Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 281 (Color Image)

0281	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

RETURN TO CHINA 201

sea-level. The scenery on this march was still

fine. The valley was fertile and palms and

bamboos grew here. At 10 miles the Ta-kuan Ho

was crossed by a double chain suspension bridge.

Ta-wan-tzu is about 500 feet above the river.

Next day's march was again amidst grand

scenery, the hills often rising in steep precipices.

At 4 miles there was a very steep descent down

rocky zigzags and the path then ran by the river

for some way, afterwards ascending to Chi-li-pu, 2660 feet, at 1234. miles. On April 20 Pereira marched 121. miles to Tou-sha-kuan, 2094 feet, a

town of 350 families. The road still lay down the

Ta-kuan Ho valley amidst grand scenery. There

was much traffic, many coolies and strings of

mules and ponies.

Lao-ya-t'an, now called Yen-ching Hsien, was

reached on April 21. The road left the Ta-kuan

Ho valley and ascended the narrow Hsiao - hu

Kou valley. At 4 miles there was a steep ascent

by a badly paved path to the Li-shan-ting Pass,

from just below which there were glorious views

to the east across a deep narrow valley bordered

by hills 3000 feet high and beyond them ranges

1000 or 2000 feet higher still. The descent was

very steep down a paved zigzag path, and at

9-1 miles the Ta-kuan Ho was again struck. A

quarter of a mile farther the river was crossed by

a quaint covered wooden plank cantilever bridge

supported on either side by eight chains. At

13 miles Lao-ya-t'an was reached. It is a city of

970 families, at an elevation of 1621 feet, and

straggles along the right bank of the river in a

deep valley. There were only some salt boats

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