SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 
began on July 26 and lasted three days. At 
about ten o’clock in the morning we went to 
one of the temples to watch the proceedings. 
Since dawn great crowds of Chinese had streamed 
past our tents towards the temples, while we 
could see caravans of Mongols flocking in from 
every direction. These now mingled in one great 
concourse in and round the temple precincts. The 
Mongols were dressed in flowing robes of brilliantly 
coloured silks, especially the girls and young 
women. These, resplendent in their beautiful 
dresses, heavily decorated and braided with gold 
and silver, moved about in little bevies, laughing, 
chatting and exchanging greetings with their 
friends and acquaintances. From their heads, 
which were adorned with beautifully worked caps 
and hats, hung the most gorgeous head-dresses 
of delicate silver tracery, holding together great 
strings of coral, turquoise and amber beads. 
Sometimes they hid these glories under bright 
scarlet, green or yellow kerchiefs, from which 
their pretty, mischievous, smiling faces peeped 
out, and if they did not cause an extra flutter in 
the hearts of the young bucks standing round, it 
says much for the stolidity of the Mongol. 
When two parties met, an elaborate business 
of exchanging snuff bottles by way of greeting 
took place; nor was the ceremony complete till 
every member of one party had exchanged snuff 
bottles with every member of the other. 
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