Viewing page 4 of 22

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

- 4 - 

filled with flowers, theatricals, wars, etc. It was made of stone. I also saw a memorial arch erected in the Han dynasty. It's a slab of sandstone upright on a great stone turtle's back.

We secured five birds and some good insects. I called on the local magistrate to see about an escort for tomorrow. He is 20 odd years old.

Here at Luh Shan the barometer registers 2500 feet above sea level.

June 26. We were delayed quite a while this morning because the escort was very slow in coming. They ate their breakfast and changed their clothing before starting. When we reached Shuang^[[1]] Ho^[[2]] Tsang^[[2]] the Christians gave us a dinner. Here we were delayed a long time by the coolies, who dallied unusually long smoking their opium. The road today was not very long, but was very hard, often rough, uneven, and steep. We went through a gorge before reaching [[underline]] Shuang^[[1]] Ho^[[2]] Tsang^[[2]] [[/underlined]]. In it is a natural bridge caused by the falling of great rocks from the overhanging cliffs. The water runs under the rocks, and the road goes over them. [[underlined]] Mammal No. 255. [[/underlined]] For probably a half-mile the road has been blasted out of the side of a cliff above the stream. The road is from one to two yards wide, and has no fence on the outside. If one should fall off, he would fall between 60 and 100 feet into the swift mountain stream below. I have not heard of any accidents happening, but we would expect plenty of them in the United States along such a road.

We crossed a pass just before dark.

During the day we passed one spot where robbers frequently appear, between Luh Shan and Shuang Ho Tsang. The last name means the village of Two Rivers. There are two streams that unite here.

The country we are in is very rich in specimens. I think it would pay to work this district for months, if not for a year or two. My hopes are high for a fine collection this summer, both in quantity and in quality.

We have seen some wonderful scenery today, but we have passed over some of the worst roads, if not the worst, that I have ever traversed. This side of Shuang Ho Tsang it was especially bad. We have crossed a high pass. On both sides of the pass, the road crosses and recrosses a creek bed. Practically nothing seems ever to have been done to improve the road. Big boulders make travel difficult and precarious, especially at night. The road is very bad for day travel, and nearly impossible at night.

The last coolies with their loads reached the top of thepass just before dark. Most of them had been unable to smoke their opium or eat much of anything at Shuang Ho Tsang. At the top of the pass, several were very weak. One man sat on his load with his eyes partly closed, and his face gaunt and pale with misery. His head actually tottered from side to side like a man very sick, if not about to die.

In about four places this side of the pass, the road is narrow, and a slip of the foot would cause one to fall into the creek several feet below.

It became dark soon after we started down the mountain. The three lanterns