Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 37 (Color Image)

0037	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. 1.] ON THE MARCH. 15

the rain which was pattering down on the top

of me. What I felt particularly, too, at this

period was the want of milk and butter, for the

Chinese and Manchus never milk their cows,

and none was therefore procurable. They seem

to think it disgusting to drink milk. They will

eat rats and dogs and bird's-nest soup, but they

will not drink milk. And we greatly missed

this simple necessary, and eventually had to

take large quantities of oil with our food in its

place.

The heavy rain we were now experiencing

naturally swelled the rivers, and a dozen miles

from its source a stream would be unfordable.

When that is the case, the traveller has either

to cross in one of the native " dug-outs "—mere

logs of wood with a hollow scooped out down

the centre or wait several days till there is a

lull in the flood. This last is what we had to

do on more than one occasion, and in some

ways I was glad ; for it gave us a little rest

and time to overhaul and repair our kit. On

such occasions we put up in some farmhouse

near the river, and here out in the country,

away from the crowds of the towns, we could

examine John Chinaman at leisure. All the

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