122 RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT. THE DUNGAN^ ; 



and are dreadfully superstitious. Charlatanism and 

 soothsaying are with them mixed up with the doc- 

 trines of their faith. The more devout make annual 

 pilgrimages to Lhassa. Lamas are highly venerated, 

 and exercise boundless influence over the people ; 

 but temples are not numerous here as in Mongolia, 

 and the Gigens often live in black tents along with 

 ordinary mortals. Their bodies are not buried in the 

 ground after death, but are exposed in the forest, or 

 on the steppe, to be devoured by vultures and wolves. 

 The Tangutans are governed by their own 

 officers, who are under the control of the Chinese 

 governor of Kan-su. The latter usually resides at 

 Si-ning, but on the occupation of that town by the 

 rebels, he transferred his seat of government to 

 Dj'ung-ling. On the recapture of Si-ning by the 

 Chinese troops in the autumn of 1872, he returned 

 to his former residence. 



The Mahommedan insurrection, which, about ten 

 years ago, spread over all the western dominions of 

 China, and at first appeared to have eveiy chance 

 of success in its struggle with the Manchu govern- 

 ment, is now completely on the wane. The insur- 

 gents or Dungaris^ as we call them, known to the 

 Chinese under the name of Hwei-Hwei, on the first 

 outbreak of the rebellion, succeeded in attaining 



' This name is quite unknown to the Mahommcdans or Chinese in 

 those districts we visited. The Chinese call all Mahommcdans in 

 China by the general name of TIwci-Hwei. They are all Snimis, 

 but divided into several sects. [It would appear that Dungans, as used 

 here, is 5imi)ly the equiv.ilcnl of Chincbc Mahommcdans.] — -Y. 



