362 UNKNOWN MONGOLIA 



than was the case with much of the country over 

 which we had been travelhng. 



On September 14th we camped close to an upper 

 tributary of the Kobdo River, amongst Mongols, un- 

 mistakable by their untidiness and dirt ; on the follow- 

 ing day, without any change of scenery, climate, or 

 political division, we found ourselves amongst a new 

 people — the Kirei. This may not seem of importance to 

 the general reader, but in reality it represented an ethno- 

 graphical change of great and unusual interest. We had 

 in a day passed out of the Buddhist-Shammanist world 

 into the Mohammedan world — from the Mongol to the 

 Turk. In fact, w^e now entered, at a distance of 3,000 

 miles from Mecca, the farthest outpost of Islam in 

 Asia. 



I well remember, while riding along with our Mongol 

 horsemen, accosting the first follower of the Prophet 

 whom we met in the course of our journey, and re- 

 marking on the natural politeness with which he 

 invited us to his yurt. Within, a fine old gentleman 

 — a perfect Turkish type — rose to greet us. With a 

 word of welcome, which in other Mussulman countries 

 could only have been extended to co-religionists, 

 he bade us be seated. His dwelling was a yurt of the 

 ordinary construction, yet very different in appearance 

 to that of the Mongol yurts. Here we not only felt at 

 home, but greatly appreciated the cleanliness of our 

 surroundings and the true hospitality and exquisite 

 manners of our host. 



These well-made yurts, covered with white felt, were 

 in direct contrast to the black, torn, and ragged tents 

 of the Mongols. The interior spoke of prosperity, and 

 showed a distinct appreciation of comfort. Clean carpets 



