Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 124 (Color Image)

0124	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

90 PEKING TO LHASA

4 miles to the top of the K'uya Shan, 10,700

feet, and then a very steep descent to Shui-pi'-

kou, which consisted of seven wretched Tibetan

hovels situated on the Pai-shui Chiang, which

farther east is called the Pai-ling Chiang. It is

a swift river sunken between steep banks over

100 feet in height. Shui-pi-kou, 7050 feet, is

the limit of the territory of the Prince of Choni.

Ta-ku-ssu, the next village, is under the magistrate

of Minchow. The Tibetans between Yang-pi-chai

and Shui-pi-kou are Hsia (lower) T'ich-po. Their

hovels are wretched buildings of wattle and planks,

and are very dirty and uncomfortable. Leaving

the Pai-shui Chiang the road ascends the Ta-la Ho

valley to Chien-tsiang, 6600 feet, where another

Chinese is stationed as representative of the

Minchow magistrate.

Pereira halted here for a day, and on

February 26 marched to Ta-la, 22 miles. The

road lay up the valley of the Ta-la Ho and

mostly through gorges. For the first time Pereira

met about a dozen Chinese either on the road

or in villages. Ta-la is a village of about 25

families, and three Tibetan villages were passed

on the way.

After a steep climb of 4 miles, on the follow-

ing day, the Ta-la Shan, 11,700 feet, in the Min

Shan range was reached. It was the last pass on

the journey from Chengtu to Choni. And here

Pereira left the basin of the Yangtse-kiang and

was now in the basin of the Yellow River once

more. There was snow on the top of the pass,

and a bitter wind blew from the north. On the

far side was a steep descent of nearly 1800 feet

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