38 THE ETHNOLOGY OF SOUTH EASTERN ASIA. 



and Mongol,— were. The first appears to have been more to the 

 eastward than the others, but whether in the upper Ijasin of the 

 Amur or in one of the northern basins is not known. An older 

 race of the Amur was probably the Aino, now confined to the 

 Oceania margin of the basin and the Archipelago in front. On 

 the north the pressure of the Tungusians has greatly reduced the 

 older tribes, driven the remnants into confinod tracts, and probably 

 destroyed or absorbed many** On the south they have, tTfcj time 

 immemorial, pressed in vain against the population of China. 

 Thay have sometimes been at peace with it, but oftener at 

 enmity, and have given at least three dynasties to it, that of 

 the Khitans, that of the Kin, and that of the-^Ianchu which 

 still retains the throne, but with a rapidly weakening grasp. 

 But all the Tungusians who have domiciled themselves in 

 China have necessarily assimilated to the native race* The 

 native region of the Turks or Huns is probably to be sought 

 around Lake Baikal from the Altai to the Upper Amur, whence, 

 at some remote archaic period, they appear to have spread north- 

 ward down the basin of the Lena to the North Sea, and south ward 

 to the Inshan mountains on the north of China* Tungnsian tribes 

 appear to have advanced N. and N* W. cutting off the Turks of 

 the Lena (Yakuts) from the southern hordes. The latter remained 

 for about 2,000 years in possession of the eastern portion of the 

 Great Plateau, including the present locations of the eastern Mongols 

 and the western part of the province of Shensi, and they must have 

 greatly affected the ethnology of the regions on both sides. f It 

 does not appear that they ever conquered China, but their constant 

 invasions and occasional occupation of the Chinese borders, must 

 have retarded the extension of the dominion and civilisation of 

 the northern Chinese to the southward. In the reign of Hyao-ho-ti, 

 the Turks of the southern side of the desert united with the Chinese 

 and drove the northern hordes out of the region from the Altai 

 • It Js Interesting to observe how the more archaic developments gradually retire 

 on all aides. The Chinese, Tartarian,, and Irano-Semitic cultures have spread till 

 the older ones are confined to Africa, America, Asianesia and the extreme JL £. of 

 Asia ( Chukches kc. 



+ They must have affected the Tibetan tribes even if t her did not penetrate lot© 

 the vallev of the Zangbo. They appear to have given their own ancient nam* 

 flitm, Hkmg t (Hun) to the region or a portion of it, for Ngari is still called 

 Hundes, Hiundes {Hun-land) by the Indiana. According to Buchanan Hamilton 

 the Gborkas call the Chinese empire, including Tibet, Bung, Turkish names 

 extend at least as far sou tin as the great lake within 9 days journey of Lhassa, 

 Tengri nor (Heaven's or God's lake, the Chinese name Thiaa chhi is a translation 

 of the Turkish one.) 



It la probable that many other vestige* of the presence of the Turks on the inns- 

 boundary of S. E. Asia will yet be traced, not only in Tibet but to the south of it. 

 Turkish titles were probably once prevalent in Tibet. That of Han or Khan is 

 preserved by a Himalayan tribe, the Lepchas, whose chiefs are called Hang. The 

 probability is that the Hums were located in those portions of Tibet which are adapted 

 for a nomadic pastoral lite, and that they held the native tribes in subjection. The 

 old Malayan names of tribe divisions uia, turn, are Tartarian. So is the title tuan, 

 and probably the tomoti in tomongeng. Bon, king, In Burmah and Tonkin, is the 

 name of the chief God of the Tungusians in Siberia. 



