MUKDEN, THE MANCHU HOME 



315 



I'hotu and Copyright by Underwood & Underwood 



GRINDING THE GRAIN, MANCHURIA 



The illustrations accompanying this article, unless otherwise indicated, are from the author, 



Eliza R. Scidmore 



across the level plain. They are the Ming 

 tombs in miniature, noble pieces of eigh- 

 teenth century architecture and decora- 

 tion, a long series of gate towers, courts, 

 and pavilions leading to the tower of the 

 imperial tablet, immediately before the 

 simple earthen mound. The brilliant 

 colors, the red walls, green and yellow 

 tiled roofs, rainbow bracketings, and ver- 

 milion eaves are all softened by time to 

 the mellowest bloom and tones. 



There is an avenue of stone animals 

 and guardian figures, as at the Ming 

 tombs, and at the top of the steps of the 

 last of the marble terraces a broad dobr- 

 step. a solid slab of jade (green-veined 

 jadeite), leads to the hall of worship. 



Both armies respected these tombs 



during the war, and their venerable 

 cedars were the only trees spared on the 

 whole plain. The Russians did maintain 

 an outpost at the gates and stabled horses 

 in some of the outer green-tiled build- 

 ings, but that was taking a great risk 

 with really fine horses, as the roofs were 

 then leaking and leaning almost to the 

 point of collapse. 



THE MANCHURIANS DID NOT SUEFER 

 xMATERIAEEY BY THE WAR 



There are no signs of war or battle on 

 any of this great Mukden plain, this vast 

 Manchurian outdoors, covered with rich 

 crops of kaoliang, beans, and corn. Only 

 the bayonet spire on Putilofif Hill, far to 

 southward, a Japanese memorial column, 



