and cows live in happy communion with the human
inmates of the houses, the pigs especially being treated as we favor dogs
at home. On the door steps children play with the swine, patting and
pounding them, and one of my friends said that he had actually seen a
mother bring her baby to be nursed by a sow with her family of piglets.

The natives were pleasant and friendly and seemed to be industrious.
Wherever the deforestation had left sufficient soil on the lower hillsides
patches of corn took the place of the former poppy fields for opium. In
1906, the Empress Dowager issued an edict prohibiting the growing of opium,
and gave guarantees to the British that it would be entirely stamped out
during the next ten years. Strangely enough these promises have been
faithfully kept, and in Yuen-nan the hillsides, which were once white with
poppy blossoms, are now yellow with corn. In all our 2000 miles of riding
over unfrequented trails and in the most out-of-the-way spots we found only
one instance where opium was being cultivated.

The mandarin of each district accompanied by a guard of soldiers makes
periodical excursions during the seasons when the poppy is in blossom, cuts
down the plants if any are found, and punishes the owners. China deserves
the greatest credit for so successfully dealing with a question which
affects such a large part of her four hundred millions of people and which
presents such unusual difficulties because of its economic importance.

Just across the frontier in Burma, opium is grown freely and much is
smuggled into Yuen-nan. Therefore its use has by no means been abandoned,
especially in the south of the province, and in some towns it is smoked
openly in the tea houses. In August, 1916, just before we reached Yuen-nan
Fu there was an _expose_ of opium smuggling which throws an illuminating
side light on the corruption of some Chinese officials.

Opium can be purchased in Yuen-nan Fu for two dollars (Mexican) an ounce,
while in Shanghai it is worth ten dollars (Mexican). Tang (the Military
Governor), the Minister of Justice, the Governor's brother and three
members of Parliament had collected six hundred pounds of opium which they
undertook to transfer to Shanghai.

Their request that no examination of their baggage be made by the French
during their passage through Tonking was granted, and a similar favor was
procured for them at Shanghai. Thus the sixty cases were safely landed, but
a few hours