PANIC CAUSED BY DUNCANS. 9 



pikes or swords, and in a few instances with match- 

 locks. Yet, notwithstanding their inferior weapons, 

 they produced a panic among the Mongols and 

 Chinese, who took to their heels and ran as fast 

 as ever they could at the mere name of a Dungan. 

 While we w^ere at Din-yuan-ing, the Prince of Ala- 

 shan, who was preparing to despatch an armed force 

 against the marauders, sent an official to ask us for 

 the loan of our military caps to frighten the enemy. 

 ' The brigands are well aware,' said the official, 

 ' that you are here, and if they see your caps, which 

 we will put on, they will imagine that you are with 

 us, and will run away directly.' This incident serves 

 to show what dread is inspired by even the name of 

 Europeans, and how the people of Asia instinctively 

 acknowledge our moral superiority over their de- 

 ofenerate character. 



In Chapter IV. of this volume I will describe 

 more fully the military operations of the Mahomme- 

 dan insurgents and Chinese forces ; suffice it for the 

 present to remark, that the Dungans are not a whit 

 braver than their opponents, and are terrible only to 

 Chinese and Mongols. Strange as it may sound, it 

 is none the less a fact that, in the districts which were 

 liable to these robber raids, we travelled Avith more 

 ease and security than anywhere else ; and that for 

 the simple reason that they had no population ! We 

 were convinced (and the belief was confirmed by all 

 the experience of our later wanderings) that these 

 cowardly marauders, even if several hundred strong, 

 would never dare to attack four Europeans armed to 



