been a highly original protector of science, research and education, allowed himself to be led astray by HUANG's scoundrelism. In my original plan for the car-journey, as I have several times mentioned, one of the points was that we ought to investigate the course of the newly formed river Qum-darya to the similarly re- surrected old lake Lop-nor, and also try to ascertain the suitability of the tract for large-scale irrigation. An obvious task was at the same time to explore ancient settlements, in order thus, if indirectly, to find out where the old Silk Road had traversed these tracts. A child could understand that even the apparently most insignificant traces of human life and activity in this now so lifeless wilderness would be calculated to throw light on the problem that it was our aim to solve. But this logical combination of scientific exploration and ancient highways was far above the head of the Minister of Education. If he had understood his responsibility he would have thanked us in the name of Chinese science for the services we had done his country under very trying conditions.
I had hoped that my seventieth birthday would pass by unnoticed, but I was deceived. There was an uninterrupted stream of visitors the whole day. Several Ministers sent presents: the Minister of Communications sent a valuable roll of silk, the Vice-Minister of Railways a silver cup on a tall foot; and from the President of the Republic, LIN SEN, I received through Premier WANG CHING-wEI The Grand Cross of the Brilliant Jade Order. A dinner was given at the house of our benefactor from Urumchi, Postal Commissioner HARALD KIERKEGAARD, who was now serving in Nanking. Speeches were given by the Swedish Consul-General, E. H. LINDOUIST, and the American Minister, NELSON T. JOHNSON.
On the afternoon of February 21st there was the great collation to which the Premier had sent out 25o invitations to members of the government. For an hour and a half I held forth on the course of the expedition and the results at which we had arrived, emphasizing several of the points of view I have mentioned in the foregoing. I was thanked after the lecture in a very likable and generous way by Dr WANG CHING-wEI.
After this followed dinner at the house of the Vice-Minister of Railways.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE GENERALISSIMO
I had in good time wired to Generalissimo CHIANG KAI-SHEK to announce the arrival of the expedition, and had received the answer that he wished to see me at 10 o'clock on February 23rd. On the morning of the 23rd I was therefore ready to leave, and had only to wait for the ordinary traffic plane from Shanghai to Hankow, that would be making an intermediate landing in Nanking at 10.3o. But as ill-luck would have it, I received a message to the effect that LIN SEN,
IIIF Color HighRes
