(seq. 19)

June 19th. The rain had ceased when we awoke at 5 a.m.
and though dank mist obscured everything from a hundred
yards above and around us I prophesized a fair day. It
remained fine for above two hours and then commenced to
rain steadily. It increased as the day advanced and we had a
fair soak. All were soon drenched to the skin and everything
became sodden. We hurried on as fast as possible and reached
the head of the path at 10 a.m. Yesterday the road must have
been impassible and today we had difficulty in fording the
torrent. Much of the Bamboo has been [burned?] and cut-away
from the path which is considerably improved since our
last visit in consequence of the above. The Bamboo is the
handsomest I know with its light golden yellow culms some
10-15 feet high slender and with arching plumes. It must be very hardy
for the climate here is very rigorous. Patches] [?]
forest remain and there and especially near watercourses
[Silver?] [fir?] & [?] Birch with Willows and Rhododendron are practically
the sole constituents. On [bare?] [rocks?] near [head?] of [?] a
dwarf Juniper abound similar in appearance to the new
[?] alpine [wood?] around Tachein lu. The head of the
pass (9650 feet) is covered with a species of Allium & [gorse?]
Even through midsummer the grass and weeds are only a few inches
high. Our view was limited to a few hundred feet and we
saw nothing of the fine bold peaks of the Sheng-Ting-Chia.
On crossing the pass to re-enter Hing-shan Hsin. We
[?] down for a couple of miles and I had intended [tiffining?]
at the ruins of an old house where Henry stayed but it
rained so heavily that I decided to hurry on to Wa-ping.
A steep ascent of a few hundred feet and we cross a
spur of the range and enter Patung Hsein. The descent
now beginning in earnest & the road fairly tumbles down
by zigzags. [Steeper?] [potholing?] could seriously be
improved. We reach Wa-ping at 11:40 a.m. The hut is