that Tsin-Chi-Hoang-Ti, in the
execution of this great undertaking, would fortify with especial care the
vicinity of the capital, as being the point to which the Tartar hordes
would first direct their aggressive steps. It is natural, farther, to
conceive, that the Mandarins charged with the execution of the Emperor's
plan, would, with especial conscientiousness, perfect the works which
were more immediately under the Emperor's eye, and content themselves
with erecting a more or less nominal wall at remote points of the empire,
particularly those where the Tartars were little to be feared, as, for
example, the position of the Ortous and the Alechan mountains.

The barrier of San-Yen-Tsin, which stands a few paces beyond the wall, is
noted for its great strictness towards the Tartars who seek to enter
within the intramural empire. The village possesses only one inn, which
is kept by the chief of the frontier guards. Upon entering the
court-yard we found several groups of a camels assembled there belonging
to a great Tartar caravan that had arrived on the preceding evening.
There was, however, plenty of room for us, the establishment being on a
large scale. We had scarcely taken possession of our chamber than the
passport question was started. The chief of the guards himself made an
official demand for them. "We have none," replied we. At this answer
his features beamed with satisfaction, and he declared that we could not
proceed unless we paid a considerable sum. "How! a passport or money?
Know that we have travelled China from one end to the other; that we have
been to Peking, and that we have journeyed through Tartary, without
anything in the shape of a passport, and without having paid a single
sapek in lieu of a passport. You, who are a chief of guards, must know
that Lamas are privileged to travel wherever they please without
passports." "What words are these? Here is a caravan at this very
moment in the house, and the two Lamas who are with it have both given me
their passports like the rest of the party." "If what you say be true,
the only conclusion is that there are some Lamas who take passports with
them and others who do not. We are in the number of those who do not."
Finding at last that the dispute was becoming tedious, we employed a
decisive course. "Well, come," said we, "we will give you the money you
ask, but you shall give us in return a paper signed by yourself, in which
you shall acknowled