36
steeper, and in places the gully narrows to a few yards only. For a great part of the time cliffs tower over the track like walls. There is a great deal of undergrowth and a mass of lilac and honeysuckle. Soon firs and pines began, and the slopes assume the appearance of a forest. The actual summits are jagged and bare. A number of wood- cutters were at work cutting up the pines into poles 8 to 10 feet long; these find a ready sale in Ninghsiafu for building purposes.
The last portion of the pass is tremendously sleep; just before reaching the top-a two hours' climb from Changsze-we found among the pines and undergrowth the wild oxen, the property of the King of Alashan. They could be easily approached. Their faces are longer and more pointed than the ordinary ox, their rumps fatter, and the tail bushy and like that of a horse. They were of three colours-white, black, and grey.
In winter their hair grows as long as a horse's mane, as also the tail; the hair is much prized by the Chinese, who buy it up in the same manner that they buy in the camel's hair.
The view from the top of the ridge over the Alashan plains was superb and comprised the town of Fumafu, nestling in its oasis of
green trees.
The road descended gradually over the face of the ridge, and was considerably easier than the ascent on the cast side. During the whole time the capital is kept in sight.
The grandeur of the chain becomes broken by the dreariest of foothills.
An hour from the summit we passed a lonely farm, and turning westwards soon after, through gullies and across dry torrent-beds, emerged three hours later on to the plains of Alashan. An hour and a-quarter later we were housed in an extremely comfortable Chinese inn at Fumafu.
Dinyuaning.
Dinyuaning, the capital of the Mongol kingdom of Alashan, has a confusing number of names. The Russians know it under this name, as do also the Chinese at a distance. Locally, that is in the kingdom itself, and even in Ninghsia, possibly even further afield, it is known as Wangyefu (the Prince's residence") while others speak of it as Fumafu, this name being one given to Princely residences whose owner has married a Princess of the Imperial House. The town is also known to the Chinese as Alasha yamên," the seat of Government of Alashan." The name Fumafu ceases to be borne on the death of the lady who has been the cause of its origin.
This town lies to the west of the Alashan mountains, and some 53 miles to the north- west of the town of Ninghsiafu, whence it is reached by two passes across the mountains, one an excessively steep one crossing the range at its highest point, the other some 30 miles to the south of this. The former is only fit for mules; camels use it with some difficulty; the latter is suitable for cart traffic, but the journey takes a day longer, three days as against two. The town lies on the Alashan plain at the foot of the slopes leading up to the mountains, and a couple of miles from where the steep pass debouches on to the plain. A low ridge, a continuation of the mountain slopes shelters the town on the north, and is crowned by two small forts only used as a spot from which a gun of ancient form may be fired at sunset and again at 10 P.M. to fix the hours for closing the gate of the town.
The town is divided into two parts, that inside the walls and that portion which lies outside to the south and west of these two portions, the larger is that which lies outside; the walls, which are irregular, are in an excellent state of repair; they are entered by a large gate with enceinte facing the south; there is also an ordinary gate- way at the south-east corner. The area inclosed by these walls is quite small, and in an hour the visitor will have seen everything that there is to be seen.
On the left on entering the main gate is the yamên where official business is transacted, A short street with a few shops on either side leads up to a large Chinese temple. To the west of this, amongst a labyrinth of paltry-looking houses, is Prince Tuan's-the Prince who was banished here after the events of 1900-residence. Behind the Chinese
temple the ground slopes up to the north wall, and most of the ground is unbuilt on. The crest of the rising ground is held by prayer poles between which flutter many strings of prayer rags. To the south of them on the lower ground is the Lama Temple. The cast side of the walled enclosure is mostly taken up by the King's residences and gardens and ends by a narrow ridge of rising ground running north and south, on which stands a small wood of tall pines and firs. The King's Palace is a small collection of ordinary Chinese houses of the meanest description; they are crowded so close to the south wall that only a roadway separates them from it. In the garden behind stands a two-storied wooden modern-looking building consisting, I think, of only two rooms;
37
this serves as summer residence; its efficaciousness seems doubtful, as it stands on no-wise higher ground than the other buildings and only 100 yards or less away from them. The whole enclosure is of pocket-bandkerchief size, and one is inclined to doubt the need of walls at all. History has shown, however, their necessity, for in 1869 the Dungans attacked the town, and destroyed all the buildings outside the walls, the inhabitants fleeing inside.
The enemy were unable to attack the walls successfully, and retreated. The chief weapons of defence of the inhabitants were stones, and to this day piles of stones are collected on the wall at various points in case of a future attack. A final feature of the walls are the numerous shrines along them; these are visited once a year in procession by the Lama priests, carrying the sacred books with them.
The population must be about 4,000, of whom probably 1,500 are Chinese. These have established themselves here as merchants; the shops, however, are poor, the inn being, for a wonder, surprisingly good. The Chinese seem to have got a footing here by uneans of the Manchu wives of the various Sovereigns; these ladies brought Chinese retinues with them. who gradually settled down to business in Dinyuaning. They are, however, looked upon as foreigners, and may not own land; this they have to rent from the Mongols. This tends to squalor, for if the Chinese build nice houses or improve the existing ones the Mongol land-owner becomes covetous and refuses to renew the annual lease, the Chinese have therefore learnt by experience to leave the houses alone.
The government is carried on by a King, his subjects style him so, and consider him the strongest potentate on earth. His Majesty is an elderly man, and said to have
a violent temper and a strong aversion to foreigners, especially missionaries. His Majesty's family have married a succession of Manchu Princesses, and consider them- selves, I believe, now more Manchu than Mongel; at any rate, they are said to prefer to speak Chinese, and in some instances not even to know Mongol. The arrival of these Manchu Princesses probably had much to do with the comparative civilization of Dinyuaning, for the Mongols live in ordinary houses like the Chinese, and are in no way
nomad.
The King's government may be described as despotism under Chinese surveillance, this being exercised from Lanchowfu by the Viceroy of Kansu. His Majesty has complete power as regards levying of taxes, and apparently as regards his subjects' property, also on the Chinese residents as regards house rents. As regards their persons, I believe he is unable to inflict capital punishment, but all small Mongol cases are settled in his Yamên; Chinese a. Mongol cases have to be sent to the Chinese autho- rities in Kansu. His Majesty is supposed to visit Peking once every three years to pay his respects to the throne; be has not been, however, for six years, alleging the expeuse as the reason. As a visit to Peking costs His Majesty 10,000 taels, His Majesty travelling in great state, his suite even including a small theatre, and as the number and value of the presents which he is obliged to give on leaving Peking is very great, this reason is probably the real one. His Majesty's income seems to be derived only from his flocks and herds and such sums as he can squeeze from his people. He is said to receive an annual subsidy of 2,500 taels (375%) from the Central Government, but I am doubtful whether this exists except on paper. His Majesty sends, however, his annual tribute duly; this consists of meat, antelope, fur, &c., and deputes his son, whose title is "the Duke," to pay the prescribed visit to the capital on his behalf. His Majesty's vice is extravagance. The Duke is a young man of 30; he shares the same vice as his father. I will quote the following extract from my diary of the 29th May describing a visit to the Duke: "In the afternoon I received an intimation from the Yamén that my request for an interview with His Majesty had been granted, and that His Majesty was prepared to receive me. I therefore borrowed a frock coat from the missionary and proceeded to the Palace on horseback, no carts being available in Fumafu. On reaching the Palace I learnt that the King was indisposed, but that the Duke would receive me. The Duke was most amiable, and showed me even greater honour than Chinese etiquette demanded. The Duke was dressed in a pale grey silk robe, he was heavily scented, his fingers were loaded with rings and he wore a large gold bracelet, at his waist a hand- some gold watch and chain were suspended. Though a thorough dandy in appearance, his face was rather harsh, and he did not look so effeminate as his dress. The Duke told me that he had the honour of being attached to the Emperor's person and of riding before His Majesty when he quitted the Palace at Peking for the Temple of Heaven or the Western Hills. The small room in which we conversed was the Prince's own sitting-room; it opened on to a narrow corridor which was full of retainers, so our conversation was wholly public. The room was littered with foreign clocks, mirrors, and pictures scattered about, much like a shop; it was also fitted with a European table and
L [2155 b-1]
133