in the sandstone and shale strata. In places immense folds existed, and 
everywhere were evidences of considerable disturbance. 
At a small village, where the midday halt was made, a band of Ssiich’uan 
emigrants was encountered. These people, in their light summer clothing 
and hemp sandals, seemed to be suffering great distress. It was a pathetic 
sight to see little children of four and five trudging along in the snow and 
slush, each carrying a little bundle. The still younger children were carried 
on their mothers’ backs. These unhappy folks had travelled up from 
Sstich’uan, vid Han-chung Fu, in the coldest part of the cruel winter, in order 
to reach their destination in time to till the ground for a summer crop. They 
seemed to be possessed of but few goods and chattels; what they had, being 
carried on their backs, orin wheelbarrows. Their faces were rounder, and the 
features flatter, than in the natives of this portion of the country; and they 
wore turbans. The hemp sandals formed their only footgear, and they seemed 
to have little in the way of quilted or wadded clothing, just braving the winter 
in their thin cotton things. Such men and women could hardly fail to make 
good settlers, and, in later journeys in Kansu, opportunity was given to some 
members of the expedition of seeing the good results obtained by these hardy 
peasants. 
That night, T’ung-kuan, a military town, was reached, and a visit was 
received from the Secretary to the Head Military Official, who made apology 
for the absence of his chief. He offered the party a small escort of soldiers to 
see them safely to Hsi-an Fu. This offer, however, was politely declined, 
there being no necessity for such guardianship. This town is situated ninety 
li from Yi-chtin Hsien, the stage being long and difficult. T’ung-kuan 
produces a fine class of dried persimmon, than which few more palatable and 
nourishing dried fruits exist. 
The next halting-place was Yao Chou, a large and busy town, but of no 
particular interest. On the road between T’ung-kuan and Yao Chou a belt of 
limestone was traversed, the first sign of this rock yet noticed in Shensi.. The 
day’s journey was not so long and fatiguing as the one before, the distance 
covered being seventy /i. 
Throughout the greater part of the following day, the road led down a 
broad valley, which finally opened out into a series of great loess terraces or 
steps, on which were observed several large flocks of bustard. Sowerby tried 
hard to secure one of these magnificent game-birds, and was rewarded finally 
with a nice sixteen-pounder. Towards the end of the day the little party 
descended from the heights to a great plain—the valley of the Wei Ho—in 
38 
