▁wanted ▁accurate , ▁on - the - ground ▁intelligence ▁about ▁the ▁re forms ▁and ▁activities ▁by ▁the ▁Q ing ▁dynast y , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁military ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁inv ading ▁Western ▁China : ▁a ▁possible ▁move ▁in ▁their ▁struggle ▁with ▁Britain ▁for ▁control ▁of ▁inner ▁Asia . ▁Dis gu ised ▁as ▁an ▁eth n ographic ▁collect or , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁French ▁ar che ologist ▁Paul ▁P elli ot ' s ▁expedition ▁at ▁Sam ark and ▁in ▁Russian ▁Turk est an ▁( now ▁U z bek istan ). ▁They ▁started ▁from ▁the ▁termin us ▁of ▁the ▁Trans - C asp ian ▁Railway ▁in ▁And ij an ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁but ▁M anner heim ▁quar re led ▁with ▁P elli ot , ▁so ▁he ▁made ▁the ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ▁on ▁his ▁own . ▁ ▁With ▁a ▁small ▁car avan , ▁including ▁a ▁C oss ack ▁guide , ▁Chinese ▁interpreter , ▁and ▁U yg h ur ▁cook , ▁M anner heim ▁first ▁tre kk ed ▁to ▁K hot an ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁British ▁and ▁Japanese ▁sp ies . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁K ash gar , ▁he ▁head ed ▁north ▁into ▁the ▁T ian ▁Sh an ▁range , ▁surve ying ▁passes ▁and ▁g aug ing ▁the ▁st ances ▁of ▁the ▁tribes ▁towards ▁the ▁Han ▁Chinese . ▁M anner heim ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁provincial ▁capital ▁of ▁U rum qi , ▁and ▁then ▁head ed ▁east ▁into ▁G ans u ▁province . ▁He ▁followed ▁the ▁Great ▁Wall ▁of ▁China