Evening star., 1924-07-27

as if it were the most peaceful place
in the world"
THE bandits continued to be a
plague to DR.. Rock, as is shown
by frequent notes in his diary. At
Magai last March, he wrote:
| "I have been detained here for two
days, as brigands to the number of
800 are active between here and
| Wuting, the latter place being three
stages from Yunnanfu. The brigands
came within eight miles of this place
yesterday, burned and killed 40 men
and women, after looting the place.
Something told me to stay here a
day and give the caravan a rest, al
though it is not an agreeable place.
The elevation is only 1000 feet, and
it is as hot as the Arizona desert.
"A runner came on the evening of
my arrival here to warn a certain
rich man not to travel, for brigands
had looted and burned village near
Wuting. carrying off 12 girls and
S men. I took this runner to the
yamen, or magistrate. and he feigned
surprise, saying there was nothing G
to fear, that the road was open.
Yesterday he came and called on me
in the wretched Chinese inn with a
letter he had received, stating that
| 800 robbers were only two hours
journey away, and on the route
was to have gone yesterday. So he
begged me to stay another day. Last
night I went to bed with all my
clothes on. for they expected a visit
from the brigands.
| This place was visited twice by
brigands last November, and a month
ago they came 500 strong. stayed
three days, burned half the town and
carried off everything of value. With
these visits still fresh in the minds
Pof the people, they were quite ex-
cited.
"I am to start tomorrow with 200
soldiers who are to arrive today
| from Tsochia, two stages north of
here. Travelling is hard enough; for
days we travelled over an eroded
country without so much as bush.
The people use grass as fuel, after
having cut down every available
woody plant. The inns are awful,
| d
sickening odor than that Of burning
opium does not exist, to my mind.
Add to this the lousy condition of the
people, unwashed, the myriads of
flies. filthy, undrinkable water, and
you can get a faint idea OF travel in
this country. 1 am longing for a nice,
clean hotel, decent food and a rest
under a civilized government"
Besides his exciting exploits with
| bandits, DR.. Rocks adventures in
cluded the traversing of hitherto
| uneXplored gorge of the Yangtze,
much deeper than the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado River. Crossing Of
many streams was one of the tedious
phases of his trip. for he and % ma
tive assistants and their mack ami
mails had to be swung across these
on single-strand rope bridges. IRON
chain bridges and rickety bamboo
bridges.
vivid picture OF the chaotic con-
ditions in China's wild west" with
a side flash on the CONSERVATION of
the people at an eclipse Of the moon,
is given by DIR. Rock. This eclipse
was on February 81. You should have
heard the yelling and screaming of
the people," he said. The whole
village (Nguluki-Likiang) ran about
like mad. beating gongs and drums.
and bowling. They said a huge frog
was eating the moon, and they had
to make as much noise as possible
to scare that frog away
Some went to bed with rice and
others cooked food for fear IL would
be dark the next day. and they would
be unable to cook. Candles even are
unknown there, and the people go
about with pine torches as their only
light. No wonder whole villages are
burned down. No one who does not
live in Yunnan can conceive the utter
chaos which exists there.
Just before 1 left Yunnan, a poor
French priest was captured between
the village Of Nguluki-Likiang and
Talifu, and soon after another, an
old man, was taken at Lang Kiung.
The robbers came to his house at 8
pm. and marched him of. After a
march of IN miles, he found 800
robbers awaiting him. The maEis-
trate at Lang KiunE. who tried to
Joined the French priest as a prisoner.
There is no end to robbers in
Yunnan. When moving out of a
place. one gets an escort Of 50 to 80
soldiers. most Of whom are ex-rob-
bers. One is at q loss what to do,
as they may turn brigands on the
road, or IL one should meet active
brigands. he fears his soldiers will
join them. In the meantime, the offi-
cials are beating the people, squeez-
ing them to the last farthing. They
smoke opium all night and get UP
at 2 or 3 pm. 1t Is like living in
the gray of the middle ages"
|
nR. ROCK explains that he had ter.
rible experiences in getting his
; mail through to Washington, and
4 - III ~