The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-05
MISS BIRD IN CHI INA.
Amid Her Many Dangers-she Traverses a
District Hitherto Unexplored.
(From the London Times,

(t'rom the London Times.)
Mrs. Bishop, who is perhaps bet ter
known to English readers as Miss Bird.
has recently described in SHANGHAI
newspaper her latest Eastern journey.
which took her through parts Of the
Province of Szu-chuan, nknowp to
European travellers .
Leaving Shanghai on Jan. 10 1ast
she travelled up the Yangtse BY steamer
to i-chang, and thence BY houseboat suo
miles to Wanhsien. Here Mrs. Bisbon
lett the river and travelled BY chair for
Soo miles to Pao-ning, in Szu-chuan.
she was much impressed by the bsautv
and fertility Of the country, the size and
handsome appearance of the farmhouses
being especially remarkable. Coal WINS
ID great abundance. Along the road the
people exhibited great hostility. but the
officials did all they could to protect her.
From Pao-ning she went, by Sintsi-
entsi, through hilly, but less interest
ing country. to Mien-chau, still finding
coal and salt in great abundance. On
her way to Kuanhsien, in the northwe
corner OF the great plain of Uhepg- tu.
the capital of the province, she met with
very bad treatment, being attacked and
stoned by the mob. One large stone
struck her on the head and inflicted in
juries from which she suffered after her
return.
The Cheng-tu plain was another mar
velous example Of fertility and wealth.
Mrs. Bishop says she never saw anything
like it-anywhere. She travelled for eleven
days across the plain and found it irri-
gated In abundance in every part. It
seems that ages ago-it is not known
when-a man who has had erected to his
memory the grandest temple in China
divided 1.-THE waters of the Min River in
such way that they fertilize the whole
plain and make such an Irrigation uys.
TEN that there can be neither-foods nor
drought. Kuanhsien Is at the base of
the hills, and is the centre for the trade
of Northern Thibet.
Thence Mrs. Bishop went W the Min
River, which Chinese consider the ac-
tual Yang-tss, at Wei-ohau, and, turning
up the Lif-an-ting River, reached the
town Of that name. Here the aut bori.
ties did all they could to prevent her
from entering the Mantsze country he.
yond. She persisted, however, and found
the Mantsze to be semi-independent
tribes, who pay tribute to China. but
are ruled by their own chiefs. Their
appearance is quite Caucasian. both men
and women being very handsome. They
live in lofty stone houses many of which
resemble feudal castles. In nearly every
village there is high, square tower
The customs are wholly different from
those of the Chinese; the people are rigid
Buddhists, and the signs of their religion
are everywhere. Mrs. Bishop found
them friendly and hospitable, and their
country, as we'll. indeed, as the whole
country after leaving the Min, oombi-
nation Of Switzerland and Cashmere.
She went up to the source of the Li-fan-
ting River, branch of the Min, on the
Tsukushan Mountain, and, crossing a
pnss nearly $4,000 feet high, descended on
the Rongkal River, an af11uent of the
Great Gold River.
Owing to troubles between the tribes
here, the bridges on the RonRkai were
broken down, and she was unable to oar
ry out her intention of performing tho
fourteen days journey down to Ia
chien-lu, on the post road to Lbasa.
Gold and enormous quantities of nitrate
of soda are found on this route; the riv-
CTS are torrents of emerald Creep. and of
considerable width, and succession If
rapids and cataraots the whole distance.
q On her return Mrs. Bishop reorossed the
plain OF Cheng-tu, descended the Min tn
Kia-ting, and thence through fertile and
beautiful country to Chung king. Eve-
rywhere, except among the Mantsze sba
found hostility to foreigners which a.
tonished her by its intensity. She bas
no doubt that the people in Szu-obpan A.
really believe that foreigners eat ohildron
or tear out their eyes, and in Cbeno A.,
and elsewhere she saw children wearing
a red CROSS on green ground, as charm
against foreigners. 1t seems that tho
sums paid TO the French missionaries
for their losses In the riots has inoroorod
the popular resentment She thomSbt
the officials desired to protect foreirnars
Mrs. Bishop has made full notes Of her
journey anu taken number OF nhoto-
graphs. She went from SHANGHAI -
Japan IN searcn OF rest; and thence pro-
poses to pay second visit to Corea.