Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/258

 and the former missionaries (Martini and Gerbillon), we determined to keep in the valley of the River. This route afforded greater interest for zoological and botanical researches than could be found in the sandy wastes in the interior of Ordos; besides which we wished to settle the question of the bifurcation of the Hoang-ho in its northern bend.

We marched along the River for 290 miles from the ferry opposite Bautu to the town of Ding-hu, and the conclusion we arrived at was that the river does not divide into separate channels in its northern bend, as is usually represented on the maps, and that this part of its course has undergone a change. For the sake of clearness, I will first give a general sketch of the character of that part of the River and its valley which we surveyed, and then continue the narrative of our journey in Ordos.

Winding considerably for so large a river, the Hoang-ho flows at the rate of 300 feet a minute through a valley bounded on the north by the In-shan and its western continuations, and on the south by a belt of drift sands known to the Mongols under the name of Kuzupchi. The banks of the river and its bed are composed of slimy clay; the water is very thick, and when standing for a short time deposits 1-3 per cent. of mud. However, the thick