fleur-de-lis, and he spoke of it as probably derived from the iris or the flag. He had the strongest possible belief that it was so derived, and he did not think that it could have been adopted from the lily, however much the lily might have been conventionalised. The CHAIRMAN regretted that he was not SO entirely in sympathy with heraldry as a chairman ought to be. He looked upon it rather as an art of the past, chiefly of antiquarian interest. The shield of arms borne by a man's ancestors in battle interested him; but not the arms granted in recent years to a civilian-what had he to do with a shield at all? He (the Chairman) was interested in heraldry mainly because it was decorative. He regarded it as the type of what symbolic design should be, and of treatment of such design. But symbolism itself might become tiresome; the "rathe primrose" had not gained in poetry since it became a badge of party politics. The decorator had much to learn from heraldry-especially as to readable expression, and as to the logical use of colour-a mercy to those who had not very acute colour sense. Another lesson to be learnt from heraldry was as to the treatment of animal form in decoration, and especially in ornament, by no means an easy matter. As to the Sicilian silks to which the reader of the paper had alluded, possibly the weavers learnt from the heralds, or each might have learnt from the other. What Mr. Eve had said about. proportion in heraldry would be helpful to designers and practical decorators; and it would be encouraging to them to be told that they might treat heraldry very freely, so long as they used their common sense. The pedantry connected with heraldry was one reason why artists " fought shy" of it. And the persons who hampered the artist did not always know. He had himself been called to order for introducing a diaper of grass as a background to the crest of a mower--that was not his crest said the worthy gentleman. In the decoration of a façade of a railway station not a hundred miles from Snow-hill the arms of the counties through which the line passed were on shields of all shapes and periods, according to the notepaper heading or other such " authority from which the sculptor worked-plainly, he was of opinion that the shape of the shield was a matter with which he had no right to tamper. The result was hopeless incongruity. Apropos of silversmith's work, he agreed with Mr. Chadwyck-Healey. Presumably it was on account of cheapness that silversmiths resorted so enormously to engraving as a means of heraldic expression. But if heraldry was worth introducing at all, it was worth treating in a more dignified manner, and should not be introduced in the shamefaced manner which was usual. The "Münchener Kalendar," he might mention, were designed by Otto Hupp, an artist imbued with the medieval spirit. Mr. Eve had mentioned Pugin. He might have mentioned also Clement Heaton, who in his day did most vigorous heraldic work. Referring to an illustration shown by the author, the Chairman protested against angel shield-bearers-there was authority for it in old work; but we knew better, or ought to. To make an angel hold the shield even of a great "swell," seemed to him playing it rather low down" on the angel. Why did not we have heraldry on our stamps? It would at least prevent the necessity of changing them with each new reign. After referring to Mr. Eve's own excellent work in heraldic design, the Chairman concluded by proposing a hearty vote of thanks to him for his excellent paper. The proposal was carried unanimously. Mr. EVE, in reply, thanked the meeting for the attention which had been given to him, and also thanked the various speakers for their interesting remarks. The reason that he had not dwelt on German heraldry, was that it was a large subject, and he could not include it within the limits alloted to him. He was a great admirer of German heraldry, and he regarded it as extremely fine and vigorous. As to the Munich almanac, of course they all knew it. He should have dwelt upon heraldic ornament in iron work, but through an accident, he was unable to have the slides ready. They would have been useful as showing how heraldic design should be adapted to the material used. He could not give any information as to the German horns, about which a question had been asked. He had always understood that the horns were due to early decoration of the helmet, and that the crest was a perpetuation and a derivation of them. He had referred to Pugin, as a representative name in the gothic revival. His son-in-law Powell, Burges, and West, among others, had also done admirable work. The Chairman had objected that heraldry was a thing of the past, and he assumed that all heraldry was of a battle origin. But that was not the case. In medieval times, many people who never fought if they could help it used heraldic arms; and even if such arms were of battle origin, he did not see why civilians should dispense with the opportunity of using a personal emblem because they did not use it for fighting purposes. The silks which he had referred to were the early textiles which came from the East through Sicily, or were those copied from oriental examples. If the animals in those early silks were compared with the earliest illuminated manuscripts the resemblance would be found to be most marked. With regard to the mower, he sympathised with the Chairman in the circumstances he had described. He agreed that correctness of expression should be insisted upon. If a thing was written in heraldry it ought to be written in such a way that its meaning should not be misunderstood. The accuracy of the heraldic statement being thus safe-guarded, ts decorative treatment could then take the course that seemed fit. The following candidates were proposed for election as members of the Society : Anderson, Sir R. Rowand, LL.D., F.R.S.E., 16, Baker, Charles Edmund, 54, Parliament-street, S.W., Grenfell, General Lord, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., The McLaughlin, Miss M. Louise, 2558, Eden-avenue, W. Quin, William James, J.P., Bishops Glen (P.O. Box 58), Bloemfontein, Orange River Colony, South Africa. Rank, Joseph, Willersley house, The Park, Hull. The following candidates were balloted for and duly elected members of the Society: Ferguson, James, 4, Warltersville-road, Crouch-hill, N., and 91, Fore-street, E.C. Hamilton, W. L. H., 16, St. Helens-place, E.C. Hume, John, 18, Chapter-road, Willesden-green, N.W. Lowry, George A., Board of Trade-buildings, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Mackinlay, James W., Chumleigh, Finchley, N., and 85, London-wall, E.C. Mossop, T., Bond-street-chambers, Bradford, Yorks. Moysey, Frank Lindsey, 78, Wellmeadow-road, Catford, S.E. Pyper, William James Stanton, Hollywood, St. Lawrence-road, Clontarf, Dublin. Riley, Henry Lindon, LL.B., Court-chambers, St. Helens, Lancashire. Scarborough, Prof. W. S., LL.D., Ph.D., Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio, U.S.A. The paper read was— BY FRED. W. CAREY, F.R.G.S. (Late H.B.M.'s Acting-Consul at Szęmao, China.) The title of my paper is somewhat of a misnomer. I could not hope to give you, in the time at my disposal this evening, a comprehensive description of Tonkin, Yunnan, and Burma. What I want to do is to treat, in a brief fashion, of these three countries in their relation to each other commercially; to describe two of the ways of penetration into South-West China; and to illustrate a journey from Haiphong up the Red River, through Yunnan and the Shan States into Burma. I trust that my illustrations will make up for any deficiency of matter in the paper itself. Tonkin is the northern half of the kingdom, or empire of Annam, and was for many hundreds of years a tributary state of the Chinese empire. Little need be said of its history previous to the appearance of the French on the scene, towards the end of the 18th century. In 1799 they assisted their protégé, Ghia Lung, to the throne of Annam, but it was not until 50 years later that they began to take an interest in the government of that kingdom, an interest which did not cease until in 1885, as a result of the FrancoChinese difficulty, Tonkin became a French colony. Tonkin is divided naturally into two parts, the Delta, which is the low-lying and fertile southern portion, and the hilly country, commencing a little to the north of Hanoi, and extending north and east in both directions to the Chinese frontier. The mountainous portion is densely wooded, and very sparsely populated: minerals are said to exist in places. The Delta is simply one huge rice-plain, watered by the Red River and its numerous affluents. Generally speaking the climate of Tonkin is hot and unhealthy. Haiphong, the principal port of Tonkin, is situated on the right bank of the CuaCam, one of the numerous mouths of the Red River, 12 miles from the sea. It is 48 hours from Hongkong by mail steamer. On account of the double bar at the entrance, the CuaCam is only navigable to steamers drawing less than 19 feet of water: and approach to the port of Haiphong is rendered still more difficul. from the fact that the tides in the Gulf of Tonkin are diurnal, i.e., there is only one rise and fall during 24 hours, instead of every 12 as on our own coasts. The CuaCam at Haiphong is connected with the Red River by the "Canal des Bambous," a narrow waterway lying right through the middle of rice-fields. Communication with Hanoi is kept up by steamers of some 180 tons burden. Passage through the canal is very uninteresting, only one elevation, known as "Elephant Mountain," because that is the animal it least resembles, breaks the monotony of the plain. Around this hill the steamer seems to be constantly circling owing to the windings of the canal. There are a few villages near the banks and as the steamer passes bands of naked little boys-regular pirates in embryo-issue, and solicit alms as they run along, after the manner of the "have-a-dive" boys at Aden. Six hours passage through the canal brings the steamer out into the rapid waters of the Red River, and ten hours later the boat generally announces its arrival at Hanoi by running on a sand-bank. The Red River is of a most treacherous nature as regards the rapid formation of sand-shoals. During the rainy season (corresponding to the Indian monsoons) it is subject to rapid changes, rising from 16 to 18 feet in as many hours: so that what one day is a broad tract of dry sand covered with traffic becomes the next a wide expanse of clay-coloured water, on which float hundreds of bamboo houses; for the Annamese fisherfolk prepare themselves for such emergencies by constructing their dwellings on a raft-like principle, so that they buoy up as the river rises. Hanoi lies on the right bank of the Red River, a fine bridge, completed only last year, connecting it with the opposite bank. It is now recognised as the official capital of Tonkin, although until a year or two ago Hué, the residence of the Emperor of Annam, bore that title. History records that Hanoi was founded in the 8th century by a Chinese Mandarin. Its original Chinese appellation (Tungking "Capital of the East") is now perpetuated in the name of the country itself. The European portion of the town of Hanoi is splendidly laid out. The public buildings and the Cathedral are very fine, and the lakes and open spaces about the town admirably kept. Altogether Hanoi is one of the brightest and most picturesque cities of the Far East. At Hanoi we came into closer touch with the natives of the country, who belong to the common Indo-Chinese stock. The Annamese, both morally and physically, are one of the inferior races. The men are undersized, but active, good-tempered, and tractable. They have not the commercial instinct of their neighbours, and, as in Penang and Singapore, all trade is practically in the hands of Chinese merchants. The women have rather nice figures, and they would be considered goodlooking but for their mouths, which are spoilt by the custom of covering the teeth with a layer of black lacquer. Their beauty is not enhanced, either, by the unpleasant habit of chewing betel. Equality of the sexes, so far as hard work is concerned, applies in Tonkin. We noticed many women employed in gangs, carrying timber for building, &c. Hanoi is connected by railway with Langson, on the Kwangsi frontier. This line was a most costly one to the colony, and although it is intended to carry it on to Lungohow, and eventually to Nanning Fu on the West River, it is highly improbable that it will ever pay its working expenses. A railway to Viétri is also under construction, and will be carried on to Laokay in time. This is the line which is eventually to enter Yunnan, and I shall refer to it again in the course of my paper. The steamer into which we changed at Hanoi, to continue our way up the Red River, belongs to the "Compagnie des Correspondances fluviales," who enjoy a monopoly of the river navigation in Tonkin. Our boat was a stern-wheeler, drawing five feet of water, yet able to run up as far as Yenbay, only when the river is in flood. We left Hanoi at noon. During the evening we passed Sontay (scene of a sanguinary battle between the French and Chinese in '85) on our left, and anchored soon afterwards for the night at Viétri, a small military post at the junction of the Clear and Red Rivers. The Clear River rises near Kaihua Fu in Yunnan, and has been suggested as an alternative route for a railway into that province. It is navigable for small steamers to Tu Yen-kwang, 40 miles or so up from Viétri. During the forenoon of the next day we passed, on our left, the Black River, by far the most important tributary of the Red River. Steamers run regularly up to Chobo, but beyond that navigation is difficult and even dangerous at all times of the year, the river being very swift and rocky. Small narrow boats of half-ton capacity, carry goods during the dry season up to Laichow, near the Yunnan frontier; but when the river is in flood communication is impossible, and nothing is more dreary than life in some of the military posts on the Black River of Tonkin. Three days out from Hanoi we reached Yenbay, a growing garrison town on the left Accommodation for passengers on board the Baoha was limited. There were twelve of us, and only one small cabin; and in this we had to eat, amuse ourselves during the day, and sleep-the settees being hooked up in sleepingcar fashion at night. Those who occupied the upper berths were comfortable enough; but those underneath suffered from the heat, and from fear of the dreadful consequences should the bars holding up the berth and the 200 lb. gentleman above give way. The company is subsidized for military purposes by the Government, and every square drawback, of the Red River are its numerous rapids, which add an element of danger to the difficulties of navigation. There are no less than sixteen of these places between Yenbay and Laokay, where the current rushes down over rocks with great velocity. The worst rapid is the "Ta Kai," just below the post of Traihut. As the little steamer forged its way slowly up against the strong current, the Annamese crew threw "joss-paper" overboard in handfuls to propitiate the river gods, and they attributed our safe passage to this sacrifice. We were at all events luckier than the Commercial Mission sent out in 1896 by the French Chambers of Commerce to study the trade of Tonkin and China. They came to grief at the "Ta Kai," and had to continue their journey in junks. Perhaps the supply of "joss-paper" had given out! The journey from Yenbay to Laokay usually occupies three days. Laokay is only a small place, but it is important as being the steamer terminus, and a frontier post. On the left bank the Tonkin-Yunnan frontier is marked by the NanHsi, a small stream which here joins the Red River, and Laokay is situated just at the junction. Chinese and French forts, perched on exactly opposite hills, stare defiance at each other across the little stream. On the Chinese side of the NanHsi is the village of Hokow, where there is a branch of the Imperial Chinese Customs. Here we obtained the junks necessary for the continuance of our journey. The largest of these boats are 60 to 70 feet long by 9 wide, and have a carrying capacity of 12 tons; but those employed on the upper reaches can only take five tons weight of cargo. They all have the triangular mast peculiar to junks of the Red River. This mast is made of two long bamboos, attached one on each side of the boat, and fastened together at the top ends. It can be raised or lowered at will, and carries a big square sail. We engaged three of the smaller kind, and having transferred our baggage into them, set sail in company with several other boats that were proceeding up river. There was a crew of five men to each boat. They did nothing but whistle whilst the wind lasted; when it slackened they would either jump ashore and tow us, or bring out long poles and push us along. When we arrived at a rapid (and these places are numerous between Laokay and Manhao) the crews of all the boats would combine to help each other over, and these were times of much hard work and fearful gesticulation. At critical moments recourse was had to the river gods, whose effigies are stuck up in rocky niches near the most dangerous rapids. Proceeding up river from Laokay, we had Chinese territory on our right and French on our left, for the right bank is French up to the Lungpo stream, where the frontier turns at right angles and runs west. About half-way up between Laokay and Manhao, on the left bank, is the small village of Hsinkai, from which place there is a road that runs by fairly easy gradients up to the Mengtsz plain and so on to the Yunnan plateau. Up this road the French intend to carry their railway, and a lot of levelling work has already been done on this portion of the line. When the river is low, and with a favourable wind, junks accomplish the journey up to Manhao in four or five days, but under adverse circumstances they sometimes take a month. Rather a funny thing happened during the delimitation of the Tonkin-Yunnan frontier a few years ago. Two French officers, attached to the Boundary Commission, having occasion to go down from Mengtsz to Laokay, were asked by their comrades to bring back with them a fresh supply of wines and provisions. By the time they were ready to return the river was in flood, and the journey up to Manhao alone took them 35 days. Moreover, a party of missionaries bound for Yunnan accompaniea them up; and, before they reached Mengtsz, they had finished the entire stock of stores, much to the disgust of the other members of the Commission. Manhao is called the port of Mengtsz. It is the terminus of the larger junks, though the smaller ones can go up as far as Yuanchiang. Manhao is really merely a landing-place for goods on their way to the Yunnan plateau. It is looked upon by the Yunnanese as a most unhealthy spot, and the muleteers of caravans from Mengtsz will never spend the night there. They sleep up in the hills, descend early in the morning, leave their cargo at Manhao, and get away as soon as they have loaded their animals with the goods awaiting them. The mule of Yunnan is a wonderful little animal. It will carry a load of 150 lbs. day after day over the steepest roads of the province in all kinds of weather. We left Mahano the day following our arrival, and proceeded to make acquaintance with the mountains of Yunnan. The road in most places was simply a series of stone steps, and one's first experience of riding up these, though amusing to the onlooker, is unpleasant, the stones are so very, very hard. After crossing the first range above the Red River, we felt that we had earned a good night's rest. This, however, we did not get, as the inns between Manhao and Mengtsz are mere hovels, meant as shelter more for passing pack-animals than travellers. The noise made by the mules, and the chattering of their drivers disturbed us; but the worst enemy to slumber in all Chinese inns is the "chamois "--Mark Twain's variety. Next day, after crossing a second range of mountains, 6,000 to 7,000 feet above sea-level, |