| amount to about 20o donkeys and mules and about 30o goats and sheep. There were very few horses and cattle. Altogether the population here appeared to be poor. At Tavanthu, I was told, over 5o °/0 did not possess any cattle at all, and at Ching-ho and Sonanpa half the population is said to be in the same miserable condition. Wheat, barley, tchinkho, beans, tchumiza, potatoes and some fruit are grown and the yield, formerly 7 fold, is said to have fallen off to 4 fold in recent years. — The soil was exhausted and had often to be changed. I was informed that there were no burans. The prevalent wind was W, but E winds were also common. Snow falls between the gth and 3rd Chinese months, and remains on the ground until New Year. Rain falls between the 4th and gth months, but is rare. A shao (40 men) of matui of the Hochow garrison was quartered in a small impanj. It was commanded by a juti Ma, a Dungan, like all his men. The journey to-day was of exactly the same character as yesterday, only the gorges were less steep and there were more trees in the villages and on the summits of the hills. The white-clad range of mountains that was visible from the time we climbed the hills at Tang wang chuen, grew clearer and clearer. It was not only that we had drawn nearer to it, but there were no such high mountains between us and the range to obscure it. The soil had a reddish tinge, which became more pronounced the further we rode. Rifts in the ground showed us that it was especially the lower strata that were of this colour, which enhanced the beauty of the landscape. On some of the slopes and uncultivated terraces we could see the remains of last year's grass. I was told that most of the slopes were green | March loth. Hochow |
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