ROAD БАСК TO KALGAN. 115 



obtained by hearsay only were entered with an 

 asterisk, to denote that they had not been verified by 

 actual observation. To ensure accuracy in the map, 

 I determined by means of a small universal instru- 

 ment the latitude of eighteen important places.^ The 

 work of surveying, simple though it may seem, was 

 one of our most arduous labours ; for, independent of 

 every device to escape notice, the frequent necessity 

 for dismounting added greatly to our fatigues, espe- 

 cially in the heat of summer. Even in the hottest 

 weather, instead of takino^ advantage of the cool 

 nights, we often had to travel by day for the sake 

 of our survey, in this way exhausting our own 

 strength as well as that of our camels. 



We continued our journey from Dolon-nor, where 

 I only stopped to make a few necessary purchases, 

 to Kalgan, a distance of 150 miles by a good road 

 all the way. The traffic is very large, and numerous 

 Chinese two-wheeled bullock carts passed us laden 

 with all kinds of merchandise ; salt is also trans- 

 ported by this road to Kalgan, from a salt lake (so 

 the natives told us) 130 miles north of Lake Dalai- 

 nor. Caravanserais stand by the road-side for the 

 convenience of travellers ; but we never made use of 

 them, preferring a clean tent and pure air to the dirt 

 and smells of Chinese inns, besides avoiding the 

 impertinent curiosity of the Mongols or Chinese, 

 who invariably crowded round us whenever we 

 stopped near their habitations. 



' Unfortunately, I could not fix the longitudes of the same points, 

 even by means of chronometers, for we had none. 



