224 HUMOURS OF WAR 



desperation. It comes into sight, seemingly close 

 at hand, lying in the plain beyond the river. 

 Two weary hours dodging round corners and up 

 unsuspected liills must elapse before its gates can 

 be reached. Not the least formidable obstacle 

 which intervenes is an appalling bridge of boats 

 moored across the river and covered by loose and 

 slippery saplings. Several of the mules collapsed 

 and swung helplessly across these poles until 

 released. 



No Mohammedans are allowed to live inside 

 the city walls, which would be no privation if 

 they were imbued with Western ideas of sani- 

 tation, for the streets are as narrow and filthy as 

 those of the majority of Chinese cities. Outside 

 the northern wall extends a desolate waste of 

 brown deserted suburbs. The district suffered 

 terribly during the great rebellion, and, to quote 

 Baron Richthofen again, whose words are as true 

 now of certain spots as when he penned them, 

 " Among the ruins of villages which counted their 

 houses by hundreds, there are frequently no more 

 than half a dozen inhabited at present." 



Nearly all the inns were crowded with newly 

 enlisted soldiers, which did not add to our com- 

 fort. One man told us that 200,000 revolu- 

 tionaries had crossed the border into Kansu. 



The women we saw on this part of our journey 

 were notably unfeminine. I was once at a dance 

 accosted by a lady with a coy smile and a, " You 

 don't know who I am ? " With great presence 

 of mind 1 thought of the ugliest man I knew, 

 chanced a shot and retorted " Of course, you are 

 Miss C ! " which was the correct answer. She 



