A TWO MONTHS* TRIP INTO MONGOLIA. 
55 
On the fifth day after leaving Kalgan we arrived at Dolon-Nor, a 
large Chinese settlement, where there is a great Buddhist lamasery. 
It was here that we intended to astonish the natives with the Australian 
mare, who by her size had already attracted some attention. We were 
met some three miles from the town by a Chinese horse-dealer, whom 
T-had met before, and whom we had informed of our coming. 
His name was Yang and he showed us the greatest’civility during our 
stay. 
On our dismounting in the inn yard a large crowd of Mongols and 
Chinese came round us, feeling our clothes, examining our boots and 
fondling the bull terrier, which I think was to them a more curious 
sight even than the large Australian horse. 
About half an hour after our arrival we were sent for by the local 
mandarin. We proceeded to his house on foot, the distance only being 
a few hundred yards, with our “ boy ** as interpreter and the official 
received us, dressed in beautiful blue silks. Our passports were 
examined and we learnt that the Peking officials had sent notice of our 
coming ; the mandarin was very affable, apologizing for not asking us 
in to tea, giving as an excuse that he was examining two prisoners. 
The same evening he sent for our “ boy/* whom he catechised con¬ 
cerning our movements and intentions. He then sent round three of 
his retainers to attend on us during our stay and these people certainly 
were useful in keeping back the crowd which daily thronged to see us, 
putting their fingers through the windows (paper ones of course) and 
applying their eyes to the holes ! 
We obtained permission of the mandarin to have notices of the 
race meeting posted about the town, offering 30 taels of silver (about 
£4) to anyone beating the mare for three-quarters of a mile, also prizes 
consisting of cheap watches or money for other races. 
The mandarin returned our visit a day or two later, coming on foot 
to see us. He was a Tientsin man and confirmed opium smoker. He 
told us that he could remember as a boy the British cavalry officers 
playing with him at Tientsin during the war ; he did not seem to have 
taken their presence in China much to heart ! 
About a mile from the inn, a short way outside the town, we found 
an excellent snipe bog, and here we generally spent a couple of hours 
during the day bagging a few birds for our dinner. The race course 
was also a few minutes ride from the inn and was situated close to one 
of the two great Lamaseries outside the town. Here we generally 
came in the morning before breakfast for a gallop and on one of these 
occasions we met a Chinese Colonel, named Hoong, who was buying 
ponies for the Chinese cavalry. He was a jovial old fellow and asked 
us to go and have tea with him at the inn at which he was staying. 
There we were served with tea worth, I believe, nearly a tael of silver, 
or half-a-crown an ounce ! It was of very fine flavour, but what some¬ 
what disconcerted me was the fact that if I let a cup stand a moment to 
cool, as it was boiling when brought in, it was at once removed, and a 
fresh brew made as hot as the last! It was not therefore without some 
discomfort that we gulped down the precious liquid. 
