Page 71 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
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GFA – A Different Drumbeat 71
against the possible attacks of starving refugees and it is worthy of note that
of the first fifty tons which was transported in this way we lost only two bags.
Of one band of porters, whom I followed up along the road, four died on the
road during the one hundred and twenty mile journey and two others had to
be left at villages en route, yet despite this the cargo got through. I must not
dwell too long on the many incidents of this work.
I have written nothing of my journey of five hundred odd miles, carried out in
the interesting company of Mr. Mann and part of the way, Mr. Learner,
through the Sining district to Tangar where we saw the terrible devastation
wrought by the Moslem hordes when they held that city for the short space of
two hours on Feb.15th last, during which time they killed two thousand one
hundred and seventy one Chinese males, “over seventeen and under
seventy” From thence we went on to Kweiteh and on through Tibetan country
to Payenrung, Hsuenhwa to Hochow, the Kansuh “Mecca’’ of the three million
Moslems who live in the province. This place has borne the brunt of the very
heavy fighting which has been lasting now for nearly two years between the
Chinese and Moslems. All the wonderful old mosques, some of them
containing almost priceless treasures, have been levelled to the ground. Our
C.I.M. hospital for Moslems has also been entirely destroyed. The fighting is
not yet ended. From Hochow we returned to Lanchow.
During May and June, political upheavals, resulting in large troop movements
had the effect of almost isolating Kansuh, and for many weeks I was out of
touch with the coast and could get neither wire nor letter from the Commission
headquarters at Peiping. This made it necessary that I should attempt a return
to the coast. All routes out of the province seemed to be closed but after a
good deal of thought and prayer I determined on attempting the journey by
raft down the Yellow River to the nearest railway terminus at Paotow in North
Shansi.
I was able to negotiate the hire of a
raft, and all was ready to leave early in
July. Whereas, under usual conditions,
thousands of boats and rafts proceed
from Lanchow to Paotow in the spring,
carrying large quantities of skins, wool,
and tobacco, yet this year, owing to
the disturbed condition of the province,
few rafts had left Lanchow, and as we
heard on arrival at Paotow we were
the only one to get through up to the time of our arrival. I must say a word
about the raft. It was made up of one hundred and eighty goat, or sheep,
skins made more or less water-tight, inflated and then lashed to a framework
against the possible attacks of starving refugees and it is worthy of note that
of the first fifty tons which was transported in this way we lost only two bags.
Of one band of porters, whom I followed up along the road, four died on the
road during the one hundred and twenty mile journey and two others had to
be left at villages en route, yet despite this the cargo got through. I must not
dwell too long on the many incidents of this work.
I have written nothing of my journey of five hundred odd miles, carried out in
the interesting company of Mr. Mann and part of the way, Mr. Learner,
through the Sining district to Tangar where we saw the terrible devastation
wrought by the Moslem hordes when they held that city for the short space of
two hours on Feb.15th last, during which time they killed two thousand one
hundred and seventy one Chinese males, “over seventeen and under
seventy” From thence we went on to Kweiteh and on through Tibetan country
to Payenrung, Hsuenhwa to Hochow, the Kansuh “Mecca’’ of the three million
Moslems who live in the province. This place has borne the brunt of the very
heavy fighting which has been lasting now for nearly two years between the
Chinese and Moslems. All the wonderful old mosques, some of them
containing almost priceless treasures, have been levelled to the ground. Our
C.I.M. hospital for Moslems has also been entirely destroyed. The fighting is
not yet ended. From Hochow we returned to Lanchow.
During May and June, political upheavals, resulting in large troop movements
had the effect of almost isolating Kansuh, and for many weeks I was out of
touch with the coast and could get neither wire nor letter from the Commission
headquarters at Peiping. This made it necessary that I should attempt a return
to the coast. All routes out of the province seemed to be closed but after a
good deal of thought and prayer I determined on attempting the journey by
raft down the Yellow River to the nearest railway terminus at Paotow in North
Shansi.
I was able to negotiate the hire of a
raft, and all was ready to leave early in
July. Whereas, under usual conditions,
thousands of boats and rafts proceed
from Lanchow to Paotow in the spring,
carrying large quantities of skins, wool,
and tobacco, yet this year, owing to
the disturbed condition of the province,
few rafts had left Lanchow, and as we
heard on arrival at Paotow we were
the only one to get through up to the time of our arrival. I must say a word
about the raft. It was made up of one hundred and eighty goat, or sheep,
skins made more or less water-tight, inflated and then lashed to a framework
