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[[underline]]Chapter IV. [[/underline]]   75.

and its relationship to the surrounding country.  Its situation between the two branches of the I Shui, as well as the points where these two streams emerged from the hills to the west, were all brought out with great clearness.  As we had previously seen from the ground, the country in and all about the forks was level and low-lying.  The spot, situated as it was near the point where an important pass across a rugged region debouched upon an open fertile plain, formed a natural location for a city.  Examples of others whose position has been determined by similar topographical conditions are Peshawar, near the outlet of the Khyber Pass; Peking, not far from the Nan K'ou or "Southern Mouth" of Mongolia; and several towns in northern Italy, such as Turin in its relation to the Mont Genèvre and Trent to the Brenner.

[[underline]] Outcome of our Attempt. [[/underline]]

We flew back to Peking the same evening.  Forthwith we began laying plans to commence our excavations as soon as the frost should have left the ground in the spring.  In order to do this, we tried to reach a final and definitive agreement with the officials and landowners of I Chou in regard to terms.  As one of the latter, we only then learned we must first of all pay them $2500.00 (Chinese currency) for what they euphemistically termed "police protection".  Such a demand appeared in the circumstances wholly unwarranted; for not only was the local population, both urban and rural, most friendly and well-disposed; but the surrounding region was far freer than were most parts of China at that time from the plague of bandits.  In any case, we had made it our fixed policy not to pay bribes of any kind.  I therefore politely but firmly refused to meet the demand.  The affair consequently came to an [[underline]]impasse [[/underline]].
We subsequently made various efforts to revive the project, really a