238 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



The young shoots are culled when 8 to 12 inches above the 

 ground, stripped of their sheaths and apices, leaving only the 

 white, brittle succulent central part. These are boiled in 

 water, then removed, suspended from rafters in a close chamber 

 and dried by means of heat from steady-burning fires fed 

 from locally made briquettes. When thoroughly dry they are 

 packed in bales and carried to Chengtu and other cities, where 

 they are esteemed a great delicacy. We saw fully a score of 

 rude shanties where this industry was in full swing. On the 

 spot the raw shoots are bought for 6 cash per i6-oz. catty, 

 the collecting being done by contract. The prepared article, 

 known as " Tsin-tzu," sells at Ping-ling-shih for 8 to 9 Tls. per 

 100 catties of 20 oz. each. This region is famed far and wide 

 for its product of dried Bamboo shoots, and the industry affords 

 employment for a large number of people. 



Many wild animals, including Budorcas, Serow, Goral, 

 Leopard, and Bear were said to occur on Wa-wu, but hunting 

 them would be almost an impossibility. We saw no animals 

 of any kind, but I do not doubt the reports given as to their 

 presence on this jungle-clad mountain. 



A day sufficed for our investigations, and leaving the next 

 morning about nine o'clock, a hard day's march brought us 

 back to Ping-ling-shih at 5.45 p.m. 



Our object being to traverse this Laolin country through 

 its greatest width to some point in the valley of the Tung 

 River, we readjusted our loads, and the following day continued 

 our march. Crossing the tributary stream by a rickety iron 

 suspension bridge, we soon left Ping-ling-shih behind. The 

 path ascends the right bank of the main stream frequently 

 high above its waters, and at times some little distance removed. 

 As soon as it enters limestone country the river becomes 

 gorged. The li were long, the road rough, and it took us five 

 hours to cover 30 li to Yiieh-ch'a-ping. This place consists of 

 a single house, situated near where the stream bifurcates. 

 One branch and a companion roadway leads off in a south- 

 easterly direction, and by this track it is possible to reach 

 Huang-mu ch'ang. The path we followed ascends the branch 

 which swings round from the south-west, skirting the base of 

 Wa-wu shan. After crossing a cultivated shoulder we plunged 



