Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 337 (Color Image)

0337	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

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bearing 115° before it turns southerly in the hills.

It is covered with Wa-shi tents and herds ; and

here Pereira changed yaks. Crossing the plateau,

he ascended the narrow Rei-mu Chu valley in a

northerly direction between grass hills, and soon

leaving the nomads, camped higher up at an

elevation of 13,790 feet.

Troubles began the next day. He marched

14-1 miles to Ta-chi-ku camp, but it was a bitterly

cold, windy, snowy day, and the cold began to

tell upon him. He continued for 34 miles to

ascend the narrow Rei-mu Chu valley and then

crossed the Ram-bu La, about 14,400 feet; It

was the divide between the Li Chu and the Ho

Chu. Most of the march after this lay up and

down a narrow grass valley between bare grass

hills. At 62 miles the Guo-chen Chu, about 13,600 feet, was forded, and here were met the only

nomads seen this day : they belonged to the Dei-

yung tribe of the Wa-shio—the other tribes being

the Mao-ya or Mo-nia, and the Tsong-hsi. From

the ford there was a steep, stony climb up the

narrow Bei-lung valley till at 10 miles the Bei-ling

La, about 14,800 feet, was reached. From here

there was a fine view to the east of a snowy range,

probably the Yangtze-Ho Chu divide. Then the

path wound down and up to the left round an

amphitheatre, and at 112 miles the Ta-chi La,

about 14,800 feet, was crossed. On the other side

the path descended the grassy Ta-chi valley and

Pereira camped on a ledge 14,471 feet elevation.

The night was very cold and windy and the

tent only just stood, but on October 13 Pereira

marched 15 miles to Jou-ri-ku camp. For 2! miles

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