From Pekin to Calais by land . and it did,for we were troubled with no more of his pranks. The plains next day were more thickly in-habited and the pasture more luxuriant than inany part of the desert yet traversed. We passedseveral yourts, from which the inhabitants rodeout to meet us with presents of milk and a kind ofcheese made of mares milk. They seemed cleanerand better-mannered than the Mongols the otherside, and did not (for a wonder) ask us for any-thing. Their yourts, too, were cleaner, theirsheep and ponies better looking than others we hadseen. This portion of the Gobi swarms with

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From Pekin to Calais by land . and it did, for we were troubled with no more of his pranks. The plains next day were more thickly in-habited and the pasture more luxuriant than inany part of the desert yet traversed. We passedseveral yourts, from which the inhabitants rodeout to meet us with presents of milk and a kind ofcheese made of mares milk. They seemed cleanerand better-mannered than the Mongols the otherside, and did not (for a wonder) ask us for any-thing. Their yourts, too, were cleaner, theirsheep and ponies better looking than others we hadseen. This portion of the Gobi swarms with a curiousanimal, of which I ignore the name. It is incolour like a hare, in size something between thatanimal and a rabbit, with short thin legs, and stiffwiry hair like that of a badger. The ground wasin many places literally honeycombed with theirburrows, which are enormous for so small an animal.Many of the holes would for a short distance admita good-sized man. They are neatly and beautifully ^^^--i jfd/^. i*iv A«. V.~^ ^T THE DESERT OF GOBI. 253 constructed, the earth being carried and thrownaway some distance off, though liow has not beenascertained. We must have seen thousands, butcould never get near enough to shoot one, and soexamine it closely. Unlike the smaller species ofrat on the other side, the_y are, shy and wary, and bolt into their holes on the slightest noise. Itis said that Mongols eat them, but I am ratherdoubtful as to the truth of this assertion. Fewwould have the patience or take the trouble tocatch them. We sighted, on the 28th of August, a huge en-campment of some fifty tents, on the horizon, evidently the yourt of some chief or Lama ofimportance, en voyage. On passing it at thenearest point (some two miles distant), Lancasterand I were riding off to inspect it more closely, but were recalled by the frantic gesticulations ofMoses, who begged us on no account to go. Hisreason I never could ascertain, but he led us tounderstand, through Jee Boo, th