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June sun among these bare sands was terrible. Twenty minutes later we reached a couple of buildings, known as Hsiyuanchang, one of which is a poor inn.
Here we halted some little time to recover from the effects of the terrible heat we had so lately experienced.
In the later afternoon we reached the broad gully of the Khara kundigol, down which flows a good supply of water. Trying to cross the stream at a point other than a ford, we lost the rest of the day extricating a camel from the soft mud into which it sank. We slept at a collection of huts, a liquorice camp, close to the spot known as Errh mien sze wan. The inhabitants here pay a land tax of 10 taels (30s.) for 100 i (33 miles) to the Talat Prince. They also pay an animal tax of so much per head, but skilfully contrive to hide the greater number of goats when the tax collector calls.
June 17.-The proper ford is close to the liquorice camp, and here the crossing is firm and casy.
An hour and a quarter later we passed the Chinese village of Errh tao schui chuansze "twin water spring." Here there were a few big trees, a welcome change to the terrible monotony of the Ordos landscape. Half-an-hour later we reached the Mongol and Chinese village of Hoyarobo "twin obo." The houses looked solid and well cared for and proved two things, firstly, that Chinese and Mongols are able to live together in close proximity, and secondly, that the Mongols can, if they choose, renounce their nomad existence and live in a cleanly orderly way. There are several farms about here and a good water supply, but the land looks sandy and terribly unproductive. An hour later we found ourselves descending gently into the valley of the Hoangho, and into the area which comes under that stream's beneficent influence. Cultivation began and the land was covered with wheat, Indian corn, and the poppy, while a few irrigation canals showed that the natives had begun to take an active interest in their own welfare. We now left the territory of the Prince of Talat and entered that of the Hsikung Prince, the bulk of whose land lies to the north of the river.
At Chow Chünföun, a well-built prosperous village lying among a few fine trees, we turned north-cast for some 4 miles to reach the ferry at Tukou, "the crossing." Here there are a couple of houses close to the bank, but no resources. The next nearest ferry down the stream is Liulinsze, some 7 miles east of Chow chün fönu. The ferry of Tukou is some 12 miles from last night's camp. There are a couple of big flat boats. available for the crossing, and for the use of one of these into which were crowded all the animals and men, not without some difficulty and a good deal of danger, we paid 30 cents (6d.). The river is here a quarter of a mile wide and very swift; both banks are very low.
Yellow River Strip.
Under this heading is included all the land lying between the Kingdom of Alashan and Kweihuacheng north of the Yellow River, and bounded on the north by the wall of mountains, which forms the south edge of the Mongolian plateau. These mountains form distinct short ranges, to each of which a separate name has been given. They present a bleak and desolate appearance as they are, wherever I bave seen them, devoid of trees and with little vegetation; they are of uniform height, and while they have several portions projecting like capes into the plain it may be said that they have no peaks.
This strip of land is some 230 miles long, while in width it varies as much as does the Kansu strip, between the Alashan range and the river. In the west it is as much as 50 miles wide, while in the east between the mountains and the point where the Yellow River bends sharply southwards it is under 10 miles. At some places between these two and where the mountains approach the river the width is as little as 2 miles.
The soil of the whole strip is entirely fertile, and can be irrigated by means of the river. In the west this has been done to some extent, but in the east the inhabitants bave not had the energy to make use of this aid to the cultivation of their fields. After rain a certain amount of the water makes its way down from the mountains by water- courses, which for the greater part of the year present nothing but a stony, desolate appearance. In the east portion a great number of wells have been sunk in the middle of the fields, and it may be said that every farm has at least one on its land. Small ditches surround each field, and into these the water is assiduously pumped. The chief crops are wheat, kaoliang, millet, and vegetables, and cast of Bautu, at any rate, opium. There are tens of thousands of acres of land devoted to the poppy alone. population is chiefly Chinese, who have, as elsewhere, pushed the Mongol owners northwards. In the west portion, bowever, a fair number of Mongols are left, and the Swedish missionaries, who have established themselves there, are trying to teach the Mongols the art of farming. But even where the Chinese have penetrated there are still some Mongols; this is, of course, chiefly in the towns.
The
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The strip is well timbered, and may be termed a succession of small prosperous villages connected by stretches of fields or grazing lands, but these latter are annually diminishing in size.
The strip is divided into the kingdom of the Orots, the western, central, and eastern Princes (Hsikung, Djunkung, Tungkung, of the Orots), and the portion which already forms part of the Province of Shansi, and is governed from Kweihuacheng, The largest town in the strip is Bautu; the second largest Salatsi, lying 30 miles east of this. These three Orot Princes are counted among the forty-eight Princes of Mongolia, and have nothing to do with the Ordos Princes, though the Hsikung owns a small portion of land on the Ordos side of the Yellow River.
Yellow River Ferry to Bautu and Kweihuacheng.
June 17-On crossing the river I had wanted to pay a rapid visit to the Swedish Mission at Patszebulong, but, hearing that it lay 43 miles to the west, it was decided that it was impossible, and so we maintained a north course, and a few minutes later stopped at one of the five villages which gave the name Wutatsun to the district, and none of which bear any other distinctive name. We shortly afterwards turned into a well-defined cart-road, and continued north-east for the rest of the day by an excellent road. The country has the appearance of being level, but in reality slopes gently up to the mountains.
Two hours and a-half from the river all cultivation, houses, and trees ceased, and the road ran across grass-land, one end of which was dotted with Chinese coffins awaiting repatriation, the other being covered with mobs of ponies. Half-an-hour later the village of Mache lay in a belt of trees to our left. Here the Chinese official resides to whom the Chinese settlers pay the taxes. We slept the night at a moderate inn at Hanchowyausze,
June 18. We reached Bautu in the course of the morning, entering by the west gate, and previously traversing the small suburb of Hobou with the pretty temple of Lungwangmias hidden among the trees. The walls of the town are considerably silted up with sand and are in a state of decay. There is an air of prosperity about the town, and the streets were full of merchants. There are many good shops, especially for the sale of articles made of wood. The town lies 5 miles due north of the river. A yamên to the left and close to the west gate deals with "land settlement and development questions"; the principal yamên lies in the main street near the cast gate. The town is in the domain of the Tumed Prince, but is administered by a Chinese official who has 360 police, all Chinese, at his disposal. They are armed with old-fashioned German Mausers. A great number of Mongols visit the town, taking away cheap pottery, We took refuge from saucepans, and other utensils in exchange for wool and skins.
the crowd, which was unpleasantly inquisitive, in the large hong of a corn and wheat
merchant.
Since 1900, or, rather, since the settlement after the events of that year, a settlement which displaced a great many officials, none of these dare do anything to displease a foreigner, even if the latter be travelling without a passport.
The following story from Dengkou (told me the 7th June) is possibly connected with the one I heard at Bautu. Last year, the official said, an Indian arrived en route He demanded animals and, for Kashgar; he was accompanied by one Chinese servant. not obtaining them, went into the principal houses and beat the residents till horses were supplied. He took away six ponies, which have never been returned. had no passport.
He also
Leaving Bautu by the east gate we pushed on to Shariching, 13 miles to the east. The road is exceptionally good, and there is plenty of traffic along it. At this time of the year many mules were carrying plums from Taiyuanfu in Shansi to Bauta. The most pathetic sight along the road were the Mongol pilgrims returning from Wutaishan. These fanatics carry their piety so far that they leave at the monasteries all the long train of camels and their loads with which they left home. They are then content to return home on foot, absolute beggars and in rags. Occasionally one may be seen leading along a donkey with one bundle on it, the only goods that remain of once great wealth. There were dozens of them in this pitiful state, including old and infirm, coming along the Bautu road. Another feature of the road are the wayside shrines, which manage to extract a great amount of cash from Mongol and Chinese passers by.
Shariching is a prosperous small town, with at least one good inn, which does a
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