Evening star., 1924-08-17

is about 1s marches
from Talifu and about Is
marches from where the brigands
then were; but. as there is = tele-
graph line from Talifu to Yunnanfu.
1t was not very long before the
news Of my capture was made known.
The day following my capture by
the brigands we set out on trail
leading due west, In the direction of
in very rough and mountainous coun-
try. inhabited chiefly by the Lisu
tribe, who lived In hamlets. Some-
times We rested in these novels. in
which, although the human occu-
pants had invariably hed before our
arrival, other unwelcome creatures
had remained In Abundance. Each
hovel was simply infested with lice,
and 1t was impossible to keep free
only the blue sky for q roof.
The brigands almost invariably
burnt the wretched peoples homes.
! farm buildings and stacks OF corn
before leaving the hamlets. They
often went out of their way to do
this while on the march. though it
| was difficult to understand their rea-
son for this waste.
! After several days Of this hard
marchinE-I had no tent or mos
quito act that / could use, and had
been oct through, owing to heavy
rains On q number Of occasions-I
contracted an attack Of fever. Later
abscesseA formed round the roots OF
one OF ny wisdom teeth. This gave
me g.~0t pain, both by day and
| night; and my face and neck swelled
up to Z huge size.
It %as quite impossible to sleep.
The frver grew gradually worse; and
I could not open my mouth properly,
so 1T was most difficult and painful
to ehs or swallow. had some of
my own supplies with me on being
captured and, though these gradually
became exhausted. I could get
chickens and eggs occasionally. Very
mailed milk powder with me, or l
do hot know what should have done.
Caoking was my great trouble. We
aln>ost invariably halted where there
waS very little or very bad water. AS
could not always depend on this
being properly boiled, soon con-
trActed very severe digestive dis
order. This illness. combined with
my other ailments, pulled me down
considerably: and I was very weak
from lack Of proper food and medical
attention.
The brigands always gave me one
was only a wooden saddle and some-
times only a paek-saddle. Az. very
often, we did both night and day
marches with only short rests, these
saddles were most uncomfortable
During this long march the brigands
captured several small towns and
villages. the Inhabitants always hav-
ing fed before our arrival. My cap
tors generally looted and burned
these towns and villages before they
left them.
march during the previous night
and day they attacked and captured
the rather important town OF Chiao-
howching, where there are salt wells.
AS salt is Chinese government
monopoly and one Of the chief sources
of revenue in the province, there was
a Chinese garrison there--said to
consist Of goo soldiers.
\ X X y
THE brigands numbered ESQ men,
= OF whom less than 200 were
armed; and they told me. after the
battle had ended. that they had
killed 40 of the garrison. I saw only
few bodies In the streets. and they
were allowed to lie where they had
fallen until we left the town. Any
way, the rest Of the garrison bolted,
and the town WAS thoroughly looted.
Some Of the leading citizens were tor
tured; while others were taken along
by the briga nds for further torture.
When we left Chiao-howching on the
next day the town was partly de-
stroyed by fire by the brigands.
Two days later they captured and
burned another large town, called
Feng Yu. All that night and the
whole Of the next day, with very
short halts for rest, we proceeded.
and finally reached a wild retreat in
the mountains northwest Of Talifu
Lake, and only some two or three
days from Talifu itself.
BY this time, due to constant fever
and other ailments, I was in a very
bad way physically. With frequent
forced marches, being often wet
through and living under generally