CHAPTER XX V^ 



A CENTRE OF TKADE 



Lanchow-fu, seat of the Viceroy of two pro- 

 vinces, centre of great trade routes and by far 

 the most important town in the west, is situated 

 on the banks of the Yellow River in a valley 

 eight miles long by almost fifteen at its widest 

 point. The Hwang Ho flows immediately below 

 the northern wall and is spanned now by a 

 modern iron bridge. From the south a range of 

 hills runs in a slanting curve into the west suburb. 

 On their summits, commanding the city below, 

 are three forts, capable of holding ^00 men 

 a-piece ; the only means of ingress, ladders. The 

 city covers an area of ground 9 // by 7^ //, and 

 holds a fixed population of about 80,000. There 

 is a large floating population, for merchants come 

 hither to trade from all quarters of the Empire. 

 Some remain for many months and then return 

 to Sian-fu, Tientsin, Chungking, Lhasa, Ti-hua-fu, 

 Kashgar, Samarkand and many another far-distant 

 bourn. From it set out caravans on their long 

 journey across the desert, mule-trains, strings of 

 donkeys, mincing camels, and great waggons. 

 Roads stretch in every direction : to Thibet, 



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