15%
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originally thirty, their number had been lately increased because of the appearance of robber bands, and that of these sixty, three-quarters were Buriats (Russian Mongols) who would not speak anything but Mongol. In reply to a further question he said that there was no artillery, and that there had been none since 1900. His replies tallied with what some Japanese travellers had told me the day before (except that they had said that there were forty Cossacks), but it did not tally with what the Chinese merchants told me, to the effect that there were guns as well.
Chuguchak, October 3.-The Acting Consul, Loutchitch, a very pleasant young fellow of 80, with whom I established warm personal relations, and who had been one of the assistants at the Consulate in Urga when I passed through the latter place in July, spoke quite frankly about the Consulate guard. I regretted to him that I had asked the manager of the bank instead of the Consul-General, but said that the reason was that the Consul-General was away at the races, the First Secretary did not speak French fluently and seemed nervous of me, while he himself (Loutchitch) was only the junior. He replied that, so far as he knew, it was no secret; there were sixty-two Cossacks since June. I asked him as to artillery, and he denied that there were any guns, but on being pressed said that there were two or three, relics of Boxer days. He asked if sixty-two constituted an army, and I replied that I did not think so, except, vis-à-vis, the Chinese garrison. He asked if I had learnt that there were only 250 of these and so inefficient that though they were called cavalry they had, when sent out recently against brigand bands, been obliged to arrive at the scene of action in carts. I replied that I had heard that they had left their rifles behind them, and that when these arrived they were fired off once in the direction of the foe, and that a return had then been made to Urga and complete victory reported (in the old style).
The bank Manager at Urga, not speaking Chinese very fluently, employs as interpreter the clerk at the Chinese telegraph office, who speaks Russian. This young man also gives Chinese lessons in M. Stephanow's family. The employment of such a man gives the Russians full information, if required, respecting telegrams.
I should have called on the Russian Consul the first day of
in Urga only I iny stay heard that he was absent for a fortnight. I subsequently called at the Consulate two days later, and saw the two secretaries, Zinkievutch and Loutchitch, both of whom speak French, though the former does so badly. The latter was leaving for Chuguchak in a few days' time. I had been expected since November, when the late M. Pokotilow was kind enough to write to the Consul and ask him to assist me if I passed by Urga; on receipt of his Excellency's letter a room had been prepared for me at the Consulate. M. Shishmareff, the Consul-General, subsequently caused his card to be sent me.
M. Shishmareff, who had retired from the public service in 1902, after forty years' work, was called upon two years ago to resume the post as Consul-General at Urga. He has, however, only the title of Acting Consul-General. The post was held by M. Luba during those four years, and his tenure of office was marked by very unfriendly relations with the Chinese Amban, for which doubtless the latter was a good deal to blame, though possibly the Russiau Consul-General was too energetic and too little conciliatory. The Amban was impeached on several counts, probably at the instigation of the Russians, and was recalled. M. Laba was subsequently transferred to Harbin, where he now is. do not know if the Foreign Office know that M, Shishmareff is half a Mongol (a Buriat). I gathered that the Russian community consider him too old for his work, and not energetic enough.
The Chinese Amban is a Manchu, by name Yen-chi, he is about 60 years old. His career has been a chequered one; at one time an official in the Palace he got a post in Honan, where he was disgraced. He subsequently lived in retirement in Peking until Prince Ching gave him the present billet, probably in return for a handsome sum of money. There is no limit of time the post may be held; it is held therefore until disgrace, death, or a transfer come. A transfer is mainly effected by influence of friends at Court and plenty of money. The Ambau hopes to be transferred this winter or early in the spring of 1909. He has been in Urga four years, succeeding Te Yu Ting, who was impeached for and found guilty of despotism, want of tact, and want of respect to the Bogdo. It must have been a difficult post to succeed to. The present Amban brought none of his family with him, possibly to avoid falling under the first charge, he seems to have established exceedingly friendly personal relations with the Russians, which covers the second charge, and to have made friends with the Bogdo, which covers the third charge. He struck me as being extremely astute, and I gathered from two long conversations that in case of any difficulty he referred everything to Peking, and decided nothing himself. The Russian Bank told me that he was exceedingly difficult to
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work with, and that they hoped the next would be better. He was extremely friendly
to me.
The Mongol Amban is associated with the Chinese Amban in the government of the district. The Russians told me he is more of an ornament than anything else, and is never consulted.
The Bogdo has enormous influence over the Mongols, and may be compared to a mediæval Pope. His vices are extravagance and drunkenness, both of which require large sums of money to be indulged.
Such are the dramatis persona in Urga.
The Russians were not unnaturally suspicious of my visit to Urga. On being asked by M. Stephanow what my programme was, I said that I should probably visit the Amban in the afternoon of that day, especially as I heard he was going to the races on the morrow. On arriving at the Amban's, I found M. Stephanow and his interpreter there, and although I stayed as long as I dared without inconveniencing the Amban, I was outstayed by M. Stephanow. The innocency of my conversation on that occasion seems to have satisfied the Russians that I had no very ulterior motive in coming to Urga.
The chief subject of our conversation at the Amban's was the opium question. Ile seems to have been very dilatory in taking any steps at Urga in accordance with the wishes of the Peking Government and his delay is doubtless due to his desire, conspicuous in other ways to evade responsibility.
The Amban has shown very pro-Mongol proclivities since his arrival. This was possibly to propitiate the Bogdo and avoid the fate of his predecessor. He assured me at a subsequent interview that he had no relations with the Bogdo, but M. Stephanow told me that the Amban frequently saw the Bogdo and that the latter thoroughly approved of him. The Mongols having no silver left since their supply made during the war they have to pay their debts, &c., in animals as before the war and the Amban seems to have taken the step of attempting to fix a price at which these shall be taken for instance a camel has been valued at 80 taels and all other animals as highly in proportion. While this has proved advantageous to the Mongols it has evoked general disapproval from the Chinese because the animals have been too highly rated. The Chinese have to take a camel at 80 taels, but at market in Kalgan or Kweihuacheng they can only get 30 or 40 taels for it and in addition they have the expense of conveying it thither,
over;
The Chinese have organized a motor-ear postal service to ply between Urga and Kalgan (time four days); the Company, I was assured by the Russian Bank, is entirely Chinese, no foreigner being in it, but knowing the financial difficulty Chinese have in forining a Company, I feel sure the bank is floating it entirely. The service was entirely organized when the Amban objected to it on the ground that it would damage the carrying trade of the Mongols and that the Bogdo has objections to it for the same reason. M. Stephanow informed me that the latter objection was untrue for the Bogdo approved of it (he had probably been propitiated by presents) so the Amban's probable real objections are that the Company is to be ran with Russian money. I was informed in several directions that the Company will start work as soon as a change of Amban occurs. The Ambau appears to have received instructions from Peking to open up the country and settle Chinese farmers. The Russian Bank assured me that his Excellency had not as yet taken any steps in the matter. But the chief work of recent years in Urga has been the establishment by the Amban of a Chinese Government bank (name Ta Ching) to try and oust the Russians as regards lending money to the Mongols. This bank has only been recently opened, but seems to have had some success, and the Amban told me that the Mongols prefer to borrow from the Chinese rather than from the Russians. The Russian Bank charge interest at the rate of 12 per cent, per annum, and informed me that the Chinese Bank charge at the rate of 18 per cent., an improvement on the 36 per cent. that is charged by the Chinese money-lenders who drift about the country. The Amban informed me that the rate charged by the State Bank was really the same as that charged by the Russian Bank. He explained it by an intricate system which I did not understand.
With the exception of these changes (the opening up of the country and the formation of the Government Bank) the first of which has not been brought into operation, the Russian Bank knew of none other even contemplated.
The other question which seems to have been a burning one in the late Amban's time, that of the entry at Kaikhta of Russian goods duty free does not seem to have disturbed present relations. Some, I believe, enter duty free if provided with certificates, but I gathered that the Amban considered it the business of the Wai-wu Pu and
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