368 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



WEIGHING SALT AS IT COMES IN CAKES FROM 



Photograph by Robert F. Fitch 

 EVAPORATION VATS: CHINA 



Tszliuching, in the province of Sze-chuan, is one of the chief centers of the salt industry 

 in China. Here a forest of derricks suggests one of our own oil-boom towns. The wells have 

 been drilled by foot-power to a depth of from 2,400 to 2,800 feet (see text, page 371). 



As we cross the Min River, which, 

 flowing south, divides the province into 

 east and west, and move westward, to- 

 ward the snow-covered mountains, we 

 come upon the shambling homes of these 

 people, hidden in impassable ravines or 

 perched upon cliff or mountain side, of 

 which they seem to be part and counter- 

 part; for as the irresistible side-thrust of 

 continental Asia pushed these mountain 

 masses high into the snows and left them 

 crumpled, broken, and isolated storm- 

 swept peaks, so. evidently, a similar con- 

 vulsion of powerful peoples of Asia, in 

 their movements toward this center, have 

 driven back the weaker or defenseless 

 nations, they in their turn being com- 

 pelled to follow into these inaccessible 

 places, where, like the mountains to 

 which they still cling, they may yet reveal 

 for us, stratum by stratum, the bedrock 

 of the race. 



"THE SZE-CHUAN TRIBESMEN'' 



The Chinese call them "'The Eighteen 

 Nations," but it is believed that there are 



several times eighteen nations or tribes, 

 each under its own king, council, or feu- 

 dal lord, independent or semi-independ- 

 ent of each other and of the Chinese in 

 whose borders they dwell. 



Among the tribesmen are found repre- 

 sentatives of the black, yellow, and white 

 branches of the human family, and some 

 of them, especially the dwarf peoples, are 

 believed to be of very ancient origin. 



On the western side these Sze-chuanese 

 are flanked by the Tibetans, who have 

 spread their religious ideas among many 

 of them. Litang, the best known of the 

 border lamaseries, is situated in one of 

 the mountain passes on the roof of the 

 world at an elevation of 14,000 feet. 

 Here, in this sparsely settled country, 

 there are crowded together not less than 

 three thousand lamas, whose chief virtue 

 is bigotry and whose daily service and 

 joy is robbery of the people for whom 

 they pray. 



Returning to the big road to Cheng-tu, 

 we stop to notice the swiftly moving 

 armv of carriers, each with his minimum 



