to Tartars. He could not ride, he did not know Mongolian, he had an
objection to carry arms, and he had no special fitness except his
own character, which he knew nothing about, for the work.
Nevertheless, he went, and stayed years, living on half-frozen
prairies and deserts under open tents, on fat mutton, sheep's tails
particularly, tea, and boiled millet, eating only once a day
because Mongols do, and in all things, except lying, stealing, and
prurient talk, making himself a lama. As he could not ride, he rode
for a month over six hundred miles of dangerous desert, where the
rats undermine the grass, and at the end found that that difficulty
has disappeared for ever. As he could not talk, he "boarded out"
with a lama, listened and questioned, and questioned and listened,
till he knew Mongolian as Mongols know it, till his ears became so
open that he was painfully aware that Mongol conversation, like
that of most Asiatics, is choked with _doubles entendres_. As for
danger, he had made up his mind not to carry arms, not to be angry
with a heathen, happen what might, and--though he does not mention
this--not to be afraid of anything whatever, neither dogs nor
thieves, nor hunger nor the climate; and he kept those three
resolutions. If ever on earth there lived a man who kept the law of
Christ, and could give proofs of it, and be absolutely unconscious
that he was giving them, it is this man, whom the Mongols he lived
among called "our Gilmour." He wanted, naturally enough, sometimes
to meditate away from his hosts, and sometimes to take long walks,
and sometimes to geologise, but he found all these things roused
suspicion--for why should a stranger want to be alone; might it not
be "to steal away the luck of the land"?--and as a suspected
missionary is a useless missionary, Mr. Gilmour gave them all up,
and sat endlessly in tents, among lamas. And he says incidentally
that his fault is impatience, a dislike to be kept waiting!'

[Illustration: A MONGOL CAMEL CART
(_From a Native Sketch_)]

The book met with a ready and wide acceptance. It soon 'found its
public.' It was only to be expected that many of the friends and
supporters of the London Missionary Society would welcome it. And there
are others, like the reviewer, who 'have time and an interest in
nomads,' who were c