along the other. Only the former were working at the time. Dollars were being minted there similar to those in circulation in Eastern China. There were four sizes, viz., i Ian. t/2 lan, 2/to and t/to of a lan. The inscription was in Chinese and Turki. The design represented a dragon. The effect would be improved if the design were in greater relief. However, these coins are infinitely better than those circulating in Chinese Turkestan. I was told that woo lan were minted daily and it was intended gradually to replace the notes at present in circulation by paying the soldiers in silver. The notes are made of cloth, on which an ornamental inscription is printed, and provided with a seal, whereupon the whole thing is impregnated with oil. Such large notes, rather like oilcloth, are hard to fold and in every respect disagreeable to handle. Besides, these notes are not issued by the Government or even provincial administrations, but are simply the bonds of private firms. This should be enough to show that you have to keep your eyes wide open in dealing with such notes, which naturally vary in value according to the standing of the particular firm at the moment. A great many had lost their value long ago, but were still being palmed off on the unwary. In general the notes are only current in the town in which they are printed. One firm at Urumchi enjoys such confidence that its notes are in circulation even m Kucheng.
The manufacture of cartridge cases had been stopped for the time being, no doubt because the demand for cartridges is insignificant in this province, where a shot is scarcely ever fired from a Mauser rifle. The machines are marked »Knape, Magdeburg». I was told that the maximum output, when the machines are running at full speed, is 500 a day. Bauer maintained that, when the parts that had been ordered from him were supplied, the output could be increased to 3000 cartridges daily. About 3o workmen are said to be employed in manufacturing cartridges and about the same number in the mint. For the last few months some workmen from Eastern China have been employed in the factory. This
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