to say how much time we should need to travel over this distance in a river which required so cautious a navigation. Secondly—and this was still more decisive—we had sent one of our boats ahead some five to ten miles to survey the channel as soon as we had dropped anchor. The boat had returned during the interview, and the report given by the surveying officer turned out to be highly unfavourable. Below the point where we stopped the river was found to become more and more shallow, navigable only in some places at the highest flood, and covered with a multitude of banks and reefs, making the ascent very perilous.
In consequence of the result of this investigation the plan to proceed to Saoŭl with the "Emperor" was abandoned, and making a virtue of necessity, I declared, much to the governor's pleasure, that I should allow myself to be guided by his advice, provided the opening of the negotiations would not be too long delayed. The conversation which followed on this issue was too original not to be given here in extenso.
"Well," I said to Tschai-Heuni, "if I relinquish my plan to go to Saoŭl to please you, how long will it take before the Government can depute some one down here to treat with?"
A long consultation took place between the officials upon this. I expected they would try to put me off much longer than required, even though the distance to Saoŭl was only a few hours.
