Lawrence Dundas

“ For myself, I am not inclined to envy the shareholders in any future Yün-nan-Ssŭch'uan railway. The members of the Blackburn Commercial Mission doubted whether a railway "that would be able to transport goods or minerals at a lower rate than the pack-animal could be constructed through a country presenting so many obstacles to the engineer as does this." Even if it could, where is it going to find the goods to transport? Enthusiasts have pointed triumphantly to the long strings of coolies and pack-ponies that they have encountered on the road ”

“ Until the mineral wealth which it possesses is properly and systematically developed, this portion of Yün-nan can be of no commercial value, nor can I imagine any line of country less likely to excite the enthusiasm of the railway engineer. Indeed, such lines as have been suggested avoid altogether that part of the route over which I travelled which lies between Chao-t'ung Fu and Yün-nan Fu, a more feasible though still very difficult alignment between the two places lying east by Chu-tsing, Süan Wei, and Wei-ning Chou. ”

“ While the rival engineers of Europe were thus pondering sorrowfully upon the difficulties of a Yün-nan-Ssŭch'uan railway, an element of humour was introduced by the Chinese, who calmly declared that they intended surveying and building the line themselves, with which object in view they opened an office in 1905. Money was to be subscribed by private individuals taking shares, by increasing the selling price of Government salt, by raising the land-tax, and by the institution of lotteries. ”

“ Lao-wa-t'an consists simply of a long straggling street, at the end of which the route crosses the river by a fair bridge. It would be difficult to find a better situation for a Customs barrier, for the valley up which the road lies is so narrow and the mountainsides so precipitous that it would be wellnigh impossible for laden coolies to travel by any other route. The distance from Sui Fu may be taken as not more than 76 miles,—an estimate which I arrived at by allowing an average of 3 miles to the hour as my speed while actually walking. ”

“ In truth, from Lao-wa-t'an to K'ung-shan the country is at present of no possible value for commerce. The people are very poor, and clad exclusively—when clad at all—in Sha-shih cotton cloth; but they can scarcely afford sufficient clothing." It was a relief to drop, on January 12th, from a high range to the long and well-cultivated valley in which lies the city of Tung-ch'uan Fu, the second place worthy of the name of town between Sui Fu and Yün-nan Fu. The distance between Chao-t'ung Fu and Tung-ch'uan Fu is mentioned by Morrison as 110 miles ”

“ At 7000 feet we reached the summit of the range on the south side of the Niu-lan river, and then dropped again into an open, flat-bottomed valley, well cultivated, at the end of which stands the village of I-che-hsun, where I spent the night. ”

“ Exhaustion on the part of the men, combined with the sudden appearance upon the scene of the yamen-runner in official uniform, produced a salutary effect, and before long my own men, followed by the yamen-runner with a number of strangers in tow, came slowly and rather shamefacedly up the hill. ”

“ Cultivation increased steadily as we approached the wide plain in the midst of which the capital stands, villages became more frequent, and farmsteads were to be seen dotted about in favourable localities. ”

“ Maize is the chief grain produced, and as soon as it is harvested, poppy is sown. This is, of course, by far the most valuable crop which the province produces, Yün-nan opium having a particularly good name ”