Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 69 (Color Image)

0069	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

CHAPTER VI

HAN-CHUNG TO CHENGTU

IN spite of difficulties due to soldiers and

brigands, Pereira was able to leave Han-chung

on May 4, taking with him eight chair-bearers

and fourteen coolies. A bevy of lesser officials

came to see him off. And as the main road by

Kwang-yüan-hsien was occupied by undisciplined

soldiers without any leader, he took a small road.

At 14 mile from the south gate of the city he

crossed the Han River by a ferry. It is navigable

the whole way from here to Hankow.

On the far side he ascended the Leng-shui Ho,

which comes out of a hole in the mountains. A

temple is built picturesquely over its exit and a

cascade comes down to join it close by. Here

he entered the region of palm trees, and the

scenery was very beautiful. The foot-hills of the

Pa Shan (the parallel range to the Ching Ling)

were dotted over with houses. And as the main

range was reached, the hill-sides were steep and

covered with scrub, while torrents roared below.

The border between Szechwan and Shensi

was crossed 35 miles south of Han-chung Fu.

In places here the hills were quite white with

wild strawberries. But a robber band of three

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