Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 134 (Color Image)

0134	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

100 PEKING TO LHASA

heart-rending circumstances. They seemed to

be quite cheerful and to have no thought of the

black future before them when they would reach

Peking or Shanghai and join the ever-increasing

crowd of Russian refugees dependent entirely on

foreign charity. And in spite of their distress

they wanted to give Mons. Geerts a feast in

acknowledgement of the kindness they had re-

ceived.

Several thousands of Russians were still scat-

tered over Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan;

and Pereira reflected how impossible it would

have seemed ten years ago that a great Empire

like Russia should be dragged down so low and

give such an exhibition of impotence and misery.

Pereira stayed at Lan-chow nineteen days and

on April 3 left for Sining. There exists a shorter

mule track by which that town may be reached

in seven days. But he was tired of mules, and

using carts travelled by the longer route. After

crossing the iron bridge over the Yellow River he

followed up the fertile valley of that river for

11 miles. At this time of year it was as bare and

desolate as the rest of the country. Except for

some fruit orchards there was not a tree to be

seen, and the hills which rose to 200 or 300

feet above the plain were quite bare. Even

villages were few. At 11 miles the road leads

up a narrow desolate valley and is very sandy.

At 24 miles is Hsiao-lao-ch'ih, a town of 70

families. A number of Mohammedans were

passed on this march, and Pereira notes how

strange it was in a country where prayer is

little used to see two Mohammedans get out of

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