436 SOUTHERN DZUNGARIA 



in many cases, been ousted from their homes by 

 the iniquitous methods of Chinese usurers, whose one 

 aim is to ruin the Chanto land-owners and so gain 

 possession of their wonderfully fertile farms. Here 

 the Chantos eke out a poor livelihood as small shop- 

 keepers and agriculturists, and, it was said, were freed 

 from taxation in return for settling on the Pei-lu, or 

 North Road/ Besides the Chantos there were always 

 Dungans and Chinese, who farmed small holdings, kept 

 the inns, and carried on a certain amount of trade. 

 The villages, indeed, presented a curious mixture of 

 races and creeds. It was instructive to notice that the 

 Chanto, Chinese, Dungan, and Kalmuk mixed freely and 

 even fraternised here, where all Asiatics are of one brother- 

 hood and the European is altogether outside the circle. 

 Religion seems to be of secondary consideration, when 

 it is a question of Europe versus Asia ; these being 

 far more distant from each other than are Buddhism, 

 Islam, and Agnosticism — as represented by the Mongols, 

 the Chantos and the Chinese. 



Takianzi showed signs of recent increase, as proved by 



1 These Chantos, however, do not make very good colonists. From 

 the day they arrive they are in the hands of Chinese money-lenders. Even 

 the grain necessary to sow their fields is borrowed, for each sack of which 

 they must return two, and in some cases three, in the autumn. It is 

 said that half the population of Kulja live by lending to the other 

 half. The Chinese settlers in Sin-Kiang are in many cases bad char- 

 acters who have emigrated by necessity and not by choice. They work 

 their way across the desert to Hami and other outlying oases, make 

 a Uttle money, and gradually move on westwards to Urumchi and Manas ; 

 but their goal is always the lU Valley. Some succeed, but many fail, 

 judging by the fact that only 20 per cent, manage to make enough 

 to return to their own country. In the far west they are a lazy lot com- 

 pared with what they are in China Proper, spending most of their time 

 in riotous living and gambling — chmate or lack of competition being pro- 

 bably the cause. In the Ih Valley a labourer gets as much pay in a month 

 as would satisfy him for a whole 3^ear in the home provinces. 



