Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/33

Rh plants. They also investigated de visu, for the first time it is believed in modern days, the famous rhubarb plant in its native region. With a view to its cultivation in Russian territory, a quantity of seed was collected.

The traveller had, even at this point, become sensible that his means were inadequate to carry the party to Lhassa, and had, with a sore heart, to accept the inevitable. But he determined not the less to explore the basin of the great lake Koko-nor, and the Tsaidam region to the SW. of it.

At this time Sining-fu, Tatung, and Suhchau were in the hands of the Tungani or Chinese Mahommedan insurgents. Kanchau and Lanchau, with several other cities, were held by the Imperialists. The whole country between the two parties was continually scoured by bands of free-booters, who carried on their devastations beneath the very noses of the Chinese troops.

The fame of the rifles and skill of the Russians kept the Tungani from all attempts to meddle with them; and on September 23 they left Chobsen for the Koko-nor, passing right across the country haunted by the rebels. On the march they came on a large body of Tungani, but by putting a bold face on the encounter the little body of Russians utterly discomfited the robbers, who turned tail and fled ignominiously. At last on October 14 they arrived in the basin of the Koko-nor, and pitched their tents on its shores, at some 10,000 feet above the sea. The steppe here is fertile and well peopled with both men and cattle. The people are both Mongol and Tangutans, respecting whom a few words will be found in the Supplementary Notes to Volume II.

After purchasing some camels there remained but some forty pounds in pocket. But sure of maintenance from their guns, Prejevalsky resolved to push on.

A high range of mountains was crossed in quitting the basin of the lake; and the travellers then entered the region of Tsaidam, which he describes as a vast salt-marsh, covered with reeds, as if recently the bed of a great lake.