Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 303 (Color Image)

0303	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

THE LAST TREK 219

and around were deep valleys, and away to the

north on the left bank of the Yangtze was the

great Shao-chi Shan, rising some 7000 or 8000 feet,

with sloping sides and the summit wooded, and

patches of cultivation high up. Farther north

the mountains look wilder, and there is one steep

conical peak, and behind it, perhaps 40 or 50

miles away, is a high range. The scenery of the

Yangtze here rivals that of Ta-ching-pa, west

of Chao-tung, and quite dwarfs the well-known

I-chang gorges.

A not very steep descent from the pass leads

to Tzu-Liu, a village of sixteen families, in the

Yangtze valley, where Pereira halted, and on

August 7 he continued the steep descent and at

2i miles reached what he believed to be the only

bridge over the Yangtze. It was of the usual

pattern, Chinese suspension bridge on sixteen iron

chains, supporting a plank roadway 9 feet wide.

There was an iron chain on either side as hand-

rail. And the bridge is supported by stone piers

on either bank. The bridge sags a good deal in

the centre, and mules went over by driblets. It

was 135 paces long. The height above sea-level

at this point was 4321 feet.

The Yangtze, here called Tzu-li-chiang, dashed

past in a wild tumult of muddy rapids. Pereira

had never seen such a mighty torrent. Not even

the Ngom Chu and other rivers in Tibet when in

abnormal flood the year before could equal it.

On the far side there was a steady climb,

partly by zigzags and a cobbled path through

pine woods, with everywhere fresh views of glorious

mountains and deep valleys. At 7888 feet was

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