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bright and intelligent man. He was in Peking sixteen years ago, and has not been there since. He learnt Russian there and says he took ten years to do it. The Government then sent him to Sinkiang to teach Russian, subsequently promoting him to some post in that yamen at Urumtsi which deals with Russian trade, and finally to this post. He writes Russian as well as speaks it. He told me that two Germans had passed through here ten days ago; the French party, consisting of three, under Pellieux, passed through some months before bound for Lanchow and Peking.
The official yamén is a miserably untidy place, and I learnt that the Government is very poor and cannot support itself, much less send money to Peking.
We spoke on the subject of railways and his Excellency said that there was no money, but that he knew the Central Goverment were anxious to build the line to Kuldja,
I asked him if he often used the telegraph, and he said there was little business. I asked him about the rumours of trouble among the Mahommedans at Urumtsi. He said that it was over, but he added that the Mahommedans at Manas (four days to the east, Urumtsi is eight days) were in a disturbed state and he did not know what might not happen. He said that anyhow they had not arms, so he did not think they could do very much. (The Mahommedans all use knives though, and could easily successfully raid the small Chinese towns where there are arms and capture them.)
The Governor said the Russian Consul-General was due to-day en route for Urumtsi, and that he was to stay at the yamên. He begged me to postpone my departure and to come and dine.
On leaving the Governor's yamên I visited the telegraph office just outside the north gate of the town. There is little business, but three clerks to do it.
When the Governor wants a telegraph clerk be writes to the telegraph school at Lanchow, where ten or twelve are kept. The Governor returned my call at noon, and was extremely amiable; he repeated his invitation to dine, but I urged with great truth that I was in haste. The Governor was en route to meet the Russian Consul at the entrance to the town. I showed my surprise slightly, and he hurriedly added that he and the Consul were old Uramtsi friends. By such acts of public servility and loss of dignity so unusual to Chinese etiquette, his Excellency may well hope to get a fatter post than he at present occupies.
His Excellency evidently set some store by my dining with him, for he sent a written invitation in the evening begging me to change my mind.
The carters (who had come from Chugucbak) were informed by the yamên to-day that if they did'nt take me on to Ili they would be sent to the guard-house instead, a form of argument which was quite effective, and they cheerfully consented to continue the journey, the two " Peking carts at 20 taels each and the larger cart for 27 taels. The chief thing the carters objected to was the Governor of Chuguchak's bad
money.
}"
October 13.-It was with real reluctance and a feeling of neglect of duty that I turned my back on Manas and Urumtsi, where there was, I felt, much work to be done, not only in making inquiries as to the Mahommedan trouble, but also as to the efficiency of the 40,000 troops said to be in camp at Urumtsi, whilst there was also the letter to the Japanese gentleman, Hayashidé, to be delivered, but my health had begun to suffer from over six months ceaseless energy, while there was still more than one and a-half months' hard travel necessary in any case before I could get to England and rest I therefore felt obliged to give up the thought of further work castwards.
Turning to the west along the Imperial high road we left the town by the west gate, and, passing many ruins of the former settlement destroyed in the last rebellion, kept over a bleak brown dreary plain. By mile 6 this had changed to thick jungle. Here we crossed the first small stream from the mountains, and passed the solitary farm of Tashiho. After crossing several other small streams we reached, at mile 14, the Settlement of Pertala, consisting of some fifteen houses and, perhaps, seventy inhabitants. By this time big trees were numerous and the jungle dense; it would afford excellent cover for brigands. It is said to abound in game, such as pig, antelope, pheasants, and even tigers, but we saw none of any kind. At mile 17 we reached a river 25 feet broad
and feet deep, flowing over a strong bed swiftly to the north. We halted for the night at mile 19 at Sulkoshou.
October 14. The dense jungle continued. At mile 194 we passed the solitary farm of Dunbuda, and at mile 15 reached the few farms which form the hamlet of Kurtu. Here four or five soldiers are picketed. The inn-keeper at Kurtu said he paid 3 taels 60 cents a-year as tnx. At Sulkoshou 3 taels 20 cents are paid. During the
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evening the mists cleared from the Borokhoro range parallel to which we were marching, and revealed them deep in snow.
October 15.-Continuing along the plain we passed the ruins of Old Kurtu a mile away.
Here is the new picket fort, a small mud inclosure, with walls some 20 feet It lies on the east bank of high, where the picket of four and a small officer live.
a small stream. At mile 2 we crossed another river; between the two the road is very strong, being practically over old river bed. Passing Ta Chowsze (a small farm) at mile 83, and at mile 13 the ruins of Hwa-shu-linsze, we reached the picket of Totur at mile 19. The saline efflorescence was extremely marked all day in spite of the density of the jungle. The road was rutty and difficult in places, but on the whole wonderfully good, considering that nothing at all is done for its up-keep.
The escort continue to accompany us from picket to picket. They carry an old German rifle of 1877 pattern, and three rounds. We meet practically nobody on the road. At Totur the mountains were only 2 or 3 miles to our left, instead of 5 or 6 as hitherto. A cart can be hired from Urumtsi to Ili, for 35 taels; for the return journey the carter would accept 26 taels if he is an Urumtsi man, being only too glad to get a fare back.
October 16.-Continuing westwards through jungle and yellow glades we reached at mile 5 the solitary farm of Sulchicha. At mile 64 the jungle ceased entirely, and we entered on a dreary expanse of sand dunes of the worst kind, through which we wound and over which we ploughed our way in a heartbreaking manner. Travelling was so At mile 9 we bad that we could only advance by a series of short strenuous efforts. passed the solitary house of Liaosze Miao and 10 minutes later the sand dunes ceased, At mile 16 we reached San but the country continued bleak and the road bad. Chuansze, consisting of an inn and the picket, by which time the ground had begun to be covered with a low scrub. There is a good deal of marshy land but no streams, as the name might lead one to suppose.
October 17.-The inn here pays no taxes and is considered a Government one. Continuing over a marshy, salt, bleak plain, we reached a low spur of the mountains at mile 9, passing the lonely picket of Hrishentosze, a quarter of a mile previously, on the plain. Winding over the spur for 14 miles we reached the plain again, and kept still due west.
From the highest point of the spur the whole of the elbow formed by the Alatau and Borokhoro ranges is visible, while Lake Ebinoor is visible on the plain to the north.
Touching jungle again we passed at mile 11 the ruins of Jinkla among fine trees with abundance of water, and at mile 134 entered New Jinkha, which is not so large as Shihu, but yet is almost a small town. It has a tiny walled portion and boasts four officials, two civilians, and two military. The garrison is said to consist of 160 infantry, and 50 cavalry, but these are spread over the pickets. There is a good inn at Jinkha and here we baited the animals.
Passing an occasional farm we reached Yungchihu 10 miles later, a small settlement with a most miserable inn. The road was so bad at one point this afternoon that one of the carts fell completely over on its side. At the inn were three Chinese quack doctors travelling back to Ili from Honan, their native province. They charge a tael here for medicine which costs a cent in Peking,
October 19.-After a march of 16 miles we reached Tahoensze, a straggling hamlet among fine trees with a mixed population of Turkis and Chinese, probably 200 in all. Soon after leaving this place the jungle came to an end, and we ascended slightly in a south-west direction to Wutai (the "fifth tai" from Ili) 12 miles farther on. road was very wet and marshy in the afternoon and in the rainy season must be unusually difficult for carts.
The
The innkeeper here pays no taxes but has to house any passing officials gratis. He was born here 30 years ago. The picket was first built by the Government but subsequently transferred to a Chinaman. The man said that in a good year he made 70 tacls, in a bad year 50 taels (101. 10s. as against 7. 10s.). He and his family only eat flour, this comes from Taboensze and costs 34 cents a catty. They cat meat, perhaps twice a month, otherwise never anything else but flour and tea. The following is an example of their lack of interest in naming places. This place is called Wutai (5th tai). I asked the name of the mountains (the Borokhoro) he replied that they were the Wutaishan, the stream the Wutaiho (5th tai mountains, 5th tai stream).
We had reached the end of the plain, and ascended steadily but gently in a south-westerly direction up a bleak valley for 20 miles to Sultai (4th tai). No water was reached until we arrived at Sultai, where a tiny tricklet, at most 4 inches wide, crossed the road.