REPORT OF YEAR'S WORK (1914) IN KANS 

 AND TIBET.* 



[Written in Lanchow, December 1914.] 

 PREFACE. 



In spite of all the perils and tragedies with which the Kansu-Tibet border 

 seethed in the earlier part of 1914, neither the " White Wolf " nor local insur- 

 rections succeeded in at all frustrating our botanical expedition. On 13th April 

 we left Tsin Chow, a bygone imperial city of South Kansu, and struck almost 

 due south for Kiai Chow. The way ran through loess country, largely cultivated, 

 and over high open downs. The two most important finds were Farreria Sp. 

 (novum genus), Balf. fil., twice occurring on the barren fells ; and — yet more 

 important if possible — the first (as I believe) record of Viburnum fragrans as 

 a wild plant, scantily appearing in the hilly copses south of Shi-ho. At Kiai 

 Chow we entered upon the arid country of the Hei Shui Jang, or Black Water 

 River, a justly named voluminous tide of filth, which, in all its course between 

 Siku and Bi-gu, where it joins the White Water (the Bei Shui Jang) runs through 

 a series of loess and sandstone ravines, hedged in on both sides by vast arid 

 downs of loess. The climate here is African in heat and drought : I have made 

 a point of sending samples of all good seeds from this region to Mr. Benbow, 

 secure that at least at Mortola they will do well, whatever be their fate in 

 the damps of England. Kiai Chow, during our short stay, yielded only the 

 lovely little Iris Henryi and Paeonia Moutan. 



Leaving Kiai Chow (pronounced in every province differently, but usually 

 Jie-Jo f) on 25th April, we continued southward down the grilling ravines of 

 the Black Water towards Wen Hsien, crossing the Fung S'an Ling Pass the day 

 before our arrival, and there making acquaintance with two treasures in Pleione 

 F 4 and Primula F 300. This pass separates the Black Water from the White 

 Water, which flows beneath the acacia'd walls of sunny Wen Hsien in unsullied 

 purity, to join the Black Water a little farther east, at Bi-gu. On 3rd May 

 we rode out of Wen Hsien, striking due westwards up towards Tibet. Ere long 

 the White Water deserted us, and our way continued up the East Road River 

 to Di-er-Kan, the first Tibetan village. Hence, on 6th May, we turned sharp 

 to the right, and up over the huge forested and grassy flank of Chago-Ling, the 

 pass over the great limestone range that had now for two days past been peering 



* Seo also, for a fuller history, " Ou the Eaves of the World " (Arnold, 1917). 

 t I usually diverge from the official Romanised spelling of Chinese names, which in all 

 cases seems nicely calculated to give them as they are not pronounced. 



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