A
160
90
The foregoing is a faithful record of such traces of Japanese as found on a journey lasting six and a-half months, and it should be noted that the area under observation was enormous, comprising practically all Mongolia of any account, while the length of time reviewed may be computed at two years. Side by side with these facts, and bearing in mind that the Russians accuse the Japanese of sending spies to Mongolia, I would beg to sketch the following as indicative of Russian policy in Mongolia -
(1.) The activity of the Russian Consular authorities, and the style kept up by them by means of the Cossack guards.
(2.) The activity of the Russian banks.
(3.) Urga, Uliassutai, and Kobdo, are each head-quarters for Russian trade activity, this not being confined to the town, but extending to the surrounding country.
(4.) Practical monoply of wool and bair trades.
(5.) That the establishment of wool merchants in the country partakes of the nature of permanent establishments, that they serve as spies to the Consular authorities, and to exert pressure on the tribes.
(6.) That the actions, movements, and words of every foreigner coming to the settlements are known and watched by the Russians.
(7.) Russian lads come to Kobdo to learn Mongol.
(8.) Control of postal system.
In this way the Russification of Northern Mongolia has been proceeding apace, while His Majesty's Government have been unable to be kept informed of the steady growth of Russian influence, and while the Chinese Government have been supine and inert before the steady advance. It can only be that the Russians (1) are misinformed by their local agents; (2) that they trust that His Majesty's Government cannot discover the true facts that they assert the presence of Japanese agents among the Mongols. The organization of the Russification of Northern Mongolia seems perfect, and it appears to me that the Russians are now ready for a step forward; hence the intrigues at Alashan, round which the same webs are being woven. Both can only be broken by an active policy on the part of the Chinese Government.
Finally, it should be added that Japanese interests as regards trade are by no means inconsiderable, for a large number of cheap Japanese goods find their way through Peking shops to all the colonies of Mongolia (and indeed, all over China), and that the Japanese Government will hardly care to be a party to a policy restricting the influx of these into Mongolia, where they have a ready sale.
SECTION V.-ÜLIASSUTAI TO KOBDO.
There is an important trade route between Uliassutai and Kiachta. This track runs down the valley of the Selenga, and avoids Urga. It was explored last year on behalf of the Russo-Chinese Bank by the present Manager at Urga, M. Stephanow.
Another important track from Uliassutai is one which runs in a north-west direction to Ulankom on Ubsa Lake. Ulankom is said to be six days away. There are Government stages along the road. There is said to be a Chinese colony living there, and it would be interesting to know how long they have been settled there and how the policy of the Central Government is being carried out in those districts into which Dr. Gatrell stated in 1902 it was only in 1901 that Chinese were allowed to penetrate though Russians had travelled and traded there for years.'
The only track to Kobdo runs due west from Uliassutai, and by it we started on the 19th August.
Keeping down the valley of the Bogdin Gol we reached Alder Tai camp after 15 miles. Here we halted for the night. We found a small official at the Tai in charge of 120 ponies from Ili to Peking. A Chinese merchant had also, for a sum of money, attached himself to the party, and was taking his merchandize down to the capital free of charge and immune from li-kin charges, thanks to the display of the small yellow flag which denotes Government property.
August 20.---Continuing down the valley we kept slightly above the bed of the river which is full of low serub and small trees among which the river wends in a delightful way. After some 6 miles the road bends away from the river to rejoin it again at mile
by which time the valley has become very broad and the mountains more detached and considerably lower. During our absence from the river it has been joined by the stream which passes Shuruk (15th August), the combined streams faking the name of the Uliassutai. This flows in a series of channels spread over a
91
wide valley with a great deal of verdure and small trees on the islands formed by the channels. We reached Borok at mile 14. Leaving the Uliassutai Valley we turned over a low ridge and reached the Jabkon Valley and camped 50 yards from the water's edge at Hottonlan. The scenery now changed: to the north the mountains had come to an end and low grassy hills had taken their place to be succeeded by low detached ridges; to the south of the river were sand-hills some 80 feet high, stretching for many miles east, west, and southwards.
These appeared to be as bleak as the worst sands of Alashan, except for a little vegetation close to the river's bank. Though the soil north of the river is sandy and the track inconveniently so at times for wheeled traffic the country is wholly covered with grass, and there is not a single bare sandy patch except for the road. This makes the sudden sandy desert across the water all the more remarkable. The sands are blown about into weird shapes in the same way as are those of the Ordos.
At Hottonlan the river is 250 yards broad and very swift, the water is very muddy. The banks are inclined to crumble away like those of the Hoangho.
August 21.-Keeping alongside the Jabkon we reached Iche Djiss after 12 miles; here the sands of the south side have begun to invade the north bank. The river is crossed anywhere by natives on horseback, but the pony has to swim vigorously for the stream is both swift and deep. Continuing down the river we reached Bagar Djiss after another 14 miles. We were glad to rest here from the midday heat, for the bitter cold of the mountains had been succeeded by a burning August heat on the plains. We slept at Dzur camp after another 11 miles.
August 22.-Moving westwards for 4 miles along the cliff above the river we descended to the valley again and kept over green turt for 11⁄2 miles to the ford of the Jabkon. Here some little time was wasted discussing the cart and the possibility of its being submerged. We crossed, however, in perfect safety, the greatest depthi being never more than 24 feet of water. The soft sandy bed and the existence of submerged sandbanks against which the cart might have fallen over and the rapidity of the stream were the chief difficulties. The river must be at present at its summer height, for its waters cover a quarter of a-mile at this point. The natives who act as ferrymen have marked out a course for themselves with stakes so as to avoid possible shoals, but I imagine that as the Jabkon is continually bringing down sand the course of the ford has to be changed periodically. The sand-bills on the south recede here and merge into a ridge of mountains to which they impart their character to a certain extent. In places the sand-hills come down to the river, the land not encroached on by them being bays of green pasture land at this time of the year marshy in places, and to a large extent covered with saline efflorescence. In these bays a number of cattle and sheep graze, and in one of these is the Bogue camp, some 8 miles from the crossing and 14 from the last Tai. The country to the north of the river is now covered with low mountain ranges in compact form again. They are bleak and rugged and slightly sand silted, During the march the deep snows of the range of mountains which divides the two lakes to our west become visible.
Continuing down the valley the road becomes very difficult for carts in summer because of the amount of water in the river which comes right up to the saud-hills on our We left. The whole valley is a home for every kind of wild fowl including swans. reached the station of Argalanta after 17 miles. Here, the river turns in a north-westerly direction, being diverted from the west by a low ridge of hills running south-east to north-west practically buried in sand.
August 23.--Leaving the river the track runs over low hills to the west; after 16 miles we looked down on to the small lake of Baganoor. Turning south-west we reached the Tai of the same name after another 7 miles. The whole 23 miles' march had been unusually difficult travelling for the cart on account of the sands.
During the morning another mob of ponies passed us bound for Peking. There were, I think, 1,600 in all.
Leaving Baganoor in a southerly direction we skirted the small lake lying in its setting of bleak sands which seem to be rapidly encroaching on it, and turning to the south-west kept over a terrible stretch of sand-hills for some miles. These resemble in every way those that lie between Porobalgasson and Hsiaochiaopan, and are bare and bleak and blown about by the winds into the strangest hollows and hills. They are difficult and dangerous for caravans to cross being composed entirely of loose drift sand. It was with the utmost labour that we got my small cart across, and it would be useless for a cart of the Peking pattern to attempt the crossing. From the highest The sand-bills are some 7 miles broad point we looked down on to the Turgen moor.
where the track crosses them. A mile from their foot the edge of the lake is reached,
:
;
ید .
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.