this point. Thence it descends to a tributary of the Ku Shui and passes 
through Sung-chia-wa (15 miles) to Hsiao-ch’éng. 
Stage 2. Ch’ang-t’ai-p’u (173 miles). General Direction: W. 
A good mule-road, practicable for carts, continues to descend the 
valley, which is grassy and well-cultivated, passing Ch’ang-yi-p’u at 
3 miles. Here it bends W., and skirting the right bank of the stream, 
past Hsi-lien-p’u (5 miles), Ch’i-chia (8 miles), and Ma-lien (13 miles), 
to Ch’ang-t’ai-p’u, a small walled village on the left bank of the Ku 
Shui. The village contains about 30 families and a small military post. 
Stage 3. Ching-ning Chou (23 miles). General Direction: S. by W. 
A good level cart-road descends the Ku Shui valley, which is well- 
cultivated (wheat chiefly) and dotted with prosperous villages, mostly 
inhabited by Mahommedans. Passing Wang-chia-p’u at 7 miles, and 
Shan-chia at 10 miles, the road at 114 miles crosses to the right bank, 
and traversing Kao-chia-ch’éng (12 miles), T’uan-chuang (14 miles), 
and Hsia-p’u (20 miles), reaches Ching-ning Chou, a prosperous town 
of about 5000 inhabitants. 
ITINERARY No. 7. 
Ching-ning Chou to Lan-chou Fu (via Hui-ning Hsien and An-ting Hsien). 
Distance, 154 miles; 11 stages. 
A good mule-road, but rough in places. The telegraph line from Ku-yiian 
to Lan-chou follows this road. 
Stage I. Chieh-shih-p’u (13 miles). General Direction: W.N.W. 
A rough mule-road with steep gradients in the first six miles. 
From Ching-ning the road goes N., skirting the left bank of a tributary 
of the Ku Shui, and at 24 miles crosses to the right bank and ascends 
a steep spur to the summit at Téng-chia-p’u (3} miles). Crossing a 
narrow pass, the road then descends steeply to the Hei-lung Ho, which 
is reached at the village of Sung-chia-kou (6 miles). The road now 
ascends the left bank of the stream, passing Ch’i-li-p’u at 8 miles, and 
Hsia-chia-p’u at Io miles. 
Stage 2. Ch’ing-chia-yi (11 miles). General Direction: N.W. 
A rough mule-track continues to ascend the left bank of the Hei- 
lung Ho, the loess hills bounding the valley being fairly well cultivated. 
At 4 miles the road branches N.W. up the valley of a small tributary, 
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