riding up to the very Avails of the temple in defiance of its badly-armed garrison. Four miles and a half to the east of Chobsen, another mud wall similar to the one on the borders of Kan-su, but even more dilapidated by time, extends, as we were assured, from Si-ning through Tatung to Kan-chau.
On our arrival at Chobsen the late companions of our journey welcomed us, and placed at our disposal a large empty house, formerly used as a store for idols. Here we spread out and dried our collections, which had seriously suffered from damp. But our occupations were constantly interrupted by sightseers, whose curiosity was excited by our herbs, &c., and it required all my prestige as a physician to allay their suspicions.
We stayed a week here preparing for an expedition to the mountains, where we intended passing the summer. Our purchases included four mules (for which we paid 110 lans), and a few small articles, which we had great difficulty in obtaining, owing to the stagnation of trade consequent on the unsettled state of the country. The currency too was very puzzling. Here a lan (tael) of silver was worth 6,500 cash; there were two unit weights — one being equal to sixteen lans, and another equal to twenty-four; in addition to the tu, the usual measure of solids, a new one called the shing,[1] containing five hings of dzamba or barley-meal, was introduced.
At length everything was satisfactorily arranged,
- ↑ The shing, one-tenth of a tu, is in general use in China, but we first saw it at Chobsen. [The tu is equal to 12 lbs. — M.]
