Bulletin of Catholic University of Peking

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and invited the writer to accompany him. No one was able to tell us definitely in what direction to travel, nor what we were likely to find.

We started from Cho Chou on April 4, and traveled northwest across the plain, to a place called Chang Fang ‘K’ou, 60 & distant.

As we left Chang Fang K’ou, we issued into a new world. The river here is no small rivulet, but a stately stream of clear, blue water, which changes hue with the play of clouds and sunshine. We crossed and recrossed it every few /z on bridges made of woven withes of willow or mountain birch, very strong and tough. Each section of this basket-work flooring was perhaps 10 or 12 feet long and 5 feet wide, and placed on stringers, which were supported on piers made of circular basket-work, set in the river and filled with rocks. Each bridge had two or three such piers. The fragile texture of these bridges seemed rather uncertain footing for people perched high on pack animals, and we generally dismounted before crossing.

There were no villages for the first 30 li. We frequently passed queer shacks of “‘kao-liang’’ placed astride of swift-running races, and supposed they were water-mills for grinding flour. They did grind flour, but it was incense flour. There were perhaps twenty such mills pulverizing the wood and bark of wild peach, almond, and cedar trees. This flour was sent to Chang Fang Kou where it was converted into incense sticks. The mill was a clumsy affair with an unusually large turbine wheel which turned heavy mill-stones. This has been an important industry for the people of the region.

Along the mountain-sides we saw

BULLETIN NUMBER FOUR

men digging where it seemed as though there could be nothing but rock. They were seeking stumps of trees for charcoal. This kind of charcoal is supposed to make better powder for firecrackers than that which is made from other kinds of wood, and hence brings a higher price in the market. We met a group of men descending the trail, laden with packs of short, straight sticks, which they were taking to Peking to be made into arrows for Manchu bows, because at that time, archery was a stepping-stone for entrance into the army.

Although it was early spring, the floral display was grand. High up on the cliffs beautiful flowers were swaying in the breezes and the wild peach was ablaze with glory.

At another point we met some shy, sullen-looking men who were carrying heavy baskets which we supposed contained fruit for market, but finally learned that they were engaged in carrying an impure form of sulphur, native to this region, to an illicit powder maker. Sulphur was contrabrand, which accounted for the ungracious attitude of the men towards us.

The scenery grew more impressive as we advanced. The geological formations were different from most other regions, the cliffs were precipitous, at times rising over a thousand feet. In many instances the cliffs assumed elaborate architectual designs, which had different varieties of rock for the successive stories. It required no effort of imagination, to see in them cathedrals, temples, domes and minarets. At places in this journey, when we shouted, distinct double echoes answered. It seemed as though we were conversing with hidden men in the