Chinese lion on either side of the entrance. It is occupied by the consul, Fedoroff, a man between 40 and 5o, and his wife, who have lived here for over 9 years. The other houses are occupied by the chancery, the secretary, dragoman and others. The consul's hospitable house is a great stand-by for foreigners visiting Qulja, even though he does not entertain the very numerous Russian colony as often as before owing to his having lost his only son last year. The assistance I received from him and all the kindness and hospitality both he and his charming wife extended to me will long be remembered by me with gratitude. His extensive knowledge of China and his long sojourn here, during which he has succeeded in placing himself on a good footing with the Chinese authorities, have given him an excellent position, which, unfortunately, frequently benefits Russian subjects who deserve it very little.
The secretary of the consulate, A. A. Diakoff, a keen shot and fearless horseman, is greatly interested in archaeological research and possesses theoretical training for it. Unhappily, his work in the consulate does not allow him to devote himself seriously to archaeological research. The dragoman, V. N. Labdovsky (?), arrived quite recently after serving in Peiping for some time. He made the journey there from Urga on horseback. In addition to the consul's guard of half a company of Cossacks, a special detachment of troops has been stationed at Qulja since the Boxer rising. The detachment is quartered close to the Chinese town wall in hired barracks, surrounded by an embankment that possesses all the bad, but none of the good qualities of a redoubt. This space is called the garrison and the senior officer is known as the commander of the garrison. The presence of a Russian detachment on Chinese territory is very strange and it seems scarcely likely that China, in view of her apparent present national revival, will consent much longer to such an infringement of her sovereign rights. The men seem to be well
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