Tartars remained masters of China, Christianity made great
progress in the empire. At the present day (we say it with sorrow),
there is not to be found in Mongolia the least vestige of what was done
in ages gone by, in favour of these nomad people. We trust, however,
that the light of the Gospel will ere long shine once more in their eyes.
The zeal of Europeans for the propagation of the faith will hasten the
accomplishment of Noah's prophecy. Missionaries, the children of
Japheth, will display their courage and devotion: they will fly to the
aid of the children of Shem, and will esteem themselves happy to pass
their days under the Mongol tents: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he
shall dwell in the tents of Shem."--Genes. cap. ix. v. 27.

[Picture: Chinese Caricature]

[Picture: Irrigation of the Fields]

CHAPTER XII.

Hotel of Justice and Mercy--Province of Kan-Sou--Agriculture--Great Works
for the Irrigation of the Fields--Manner of Living in Inns--Great
Confusion in a Town caused by our Camels--Chinese Life-guard--Mandarin
Inspector of the Public Works--Ning-Hia--Historical and topographical
Details--Inn of the Five Felicities--Contest with a Mandarin,
Tchong-Wei--Immense Mountains of Sand--Road to Ili--Unfavourable aspect
of Kao-Tan-Dze--Glance at the Great Wall--Inquiry after the
Passports--Tartars travelling in China--Dreadful Hurricane--Origin and
Manners of the Inhabitants of Kan-Sou--The Dchiahours--Interview with a
Living Buddha--Hotel of the Temperate Climates--Family of
Samdadchiemba--Mountain of Ping-Keou--Fight between an Innkeeper and his
Wife--Water-mills--Knitting--Si-Ning-Fou--House of Rest--Arrival at
Tang-Keou-Eul.

Two months had elapsed since our departure from the Valley of Black
Waters. During that period, we had undergone in the desert continual
fatigue and privations of every kind. Our health, it is true, was not as
yet materially impaired, but we felt that our strength was leaving us,
and we appreciated the necessity of modifying, for a few days, our late
rough manner of living. In this point of view a country occupied by
Chinese could not be otherwise than agreeable, and, in comparison with
Tartary, would place within our reach all sorts of comforts.

As soon as we had passed the Hoang-Ho, we entered the small frontier town
called Che-Tsui-Dze, which is only separated from the river by a sandy
beach. We proceeded to take up our l