Before proceeding to narrate the incidents of the next fifteen weeks that were consumed by our boat voyage in the interior of China, during which our own was the only European society we enjoyed, I ought to mention the composition of our party.

On leaving Shanghai we were four Europeans, four Seikhs, and four Chinese; but one of the latter falling sick was sent back with the naval squadron from Hankow. The three remaining were, a Chinese “writer,” or as often called “teacher,” to the missionary gentleman of the party; and two “boys,” as servants are called in the Far East, Messrs. “Quei-quei” and “Bin-quei.” The Seikhs were Sepoys of H. M. 11th Punjaub Infantry, Havildar Kumal Khan, and Privates Zuman Shah, Fuzil Deen, and Mahomed Buksh, with whom we had been allowed to augment our party by the Commander-in-Chief Sir Hope Grant, who showed in this and other ways his desire to conduce towards the success of our enterprise.

Our intention when the expedition was proposed was, by taking advantage of a clause in the Treaty of Tien-tsin, to have passed through China, thence into Tibet, and across the Himalayas into North-western India. The idea, I believe, originated with two of us simultaneously; and the third, throwing up, rather sooner than he would otherwise have done, a lucrative practice, jumped at once at the prospect of so novel and adventurous an undertaking.