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
rolled down to the road to make it passable after rain. Between them the damp clay had been trodden into large stair-like holes. In the wood we passed a small colony of three huts put together of rushes and pieces of wood, the inhabitants of which made wooden scoops. A little over 2 miles took us up to a miao built, in the customary way, at the top of the Kuan-shan pass. This is the frontier between Kan Su and Shensi. Barometer No.' 570,9,
No.2 531.8.
A heavy mist prevented our seeing anything but the nearest mountains, which was all the more to be regretted, since our journey to-day was through uncommonly beautiful provided many opportunities for taking photographs. The
country and would have descent was roughly in the shape of an S, the main direction being E along a narrow wooded valley. It was steep and considerably rougher than the ascent. The narrow path, often trodden I /2—I m into the clayey ground was full of blocks of stone of all sizes which the horses found it difficult to negotiate. The road made innumerable bends and sharp curves until after about 3 miles we halted in the little village of Chiao chow-pu. Lukanin's horse slipped and fell down the slope, fortunately at a spot where there was another ledge beneath ours. Both Lukanin and the horse escaped with bruises and scratches.
The distance covered did not exceed 15-15 I /2 miles, but the next village, in which we could obtain provender, was 40 li off. Pheasant shooting and the rough groùnd had delayed us so much that it was impossible to cover this distance before darkness set in.
The women here wear a peculiar boat- or scoop-shaped hair ornament of black cloth at the back of their heads, sometimes with a black skull-cap that covers the whole head. A tuft of hair, tied with a string, is threaded through this scoop. The richer women decorate the scoop with small ornaments of pressed silver. W of Tsinchow and Tsingshui the string was replaced by a net, covering a tuft of hair or 2 or 3 small plaits, placed in a row in place of the tuft of hair. The rest of their hair is brushed back over their heads. Further W the women had a parting on one side of their heads and brushed a good deal of their hair over their foreheads down to one of their eyebrows.
Chiao chow-pu was a village of 8-9 houses. The inhabitants were Chinese and earned their living by chopping wood, burning charcoal and weaving baskets. Farming is on a small scale and the total livestock of the village amounted to 3 oxen. Maize, tchinkho, barley, wheat, tchoumi, millet, tchumiza and potatoes are grown. Average crop 3-4 fold. Westerly burans are common in the I st-2nd months. Snow falls between the 9th and the end of the 2nd months, but melts in 2-3 days. There are a good many showers of rain between the 3rd and 9th months. — Wild boar is said to be plentiful in the mountains, which are covered with thickets.
We moved on at 5.30 this morning. The ground was only slightly wet after some rain last night and yesterday. For 3 1 /2-4 miles the gorge went in a NE direction. The ground still dipped very much and occasionally there was a short, steep descent. The road, still very stony, ran along a ledge, a good many feet above the roaring and foaming little river. For long stretches we rode over the slippery, denuded surface of the rock. The gorge was very narrow, the mountains high and steep with many peaks. The greater part was covered
) 605 (
April zoth. Lungchow.
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