106 A MODERN REHOBOAM AND HIS CAPITAL 



" From hills that looked across a land of hope, 

 We dropped with evening on a rustic town 

 Set in a gleaming river's crescent curve ; " 



for they describe the place exactly. Incidentally 

 one passes from lackadaisical, inert China into a 

 stimulating atmosphere of border feuds, mediaeval 

 raids, pine-covered, snow-capped mountains and a 

 wild race of Highlanders. It is a quaint little place, 

 nestling like a pigeon's nest in a cluster of red cliffs. 

 Frowning above the town is a lamaserai holding six 

 hundred monks, as dirty and evil-looking a lot as 

 most of their tribe. The capital of the Prince of 

 Choni, it is the only town within his dominions. 

 These cover an area about half as large as Scotland. 

 A half-caste Thibetan aged twenty-three, he furnishes 

 a very pretty parallel to Rehoboam. His pre- 

 decessor, the eighteenth of his line and a popular 

 and wise old ruler, adopted him. On his death the 

 present Chief turned away the old men who had 

 hitherto helped to govern the forty-eight wild tribes 

 over which he ruled, and substituted the young 

 men with whom he was in the habit of gambling 

 and generally making merry. He was, at one time, 

 much addicted to the opium habit, but at the time 

 of our visit had abandoned the practice. Yang- 

 ching-Ch'ina, for that is his name, is dependent on 

 China, and under the authority of the county 

 official, a man of slight importance, who, again, is 

 under the Provincial Governor, who is responsible 

 to the Viceroy of Shensi and Kansu. He pays no 

 tribute, but has to supply two thousand irregular 

 very irregular cavalry if called upon. If he desired 

 he could easily raise 15,000. On our arrival he and 

 two hundred of his men were away fighting the 



