Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 289 (Color Image)

0289	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

RETURN TO CHINA 205

rapids were small and the river from 100 to 200

yards wide. At first the hills were high and

covered with vegetation and some trees. At

20 miles the river passes through a beautiful gorge,

and here in several places coal was being hauled

down in baskets from the hill-tops by means of

two ropes running in a pulley. At 25 miles the

hills became much lower. At 28 miles was

An-pien Hsien, 240 families, opposite which the

Ta-kuan Ho, which Pereira had followed down

for some way, joins the Yangtze. It forms the

boundary between Yunnan and Szechwan. At

35 miles the hills were much lower and there was

more cultivation.

Sui Fu is a big crowded city at the junction of

the Min River with the Yangtze, and the Chinese

consider the Min as the main branch because it

is navigable up to Ch'eng-tu and Kwan-Hsien.

From here Pereira travelled in a small Chinese

steam launch to Chung-King, 2771 miles, leaving

Sui Fu on the 3rd and arriving on May 4. The

boat was crowded with passengers and very un-

comfortable. There were low hills covered with

vegetation all the way. On the river, too, there

was still risk of brigands. Very few junks dared

make the passage. Steam launches have a better

chance. But Pereira's launch bore bullet marks

on it, and the bridge for the pilot and steersman

was protected by armour plating.

The first night was spent at Lu Chou, 941 miles,

but a start was made in the middle of the night

to avoid the brigands. Thirty miles above Chung

King the Mao-erh Hsia gorge in low hills was

passed. This is the greatest brigand centre, but

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