ii8 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



feet to the head of a low divide, and then descended to the 

 village of Che-shan, situated on the right bank of a considerable 

 stream. This village shares in the tea industry for the Sung- 

 pan market, but is of less importance than Lei-ku-ping. 



From Che-shan to Shihch'uan Hsien the road ascends the 

 right bank of the river, which flows between steep precipitous 

 moimtains. The path is usually several hundred feet above 

 the stream, broad and fairly easy for the most part, but con- 

 stantly ascending and descending. The mountain-sides are 

 steep but, where not absolutely vertical, are all under cultiva- 

 tion, Maize being the staple crop. There is very little lime- 

 stone, the rocks being chiefly loose sandstone and mud shales. 

 These shales weather rapidly, and the steepest cultivated 

 slopes are usually composed of these rocks. 



The river is broad, and could easily be made navigable 

 for boats during the high-water season. Even in its present 

 condition rafts could be floated down, but we saw no traffic 

 whatsoever on its waters. The water was dirty, and much 

 driftwood was strewn along the shores. This is collected, 

 dried, and stacked, forming apparently the principal source of 

 fuel. Trees are very scarce, but around houses occur Sophora, 

 Pistacia, Pteroceltis, Sterculia platanifolia (Wu-tung), Kcelreu- 

 tcria hipinnata, and Alder. The Koelreuteria was just coming 

 into flower ; the flowers are golden yellow produced in large, 

 much-branched, erect panicles ; the leaves are very large and 

 much divided. Shrubs are not plentiful but, much to my 

 surprise, the Tea Rose [Rosa indica) is quite common, and evi- 

 dently spontaneous, by the wayside, on the cliffs, and by the 

 side of the stream. 



A few li below the city of Shihch'uan Hsien the river is 

 spanned by a bamboo suspension bridge, about 80 yards 

 long, supported on cables made of split, bamboo culms plaited 

 together. These cables, eight in number, are nearly i foot in 

 diameter, and are fastened to stanchions fixed on either side of 

 the river. Two similar cables on either side of the bridge are 

 carried across at higher levels, and have attachments of 

 bamboo rope supporting those which form the base of the 

 structure. A capstan arrangement is used for making the 

 cables taut, and the lower ones are covered with stout wicker- 



