CHAPTER IV. 



MARCH TO VEN-AN FV — WINTER QUARTERS. 



/^N December 5th our long string of animals were once more on the march. 

 The mules, after their month's rest, were particularly obstreperous. 

 Loads were pitched off in every direction, and kicking, braying animals went 

 careering over the sandy flats. However, after much trouble, the refractory 

 brutes were captured, the loads straightened out or re-made, and the train 

 continued on its way. The cold was now severe, and the travellers often 

 suffered acutely. The stoves were hardly adequate in such temperatures as 

 were now registered; and the doors of the inns en route were as a rule 

 ricketty, ramshackle contrivances, miracles of ventilation, calculated to admit 

 the maximum of air in the minimum of time. Very often too the only fuel 

 available was a smoky coal, which caused many severe headaches and con- 

 siderable discomfort generally. It should be remarked that tents had been 

 discarded for the time being. 



The whole journey between Yii-lin and Yen-an occupied fifteen days ; the 

 country passed through taking the form of loess hills of from 500 to 1000 

 feet in height above the valley bottoms, and their summits characterised by a 

 singular uniformity of level, which in conjunction with the excessive cold, 

 rendered Hazrat Ali's work extremely difficult. However, he stuck bravely 

 to his plane-table, though of course the extent of country mapped on either 

 side of the road was of necessity reduced. This uniformity of level is the 

 natural result of the geological formation. A huge deposit of loess, cut up in 

 every direction by deep ravines and gulleys, lies upon a substratum of 

 carboniferous rock — sandstone, shale, and slate. In many places there are 

 seams of coal, and at one spot there were thought to be signs of mineral oil. 

 This is by no means improbable, as the famous oil wells of Yen-ch'ang Hsien 

 are not far distant. Unlike those of Shansi, every ravine and gully here has 

 its stream of sweet clear water, which flows into some affluent of the Yellow 

 River. The majority of these affluents are of a quite respectable size, and 

 all flow in an easterly direction. 



Except for the eccentric behaviour of the mules at starting, the first day's 

 journey was without incident. The road followed the course of the Yii-lin Ho 

 all the way. The country was covered with thick layers of sand, and very 

 little cultivation was noticed. Many little streams enter the river on either 



24 



