Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 233 (Color Image)

0233	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

CHAMDO TO LHASA 175

including all except a quarter of a mile of the

climb. " The old man has weathered the four

great passes, thanks to Providence ", he writes,

" but he feels very limp." He hoped the down-

hill would not be very rocky and stony, but Tibet

seemed to present every possible difficulty and

obstacle. It was cold at the start, but with the

sun and a fur coat it was quite pleasant at 5 P.M.

He saw four ram chicor (partridges) on the moun-

tain and a vulture and a marmot in the valley.

Following down the Tro Chu all day on

October 5 he reached La-ru, 15/ miles. The

valley is generally from 300 to 800 yards wide,

between hills rising 1500 to 2000 feet above it

and having trees and bush on one slope. The

going was mostly fair though in parts rocky and

stony. Innumerable small streams were crossed

all full of stones, which he says is a peculiarity

of Tibet. One monastery prettily situated on a

hill and two or three small villages were passed.

La - ru has twenty families and its altitude is

12,400 feet, so after a steady descent all day

Pereira was at last off the high ground, and sitting

in his room in the sun he was quite hot. To his

relief he had walked 10 miles without experiencing

any cramp.

Some square stone towers, 35 to 40 feet high

with narrow slits for windows, were passed on

this stage. Pereira was told that these were put

up in the old days when the Jungar Mongols,

also known as the Eleuths, were powerful in the

Ko-Ko Nor region. These Mongols several times

invaded Tibet but were finally crushed by the

Emperor Chien Lung. He banished part of them

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