Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/321

In the meanwhile our proposed interview with the old prince was postponed on various pretexts, and before that event had taken place we could not proceed to the mountains. The Lama Sordji and other officials visited us every day, and we sold them all our Peking ware at a profit of thirty or forty per cent. The Russian articles (needles, soap, pocket-knives, beads, snuff-boxes, looking glasses) realised a far higher profit; we certainly had not many of them, but the few dozen rubles' worth remaining of our stock of these goods realised 700 per cent, more than their cost price. Of course this is an exceptional case, but I think that if a regular trade were established, not only here but throughout Mongolia, it might become very profitable. Of course some knowledge and experience are requisite to ascertain what kinds of goods are in greatest demand. I think the most important articles of export from Russia would be woollen stuffs, cloth, and Russia leather, which are even now exported to China in considerable quantities. But perhaps the demand for hardware, such as scissors, knives, razors, copper vessels, iron saucepans, &c. would be even greater. All these articles are indispensable for the domestic life of the nomads, who now receive them, but of very inferior quality, from China. Another article of export might be yellow and red silk stuffs, such as are worn by the lamas; also coral, which is highly prized in Mongolia, brocade, red beads, needles, watches, snuff-boxes, looking-glasses, stereoscopes, pencils, and other small articles. One of