NORTH-WESTERN SZECHUAN 119 



work to form a footway. Like all such structures, this bridge 

 is heavy, sags very much in the middle, and is very unsteady 

 to walk across. The life of these bridges is only a few years, 

 and strong winds often make them very unsafe. 



Shihch'uan Hsien is a small city charmingly situated at an 

 altitude of 2800 feet, on the left bank immediately below the 

 junction of two rivers. It is surrounded on all sides by steep, 

 more or less cultivated mountains. Inside the city are many 

 trees, which add considerably to the effect. A pavilion and a 

 small pagoda crown two prominent hills, and assure the " luck " 

 of the place. A narrow suburb runs ribbon-like between the 

 river and the city wall. This wall is broken down in places, 

 and the gates are low and small. We found accommodation in 

 a large, curiously constructed inn remarkable for the strength 

 of its stinks and the abundance of vermin and mosquitoes it 

 sheltered. The day's journey was given as 65 li, but the li were 

 long, consequently the coolies with their loads arrived late. 

 Cash was needed, but on opening a box to obtain some silver 

 for exchange we found that some one had stolen from it about 

 30 taels and 5 dollars. The load belonged to a coolie we had 

 engaged at Taning Hsien, and retained because he had given 

 unusual satisfaction ! The previous day he had engaged a 

 local coolie to carry his load, on the ground that he was feeling 

 sick. He was last seen near Che-shan, still unable to carry 

 his load. Evidently he was the culprit, but he was thoughtful 

 enough to leave us about half the amount contained in the box. 

 Since he had about three-quarters of a day's start I concluded 

 it was best to quietly cut the loss, my first and last in China. 

 The delays incident upon lodging a complaint with the official 

 would have involved me in further expense and trouble, with 

 but small chance of recovering the money lost. 



The main road to Sungpan continues to ascend the right 

 bank of the river to its source, then crosses over a range and 

 enters the upper Min Valley at Mao Chou. I had been over 

 most of this route in 1908 when crossing the Chiuting range 

 from near Mienchu Hsien to Tu-men, thence to Mao Chou. The 

 route we had in view leads to the north-west from Shihch'uan 

 Hsien. From Chengtu to this point we had travelled without 

 escort, but with the difficulties of an unknown route before us 



