THE CHANTOS 259 



On January 21st we passed through groves of 

 trees, poplars in some places forming regular 

 avenues. The people seemed to be much in- 

 terested in our appearance, and said they saw but 

 few foreigners. Those few who have been in these 

 regions travelled by the Northern route, the Pe-lu, 

 whilst we were now trekking on the Nan-lu, or 

 Southern high-road. 



The women's dress was very picturesque. A 

 long red coat, above a short green one falling to 

 the knees, revealed a brightly coloured vest and 

 kerchief. Long boots, below coloured knicker- 

 bockers, completed the attire. Young girls plait 

 their hair in many tails. They marry very young, 

 at twelve or thirteen years of age ; they are often 

 mothers at fourteen, sometimes when but thirteen, 

 years old. A Chanto man may have two wives ; 

 and not infrequently a half-brother marries his 

 half-sister. Even Chinese who are regarded as 

 unbusinesslike and slow by their more astute 

 fellow-countrymen, are able to pick up a good 

 living in Sinkiang. At one place we were told, 

 that so lacking in a mercantile spirit were the 

 Chantos that they would pawn fifty taels' worth 

 of goods to procure eight taels cash, if that hap- 

 pened to be the sum of which they stood in need 

 at the moment. Chinese money-lenders reckoned 

 on making at least 100 per cent. 



The Chinese official at a place called Hsien- 

 shan, a small town situated in terribly bare, stony, 

 and deserted country, overwhelmed us with kind- 

 ness. Not content w^th pressing tins of biscuits 

 and bottles of wine upon us, he wanted to lend 

 us money, and extended a pressing invitation to 



