8 INTRODUCTION
Yunnan is situated in the S.W. corner of the Chinese Empire proper and is a mountain-covered plateau,—not a simple tableland or “‘ Hochebene,” as is the Mongolian plateau in greater part. It averages 5,000 feet above the sea-level in the actual and dried-up lake basins that yield a limited level area between the mountains, and 8 to 10,000 feet in its innumerable mountain crests ; whereby is indicated the general ancient level of the whole plateau. It may be classed as a S.E. peninsular extension of the high Tibetan plateau to which it is directly attached on its N.W. border. It is the third largest province of the empire and covers an area of 108,000 square miles. Compare Great Britain with 88,000 square miles and Tonking with 50,000. In situation and climate it bears a marked analogy to that of the high plateau of Mexico, the mean temperature of which likewise ranges from 60° to 70° (the extremes being 50° to 86°). The new French Railway from Haiphong to Yunnan-fu may be compared with that from Vera Cruz to Mexico, which rises 8,000 feet in 263 miles with gradients of 2.51 per 100. The population was estimated by Davenport in 1877 to have fallen, in consequence of the ruthless extermination of the Mahomedans and the mutual massacres of the contending parties, from the original estimate in 1850 of 6,000,000, to about 1,000,000. But, owing to the great recuperative powers of the Chinese, as well as by immigration from overpopulated Szechuan and from the adjoining province of Kweichow, the population is now believed to have increased, during the generation that has succeeded the suppression of the Mahomedan revolt by the capture of Ta-li-fu in January, 1873, to about 12,000,000,—almost the full number that this rugged province is capable of supporting.
雲南（Yunnan）位於中國帝國本土的西南角，這是一個被山脈覆蓋的高原，而不是像蒙古高原（Mongolian Plateau）那樣的單一平坦高地或“高原地帶”。實際上，雲南的乾涸湖盆地平均海拔約5,000英尺，這些盆地在群山之間形成了有限的平坦區域，而眾多山峰的海拔則在8,000至10,000英尺之間，這反映了整個高原的古代平均高度。可以將雲南歸類為西藏高原（Tibetan Plateau）的東南半島延伸部分，與其在西北邊境直接相連。它是中國第三大省，面積達到108,000平方英里。相比之下，大不列顛（Great Britain）的面積為88,000平方英里，東京（Tonking）的面積為50,000平方英里。
就地理位置和氣候而言，雲南與墨西哥高原（Mexican Plateau）有明顯的類似之處，平均氣溫也同樣在60°F至70°F之間（極端氣溫在50°F至86°F之間）。從海防（Haiphong）到雲南府（Yunnan-fu）的新法國鐵路可以與從韋拉克魯斯（Vera Cruz）到墨西哥城（Mexico City）的鐵路相比，後者在263英里的距離內上升了8,000英尺，坡度達到每100英尺2.51英尺。
根據達文波特（Davenport）在1877年的估計，由於對穆斯林的殘酷屠殺以及交戰雙方的互相殘殺，雲南的人口從1850年的原估值6,000,000大幅下降至約1,000,000。然而，由於中國人的強大恢復能力，以及來自人口過剩的四川省（Szechuan）和鄰近的貴州省（Kweichow）的移民，從1873年1月太理府（Ta-li-fu）被攻陷，穆斯林叛亂被鎮壓後的一代時間內，雲南的人口被認為已增長到約12,000,000，幾乎達到了這個崎嶇省份能夠承載的人口上限。
The Yunnan plateau falls abruptly to the valley of the Yangtse to the north, to the valleys of the Mekong, Salween, and Irrawaddy on the west and to that of the Red River on the south; involving, in each case, a sudden change from a temperate to a tropical climate, which the inhabitants of the plateau (and vice versa those of the border lands) are unable to withstand : hence the isolation of its people. On the east an easier gradient slopes to the basin of the West River of Canton ; this gradient provides the most convenient access to the province and a lively traffic by this route formerly existed, until it was practically closed by the long continued disturbances in the province of Kwangsi and the resultant prevailing brigandage. This traffic has now been diverted to the more roundabout route via the Red River and Tonking. When the intervening country shall have again been restored to orderly government, a railway along-the West River valley will provide the easiest and most natural means of access from Canton and Hongkong to the Yunnan plateau.
雲南高原（Yunnan Plateau）在北邊陡然下降至長江（Yangtse）流域，在西邊下降至湄公河（Mekong）、薩爾溫江（Salween）和伊洛瓦底江（Irrawaddy）流域，在南邊則降至紅河（Red River）流域；每個區域都涉及從溫帶氣候突然轉變為熱帶氣候，高原的居民（反之，邊界地區的居民也是如此）無法適應這種氣候變化，因此導致了該地區居民的隔絕狀態。東邊的坡度較緩，通向廣東西江（West River of Canton）流域；這條緩坡為進入該省提供了最便捷的通道，這條路線以前曾是繁忙的交通要道，直到廣西省（Kwangsi）長期的動亂和由此導致的盜匪猖獗，幾乎使這條路線完全封閉。如今，這條交通線已轉向更為迂迴的紅河和東京（Tonking）路線。當中間地區恢復秩序後，沿著西江河谷修建的鐵路將成為從廣州（Canton）和香港（Hongkong）進入雲南高原的最便捷、最自然的方式。
這是根據描述生成的雲南高原及其周圍河谷的地圖。該地圖展示了北邊的長江流域、西邊的湄公河、薩爾溫江和伊洛瓦底江流域、南邊的紅河流域，以及東邊通往廣東西江流域的緩坡。同時也標註了舊有的廣西省交通路線和通過紅河與東京的繞行路線。
INTRODUCTION 9
The general trend of the mountain ranges is from north to south ; hence the difficulty of entering Yunnan from the Burma side by way of the present trade route from Bhamo to Tali and so on to Yunnan-fu. The intervening rivers run in deep troughs, difficult to cross, while the Tien-shang range west of Tali reaches an elevation of 14,000 feet. The ranges in this north-west corner of the province are, in fact, long spurs running down from the eastern extremity of the great Himalayan range, and alone effectually bar off the province from direct access to the upper valley of the Irrawaddy, and so from Upper Burma. On the other hand, it would appear from recent surveys that, by the line from Mandalay crossing the Salween at the Kun-long ferry, a fairly practicable route, following the north and south trend of the ranges, has been traced up to Ta-li-fu; and that this western route presents fewer natural difficulties than those which the French are successfully surmounting in the East. But, like the French line, it passes through a very sparsely inhabited country and is thus not likely, for years to come, to pay as a commercial venture; hence, without some sort of extraneous Government support, there is little prospect of its being built. Yet the supply of Yunnan with the cottons and hardware it now imports in exchange for its opium and mining products, would seem to be worth competing for, even at the cost of some present sacrifice. British manufacturers generally and the merchants of Rangoon in particular, cannot but be interested in the early development of a practicable trade route between Yunnan and Burma; the only present means of intercommunication being a precarious mule track, dangerous at all times, and impassable in the rainy season, which connects Tali with Bhamo by the mountain-barred route via Téng-yueh.
山脈的總體走向是由北向南，因此從緬甸一側經由現有的貿易路線，從八莫（Bhamo）到大理（Tali），再到雲南府（Yunnan-fu）進入雲南變得十分困難。中間的河流深陷於難以跨越的深谷中，而大理以西的天山山脈（Tien-shang range）海拔達14,000英尺。該省西北角的山脈實際上是從喜馬拉雅山脈（Himalayan range）東端延伸出的長長山脈支脈，這些山脈有效地阻隔了該省與伊洛瓦底江（Irrawaddy）上游流域的直接聯繫，也阻斷了與上緬甸（Upper Burma）的交通。
另一方面，根據最近的測量結果，從曼德勒（Mandalay）出發，經昆龍渡口（Kun-long ferry）跨越薩爾溫江（Salween），可以找到一條相對可行的路線，沿著山脈的南北走向到達大理；並且這條西線的自然障礙似乎比法國人在東部成功克服的困難要少。但與法國路線類似，這條西線也穿越了人煙稀少的地區，因此多年來它作為商業投資的可能性不大；因此，若沒有外來的政府支持，其建設前景微乎其微。然而，雲南目前依賴進口的棉織品和五金用品，這些商品以鴉片和礦產品作為交換，這一供應市場即便需要當前一些犧牲也值得爭取。
英國製造商普遍而言，尤其是仰光（Rangoon）的商人，必然對早日開發一條可行的貿易路線以連接雲南和緬甸感興趣；目前唯一的交通方式是一條極為危險的驢駝徑，該路線連接大理和八莫，經由山脈阻隔的騰越（Téng-yueh）路線，這條路徑在所有時節都充滿危險，並在雨季時完全無法通行。
10 INTRODUCTION
Yunnan lies between the parallels of 21 and 29 latitude north and between the meridians of 98 and 106 of longitude east : across the province, from Indo-China to the Yangtse, the plateau extends for a distance of 600 miles. From Bhamo to Tali the distance is 280 miles, and from Tali to Yunnan-fu 227 miles. Although, as above stated, the mountain ranges of Yunnan,—northern and western Yunnan especially,—run generally north and south; yet, through the centre of the province, uniting the eastern and western capitals,—Yunnan-fu and Tali,—there runs an ill-defined backbone from which radiate north and south valleys, on the slopes of which the streams watering these valleys take their rise. Hence these 200 miles, separating the two chief cities of the province, can be bridged by a line following this backbone with comparative ease; and presuming, as is only natural, that Yunnan, the eastern capital, falls within the French ‘‘ sphere of influence,” while Tali, the western capital, drops into the British sphere, then a race will ensue to build this connecting link. From Yunnan-fu to Man-hao the distance is 255 miles, thus making the total travel across the province, east and west from Bhamo to Man-hao, by the existing trade route, 761 miles. The general formation of the country, north of Yunnan-fu, as we have told in the account of our travel, may well be described as ‘‘ clusters of grey limestone islands emerging from a sea of red clay ’— the product of their detritus.
Yunnan is bounded on the north by Tibet and Western Szechuan, on the east by the provinces of Kweichow and Kwangsi, on the west by the Shan States and Burma, and on the south by Tonking, the French Laos States, and the British Shan States of Xientong and Xienhung ; the point of junction where ‘‘ three Empires meet,’ being on the Mekong river, 30 miles south of the Yunnanese town of Kien-hong.
雲南位於北緯21度至29度之間，東經98度至106度之間；橫跨該省，從印度支那（Indo-China）到長江（Yangtse），高原延伸長達600英里。從八莫（Bhamo）到大理（Tali）的距離是280英里，而從大理到雲南府（Yunnan-fu）是227英里。儘管如前所述，雲南的山脈——尤其是雲南北部和西部——大多呈南北走向，但在省的中央，連接東部首府雲南府和西部首府大理的，是一條不明確的脊背，從中輻射出南北方向的山谷，灌溉這些山谷的溪流則發源於這些山坡。因此，這兩個省內主要城市間相距的200英里，可以沿著這條脊背比較容易地鋪設一條連接線；並且，如果假定雲南——即東部首府——自然地落入法國的「勢力範圍」，而大理——即西部首府——歸入英國的勢力範圍，這將導致兩國競相建設這條連接線。
從雲南府到蔓耗（Man-hao）的距離是255英里，因此從八莫到蔓耗，橫跨整個省份的總旅程通過現有的貿易路線為761英里。如我們在旅行記述中所述，雲南府以北的地形可以恰當地描述為「灰色石灰岩群島從紅色黏土海洋中浮現」——這是這些岩石風化的產物。
雲南的北面與西藏（Tibet）和四川西部（Western Szechuan）接壤，東面與貴州（Kweichow）和廣西（Kwangsi）兩省接壤，西面與撣邦（Shan States）和緬甸（Burma）接壤，南面與東京（Tonking）、法屬老撾（French Laos States），以及英屬撣邦（British Shan States）的興同（Xientong）和興洪（Xienhung）接壤。這三個帝國的交匯點位於湄公河（Mekong river）上，距離雲南省的建宏鎮（Kien-hong）以南30英里。