A Winter Journey amongst the Lutzu 187 
year, while the Riin-tsi-la on the Mekong-Yang-tze water- 
shed, at least 4000 feet higher, is open as long—a remark- 
able illustration of the difference in precipitation on these 
two watersheds. 
All caravans going to Ba-hang cross the Chun-tsung-la, 
but though the path, as paths go out here, had been fairly 
good so far, the descent on the Salween side was bad, and 
I was glad I had not risked my pony’s legs on it. The 
Tibetan pony is a sure-footed beast, but off the main road 
the more agile mule or donkey is to be preferred, at least as 
a pack-animal. 
From the pass a fine view of the Salween-Irrawaddy 
divide was visible to the south-west, but there was very 
little snow on it; the ranges are evidently considerably 
lower to the south. To north and west the view was 
obscured by a high spur, over which peeped the twin snow- 
clad peaks of a single mountain, evidently Ke-ni-ch‘un-pu 
already referred to. 
There was less snow on the Salween side of the range, 
or it had melted more rapidly ; but the descent was steeper 
and the mud treacherous. Cutting a path through dense 
bamboo brake growing on a steep slope never gives satis- 
factory results, for the great knobbly root-stocks are always 
left as formidable obstacles over which both men and 
animals are liable to trip, though high steps of rough hewn 
logs aid the wayfarer in some of the steepest places. 
At nightfall we camped in the forest once more, and 
were soon settled round roaring fires, which we certainly 
needed, for we were higher up than on the preceding evening, 
and the cold was intense. The night was perfectly clear, 
and then suddenly the whole forest was lit up, the great 
birch-trunks glimmering faintly like silvered pillars, while 
through the tangle of branches the snow could be seen 
glittering on the mountains to the west. The full moon 
had risen. 
Towards morning the cold made further sleep im- 
possible, and we were early astir. Descending into the 
deep valley below, we now found ourselves once more 
surrounded by forest almost semi-tropical in its luxuriance. 
It will be remembered that, on the Mekong, Yang-tsa 
marks the northern limit of the rainy region, corresponding 
