ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 193 



few houses in the valley — quite sufficient, however, for when- 

 ever the road led past a house we had to traverse an open 

 sewer, often a foot deep in dung and refuse. Such filthy 

 surroundings are characteristic of Thibetan houses. The 

 Chinese would collect all this sewage for their fields, but the 

 Thibetans, who are but poor agriculturists at best, have not 

 yet learned the value of manure. At such places I usually 

 climbed over the fences and walked through the crops, but my 

 men waded through the filth and gave vent to their wrath in 

 loud, angry imprecations. The people of Chiala are typical 

 Thibetans and use the lower stories of their fiat-roofed houses 

 as pens for horses and cattle. A few li above Chango the flora 

 begins to lose its purely xerophytic character, and becomes 

 more and more luxuriant as the ascent proceeds. The higher 

 slopes are well forested with mixed trees, but near-by the road 

 trees are scarce. The mountain-sides flanking the stream 

 are very steep, being often sheer cliffs. Such places are 

 dotted with Cypress [Cupressus torulosa) and prickly leaved 

 Evergreen Oak. 



After journeying 60 li we reached the village of Tung-ku, 

 alt. 7800 feet, where there are several large Thibetan houses, 

 decorated with prayer-flags, but only two or three hostels, and 

 these very poor in character. The owner of the one we stayed 

 in is a noted hunter, and many pelts of the Budorcas, Serow, 

 and Black Bear were in use as bed-mattresses. His family 

 told us the hunter was away after Musk-deer ; they also 

 informed us that both the Thibetan-eared and Lady Amherst 

 Pheasants are common hereabouts. Around the village 

 Walnut trees are most abundant. Wheat is a common crop 

 and was just ripening. Maize too was plentiful and is evidently 

 the staple summer crop everywhere in these regions. 



The next day we covered another 60 li, putting up for the 

 night at the poor hamlet of T'ung-lu-fang. We crossed the 

 river four times by wooden bridges, each more rotten than the 

 other. The river was in partial flood, and a goodly portion of 

 the road was either washed away, obliterated by landslides, 

 or under water. Often we had to make a path for ourselves 

 up the mountain-side. The under-water portions of the road 

 I traversed on the back of one of the soldiers we had with us 

 VOL. I. — 13 



