disciplined and I was able to watch some military exercises, an experience denied me in Kashgar. The manoeuvres seemed inadequate and the officers might be reproached for their deficient knowledge of the country they have such an excellent chance to study, in which every path, ford and mountain track should be familiar to them. A separate telegraph line connects Qulja with Russia. The postal and telegraphic connections are in the charge of an office with a couple of officials. The mails are carried and delivered once a week in a large cart escorted by 3 or 4 Cossacks.
A course in Chinese is held at the consulate for a number of Russian subjects. An officer is detailed there annually. The European element is represented in Qulja, in addition to Russian officials and merchants, by two Roman Catholic missionaries of Dutch origin, Steneman and Meerendonk, the former being at the head of all the missionary work in the whole of the Ili district and Manas. There are about r oo Chinese Catholics in the Ili district owing to the fact that this district was formerly a place of exile for Christian Chinese. The work of the mission is falling off very much. Medical work is new, but very restricted at present.
The to years' occupation of the Ili district by the Russians has not passed without leaving traces behind. More or less imperfect knowledge of Russian is common and even people who do not speak the language, usually greet a foreigner with a »gapab-embyu* and pull off their skull-caps with some difficulty in the European fashion. Trade relations with Russia are very lively. Houses with glass windows are common, there are Russian shops and Russian vehicles and harness. Sewing machines are common and are even seen in Kirghiz yurts. Unfortunately, the name of »Russian» is often borne here, as in other colonies and border districts, by a very discreditable element — criminals and adventurers, who have been unsuccessful elsewhere, or Tarantchis, Dungans, Tartars, Kaulasians, Sarts and Kirghiz, who have nothing in common with Russia but their citizenship and
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