Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 200 (Color Image)

0200	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

152 PEKING TO LHASA

11 miles he reached the top of a spur which he

thought must be a pass, but there was still a

hard climb beyond to the Nam-tso La, 14,867 feet.

The descent was awful over countless stones—

one of the worst roads he had ever been on. But

at 17 miles he reached a pretty grass valley with

many trees. And at 19 miles he reached La-me,

commonly called Lagang.

Eleven of these 19 miles he walked, and after

writing up his notes he felt quite played out.

His back ached and he felt " very ancient ". He

would rather have done 30 miles on the English

level roads. Both at Lamda and La-me there

were other villages with both barley and wheat

cultivation. He saw many marmots, and on

the high ground several ma-chi, white bustard

pheasants.

Ascending the Dze Chu valley on September 8

he reached Ngenda, wrongly called Nyulda by

Rockhill, 15/- miles. The going was mostly good

and there were only two climbs. The valleys were

well wooded, chiefly with fir, but there was some

spruce, maple and acacia. Ngenda is a village of

eleven families. And westward from here prob-

ably no white man had been since Huc and Gabet,

seventy-six years before.

The main road to Lhasa goes south-west from

Ngenda, but as the bridge over the Salween had

been damaged by recent rains Pereira had to leave

the main road and strike off north-west, for a few

miles following the road to Riwoche up the right

bank of the Dze Chu, an affluent of the Mekong.

The going was good and the scenery beautiful.

The hills were high and fairly wooded with fir.

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