Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/250

 The demoralised and degraded state of the soldiery defies all description. They are the terror of the peaceable inhabitants, and are almost all opium-smokers. Lighted lamps are kept constantly burning in all the barracks, the smokers sit round in a circle, while others who have finished their pipes lie about the floor buried in lethargic sleep. The general, unable to cure his men of this vile practice, entreated us, on the occasion of our first interview, to tell him if there were not some antidote for opium, and offered a handsome reward if such could be found.

At this second visit we were ushered into the same apartment as before. After accepting the watch, the Mandarin asked us a great deal about Russia. 'Where was our capital?' 'What our system of agriculture?' and so on. He then examined our uniforms, down to the shirts and boots we wore. Tea was then handed round, and presents given us in exchange for those we brought, consisting of small silken bags in which Mongols carry their snuff-boxes attached to their belts. We thanked our host, and told him of our desire to depart immediately, requesting him to give orders that we should not be detained at the ferry across the Hoang-ho. The promise was duly given; we took our leave, and soon afterwards they brought us a pass ticket and our Peking passport, and we were then at liberty to continue our journey. We loaded our camels, and in the midst of a great crowd at length turned our backs on the town, and soon