SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



steep nu)untaiii peaks, down lii<;liUul ehasnis aiui 

 tirac'hei'ous cliffs, and over \vastcs of sinking 

 saniK but at last we reached Ching-pien Ilsien, 

 a small garrison town within a mile of the Great 

 \Vall, and the longed for Ordos Desert. 



However pleased we might he at having reached 

 our goal we were nevertheless far from comfortable. 

 The weather had turned very cold again ; nothing 

 but the very poorest food was obtainable. The 

 air was filled with fine sand, w^hich got into our 

 eyes, scrunched between our teeth, and stung our 

 faces as it was driven by the cruel north wind. 



"... I think never saw 

 Such starved ignoble nature ; nothing throve : 

 For flowers — as well expeet a cedar grove ! 

 But cockle, spurge, according to their law 

 Might propagate their kind, with none to awe. 

 You'd think ; a burr had been a treasure-trove. 



As for the grass, it grew as scant as hair 



In leprosy ; thin dry blades pricked the mud 



Which underneath looked kneaded up with blood." 



The utter dreariness and desolation of the sur- 

 rounding country, together with the poverty and 

 wretchedness of the inhabitants, combined to de- 

 press and harass our spirits, which were only 

 restored to their normal condition by the assurance 

 that the countrj^ beyond the \\'all was much 

 better. We made a short excursion as far as 

 the Wall, and climbing one of the isolated towers, 

 obtained our first view of the Ordos. 



i6 



