YA-CHOW-FU 211 



roads during the day had l^een rough, but shady in many 

 places, and just before the haUing-phxce was arrived 

 at, two small suspension bridges were passed over. 



July 27. — Arrived at Shih-chia-chiao, a small village 

 seventy li from Ya-chow-fu. The mosquitoes were very 

 troublesome here. 



July 28. — Starting at daylight, the road commenced 

 almost immediately to descend. Man}^ coolies were 

 passed, those going westward being loaded with tea in 

 paos or slabs, tobacco, coarse cloth, small china basins, 

 grass sandals, salt, rice and several kinds of paper. 

 Those we overtook going east were carrying iron 

 utensils, probably from Yung-ching-hsien, medicines and 

 €oal of apparently good quality. A ridge 3,750 feet 

 above the sea was crossed during the day and Ya-chow- 

 fu reached at 6.30 P.M. 



July 29. — This morning I was visited by a custom- 

 house official, who brought a host of underlings with 

 him. His business was to inform me that orders had 

 been received from Cheng-tu directing that I was to 

 travel by Hung-ya-hsien. After changing coolies, dis- 

 missing those from Ta-tsien-lu and hiring fresh ones, I 

 found that the loads had to be altered to suit a different 

 system of carrying. 



A start was made at 11.30 a.m. and a tributary of 

 the Ya was crossed by myself and a few coolies when a 



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