INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDANT. 223 



gave out an aroma quite in keeping with the other 

 domestic arrangements. 



After an interval of ten minutes the mandarin 

 sent to say that he would receive us, and we accord- 

 ingly proceeded to his house. He sat at a table in 

 a yellow robe, and asked, with a consequential air, 

 who I was, and what was my object in visiting the 

 country ? To this I answered, that I travelled for 

 amusement, collecting herbs for medicinal purposes 

 and shooting birds as specimens to show to my 

 people at home ; that I had also goods to sell to the 

 Mongols ; and, lastly, that both my companion and 

 I were officials as stated in our passports. ' But 

 your passport is evidently a forgery because the seal 

 and signature are unknown to me,' interrupted the 

 mandarin, maintaining his pompous attitude. I re- 

 plied that I hardly knew more than a feAv dozen 

 words of Chinese, and therefore could not Avrite a 

 passport for myself, and that I was unacquainted 

 with any Chinese who could manufacture such 

 articles. ' What goods have you ? ' continued the 

 official. ' Mostly Peking ware for the common 

 Mongols ; we have already sold all our Russian 

 articles,' was my reply. ' But you have some 

 guns ? ' ' Yes, but not for sale,' I answered, ' be- 

 cause we are forbidden by treaty to trade in such 

 articles in China. Our guns and revolvers are for 

 protection against robbers.' ' Show me them, and 

 let me see you fire at a mark.' ' Very well,' I 

 rejoined ; '■ let us go outside.' I had my double- 

 barrelled Lancaster rifle, and the Cossack carried a 



