Luckily, I was able to give the old man good reason for congratulating me upon my ancestral line, my own great age, the number of my wives and offshoots—­mostly “little puppies”—­and as each curious caller dropped in to sip tea, so did one after another of the patriarchal dignitaries who were responsible for the human product then entertaining the crowd come vividly before the imagination of the company, and they were graced with every token of age and honor. (Chinese speak of sons as “little puppies.")]

[Footnote AO:  In crossing a river here I slipped, and from ray pocket there rolled a box of photographic films, and in reaching over to re-capture it, I let my loaded camera fall into the water.  I was disappointed, as most of my best pictures were thus (as I imagined) spoilt.  But when I developed at Bhamo, I found not a single film damaged by water, and every picture was a success from both the roll in the tin and the roll in the camera.  It is a tribute to the Eastman-Kodak Company Ltd. that their non-curling films will stand being dipped into rivers and remain unaffected.  The films in question should have been developed six months prior to the date of my exposure.—­E.J.D.]

CHAPTER XVIII.

Stampede of frightened women. To the Eagle Nest. An acrobatic performance, and some retaliation at the author’s expense. Over the mountains to Pu-peng A magnificent storm, and a description. In a “rock of ages.”  Hardiness of my comrades. Early morning routine and some impressions. Unspeakable filth of the Chinese. Lolo people of the district. Physique of the women. Aspirations towards Chinese customs. Skilless building. Mythological, anthropological, craniological and antediluvian disquisitions. At Yuen-nan-i. Flat country. Thriftless humanity. To Hungay. A day of days. Traveler in bitter cold unable to procure food. Fright in middle night. A timely rescue. Murder of a bullock on my doorstep. Callous disposition of fellow-travelers. Leaving the capital of an old-time kingdom. Bad roads and good men. National virtue of unfailing patience. Human consumption of diseased animals.  Minchia at Hungay. Major Davies and the Minchia. Author’s differences of opinion.  Increasing popularity of the small foot.

But the storm came the next day, as we were on our way to Pu-peng, during the ninety li when we passed the highest point on this journey.  By name The Eagle Nest Barrier (Ting-wu-kwan), this elevated pass, 8,600 feet above the level, reached after a gradual ascent between two mountain ranges, was surmounted after a couple of hours’ steep climbing, where rain and snow had made the paths irritatingly slippery and the task most laborious.  Although the condition of the road was enough to take all the wind out of