240 ON THE FRINGE OF THE DESERT 



other, the Tian-Shaii Pe-lu, the northern foot of 

 the range. The latter, passing through Barkul and 

 Kucheng, is often obstructed during the winter 

 months by snow, but is somewhat shorter than the 

 southern road which we took, though the number 

 of stages is the same. Since time immemorial 

 commerce has flowed along these natural roads to 

 and from Cathay. Fourteen centuries before 

 Marco Polo travelled on it to Lanchow, along the 

 Nan-lu the fame of the Tsin dynasty was borne 

 to Persia and to Rome. With the dominion of 

 these roads went the dominion of Central Asia. 

 For two thousand years that portion of it east of 

 the Kia-yii-kwan has been guarded, and, at times 

 with great personal loss, defended by the Chinese. 

 It is the only practicable military road to countries 

 farther west, and by their possession of it they kept 

 asunder the different tribes who, once the road 

 were abandoned, might in all probability have 

 coalesced and presented a united front to the 

 common enemy. This narrow channel, hundreds 

 of li long, capable of cultivation in the more fertile 

 parts, colonised and guarded by the Chinese, formed 

 a barrier which it was beyond their strength to over- 

 come. The steppes on the northern side, inhabited 

 by a fierce and warlike tribe, much more numerous 

 then than now, were further shut out by an exten- 

 sion of the Great Wall. " Where tlie channel 

 ends to the west, the Kia-yii-kwan Gate was built. 

 In many epochs of its history the Chinese Empire 

 was effectually locked up, by closing that gate and 

 opening it expressly for those only who had per- 

 mission to enter." (Baron Richthofen). 



Since the Han dynasty the Chinese have en- 



