222 ENTRANCE INTO DING-HU. 



Hoang-ho exactly opposite the town, and I sent 

 the Mongol Djuldjig over with the soldiers to take 

 my passport to the Chinese commander. Half-an- 

 hour later, the Mongol returned in company with an 

 official, who informed us that the mandarin desired 

 to see us and asked to be shown our gun and dog, 

 about which he had probably heard from Djuldjig. 

 As soon as I had changed my dress, I stepped into 

 the boat, taking with me the Buriat Cossack and 

 the Mongol ; the latter to act as interpreter of the 

 Chinese language, with which he was well acquainted. 



Hardly had w^e reached the opposite shore than 

 a great crowd collected round us of all the inhabitants 

 of Ding-hu. This small town had been entirely des- 

 troyed by the Dungans ; the only thing left standing- 

 was a mud wall with a circuit of less than half a 

 mile, and so rotten that a good blow with a stout 

 oaken stick would almost suffice to make a breach in 

 any part of it. The only inhabitants of Ding-hu 

 are the garrison, numbering at one time a thousand 

 men, but now, owing to desertions, reduced by one 

 half. 



Accompanied by the whole crowd, we passed in- 

 side the wall, where we were met by some officers who 

 motioned to us to enter a house, where we were told 

 to wait till we could be ushered into the presence of 

 the mandarin commanding the garrison. The house 

 which we now entered served as a lodging for one 

 of the officers, but outside and in it \vas hardly 

 better than an ordinary shed. By way of ornament 

 long strings of garlic hung round the Avails, which 



