SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



steep mountain peaks, down frightful chasms and 

 treacherous cHffs, and over wastes of sinking 

 sand, but at last we reached Ching-pien Hsien, 

 a small garrison town within a mile of the Great 

 Wall, and the longed for Ordos Desert. 



However pleased we might be 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, which 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 expect 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 country 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 



