o98 THE MONGOLIAN STATION. 



caps. He invited the travellers by signs to enter the 

 tent. It was carpeted, and opposite the door stood seve- 

 ral chests, covered with carpets and pillows. He seated 

 himself on one of these extempore couches, and placed 

 Humboldt by his side; the rest of the party sat on the 

 other chests, or on the ground. The interpreter they 

 had brought spoke only Mongolian, but as the Chinese 

 commander understood that language they were able 

 to converse with him. He offered them tea, which was 

 declined, and then inquired into the object of their jour- 

 ney. Humboldt told him it was to inspect the mines, and 

 questioned him in turn. He told the traveller that he 

 came direct from Pekin, on horseback, in four months ; 

 that he had not been long on that station ; and that he 

 would be sent to another in three years, that being the 

 length of military service at any one station in China. 



Proceeding to the Mongolian post, they found the com- 

 mander in his tent at the end of an avenue of poles, upon 

 which hung fresh pieces of meat. He was dressed like 

 his comrade on the other side, but was considerably older, 

 and very dirty, as were also his tent and attendants. As 

 he did not understand Mongolian, or pretended not to, 

 the conversation was carried on with difficult v. Hum- 

 boldt presented him with a piece of velvet, which he 

 accepted thankfully and offered tea, which was declined. 

 He led the party to a temple on the bank of the Irstysch. 

 It was a small square wooden building, with a door 

 opening on the river. In the interior w r as an altar, and 

 on the wall over the altar, a Buddist idol. Between the 

 door and the river in a kind of walled court, there was 

 another altar with burning coals on it. 



Returning to their own tent, the party were visited by 



