Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/195

 Lien-Chow and sid lu Peaple. 191

regarding it as a deep snunit for a guest to leave one house and go to another during his visit to a place, such a course implying to them some unpardonable neglect on the part of the first host. They do not intermarry with the Chinese, and can seldom be induced to go far from their homes.

They are strongly bound together as a people. An instance of this unity was given a few years ago. On the Hunan side of their territory, bordering on the Kiang-wa district, some Chinese had purchased a tract of timber land from the Tus, under an agreement that they should remove from it in three yeurs. The time agreed upon passed, and they did not move; four years went by, and still they made no preparation to leave, notwithstanding threats that force would be used if they did not go. At the end of five years the Chinese appealed to Kiang-wa for help, and the soldiers were sent to dislodge the Ius. The Lus prepared to resist, and sent to their friends and chieftains for assistance, accompanying each message with a piece of pork, a sign that the message was all-important, and must pot be disregarded. All who received it responded without delay, and bands of Iu braves from all the surrounding country hastened to the support of their comrades. It is said that an army of ten thousand gathered to resist the Chinese (the number is no doubt exaggerated ten-~ fold), but that, being poorly armed, they were soon beaten, and nearly one thousand slain (another evident exaggeration), besides many prisoners captured,

Among the prisoners was one greatly superior to the others. His complexion, it is said, was almost white,