78 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[April 2, 1900. 



Kirghis chief, who possessed more than 2,000 ho'ses, 

 ('000 sheep and goats, 1,000 oxen and cows, and 106 

 oaniels. Even these were far short of the total number 

 of animals belonging to the patriarch chief. 



Each day this patriarch had to provide for the fodder 

 and water of nearly 10,000 beasts. The pr-iblem would 

 bo insoluble for a sedentary people, but the Kalkas find 

 fin easy solution in their mobility. The l.irge Pocks 

 radiate from the central " aoul," directed by men on 

 horseback. This has to be accompanied b)' periodic 

 migration. The route is not taken by chance, it rcjuires 

 all the experience and wisdom of the patriarch How- 

 ever well watered may be the country, the abundance 

 of water is far from equalling that of the pasturage, 

 and the flocks cannot go long without the one as well 

 as the other. It is then that the immense importanc? 

 of snow is appreciated. It permits the nomads to \nilise 

 the forage of the more elevated parts and fui'nish'.'t: them 

 with the wherewithal to water their beasts: f'.;i'her, in 

 covering over the gra«s, and thus preserving it trom 

 contact with the air, it constitutes a kind of iminensa 

 store-house of fodder ; it is, in fact, a huge natural system, 

 of ensilage, which the horse can reach with his hooi 

 whenever he has need. Without this protection the 

 grass, exposed to all the inclemencies of the atmosphere, 

 would rapidly perish, and the flocks would be deprived 

 of all nourishment during the winter. The experience 

 of the patriarch leads him to select the most sheltered 

 valleys in the south for the winter and the most 

 northerly and shaded plains for the summer. 



The actual care of the flocks is neither a fatiguing 

 nor difficult work. Most often it suffices to sit with 

 crossed legs on a tussock in quietness and peace The 

 great tranquility of the steppe and the limitless horizon 

 predispose the mind to meditation, and the inaction of 

 the body tends to idleness. Hue says : " The appearance 

 of the prairies of Mongolia excites neither jov not 

 sorrow, but rather a mixture of both, a melancholic 

 and religious sentiment, a feeling that regards heaven 

 rather than earth, which by degrees elevates the soul 

 without making it entirely oblivious to matters here 

 below." 



On the other hand, very often it is necessary for the 

 herder to throw himself on a horse and rapidly pursue 

 a straying animal or some beast of prey. It is no small 

 matter to guard a lierd of more than 300 liead of large 

 cattle. A saddled horse is always fastened at the 

 entrance of each sentry tent ; at the least signal the 

 horsemen, from eight to a dozen in number," rapidly 

 take the direction of the fugitive. Then commences 

 for our Kalkas a giddy course that may last for stvei-a! 

 dnys. They do not go to the encampment for news of 

 the straying beasts, but whenever they meet a lama they 

 dismount and prostrate themselves, and say with deep 

 feeling, " Man of prayer, we come to ask you to draw 

 a horoscope; your powers and knowledge are limitless, 

 ir,dicate to us where we should go to recover our 

 horses " ; and again they fly like the wind. 



^ The Kalkas have also to protect their flocks from 

 Nature herself. When the winter hurricane tears up 

 the snow, and the plain resembles a sea in its fury, the 

 frightened animals break loose in all directions, ' and 

 the camels increase the universal tumult with their cries. 

 " Then the intrepid herdsmen courageously fly to the 

 succour of their flocks; one sees them bounding from 

 one side to the other, to encourage the animals by their 

 cries and to conduct them to the shelter of some hill " 

 (ITuc.) 



The second aspect of the pastoral life explains the 

 agility and remarkable suppleness which, in all times, 

 have made the nomads the finest horsemen in the world. 

 The daily necessity of pursuing animals in flight has 

 given muscular vigour and insensibility to fatigue which 

 i^; astonishing; but it has not developed a capacity for 

 walking, this a Kalka considers as humiliating. Th? 

 senses of sight, hearing and smell are wonderfully acute 

 and trained. 



The work of the men is essentially attractive, it is 

 more of a recreation than a labour ; but it is by no 

 means so for the women. The food these nomads prefer is 

 milk and various preparations from it. All the milking 

 is done twice daily by the women, except that of the 

 mares, who, being more restive, are milked by the men. 

 At foaling time these women have yet more to do ; the 

 care of the sick animals also falls to their charge. 



The work of the house is exclusively woman's sph.ere 

 There are the boiled and fermented preparations of 

 milk, the making of butter- and cheese. The women 

 have to fetch in skin vessels the water for tea, for this is 

 the drink the Mongols j^i'efer. They cook and smoke 

 the meat. They collect argols (cakes of dried dung) for 

 fuel, which are dried in the sun ; the collecting of argols 

 in winter is especially difficult. Each family group is 

 isolated, and consequently each group has to nake 

 nearly all that is needed. Fortunately the pastoral 

 life furnishes in abundance the raw material of these 

 domestic manufactures in the wool and hair of their 

 herds and in their grease and hides. The manufactures 

 are executed at home, and for the sole needs 

 of the home; naturally these fall to the women. 

 Much of this is hai'd work, especially the tanning 

 of leather and the fulling of wool. The giease 

 of animals is utilised as an illuminant and mixed with 

 ashes to form a soap. Several plants or tea furnish 

 dyeing materials. With the tanned skins the women 

 make water bottles, clothes, shoes, saddles and harness. 

 The fabrics of wool and camels' hair serve for milking 

 clothes, whilst felt gives the family sijacious and warm 

 tents which protect it from the rigours of winter. 



All the labours of shifting camp — of lowering and 

 pitching the tents — fall to the women. This is very 

 prduous work, as the tents are large, with three felted 

 coverings, and it is especially hard when the tents are 

 frozen in winter. The Kalka country is not exactly 

 a paradise for women. 



Property. — There is no individual ownership of land 

 The soil belongs to the nation, and to enjoy its use 

 it is necessary to belong to the nation or to formally 

 obtain a concession. A Kalka can, however, camp 

 where he likes provided he does not interfere with anyou'O 

 else. Thus the temporary possession of land imposes 

 the obligations of neighbourhood and a respect for the 

 jileasure of others. Each must see that his animals 

 do not throw into disorder the flocks o4 a neighbour 

 or provoke them to flight. When there is a prairie 

 fire every one must, on pain of death, turn out to ex- 

 tinguish it. Concessions are not always irrevocable, as 

 the Chinese have experienced. One day a patriarch, 

 renowned for his courage and wisdom, assembled the 

 IMongols of the neighbourhood, and said : " The Kitas 

 possess themselves of our land, they steal our cattle and 

 villify us; since they no longer act nor speak like 

 brothers we must expel them " The Chinese did not 

 obey the decree ordering their expulsion, so one day 

 they were driven away. According to a Chinese re- 

 gulation the chiefs chosen by the Emperor to be the 



