell, they
departed from Tung-chuen under the leader
ship of NJ de Carne. Having crossed
their journey to the north aud west till they again
struck the great river at tho small town or Manko.
Here they rested for days before recrossng the
Yangtse TO enter the country ruled by the Panthays
and While the travellers rest at MankO we Will
glance shortly at the history of the Panttays and
their rebellion.
About the beginning OF the eighth century the Chi.
neSo armies 0verran the greater part OF Asia and
are said 10 have penetrated even far west as the
Caspian Sea- These distant wars however so exhaust.
ed the OF the nation that rebellion break
ing out In China about the middle Of the century,
the then reigning Emperor, Sutsung found himself
unable to cope with his own disafrected people: he
sought and obtained assistance from the Mussuman
ruler OF Bagdad. Aided by these foreign levies
Sutsung succeeded In quelling the rebellion, and
having then no further use tor their services lie
there they have remained ever since. This Il
one version OF the story; but there is
another much less probable. which Is to be found
In Chinesebooks and which says that these Mus
sumans were all originally prisoners OF war, whose
lives were saved by the clemency of the Emperor,
ever doubtful may be the origin OF the Panthays,
there Is little doubt regarding the origin OF their
rebellion. Up to the year 1855 the silver mines I'm
funnan were worked by Pantha5s for me Chinese