undermine the walls, were it not for the protection given by the dyke, which 

 stretches the whole length of the wall, and incidentally forms an excellent 

 esplanade. 



Next day camp was struck, and our march resumed. For the first three 

 miles the road lay in a northerly direction up the valley, and then entered a 

 ravine on the west. The rest of the day's journey was up this ravine, which, 

 commencing of some width, where it meets the Lin Hsien valley, gradually 

 dwindles to a chasm in the loess. At Kan-tsao-k'ou, where a suitable camping 

 ground was found, it again widens out, and divides up into several branches, 

 which run up into and drain the eastern slopes of the Ch'ing-ting Shan 

 about two miles distant. Kan-tsao-k'ou means literally " dry grass pass " — 

 the name being applied equally to ravine and village. This nomenclature is 

 almost invariably adopted where a village lies near the head of a long ravine. 

 For example, Sung-chia-k'ou (literally " the pass of the Sung family ") was 

 the name applied not only to the ravine where the expedition passed the night 

 of October 17th, but also to the village just above that camp. 



From Kan-tsao-k'ou it was decided to make a trip to the summit of one 

 of the Ch'ing-ting Shan peaks, to estimate the altitude, latitude, and longitude, 

 and also to secure a round of angles to check the plane-table work. As this 

 would necessitate a halt of a few days duration, Cobb and Sowerby decided 

 to go on in advance of the main body. The former was anxious to get to 

 Yii-lin Fu that he might set up a temporary studio, and fix his impressions on 

 canvas ; the latter to make a collection of the desert fauna before the cold 

 weather definitely set in. Marching from Kan-tsao-k'ou with their baggage 

 and the mules necessary on October 21st, these two gentlemen reached 

 Yii-lin Fu six days later without adventure. They found quarters first at an 

 inn inside the town, and afterwards in a fine temple, San-yeh Miao, outside 

 the south gate. 



Meanwhile at Kan-tsao-k'ou we had been obliged to postpone our ascent 

 of the mountain for several days owing to heavy rains ; but on October 24th, 

 after a stiff climb, the temple of Ch'eng-wu Miao was reached. This is a 

 building curiously like a mediaeval fortress. No observations were possible 

 that night owing to cloud and mist ; but next day was clear and sunny, and a 

 fine view was obtained. This isolated upland covers an area of not more than 

 twenty-five square miles, and protrudes in a peculiar manner above the sur- 

 rounding loess, of which the whole neighbourhood on three sides, save one 

 low range across the Yellow River, is formed. This gives the scenery a very 

 curious and distinctive character ; the country with its hummocks and water 



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