with a strong current behind me, reached Sui Fu early on the afternoon of the 23rd. Here I was welcomed by Mr and Mrs Faers of the China Inland Mission, who entertained me hospitably till I left again on the 26th.
Sui Fu bears an unenviable reputation for crime,—a reputation which, it is to be feared, is only too well founded. The fact that it is situated close to the point of contact of three provinces—Ssŭch'uan, Yün-nan, and Kuei-chow—accounts, no doubt, to some extent for its evil name, since a large proportion of the convictions are for highway robbery. It is the custom of the highwaymen, after committing an offence in one province, to slip across the frontier of one or other of the adjoining provinces, with a view to eluding capture by escaping beyond the jurisdiction of the district in which the crime has been committed. Nevertheless, criminals are brought to book in large numbers, and the magistrate responsible for the administration of the law appeared to be a veritable Judge Jefferies for the severity of his sentences. When calling upon him officially I was kept waiting in my
