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Inns.
As already mentioned there are no inns in the Ordos except in the districts already referred to. It is, therefore, essential for the traveller to carry tents.
As I have, however, already said the Mongol hospitality is such that the simple unofficial traveller can always clain it and will be most cordially received even though he has a quantity of camp followers. The Mongol family will even prefer to sleep out of doors rather than that the visitor shall be inconvenienced. The members of the family will also hasten to do all the menial work such as, cutting of firewood, drawing of water, and leading the camels away to the scrub to feed.
The traveller need not even ask if he may stay the night; he need merely inspect the various yourts to see which he prefers and which he thinks it would be most con- veuient to the owners for him to occupy. In return for this he has, when settled in, to allow every member of the houshold, whether male or female, young or old, to enter his yourt to present their respects and snuff bottles, to inspect everything he has and to ask a myriad questions as to the why and wherefor of each article. If any bags or boxes are locked the visitors will ask that they may be opened.
Animals.
Excepting in the northern kingdoms of Hangkin and Talat I found quantities of antelope everywhere. I was told that in winter they are numerous in these two districts also.
It is easy to get near them but they disappear very rapidly over the low hills. Hares are to be found everywhere-almost every bush hides one. Pheasants are equally numerous in Wang, Djassak, Wushin, and Ottok. Partridges and sand grouse abound. Wolves are said to be very common in winter: I saw also a few badgers and traces of foxes. There are said to be two kinds of snakes, the one poisonous the other harmless but I did not meet either. Flies and small insects are especially trying in the hot weather and are very irritating to the camels. There are several kinds of spider one of which is said to bite but not to be poisonous. In some districts there are myriads of a large kind of field mouse while in others what the Chinese call "jumping mouse" is found. Wild duck and geese, Chinese geese, cranes, fish eagles, hawks, pigeons abound. Lizards of a yellowish-grey colour dash about everywhere marking the sand with the pattern of their tracks while a disagreeable looking black crawling beetle is almost as
common.
Each tribe has thousands of goats, sheep, oxen, and ponies: all pick up what food they are able to find for themselves, the ponies being branded and allowed to roam over the steppes at will. In the districts where there is little water all come to a certain well once a day to be watered, their owners sometimes coming many miles for this purpose. There are a great number of camels in the Ordos, but only a few are reared in the country. The goats are, perhaps, the most useful animal which the natives possess. Each goat brings in 3 taels (9s.) a year to its owner while it costs nothing to keep and the herd of course increases annually.
Industries.
The only industries I discovered in the country were the liquorice root, salt bricks, goat hair and skins, and felt industries. Omitting the lamas, the whole of the people are engaged in tending their immense herds.
The liquorice plant grows extensively throughout the country. Its roots are much used by the Chinese for the manufacture of sugar and for medicine. A great deal is exported to foreign countries through Tien-tsin and Manchuria. The chief places where I found it were in the Hangkin and Talat tribes. The industry is entirely in the hands of the Chinese, the Mongols being too indolent to do the work required. Chinese coolies, chiefly from Shansi, spend five months in the year in the country engaged in the work. They are scattered about in groups throughout the country. They spend the whole day grubbing up the roots, which they bring back at sunset to head-quarters, where they are paid by the manager according to weight. The coolie sleeps in the Settlement and the manager provides food, chiefly millet, deducting the cost from his pay. labourer can earn 50 cents (18.) a-day, a poor worker will only make
A good cents. A large portion of the earnings is spent in opium, which the great majority of the coolies smoke, bringing it from Shansi ; the liquorice root is sorted at the Settlements, stripped, fastened up into bundles, and (from Hangkin and Talat) sent by cart to the river and
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thence by boat to Tutschöng, 50 miles south-west of Kweihnacheng, whither Chinese dealers come from afar to buy it, Among the dealers are representatives of foreign firms in Tientsin.
The bundles are of 200 catties weight as a rule, and are sold for 8 taels (21x.); of this sum 1 t. 20 c. (3s. 4d.) is paid to the Prince of Hangkin (for the amount collected on his land) as royalty.
The salt industry, wherever I have met it, is in Mongol hands, but is carried on with the national laziness, no energy being displayed in its collection or trouble taken to develop it.
Gout's hair, wool, skins.-These are the sources of wealth of the country, for Chinese dealers visit the various farms annually to buy them; these dealers come round usually in the spring, among them being representatives of foreign Tientsin firms. The Mongols bave nothing to learn from Europe as regards the preparation of the goat's hair for market, for they mix sand and water to a great extent with each bundle and then sell it by weight. It is sold at S to 10 cents (2d.) a catty.
Salt bricks.-The only place I found these being made was in Wushin country at Chagan Noor; the business is in Chinese hands. The bricks are made in the winter tine when the lake is frozen, the layer of salt and dust is taken from the top, removed to huge cauldrons, and boiled; thus the pure salt is obtained. The manager of the only establishment I saw uses nine cauldrons, each being able to turn out five bricks a-day. These are transported to Peking for sale by camels, one camel's load being three bricks, a weight of 400 catties. At Chagan Noor 1 eatty costs 1 cent, but in Peking 5 cents; this is due to the cost of transport and customs squeezes en route.
Felt. Every Mongol manufactures felt for his own use, but not for sale. This is made by a very simple process. The wool is wetted, beaten with sticks, and pressed. Many families will have stores of ball-a-dozen huge blankets of this felt, one of which will take about a couple of hours to make.
Minerals.
The country is fairly rich in mineral wealth did the inhabitants only know it. In any case, however, it is unlikely that they would develop these resources themselves. In consequence of this the Chinese will inevitably sooner or later get possession of these, and the process of infiltration of Chinese will be carried a step further.
Ottok, Wushin, and Wang have excellent coal; lead and silver are said to be abundant; salt is found universally, and, if properly worked, would bring into each tribe a good annual revenue. The salt lake of Dabasun Noor in Hangkin is said to yield the Prince an annual sum of 800 taels in royalty, and this is certainly capable of expansion.
Foreign Travellers in Ordos.
Foreigners travelling through Ordos are rarely seen. Those who do go there are therefore easily remembered. Those passing through the south invariably visit the Belgian mission stations. The priests say they see about one European a year. No Japanese have yet been seen; of recent years Lieutenant Campbell, R.G.A., a German archeologist, Dr. Tafel, whose scientific researches in the earth caused much merriment among the Mongols and a German attached to the Legation at Peking some three years ago have been noted.
As all his movements and doings are watched and remembered, the traveller has to be unusually careful when wandering through these less visited regions, as his misdeeds will inevitably come to light. One German explorer had such a violent temper that he beat his servants daily, the consequence being that he had to change them every week, for, though he paid high wages, no one would renew their contract with him. The reputation left behind by the German Count from the Legation was unenviable. He travelled with a lady and stayed a long time at the various mission stations.
It was only some time after he had left that the good fathers discovered that the lady was not the Count's wife as represented, but that they had been housing a prostitute--an Englishwoman, be it added. To travel in such a manner and to beg the hospitality of the mission stations is hardly nice.
An occasional Russian passes through from north to south, or vice versa, but such travellers are rare.
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