a tindjy and a tiendzung is stationed in the village. There are i 20 houses in the vicinity belonging to the village. Wheat, peas, tchumiza, millet, huma and opium are grown. The crop is 5-6 fold. — Snow from the Loth to the 3rd month, but it does not lie. Rain between the 4th and 8th—gth months. Westerly burans are common during spring and winter. The distance covered to-day was go li. I made it 31 miles.
On this side of Kanchow traffic was lively. We met dozens of arbahs, caravans of mules and donkeys daily and occasionally caravans of camels. To-day we met my arbah drivers from Kucheng to Suchow. They were already making the return journey from Lanchow with fresh loads. As smiling and brisk as ever, they plodded along the stony road by the side of their heavily laden carts. For a couple of days we had been accompanied by 18 mules laden with opium on their way from Kanchow via Lianchow to Tajuan and thence by rail to Mukden. Since yesterday we have been followed by a number of camels with oil from Yung Chang to Lianchow. The Chinese use very curious pack-saddles. A convex board that covers the animal's sides and is slightly raised above its backbone, is fastened on to it with a breast-strap and harness round its hind quarters. A prettily embroidered piece of felt is thrown across its back. Under the saddle they place several blankets of the same shape and size. The pack is tied on to a frame made of two parallel, curved poles adapted to the convex saddle-board. This frame is lifted up and down without the use of a rope. The curious part is that there are no girths. These saddles are used on mountain roads. The bridle and saddle-straps are usually decorated with red tassels, bright embroidery etc. Small bells are hung round the animal's neck and it all looks very neat.
January i4th. Again nothing but gravel and sand. The road took us up a ridge-like rise coming
Lianchow. from the mountains in the S. Lo li from the village we passed the ruins of another village. The land on both sides of the road was cultivated and lonely houses were visible occasionally. We crossed the broad, gravelly bed of the Tie pa ho two or three li from the ruined village. There was a derelict village of the same name on its eastern edge. 30 li from Fyn to pu we reached the village of Sy-shih-li-pu with a few inhabited houses. 20 li beyond we came to Ehr-shih-li-pu and another io li further on to Itcheng tung. The road which began to descend about Sy-shih-li-pu, was a mass of gravel. On either side, in most places, there was level, loose earth without stones or with comparatively few, but the Chinese insist on driving or riding along hollows, strewn with stones, that look as if they were river beds, though it is not clear where they come from or whither they go. No sooner have you left one than you come to another. We often passed large patches of ice. The road wound in a thousand turnings to avoid these slippery places as much as possible. We had an extensive view from the height of Sy-shih-li-pu. The ground to the east drops to a valley that goes north, and then rises again towards another ridge-like spur of the mountains. On this slope we could see a dark line as straight as if drawn with a ruler and with many turret-like pagodas. This at last was Lianchow. On the left, northward, a large inhabited and cultivated valley was visible through the misty grey. In the S the view was often limited by a slight rise in the ground. Houses were only visible occasionally at great
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