There were several small villages with fields of wheat and barley. Then at 8 miles he left the Dze Chu valley, and the Riwoche road turned more westerly up a beautifully narrow valley
between high well - wooded hills. The path,
though, was very stony, and at 10 miles there was a very steep climb of 1700 feet to the Wa la Ri, 14,357 feet. On the lower slopes there were trees and bushes with grass and a profusion of flowers. From the top, at 131- miles, there was a grand panorama of mountain ranges all round, free of snow and mostly bare. About 10 miles to the south-west was the Li-j ou la, the Wa Ho mountain of Huc, a bare high hill. The descent was very steep for 1630 feet to 16/ miles, when there was easy going to Kama Sumdo, 20/ miles.
The only building here was a rest-house built a few months before. But nomads dwelling in tents and now living 20 or 30 miles away occupy the country. Pereira's caravan was augmented by four damsels on a pilgrimage to Lhasa, who seized the opportunity of his protection. A monk from Ta-chien-lu also joined him.
On September 10 he continued westerly up the valley of the Om Chu and passed a monastery of fifty monks. Beyond was an uninhabited country with bare hills and occasional enclosures of stone or brushwood for grazing. There was a stiff climb to 8f miles to the top of the Mula, 15,667 feet, which is the divide between the Salween and Mekong Rivers. The descent was easy down the bed of a stream to a house at 17 miles. At 18 miles he entered the broader grass valley of the Ta Chu, where there was one house and some tents. Mi-ru
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