SUMMIT OF OMl^I-SHAN 217 



was a remarkably line man, standing about 6 ft. 4 in., 

 and was half Tibetan. 



On August 9 I left Wan-nien- ssu and continued the 

 ascent of the mountain, the road leading through beau- 

 tiful scenery, there being many fine forest trees, and in 

 the more open places a luxuriant undergrowth. Some 

 deep gorges are seen, and numerous streams course down 

 the mountain side. Lodging was found in a small 

 temple called Ta-chung-tze. Nearly the whole of the 

 road up the mountain is made of flights of stone steps, 

 and in places they are very steep. 



On August 10 the summit was reached at 10 a.m., 

 and here I found Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, of the American 

 Mission, staying at a temple called Chang- fu-ting, or the 

 Thousand Buddha summit. Mrs. Lewis was the first 

 European lady who had ascended the mountain, and 

 she was carried up on the back of a coolie. She told 

 me that this mode of travelling was not at all disagree- 

 able as long as the coolie was moving. When, however, 

 he stopped to rest, and placed the stick under the frame 

 to take the weight off his back, there was a most un- 

 comfortable feeling as if she was on the point of being 

 thrown backwards down the road that had just been 

 ascended. Many Chinese ladies ascend the mountain, 

 and they are all carried up in this way. I remained at 

 the summit for ten days, during most of which time the 



