ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 171 



the city of Kuan Hsien. An afternoon sufficed to complete 

 my arrangements. Tfie caravan consisted of eigliteen carrying 

 coolies and one head coolie, two chairs, two handy men, an 

 escort of two soldiers, my Boy, and self, making a party of 

 thirty all told. The journey occupied twenty-three days from 

 Kuan Hsien. 



What follows is compiled from my diary : — 

 The famous bamboo bridge, known as the An-lan chiao, 

 over which the road to Monkong Ting passes, was having its 

 annual overhauling; in consequence, on leaving Kuan Hsien we 

 had to journey down stream some 5 li to a point where it was 

 possible to cross the various arms of the Min River by im- 

 provised bridges and ferry. In so doing we had an opportunity 

 of realizing, somewhat hazily be it confessed, what this area 

 must have been like before Li-ping's wonderful irrigation works 

 came into existence. Without counting the streams flowing 

 Chengtu-wards we crossed five distinct arms of the Min River 

 proper scattered over an area a mile wide, covered with sand, 

 shingle, and coarse grass {Miscanihus sinensis). The detour 

 involved 15 li, and it was not until 9 o'clock that we were 

 opposite the An-lan chiao. This most remarkable structure 

 is about 250 yards long, 9 feet wide, built entirely of bamboo 

 cables resting on seven supports fixed equidistant in the bed of 

 the stream, the central one only being of stone. The floor of 

 the bridge rests across ten bamboo cables, each 21 inches in 

 circumference, made of bamboo culms, split and twisted 

 together. Five similar cables on each side form the " rails." 

 The cables are all fastened to huge capstans, embedded in 

 masonry, which are revolved by means of spars and keep the 

 cables taut. The floor of the bridge is of planking held down 

 by a bamboo rope on either side. Lateral strands of bamboo 

 keep the various cables in place, and wooden pegs driven 

 through poles of hard wood assist in keeping the floor of the 

 bridge in position. Not a single nail or piece of iron is used in 

 the whole structure. Every year the cables supporting the 

 floor of the bridge are replaced by new ones, they themselves 

 replacing the " rails." This bridge is very picturesque in 

 appearance, and a most ingenious engineering feat. 



From the An-lan chiao the road ascends the right bank 



