l(^£ HIRE GUIDES. loi 



guides to their country, i.e. to Mur-zasak, receiving- 

 thirty lans (about 7/.) in payment for a distance of 

 not more than eighty-eight miles. 



The principal objection which presented itself to 

 their dull brains was the impossibility of travelling 

 by night with pack-camels over the mountains ; and 

 if we attempted moving by day the probability of 

 encountering Dungans, who pass continually between 

 Seng-kwan and Tatung. Our perilous encampment 

 near Chobsen was now of service to us. ' Fear not 

 the robbers with these people/ said our friend the 

 treasurer to the Mongols ; ' look at us with 2,000 

 men shut up in our temple, and they only four in 

 number in the open plain, yet no one dares to touch 

 them. Think you that ordinary folk could have 

 done that ? No ! the Russians know everything 

 beforehand, and their captain is a great magician, or 

 a great saint' This argument, backed up by so 

 tempting a bribe as thirty lans of silver, finally over- 

 came their scruples, and they declared their readiness 

 to show us the way, begging us first to consult the 

 auguries in their presence as to the most favourable 

 day for setting out on the journey. 



Having made some observations for ascertaining 

 the sun's altitude, in order to fix the latitude of 

 Chobsen, and the magnetic declination, I announced 

 that it was necessary to postpone our departure for 

 a few days. This delay was indispensable, to enable 

 us to store all our collections in a place of safety at 

 Chertinton, because Chobsen might be taken in our 

 absence by the Dungans. The Mongols, who con- 



