A TWO MONTHS’ TRIP INTO MONGOLIA. 
51 
with the fire, owing to the inconvenience caused by smoke and also 
because the warmth was likely to bring out various insects from their 
homes in corners ! The windows are of paper, which, being usually 
torn, does not as may be imagined keep the cold out. 
From Tientsin to Peking the road was fairly good, but the sun was 
very strong. The country here, which was mountainous, seemed over¬ 
grown with “ Kowliang,” or giant Millet, whilst one occasionally 
obtained refreshing views of the river covered with junks and house¬ 
boats with picturesque brown sails. 
On the third day after leaving Tientsin we reached Peking, 
fortunately before sunset, as these extraordinary people still close the 
gates of most of their walled cities on the approach of night. 
It is not my intention to describe this interesting city; cholera had 
been raging previous to our arrival, there having been some thousand 
deaths in three months. As we intended staying there a week on our 
return journey, we only stopped two nights in Peking, changed what 
money we required into silver sycee, and, hiring three new carts, we 
set out on a fine sunny morning northwards. 
We were seriously delayed in leaving the city by the funeral 
processions with musical (?) instruments, gongs, flags, and gay 
decorations, which blocked the streets as far as the great northern 
gate. Owing to this delay, we did not reach Nan-khau the first evening 
as we had intended, but were benighted, and as we approached a river 
which we were obliged to ford, we heard the deep notes of the bells 
carried by cmmels, and much to our disgust these “ ships of the desert ” 
reached the ford before us. 
A camel in the day time usually frightens a horse not accustomed to 
the sight, but the effect on the mare of a thousand of these beasts 
passing in single file within a few yards of her, looking most weird in 
the dim light, was to absolutely terrify her, and it was all we could do 
to pacify her. We were detained an hour and a half by these camels, 
which were going to Peking for the season’s tea, to be conveyed by 
this route to Russia. To add to our troubles one of the carts was 
overturned in the stream, much to the disgust of the bull terrier we 
had brought with us, and who was tied up within ! Fortunately no 
damage was done, and we reached an inn at about 10 p.m., three or 
four miles from Nan-khau. Next morning we had some trouble with the 
innkeeper, and both sides becoming considerably heated, matters 
grew serious. We were thinking of our fire-arms, which were well 
at the bottom of our carts, when the boy, who was pale with fear, 
advised us to capitulate, which, as it only cost us a dollar, we did. 
This unpleasantness, 30 miles from Peking, was the only thing of the 
kind that occurred during our journey, and I have come to the con¬ 
clusion that the Chinese are a very much pleasanter people when they 
have not come much in contact with Europeans. Travelling on these 
roads, one could easily imagine oneself carried back three or four 
centuries. No telegraphs, no railways, infamous roads, mails carried 
by mounted couriers, primitive houses and Chinese noblemen with 
their armed retainers on ponies ready for celestial highwaymen ! 
