National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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The two following days were taken up with the customs examination of our heavy baggage. Even Ci'EN, the Foreign Minister himself, and the successor of the deceased FAN, was there. NORIN kept an eye on AMBOLT's costly instruments, to see that nothing was destroyed by careless hands. The boxes containing the most delicate of the instruments were sealed until AMBOI,T should arrive.

The inhabitants of the town were not allowed to show themselves out of doors after dark unless they carried a lantern and were able to give a clear account of their business. The gates in the walls of the Chinese town were closed as early as four o'clock in the afternoon. It therefore behoved one, if one happened to be visiting acquaintances inside the wall, to set off home in good time. Several of our people chanced to postpone their departure till it was too late, and were obliged to spend the night with some Chinese friend. Soldiers patrolled the streets the whole night, at least in our part of the town.

Siu and I drove to the yamen of the Governor-General to pay our respects. The extensive compound had a martial appearance. In the passages of the entrances stood soldiers in double files. The guard was just being changed; seventy men filed out and were relieved by as many new. During the first period after the murder of YANG troops had lived in felt yurts in the courtyards of the yamen, and machine-guns had been mounted in various places. Now, however, these precautionary measures had been discontinued. An official took our visiting-cards and went in. After a good half hour he came out again and announced that His Excellency could not receive us, as he was occupied with important work.

DETTMANN's DEPARTURE FOR HOME

On October 7th our popular comrade, HANS DETTMANN, left us to return to his own country. The bus in which he and a number of other passengers were to begin the journey to Chuguchaq should, according to schedule, have left at seven o'clock; but it did not escape from the claws of the customs until three o'clock. DETTMANN took with him a big post from us, for in Urumchi one was never sure of one's letters. Frequently they were held for weeks by the censor.

NORIN's AND HASLUND's START-

Well equipped and provided with a pass from the Governor-General, NORIN set off on the i ith to resume his field-work in the Quruq-tagh and at Lake Lop-nor. He had left his camels in Shindi, so he now took his baggage on a number of donkeys. He himself was mounted on horseback.

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