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0441 Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2
中国砂漠地帯の遺跡 : vol.2
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 / 441 ページ(カラー画像)

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doi: 10.20676/00000213
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grass and scrub. Some perfect specimens of rudimentary
dunes which we met on the swampy meadow land just
south of the wall served to demonstrate how close is the
vicinity of the Mongolian Gobi. The wall itself, extant
only in broken segments (Fig. 223), showed exactly the
same construction as where I had examined it north of
Chia-yü-kuan. But it was interesting to note that the
clay wall rested here not on the natural ground, but on a
low earth mound, evidently needed for a foundation on soil
which two thousand years ago was already liable to become
water-logged.

Throughout the cultivated tract the appearance of the
crops indicated a rich soil and abundance of water. The
wavy expanse of green fields, with the many large patches
of flowering red poppies and the frequent avenues of tall
poplars and elms, made up a bright rural landscape. The
mighty snow-crested range of the Nan-shan supplied an
Alpine background. The day before clouds had gathered
over it, and the discharge of rain caused a flood in the
river by the time we returned. All over the broad bed
there raced courses of muddy water. The force of the
current was great, and the depth well over three feet, even
where the channels were broadest.

The persistence with which I urged the necessity of
my work in the mountains and my determination to obtain
the needful transport, did not fail in the end to produce
its effect on the Ya-méns. The formidable objections
on account of dangers were abandoned one by one, and
by the fifth day Chiang could report that he had seen with
his own eyes fourteen animals collected for me at the
Magistrate's Ya-mên. I hastened to offer a promise of
liberal payment greatly beyond the official rates of hire, as
well as assurance of all possible care for the animals and
their owners. But there remained grave misgivings how
far transport raised under such pressure could be got to
move into the mountains. All the Chinese of Kan-su
seemed to be swayed by a perfect dread of the mountains,
which to them remain a terra incognita beyond the outer-
most range. So there was widespread grumbling at this
extension of the obligation of supplying transport which is