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people I have frequently been laughed at and congratulated on my happy experience; whatever the nature of the people in other parts of Mongolia I can at least speak from jutimate knowledge of the Ordos, that the inhabitants treated me and mine with entire honesty. For their hospitality, always readily given, they never expected payment and in many cases refused money when offered. The traveller who should take a few lumps of silver for use in the districts adjacent to China and some strings of cash for use in the interior, can insist on the poor accepting money while the present of a box of matches or a couple of Price's wax candles or a little Peking tea, gives invariably the greatest pleasure to the richer hosts. Future travellers would do well to take a few extra packets of these three commodities as presents.
Customs.
Most, if not all, of the customs in vogue among the Ordos Mongols are probably common to the whole of Mongolia. They are none the less quaint, however, and have a peculiar charm. Perhaps, the one which strikes the traveller as the most curious is the interchange of snuff-bottles by way of greeting. Every Mongol carries one of these little bottles in a pouch at his waist. The quality and size vary of course according to the bearer's means, those of the Princes being very elaborate and of an expensive material. The ordinary bottles, however, are of glass or porcelain. The art of giving and receiving the snuff-bottle in the correct manner is not so easy to acquire as one might imagine. Like the art of shaking hands where neither party looks at their own hands before giving it nor at the hand they are grasping, so the art of snuff-bottling. You do not look at the bottle you are giving nor do you lock at the one you receive, To do the latter would suggest that you are appraising its value. The bottle may be received in one hand and should be raised very slightly and then returned. only on entering a house that the interchange takes place. If the traveller stops to speak to a Mongol on the road-and all Mongols travelling stop to speak to fellow- travellers, to ask them where they come from, whither they travel-bow their beasts fare-snuff-bottles are exchanged in sign of friendship. It is a delightful custom doomed probably to extinction at no very distant date.
It is not
The proper term of greeting when coming to a house or meeting strangers on the road is "amorr' sae" (saehen) which means literally "peace good," and is probably very necessary in countries where the person you meet may be anxious to have your blood. If the same reply is made there is nothing to be feared. There is a custom to secure the welfare of houses and which I noticed one or twice; this corresponds to our burying current coins, newspapers, &c., under a foundation stone. On the rafter which supports the roof of the living rooms are suspended a few cash, two chopsticks and a little bag containing wheat and millet. All these are attached to a red scroll pasted to the rafters.
These are affixed when the building is ready for occupation, and signify "May it last 10,000 years.'
Another method of securing good luck-but this I only found in Chinese families scattered through the Ordos-is to paste over the doorway of every building or outhouse slips of paper of varied hues with characters inscribed on them. These protect all who enter from sickness or mishap, or from the influence of devils. Inside the buildings flutter perhaps nine or ten other strips of paper from the rafter, bearing devices with the same object. These are frequently taken down, folded up, and worn as an amulet round the neck. I will compare with this the charms worn by the Catholic Christians in the neighbourhood of Santanho, also round the neck, and containing a little picture. These are obtained from the village priest for a few cash, and renewed when worn out.
The women wear a delightfully picturesque head-dress, and this is probably the only valuable thing they possess. It is a leather band set with silver, and which encircles the head; from it hang down over the forehead, as far as the eyes, over the nape of the neck and over the ears, long strings of silver, coral, jade, and precious stones. Heavy strings of earrings, chiefly hoops of silver, pull down the lobe of the ear till it has lost all its first shape. The hair is fastened in two plaits, one falling over each shoulder into a leather pouch, which reaches to either breast. These pouches are heavily ornamented with silver. If the lady is in mourning the plaits wear a white band across them. The unmarried Mongol women do not wear this quaint head-dress; this is presented by the young man to his fiancée, and thus may be said to correspond to our engagement ring. The young mau often has to sell many beasts in order to urchase it; the price and value vary from 60 tacls (9.) to 100 taels (15), and the
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wealthy sometimes pay as much as 500 taels (75%), but this depends on the value of the stones, pearls, jade, &c., with which the ornaments are set. Directly a girl is engaged to be married she binds her hair under her chin, instead of allowing it to fall in plaits over the shoulders.
Language.
Chinese is spoken in those portions of the country which either fringe on China or into which Chinese settlers have penetrated; everywhere else only Mongol is spoken. It is therefore essential for the traveller either to be able to speak Mongol himself, or to have a Mongol-speaking man among his retinue. Even in those districts which lie nearest to China, only a few Mongols can talk Chinese, those few being the men who have had frequent occasion to cross the frontier and do business among the Chinese. In none of the Prince's residences or yamêns are there as yet any Chinese-speaking Mongols, there are no Chinese officials in the country who could help the Chinese- speaking traveller, nor do the lamas speak anything but Mongol. There will be of course exceptions in this last case, but in none of the many lamaseries which I visited were these exceptions to be found,
Religion.
some
The religion of the country is Lamaism; the Chinese settlers have, however, maintained their own; in the south of the Kingdom of Ottok there are 7,000 Christians (Roman Catholics), Chinese and Mongol, round the districts of Hsiao chiao and Borobalgasson. In the north-east, in the Kingdom of Talat, there are also some Roman Catholic converts, probably a few hundred, round Hsiao noor and Ta noor.
Two-thirds of the male Mongol population are herded into the huge lamaseries which are scattered over the country. These institutions are nests of ignorance and vice, into which the children who are to become lamas are thrown at a very early age. It has been suggested that one of the reforms which the Chinese Government wishes to introduce into Mongolia is a modification of the lama system, so that the children may be taught something in the lamaseries, instead of spending all their time in saying prayers which are practically unintelligible to them. Personally, I do not believe in such benevolence of thought on the part of the Chinese Government, and I am convinced that, even if they held it, they would find the task of carrying it out entirely beyond their powers. It has hitherto been supposed that the Chinese Government viewed these institutions with approval, as the lamas being vowed to celibacy and also forbidden to fight, the Mongols need no longer be feared as a fighting force, and could be viewed with equanimity as a decreasing instead of an increasing race. If the Chinese Government ever really bothered to hold a view of Lamaisun at all, I think it very likely that this was the view held, and it is unlikely that any change has come over their minds in the matter.
Climate.
The best season of the year to travel in the Ordos is the late spring and early summer (May and June) or not until the autumn. Though little snow falls in the winter this season is exceedingly severe as may be judged from the fact that the swift flowing Yellow River freezes. Through April and also part of May daily sandstorms may be expected. I know of nothing more disagreeable than travelling in these storms. Nearly always coming from the north-westerly direction they would start about 9 A.M. and increase in ferocity till 3 P.M. when they would gradually subside until by sunset all would be still and clear. While the storm lasts travelling is miserable for man and beast. Sand and stone penetrate everywhere and are swept with force into eyes, ears, nuse, and mouth. The traveller is tempted to halt directly the storm begins, but he may be absolutely certain that it will be the same on the morrow, As a change from dust we had a violent snowstorm on the last day of April but this was the last kick of winter. Rain is unusual. We had one rainstorm lasting an hour and a-half following thunder and great heat on the 15th May but with the exception of this we only had half a dozen drops on a few other occasious, most of them in June. The country becomes terribly hot in summer and travelling by day then is exceedingly difficult. Of that the summer rains have failed and the country is in consequence years appears becoming gradually drier. The once fertile land to which Chinese penetrated no longer yields the crops it formerly did and the colonists talk gloomily of being obliged to
late
leave.
it
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