background, the more distant ranges shading away, wave upon wave, in every 
tone, from mauve to deepest blue. Eastward, beyond the T’ai-yiian valley, 
the Lung-wang Shan were plainly discernible, flanked to north and south by 
ranges marshalled in complex and bewildering formation. Only to the north- 
west was the horizon flat, indicating the wastes of the great Ordos desert. 
To the west, ridge upon ridge of rounded loess hills, broken only by the three 
lonely peaks of the Ch’ing-ting Shan. It is no exaggeration to say that our 
view extended for over a hundred miles in every direction, except perhaps the 
south—a scene indeed not easy to match in either the Old World or 
the New. 
The expedition remained in this neighbourhood for nearly a fortnight. 
Deer were reported plentiful, and several hunting trips were organized, but 
without any very remarkable success, though hare, pheasant and partridge 
were frequently bagged. Sowerby, however, was more successful on a 
miniature scale, and managed to secure a good collection of mice and voles. 
The vegetation of the district is luxuriant, and comprises not only the forest 
trees and hazel already mentioned, but herbaceous trees and shrubs in 
countless variety. The natives, though poor, are healthy-looking ; the men 
stalwart and well-built, the women decidedly better looking than those in and 
around T’ai-yiian Fu. However, goitre seems not uncommon, and we noticed 
many cases of sore eyes, the result, no doubt, of smoky wood fires. The 
cultivation of oats and potatoes—the only crops that will ripen at such an 
altitude—affords a meagre source of livelihood. The cutting and hauling of 
timber, though supplying fuel and building material for the rude huts, are 
useless for trade purposes, no easy means of transport existing, such as the 
Fén Ho provides to the people of the Ning-wu district further north. During 
the winter months musk-hunters visit the district, and medicine-hunters from 
Ssuch’uan prosecute their search for genseng and other roots at all times of 
the year. Roman Catholic missionaries have penetrated these mountains 
and made many converts, who abjure the smoking of opium. One or other 
of the Fathers from T’ai-yiian Fu visits the district twice yearly. In 1900, 
during the Boxer troubles, Yii-hsien, the Governor of T’ai-yiian, sent troops 
to execute the converts ; but the people, most of whom own a firearm of some 
sort, and are of a sporting turn, rose at once, and chasing the soldiers over 
the mountains killed them almost to a man. 
On its becoming known that one of the party was a doctor, the usual 
deputations begging for medicine invaded the camp. One and all received 
attention and a “cure” in some tangible form, even were this nothing more 
10 
