Liu-chia-mo, some five and a half miles from Huaiifj-ho-yeh and at an altitude 

 of about 3100 feet. Sand from the desert, in small patches, was noticed here 

 for the first time. 



The following daj', October 30th, our road led first over a small plateau, 

 from which it descended into the sandy valley of the Tui Ho. This river, 

 though not large, flows swiftly down a channel which it has worn out of the 

 rock, leaving the greater part of the valley to the wind-borne sand, drifted 

 doubtless from the Ordos. After crossing the Tui Ho near a small village, the 

 road ascends another rough ravine. For the rest of the day's march no 

 villages and but very little cultivation were seen ; the country was growing 

 steadily wilder and more desolate, desert sand was noticed, and the loess itself 

 was composed of larger particles of silica. The ravines and gorges were found 

 to shelter large coveys of red-legged partridges, many of which were bagged 

 for the pot. We reached camp rather late. This had already been pitched by 

 the now expert servants at Chin-chia-k'ou, a village some seventeen miles from 

 Liu-chia-mo. The weather was becoming a trifle too cold for tents ; the 

 stoves leaked abominably, and no fuel but a very smoky bituminous coal was 

 obtainable. The minimum temperature at Chin-chia-k'ou was 23"5 Fah., 

 which gives sufficient indication of our experience. The altitude worked out 

 to about 3400 feet. 



Next day a march of five miles brought us to Chiu-ts'ai, a hamlet on a 

 stream called Chia-lu. This lies slightly lower than our last camp, but the 

 going was very bad, the road being mainly across an isolated belt of sand — the 

 first really definite sign of the great Ordos Desert towards which the expedi- 

 tion was gradually working. 



On November ist the journey was up a broad valley, varying in width 

 from a quarter to half a mile. A good road e.\tended all the way. Sand in 

 patches was frequently seen, and it was also observed on the coarse-grained 

 loess forming the sides of the valley. Two tiny hamlets were the only signs of 

 habitation noticed ; but camels loaded with soda, and donkeys bearing coal 

 and salt were encountered, giving some idea of the products of the neighbour- 

 hood. After a march of about nine miles we halted at Yang-chia-tien, where 

 quarters were secured in a large Buddhist temple. Of this the priest seemed 

 rather the landlord than an officiating minister; however, to show his piety, 

 he had instituted religious processions, in which apparently all the ragamuffins 

 of the locality took part twice daily. The impossibility of serving God and 

 Mammon holds as little real place in Chinese ethics as perhaps in those of 

 some other nations. So comfortable were the quarters that we were loath to 



B 17 



