SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
So tormented were our ponies that they could not 
find time to eat, while they tore the skin of their 
heads and necks into ribbons rubbing against the 
carts in frantic endeavours to find relief. 
We stopped for lunch and midday rest at a 
large Mongol encampment named Oochinobar, 
where lived a local chief. This dignitary resided 
in a commodious brick building, though the rest 
of his people lived in the usual round felt tents. 
The chief sent us a present of cheese and sour 
cream. The latter went well enough on our bread, 
but the former was too full of hairs to recommend 
itself to us. However, at our request some bowls 
of fresh milk were brought, to which we did full 
justice. Night found us at another large temple 
named Marlagaisun, where we camped beside a 
fine well. Here we had some difficulty in obtain- 
ing fuel, but Wu Lama, by riding off to some 
Mongol camps, managed to secure a bagful of the 
precious commodity. 
As is well known, the Mongols burn various 
kinds of cattle droppings, dried in the sun and 
called “argol.” As they use only open stoves, it 
can readily be understood how important it is to 
get the stuff to burn with as little smoke as possible. 
To do this great care must be exercised in gather- 
ing, drying and stacking the droppings. Beside 
every camp one may see huge piles of argol as 
large, if not larger, than the tents themselves. 
These consist mainly of cow droppings, which form 
145 L 
