202 KITAK. to look to for aid, and even their visits to the court were rendered impossible. The ministers who had vainly protested against the former expedition against the Kitan, remained silent now ; and the emperor resolved to make an effort to recover the remote city of YingchoWy and open up the communications with Liaotung and the Mogo country. The officials who had fled from Yingchow were, of course, warm in their approval of a fresh expedition which might recover them their post The army, which was to take Yingchow from the Eitan, waa placed under the command of Hiie Na, and 60,000 men marched on to Tanchow* in June. The sub-prefect of Yingchow protested against marching them in the heat, when the soldiers had necessarily to carry so much provisions, and for so great a distance. Hiie, however, retorted that now, — with good grass, plenty of it, sheep and cows grazing fat with their young by the way as they went, — ^was just the time to march ; and as to grain, the Eitan had plenty, and would have to disgorge. They there* fore marched on, and came upon the river Lan, in ChihlL They got among the mountains, north-east of the Lan, and were advancing cautiously on the southern border of the enemy, when the Eitan made a rapid move, and sent a force on flank and rear of the camp, attacking it just as a third force came against it on the run from the hill above. The Tang men were completely defeated, four-fifths perishing. The commander fought his way through the force on his rear, and escaped with a few men. He was hooted on the road as he fled, and called an " old wifa The commander threw all the blame upon the generals under him ; one of whom had retired with his men, before he had been able to strike a blow, when he heard of the catastrophe in front of him, and of the flight of the commander. Him, with six other generals and one Hoof general, the commander put to death in
- The modem Kaichow of ChihlL
fThe term Hoo embraced many barbarians, over a wide extent of country. It is difficult to distingmAh it and the other Chinese tenns for barbaiianB, from each other. The distinction seems based on locality rather than on et3rmology. Tlie Kitan were Hoo : so were the Si or Koomosi, and so were also tribes in the north-west of China. (See An Looshan.)
