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asking for repayment. The King is said to have borrowed 10,000 taels (1,500%) from the late M. Pokotilow six years ago on the occasion of His Majesty's last visit to Peking. M. Pokotilow was then head of the Russo-Chinese Bank. It is said that the Russians are pressing for repayment of this. In a State like Alashan there is little secrecy, every one knowing his neighbour's affairs, and these rumours about the King's indebtedness are probably true. The people of Alashan are a pastoral people, with little silver, and they have been taxed as high as they can bear; house rents have also risen-so much so that the Chinese are contemplating a protest at Peking, so that neither of these sources of income can be touched again. Hence, I think, springs the subserviency of the King to the Russians, from whom he hopes to borrow more money. For this they are doubtless looking for a suitable security, and this security is probably the right to work minerals in the Alashan Mountains.
The Kozloff Expedition.
It is in the Buriat's house that Colonel Kozloff has taken up his abode, and over which the Russian flag flies. Colonel Kozloff, who is travelling for the Russian "Academics," is accompanied by a botanist and a geologist as well as by a purely Russian escort, consisting of five Cossacks and five Bariats, the whole under a Russian corporal with the appearance of a General, so magnificent is be. The expedition arrived some three weeks ago and is to stay some three weeks or so longer. I did not see the botanist or geologist who bad gone with most of the escort into the Alashan Mountains for three weeks. The route of the expedition has been via Uliassutal and Urga to Dinyuaning. It will proceed southwards to Lanchow and Kokoncor, and will be absent a year or fifteen months. The object of the expedition is to collect specimens of the flowers and birds of the Alashan Range, and to examine the mountains from a geological
point of view. Another object is astronomical. Cases of snakes in spirits and stuffed birds have already been sent to Russia, and others are in course of preparation. A discussion on the correct method of stuffing birds led to the production of some ready for transmission. The expedition is well fitted out with barometers and barographs, guns, rifles, and photographic apparatus. The latter is for plates, not films, and these Colonel Kozloff develops himself. I understood the Colonel to say that he did not shoot or stuff the various animals himself, and he appears to confine himself to the more scientific portion of the expedition, the care of the barometers, and to work with a fine telescope he has with him. For this latter work he has fitted up a small shed on a stand 12 feet high in the courtyard of the Buriat's house. The Alashan Range is reported by all previous travellers to be extremely rich in all minerals, except iron, and coal is said to be exceptionally good. This is very little worked, and that only in a very crude way.
Colonel Kozloff speaks a little Mongol and a little Chinese, but no European language except Russian, except for a few words of very broken French. In appearance, he is tall, dirty, and untidy. He dresses in uniform every day. He has distinctly the appearance of a savant, and while I have no doubt whatever that the objects of his expedition are as defined by him, my impression is that he is being utilized also for some political purpose at Dinyuaning, and he is certainly strengthening the Russian prestige with the Prince there, and tightening the hold which the Russians seem to have already acquired over that vassal of China. Whether he is exerting pressure to obtain repayment of the sum of money alleged to have been lent by M. Pokotilow, or whether he is obtaining written promises of Concessions for mines in the Alashan or for a railway from Urga southwards, I cannot say, but both these are possibilities which it would be idle to ignore. The length of time the mission has stayed in Alashan and the daily visits of the Buriat to the King, have aroused considerable suspicion locally, and to these may be added the deferment of the closing of the Buriat's store, which has proved admittedly a financial failure, from season to season. As regards the visit of the expedition to Kokonoor, which is undoubtedly in Thibet, I twice casually mentioned that it was now défendu for us to visit Thibet, otherwise I should have gone there myself. Colonel Kozloof, however, did not understand my words. I have no doubt that he intends to carry out that part of his programme, and he is such a genuine enthusiast respecting travelling in, and exploration of, these regions, that it is possible he may be tempted to travel even farther into East Thibet, and the escort of Russian soldiers would do away with any necessity for the Colonel to ask for one from the Chinese authorities. The Colonel is therefore entirely his own master, and is not likely to be interfered with by any of the Chinese local authorities.
I have forgotten to add that all the missionaries (an unsuspecting race of people), were susprised at my innocency in believing in the alleged objects of the expedition.
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They were themselves convinced that there was a question of Concessions for mines either in the mountains or in the Gobi, which is stated to be rich in minerals and precious stones, The Roman Catholics were especially apprehensive, and were of opinion that Russia, baulked in Manchuria and China, was busier than ever weaving her web over Mongolia.--Ninghsia, 2nd June, 1908.
The following extract from my diary, dated Kweihuacheng, the 27th June, is of interest:--
"A couple of minutes after leaving the inn (for the journey across Gobi) we met a European entering the town. He was a young English-speaking German, the representative in Peking of the Tien-isin German engineering and mining firm of
and Schroeder. He travels a good deal in the interior, and has been away from Peking since March. At Singanfu he was sent for to Lanchow in connection with the bridge over the Yellow River which his firm are constructing, and in which an Englishman (Tackey) is consulting engineer. At Lanchow he received an urgent message from the King of Alashan begging him to visit Fumafu. The King sent his own camels and tent down to Ninghsia for the engineer's convenience and subsequently sent him back to the river at Schischnisze in the same manner. From Schischnisze he had come to Bautu by boat. He was hastening back to Peking, and his whole attitude confirmed my suspicions that there was some mining business in the air in Alashan. Colonel Kozloff and party were still there, and were not expected to leave for the south for some time. My own impression from what I saw and heard throughout Mongolia is that the King of Alashan is in debt to some Russian Agents, possibly the Russo-Chinese Bank at Urga, who are pressing for payment and are content to take a mining Concession temporarily at any rate."
As regards the visit of the Kozloff expedition to Kokonoor it must be added that while all English and, indeed, many other maps mark the district of Kokonoor as being in Thibet, it is not considered so by the Russian Government, nor indeed, I believe, by the Chinese Government, It would be interesting to know the limits of this district, especially towards the south, for the name is sprawled over a very large area on the map, and it would be equally interesting to know how many of the other States on the fringe of Thibet and which figure in English maps under the name of Thibet are considered by the Russians to be Chinese and not Thibetese Provinces.
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Cheguchak, October 1.-At dinner at the Russian Consulate we had an animated conversation on the subject of Kozloff and Kokonoor. The latter was said to be a Chinese province, so I asked what its capital was. The reply was Kukukhoto,” I objected that this was merely the Mongol name for Kweihuacheng, a town in North Shansi, and this was eventually agreed to, but no one could say what the capital of Kokonoor in that case was."--London, December 1908.
Fumafu to Ninghsiafu.
May 30.-We left for the south by the slightly longer but easier route for Ninghsiafu. We kept south parallel to the Alashan Mountains, but slightly above the level of the plain on the slopes of the foothills. The road was broad and good, stony but not sandy; the first few miles were slightly undulating, after which it became level. After leaving the Oasis of Fumafu the country is bleak and desolate with no trees except at the rare farms sighted or passed. There was no vegetation except some occasional rough grass. It was a dreary road, with to the left the bleak low foothills leading up to and partly concealing the fine mountain chain, to the right a gentle stony slope down to the plains and hot sands beyond. The breeze blew
little whirlpools We reached of sand which drifted like geysers about the plain in a detached manner. Yoba, our halting place for the night at mile 20, passing at mile 19 the residence of a brother of the Alashan King.
up
Yoba is a solitary house; inn accommodation is good, but supplies are both dear and scarce.
The inn is kept by Chinese, and not by Mongols. May 31. We started in a south-eastern direction, the road being excellent, but dreary in the extreme, leading as before over a bleak desolate uncultivated and almost uninhabited country. The only traffic we met were carts bringing pigs for sale at Fumafu, and others taking wood to Ninghsia. The inn at Yoba has plenty of work, as all traffic either way stops there.
At Cheng yo schui (after 10 miles), where there is a good inn, we turned east- wards to penetrate and break through the mountains. The road continues excellent, but
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