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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
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| 0104 |
The heart of a continent : vol.1 |
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Away across the plains we had seen some black spots
with faint columns of blue smoke rising from them in the
morning air. These were the yurts, or felt tents, of the
Mongols, towards which we were making. On reaching them
I found them to be very much what books of travel had led
me to expect—dome-shaped, with a hole in the roof, made
of a framework of lattice, with felt bound round on the outside.
The inhabitants of one of them made room for me. A felt
was spread out to lie on, and a couple of small tables placed
by my side. All round the sides of the tent boxes and cup-
boards were neatly arranged, and at one end were some vases
and images of Buddha. In the centre was the fireplace, situated
directly beneath the hole in the roof. I was charmed with
the comfort of the place. The Chinese inns, at which I had
so far had to put up, were cold and draughty. Here the sun
came streaming in through the hole in the top, and there
were no draughts whatever. There was no dust either; and
this being the tent of a well-to-do Mongol, it was clean and
neatly arranged.
The whole family collected to see my things, and pulled
my kit to pieces. The sponge was a great source of wonder;
but what attracted them most of all was a concave shaving-
mirror, which magnified and contorted the face in a marvellous
way. They shrieked with laughter at it, and made the young
girls look at their faces in it, telling them they need not be
proud of their good looks, as that was what they were really
like.
It was a pleasure getting among these jolly, round-faced,
ruddy-cheeked Mongols, after living amongst the unhealthy-
looking Chinese of the country we had been travelling through
lately, who showed little friendliness or good-humour, and
always seemed to cause a bad taste in the mouth. These
first Mongols whom I met happened to be an unusually
attractive lot. They were, of course, better off than those whom
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