Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 327 (Color Image)

0327	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

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quarters of the Gunka Lama, is not on the Chuntsa

River, but in the mountains about 3 miles below

on the east side of the river.

Following up the right bank of the Yangtze,

which here runs between hills about 2000 feet

high and covered with shrub and grass but no

trees, Pereira, on September 20, marched 64 miles

to Drubanang (Chinese Chu-pa-lung) ferry, and

another 3 miles to Drubanang Druka. The river

at the ferry was 150 yards wide and was 7690

feet above sea-level. Just below the ferry the Si

Chu joins the Yangtze. Drubanang Druka is a

village of thirteen houses and has a garrison of

sixty men.

Batang was reached on September 21 after a

march of 202 miles. The road lay up the left

bank of the Yangtze, keeping low down not far

from the river. At 8 miles the Lamda stream,

where Père Brieux was massacred in 1881, was

forded. At 104 miles is Lei (Chinese Shui-mao-

kou), where there is a Chinese garrison. At

112 miles is Nyu-shu, a village of five families,

where there is a ferry of coracles, then a rather

steep climb to the spot 122 miles where Dr.

Shelton of the American Mission was murdered by

Kei-mu-wa tribesmen in February 1922. This

tribe are a pastoral race who had been plundered

by the Sia-chern-wa people who live to the south-

east, and being reduced to dire straits had turned

brigands. The murderers were known, but the

Chinese at Batang were too feeble to arrest them.

Continuing to climb out of the Yangtze valley,

Pereira at 144 miles reached the top of the Ku-yu

La, 8985 feet, which is a favoured haunt of brigands,

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