182 TBIP TO NOBTHWABD 



of which could be seen for miles down covered with 

 rhododendrons in blossom of all shades of white, pink, 

 and red — a perfect sea of bloom. On May 10 I felt 

 obliged to comply with the directions contained in the 

 king's message, and returned to Ta-tsien-lu. 



Having heard of a plateau to the north, about a 

 day's journey from the town, where plenty of game was 

 to be found, I left to try and reach it on May 12 ; but 

 after a hard day's march I found that I had been mis- 

 informed, and a Christian guide told me that such a 

 place as I was in search of existed four days' journey 

 away. I had no time, however, to proceed further, and 

 I had reached an elevation of 14,000 feet. The moun- 

 tains were covered where possible by pine forests ; but 

 the surface was very rocky, and there were a number of 

 isolated sugar-loaf shaped rocks to be seen, some being 

 quite 1,000 feet high. On the ridges, slightly lower, 

 rhododendrons were interspersed with various other 

 bushes. 



I saw no signs of any inhabitants, and I found, among 

 other interesting plants, a large terrestrial orchid from 

 seven to eight feet high, bearing several broad opposite 

 leaves on the stem, and at the top a loose spike of incon- 

 spicuous flowers, small and of a greenish-purple colour ; 

 and a plant that reminded me of a gigantic marsh mari- 

 gold, the lower leaves being quite two feet in diameter, 



