144 THE URUTES AND THE WESTERN TU MITES. 



Ordos, and on the north with the Sunites and 

 Khalkas. For administrative purposes this aimak 

 is divided into six koshungs, viz. Durbute, Nimgan, 

 Barun-kung, Dundu-kung, Tsun-kung, and Darhan- 

 bil. The chief seat of government, and the head- 

 quarters of the prince, is at Ulan-sabo in the ko- 

 shung of the Durbutes. 



The Urutes are very distinct from the Chakhars 

 in external appearance, resembhng more closely the 

 thoroughbred Mongols ; but they also are demoralised 

 by Chinese influence. Their nearest neighbours, the 

 Western Tumites of Kuku-khoto, like the Chakhars, 

 have become assimilated with the Chinese, and are 

 intermixed with them, living either in yurtas or 

 more rarely in houses. Here and there they culti- 

 vate the soil in imitation of the latter, but agricul- 

 ture is in general very backward. A striking trait 

 in their character, as in that of all the nomads, is an 

 extraordinary thirst after money ; in this respect they 

 are not even surpassed by the Chinese ; they will do 

 anything for a lump of silver, and travellers who 

 have sufficient means at their command can profit by 

 their venality. But in dealing with them you must 

 have the patience of an angel ; in the most ordinar)' 

 transactions the difficulties are innumerable. For 

 instance, you want to buy a sheep, a thing one would 

 suppose to be simple enough, but in reality quite the 

 reverse. If you go straight to a Mongol and ask 

 him to sell you a sheep, offering to pay him his own 

 price, nine times out of ten you will be unsuccessful, 

 rinding a ready compliance on your part, he immc- 



