Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 70 (Color Image)

0070	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

40 PEKING TO LHASA

hundred men was near at hand, and two delegates

from a village had to be sent to tell them that

Pereira was travelling under an escort and that

they were not to molest him on the morrow.

But there are honest men as well as robbers in

China, for Pereira had left his watch in the inn

and the innkeeper walked 12 miles the next day

to return it to him.

A little tea and several fields of poppy were

seen growing near Pei-pa, 16 miles from the

border.

After leaving Pei-pa there was a steep climb of 3100 feet and a drop of 2300 to Shapa, where

again there were poppies growing. The scenery

was beautiful— high sloping hills, crowned by

perpendicular rocks covered with trees. The hill-

sides were partly covered with trees and partly

under crops. A golden pheasant was seen. After

climbing the big hill and covering 20 miles the

coolies were very tired as they might well be.

Since leaving Han-chung Pereira had had an

escort of one officer and ten men and these now

returned. They were Chihli and Shantung men

and were a well-set-up, smart lot, and very well

behaved. He could not wish for better men. It

only showed what Chinese soldiers can be when

properly taken in hand.

The country ahead being apparently free from

robbers, he took no local militia as escort from

Kuei-min-kuan on May 9. Heavy rain now fell

and the glorious scenery was spoilt by the weather.

The path was over rocks and often became the

channel for miniature mountain torrents. At

times the whole country was hidden by mists.

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