IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Across Asia : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
RECORDS OF THE JOURNEY
I was told it had 3o houses inhabited by Chinese. Wheat, barley, tchinkho, oats, beans, peas, potatoes and mustard are grown. Average crop 4-5 fold. — Easterly storms are common in the 2nd and 3rd months. Snow between the gth and 2nd or 3rd months, reaching a depth of 4 vershoks and lying from the zoth to the middle of the z st month. Slight, but frequent rain between the 3rd and gth months.
The mountains were shrouded in thick mist that almost came down to our village, when we mounted our horses this morning. A storm from the W made the damp air still colder and more penetrating. The road from the little village followed yesterday's valley almost due N. The rise in the ground was perceptible. z 1/2—I 3/4 miles from the village we left the valley, having almost reached its bottom, and rode up the slope on the right to Muzeiling, a small pass. Water boiled at +88.6°.
We were enveloped in mist which prevented our seeing more than a couple of horse's lengths in front, and the wind cut through our thickest clothing. The ascent and descent were gentle. On the other side of the pass we again took a N and NNE direction. At the foot of the pass 3 streams flowing from as many valleys combined to form a small river which we followed. It was said to flow to Chang-hsien and thus forms the first river in Wei's system. The mountains that enclose it are slightly steeper and higher further on than those we had left behind on the other side of the pass. At first there was practically no tilled land. 21/2 miles from the pass our stream fell into another, flowing from the S. Nobody could tell me the name of either. A mile further N lay the village of Tjutien at a spot where 3 side gorges opened up, each providing its little river. The 45 houses of the village were inhabited by Chinese who lived by agriculture, although scarcely any fields were to be seen, but the valley grew wider to the N of the village and the greater part of the fields lay there. Our little river increased rapidly and was already 2-3 fathoms wide. The ground was still very stony. The mountain slopes were covered with grass, a grey or red granite wall only being seen occasionally. I saw black mould in one or two places, otherwise only slightly sandy clay. The houses had roofs sloping in two directions, as in Europe, and mostly thatched. Stone was used still more generally as a building material. The villages looked poor. About 3 I /2 miles from Tjutien we passed a larger village, Ta tsao t'an, of 7o-8o houses. The road and the gorge now took on a NE direction that turned E 2-2 I /2 miles beyond at the village of Liusa-pho. The road then went along the left slope, a few fathoms above the foaming little river. A few trees appeared in the river bed or quite close to it, but otherwise the whole neighbourhood was bare. After another 2-21/2 miles' ride in an E direction we crossed the river that had now grown to a width of 3 4 fathoms, quite close to the village of Hsien-tien-tzu, where we encamped.
The journey to-day was not more than z7—z7 1/2 miles, though the local people call the distance 6o li. My thermometer had begun to depart from the truth of late, and while I was wondering how to make use of it in spite of this, the matter was settled in a simple manner. Tchao left it behind at Minchow and now I am unable to calculate the temperature.
Hsien-tien-tzu has 35 houses with Chinese inhabitants. — Wheat, tchinkho, oats, beans,
)585(
April 8th. Hsien-tien-tzu village.
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