ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 185 



plants, but the country is too arid to be of much interest 

 botanically. 



Situated at an altitude of 8500 feet, Kuan-chai is a small 

 village and the residence of the Wokje chieftain. The chief's 

 house is very large, the upper structure, all of wood, is well 

 built, and the whole is dominated by several tall towers, and 

 fine Walnut trees occur scattered around. The prosperous 

 condition of this little state was further evidenced during the 

 day's march. Large houses are frequent, many being perched 

 high up on the steep mountain-sides. Wheat is the principal 

 crop grown, and at Kuan-chai was just bursting into ear. 

 Maize and the Irish potato are likewise commonly cultivated. 

 A little flax and Hemp [Cannabis) also occur, the oil expressed 

 from the seeds of these plants being in general use as an illumi- 

 nant. We passed odd fields of opium poppy, the plants being 

 only a few inches tall. On the fan-shaped slope, at the head 

 of which the village of Kuan-chai is situated, all the crops were 

 remarkably luxuriant. 



At Ma-lun-chia a considerable torrent joins the Nei chu 

 on the right bank. A by-road ascends this tributary, leading 

 to Fupien and thence to Lifan Ting. Our road was for the 

 greater part good and we easily covered the 67 li, enjoying 

 bright sunshine the whole day. 



Immediately beyond the chief's residence the road mounts 

 over a steep bluff, where is situated the hamlet of Hsao-kuan- 

 chai. This place is reputed to have offered a stern resistance 

 to the Chinese in their conquest of this valley a hundred odd 

 years ago, and was only captured after a long siege. The 

 remains of the sangars and old forts are still to be seen. From 

 this point the road continues to wind along the left bank of 

 the river for 40 li to the town of Monkong Ting. Both sides of 

 the valley are very arid, and the flora poor and uninteresting. 

 Very few houses occur in the valley, but high up on the moun- 

 tain-sides we saw many scattered about and surrounded by 

 wheat fields. At Laoyang the river is joined on the right bank 

 by another of almost equal volume. The main road from 

 Lifan Ting, via Fupien, descends this tributary stream and joins 

 at this point the road we were following. From what little 

 we could see of the valley of this Fupien stream it appeared 



