So this is it, the country of the Mongols, those hardy horsemen who terrified the East for centuries and once even reached the gates of Vienna before turning back undefeated in battle.

The bones of animals killed by wolves give a clue to the harshness of nature here. It’s great country for horses, obviously, with its huge areas of empty, undulating grassland. There are also trees on the hillsides, and rocks sprouting from the earth, but no signs of cultivation.

Ah, what a splendid sight! Three cantering horsemen. The horses are small, but immensely tough.

The Ambassador asks the horsemen to stop so that he may speak to them and offer them refreshment.

This is quite a ritual. Certain greetings have to be exchanged, and at the moment of offering the drink the Ambassador is careful to place his left hand under his right forearm to indicate that he has no weapon.

Away they go, those weather-beaten characters… And here are some yaks, among the few domestic animals that can withstand the fierce winters, when the temperature can drop to minus 45 centigrade or even lower.