Photo by Kthan C. L,i; Munyon 



CniXKSlv COFFINS LOADKD OX CARTS AND STANDING JUST OUTSIDE THE INN YARD 



Note that the wheels of the carts are of wood only and have no iron tires. In fact, no iron 

 is used, wooden pegs serving the same purpose as nails 



growing. There was a great collection 

 of sheep and camels in the inn yard 

 awaiting shipment to China. \\'hen we 

 were leaving the following morning, all 

 the women of the town lined up at the 

 gate. 



The country through which we were 

 now passing was an almost flat plain, 

 with rolling hills showing agaiiist the 

 horizon. The soil in this section was 

 also very poor, free alkali showing in 

 many places, and the grasses and bush 

 were not unlike those of our own great 

 Southwest. We were now beyond the 

 cultivated region and were entering the 

 barren country at the beginning of the 

 Gobi Desert. 



THOUGHTFUL PROVISION FOR GHOSTS 



Soon after we passed a couple of Chi- 

 nese graves, each of which had a small 

 hole in the end, so that the spirit could 

 pass in and out at will. 



About noon we came in sight of the 

 last river which we would have to cross. 

 We made a run for it and got as far as 

 the middle of the stream, but the mud in 

 the bottom got the best of us and we 

 stuck. We were, however, prepared for 

 just such a case as this, and had pro- 



vided the car with a set of small iron 

 tackle blocks before leaving Tientsin, 

 and carried an iron rod, which was 

 driven in the dry bank of the stream ; 

 and as we had a long length of rope, it 

 was only necessary for us to thread up 

 the pulley blocks and to pull the car out, 

 with the help of a couple of Mongols 

 who happened to come along at that 

 time. When we stuck in the stream the 

 water was over the mufller, and we did 

 not dare stop the engine lest we could 

 not start again, as the water was just to 

 the bottom of the carbureter. 



We were now freed from troubles of 

 this sort until we reached the Tola River, 

 just in sight of Urga. As we had ])lenty 

 of water here we washed the car, remov- 

 ing some of the mud, which stuck like 

 cement, as it had been on for three days 

 from the time we entered the wet clay 

 on the way up the pass. We had lunch 

 and drove on about a mile further, where 

 our carter came up with us and unloaded 

 our baggage. We paid him off in lumps 

 of silver, called "sycee," which was 

 weighed out in small pocket scales, which 

 are always carried when traveling in 

 Mongolia. The baggage was now trans- 

 ferred to the machine and, after giving 



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