The evening before starting, the Consul and my friend Carruthers (one of the _Inverness Courier_ Carruthers) gave me a lesson in Chinese.

"French before breakfast" was nothing to this kind of cramming.

I learnt a dozen useful words and phrases, and rehearsed them in the morning to a member of the Inland Mission, who cheered me by saying that it would be a clever Chinaman indeed who could understand Chinese like mine.
I left on foot by the West Gate, being accompanied so far by A.J.
Little, an experienced traveller and authority on China, manager in Chungking of the Chungking Transport Company (which deals especially with the transport of cargo from Ichang up the rapids), whose book on "The Yangtse Gorges" is known to every reader of books on China.
I was dressed as a Chinese teacher in thickly-wadded Chinese gown, with pants, stockings, and sandals, with Chinese hat and pigtail.

In my dress I looked a person of weight.

I must acknowledge that my outfit was very poor; but this was not altogether a disadvantage, for my men would have the less temptation to levy upon it.