TANGUT ROBBERS 
1139 
in so far as it consisted of a succession of self-contained 
basins destitute of outflow, but at this time they were 
all dry. The first depression we came to had a small 
lake in the middle, the second a long narrow lake. About 
midway along the shore of the latter, which was called 
Serkeh-nor, was an obo known as Gadser-udsur. 
Lake Serkeh-nor was pretty nearly dry. We only saw 
water in three places, the rest of the lake bottom being 
coated with a thick white layer of salt. The Mongols, 
when travelling to the sacred temple of Kum-bum, are 
in the habit of taking bags of salt from this place, which 
they barter in Ten-kar (Donkhur) and Si-ning-fu weight 
for weight for bags of taran-gurill or burnt fiour. In 
summer the lake fills with water, but it is so shallow that, 
were it not for the mud at the bottom, it would easily 
be possible to ride right across it. The district around 
its eastern extremity, called Ortani, possessed both grass 
and fresh springs. There our track joined the routes 
from Dsun-sassak and Nomokhan-khoto, both notable 
camping-stations of the Mongols in the east of Tsaidam. 
During the night, for we pitched our tents beside the 
springs of Ortani, we kept as vigilant a watch as we 
had done the night before. But we were not disturbed, 
nor did we hear an echo of the d anguts. 
Our next stage was fifteen miles and a half to Dulan-yung. 
On the way the road defiected towards the north-east so as 
to strike the valley of the Dulan-gol, which was broad 
and framed in by grassy hills, and traversed by a clear 
brook, with a good deal of water in it. The mountains 
on the right were crowned at fairly regular intervals with 
detached forests, while their slopes were dotted with large 
herds of sheep. Hundreds of tame yaks ranged up and 
down the stream. We pitched our tents on its right bank 
in a splendid neighbourhood, not far from a Tangut tent. 
I resolved to let the 'I'anguts see that we had no fear of 
them. Two men whom we met on the road clapped spurs 
to their horses the moment they caught sight ol us. But 
well on towards evening two others, armed with long 
swords, ventured at length to draw near to my tent. 
