SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



guard's van. As the train neared the head of the 

 valley we caught glimpses of the towers and 

 battlements of the Great Wall, winding snake- 

 like over the tops of the hills. At Ch'ing-lung- 

 ch'iao (clear dragon bridge) station, those who wish 

 to view the ancient relic of bygone struggles 

 between the Chinese and Tartars leave the train 

 and climb the steep and rocky slopes to various 

 points of vantage. They will see a fine old wall 

 in an excellent state of preservation, marked at 

 intervals with square towers. If, however, they 

 imagine that what they see represents the whole 

 of the Great Wall as it is to-day, they are greatly 

 mistaken. This is only one of a few sections that are 

 in good repair, doubtless due to its proximity to the 

 capital of the Empire. But a few miles westward 

 from this point the Wall becomes a mere ridge of 

 earth, while the watch towers have fallen into 

 disrepair. These conditions prevail all the way 

 to the end of the Wall in Chinese Turkestan. 



From Ch'ing-lung-ch'iao the train continued its 

 upward climb for another four hundred feet, when 

 it passed through a long tunnel, and began to 

 descend on to a wide plain. Crossing the plain, 

 which looked very bleak and barren, we passed 

 Huai-lai Hsien, a small town situated upon a 

 rocky prominence on the south side of the railway. 

 Later we entered a narrow, winding valley, at 

 the mouth of which we noticed some coal mines. 

 The Ta-yang Ho makes passage of a chain of 



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