Stage 2. Hsi-f^ng-ch^n (20 miles). General Direction : W. for 8 miles then S. 

 A good, much-used cart-road with easy gradients, passing through 

 a prosperous and well-cultivated countrj'. The road ascends easily up 

 the plateau, passing Miao-ling at 3 miles, Hsiao-lo-p'u at 4 miles, 

 Hsia-chia at 5 miles, and Tang-chia at 7 miles, and at 8 miles turns S. 

 and runs over a level plain, passing Yi-ma-kuan (9 miles), Ts'ao-fan-p'u 

 (12 miles), Hua-chia-k'eng {14 miles), Li-chia (15 miles), and Yen-ssu- 

 miao (18 miles). 



Hsi-feng-chen is a prosperous, walled village, peopled chiefly by 

 immigrants from Ssiich'uan and Shensi. From the village, roads run 

 N. to Huan Hsien, S. to FSng-hsiang Fu, and E. to Ning Chou and 

 Pin Chou (Shensi). 



Stage 3. T'ai-pei-ch'6ng (15 miles). General Direction : W. 



A good cart-road runs W. along the plateau passing Ma-chia at 2J 

 miles, and at 5 miles becomes an ordinary mule-track, descending, fairly 

 steeply in places, to the valley of the P'u Ho and crossing by a foot- 

 bridge to the right bank at Ts'ai-yiian (10 miles). Thence the road 

 ascends fairly easily up a loess ridge to T'ai-pei-ch'6ng (70 families), 

 passing en route through Yang-ts'un (11 miles), and Liu-chia-kou (13 

 miles). All the country passed through is well cultivated. 



Stage 4. Ch^n-yiian Hsien (14J miles). General Direction : W. by S. 



From camp the road ascends by a mule-track to a small stream — 

 the Chiao-ko Ho — which is crossed at Pao-chia (3 miles). Thence the 

 road ascends fairly easily up a plateau, passing T'ang-chia-wan (5 miles), 

 and reaching the summit at Mao-chia-p'u (8 miles). After running 

 level along the plateau for 3 miles, the road descends to the valley of 

 the Chien-tsai Ho, on the left bank of which stands Chdn-yiian, a 

 prosperous walled town, containing a Protestant Mission Station. 

 Carpets are woven here on a small scale. 



Stage 5. Yang-shu-wan (19 miles). General Direction : W. by N. 



The road ascends the left bank of the Chien-tsai Ho, through fairly 

 well-cultivated country, passing Wu-li-kou (3 miles) and Chiu-lnng 

 (6 miles). Just after passing K'ai-pien (12 miles), the road bends S.W. 

 and passing Chi-chia (13 miles) and Ch'6n-chia-p'ing (16 miles), reaches 

 Yang-shu-wan (80 families). 

 Stage 6. Liu-chia-hua (17I miles). General Direction : W. 



A good mule-road continues to ascend the left bank of the Chien-tsai 



164 



