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Five o’clock.  At last, we are out of the mud after five hours here.  It took 20 villagers to tug us out.  There was a huge cloudburst, which brought down torrents; there were masses of hailstones; the biggest I have ever seen, some almost as big as marbles.  It is becoming increasingly more difficult to write my notes.

Two hours later.  We are in the most outlying Chinese village bordering on the Mongol lands - in the most miserable mud hut I have ever seen – the only furniture is a mat.  People are very poor here.  The cloudburst, which has caused so much trouble, has wrecked their few crops.  We have travelled 110 miles from Kalgan, but in the last eight hours, we have travelled four miles!!  Just think of that speed when you speed on perfect roads in your Lanchester car.  This village is quite different from the Mongol places.  There are masses of children to be seen here compared with the Mongol places where we have been where there are almost none.

We are now 50 miles from Dolonor.  We may have to wait until there is sun to dry the roads.  When I get back to Peking I’m going to the Grand Hotel de Peking to have really good dinner - although we’ve had good tinned stuff.  We have little food left, because we expected to get to Dolonor in about six or seven hours, but we’ve already been two days.  So, we’ll be hungry by the time we get to Dolonor.  The people here have not much to eat.

Yesterday we passed some mounds just near the place where Kublai Khan had his summerhouse.  Dr Müller believes that the mounds are Zanadu. 

Thursday, July 25th.  I have left home exactly nine months today and shall be home in something over three months.  Then it will be fine to have the usual dinner cooked by Auntie Winnie and invite our great friend, Mr Davies.

Last night we slept four in a row (Dr M., self, Liang and a Mongol guide) on the floor in a very poor Chinese mud hovel - on a mat.  During the first part of the night, the dogs howled everywhere and mad donkeys brayed.  Dr Müller thinks there were bandits in the vicinity disturbing them, but I am told that the bandits here are just horse and cattle thieves and do not kill.

Gareth at the Lama service.