IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Across Asia : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
C. G. MANNERHEIM
inwards. The caruncle in young persons is mostly slightly covered; strange to say, you seldom see this in older people. Their chins are pointed, so that their heads, which are frequently broad, form a triangle with the point at the bottom. Their cheekbones are very prominent and the bones of their temples sunken. Their mouths protrude slightly. Their condition is good without any undue inclination to stoutness. I noticed men with large stomachs only among the lamas. The movements of the Kalmuks are clumsy and slow. There is something lazy and coarse in their nature. They gesticulate sometimes, when talking, but the gestures, too, are slow and devoid of liveliness.They seem fairly good-humoured and not disinclined to laugh, but their great source of joy seems to be the brandy they make of airan.
Their food consists of milk, airan, tea into which they put flour sometimes, and meat, when they can get it. The Kalmuks are not squeamish — potato peel, morsels of meat and bad food that the cook has thrown away, are picked up and devoured by them. They cat their principal meal in the evening just before going to sleep. Their appetites are splendid. A Kalmuk can drink any number of cups of tea and airan and is capable, I believe, of disposing of a whole lamb at a meal by himself. The kettle is not washed, when emptied, but after being put on the fire for a fresh boil. After rinsing, the water is removed with a ladle, so far as possible. Vegetables never seem to be used for soup, and flour very rarely. At parting, the superior of the lamasery gave me his blessing and a little burkhun image very much the worse for wear.
June 26th. We returned to the Khan's camp to-day in a straight line across the plains from Kura.
Camp at On the last bit, where the road leads over the hills SW of Bain Bulaq, we crossed some Bain Bulaq. marshy hollows. In several places we had to make détours to avoid morasses. It was
a sunny day and very hot. There are great changes in temperature in the Yulduz valley. The nights arc cold, often below freezing point. Last night we had —7° C. In the afternoon it is fine, but if there is a slight wind and a few clouds, the cold again becomes penetrating. Storms occur almost daily, frequently accompanied by rain. The ground must possess rare powers of absorption, for to-day many of the water-channels in which there were about 15 cm of water recently, are quite dry. The camp is preparing for two days of prayer, during which prayers will be offered to the burkhuns for fine weather for the cattle. Two yurts have been put up on the mountain in the S at the Kalmuk praying site with its poles and trophies. The lamas are holding a service there just now. The sounds of their music can be heard in our tent in the quiet night.
Kalmuk women give birth to their children in a kneeling position, other women assisting, if necessary. No men are allowed to be present in the yurt. On the fifth day a lama comes and says some prayers over the newborn infant and over the water in which it is to be washed for the first time. The lama and the assembled guests are offered refreshments. The child is washed later in the evening in warm water taken out of the kettle, in which the meat or soup has been boiling:
The extent of the taxes is fixed entirely by the Khan and is supposed to cover his expenses. The owner of ioo sheep, for instance, is said to pay about io lan, which should represent 3-5 per cent of his capital (a two-year old sheep costs 3 lan here).
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