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National Geographic : 1920 Nov
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPIC M AGAZINE Photograph by Robert F. Fitch WEIGHING SALT AS IT COMES IN C.\AKS FROM EV.\PORATION VATS: CHINA Tszliuching, in the province of Sze-chuan, is one of the chief centers of the salt industry in China. Here a forest of derricks suggests one of our own oil-boom towns. The wells have been drilled by foot-power to a depth of from 2,400 to 2,800 feet (see text, page 371). As we cross the Min River, which, flowing south, divides the province into east and west, and move westward, to ward the snow-covered mountains, we come upon the shambling homes of these people, hidden in impassable ravines or perched upon cliff or mountain side, of which they seem to be part and counter part; for as the irresistible side-thrust of continental Asia pushed these mountain masses high into the snows and left them crumpled, broken, and isolated storm swept peaks, so, evidently, a similar con vulsion of powerful peoples of Asia, in their movements toward this center, have driven back the weaker or defenseless nations, they in their turn being com pelled to follow into these inaccessible places, where, like the mountains to which they still cling, they may yet reveal for us, stratum by stratum, the bedrock of the race. "TilE: SZI-CIIUAN TRIBI:SMI'N" The Chinese call them "The Eighteen Nations," but it is believed that there are several times eighteen nations or tribes, each under its own king, council, or feu dal lord, independent or semi-independ ent of each other and of the Chinese in whose borders they dwell. Among the tribesmen are found relre sentatives of the black, yellow, and white branches of the human family, and some of them, especially the dwarf peoples, are believed to be of very ancient origin. ()n the western side these Sze-chuanese are flanked by the Tibetans, who have spread their religious ideas among many of them. Litang, the best known of the border lamaseries, is situated in one of the mountain passes on the roof of the world at an elevation of 14,ooo feet. 1lere, in this sparsely settled country, there are crowded together not less than three thousand lamas, whose chief virtue is bigotry and whose daily service and joy is robbery of the people for whom they pray. Returning to the big road to Cheng-tu, we stop to notice the swiftly moving army of carriers, each with his minimum :868
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