80 THE PEY-DZA 



loads, the Ichang coolies being quite incapable of getting 

 them up ; and luckily I was able to engage some of the 

 mountaineers, who have a totally different way of carry- 

 ing from the natives of the plains. Tlie}-^ have a deep 

 conical basket, flattened on the side which is next their 

 back, andspringuig round in a bold semicircle. At the 

 top of the flat side are two large beckets through which 

 the arms are passed. This is called a pey-dza, and after 

 it has been filled to the brim they pile up articles on the 

 top till they reach high above their heads when in the 

 carrying position, and lash them securely down. They 

 all carry sticks, and use them when resting to support 

 their loads, one end being placed on the ground and the 

 other under the bottom of the pey-dza. 



The ascent took about two hours and a half, and 

 there was only one hut on the path up. Here, the owner 

 beino" luckily at home, we were able to get some water 

 and rest awhile. From this point the track trends to 

 the west and is more level, and at about midday I 

 arrived at two huts. The aneroid here showed that the 

 altitude reached was 4,200 feet. The country was 

 park-like, with detached clumps of timber, and watered 

 by several small streams. Across a valley I could see a 

 hio-h range thickly wooded, and felt confident that this 

 must be the virgin forest that Dr. Henry's collector had 

 informed me of. By dint of hard work I managed to 



