FROM KOKO-NOR TO TEN-KAR 1169 
After crossing the Harguin-gol, a stream of little account, 
we came to the more important Hallun-ussun, which was 
two feet deep. It was covered with soft brashy ice, and 
on that account was not easy to cross. Here again two or 
three of the men got wet through whilst trying to find a 
ford, and afterwards had to dry their clothes at the camp- 
fire. The tribe of Hargeh-vasu Mongols dwelt beside the 
lake, not far from that spot. In the beginning of the year 
they had offered resistance to the Dungans ; in retaliation 
for which the latter seized and beheaded their chief, an old 
man of ninety. 
November 13th. Another twenty miles knocked off the 
distance from Peking ; but there still remained a good 
thousand miles to travel. The night was cold, the 
minimum temperature dropping to - i°i Fahr. (-i8°4 C.). 
It was anything but pleasant to get out of bed at sunrise, 
and wash and dress, with the thermometer at 5° Fahr. 
(-15° C.). Our clothes were icy cold, and we did not get 
warm until we got our coffee down. We ascended the 
valley of the Ghansega, between mountains of moderate 
elevation. Everywhere there was an abundance of grass ; 
and at intervals tents, flocks of sheep, and the sites of 
former encampments. We saw and chased two foxes, 
and one of them through the cleverness of the does was 
taken alive. 
Khara-kottel (the Black Pass) was quite easy to cross 
over, even for our tired horses. On the other side we 
entered a broad valley, which sloped gradually to Bayin- 
hoshun, where we halted beside a brook. The road was 
now much more plainly indicated, having picked up 
several side-paths as it came along. The thousands upon 
thousands of horses and other caravan animals had 
trampled it into a rather deep furrow. We met a great 
Tangut chief, wearing a red cloak with a white border, 
and attended by a troop of mounted men. He told me 
there was a solitary “Russian” [Oi'iiss) lady in Ten-kar 
(Donkhur), and two or three Ru.ssians in Si-ning-fu. 1 
at once suspected they were English missionaries, for in 
the interior of Asia all Pluropeans without distinction are 
