Зб PARCHING AIR. ENVOYS. 



and SW., or cold quarters ; in May from the SE., 

 or warm quarter. 



Rain fell more frequently in the latter month 

 than in the former, and was sometimes accompanied 

 by thunderstorms ; but it only lasted a short time, 

 and the atmosphere became terribly dry. All our 

 things suffered ; we were obliged to moisten our 

 collection of plants, otherwise they became so brittle 

 as to break into little bits. I could hardly write my 

 journal, for the ink dried in the pen as rapidly as it 

 froze in winter, thus affording a curious instance of 

 similar effects being produced by two opposite causes 

 — heat and cold.^ 



Towards the end of May we entered Ala-shan, 

 and soon afterwards met two officials sent from 

 Din-yuan-ing by the prince to welcome us and con- 

 duct us through the desert. The real motive of 

 their politeness was impatience on the part of the 

 prince and his sons to receive our presents, of which 

 they had heard through Baldin Sordji. We met 

 this lama in April, near the Munni-ula, on his way 

 home from Peking, whither he had been sent by his 

 master on business. We presented him with aj 

 token of our gratitude for his past services, andj 

 showed him the handsome presents which we were' 

 bearing to the princes. With these gifts we hoped^ 

 to win over to our interests the lords of Ala-shan,^ 

 upon whose good-will our future journey to Lake 

 Koko-nor entirely depended. 



i ' The parching air 



Burns frore and cold performs the effect of fire.' 



Гакл]Л8к Lost.— Y. 



