As time went on, and more kept coming in, small heaps of rice had collected in front of the chief altar and before the cabinets.

And when the women retired, a chorister came round and swept with his fingers all the little heaps into a basket.

To the gods the spirit! To the priests the solid remains! It was in Manyuen, as I have mentioned, that Margary met his death on February 21st, 1875.

He had safely traversed China from Hankow to Bhamo, had been everywhere courteously treated by the Chinese and been given every facility and protection on his journey.

He had passed safely through Manyuen only five weeks before, and had then written: "I come and go without meeting the slightest rudeness among this charming people, and they address me with the greatest respect." And yet five weeks later he was killed on his return! Even assuming that he was killed in obedience to orders issued by the cruel Viceroy at Yunnan City, the notorious Tsen Yue-ying, and not by a lawless Chinese train-band which then infested the district and are believed by Baber to have been the real murderers, the British Government must still be held guilty of contributory negligence.