400 FEASTING THEIR VISITERS. 



which lie wrote. It was placed on the blue cloth, and 

 borne away by his attendants. 



Madeira, biscuits, and sugar were handed round to 

 the guests. Chin-foo took a small piece of sugar, and 

 drank one glass of wine. His attendants were not so 

 moderate ; they drank several glasses, tossing them 

 down at a single draught, and devoured quantities of 

 sugar, putting away their pipes for that purpose. Sugar 

 was then handed round among the Mongols, who by this 

 time had entered the tent, and stood like children, hold- 

 ing out their hands wistfully. After a time Chin-foo 

 took his leave. The Mongols, full of curiosity, crowded 

 around the Europeans, and touched them. They were 

 much struck with one of the party who was corpulent, 

 putting their hands round his stomach, and feeling him 

 with their fingers. The travellers pushed them away, 

 but they took it good-humouredly, and as a matter of 

 course. 



There were eighty men in these two stations, all 

 dressed like their leaders, though their robes were of 

 different colours, and were confined at the waist by a 

 girdle. They were ragged, dirty, and mostly without 

 arms. The weapons of those who were armed were 

 bows and arrows. They seemed to set little store by 

 them, for they offered to sell them to the travellers, to- 

 gether with their pipes and chopsticks, and the rest of 

 the celestial k nick-nacks. About the tents were a few 

 camels, a flock of goats, and some sheep with enormous 

 fat tails. 



The travellers returned to Ustkamenogorsk, by the 

 way of the Irstysch. The route was full of interest to 

 Humboldt, for on the lonely shores of the river he saw 



