"All is quiet along the Potomac to-night." The same feeling of quietness prevails in this region, since the return of the soldiers from the Golok country. The road through their country to Jyekundo is considered safe for travellers now. The Goloks are completely cowed and dread another conflict with the soldiers of the High Commissioner Ma. As through all the Kokonor region as far as_ the Tsaidam, so through Amdo and the Golok country, the strong arm of the High Commissioner is felt. Never before has there been a High Commissioner who could say that he had full control over the whole region of northern Tibet and that his word was law among all the tribes under his jurisdiction. The subjugation of al] these tribes has opened a wider door for merchants trading, for now they can go anywhere without the fear of being robbed as was the case a few years ago.
Postar Orrictat aT JYEKUNDO.
The young, energetic Postal Official, Mr. Hsu, has just returned safely from Jyekundo. The object of his visit there was to see if it were possible to extend the line of postal stations to that Tibetan town which is the border town on_ the south under the High Commissioner of Sining. There is a military camp there, also a Magistrate, all controlled from here, and it was thought that couriers might run from here. Unfortunately there are no towns or villages on the whole route. which is 1,470 li (490 miles), so it would be a very expensive route and always a dead loss as, at the very least, two men would have to_ be employed to travel together in such wild country and they must be horsemen. _The distance is as far_as it is from Lanchow to Sian. The better route is decidely the southern route, down to Tatsienlu, the route the merchants travel.
On his return Mr. Hsu was unfortunate in losing six of his mules which perished for lack of sufficient fodder on the way and from the severe cold. Yaks are far the best for use as transport in that forbidding land. Captain Welby started out from Lem with 37 mules and arrived here with only two, the rest having perished by the way. Dr. Sven Hedin started out with 34 animals (mules) from Churchend and arrived here with seven or eight. Lietenant Filchener's expedition suffered heavily also, most of his animals being horses. The Tibetan merchants who come from Thassa every year use yaks only to carry their merchandise and suffer very little. Yaks are indigenous to that country and when snow
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