extending our inquiries as widely as possible, the party was now split up, each 

 of us making for a different isolated group of men. 



Emboldened by the fact that they had only a single man to deal with, the 

 natives in some cases assumed the offensive, and it was unfortunately neces- 

 sary to have recourse to firearms in self-defence. Two of our party received 

 injuries in this unfortunate affair, whilst one native was killed and two 

 wounded. The use of force was much regretted by us all, but the attitude of 

 the natives was extremely threatening and our revolvers were only used as a 

 last resource. 



On reassembling, two of the party brought in apparently reliable reports 

 that Hazrat Ali had been murdered, but no information was forthcoming as to 

 where his body might be found. 



The whole position was now so serious that it became imperative to 

 telegraph at once from Lan-chou a full report to the British and American 

 Ministers at Peking. Whilst awaiting their instructions, the leader of the 

 expedition made repeated representations, in person, to the local authorities, 

 the remainder of the party continuing to prosecute inquiries in the 

 neighbourhood of the tragedy. Warned by recent experience, they kept 

 together, a course which, though practically dictated by circumstances, had 

 the disadvantage of delaying the rate of search. But more clearly, almost 

 hour by hour, the sickening conviction was borne in upon us that hope was 

 slipping away, and that we must prepare our minds to accept the worst. The 

 storj' told by the natives, as it began to disentangle and shape itself — or be 

 shaped — was that the surveyor had been alarmed by a crowd of peasants 

 chasing a runaway cow, that he had thought the demonstration directed 

 against himself, that he had tried to escape from his imaginary danger and 

 had fallen over a precipice. All the versions agreed in these two points : that 

 he was dead, and that his body was irrecoverable. 



At Lan-chou the officials received Mr. Clark with effusive civility and 

 every protestation of friendliness, coupled indeed with edifying homilies on the 

 virtues of patience, and with these for some time he had to be content ; for 

 although every persuasion was tried to arouse them to action, it did not appear 

 that they had any intention whatever of taking practical steps in the affair. 

 However, after a little, it became evident that they had in reality been engaged 

 in satisfying themselves, through the reliable channels of information at their 

 disposal, that Hazrat Ali had in truth met his death. This heartbreaking 

 confirmation of our fears carried with it but one consolation, and that of a 



67 



