174 BAUTU. INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDANT. 



brought us in the afternoon to Bautu, five miles 

 from the bank of the river, and about thirty-four 

 miles to the west of the town of Chagan-Kuren,^ 

 described by Hue. Bautu is a large town sur- 

 rounded by a square wall measuring two miles each 

 way. It has a large population, and maintains an 

 important trade with the nearest parts of Mongolia, 

 i.e. with the country of the Urutes, Ordos, and 

 Ala-shan. It contains an iron foundry for the 

 manufacture of the large saucepans in such universal 

 use, but its streets, as in all Chinese towns, are dis- 

 gustingly dirty. 



Hardly had we entered one of the gates, at which 

 there was a guard-house, when our passport was 

 demanded. On delivering it, one of the soldiers led 

 us to the yamen^ or pubhc court, where we were 

 detained for the space of twenty minutes, a large 

 crowd assemblinof to stare at the strano-e ' foreio'n 

 devils.' At length some officers of police came out 

 of the yamen and told us that the Commander-in- 

 chief desired to see us. We turned down another 

 street and soon stopped at the gate of the residence 

 of the Chinese general, where they invited us to 

 dismount and enter the court-yard on foot. Our 

 guns were taken from us, and we were then led into 

 the presence of the great Mandarin, who awaited us 

 at the door of his house attired in a crimson robe. 

 Our Mono^ol attendant at the si^rht of such an 

 important functionary fell down on his knees ; we 

 bowed in t1ie European fashion. The Mandarin 



' Hue, i. 214. 



