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

been possible to travel through Kansu, as had originally been planned, GEORG SÖDERBOM was to have been collected on the way to accompany HUMMEL as interpreter and assistant. As, however, we had heard nothing from him, although we knew that on December 27th the previous year he had left Suchow intending to return home, we felt a certain uneasiness on his account, and HUMMEL, was obliged to look about for another interpreter. The choice fell upon a young German, MANFRED BÖKENKAMP, who was employed by a firm in Tientsin. He had visited me in 1927, seeking employment in the expedition. We got in touch with him and he stated his willingness to join HUMMEL.

When we had got thus far with our arrangements our Chinese committee decided that a Chinese student ought also to go with the party to collect botanical specimens. For this purpose they appointed Mr HAO CHANG-SHENG, or, as he ultimately blossomed out on his visiting-cards: Sir MAGMA STEEL HOPKINSON.

As if to complicate matters still further, on March 18th GEORG SÖDERBOM turned up in Kuei-hua from the Edsen-gol, and HUMMEL now wished to stick to his original plan of taking him on this trip. But when three days later SÖDERBOM arrived in Peking he was so racked with rheumatism that it was only with difficulty that he could move. It was this infirmity that had so delayed his return from the Edsen-gol. As, moreover, he had been away from home for nearly three years it would have been cruel to send him off immediately on a fresh journey, even if he had been in a fit state.

The next chapter is devoted to a joint account of his and ZIMMERMAN'S adventures on the Edsen-gol and in Kansu, based upon their own narratives.

The Swedish missionary THORSTEN HALLDORF, who had for some time been staying in Peking, had afforded Him n L the most whole-hearted help and advice in connection with the planning of the expedition; and when on March 22nd HUMMEL started off from Peking on his long journey via Shanghai and the Yang-tze River and up the Kialing-ho, he was accompanied by both Mr and Mrs HALLDORF, who were returning to their missionary station on the Tao-ho in the Sino-Tibetan borderland.

HUMMEL was in all respects well-equipped for his expedition. Besides everything that was required for the scientific collections he had a complete equipment of meteorological instruments and PAuLIN's altimeters, as well as a very respectable photographic equipment, including a motion-picture camera. That he had with him a very comprehensive medical supply need scarcely be added. Passports, permit to bear arms, and other official documents were all in order.

After HTMMEL's departure things were a good deal quieter for me than before. I had a feeling of emptiness, but also of stillness — as if I had been living beside a waterfall that had suddenly run dry.

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