JNTKKNAI, COMMUNICATIONS. 19 



at a standstill, as it is impossible to get the pack caravans about 

 the country when the earth paths are morasses, when every stream 

 overflows its banks, and the low-lying areas are flooded. Mention 

 must be made of the wonderful suspension bridges of the Chinese 

 which are to be seen where the main trade routes cross the larger 

 rivers such as the Mekong or Salween. Eight or ten iron chains 

 of massive construction are stretched rigidly across the valley 

 some distance above the water and firmly fastened in massive 

 masonry on each side. The road is carried across on a gangway 

 of wooden planks with a protecting parapet of railings on each 

 side. The bridges are built, at the expense of the merchant guilds 

 who use the road, and although they sway about somewhat, they 

 can carry a heavy load ; animals can cross in perfect safety two or 

 three at a time. 



When the nature of the roads in Yunnan is appreciated and 

 the crumpled up character of the great mountain ranges with the 

 river gorges between realised, it becomes a matter of wonder not 

 that the external trade of Yunnan is small, but rather that any 

 exists at all. 



TRADE ROUTES. 



There are four great trade arteries into Yunnan. These are : — 

 (1) The Bhamo-Teng-yiieh route — the main trade route from 

 Burma — which it is necessary for me to describe in greater 

 detail. Goods travel from the sea coast at Rangoon 

 by rail to Katha via Myohaung, Sagaing and Naba, 

 and thence to Bhamo (lat. 24° 15', long. 97° 15'); or 

 by steamer on the Irrawaddy river from Rangoon to 

 Bhamo via Mandalay. Bhamo is three days journey 

 from the Burma-China frontier, and is connected with 

 Teng-yiieh, the treaty port of Western Yunnan, by a 

 mule road 112 miles in length. The time taken by 

 loaded caravans to traverse this distance varies from 

 7£ days under the best conditions to twice as long at 

 the worst. Teng-yiieh is connected with Ta-li Fu on 

 the shores of lake Erh Hai by a well-known road 170 

 miles long. It is not my intention to describe this route 

 fully, but rather to point out the difficulties of communi- 

 cation along it, and the recent attempts which have 

 been made to improve it. It is probably more or less 



