14th day--Chao-chow 60 li 6,750 ft.
15th day--Tali-fu 60 li 6,700 ft.

A long, winding and physically-exhausting road took me from
Sha-chiao-kai to Yin-wa-kwan, the most elevated pass between Yuen-nan-fu
and Tali-fu, and continued over barren mountains, bereft of shelter, and
void of vegetation and people, to Pupeng. A rough climb of an hour and a
half then took me to the top of the next mountain, where roads and ruts
followed a high plateau for about thirty li, and with a precipitous
descent I entered the plain of Yuen-nan-i. Then over and between barren
hills, passing a small lake and plain with the considerable town of
Yuen-nan-hsien ten li to the right, I continued in a narrow valley and
over mountains in the same uncultivated condition to Hungay, situated in
a swampy valley. Having crossed this valley, another rough climb brings
the traveler to the top of the next pass, Ting-chi-ling, whence the road
descends, and leads by a well-cultivated valley to Chao-chow. After an
easy thirty li we reached Hsiakwan,[AD] one of the largest commercial
cities in the province, lying at the foot of the most magnificent
mountain range in Yuen-nan, and by the side of the most famous lake. A
paved road takes one in to his destination at Tali-fu, where I was
welcomed by Dr. and Mrs. Clark, of the China Inland Mission, and
hospitably entertained for a couple of days.

The roads in general from Yuen-nan-fu to Tali-fu were worse than any I
have met from Chung-king onwards, partly owing to the mountainous
condition of the country, and partly to neglect of maintenance.

Where the road is paved, it is in most places worse than if it had not
been paved at all, as neither skill nor common sense seems to have been
exercised in the work. It is probably safe to say that there are no
ancient roads in Yuen-nan, in the sense of the constructed highways which
have lasted through the centuries, for the civilization of the early
Yuen-nanese was not equal to such works. As a matter of fact, the
condition of the roads is all but intolerable. Many were never made, and
are seldom mended--one may say that with very few exceptions they are
never repaired, except when utterly impassable, and then in the most
make-shift manner.

My highly-strung Rusty received a shock to his nervous system as I led
him leisurely from the incline leading into Anning-cheo (6,300 feet),
through the arched gateway in a pago