the least! They tormented the Europeans beyond endurance, so that it was 
with considerable relief that we quitted the place on September 3rd. 
The arable land along the valleys was devoted with great success to the 
’ cultivation of millet, sorghum, beans, tobacco, indigo, cotton, castor-oil seed, 
melons, and pumpkins, rich crops of which were seen on either side of the 
road. Yung-ning Chou, a large but dilapidated town with but a small 
population, was reached on the evening of the 3rd, and the following night the 
travellers put up at a small place named Wu-ch’éng, situated in the midst 
of high rocky mountains known to be full of game. Time, however, could not 
be spared for a shooting trip, and, on September 5th, Fén-chou Fu, a large and 
populous city on the T’ai-yiian plain, was reached. Here astronomical 
observations were again taken, and we continued our march north-eastward 
towards T’ai-yiian Fu. The crops in this plain seemed to be very rich indeed, 
consisting chiefly of millet, sorghum, and beans. Part of the country between 
Fén-chou and T’ai-yiian is famous as being the finest grape-producing district 
in North China, and we were able to indulge in the luscious fruit at ‘a 
halfpenny per pound ! 
T’ai-yiian Fu was reached on September 8th, and here the ponies and 
mules were sold and the expedition came to an end, the party proceeding by 
rail from T’ai-yiian to Peking. 
78 
