Journal of the Society of Arts : Volume LI, No. 2623 [‎714v] (18/32)

316
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.
[February 27, 1903.
the Commercial Mission sent out in 1896 by
the French Chambers of Commerce to study
the trade of Tonkin and China. They came
to grief at the “ Ta Kai,” and had to con
tinue their journey in junks. Perhaps the
supply of “joss-paper” had given out !
The journey from Yenbay to Laokay usually
occupies three days. Laokay is only a small
place, but it is important as being the steamer
terminus, and a frontier post. On the left
bank the Tonkin-Yunnan frontier is marked by
the NanHsi, a small stream which here joins
the Red River, and Laokay is situated just at
the junction. Chinese and French forts,
perched on exactly opposite hills, stare defiance
at each other across the little stream.
On the Chinese side of the NanHsi is the
village of Hokow, where there is a branch of
the Imperial Chinese Customs. Here we
obtained the junks necessary for the con
tinuance of our journey. The largest of these
boats are 60 to 70 feet long by 9 wide, and
have a carrying capacity of 12 tons ; but those
employed on the upper reaches can only take
five tpns weight of cargo. They all have the
triangular mast peculiar to junks of the Red
River. This mast is made of two long bam
boos, attached one on each side of the boat,
and fastened together at the top ends. It can
be raised or lowered at will, and carries a big
square sail.
We engaged three of the smaller kind, and
having transferred our baggage into them, sat
sail in company with several other boats that
w r ere proceeding up river. There was a crew
of five men to each boat. They did nothing
but whistle whilst the wind lasted; when it
slackened they w r ould either jump ashore and
tow us, or bring out long poles and push us
along. When we arrived at a rapid (and these
places are numerous between Laokay and
Manhao) the crews of all the boats would
combine to help each other over, and these
were times of much hard work and fearful
gesticulation. At critical moments recourse
was had to the river gods, whose effigies are
stuck up in rocky niches near the most danger
ous rapids.
Proceeding up river from Laokay, we had
Chinese territory on our right and French on
our left, for the right bank is French up to the
Lungpo stream, where the frontier turns at
right angles and runs west.
About half-way up between Laokay and
Manhao, on the left bank, is the small village
of Hsinkai, from which place there is a road
that runs by fairly easy gradients up to the
Mengtsz plain and so on to the Yunnan plateau.
Up this road the French intend to carry their
1 railway, and a lot of levelling work has already
been done on this portion of the line.
When the river is low, and wdth a favourable
w r ind, junks accomplish the journey up to
Manhao in four or five days, but under adverse
circumstances they sometimes take a month.
Rather a funny thing happened during the
delimitation of the Tonkin-Yunnan frontier a
few years ago. Two French officers, attached
to the Boundary Commission, having occasion
to go down from Mengtsz to Laokay, were
asked by their comrades to bring back with
them a fresh supply of wines and provisions.
By the time they were ready to return the river
was in flood, and the journey up to Manhao
alone took them 35 days. Moreover, a party
of missionaries bound for Yunnan accompanied
them up ; and, before they reached Mengtsz,
they had finished the entire stock of stores,
much to the disgust of the other members of
the Commission.
Manhao is called the port of Mengtsz. It
is the terminus of the larger junks, though the
smaller ones can go up as far as Yuanchiang.
Manhao is really merely a landing-place for
goods on their way to the Yunnan plateau. It
is looked upon by the Yunnanese as a most
unhealthy spot, and the muleteers of caravans
from Mengtsz will never spend the night there.
They sleep up in the hills, descend early in
the morning, leave their cargo at Manhao, and
get away as soon as they have loaded their
animals with the goods awaiting them. The
mule of Yunnan is a wonderful little animal. It
will carry a load of 150 lbs. day after day over
the steepest roads of the province in all kinds
of weather.
We left Mahano the day following our arrival,
and proceeded to make acquaintance with the
mountains of Yunnan. The road in most
places was simply a series of stone steps, and
one’s first experience of riding up these, though
amusing to the onlooker, is unpleasant, the
stones are so very, very hard. After crossing
the first range above the Red River, we felt
that we had earned a good night’s rest. This,
however, we did not get, as the inns between
Manhao and Mengtsz are mere hovels, meant
as shelter more for passing pack-animals than
travellers. I he noise made by the mules, and
the chattering of their drivers disturbed us; but
the worst enemy to slumber in all Chinese inns
is the “ chamois ’’—Mark Twain’s variety.
Next day, after crossing a second range of
mountains, 6,000 to 7,000 feet above sea-level.