On March 29th, we arrived at the town of Dolon-nor, which, according to my observations of the Polar star, lies in 42° 16′ north latitude.[1] Followed by a gaping crowd, we marched through the streets for a long while in search of a night's lodging, but were refused admittance at every inn on the pretext of there not being room for us. Exhausted by the length of our march, and chilled to the bones, we determined to follow the advice of a Mongol and seek shelter at a temple. Here they gladly received us, and placed at our disposal a house where we could warm ourselves and rest after our fatigues.
Dolon-nor, or, as the Chinese call it, Lama-miau,[2] like Kalgan and Kuku-khoto, is an important place of trade. Hither the Mongols drive their cattle, and bring wool and skins to barter for brick-tea, tobacco, cotton, and silk. The town is not walled, but stands in a barren sandy plain watered by the Urtin-gol, a tributary of the Shandu-gol. The Chinese quarter is rather over a mile in length by about half a mile in width; its population is large, but the streets are narrow and dirty. The Mongolian quarter, distant half-a-mile from the former, contains two large temples standing close together, surrounded by houses,
- ↑ According to the observations of the Jesuits, Dolon-nor is situated in 0° 11′ 50″ longitude, west of Peking, and 42° 25′ north latitude. (See Klaproth's note in 'Timkowski's Travels,' i. 206); but Fritsche, director of the Peking Observatory, has calculated the latitude to be 42° 16′ 48″. See Dr. Bushell's 'Notes of a Journey outside the Great Wall of China,' J.R.G.S., vol. xliv. p. 81. — M.
- ↑ The Chinese name, Lama-miau, means 'lama monastery;' the Mongol name, Dolon-nor, signifies 'seven lakes,' which actually existed at one time near the town, but are now covered with sand-drift.
