1850.
Travels of M. Huc.
671
three days' repose, with the loss of only a donkey. Beyond was the plain called Pian-pa, and then another mountain-chain called Jak-la, and beyond this again the little town of Chobando, the houses and temples of which, being painted with red ochre, gave to it an agreeable aspect. Two days from Chobando, the Suk-chu was ferried across, the bridge of pines having given way a few days before, and caused the death of two men and three oxen. Beyond this was the lake and upland of Wa Ho, the former guarded by an enormous toad, that no one has seen but many heard, and which ima- ginary reptile is venerated as the spirit of the place. The bright sun shining upon the snows of the elevated upland, affected alinost the whole of the party with violent inflammation of the eyes, which was for some time the cause of much suffering. Three fatiguing journeys remained to be traveled over, and many of the detestable wooden bridges to be crossed, ere they reached Tsiando, 250 leagues from II'lassa, a distance which they had taken thirty-six days to travel.
Tsiando, capital of the province of Kham, is a Chi- nese military station, situated at the junction of two rivers, and sur- rounded by mountains. The town is composed of large houses irre- gularly built and falling into ruins; the population look poor and dirty, but, as usual, there is a “magnificent
magnificent" lamazary attached to the town, in which two thousand idlers live upon the superstitions of their more industrious fellow-creatures.
After three days' repose, the party once more started across moun- tain and along river, and over Tibetan bridges—the horror of all Ti- betan travelers-being often, in the hyperbolic language of the East, suspended in the clouds. As they approached Bagung, the granitic districts of Upper Tibet were succeeded by a limestone country, in the midst of which a mountain, abounding with large caves, particu- larly attracted their attention. Bagung is described as a mere village with a Chinese guard-house. The people of the village, were, how- ever, the first who refused to supply the caravan gratuitously. The authority of the "Pacificator of Kingdoms " was totally disregarded by these independent mountaineers. They were further abetted in this contumacious disposition by Prul-tamba, the chief of the province, who was at that time in open rebellion with the Chinese. The party paid a visit to this mountain-chieftain, whose abode is described as re- sembling a feudal castle of the middle ages, with ditch and pont-levis. At the next station, Gaya, the Chinese officials were equally refused food and transport without payment. At the station beyond this, Ang- ti by name, they were detained five days by the illness of the manda-