loitered behind the caravan, and, sitting down on my heels, made notes of the surrounding objects. Even then I had to exercise the greatest caution, because, if once found out, I could never have removed the suspicions which would have arisen as to the objects of our journey.
The difficulties of collecting plants were also very great. No sooner did we gather some herb than a number of the Tangutans would surround us, exclaiming, 'Yamur yem?' (What medicine is it?) or, 'Tsisik sehken fuh na?' (Is it a good flower?) When any of our party shot a bird, they would ride up and enquire what bird we had killed? was it good to eat? how had we shot it? &c. These annoyances, however disagreeable, had to be endured with the best possible grace.
The road from Din-yuan-ing led at first south, and afterwards almost due west, to the town of Ta-jing, which is situated within the limits of the province of Kan-su.
The south of Ala-shan differs but little from the northern and central parts of that country: like them, it is a wilderness in the full meaning of the word; its sands are even more extensive, and have well earned their Mongol appellation of Tingeri, i.e. sky. These drift-sands form the southern border of Ala-shan, from the Hoang-ho on the east to the river Etsina on the west, as we were told by the Mongols. Having crossed the Tingeri for ten miles in their narrowest eastern part, we became well acquainted with them.
