IMPERIAL PASTURE LANDS. 117 



in the extreme cold, and contenting themselves with 

 the scanty herbage, or, if there be none, with budar- 

 hana and bushes, the food of camels. In winter the 

 snow serves them for water ; in fact, they will live 

 where other horses would perish in a month's time. 

 They roam almost at liberty over the pasture lands 

 of Northern Khalka and the country of the Chak- 

 hars. The larger herds are usually broken up into 

 smaller troops of ten to thirty mares, led by a stallion 

 who guards them with the greatest jealousy, and 

 never lets them out of his sight. The leaders often 

 have pitched battles with one another in spring. 



Mongols are passionately fond of horses, and 

 will tell you their good points at a glance ; their 

 favourite amusement is horse-racing, and every sum- 

 mer they meet at some of the principal temples to 

 indulge in this sport. The great race-meeting is 

 held at Urga, attracting competitors for many hun- 

 dreds of miles. The prizes are distributed by the 

 Kutukhtu in person ; the winner of the first prize 

 receiving a quantity of cattle, clothes, or money. 



The Imperial pasture lands are mostly in the 

 principality (aimak) of the Chakhars,^ whose ter- 

 ritory extends upwards of 330 miles to the Avest of 

 Keshik-ten till it touches that of the Durbutes. The 

 Chakhars or Chlnese-Mongfols are divided into eieht 

 take If In turn to do military service. 

 We have already remarked how completely they 

 have lost the character and appearance of the true 

 Mongfols. 



' These pabture lands extend almost as far as Kuku-khoto. 



