CH. xv THROUGH THE NAN-SHAN RANGES 2p
had commenced under the Former Han dynasty, was indispensably needed as a passage into the Tarim basin. The crumbling wall of stamped clay through which the traveller now passes by the Chia-yü-kuan gate, has proved to be of late mediaeval date. It was built for the very opposite purpose, that of closing the great Central-Asian route at a time when China had resumed its traditional attitude of seclusion.
At Su-chou, the first town `within the wall', I had to overcome considerable difficulties before we could start by the close of July on our expedition into the Central Nanshan. The local authorities were full of apprehensions about attacks of Tangut robbers, etc., and the collection of the necessary transport proved a difficult task. Generally, the Chinese settlers of the Kansu oases are swayed by a perfect dread of the mountains, which to them remain a terra incognita beyond the outermost range. We could obtain guides only as far as the broad plateau-like valley between the Richthofen and Tolai-shan ranges. There we found gold-pits at an elevation of about 13,000 feet worked by small parties of more venturesome people from the side of Hsi-ning on the north-eastern border of Tibet.
After leaving these exposed mining camps we did not sight human beings until towards the close of August we came upon a small camp of interesting nomads of Turkish race grazing in the valleys south of Kan-chou. Fortunately the well-defined character of the four great ranges in which the Nan-shan rises towards the uplands round the Kharanor and Koko-nor lakes made the want of all guidance less serious. The excellent grazing met with almost everywhere at elevations between I I,000 to 13,000 feet was a great boon for our hard-tried animals. This abundance of grazing must
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