Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 62 (Color Image)

0062	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

32 PEKING TO LHASA

small cost for Mr. Su, who till then had no repre-

sentative of any of these potteries in his collection.

The museum had some sculptures and bronzes,

and four of the T'ang horses, brought to Sian

from their tombs 30 miles away. They stand 5

feet high. The horses are in bas - relief, three

galloping and one walking, with saddles, reins and

stirrups. They are wonderfully true to nature.

Behind the museum are some pleasant gardens,

with lilac and other trees in blossom, and a plan

of Shensi Province, with a small tree for each city

and rocks to represent the mountains.

On April 18 Pereira left Sian. During his

travels through Shensi the soldiers at the gates of

the cities and town he had passed had been very

annoying, haughtily ordering him to stop and

showing him no respect. But he had made

representations, through Mr. Newman, to the

Chief of the Staff. The consequence was that

when he left Sian the guard at the gate turned out,

and he passed through as a distinguished guest

instead of being shouted at to stop.

His party consisted of three chairs with eight

bearers (hired for $88 for the thirteen stages to

Han-chung), six mules ($132) and an escort of

three fort soldiers. The mules had been obtained

with great difficulty through Mr. Newman's help,

as all mules were being commandeered by the

military authorities. The chairs were of the

diminutive mountain type. Pereira's was carried

by three bearers—though four is the dignified

official number and they had an easy time, as he

walked most of the way. His two boys each had

a chair with two bearers.

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