Wednesday, seven o’clock.  We have drifted off on to the wrong road into the mountains, and we have lost our way again.  We came down tracks, which were very deep and bumpy into the plain.  We were just going to pitch camp near a well, when a Mongol rode up and invited us to stay in a yurt.  The host offered me his wife and this also happened in other places.  We expected to be in Dolonor by this time.  We are going towards the east in the hope of finding the town.  It is raining and we have run out of bread and biscuits, but we still have plenty of tinned stuff.  I do hope we’ll get to Dolonor today.

No bandits have come our way, and in any case, they are a pretty harmless lot here and would not dare to attack foreigners, because the Japanese would capture them at once.  We have not met the bandit leader whom Dr Müller knows as he is in another part.

Dr Müller and Gareth’s car being pulled out of the mud.

Wednesday, July 24th 3.30 p.m..  Again, we have been stuck in the mud for many hours and it has been pouring.  I have no idea how we shall get out.  Perhaps we shall have to wait until the land dries out which might be a long time.  We had hoped to have a Chinese meal at Dolonor last night.  Peking seems a very long way indeed.  There is a Mongol village a few miles away and we have sent for some men to push.