Hey everybody, Lauslle Montgomery again.

Thanks for coming back for part two of this overview of the life of William Mezny.

I left you hanging last episode in the year 1877.

Mezny is back in Guayjo working at the arsenal, but once again the Rolling Stone and

Mezny made him jump at an offer that came suddenly from the famous explorer adventureradventurer, Captain William Gill.

Gill had come to China in 1876 as part of the Royal Engineers to explore various parts of

China.

For the western portion of his expedition, he was hooked up with Mezny,

who by all accounts seemed the perfect guide.

From June to November, 1877, Mezny and Gill took a trek to Burma through Sichuan and easternmost Tibet.

Gill wrote about this amazing walk through the Himalayas that he and Mezny took with their team of five dozen others plus pack animals.

The whole dang adventure was narrated in a book Gill published called the River of Golden Sand.

Probably in honor of the Jinsha River where the Janses said to originate.

I'm going to feature that book one day in a future China vintage hour episode.

Let me say again, I'd really like to recommend David Leffman's book

because he's a very good travel writer with many travel guides

published. In this examination of the life of William Mezny, I'm merely giving you the bullet

points to offer an appreciation of some of the kinds of people who gravitated towards China during this half century of Chinese history.

David Lathman really gives you an appreciation

of the challenges Messin he faced. I'll never complain again about my petty

difficulties getting around China. This really was a celebrated expedition and

Gill was lauded for his achievements and in his book he hardly even mentioned

...