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
RECORDS OF THE JOURNEY
request in order to be photographed, were incapable of performing any evolutions whatsoever. The men, who were of medium height or perhaps slightly taller, looked healthy, but apathetic and lazy. This was not surprising.
Each family has a small house of its own and every member is paid a certain allowance until his death. They are liable to military service in their garrison and are not allowed to engage in trade or farming. Military service, however, seems to consist of nothing but efforts to increase the Manchurian race. The houses and their inhabitants look poor. There were no signs of trade except a couple of vendors of fruit and meat who had their carts close to the tower in the middle of the fortress.
It is said, however, that a change is imminent. Two men of each tchi have been sent to Urumchi to be trained by the instructors there, shooting practice and drill according to the new regulations have been ordered and will presumably be introduced on the return of these 24 men. — Part (half) of each tchi is to be mounted. The horses are supplied by the Government and are kept in a large herd somewhere far off, a couple of days' journey from the fortress. Saddles have also been bought for Government account. They are bought up at Barkul. There are no cavalry exercises, scarcely even any practice in riding, but in view of the agility of the Chinese and their proficiency in riding they must be considered mounted, once horses and saddles are available.
The day before yesterday another transport of arms arrived from Chihli for the Dzian Dziun Tchang, 52 arbahs with i,000 Mauser rifles of Chinese manufacture, 4 printing presses and a large quantity (3o arbahs) of printed matter and schoolbooks. They were accompanied by a civilian official and 50 »huping», on whose uniforms »Ilis ludziun» was inscribed. According to their statements they were to be followed by other transports, 40 pupils of the »tjing vu hsuo tang» (a school with a 2 years' course which prepares men for various minor posts, such as policemen and lower officials), to foremen (according to statements 2 compositors and 8 railway builders) and 460 men of the ludziun infantry from Chihli under the command of in and 2 shao kuan.
The Manchurians in Kucheng receive an annual allowance of 43 djin of wheaten flour per month and 48 lan a year, when a vacancy has been created by death in the number of troops (6 tchi). Thus, children are not maintained as at Kouli. However, 40 djin of flour monthly and 8 lan annually are allowed to single women and widows. Drill is supposed to be done every fifth day, the rest of the time may be devoted to handicrafts and other occupations (including trade?) within the fortress; as a matter of fact they can also do as they like on the fifth day. The Manchurian officers have the following ranks:
for each tchi: t tsuoling = inguan and has his own seal. Actually the head of the admi-
nistration.
t tsanling = inguan's bambanj. In charge of military training.
5 hsiao tchi hsiao = shaoguan, one for each of the
5 fangy — shaoguan's bambanj 5 tsa (40 men) of the tchi.
5 bosh hu = pajguan (?)
339 (
September 15th. Kucheng.
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