INTENSE HEAT. 199 



beset by all the Chinese and Mongols who passed 

 by, and well nigh exhausted our patience with their 

 impudence. Once some Chinese soldiers actually 

 demanded one of our guns or a revolver, and 

 threatened, in case of our refusing to give them, to 

 come in a body and take them from us. 



At last the strayed camel was recaptured, and we 

 set out for Lake Tsaideming-nor, about which we 

 had heard from the Mongols. On the shores of that 

 lake, which were reported to abound in game and 

 good pasturage, we hoped to pass a fortnight, in 

 order to rest our exhausted camels. We ourselves 

 also required rest, besides that by staying in one 

 place for a time we could study the flora and fauna 

 of the Hoanof-ho better. Durinof the month of 



о о 



July, too, the heat every day is so intense that it is 

 almost impossible to march even short distances 

 with pack animals. The thermometer certainly did 

 not mark over 2)7° Cent. (98° Fahr.) in the shade, but 

 the sun burnt fiercely and sometimes heated both 

 sand and clay to 70° Cent. (158° Fahr.) ; the camels 

 could not set the bare soles of their feet on the burn- 

 ing soil, and their legs trembled with the pain. The 

 water in the River became warmed to 24'5° Cent. 

 (75° Fahr.) ; but in the lakes and marshes the 

 temperature increased to 32*3'' Cent. (90° Fahr.). 

 The rains, which fell frequently and were usually 

 accompanied by thunder, only temporarily refreshed 

 the atmosphere. As soon as the clouds cleared 

 away the sun's rays came down as hot as ever, and 

 the heat became the more unbearable owing- to 



