196 ZONES OF VEGETATION 



is a small place, and we stopped the night there. Snow 

 is seen just before the village is reached, high up on the 

 mountains. 



' On July 4 the road to Ta-tsien-lu led up a very deep 

 i][orge, with immense mountains on each side. A re- 

 markably clear stream ran by the side, and here and 

 there fell into deep blue pools. The scenery was 

 magnificent, and the illustration gives but a faint idea 

 of its grandeur. Views up ravines disclosed snow- 

 capped mountains, below which were forests of dark 

 pine, and the different zones of vegetation could be 

 distinctly traced. Just below the snow, grass was 

 growing, and then in rotation followed pine forests, 

 rhododendrons, mixed evergreens, and then in valleys 

 sub-tropical plants. I should here note that the vege- 

 tation is. more Tibetan in character than Chinese. On 

 the road I noticed a single rope suspension bridge over 

 a river. This consisted of a bamboo cable about three 

 inches in diameter, stretched across about 120 feet 

 above the water, and having a free running plaited 

 bamboo ring upon it. From this ring an inverted T- 

 piece, with the shank about four feet long, hung, and 

 liixht haulino- lines were attached to it and to each bank. 

 The traveller seats himself on the cross of the T, and 

 then, the cable of course being in a curve, on letting go 

 from the bank liis own weight carries him half-way, or 



