Rice is maturing at such a rate that he is now indispensable. Yes, these qualifiers may not be the most exacting examinations but he has also looked a class act at club level under manager David Moyes this season.

Eventually, the intention was that they should affranchise all the slaves.

As we were now going to have rougher travelling than we had had, we despatched a courier to Taiwanfu with our surplus baggage, and letters to inform the Consul of our plans. We went S.S.E. for 13 miles over a fertile plain, cultivated with sugar-cane, tobacco, ground-nut, sweet potatoes, &c., drawing gradually towards the range of hills on our left. At the head of the gorge, due east of the district town of Changhua, we were met by a party of thirty or forty tall, stalwart Pepohuans, armed with knives and match-locks, who were to be our bodyguard through the mountains, to protect us from the savages.

As a teenager I hitch-hiked around free rock concerts, wearing flowered shirts and denim flares – jeans that were worn so much, in such rough conditions, and with so little attention to washing and care that after a while they became naturally abraded and frayed in just the manner that is simulated by commerce today.