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 -
| 0217 |
Ruins of Desert Cathay : vol.2 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
marking the relative strength of the attacking force by cor-
responding repetition of the fire signals, it is likely that
similar devices were practised in Han times. We read
elsewhere that General Ma Chêng, when reorganizing the
defences of the northern border in 38-43 A.D., placed the
fire-signal stations ten Li or about two and a half miles
apart ; and this accords remarkably with the average dis-
tances observed from tower to tower on the earlier Tun-
huang Limes, due allowance being made for the varying
configuration of the ground.
No doubt such a system of optic telegraphy was in-
sufficient to assure the rapid transmission of warnings at
all times or for the communication of important particulars.
Hence the need for mounted messengers repeatedly
mentioned in the records, who by relays of horses kept
ready at the stations could cover distances at great speed.
The presence of such mounts was in fact attested by the
plentiful horse-dung we found at each tower, however
confined the accommodation near it. A piece of ancient
Chinese poetry which M. Chavannes translates, though
referring to a part of the border much farther east, gives
so graphic a picture of such a scene that I cannot refrain
from quoting it : "Every ten Li a horse starts ; every five
Li a whip is raised high ; a military order of the Protector-
General of the Trans-frontier regions has arrived with
news that the Huns were besieging Chiu-ch'tian [Su-chou] ;
but just then the snow-flakes were falling on the hills along
which the barrier stretches, and the signal fires could raise
no smoke."
To keep watch and guard by the towers and the wall,
or 'to mount the barrier' as the ancient Chinese expression
has it, did not exhaust the duties of the men posted at
these stations. Numerous wooden records tell us of the
varied fatigue labours demanded from them. Men were
ordered out to work on the construction of defences, a task
which along this westernmost Limes must have included
the preparation of the fascines forming the main materials ;
to collect fuel for the signal fires, not an easy matter where
the towers happened to be miles away from the scrub-filled
depressions. At several stations we have also reckonings
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
43
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
67
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
78
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
89
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
100
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
110
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
120
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
131
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
142
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
155
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
166
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
178
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
188
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
199
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
210
.
.
.
.
215
216
217
218
219
220
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
231
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
245
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
256
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
268
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
279
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
293
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
308
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
319
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
332
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
345
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
359
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
370
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
382
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
395
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
407
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
419
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
431
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
453
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
465
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
478
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
491
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
505
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
518
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
529
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
540
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
553
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
567
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
581
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
594
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
605
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
617
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
629
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
642
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
657
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
670
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
683
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
696
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
709
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
723
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
736
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
749
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
760
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
771
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
783
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
793
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
803
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
813
814
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
