warmly advocated having them compiled at Chinese expense under NoRuN's superintendence and with Dr WONG WEN-HAO as responsible Chinese. At the beginning of October NORIN was on his way back to Peking after his last round tour of the interior, that had been started as a relief-expedition for AMBOLT's sake. While working on the maps NORIN was to be paid by the Chinese.
In order to have funds waiting for NORIN, BEXELL and BOKENKAMP when they should return to civilization in Peking, I had to raise a loan; and with the postage stamp as security I managed this at the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank.
On a visit to MA CHUNG-VIN'S representative in Peking, Mr PAi, we were given a letter to the general and the assurance that, as we were in the service of the Nanking Government, he would receive us with all due consideration.
On October 15th we drove to the station at Hsi-chih-men, the north-western gate of Peking. There our three brand new lorries and our smart Tudor Sedan, all Fords, were loaded on trucks forming part of the train that was to leave for Kuei-hua in the afternoon. SÖDERBOM and the Mongol drivers DONGORA and JoMCHA accompanied the cars, taking with them the petrol supply, the provisions and all the rest of the equipment. A good deal of preliminary work remained to be done at Kuei-hua before the whole expedition assembled there. I had put October 21st as the day of departure for the rest of us.
One long chapter in our story had now ended. The great scientific expedition was practically wound up. A new chapter would begin, a time full of uncertainty and adventures in the wild interior of China. We were all determined to fight like lions for our honour and not to return till we had done our utmost to carry out an undertaking which most people considered impossible and hopeless.
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