Across the Roof of the; World. 



Empire from Chinese territory shall have the visee of the Con- 

 sulate nearest to the frontier. I also obtained a passport for 

 Giyani enabling him to enter Russian territory, without which 

 he would have been detained by the authorities. 



The Tchja had detailed two Kalmuks to accompany me as far 

 as the Kesil Bach Lake, nine days' journey to the east, in Western 

 Mongolia, also providing me with a special passport for the 

 country under his jurisdiction, so I set forth from Chuguchak 

 on the morning of December 12th, the baggage having preceded 

 me earlier in the day. I sent a note to the Russian Consul 

 to thank him again for his kindness and hospitality during 

 my stay, and then rode on through the city and out by the 

 great gate. I took the road lying to the north, intending to 

 follow this along beneath the Tarbagatai Range. The country 

 here is a vast plain stretching away for 50 miles to the east, 

 where the mountains then close in, and the path then lies through 

 the latter until the more open country round the Mongol settle- 

 ment of Wong is reached two days' journey west of the Kesil 

 Bach Lake. Fortunately the weather was fine, but sharp and 

 cold, all the streams being frozen sohd. 



Along the main road running from Chuguchak to Durbuljin 

 are habitations at intervals, but this route was to the south of 

 the one I was on. That I traversed was a flat and dreary plain, 

 the grass brown and withered, with no sign of bush or tree 

 throughout all its desolate extent. 



I pushed on for 18 miles, crossing many streams running down 

 from the Tarbagatai Mountains to the north, all frozen firm and 

 smooth, on which the ponies slipped and blundered in lamentable 

 fashion. I camped at a Chinese peasant's hut, the owner placing 

 one of his two rooms at my disposal, in which I rigged up a stove 

 bought in Chuguchak, one of the best investments I had ever made. 

 The room set aside for my occupation had a large window of lattice 

 work, pasted over with sheets of paper, but full of holes, and to such 

 an extent that it resembled life in an air shaft. The door was 

 large and ponderous, likewise having a plethora of holes and cracks, 



348 



