Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 128 (Color Image)

0128	Among the Celestials : vol.1

ioo AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. V.

There are many things one looks back to

on a journey, but few things cheered me so

much in my more dejected moments as the

vivid recollection I used to keep of what I felt

were the sincerely meant good wishes of the

friends I had left at Peking.

Then I rode out of the gateway and beyond

the walls of the city, and was fairly launched

on my journey. Just a few pangs of depression

and a few spectres of difficulties appeared at

first, and then they vanished for good ; and,

as the hard realities of the journey began to

make themselves felt, I braced myself up and

prepared to face whatever might occur, without

thinking of what was behind.

With me at starting was one Chinese servant

who had accompanied Mr. James through

Manchuria, and who was to act as interpreter,

but who afterwards gave up when we came

to the edge of the desert ; and a second,

Liu-san, who eventually travelled with me the

whole way to India, acting in turn as inter-

preter, cook, table-servant, groom, and carter.

He served me well and faithfully, he was

always hard-working and willing to face the

difficulties of the road ; and when I think of

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