ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 173 



trees of Cunninghamia are abundant, but the flora generally 

 is poor. Wild Strawberries cover the more grassy slopes, and 

 were laden with white and red luscious fruit. We passed a few 

 houses, and finally reached the top of the ridge, alt. 5600 feet, 

 which is known as the Yao-tsze shan. Crossing over we entered 

 the territory under the jurisdiction of the Wassu chieftain, 

 who resides at Tung-ling shan, near Wench'uan Hsien in the 

 Min Valley. 



Descending by a path, which at first easy soon becomes 

 very precipitous and difficult owing to the abundance of loose 

 rocks, we reached Hei-shih ch'ang, our destination for the day, 

 at 6 p.m. In this descent, near the head of the pass, the 

 " Yang-tao " {Actinidia chinensis) is abimdant, and was laden 

 with a wealth of large, white, fragrant flowers. By the wayside, 

 Rosa microphylla is very plentiful, and bushes 2 to 4 feet tall 

 were covered with large pink blossoms. One small tree of 

 Canieria calycina, laden with curiously-shaped, waxy-white 

 flowers borne in erect panicles, was also worthy of note. But 

 the flora generally has been destroyed to make way for crops 

 of maize, oats, and pulse. 



Hei-shih ch'ang, alt. 4000 feet, is considered to be 60 li 

 from Hsuan-kou, and consists of three or four houses, situated 

 in a ravine alongside a torrent, with wild mountains on every 

 side. Our lodgings were roomy, and the people both courteous 

 and attentive. 



Rain fell heavily next morning when we started out, but 

 ceased about 9 a.m. ; the weather remained dull the rest of the 

 day until 4 p.m., when rain recommenced to fall and con- 

 tinued far into the following night. Crossing the torrent by 

 means of a covered wood bridge the road immediately ascends 

 a steep mountain called Che shan from the abundance of 

 Varnish trees growing thereon. The ascent, though very steep, 

 is short, and afterwards for the next 30 li the road skirts the 

 mountain-sides until the summit of the Chiu-lung shan is 

 reached. Descending this ridge it ultimately enters a narrow 

 grassy valley. Here we found lodgings for the night in the 

 solitary hostel of Hoa-tzu-ping, alt. 6100 feet, having covered 

 50 li during the day. 



Until reaching the valley the country generally was either 



