CHAPTER XXI
Strength of Army "—Military administration—Artillery—Accident to " Artillery " officer—Russian designs—The Kanjut claims--Russian counter claims—Opinion of Chinese rule—Necessity for care—Possible danger from Afghanistan—Sport—Ovis Polil3urrhel--- Chicore—Antelope—Kyang—Yak.
THE military force of China in Sin-Chiang consists nominally of 3,000 cavalry and 4,500 infantry ; but the actual strength does not exceed 960 cavalry and 1,350 infantry, the difference between the nominal and the actual numbers being due to the corruption which prevails in the military, no less than in the civil administration. At the head of the force is the Teetai, or General Officer, stationed at Kashgar, and commanding as far north as Maralbashi and as far east as Kiria. The military unit is called a liang-tsu, and the force contains 12 Jiang-tsu of cavalry, each nominally of 250 men, and 9 of infantry, each of 500 men. The actual number in a cavalry hangtsu is about 80 ; in an infantry Jiang-tsu, about 150. At the head of each of these units is a Li-Darin, his subordinate officers being a Li-da-li, a Yu-da-li, and a Wong.
The nominal pay of the officers from the Teetai downwards amounts to little or nothing, and each has to make arrangements for his own livelihood. The Teetai is entrusted by the Government with an amount sufficient to
IIIF Color HighRes
