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0075 Across Asia : vol.1
Across Asia : vol.1 / Page 75 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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[Photo] Pyn, the mandarin at Yarkand.

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doi: 10.20676/00000221
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RECORDS OF THE JOURNEY

Pyn, the mandarin at larkand.

Chinese teacher, a rascal of 23, demoralised by opium smoking, occupy a large room with decorative pillars next to mine. The kitchen, the rest of the menn a thed horses are a little further off. — My efforts to induce the mandarin to discuss politics during his call proved vain. The principal reason, I believe, was my interpreter's complete lack of education and poor ability to understand Russian. The mandarin said that the old Chinese laws were not suitable to present conditions, but required revision. The people needed education and schools above all things. Ancient Chinese culture should not be forgotten, but should be studied principally, and a thorough knowledge of Chinese acquired. At the same time, however, all that was useful among other nations should be learnt. All should be united and labour to the same end. —. He complained of the amount of work he had to do, as in Kashgaria the mandarin had to attend to everything. Irrigation in particular claimed a great deal of attention. There is not sufficient water for irrigating fresh areas. The latter lie higher than the land that is irrigated at present, which increases the difficulty of cultivating more land. — He receives a newspaper from Peiping five times a month, but appears to be more engrossed in local matters than in great political problems.

An attack of rheumatism will keep me out of the saddle for some time, so, not to retard my November 15th.

journey, I purchased, not without difficulty, a good arbah from the interior of China (those Yarkand.

made here would hardly stand the long journey), and secured harness and a Chinese driver,

who is now training a pair of my horses to pull a cart. This two-wheeled vehicle with its enor-

mously heavy wheels provided with thick iron nails, with a team of two horses and the driver

mostly walking alongside will be a somewhat medieval way of travelling, but no slower

than travelling with pack horses.

The Chinese Government has in many respects, one might say almost entirely, retained

the former administrative organisation of the country. The Sart population of each place

)69(