There are porters, says Du Halde, who will carry 160 of our pounds, ten leagues a day.

The coolies, engaged in carrying the compressed cakes of Szechuen tea into Thibet, travel over mountain passes 7000 feet above their starting place; yet there are those among them, says Von Richthofen, who carry 324 catties (432lbs.).

A package of tea is called a "_pao_" and varies in weight from eleven to eighteen catties, yet Baber has often seen coolies carrying eighteen of the eighteen-catty _pao_ (the "_Yachou pao_") and on one occasion twenty-two, in other words Baber has often seen coolies with more than 400lbs.

on their backs.

Under these enormous loads they travel from six to seven miles a day.