2з8 MONGOLS OF ALA-SHAN. 



Mongols, tending rather to degrade than to civilise 

 them. Here we have another example of the de- 

 grading tendency of Chinese civilisation on the 

 nomads. No more contemptible creature exists, in 

 my opinion, on the face of this earth than a Mongol 

 who has fallen under Chinese influence and has lost 

 the fine qualities which distinguish his race, only 

 adopting instead new, vicious habits most congenial 

 to the idle side of the nomad character. This non- 

 descript possesses neither the frankness of the Mon- 

 gol nor the industry of the Chinese, although he sets 

 himself above his former fellows. 



The lano^uare of the Monsfols of Ala-shan is in 



о о о 



many respects different from that of the Khalkas, 

 from which it is also distinguished by its softer 

 accent and more rapid pronunciation. 



The Mongols of Ala-shan are very poor. Their 

 chief occupation is breeding camels, which are used 

 to transport salt and different Chinese merchandise. 

 Sheep, horses, and horned cattle are not numerous, 

 owing to the absence of pasturage ; goats are more 

 abundant, and herds of yaks, belonging to the sove- 

 reign prince and his sons, graze in the mountains. 



Ala-shan is divided into three banners, for ad- 

 ministrative purposes ; but the population is small. 

 The inhabitants were still further reduced in num- 

 bers by the Dungans, who devastated Ala-shan 

 simultaneously with Ordos.^ The town of Din- 



^ According to information we received from the natives, the 

 number of yurtas remaining in Ala-shan after the Dungan invasion 

 was about one thousand. Taking the average of 5 to 6 per yurta, we 

 should have 5 to 6 thousand inhabitants for the whole country. 



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