42
43
136
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rises gradually. A branch of the mountains sweeps round towards the south.
The top of the pass was reached about mile 17, and the descent was as easy as the ascent had been. At mile 23 (from Yoba) the hills became lower and we emerged to open ground at the bleak Chinese hamlet of Kowmensze, where there was a good inn.
June 1.-The people in the hamlet are in some distress. They rely on the sale of their sheepskins and wool to a foreign firm at Ninghsia, who have not sent their agent here this year as usual. We left in a north-east direction over bleak and stony ground.
We made a slight halt at noon at the small scattered hamlet of Pingchiapan, once a large village, as the old walls which stand close by show, but most of which is now in ruins. When we continued the march the change in scenery was marvellous, instead of brown all was green and strewn with irises, the wild bean flower, red and yellow gorse and anemones. This lasted until a belt of sand dunes was reached, which in its turn lasted right up to the belt of trees which makes to Ninghsia plain so famous. There is no cultivation nor are there any houses until the tree belt is reached.
Passing the populous Mahommedan village of Schwangchügöl we reached Hsincheng again, and a couple of hours later re-entered Ninghsiafu.
Strip of Kansu along River north of Ninghsia.
The Ninghsia Government also includes the strip of land lying between the Alashan range and the Yellow River for some 60 miles, this strip of land is at first some 25 miles wide and narrows down to some 2 miles. Formerly belonging to the Kingdom of Alashan it was at one time or another ceded to the Chinese, by whom it is now entirely populated. Its limit to the west is the foot of the range. The country is like that immediately round Ninghsia, well timbered, irrigated and fertile. Opium is as much cultivated as round Ninghsia. The district comprises numerous villages and one large town, Pinglobsien,
Ninghsia to Schischuisze.
Leaving the city by the north gate we kept in a north-north-easterly direction across the plain by an excellent level road, which wound about considerably to avoid the small canals. Sometimes one of these had burst into the main road; to attempt to go through the water was fatal, for the camels stuck deep in the mud up to their bellies, and had to be unloaded before they could be extricated. The country was delightfully timbered, and for the most part under cultivation. At mile the conspicuous north pagoda outside the city walls was half a mile to our left. At mile 11 we passed the small village of Hsiaopanpu, which was followed at mile 14 by the large fortress farm of Wangchiapu. At mile 19 we halted at the large flourishing, mud-walled village of Lichangpu. At mile 404 we reached the district town of Pinglohsien and stopped for the night. Here we had some difficulty in inducing the gateman to open for us, There was another difficulty 200 yards before the gate was reached, for on a stone bridge across a canal a sentry was stationed at night. This man was of so nervous a temperament that he was shooting indiscriminately at anyone he heard approaching on the chance that he might be a robber,
The town of Pingho has a busy appearance, aud seems in a flourishing state, but the inns are poor and the water execrable.
June 4.Our camels being in an exhausted state the Taotai of Ninghsia had lent us a couple of ponies as well. These were to be changed at Pingho for two fresh ones, and the magistrate was very obliging in the matter. The garrison of Pingho consists of a captain and fifty-five soldiers, but they only do escort work. They have only a few rifles between them, and those of very old pattern. Their uniform is very peculiar and they wear what head dress they like. As many of them at this season of the year choose the flopping straw hat they look very unsoldierlike. My escort were practically in rags and looked more like tramps than soldiers. Their pay is one measure of wheat and 1 tael (38.) a-month.
Our direction being north we left the town by the north gate. There were a number of sand drifts just outside the walls, but curiously enough there was no other indication of sand, and the country was entirely under cultivation and well-irrigated.
We halted at the busy straggling village of Hwang si chow to change horses again. Here a Lieutenant and two soldiers, only for escort work, are stationed. The village has good inns, supplies are cheap and plentiful, the water is good and the place wears a prosperous air. The village consists chiefly of one long street about a mile
long, through which the high road runs. At the entrance at either end the street is purposely crooked to prevent the passage of evil influences. A great deal of coal dust was on sale in the street; this is brought from the mountains close by and is extremely cheap. The Lieutenant acted in accordance with Chinese custom in order to obtain transport for us and commandeered a large quantity of animals; all the owners, save a couple or so, can then redeem their animals for a few cents, and avoid a longish march thereby. A more iniquitous system of procuring transport can hardly be imagined, but the Chinese are so accustomed to it that complaints seem to be unusual.
Turning at once to the left, on leaving the town (to have kept straight on would bave brought us to the banks of the Yellow River at Paofeng, from which place the countless irrigation canals would have prevented us marching in the right direction), we reached the village of Shayinsze, a mile beyond which there is a Roman Catholic mission station. Here we had the Alashan Mountains little more than 2 miles away to our left. The mission compound is unusually small; it is surrounded by a low mud wall, which could only serve as a protection against animals and ordinary thieves. The European priest being absent we continued the march, to halt for the night at a large farm called Chiu errh pa, a mile farther on. We passed two arrangements to-day in connection with the irrigation canals, which were of interest. One was a deep broad canal (at present dry) designed to carry off in time of flood the surplus water, back to the river directly the water reaches a certain height. The other was the measure taken in the opposite case, ie., to bring the water to the higher lying fields in time of scarcity. A wooden construction 12 feet long and 1 foot broad with a wheel at either end, is placed in the entrance of the dry canal, and water is pushed up this from the full canal, in which one end of the instrument is placed. The rest of the entrance of the dry canal is choked up with earth, on which men sit and turn a handle which sets in motion some twenty paddles, which, revolving round the two wheels, drives the water up the canal.
June 5.--I only learnt to-day that the Lieutenant made some 6s. yesterday over the pony levy. The same system prevails at Peking, where if the Government require 10 carts, 100 arc commandeered, and 90 owners redeem their property by paying so much, not to the Government, but to the dishonest Government servants.
The system
is rotten and leads to perpetual abuses.
Little more than two hours marching over level ground brought us to Schischuisze, on the Yellow River. This name means the crossing of roads, and here the road crosses the river into the principality of Ottok, one of the Ordos tribes. The village looks poor and lifeless. It was evidently once much larger as is proved by numberless ruins, and also by the fact that the gate is now 300 yards from the village, the intervening land being covered with ruins. The inus are good as also is the water, and there is plenty of transport. The village should be thriving, it has plenty of coal in the mountains at its very gates, and lies on the river where there should be plenty of traffic; but being in China, practically no coal is mined nor is there any river traffic of any importance.
It is at Schischuisze, that boats are obtainable for Bantu. We saw some twenty of these tied to the banks; they are the same as are used for ferry work both here and near Ninghsia. A canvas can be arched over the centre of the boat if necessary. The boatman ask some 60 taels for the journey to Bautu (91), but the proper price seems to be between 40 and 60 taels (61. to 91.). The journey takes from five to ten days according to the wind. For the return journey the boats are hauled by five or six trackers. The boatmen are almost all Mabommedans, and said to be great robbers, nothing being safe in the neighbourhood of where they spend the night. On the east side the bank rises steeply from the water's edge, the Arbusula Mountains running parallel to the river, and gradually increasing in height from what is at first insignificance. On the west side, the Alashan on the other hand, dwindle from magnificence to nothing.
The Alashan Yellow River Strip.
This strip lies on the left bank of the river, and extends from Schischuisze to the kingdom of the Orots, that is to say round the bend which the river makes to the east after flowing northwards past Ninghsiatu. On the west this strip is bordered by the Alashan Mountains. At the north end of the range the district becomes considerably broader; it is bounded on the north by the Mountains of Mongolia. Here it is several hundred miles wide, while in the south (i.e., between the Alashan and the river) it is never more than a few miles in width.
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