Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 123 (Color Image)

0123	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. v.] A NEW JOURNEY. 95

across Central Africa and back again, and, to

me at least, far more interesting than any

African travel—a journey through countries

varying from the level wastes of the Gobi

Desert to the snow-clad masses of the Hima-

layas ; passing, moreover, through the entire

length of an empire with a history of three

thousand years behind it, and still fresh in

interest to the present day. And with the

chance of making such a journey who could

help feeling all the ardent excitement of travel

rising in him, and long to be started on it ?

Colonel Bell arrived in Peking towards the

end of March, and to my delight said he would

be only too glad to allow me to accompany

him ; but he thought that it would be a waste

of energy for two officers to travel together

along the same road, so we arranged to follow

different routes.

There were, of course, initial difficulties to

be overcome the chief one being the obtaining

leave of absence from my regiment. But Sir

John Walsham, for whose kindness on this

occasion I could never feel too grateful, over-

came this by telegraphing direct to Lord

Dufferin, then Viceroy of India, and that diffi-

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