PREPARING FOR NEW JOURNEY. 23 



CHAPTER II. 



RETURN TO ALA-SHAN. 



Start for Peking— Packing collections — New outfit ; rifles ; revolvers — 

 Merchandise — Fresh Cossacks — Trial of guns — Effect on the in- 

 habitants — Mongol dog ' Karza' — Water barrels — Departure from 

 Kalgan — Late spring — Migration of birds — To the Munni-ula — 

 Spring vegetation — Leave for the Hoang-ho — Rice fields — Shoot- 

 ing carp — Unattractive valley — Sandy borders of Ala-shan and its 

 vegetation — Inanimate nature — Envoys from the prince — Arrival 

 at Din-yuan-ing — The Czar's officer — Trafficking — Favourable op- 

 portunity to proceed — Prince opposes our departure — Intrigues of 

 Sordji — Want of funds — Sale of guns and merchandise— Fortune 

 befriends us — Preparations for a start — Departure of caravan — 

 Detention — Siya's promise — Disappointment — Anxiety — Siya 

 again — Good news — We join caravan — Our travelling companions 

 — Lama-warriors — Randzemba — His passion for the chase — With 

 the caravan — Poisoned wells — Great fatigue — Inquisitive visitors 

 — Pursuit of science under difficulties — Tingeri sands — Mountains 

 of Kan-su — Snowy peaks — Cultivation — Great Wall of China — 

 Town of Ta-jing — Watch towers — White bread — Choice of routes. 



A FEW days after my return to Kalgan I started for 

 Peking, to obtain fresh supplies of money and make 

 preparations for a new journey. My companion 

 remained at Kalgan with the Cossacks to lay in a 

 store of different small articles required for the 

 expedition and buy camels, those we had obtained 

 at Kuku-khoto having turned out worthless. 



Two months, January and February, quickly 

 glided past in the bustle of preparation, packing and 

 despatching our collections to Kiakhta, and writing 



