declared that it would be impossible in a Tangut village and that it would be better to go on for 7 or 8 li on the other side of the river and put up for the night at the house of a Chinese. However, I stuck to my resolve and the brave warrior had to climb over the wall into closed yards. After seemingly endless arguments the gates of one of the yards were opened, but I wonder if this one had not been chosen with the fixed intention of scaring us away, for a leper of such terrifying appearance showed himself on the threshold that I, too, would have fled to another village, had not my stubbornness and the darkness gained the upper hand and forced me to make the best of the accommodation available. The leper was made to sleep out-of-doors, while all of us lay down in a large room in the company of two cows and a horse. It was furnished in exactly the same manner as the one I have already described. I lay down on a raised part of the floor, where a couple of blankets had been spread out and looked inviting. I was awakened at dawn by someone pulling away one of the blankets. On opening my eyes, I caught sight of the leper. Apparently I had spent the night on his bed. --. All the Tanguts whom I saw in the village seemed extraordinarily shy. The village contained i i or 12 houses. The livestock amounted to i o horses and 20 head of cattle. Tchinkho, peas and a few oats are grown. The crop is 3-4 fold. Westerly and especially easterly storms are common.
) 567 (
IIIF Color HighRes
