A single caravan often numbers many as twenty large carts, each with a team of seven animals. In the best caravans, that is those which go into the provinces of Kirin and Hei-lung-chiang and into Mongolia, a team usually consists of a pony in the shafts and six tracing mules three abreast.

If only the Bush team connected the dots, it would see what a nutty war on terrorism it is fighting, explains Mr. Prestowitz.

He says things like edjamacation.

One final attraction, even for nonhikers: these machines are among the very first products to address the rarely discussed Accessory Fatigue Syndrome.