START FROM CHONI 



Mr. Christie and Purdom came to the city gates 

 to see us off; soon the walls were hidden by a fold 

 of the hills, and we had started on our return 

 journey. 



Snow had fallen, and, the day being bright, 

 there was a strong glare. Many of the travellers 

 we met protected their eyes by means of spectacles 

 of woven horsehair, and their ears with little 

 heart-shaped pads lined with fur. Crossing the 

 pass above Taochow (New City), we had a magni- 

 ficent view of the Minshan range and the hunting 

 ground which we had left. In spite of fingers 

 benumbed by cold, we managed to get a pheasant 

 and a partridge ; the latter a different variety from 

 those we had killed on the way to Mei-wu. On 

 these hills gazelle are to be found, but I am 

 uncertain to what species they belong. 



On the third day after leaving Choni we crossed 

 Lian-hwa Shan, the Lotus Flower Mountain, where 

 the effects were beautiful, the pines and leafless 

 trees being completely hidden by masses of glitter- 

 ing snow. The mountain itself is rather disap- 

 pointing, though it boasts some fine rocky peaks, 

 on one of which, needless to say, is perched the 

 inevitable temple. On this day's march we saw 

 a number of pheasants near the banks of Tao. 

 The river flows due east to Minchow, but there 

 makes a right-angled bend, and flows north until 

 it empties its waters into the Hwang- Ho. We 

 branched off into a side valley two hours before 

 reaching our destination for the night, but met the 

 river again next day, and crossed to Titao-chow. 



This is a large city and one calculated to 

 irritate the unsuspecting traveller to the verge of 

 16 



