64
has the appearance of having been a lake bed at no great distance of time. Shortly afterwards we crossed the Ebi-he-ho in the same valley. On the slopes of the hill to the left is another Chinese shop. The merchant has been established for five years; he is a Kweihuacheng man and pays a tax of 2 taels a-year. His stock is renewed monthly by cart. The next Tai is Gishunger.
July 3.-At 9 A.M., we passed the Chagan-tologoi well, but saw no tents until 10:40 when we came across that of a Chinese trader from Kweihuacheng. night at Herimoho and continuing on the 4th July, we joined the Kweibuacheng- Halting for the Uliassutai track at noon and turning north-west reached Bulong two hours later. Än hour and a-half before reaching the Uliassutai track we passed within 2 miles of the residence of the Mergen Wang.
July 5-Changing camels at Sudchi, we came through low rocky hills to Toli, no habitations being visible as usual except at the Tai stations. The population of Toli is increased by the presence of a large lama temple.
July 6.--We halted at Tugurank to change animals, and slept the night at Gasiun having travelled 39 miles during the day. The Mongol official here tried to squeeze us, evidently dividing the world into people who squeeze and people who may be squeezed. Into the latter category we were placed and resented it accordingly.
A Chinaman from Taiyuanfu (Shansi) had set up his tent here. He was travelling with many carts carrying oil and coal. As his carts were drawn by oxen, his rate of progress was slow,
July 7.--Twenty more miles brought us to the next Tai of Khonshi where there is a large lama temple, and here the heat of the day and the fact that I had experienced a severe fall from a camel obliged us to halt for the night.
July 8.--An hour after leaving Khonshi we passed over the bright green oasis of Arachuduk where there is a good well and almost an hour later that of Gurcholobuluk. These bright green oases are very welcome to the wearied eyes of the traveller in the Gobi, By noon we had reached the station of Narun a distance of 16 miles. Changing animals here we reached Arbangnaisha in the evening. The last hour's marching was miserable as a thunderstorm accompanied by violent hail, overtook us and we were soaked to the skin in five minutes.
July 9-Keeping at first through low rocky hills and narrow valleys, the beds of former streams now temporarily revived by a faint trickle, the result of yesterday's storm, we reached Dsalatu soon after noon and Tsubir in the evening.
Half way between the two Tais we met a Mongol girl riding furiously with despatches. These she handed to one of my men who turned and galloped back to Dsalatu where they would he handed on to someone else. Thus are despatches sent down to Peking day and night without any delay.
July 10.-Twenty miles brought us to Borrbo and another 22 to Kutul.
July 11-We reached Sair Üssu at 11:30 A.M., a distance of 15 miles from Kutul, Here the roads to Uliassutai and Urga fork and here lives a small Manchu official who supervises the working of the Tai road, The post is a Manchu one and is conferred on officials in the Li-Fan-Pu (Board of Dependencies: the appointment is for three years and the pay only 180 taels (274) a-year with the following extras: ten bags of rice, each worth 6 taels (18s.), and a few sheep to be furnished by each Tai and which are converted into silver. No Ovid exiled to the Black Sea could bewail his fate more than the official here after a residence of only six months. As compensation for the exile the occupant of the post also obtains promotion; for instance, if he comes here an official of the 5th class, he returns an official of the 3rd class. The present official at Sair Ussu is a man over 60 years of age, amiable, courteous, and talkative. The Tai is entirely like any other with the addition of half-a-dozen mud huts and a small well-built dwelling for the official and another for the Government offices. There are no trees or cultivation in sight. The land is merely a desert of gravel sprinkled with thin grass or weeds, and the district well deserves its name "Gravelly Water,*
The Tutung's passport has to be changed here for one issued by the small local official, though it appears that the former holds good for the road to Uliassutai. A vexatious delay occurred in consequence, as my papers had to be sent to the yamên to be copied. A vain attempt was made to persuade the official to lend me a cart, but his was said to be broken.
Leaving in a northern direction we passed a small temple to our left after three- quarters of an hour's march, and reached the first station on the Urga road, Sudchi, after 13 miles.
July 12.--Sixteen miles brought us to Solochoi, where water and pasturage seem abundant. Here lives a Chinaman from Kalgan, ostensibly to sell stores but in reality
65
to lend money to the Mongols at the already-mentioned exhorbitant rate of interest. One of the ladies here was so friendly that she sold me her quaint silver head-dress. She subsequently formed one of our escort, and was radiant over the transaction.
We slept the night 16 miles further on-Bayin Bichor, where there is a small lake on the right and a chain of pools with marshy grounds to the left. Pasturage is good, and it was a surprise to see so few yourts here. Another Chinese storekeeper money-lender resides here.
July 13.-A march of 15 miles brought us to Bayin hoshoo, and another 12 miles to Boroburin. Just before reaching the latter a party of six lamas rode past us. They had been sent out by the Bogdo of Urga to stir all lamas up to pray for rain. When we reached camp a dozen lamas were scated in a circle on the grass chanting rain-prayers to Buddha, and performing strange mysteries; this they kept up for several hours.
July 14-Reaching Taurim after four hours we arrived at Moton 15 miles later, passing several small ponds en route. We left again the same evening for the north, and reached the next Tai, Narun, a distance of 20 miles, at midnight. A falling star gave rise to a long religious discussion between one of the lama escort and myself, the lama asserting that every individual had his or her own star, which fell at the individual's As this was decease. The bright stars represented the high personages of the earth.
an unusually bright star, it was suggested that it belonged to the Dowager-Empress, and I learnt that the high priests of Buddhism had decreed that on her death she would become a Buddha. It is pleasant to think of her in perfect peace, assisting to dispense rain and sunshine as required.
July 15-Reaching Tole bulak, by the side of a small lake, we pushed on into more hilly but equally bleak country to Enterto. Here we seemed to have left the Gobi entirely behind us, and to have entered the hilly country which extends up to and beyond Urga.
July 16.--Crossing low hills to Chergelent, 14 miles away, we kept steadily north- wards, and at 4-50 P.M. reached a small obo at the top of a valley. Here a panoramic view of the mountains immediately round Urga opened itself up to us, and in front lay the Bogdo Ula, the wooded ridge which protects Urga from the south. We slept the night at Amorelent.
July 17-A 12-mile ride brought us to Baisegelent. Here we found a Shansi Chinamian money-lender, whose head-quarters are at Urga, where he keeps a small shop. low between He was touring the country collecting debts. At an obo at the top of a pass, Baisegelent and the next Tai, we caught sight of the Holy city of Urga. Descending from the pass into the rich pasture lands of the river, we changed animals at Sonsegelent, and, after witnessing some curious races round a local course, continued eastwards, and having forded the Tola, entered Urga.
Yourts were scattered about in The whole plain seemed full of life and bustle. great numbers, and quantities of sheep and goats were feeding everywhere. Hundreds of red or yellow clad lamas were riding about, all with a sleek well-cared-for appearance, and looking as if their purses were as well filled as their stomachs, while numbers of smartly dressed, extremely well-to-do ladies were riding along in groups of two and three without any male escort, each wearing the curious head-dress peculiar to the Khalka Mongols.
Error in Maps between Kweihuacheng and Urga.
All the German maps that I have seen mark the Peking to Urga line of telegraph posts as running alongside the Tai track by which I travelled (from Bulong to Urga). This is entirely erroneous, as the line runs very considerably to the east of this track, and more direct.
Ordos and Gobi: a Contrast of Deserts.
It may be of interest to note briefly the points in the Ordos and Gobi deserts, which resemble each other, and to remark on those wherein they differ. By the Gobi I mean that portion where I crossed it between Kweihuacheng and Urga, though the description which applies to this will also apply to a vast stretch on either side of this line of march.
Of the two, the Ordos has by far the greater appearance of a desert.
No matter
at what point the traveller enters the district, he cannot but be struck by this fact. This is without doubt due to the large stretches of yellow sandy hillocks which meet the eye, either entirely devoid of vegetation, or on to which a low scrub has attached itself, frequently with some profusion, but never sufficiently so to conceal the yellow sand drift which forms the foundation of the mound. The traveller on the Mongolian plateau may journey several days before he realises that he is in the far-famed Gobi, for there is not
[2155 b-1]
S
147