POPULOUS AND BEAUTIFUL SZECHUAN 
GEE 
Fan > ual 
Photo by Rollin T. Chamberlin 
ANOTHER METHOD OF CARRYING A LOAD AMONG THE SZECHUAN ALPS 
many points there was a great deal of 
gravel exposed in the irrigation ditches, 
hinting at swift currents. And after 
passing Pi Hsien, our lunch point, we 
often saw piles of large water-worn 
stones in the fields. In the middle of the 
afternoon the gradient of the sloping 
plain increased noticeably, so that we be- 
came conscious of rising. The irrigation 
streams descended many short falls at 
points where there had been slight ter- 
tracing. 
We pushed on as fast as we could go 
throughout the afternoon. At length 
there slowly took form out of the twi- 
light haze the rugged outline of the 
Azure Wall, the mountain front. Sze- 
chuan’s famous veil of blue haze had 
hidden the mountains till we were almost 
among them, so that our goal was never 
in view. We had already begun to feel 
some apprehensions for our night’s lodg- 
ing, for in Chengtu the city gates close 
promptly at dusk, and we had been led to 
believe that such was also the custom at 
Kuan Hsien. 
If the traveler, native or foreign, is so 
unfortunate as to be unable to reach the 
gate before it is formally closed he must 
pass the night outside the walls. At sun- 
down we were still many li from Kuan 
Hsien, and so Mr. Wang, the Chinese 
student traveling with us, hastened on 
ahead in our lightest mountain chair, 
with intent to make special plea of the 
gate-keeper and secure our entry into the 
city. Reaching the south gate of Kuan 
Hsien, in total darkness, at 7.45 p. m., he 
found the portal wide open and our fears 
quite vain. As the remainder of the 
caravan straggled in we learned, too late 
to get any comfort out of it, that the 
gates of this city did not close until 10 
o'clock. 
