Geography and Travel. 823 
GENERAL NOTES. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL! 
Asta.—Lieut. Younghusband’s journey through Central Asia 
and over the Mustagh Pass.—Subsequent to his sojourn in Man- 
churia, in company with Messrs. Fulford and James, Lieut. Young- 
husband undertook, and successfully accomplished, an adventurous 
Journey across Central Asia and thence into Hindostan by way of 
the Mustagh Pass, which had not previously been crossed by any 
European. His route from Pekin to Chinese Turkistan was the 
steppes. The Great Wall, which isa magnificent affair near Pekin, 
has on the Mongolian frontier dwindled to a miserable mud wall 
hot twenty feet high, with gaps in it often from a quarter to half a 
mile in width, 
Che Mongols, though a strong and hearty people, are said to have 
entirely lost their old warlike spirit, largely in consequence of the 
policy of the Chinese Government, which encourages the males to 
me Lamas. Sixty per cent. of the men are said to be now - 
enrolled among these non-fighting celibates. Chinese immigrants 
are Invading Mongolia as they have done Manchuria, and are taking 
to Mongolian habits sufficiently to, in some cases, fatten sheep for 
e Pekin market. At Kuei-hua-cheng, an important place of 
trade with Mongolia, camels were hired for the transit of the desert 
to Hami. After crossing the Galpin Gobi, Mr. Younghusband 
passed along the southern part of the Hurku Hills, crossing Pre- 
Jevalsky’s route at the Bortson well. For 190 miles the way lay 
Over a pan lying between the Hurku range and a similar but 
rather lower range to the south of it. Near the end of the Hurku 
range, which here attains a height of about 8,000 feet, there is a 
1 Edited by W. N. Lockington, Philadelphia, Pa. 
