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appearance of being quite past work. He had spent forty years in Uliassutai. His rank was that of sergeant and his pay only 60 taels (91) a-year; my servant said that did not matter as he probably made 300 taels (157). He said that I had been expected for a long time and that rooms had been prepared for me in another inn, whither we This ion was in reality a Government house where all foreigners and officials are lodged at Government expense. I declined to accept this arrangement and bought my own stores daily.
went.
In the afternoon I received a visit from a Chinese-speaking Mongol, who is employed at the yamên as interpreter. He lives in his yourt a couple of miles away and visits the yamên every day to see if there is any work; he assured me, however, that there was rarely anything to do; for this he receives 6 taels (18s.) a-month, the use of a pony, and one servant, and yet he grumbled.
Late in the same afternoon I visited the Acting Chiangehün. Kwei Huan is really assistant to the Tartar General, but for nearly three years he has acted as Tartar General. He was at one time Assistant Amban and subsequently Amban in Thibet, He was at Darjeeling when the Sikkim Treaty was signed at Calcutta. He is a man of 60, and looks firm and honest. He is approved of by the Russians both here and at Urga, and they hope he will succeed the present Amban at the latter place; his policy is probably, therefore, in accordance with their own.
I asked the General whether Chinese were to be imported to open up the country; he replied that the land was not suited for cultivation, but subsequently admitted that a little wheat would grow in the valleys. It is worth noting that vegetables grow plentifully at Uliassutai, especially beans, turnips, and potatoes. The General has adopted many foreign ways, and among these the art of photography, which he has also taught his daughter. He showed me with evident pride a photo (not taken by himself) of a group taken after the signing of the Sikkim Treaty. His Excellency unfortunately drinks too much.
August 17.-I called on the Russian Consul in the morning; he was extremely friendly. He is a married man of some 37 years. He told me he has a guard of ten Cossacks; these he uses for postal work. He has only recently come to reside at Uliassutai; formerly the work was done from Urga, an assistant being sent here from time to time. The Chinese preferred that arrangement and have steadily refused to recognize the establishment of a Consulate here.
Chuguchak, October 3. The following entry in my diary is interesting: "Loutchitch (the Acting Consul at Chuguchak) said it was very strange the Chinese would not recognize à Russian Consul at Uliassutai; he was therefore only "fonctionnaire du Ministère." He said the old system (by which an assistant was sent from Urga to do the work) was inconvenient, and that it was better to keep a man on the spot, but the Chinese would not concede this right. I said that as the Russians kept a man there who acted as Consul and did the work their purpose seemed to be served equally well, I imagine, however, that the Russians think they lose lace if they do not get everything their own way."
The Russian Consulate and Russo-Chinese Bank are low wooden buildings situated in a lane leading off from the main street. They are buildings of no pretention whatever, with large courtyards in front of them; they are protected by high palisades such as are in general use în Uliassutai. The Cousul has erected two yourts in his yard, which he finds more comfortable, especially in winter, when the cold is intense. He has a staff of two young men from the Urga School of Languages.
M. Dorbijeff (the Consul) fears he may be appointed before long as Consul-General at Urga; he would much prefer Kashgar. Both he and his wife have travelled extensively over Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan.
I subsequently called on M. Dresscher, the Manager of the Russo-Chinese Bank. He speaks Russian and German, and understands French and English, though he speaks neither of these latter.
There is extremely little business done by the Russian Bank here, and the branch is, it is said, being run at a loss; this is partly due to the incompetency on the part of M. Dresscher. The Chinese prefer to do business with their own bank or firms.
The Russian Consul confirmed the news that the branch is going to be closed (the Manager at Urga had also told me the same story). The Mongol yamên interpreter said the bank would be closed when outstanding debts had been collected. In view of what the Russian Bank had told the Amban at Urga to the same effect, I view the statement of the imminent closing of this branch here with some suspicion; possibly, in view of the lack of business, it may be temporarily closed or reopened elsewhere.
The Consul said that the Russian wool merchants here were very wealthy, and had no need of a bank, though this was perhaps a convenience for them.
The Acting Consul-General and bank Manager returned my calls the same afternoon (the 17th August).
Directly on arrival yesterday (the 16th August) I had opened the attack with the police officer regarding hiring animals or carts to continue the journey to Kobdo, but had been met by a non possumus. I carried on the attack with the General, who said it was an absolute impossibility to hire anything in Uliassutai; that it was his duty to help me to get animals, but that he knew it to be impossible. On the following day I had to yield to his wish that I should continue by the Tai road to Kobdo. Everyone agreed that it was impossible to buy fodder for ponies or camels at Uliassutai, and that in this case we should have to proceed very slowly or else take an enormous number of animals, while they again added it would not be possible to procure these.
The
One afternoon I went over to the "fortress" to try and inspect the troops. town is like any ordinary Chinese town, and is composed of narrow dirty lanes with wretched wood or mad houses on either side. I wandered down the lanes looking for some signs of barracks and, finding none, asked a man where the soldiers lived. He didn't know; a second man gave the same answer; a third was a little more hopeful. He had heard of police, and there were some in a temple close by. On reaching this I found eight rifles stacked outside. Now I thought we were near the soldiers, but there was not a soul to be found inside. Issuing dejected we ran against a lama who informed us that the soldiers had gone to dinner. Going down another lane we entered a squalid building and found four men having tea and weighing money, which was being done up into neat little packets. This turned out to be the paymaster's office; to-morrow was the quarter-day, and the little packets contained each man's pay. I then found that there were no barracks, but that every man lived in his own home, no one being allowed to live in the "fortress" unless he had some connection with the administration. The "army" consisted of 250 infantry and 150 cavalry (these latter being the outside Mongols already mentioned).
As there were 272 little packets of money already made up, and a modest Each amount of silver yet to be weighed, the number of men is probably accurate.
Each also gets man was to get 3 t. 40 c., which works out at 1 t. 13 c. per month. 200 cattics of rice and 100 catties of wheat a-year. The money comes direct to Uliassutai from Shausi, some revenue there being earmarked for the garrison here. The men are Chih-li or Shansi men (from Hsuanhuafu or Tatungfu), and serve here for five years.
If they like to do so at their own expense they can go home for a holiday. With the exception of a few, all the rifles are locked up in the yamên, whence they emerge twice a-year for parade, as the men never drill, and never have any rifle practice they can hardly be considered very efficient. The rifles are of German pattern. I did not think it worth while to ask as to ammunition, for as this branch is probably looked after with the same lack of zeal, it did not seem to matter much whether the supply was plentiful or not. I asked whether there was any hospital for the sick, but the reply was in the negative. If any one were sick he went to a doctor at the yamên, who deducted a fee from his pay and the man returned home with his medicine. Beating on the lower part of the thighs is the punishment. The only uniform is a kind of loose waist- To sum up the garrison, the force struck me as one which might be of use to It is perhaps defend the walls against a civil foe provided these had no cannon.
It would be fortunate for the Chinese Empire that the Mongols are a peaceful race. quite impossible for the "garrison" to take the field.
August 18. Both late last night and early this morning numerous crackers were let a god whom it is certainly off in the town in honour of the God of Silver Fête Day, especially advisable for the Chinese at Uliassutai to propitiate.
coat.
The Russian Consul, the Manager of the bank, and myself attended a dinner given by the Acting General in the afternoon in my honour. The Manager of the Chinese Bank was also invited, as well as several small Chiuese officials.
The dinner was of the usual type, and was marked by much geniality and the consumption of a great amount of brandy and other wines by our host. After the first bottle of brandy we adjourned to the garden to be photographed in three separate places by the Chiangchun. We then returned to the house for the more serious portion of the banquet. The Manager of the Chinese Bank, a Shansi man and native of Taiyuanfu, told me that shares for the Pootung Railway were in the market.
August 19.-I inspected the most casterly of the police stations, one of which is at either end of the main street. Ten soldiers are kept at the west end, and thirty at the east end. The station is at the same time a temple. There was a stack of rifles
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157
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