of lignite is obtainable ; this is mined at An-ting Hsien, another small town 
about twenty miles higher up the valley, to the west. 
One day was spent at Ch’ing-chien, and on December 16th, after a march 
of nearly twenty-two miles, we put up at a miserable village named Ma-chia- 
k’ou. The road for the first two-thirds of the way followed down the same 
valley as before, but just before reaching the dilapidated and almost deserted 
town of Yen-ch’uan Hsien, it turned to the west up another ravine. The 
same geological formation was noticed, and nothing worthy of note occurred. 
The whole country from Yii-lin Fu to this point was remarkably bare of 
vegetation, and almost equally devoid of game; only a few small coveys of 
partridges, and some large flocks of rock-doves being sighted. Adhering to 
the decision made at Mi-chih Hsien, we halted here for a day to enable Hazrat 
Ali to keep pace with us. Only very poor coal is obtainable in the place. 
Next day a distance of twenty-four miles was accomplished ; a high pass 
—about 3600 feet—being surmounted without difficulty, thanks to the good 
quality of the road; and after following down a wide valley for some miles, 
we entered that of the Yen Shui, a short distance up which lay Kan-ku-yii. 
This day’s journey was somewhat more interesting. Pheasants were seen in 
considerable numbers, whilst a flock of several hundred pigeons came in for 
its fair share of attention. Out of this flock thirteen birds were bagged at one 
shot. There was considerably more vegetation in the valleys, which were 
themselves broader than any met with since the Yii-lin Ho had been left 
behind. This night we had thirty-eight degrees of frost. Kan-ku-yii must 
have been at one time an important town, as indicated by the remains of a 
high and well built wall. At present it contains but one small street of very 
poor houses and inns. It is probable that, but for its being a regular stopping 
place for travellers passing between Sui-té Chou and Yen-an Fu, the place 
would be utterly deserted, The country generally was under cultivation, 
though very thinly populated. 
On December 19th a start was made with the intention of covering not 
more than ten miles, but no suitable quarters being found anywhere on the 
road it became necessary to push on to Yen-an Fu, which place we reached 
late in the evening. All along the valley, which was fully a mile wide in 
places, the patches of scrub yielded any number of pheasants, so that we 
managed to enjoy the best shooting yet secured on the expedition. Only very 
small hamlets had been passed during the day, and but little traffic was 
noticed. The Yen Shui was frozen over to a depth of several inches. Really 
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