INTERCOURSE WITH THE YOUNGER PRINCES. 247 



tried in vain to keep back the mob ; no sooner had 

 they driven out one set than ten minutes afterwards 

 another collected ; this continued all day during the 

 whole of our stay at Din-yuan-ing, especially during 

 the earlier part of the time. We could do nothing, 

 for no sooner did we show ourselves than we at- 

 tracted general attention. It was provoking to have 

 to sit with folded hands in a dirty house j'ust at a 

 time when the migration of birds was at its height, 

 and with the great wooded mountains of Ala-shan 

 near us. But the traveller, more than anyone, must 

 submit to circumstances, and we accordingly re- 

 signed ourselves. 



Two days after our arrival at the town of Ala- 

 shan we had an interview with the two younger sons 

 of the prince, the Gigen and Siya, five days later 

 with the eldest brother, and not till the eighth day 

 with the Amban himself. We had to give presents 

 to all of them, in accordance with the intimation we 

 had received beforehand from the three officials who 

 met us on our arrival. Having nothing with me 

 specially adapted for the purpose, I gave to the 

 prince a watch and aneroid unfit for use ; to his 

 eldest son a binocular glass, and to the Gigen and 

 Siya sundry small articles, such as hunting accoutre- 

 ments and gunpowder. In return for these, we re- 

 ceived from the prince and his sons some valuable 

 presents : a pair of horses, a bag of rhubarb, and a 

 loaf of Russian sugar, imported into Ala-shan by 

 way of Kiakhta. Besides which our friends the 

 Gigen and Siya gave me a sih^er bracelet, and a 



