Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 101 (Color Image)

0101	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

TO TA-CHIEN-LU 71

chien-lu and they vary much among themselves.

They appear to be a mixture of Tibetan, Turk,

Mongol and Chinese with the aboriginal race.

The chief traffic was in tea, done up in long

narrow bundles, each weighing about eighteen

catties. A man carries about eight, one above

the other, lengthwise, on his back.

A lawless band of Tibetan brigands occupied

the country south of Litang and west of the

Ya-lung River. These brigands General Ch'en

could easily disperse, but if he did he would run

out of ammunition and he would then be attacked

by his enemy the general at Chengtu. The

brigands therefore defy him.

The hills round Ta-chien-lu are said to abound

in bears, roe, wapiti, serow, blue sheep, pheasants,

leopard, wolves, and fox. They are bare of trees

and there is none of the thick undergrowth Pereira

had met with on his shooting expedition at Teng-

ch'ih-kou. But he could not now spare the time

necessary to find the game.

On January 7 he left Ta-chien-lu and struck

up northward as it was impossible to enter Tibet

directly. He had to dismiss his boy, as he dis-

covered that he was using visiting-cards describing

himself as an official travelling on official business,

and evidently meant to pose as one having

authority. By this means he might pretend he

was travelling to inspect opium, and get bribes

from officials and opium dens.

Some notes on the Chinese Pereira now recorded.

The Catholic Church, he says, seems to manage

natives better than others. Native priests are

ordained, but a watchful eye is kept on them.

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books