my a start, caught the smoke, and the ammunition going astray with them. Trailing behind the caravan & losing the way I remained in the valley until 1 P. M. when the soldiers returned & showed me the way. As we were leaving the valley at 2 P. M., we saw near the creek a party of some women bathing in some rocky pools of standing water. They were nude & sat in the water for at least an hour with their children crowded together like sardines. The water in the creek has ice on it in shady places but the wind warms quite near her. These are the first people I have seen bathing; the dirty appearance & want of them gives me the impression that they never were quite innocent of water or soap. They amused 20yds from the road & hardly eeded to see on the road. In one of the small villages with soldiers for supply the older men brought tea and Chinese wine or gin which they