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the latter, they would be subject to any exaction passers by might make on them, and though the most hospitable of people they are not prepared to stretch their hospitality to the extent that their homes and property are at the mercy of any and every passing Chinese official. But even among the hills distances between the habitations are usually great. The land in each tribe belongs to that particular tribe who pay no taxes to the Chinese Government, nor has this the right at present to levy such. The Prince of each tribe is responsible for the land of his tribe, and has apparently the power to sell unoccupied portions of it to the Chinese Government or others; he may, however, incur the odium of his subjects by doing so. Each Prince levies the taxes he pleases on his subjects; these taxes take the form of levy of animals, forced labour for the Prince for so many days, or payment of money; this latter, however, is the least common, as the amount of silver in anybody's possession is small. As the Princes are extravagant the taxes are said to increase annually, thereby causing a certain amount of discontent. Each Prince has a yamên attached to his residence where he settles small disputes and troubles. He has not the power to deal with large questions, which must be sent to the nearest Chinese Prefect. in China, that is to say, for in the Ordos there are no Chinese officials of any kind. The Mongols, however, are a peaceful race, and the work of the yamêns is light. The Ordos tribes are all administered from Kwihuacheug and not from Peking direet, but "supervision" is perhaps a more correct term than "administration," for they seem hitherto to have been independent. I am informed that each Prince receives an annual subsidy in money from the Chinese Government; this money, however, is not sent to him, but is placed to his credit at the Li fan pu ("Board of Dependencies "). The sum varies according to the position of the Princes; Wang ranks in the first class and receives 1,000 taels (150), all the others are secondary Princes and only get 500 taels (757.). In spite of this it is Wushin who holds the big seal of the tribes and represents them, vis-à-vis, the Chinese Government. It is not always the same Prince who holds the seal, and I have been unable to discover on what principle this changes hands; possibly each tribe holds it, in rotation, for so many years. Each Prince is supposed to visit Peking once in three years to pay his respects to the Emperor; he does not always do so, however, frequently alleging lack of money as the excuse; this, combined with indolence is probably the real reason, for the Princes think it necessary to travel with great state and a large retinue, and have to distribute a huge amount in
presents" before leaving the capital.
The residences of the Princes are small, unimposing, and insignificant. They are built in the Chinese fashon with a couple or so of courtyards. They are built of brick, as a rule, and the roofs and eaves are simply imitations of Chinese architecture. Some of the Princes, however, erect the national gher in one of the courtyards, and prefer to live in that.
Each residence has a small temple attached to it, in which a dozen lamas who have to come from the surrounding lamaseries in rotation for a month at a time, performing their mysteries for eight hours every day; for their labour they receive plenty of food but no money.
The total population of a princely residence is about 100 souls. The tribes cannot be described as nomadic, for they have all fixed homes round which they have abundance of pasturage for their beasts. Should water or pasturage fail they move to another part of the Principality, but these moves are infrequent. Some of the inhabitants have built themselves small houses like the Chinese, but the vast majority inhabit Mongol yourts. The houses are distinguishable from the Chinese houses by the prayer poles and flags outside.
As regards the yourt there is no variety in its shape--in the Ordos at any rate-all being the circular tent as described by previous travellers. I will quote from Mr. Kidson's account of one in Eastern Mongolia, and which will describe those in the Ordos, adding a few details to be observed among the latter tribes, "The Mongol gher is shaped exactly like an inverted bowl: the framework of the walls is composed of a trellis of wooden staves, fastened very neatly together with strings of hide; the framework of the roofs is made to shut up like a Chinese umbrella, the ribs being attached to a central ring, which forms the hole by which the smoke of the fire escapes, and which can be closed at night by drawing a flap of felt across it. The door is a small oblong aperture about 3 feet high."
The gher is usually lined within with felt, and the exterior covered with the same material, which is bound round with strings of hide. In the case of the very poor, who cannot afford felt, oxen dung is utilized, cakes being spread on, both inside and outside, according as this material accumulates. This cracks in the hot weather, and consc- quently the gher is always draughty--a great inconvenience in winter. princely residences the floor is always the bare ground, on which mats may be thrown. Except in the
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As animals are allowed to wander in and out as they please the floor is always covered with vermin. The floor of one gher met with was literally covered with goat's droppings, and as it was of loose sand, and not the usual hard mud, nothing could remove this somewhat inconvenient and wholly novel form of carpet.
Almost every gher or group of ghers is surrounded by a stockade of thick brushwood some 12 feet high, which prevents the wild animals from entering and also breaks the force of the wind. This stockade is usually entered from the south. In front of it will be a couple of high poles, between which flutter a string or several strings of prayer flags-these being bits of rags of varying colour inscribed with Thibetan Below this there is often a small altar. Even the poorest gher has one set
characters.
of prayer poles and flags, while the rich have several pairs, each elaborately decorated, and perhaps bearing a dozen strips of flags fluttering between them. Inside the stockade will be one or several ghers, according to the wealth or number of the family. I have found in some courtyards as many as half-a-dozen, and probably this number is sometimes exceeded. As these ghers are practically permanent structures the wooden staves which form the framework of the walls are planted in a double line of bricks and mud, which runs all round the base,
The contents of the interior of the gher vary according to the means of the family: the usual equipment is-a brazier in the centre underneath the circular hole in the roof, a few wooden chests round the walls containing cups, crockery utensils for the family, a few mats on the floor, and perhaps a couple of low stools. To the walls hang old-fashioned guns and powder-horns, strange musical instruments, whips, and small pouches into which any odds and ends may be stowed away. A jar or two containing oil, vinegar, or millet, and some strings of dried meat complete the contents. In one of the ghers will be a chest containing sacred scrolls, and serving as the family altar. On it will be a sacred image with a row of small brass bowls filled with oil or butter in front of it.
The princely ghers are identical in shape with those of their subjects, but are larger and more luxurious, I will describe that belonging to the Prince of Wushin: “The gher is lined inside and outside with felt, while inside there is an additional lining of thin dark red silk. In summer the felt is all removed, so that the breeze may enter freely. The floor is of stone, covered with a heavy and beautiful Ninghsia carpet, and low cushions of the same make are scattered about freely as seats, in front of each being a low, delicately inlaid stool, to form a table. A few small cabinets and some bronze Buddhas against the walls completed the contents of the gher, which forms living- and sleeping-room. The further end from the door was slightly raised by two low steps as a dais. The Prince's pet dog-a Pekingese pug-was scampering about the room much distressed at the temporary loss of his master, and doing great damage to the fine carpets."
Character of People.
The nature of the Mongols inhabiting Ordos is wholly different to that of the Chinese. With the exception of the lamas I found all the Mongols met and in whose houses I stayed freely, as friendly, honest, and kindly as one could hope to find in any part of the world. Their ignorance respecting everything in modern civilized use is wholly delightful; but unlike the Chinese they have no false sense of shame at their ignorance and ask innumerable questions as to the use to which every single thing is put, openly avowing that it is entirely new to them. The Chinese invariably try to conccal their ignorance and pretend they know when they really know nothing about a thing. Not so the Mongols who ask the naive questions of children. My Chinese retinue despised them very much for doing so and did not conceal their contempt for them. It seems to me that the contempt in which the Chinese held the Mongols is very similar to that in which we are apt to hold the Chinese.
As regards the Mongol honesty, I never had a single thing stolen from the ghers I occupied. The doors to the ghers (when such exist at all) lock on the outside for the Mongol asks what is the use of locking the door when he is inside, it is only when he is away from the gher that it requires to be locked, so the traveller never has an opportunity of locking the door at night. There is always a heavy felt ap which falls over the doorway and usually this has to serve the duty of door as well, so the Mongols have every opportunity of entering the traveller's abode while he sleeps and of robbing and even murdering him. That the Mongols do neither is certainly proof of their honesty and friendliness for nothing would be easier for them than to do both with impunity.
When upholding to Europeans the Mongols (of the Ordos at any rate) as an honest
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