Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 210 (Color Image)

0210	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

160 PEKING TO LHASA

seem to be selected. The custom exists in China,

but Pereira had never seen so many as here.

Piling stones is a Buddhist hobby. The piles

Pereira liked best were the small piles on the top

of every pass surmounted by small prayer flags.

They let him know the top had at last been

reached.

Great preparations were being made here for

the arrival next day of the new Kalon Lama of

Chamdo. He required over one hundred horses,

brushwood for fuel, tents, carpets, etc.

Sing-ka was reached on September 16 after a

march of 19 miles. There was a steep climb for 8 miles to the Do La, 14,360 feet, from which

there was a glorious view—everywhere a pano-

rama of hills with one high partially snow-covered

range running N.N.W. and probably 30 miles off

to the north. Most of the tops of the higher hills

were bare, but many of the near hills were covered

with bush and fir. The descent was very steep, as

it usually seemed to be on the southern side of

passes. The path was then very narrow, leading

along the hill-side with a steep slope on the right.

A surprise awaited Pereira. When he was

800 feet on the hill-side above the valley, about

7 miles from Sing-ka, he was met by a view of the

mighty Salween coming in from the west. The

course of this great river, which flows down

through Burma, was unknown as high up as this

and was incorrectly marked on the maps. Here

below him it was winding through a narrow valley between hills 2000 feet above it and with moun-

tains higher still behind.

Far below were small patches of crops, and

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