660
Travels of M. Hnc.
DEC.
Tumet* is, however, described as a flourishing country, well water- ed, fertile, with good houses, fine trees, and no poor. In this country is the great city of Kuku-khotu, or Kwei-hwá ching
"the Blue City," composed of two parts, at some distance from one another; one the commercial, the other the Manchu Tartar, or military city. In the latter, 10,000 soldiers are quartered under a tsiángkiun, or general of a military division. These troops are all Manchus. The reception given to the missionaries by the Chinese of the com- mercial city, who mistook them for 'Tartar lamas, was truly charac- teristic overstrained politeness, with no small spice of roguery. Luckily for them, they escaped all the traps laid out to ease them of their money, and succeeded, but not till after many droll adventures, in finding a home at the “Hotel of the Three Perfections, where tra- velers on horseback or camel are lodged, and all kinds of business transacted, without ever compromising success." Such was the in- scription which decorated the gateway in large Chinese characters. As a specimen of Chinese civilization, even in this remote city, the missionaries laid in at this place a stock of furred winter clothing— unredeemed pledges from the táng-pú, or pawnbrokers, which abound in all Chinese towns. Before leaving the Blue City, we may mention, that it is chiefly celebrated for its lamazaries, which are five great ones, each supporting two thousand monks, and an infinite number of smaller ones, and its camel markets.
When the missionaries quitted the Blue City, they had been already a month on their way to the west. As at Tolon-nor, the streets were so tortuous and narrow, and so beset with carts and horses, pedes- trians, and merchandise, that it was only with the greatest possible dif- ficulty that they could extricate themselves from the place. The se- cond day's journey they lost Arsalan. On their way they met with a caravan of Turk merchants, composed of ten thousand camels! They entered Tchagan Kurun, "the White City," by night. No hostelry would open its doors to their sorry caravan. The Chinese detest camels, which frighten their horses, and bear generally poverty-strick- en Tartars, only fit to be deceived and robbed. Luckily, the bleat- ing of sheep led them to a Tartar's dwelling, who received them (as lamas) most hospitably. This great and fine city does not find a place on existing maps. It lies close to the Upper Hwáng Ho, or Yel-
* [The tribe of Tumet occupies a large part of the circuit of Kweisɑ táu in Chihli. The city of Kuku-khotu has two Chinese names, those of Kweihwa ching and Sni-yuen ching; the latter is probably the Manchu city.]
[This town, according to the position here given to it, is probably that call-
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