The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-11-02


as they insisted on using the Tarta
, language in intercourse with them) in
sisted on treating them as though the
were Mohammedans. built mosque
and sent mullahs, until the whole peo
pie became outwardly Mussulman, al
though the farther from the Russian
lines, and the nearer to the settleC
populations of Central Asia the weak
er was the faith. In the same way tn,
Buriats during the present centur,
were made Buddhists by the Russian
officials, when they were nothing bu
ShamaniStS. 1t would have bee1
easier, had the Government known it
to convert both races to Christianity
at the outset"
The habits of the Kirghiz are very
simple. and in character they are child
like, but like all oriental people they
have rigid rules of courtesy, estab-
lished by custom and never violated
upon any account. The author gives
| oSh Si ul OAaiiil lISo VI t!llo.
"Being Mohammedans, they use to
the full extent the privilege of having
many wives, though the first wife is
always the mistress of the kibitkd, and
takes rank over the others. The Sc
clusion of the harem is impossible in a
tent on the Steppe, and the women are
therefore unveiled, nor is any effort
made to keep them from the observa-
ton of the men. One curious thing,
however, in connection with their life
is that, as mark of respect to their
husbands and male relatives, they are
not allowed to mention their real
names in the presence of others, but
must either call them by some term
adopted for the purpose or use a cir
cumlocution. An incident is related
of a kirghiz woman who wanted to
say that wolf had stolen a sheep and
taken it to the reedy shore of the lake.
Unfortunately the men of the family
bore names corresponding to most of
these words, and she was obliged to
gasp out that, in the rustling beyond
the wet growler gnaws one of our
woOllies.'
Chief among the sports of these
stock-breeding nomads, of course, is
the horse-race, which is varied some
times by the substitution of other an
imalS for horses. Mr.. Schuyler at
tended the races on several occasions,
and has this to say respecting them:
"A circumcision, a marriage or a
funeral feast among the Kirghiz is the
signal for large festival, accom-
panied by games and horse-races. To
these men will sometimes ride 100 or
200 miles for the mere chance of re-
calling themselves for two or three
days at another's expense, and take
Ell Sheep and horses. If the horses
for racing-are good, the races are the
main feature of the feast, and large
crowds remain seated with the utmost
attention to look for the winner. The
races being long, often twelve, fifteen
or twenty miles, the horses are usual
" started at distance, as the race is
generally in a straight line, and not
round a circular course. Sometimes
very high prizes are offered. l was in
vited to tOi, or feast, near Aulieata,
where it was said would be some cele-
brated racers from Kohkand, and the
highest prize was as much as 500
rubles, which to a Kirghiz is very
great sum. Usually horses are given
as prizes. The Kirghiz horses are wiry
and enduring, and when really of good
stock will show qualities in these long
races which are truly wonderful. saw
one race of this kind some years
ago, near Orenburg, where about a
hundred horses were entered, ridden
by boys and girls of various ages all
dressed in much the same way, and all
sitting their horses alike, without
either saddle or stirrups. This being
race got up for the Grand Duke
Vladimir, who was then there, it was
four times round a course marked out
on the Steppe, making in all twenty
versts, or over thirteen miles, and was
won in tWenty-nine minutes and thirty
seconds. AT first the horses ran well
together, but by the time they had
made the course once they were widely
scattered, and some passed on the sec
ond round the horses which had not
yet completed the first. I saw at the
same time camel race, for which
three camels and a dromedary We're
entered. The poor animals were much
frightened and confused by the crowd,
and had to be dragged along and
whipped on by hOrsemen, both when
they started and as they came IN. They
started off with shutfling uneasy
trot; but on the other side of the
course, where they were free, they
went alOng very well. Ine dromedary
which was ridden by dark-looking
fellow, who seemed as if he were be.
ing thrown high into the air from the
animals single hump at every step
led the race in; but the horseman who
had seized the bride to guide him let
go too soon, and away he went blindly
among the crowd. A camel ridden by
a young girl of about eighteen actually
came in first, and took the prize.
There is one race called the Love
Chase which may be considered a
part of the form of marriage among
the Kirghiz. In this the bride, armed
with a formidable whip, mounts fleet
horse, and is pursued by all the young
men who make any pretensions to her
hand. She will be given as prize to
the one who catches her, but she has
the right, beside urging on her horse to
the utmost, to use her whip, often
with no mean force, to keep off those
lovers who are unwelcome to her, and
she will probably favor the one whom
she has already chosen in her heart.
AS, however, by Kirghiz custom, a
suitor to the hand of a maiden is
obliged to give certain katynn, OF pur-
chase money, and an agreement must
be made with the father for the amount
of dowry which he gives his daughter,
the Love Chase is a mere matter of
form. The kalym often consists, with
Ill ;,J;,;l,,o1, &c os r,opv oc forty-