It was ninety li to Nantien, the fort we were bound to beyond Tengyueh, and we finished the distance by sundown.

The town is of little importance.

It is situated on an eminence and is surrounded by a wall built, with that strange spirit of contrariness characteristic of the Chinese, and because it incloses a fort, more weakly than any city wall.

It is not more substantial nor higher than the wall round many a mission compound.

Some 400 soldiers are stationed in the fort, which means that the commander draws the pay for 1000 soldiers, and represents the strength of his garrison as 1000.
Their arms are primitive and rusty muzzle-loaders of many patterns; there are no guns to be seen, if there are any in existence--which is doubtful.