12б THEIR COWARDICE AND CRUELTY. 



case with which they phindered Ordos and Ala-shan* 

 in 1869, despite the presence of a force of 70,000 

 Chinese troops on the middle course of the Hoang-ho, 

 is a convincing proof of the success which might 

 have attended their arms in a serious struggle witli 

 China. The following year they sacked Uliassutai, 

 and the year after that Kobdo, the chief places in 

 Western Momrolia.' Both these towns were oarri- 

 soned by Chinese soldiers, who hid themselves at 

 the first appearance of the Dungans, without offering 

 the sliorhtest resistance. 



О 



We must not, however, draw conclusions from these 

 facts favourable to the valour of the Mahonimedans.- 

 They are in fact as arrant cowards as the Chinese, 

 and only put on a bold demeanour when they are 

 certain of encountering no resistance. All their 

 plundering forays and skirmishes with the Chinese 

 simply amounted to this ; — one set of cowards tries 

 to outwit another ; as soon as either side has suc- 

 ceeded, VcB victis ! woe to the fallen enemy. We 

 were told by eyewitnesses that not satisfied with 

 slaughtering the women, the Mahommedans threw 

 hundreds of little children into deep wells, and then 

 stood gloating over the agonies of their unfortunate 

 victims. The Chinese retaliated in like manner. 

 Whenever victory declared for either side it was 



' Bulun-tokhoi was destroyed in 1S73. The aspect of Kobdo shortly 

 after its capture by the Mahommedans has been described by an eye- 

 witness, Mr. Ney Elias, who visited it in November, 1872. (Sec Jour- 

 nal of the Royal Geogr. Soc, vol. xliii., p. 134). — M. 



'^ I am only alluding to the Mahommedans in Kan-su ; those of 

 Chinese Turkestan and the Thian-Shan may be different. 



