Dep. Ganchow at 1 pm. At 480 km you pick up the Wall coming in from the left over the Ninghsia foot-hills. At about 460 km we found [that] the Chinese flag and pole had rattled off -- [must] get another in Lanchow.

Arr. [Arrived at] Shan Tan at 3:45. Put up [in] the same inn. Limped on. Then found [that the] top leaf back spring [was] broken -- worked [on it] from 4:30 to 9:00. At last got it done. 心 [Xin] ([it was due to] stripped thread, hammered casting, and crumbling brick). Then in the night, I on my camp-bed, and the others all on the k'ang, it [the k'ang] went and caught fire, burning the mats, filling the room with smoke, and destroying Lao Wang's clothes, seal of wood, etc. Refitted him in the morning with other people's spares. Dinner me 360.

Sun. 7th [Nov.] dep. Shan Tan. 446 km. [Had] breakfast [of] hot potatoes, hb [hard-boiled] eggs, coffee, black toasted gawkwei and honey. Very cold. Inn me 45, provisions RA 170. [Set] off [at] 9:00 am. For 20 km after leaving the town, [there was] a magnificent panorama of Chilien Shan covered with snow to the SW [southwest]. Even the foothills near us [were covered], [there] must be 50 miles of it. Yet [there was] no wind and the sun [was] hot. RA says [it's] like [Otago], New Zealand. The grass of this steppe would feed millions of sheep, if the oases grew winter feed, roots or [crisilage]. The Wall keeps along on the northeast. On a grade uphill [we had] much plug trouble. The performance [was] terrible. [Reached] 400 km at 12:15, and the top of the pass at 390 km. [It was] better going down. Arrived at Yungchang, 343 km, at 3:30. [Had] some difficulty in finding a place [to stay], but eventually put up at the oilfield truck depot in a common room. Dinner RA 200, cigs 30.