National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0365 |
The heart of a continent : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
rulers aloof and inaccessible, it is in that respect bad. But in
this particular line of governing the Chinese certainly are at the
top of the tree.
The Taotai and I performed the usual civilities to each
other. I called on him first, of course, and he returned my visit,
accompanied by his usual procession. The visits of Chinese
officials are always of considerable length, and the Taotai would
remain for a couple of hours or so talking away upon any
subject which cropped up. He was an old man, who had done
much good service in Chinese Turkestan during the Mohammedan
rebellion, but he was now weak and past his best. When we
had become more intimate, he told me that he had no very high
idea of European civilization, for we were always fighting with
one another. We were not bad at inventing machines and
guns, but we had none of that calm, lofty spirit which the
Chinese possessed, and which enabled them to look at the
petty squabbles between nations with equanimity and dignity.
We spent all our time in matters which should only concern
mechanics and low-class people of that sort, and gave ourselves
no opportunity for contemplating higher things. These were
the Taotai's ideas on Europeans, and it was interesting to see
the calm air of superiority with which these views were given.
The Taotai's secretary—a thorough scamp, who was subse-
quently removed for gross bribery—was another official with
whom we had a good deal of intercourse at Kashgar. He had
been at Shanghai, and had some knowledge of Europeans. He
used to say that the Chinese could never understand why the
Russians went to all the trouble and expense of keeping a
consulate at Kashgar to look after the trade there, when in
a whole year only as much merchandise was brought into the
country as is imported into Shanghai by a single British
steamer.
The official, however, whom we came to know the best, was
the general in command of the troops quartered in the old or
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
43
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
63
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
74
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
85
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
96
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
106
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
116
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
126
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
137
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
147
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
157
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
169
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
179
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
189
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
199
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
210
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
233
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
243
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
255
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
266
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
277
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
287
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
297
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
307
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
327
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
337
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
347
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
357
.
.
.
.
|
363
364
365
366
367
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
378
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
388
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
398
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
408
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
419
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
430
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
440
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
450
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
461
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
471
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
482
.
.
485
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
