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130.

thirteenth and fourteenth century objects. All this led me to believe that there would be in Mongolia fuller proof of early archaeological material than was already in my possession, and I decided, although regretfully, to set aside the project of a full fortnight at the sculptured grottos of Tat'ungfu. It only half consoled me to realize that these sculptures had been examined and published by Chavannes, the text of whose illustrations we are still anxiously awaiting. I knew also that the railway projection from Kalgan to Tat'ungfu would be completed before the year was out, and that the city would soon be only a day's journey by rail from Peking. Although as it turned out, my decision to cross Mongolia involved unexpected delays and difficulties, it has in my opinion been well justified by its results. These conclusions will be treated more adequately in one of the appendices to this report, which I plan to submit before the end of 1915. While realizing that the caravan route itself would offer small chance for archaeological observation, I know that some member of the staff of the future School must cover the ground (and at considerable expense) before we could undertake work on this great field of Chinese study. I was already outfitted and was to bear none of the incidental expenses of the caravan.
      It is unnecessary here to give the particulars of the road between Kalgan and Urga except to say that part of it follows the more direct of the two ancient trade routes. Owing to local conditions we were forced to make a long and irritating detour; in addition, much delay was caused by the fact that the Chinese troops who had just left Inner Mongolia had burnt