132 THE PULSE OF ASIA
he must welcome, so with a charmingly friendly smile he came and put his fat arms around me.
In this sketch of the Khirghiz I have tried to take some of the chief facts in their life and character, and to show how they are related to the physiographic facts of the Tian Shan plateau. Beginning with the grosser, more material aspects of life, it appears that the nomadic pastoralism of the Khirghiz is due to the climate and vegetation of the region that they inhabit. On this is dependent the form of their houses, furniture, utensils, and dress, which in turn leads up to and determines the nature of their art. Again, the food of the Khirghiz is narrowly limited by the nature of their occupations, and this in its turn controls the large number of habits which centre about the necessity of taking nourishment. Another line of thought leads from the frequent movements of the Khirghiz to the character of their hospitality and to their politeness. Once more, the hardships of the nomadic life result in certain mental and moral traits, such as bravery, hardihood, and, unfortunately, laziness. Finally, the conditions of nomadic life determine the position and character of the Khirghiz women, and lead to certain of the higher moral traits, such as morality in the stricter sense, self-reliance, and even family affection.
IIIFカラー高解像度
