502 Bihliographical Notices. 



now not unfrequently taken by enterprising travellers, and gives 

 an interesting account of the post-road between that city and the 

 Chinese capital. Here Colonel Prejevalsky's expedition really began, 

 his plans being, by travelling south-west from Pekin, to strike the 

 great bend of the Hoaug-ho at its most northern point, and, pene- 

 trating through the country of Ordos, to reach if possible the 

 great inland lake Koko-nor. This route, we may remind our readers, 

 has seldom, if ever, been taken by recent travellers. Messrs. Hue 

 and Gabet, who traversed nearly the same district on their celebrated 

 journey from Pekin to Lhassa in 1845-46, are almost the only ex- 

 ceptions. But their well-known narrative appears to have been 

 drawn up chiefly from recollection, and has so little of the scientific 

 element in it that it is almost useless except as an amusing story- 

 book. Colonel Prejevalsky, therefore, may be said to have selected 

 almost virgin ground for his explorations. 



Several months having been consumed in Pekin by preliminary 

 arrangements, it was not until the beginning of March that a start 

 was made ; and even then, the party not being quite completely 

 organized, a preliminary tour was taken into Northern Mongolia, 

 where the remote lake of Dalai-nor was visited and its birds studied 

 before the grand expedition was commenced. 



Having returned to Kalgan on the Kiakhta route about two months 

 later, and made his further arrangements. Col. Prejevalsky effected 

 a final start on the 15th of May, and travelled westwards over the 

 high plateau of Mongolia. Three ranges of mountains (the Shara- 

 hada, the Sumahada, and the Inshan systems) were crossed before 

 they arrived on the northern bank of the Hoang-ho. Interesting 

 notes are given of the animals met with in both the plains and the 

 mountain-districts, the most noticeable being the great Argali sheep 

 (Ovis argali) and the vaountain-autelo-pe (Antiloj^e caudata), recently 

 described by M. Milne-Edwards from specimens obtained by Pere 

 David. Full particulars are also given respecting the botany and the 

 ethnology of the country passed through. The Hoang-ho was crossed 

 at the ferry of Lang-lnvaisa, near the important town of Bantu; and 

 the very different country of Ordos was then entered. " Ordos is 

 the country lying within the northern bend of the Yellow Eiver, 

 and bounded on the south by one of the ' Great Walls,' " thus lying 

 outside of China proper. It is a level steppe bordered by low hills ; 

 and its barren soil, except in the valley of the Hoang-ho, is ill- 

 adapted for agriculture. Colonel Prejevalsky and his companions 

 turned to the right after passing the ferry, and marched along the 

 south bank of the river 290'miles until they recrossed it at Ding-hu. 

 The whole of this country, formerlj' filled with an industrious popula- 

 tion, had been devastated by the Mahommedan insurrection. " Even 

 the footpaths are so overgrown with grass that not a trace of the 

 former inhabitants remains. You may occasionally see a ruined 

 village, or the skeleton of a Mongol half devoured by wolves." But 

 some interesting plants were met with, amongst which were a species 

 of liquorice {Glycyrrliiza iiralensis), of which the roots are collected 

 in large quantities by the Chinese, and examples of " the remarkable 



