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

had found the last fourteen days particularly trying on account of repeated attacks of neuralgia in my back.

We were obliged to stop for some days in this metropolis, the population of which was said to be 400,000. The weather was mild for the time of year — on February loth, for example, the minimum was only — 1.5° C. Of the sights of the town we visited only the Temple of Confucius, a couple of other shrines and the great collection of stone memorial tablets — many of considerable age — including the famous Nestorian stone.

Two days after our arrival KUNG and GEORG turned up. They had had a breakdown on the way, and this had held them up. They had been repeatedly stopped and asked for information about the intentions of the Reds. We heard that 300 Reds had attacked Chung-wei, that KUNG and GEORG had visited, and had taken prisoners and killed some officials.

Large forces arrived at Sian to meet the Reds, who were swarming up from the south to Kansu and Shensi, on their heroic and very skilful long march through more than half China. When in 1934 the Reds approached Sian, big numbers of government troops are said to have gone over to their side.

We heard that the troops under the Central Government that arrived in Sian on the 12th were to be sent on to Sinkiang to occupy this most north-westerly of China's territories. It was fortunate for us that we made our way with the cars through the dangerous zones without meeting any Reds and in time before the approach of these government troops.

Preparations were being made in Sian to erect large military establishments, and it was believed that CHIANG KAI-sHEK intended to move his headquarters to Sian, after having had it for a long time in Nan-yang.

The official in charge of work on the Sian — Lanchow road, Mr TSEN TSEHSIAN G, paid us a visit to ask us about our experience of this route, and whether we considered it possible and desirable to build a motor-road to Sinkiang. I answered that it would be an easy matter to build such a road in open desert country, that did not offer any difficulties, but that the only really effective solution would be to build a railroad. If the overland communication with Sinkiang were not strengthened, China would soon lose the province.

In a telegram to the director of the Peking — Sui-yüan Railway, our friend SHEN CHANG, I begged him to provide us with railway trucks for the cars and free tickets for ourselves. As no reply was forthcoming, I wired that we should be leaving the cars behind in Sian. Here, then, we parted with our three remaining cars, that had taken us all the way to the heart of Asia and back again. They were pretty much the worse for wear. The small car had run some 16,000 kin and was now on its last legs. The lorry »Edsel », that was my own private property, I presented to GEORG, who in course of time got it up to Peking.

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