THE KIREI OF THE ALTAI 365 



made the pilgrimage in person, together with his 

 wife. It is of interest to note the route taken by 

 pilgrims from the Altai to Mecca. A road- and- water 

 journey of 800 miles leads them northwards to the 

 Siberian railway, the railway carries them to Odessa 

 on the Black Sea— the meeting-place of all pilgrims 

 from Central Asia — and from there they take ship to 

 Jedda. The return journey is generally made by the 

 new railway from Medina to Damascus, whence they 

 reach the coast at Beirut. 



So great is the force of religion amongst the followers 

 of the Prophet that, although they owe allegiance either 

 to the Emperor of China or to the Tsar of Russia, 

 they look neither to Pekin nor to St. Petersburg, 

 for they consider Stamboul to be their rehgious 

 and political capital. On many occasions we met 

 Moslem missionaries from Constantinople " on tour " 

 amongst the outlying encampments of nomads in 

 Central Asia. Railways and telegraphs have brought 

 even these far-removed colonies into closer communi- 

 cation with the Protector of their faith, and with the 

 centre of their belief; greater ease of transport is 

 likely to advance still further the cause of Islam in 

 Asia. 



Our sudden introduction into the Moslem world 

 made us realize the fact of the remarkable force and 

 progress of Islam in Central Asia. Along the frontier 

 between Islam and Buddhism, there is to be noticed a 

 steady pressing forward of the Mohammedan, a deter- 

 mination to gain possession of the best pasturages, 

 and a strong desire to move eastwards and to move 

 higher up. In many places the movement merely 

 results in the colonization of vacant lands, in other 



