October 20, 1917 At 8:15am, I left the hotel with the Bumsteads in a motor car for the Hsi Chi Mon Station, situated four miles away at the N.W. gate of the Tartar City. We had a pleasant ride in the crisp, cold air in a Ford car of growling inerds. The trip up by train was over level fields which were being plowed for wheat or winter crops. In the distance, at starting, could be seen a Pagoda topping a hill and nearby the Summer Palace on another hill. In one hour, we reached Hankou City and from that point rugged mountains came into view. The station of Ching Lung Chiao was our place of embarkation for the Pass. Before reaching this station, we had passed by a tunnel under the Great Wall which could be seen topping the hills in a zig zag course. After taking tiffin at Ching Lung Chiao, we walked to the Pass, some 2 miles beyond. The RR here does a switchback and at Nankow Pass actually passes through a tunnel at the head of the divide. The Great Wall is seen at Hanchu Pass, zig zagging over the hills into the blue at the Pass itself. The caravan road passes under the Wall through double gates. Here we saw a donkey and mule caravan and coolies with loads, passing through. The mountains and hills here are rugged and composed of granite - great boulders of which hang on the hill sides. The Wall is built here of granite, topped by a few feet of gray bricks raised into a parapet and wall notched for gunners.