Across the Roof of the World. 



the left of the hall, a stove being placed therein, so that I was 

 most comfortably lodged. 



The main object of my halt in Siiidun was to procure a special 

 passport from the Chang Jung, or Viceroy of Hi, to enable me to 

 proceed through the wild country of the Sairam Nor and Ebi 

 Nor Lakes, and the region to the north thereof. The great man 

 was, at the time of my visit, indisposed, and therefore unable 

 to receive me, but the passport was duly prepared and sent 

 over with liis compliments. It was a gorgeous document, 41 by 

 22 inches, covered with figures of lions and tigers and strange 

 dragons, the text being in Manchu and Chinese, so if this for- 

 midable instrument would not impress the native then I failed 

 to see what would. 



I called on the various Chinese officials in Suidun and received 

 ceremonial visits in return. They were much interested in the 

 journey onward to the Trans-vSiberian Railway, but, in common 

 with other Celestials I had met before them, one's coming so far 

 for the sake of sport was an inexplicable problem, and they could 

 not understand why one should undergo so much when there 

 was no monetary benefit accruing, their views in this respect 

 coinciding with those of the Kulja Amban. 



The Officer Commanding the troops at Suidun also enquired 

 if I converted the horns into medicine, this, according to his view, 

 being the only possible use to which the trophies could be put, 

 and being obviously dissatisfied with my reply asked if I had 

 been sent into this distant land of mountains and shikar to learn 

 how to shoot ! This was the limit in questions, even for a Chinese 

 one. 



Father Schidmt acted as interpreter for me, his knowledge 

 of the Chinese language having been acquired from a residence 

 of many years in Turkistan. The hospitable father wore Chinese 

 dress and lived in the Celestial style, and was very assiduous in 

 his attentions to the colony of converts he had estabhshed. 

 There was a Chinese boys' school behind our quarters and from 

 the roof of the house we occasionally watched them at their 

 drills, conducted on the Swedish model. 



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