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Sharasumé
Sharasumé, Altaishan, or Cheng-hwa-ssu is a Chinese settlement in the making and is destined to become another Kobdo or Uliassutai. At present there are only ten Chinese shops of which six or seven are large ones, these are branches of Peking or Tien-tsin shops; they sell articles of clothing, snuff-bottles, food and the necessaries of life, renewing stock three times a year viâ Guchen by camel caravan.
The entire population cannot be more than 1,500 of whom 1,000 are soldiers. It will be understood why the few traders established here find existence difficult for there is no one to buy and no money. The settlement is governed by an Amban, a Manchu, Hsi Heng by name; he is 48 years old. His former posts were several years' service in the Palace, and then the taotaiship of Jehol in Chih-li. He was at Jehol during the Boxer ontbreak in 1900 and seems to have done much towards keeping the district quiet. He is an energetic and enlightened official with an admirable and unusual knowledge of foreign polities and of history. He is a henchman of Yuan Shil kai and a friend of Natungtan.
There is no inn at the settlement so a room had been prepared for me in the house of the leading Turkish merchant. Here I found a pleasant lodging carpeted with beautiful Khotan rugs and filled with light bamboo European furniture obtained from Russia (Zaisan Post). The walls were nicely papered and the windows had glass in them and were shaded by chintz of muslin hangings.
In the late afternoon of the 9th September I called on the Governor to thank him for the hospitality of the settlement. His Excellency had caused a small guard of honour to be drawn up to receive me. A young man who is in charge of the office which deals with external affairs was present. He is a Honanese, and possesses a remarkably good knowledge of English acquired in Tien-tsin. He is delicate, and hardly likely to rise high in office in the State. He receives 120 taels a-month (187) for his knowledge of English, which he has little occasion te speak bere. The Governor's room was stacked with rifles, He was amiable enough to invite me to dine at a later date.
September 10.-To-day was a Chinese holiday--the autumnal festival. At our inter- view yesterday the Governor said he would assist me to hire transport for the remainder of the journey. I suggested travelling to Manas instead of to Chuguchak. He said there was a road to Manas, but that for two days there was no water or grass. He seemed to think these difficulties insuperable. He said the Moslem trouble in Hsinchiang was over, and that it had never been serious,
It
The Chinese seem to go on the cart without the horse principle, as regards these northern colonies. They go to much trouble to form them, but neglect to unite them with China by rapid means of communication. Hence the only possible trade is in wool, hides, &c., and this languishes until Russian merchants establish themselves. This trade, of course, finds the nearest outlet which is Russia. There is then the appearance of a revival of trade, but this is not really so as regards China, and Russians, not Chinese, reap the benefit. And as Russian trade and interests grow so the footing obtained by her is deeper. Sharasumé is a settlement that cannot grow where it is. is situated in a cul de sac at present, on the road to nowhere. Chinese profit little by the Russian merchants, for the latter put no money in the Mongul's pockets, trade being one entirely of barter, so that it is Russian trade which benefits all round. merchant in whose house I stayed sends the skins which he collects to Zaisan in Russian territory, six days away by camel transport. He brings back Russian goods in return. It was, I think, due to him that the Russians in Chuguchak heard of my approach, and they probably make use of him for finding out what goes on in Altaishan.
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Living in the settlement is uaturally expensive at present. Flour and rice cost 7 cents a catty, eggs 10 cents a-piece, Chinese vinegar 15 cents a catty as against 2 cents in Peking. The Chinese have introduced pigs and fowls. Vegetables grow plentifully and are comparatively cheap. The yamên have issued paper notes (for local use only). These bear the Government scal; they are for the following values: I cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 50 cents, and 1 tacl. Tea bricks and the tags in use at Kobdo are also used as currency.
The only foreigner who has officially visited the settlement has been the Russian Consul at Uliassutai.
The Amban called at 11:30 A.M. and stayed three hours with me. His sympathies are very pro-British. He is a strong advocate of the forward movement in Mongolia. We discussed the questions of a future constitution and future navy for China, the rights
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and wrongs of the South African war and Russo-Afghan frontier matters. His Excellency possessed a remarkable knowledge of modern topics and historical personages such as Bismarck, Napoleon, Wellington. It may be safely predicted that he will rise to a still higher position in the government of his country. Unfortunately, he speaks no English, nor any European language. He told me that the Russian Consular officer at Uliassutai (he refused to call him Consul), had only been here once, and that there were no Russian subjects here. He had come because a Russian merchant (a Russian Hassack, I believe), had disappeared while travelling in the Altaishan. The Amban said that two Russian subjects had been riding in the district, to the south-east in the desert, and that the survivor had complained that his friend had been killed by Hassacks. The Russian Consul seems to have attempted to bully the Amban, but be got little change out of his stalwart opponent, who said that the man's passport had only entitled him to travel on the main roads, and that he could not be responsible for the disappearance of the man travelling by the small roads. The Amban, moreover, requested the Consul to prove that his subject had been murdered, to produce bones, or some trace of clothing, &c. So the Cousul was very angry, and went away dissatisfied,
The Amban spoke sarcastically of the Russian attitude, and said that, whenever Chinese subjects disappeared while in Russian territory, he got no redress from the Russian authorities, but that he did not make so great a fuss as this travelling Russian Consular officer, who, he said, had moreover no right to come and discuss the matter with him.
The Amban told me that the Wai-wu Pu had recently issued orders that no foreigners were to be allowed to survey in Mongolia, or indeed any part of China; he said that these orders were the result of Japanese having been caught mapping in Heilungchiang (Manchuria). I could not help remarking, showing him some excellent Russian and German maps with which I had been travelling, that it seemed a little late to issue such orders as regarded Mongolia, and that it was a pity, as regarded that dependency, that foreigners should not be allowed, if they wished, to perfect what they had begun, especially as the Chinese had as yet so few men capable of doing it. In any case it is an order to which travellers like Kozloff will pay little heed. Talking of Kozloff and his escort, the Amban said that the Central Government would never have allowed the latter had the matter been reported to them. His Excellency added that nowadays the Central Government expected 'every single question to be reported to them from Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan. He said it was a difficult thing to do from Sharasumé, as there was no telegraph, and every urgent matter had to be sent by horseman to Chuguchak to be telegraphed from there. He added that he had asked for permission to connect his colony with Manas by telegraph; here it would be linked up with the main trunk line. He had urged the matter as forcibly as possible, and expected a favourable reply. As regarded the colony, his Excellency said he proposed to build it 30 miles to the south, on the plain, and close to the Kilingho. This place, however (Sharasumé), would remain as it was, and would form a summer residence. His Excellency is a vigorous supporter of the anti-opium policy.
In the evening the owner of my lodging left for Chuguchak on business; he left on borseback, and was to take from eight to ten days; he would put up at nights with any tents he came across. He was taking a small tent with him, in case he had to halt in an uninhabited district. About twenty of the population assembled in the courtyard prayer before his departure; it was a most impressive sight in the brilliant sunset. Directly prayers were over he and his three servants (two of whom carried rifles) mounted and rode away.
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Later in the evening the Chinese festival (mid-autumn) was at its height. The moon was worshipped, squibs and crackers were let off for hours, and everyone drank as much as they could get.
It has been found that black beans, kaoliang, and Indian corn can be grown in these valleys, so an attempt is to be made to do this on a large scale. The only trees of the settlement (except for low jungle along the river) are round the yamên inclosure.
The settlement is at the present entirely unprotected by walls, and could, if the garrison failed it, be wiped out by any force.
September 11.-The garrisons consist of 600 Mongols and 400 Chinese; all are designated cavalry, but I saw few horses and little stabling accommodation. They are armed with German rifies of 1888 pattern, but say that 500 of a later pattern have just arrived. The Chinese are lodged in small mud huts which they have themselves constructed. There are four companies, each commanded by a Captain; one is to the north-west, immediately behind the yamê, another to the north-east, and a third is 300 yards to the east of No. 2, and the fourth in a small inclosure 300 yards south of
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