courses resembling nothing so much as a Titanic crumple of brown paper. 

 Eastward, the hills are more rocky, and {gradually increasing in height fade 

 away into the blue and lofty peaks of the Chiao-ch'^ng Shan. 



We returned to camp on October 25th, and the following day resumed our 

 march to the Yellow River. A high pass, about 5400 feet, between two of the 

 peaks of the Ch'ing-ting Shan, was easily negotiated, the ascent being neither 

 rough nor steep. An equally easy descent brought us into yet another deep ravine, 

 along which our route was continued till Ts'ai-chia-wei, a village of about 300 

 inhabitants, was reached. The first five miles of this march had lain through 

 limestone and shale, which then gave place entirely to loess, cut and hollowed 

 by many rains into the most fantastic shapes : weird grottoes, deep chasms, 

 narrow ridges, and isolated columns. 



On October 28th, after leaving this village and following the ravine for 

 about ten miles, we ascended about 1000 feet, and kept along the top of a 

 winding ridge, terminated by the steep descent to the bed of the Huang Ho, 

 facing the little village of Huang-ho-yeh. The altitude here was estimated at 

 2400 feet. As it was found impossible to cross the river that night, camp was 

 pitched on the eastern bank. 



The slope behind the village opposite being very steep, it had been found 

 necessary to build platforms for the houses. These were constructed in the 

 form of rows of Roman arches, with the result that the whole village had the 

 appearance of the ancient Roman ruins so common in Italy, In fact Mr. 

 Cobb, the artist of the party, has declared that the hills and general scenery 

 of Western Shansi recall in a most striking manner the clear and sunny 

 atmosphere of the Apennines. These vaulted platforms, supporting similarly 

 vaulted houses, are characteristic of the villages along the banks of the Yellow 

 River, in this district. They are also found in other parts of Shansi and 

 Shensi, but nowhere so frequently as here. 



A good idea of the formation of the sedimentary rock, which extends 

 through a large part of Western Shansi and over the whole of Shensi north 

 of the Hsi-an Fu plain, was obtained at this spot. The Yellow River having 

 cut deeply into this bed, a section some five hundred feet deep is exposed. 

 Nowhere were any faults noticed, though the strata were found to be in places 

 slightly undulating. 



The general conformation of the country between the Fen Ho and the 

 Yellow River may now be considered briefly. The most striking feature is, of 

 course, the range of high mountains, which, commencing near Ning-wu Fu, 

 about one hundred miles north-west of T'ai-yiian Fu, and stretching south- 



14 



