52
could have reached it even sooner with a little haste. I spoke to the carters about the price, and when they said they did not expect to get as much as 1 tael a-day a-piece for entire expenses and wages, I took pleasure in telling them the amount I had paid the cart-owner. They informed me that a large portion of that amount would find its way to the official's pocket.
Preparation for Journey, Loss of Money and other Questions.
The four and a-half days during which I was detained at Kweihuacheng awaiting a solution of the transport question were spent in a constant interchange of visits with the greater and lesser Chinese authorities, in making the necessary preparations as regards stores for the journey across the Gobi, and in dealing with some tiresome questions which arose.
Among the latter was the severe illness of a servant, which had been contracted in the Ordos desert, and made worse by the hardships which he had had to endure. At one time it seemed necessary to send the man back to Peking, which would have meant a serious delay to myself in obtaining another. However, he recovered sufficiently to proceed, and got completely well in the Gobi. Another tire-
some question was the loss of 90 taels in the street en route from the native bank to the inn. It was an ordinary case of what we call in England carriage theft, but it might have proved a real embarrassment, as I had no means of procuring a further supply of money than what I had still left in the bank. I report on it as instancing the goodwill of the high official towards the traveller. The theft was reported at once to the police yamên, and I expressed a certain amount of censure on the attitude of the policemen attached to the street in which the theft occurred, in having allowed dense crowds to collect round my cart while I was making some purchases in a shop. The taotai called to express his regret, and his intention of making me a present of the amount, and would not hear of my refusing it or of my considering it a loan. He naïvely observed that he had already done the same thing-in the case of British officers being robbed--and that the money had in both cases been eventually returned. On reaching Uliassutai I informed His Majesty's Legation of the occurrence, and Sir J. Jordan kindly undertook the task of the repayment of the loan.
road.
Another necessity before starting was the official task to travel on the Government This was obtained from the Tutong. A letter from the Chiangchun was also necessary. This was obtained from the taotai, who was doing the Chiangchun's work pending the arrival of the successor to the disgraced official.
Climate across Gobi.
Whatever terrors the month of July may have in other years for the traveller across Gobi, that month in 1908 dealt with us very gently. Having experienced a good deal of discomfort from the heat and glare of the sun, both in Alashan, Ordos, aud the Yellow River valley in June, it was with no little anxiety that we embarked on the journey across the desert to Urga. All fears as to heat were, however, groundless, for the weather throughout was mild and bordering on cold. The difference of temperature between the Kweihuacheng plain and the Mongolian plateau, is so marked as to be really dangerous to travellers who are inexperienced in these regions, and the summer clothing, which, in spite of its lightness, was almost a burden at Kweihuacheng, became almost a deathtrap on ascending on to the plateau. As the Mongols spoke of this July as an ordinary one, as regards heat, it may, I think, be assumed to be the most comfortable month for travelling for those who dislike extremes of temperature. As regards rainfall, this year seems to have been unusually favourable. Rain fell on thirteen out of the twenty-one days which we took between Kweihuscheng and Urga, and in each case was accompanied by thunder and sometimes hail, one storm on the 8th July being exceed~ ingly violent. The heaviness of the storms was proved by the fact that for some hours after the rain had ceased pools of water stood in the desert. Even on the days when no rain fell along our line of march it was visibly falling in the near distance and was accompanied by thunder. The storms came as a rule from the north-west or south-east direction, very occasionally from the south-west. They were invariably accompanied by bigh winds, which got up just before the storm, and subsided almost at once afterwards. The days when no rain fell were accompanied by a light breeze, usually from the north- This tempered the warmth of the sun considerably, though I proved to my cost that the latter had great power notwithstanding. The nights were often chilly and we
west.
53
were never able to sleep under less than three blankets, while on one occasion (the 30th June, two days after reaching the plateau) a stove was a real comfort in the evening.
The People, their attitude, habits, food, &c.
Until the last Chinese settlement, two days north of Kweihuacheng, was passed, we neither sighted a Mongol yourt nor met a single Mongol on the road. After- wards we came into daily contact with them. Throughout the whole route they were extremely friendly and courteous. Greeting us at first as officials, i..., somewhat stiffly, they threw off all reserve when they found we meant no harm by them. In this respect it was a great assistance to be able to speak to them in their own language. Small presents of knives, pocket looking-glasses, strings of beads, matches, candles, &c., were also a great aid in establishing good relations. While other travellers may have had a less happy experience I felt instinctively that they were wholly to be trusted. They live universally in the usual style of Mongol yourt, which is removable in five minutes' time. Their occupations are connected with their vast herds of ponies, oxen, sheep, goals and camels, and the preparation of the hair, wool, and skins of these for the Chinese or Russian merchants. The Chinese traders make periodical tours of the districts to purchase what they require. Some of the Mongols take their skins, &c., to Kalgan and Kweihuacheng for sale The life they live is one of blissful idleness, the only activity displayed being when they are on horseback. To this they are, of course, accustomed from childhood; they carry this habit so far that they even tend their flocks on horseback.
The greater number of the men whom one meets are lamas. Many of these by no means observe the rule as to keeping the head shaved, and consequently resemble closely-cropped Europeans. They are extremely pious and superstitions. What chiefly strikes one is the intimate knowledge the Mongols have of the country. To the uninitiated eye all looks the same, and slope follows slope, without there being seemingly any point or object which the eye can grasp as a land-mark, and yet all of a sudden one of the party will ride off rapidly to the east or west, over trackless downs, and disappear homewards, or else another will cross our path, coming from the east from apparently nowhere, accompany us for half-an-hour, and hear our news, and disappear as rapidly to the west as if on a high road.
The women cannot ever be described as graceful or pretty. The hard life they lead, and the perpetual existence in the saddle, probably prevent them from being the former, while constant exposure to the elements tans and wrinkles their faces till even the girls look clderly women. The curious head-dresses which the married women wear, and which are distinctive of the tribe to which they belong, give the women often an attractive appearance.
The same care which the women spend on their head-dresses the men spend on their saddles. These are hard wooden things with a high peak before and behind. The seats are studded with solid silver stars, and the rims to the peaks are also frequently of silver.
All the money which a family possesses goes either to the wife for her head-dress, or to the men for their saddles, or to both for tobacco,
The men all take snuff also. The tobacco comes from China, and certainly costs double what it does in Kalgan. I came across no cases of opium-smoking, and few of drink. The latter is probably too expensive for anyone except Princes.
Everyone of both sexes and of every age smokes, but not to excess.
It is rare that one sees a Mongol child, except the lama boys in the temples, and the reason probably is that the race is dying out. One can hardly be surprised. The life of a Mongol family is not adapted to the well-being of babies or little children, especially as the latter are expected to fend for themselves very early in life, and to pick up what they can in the way of food from the family pot. This, combined with the fact that there are no doctors, and that in the event of illness a cure is attempted either by the Chinese needle system or by suspending a Budhistic amulet round the neck, can only tend to the survival of the strongest constitutions.
The food of the people is simple and inexpensive. It consists almost entirely of cheese and dried milk, with an occasional cupfull of rice. This latter is obtained from Kalgan in exchange for skins. Tea is an expensive luxury, but a great deal is drunk. Milk is always obtainable. Mutton or beef are eaten occasionally, but by no The Mongol is meaus daily. Salt is an expensive necessity, costing 50 cents a catty. not particular how his meat is cooked. At one place I disturbed a small official while he was breakfasting, and a close inspection of his fare showed that it consisted of
[2155 -1]
P
141
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.