SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



the altitude of which I estimated by means of 

 boihng point, aneroid barometer, and Abney 

 level, to be some 10,000 feet, is a stupendous mass 

 of granite known as Lo-yah Shan. 



The inhabitants of the district we found to be 

 of the usual type of Shansi mountaineers. Those 

 who had not recently migrated thither from other 

 parts of the province were tall and well built, 

 with healthy, rosy complexions. 



The chief occupation of these mountaineers is 

 the cutting and hauling of timber. This is 

 stacked on the banks of the Fen Ho, awaiting the 

 spring and autumn freshets, when it is taken 

 down in long rafts and sold at various places on 

 the T'ai-yuan Fu plain. Avast amount of timber 

 is thus taken out annually, while nothing is being 

 done to replenish the denuded areas. 



On January 12 (1910) we once more took to 

 the road, and returning to the Fen Ho, followed it 

 up to its source. A few fruitless days were spent 

 en route at Tung-tsai, a large village engaged 

 in the timber trade, situated about ten miles from 

 the head waters of the river. 



On January 17 we discovered a series of moun- 

 tain lakes, which constitute one of the sources 

 of the Fen Ho. These interesting lakes, which I 

 have already described in my geological notes in 

 Through Shen-Kan, are five in number, the 

 largest being known as Mu Hai-tzu, and the 

 second as Kung Hai-tzu. These names mean 



53 



