1 86 Through the Yang-tse Gorges 



at the mouth of gullies opening on the river. The country 

 was entirely under cultivation, with rice in the bottoms and 

 opium and tobacco on the slopes. Ascending the range, 

 however, at the foot of which we arrived at sunset, we left 

 cultivation behind and rode up through scrubby pine-forests 

 along a steep mountain path, winding round the crest of a 

 ravine, at the bottom of which ran a roaring stream which 

 issued from the coal-mine above us. At length a huge talus, 

 or spoil-heap formed by the mine's working, barred our way ; 

 but the ponies scrambled up and Janded us on a small 

 plateau just as the stars were appearing over the almost 

 vertical hill in our front. There was just enough light to en- 

 able us to distinguish some fifty naked coal-begrimed coolies 

 lounging about, and some two-storied wooden shanties built 

 up against the declivity of the hillside and over the hori- 

 zontal entrance of the mine. Ascending to the upper story, 

 and passing a crowd of curious but absolutely undemonstrative 

 coolies, who had just come off their shift and were lounging 

 after their bath, we entered a small room in the rear, 

 occupied by the foreman of the works, in which — with the 

 aid of the good man's bed there was barely room to seat 

 our party — we sat down to a frugal supper of red rice and 

 broad beans, washed down with a tea so nauseous that I 

 was positively unable to swallow it. My hosts informed 

 me that the leaf was grown on the neighbouring hill, and 

 that its cost dried was only about three-halfpence a pound ; 

 the fragrant herb in this instance consisted mainly of stalks 

 and twigs intermingled with a few big leaves, the whole 

 more or less musty. Any infusion of the kind is called 

 " Cha '' by the Chinese, and does not necessarily contain 

 any real tea. It is with such refuse that the unfortunate 

 Tibetans are supplied in the shape of brick tea. Could 

 India force the opening-up of Tibet to trade, Assam 



