SO-I-LING PASS 121 



tliat miglit be necessary. Finding that there was 

 nothing to prevent my going, and as I was particularly 

 anxious not to lose more of the season than was abso- 

 lutely necessary, there being a species of butterfly 

 [Parnassius Imperator) found further west, a series of 

 which I wished to secure, I made a start on the following 

 day with Mr. Kricheidorff, my cook and interpreter, 

 and six coolies. These coolies carry enormous loads, 

 considering the mountainous nature of the country and 

 the rough roads they have to travel over, to say nothing 

 of the poor nature of the food they have to live upon. 

 From Kia-ting-fu to VVa-shan their loads were supposed 

 to be as nearly sixty catties as possible each, but I 

 found that from Wa-shan to Ta-tsien-lu the custom was 

 for them to carry eighty catties, a catty being as nearly 

 as possible one pound and a third. The road ascends 

 for about four hours' march, passing through forest, 

 the ground being very rocky and the path winding. 

 At last the summit of the So-i-ling Pass is reached, 

 which is 8,778 feet above the sea level. After descend- 

 ing some distance by a particularly tortuous road a 

 very deep wild ravine is suddenly seen. The path 

 leads along the southern side for about four miles, 

 when there is an abrupt descent, and the neck of the 

 ravine is crossed by a stone bridge. Then after a steep 

 ascent the road leads along the opposite side of the 



