Tientsin) of tlie longitude of T'ai-yiian Fu. Major Davies, of the General 

 Staff, a well-known Chinese explorer, very kindly undertook to perform the 

 observations necessary at Tientsin, whilst everybody was kept busy at the 

 T'ai-yUan end of the line on the nights of September gth and loth. The 

 determination was entirely successful, and the longitude thus obtained — 

 together with the latitudes already taken — were reduced to the Hsin-an M^n 

 (the Eastern Gate of the Southern Wall of the city), the position of which was 

 found to be : longitude, ii2°-33'-55'.73 E., and latitude, 37''-5i'-36".3 N. 



After this, final preparations for an early start westward were pushed on 

 with all speed and completed by September 27th. All stores were packed 

 away in suitable cases, the surveying instruments carefully stowed, the photo- 

 graphic material arranged so as to be easily accessible, and each member of 

 the party finally told off to his individual task. 



The constitution of the expedition then at starting was as follows : — 



Leader • - - - - R. S. Clark. 



Doctor and Meteorologist - - Captain H. E. M. Douglas, 



V.C, D.S.O., R.A.M.C. 



Artist ----- Haviland B. Cobb. 



Interpreter and General Manager G. A. Grant. 



Naturalist - - - - A. de C. Sowerby. 



Surveyor ----- Hazrat Ali. 

 Muhammad Husein, fifteen muleteers, three grooms, two survey coolies, eight 

 personal servants, and Josephus, a young shikari, engaged for two months 

 only ; making a total of thirty-six persons. 



At the last moment it was found necessary to hire several extra pack 

 animals, so that the expedition started with forty-four mules and five donkeys. 

 There were besides eight ponies for the use of the Staff and two attendant 

 grooms. 



