Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 188 (Color Image)

0188	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

142 PEKING TO LHASA

valley was narrow and the hills about 800 feet

high and mostly covered with fir. At 6-I miles

the Tang-kwa stream is joined by the Ganda

stream and forms the Si Chu. At 91 miles he

reached the Ngom Chu, the western branch of the

Mekong which unites with the other branch at

Chamdo. This Ngom Chu valley he followed

down to Su-rü, the hill-sides being rather steep and

covered with fir. His boy picked a lot of quite

good wild strawberries, and he saw three French

partridges. Pereira was told here that if any

Tibetan is caught killing an animal, the tendons

of his arms and legs are cut.

The night was wet and the next day was dull

and drizzly. He continued down the Ngom Chu

valley between rather steep hills covered with

trees, mostly firs. Where the valley was open

there were a few houses and barley cultivation,

and there were a good many donkeys of a small

type and cattle grazing. At 71 miles he passed

the Monda monastery of fifty monks. He stopped

for the night at Benor (the Benortsoma of Teich-

man). The scenery here was very picturesque.

On July 25 he again followed down the Ngom

Chu, and at 7/ miles crossed it by a fine pile bridge.

This was built long ago, it was said, by the monks.

For Tibetans it is a wonderful engineering feat

considering the fierce current which dashes against the piers. These piers, 15 to 20 feet square, are

built of logs with stones, two on the banks and

two in the river with blockhouses over them.

From the bridge there is a steep climb to the

Sagang monastery, and Pereira went on to Jara-

kara which is off the road high up on a small

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