ARRIVAL A7 KALGAN. 



131 



because holes must be bored right through its foot 

 with a thick awl in order to sew the leather on 

 firmly ; but when once this has been done, it soon 

 recovers from its lameness and is fit for use. 



On May 6th we again stood on that point of the 

 marginal range of Mongolia where the descent to 

 Kalgan commences. Again the grand panorama of 

 mountain scenery lay at our feet, the bright green 

 plains of China sparkling like emeralds in the dis- 

 tance. There it was warm and springlike, here on 

 the plateau Nature was only just waking from her 

 long winter's sleep. At every step in the descent 

 we became more sensible of the warmth of the 

 plains ; at Kalgan itself trees were in full leaf, and we 

 gathered thirty kinds of flowering plants in the 

 neighbouring hills. 



