On October i6th the expedition left Yun-t'ing Shan and from that date 

 travelled in a westerly direction slowly, and with frequent halts till November 

 5th, when Yii-Hn Fu was reached. 



On the first day a descent of over two thousand feet was made after 

 which the altitude varied between 5300 ft. the height of one of the passes, and 

 2400 ft. the bed of the Yellow River. 



The highest temperature was recorded on October 19th at Lin Hsien 

 (Alt. 3269 ft.) where the party stayed two days. Here the ma.ximum 

 thermometer registered 67-4° F., the highest temperature experienced since 

 the T'ai-yiian Fu plain was left behind on September 29th. 



From the evening of the 20th till the morning of the 27th the expedition 

 was encamped in a deep ravine, at the foot of some isolated granite peaks 

 called Ch'ing-ting Shan, that towered above the surrounding loess hills to a 

 height of from 6000 ft. to 7200 ft. The camp was situated close to a village 

 named Kan-tsao-k'ou, and its altitude was estimated at 4664 ft. 



Two members of the party pushed on to Yu-lin Fu, reaching that city on 

 the 26th. They reported rain every day from the 21st to the 26th, and 

 experienced a severe sandstorm from the west on the 26th. 



Meanwhile the rest of party, which remained at Kan-tsao-k'ou recorded 

 rain on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 26th, the fall on the first three days being 

 i'97 inches. On the 26th a strong wind from the west blew all day, though 

 neither sand nor dust was recorded. Hoar-frost occurred for the first time 

 on the 30th at Liu-chia-mo in Shensi, after which time it was frequently 

 noticed till the temperature became too low in December. 



Light variable winds were noted most of the time between Yiin-t'ing 

 Shan, and Yti-lin Fu, while strong winds blew from the east and the west on 

 the 3rd and 4th of November respectively. Cirrus and cumulus clouds, as 

 usual, were most frequent, nimbus clouds were noted on the 23rd of October, 

 and stratus on the 3rd of November. Mists and dust hazes also occurred 

 from time to time. 



November' 5th to December 5th, 1908. Yu-lin Fu. Altitude S17 Oft. 



The expedition spent a month at Yii-lin Fu, from November 5th to 

 December 5th. The following remarks and averages will include the whole of 

 this period. 



Situated as it is on the border of a great sandy desert, Yu-lin Fu exhibits, 

 as might be expected, meteorological conditions somewhat out of the common. 

 The district was chiefly remarkable for its dryness, neither rain nor snow 



142 



