Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-11-15
A CITY OF THE DFAn
Skulls and Bones in Heaps Around IN.
doned Houses. 'O"A

doned Houses. ''e AOaA-
mere Is graphs desorintio, ba
Steab h9sslan artist, Yassil Verse.S! 1He
oI the results OF the Nohamme5sa. '-lagin'
lion u against the Chinese vovsrn -- ,s,7i-
Tchugutehak: eN'Nllent IN
Presently large clumns NJ e..
visible in the distance on hon were
the road marking the farms o 9'les OF
mere are many around Tchugntobaan
Aoous TWO Vsrst5 outside the town We 81
several ruined houses and cbsnsie ssW
paintings on the walls we're Mn .Ae
lured. Some splendid old t,sa' LII
still standing, but quite dead fo, ~ we're
rigatlon canals are sited up and ,ba .' .a ~.
IS qaite dry. In fba eoA
similar sights meet H. own
Wonderful groves ana avenues. tbs ~. ~
OK years, are sometimes eUmplsfsl, a.
stroyed or going to decay. a. gog -
proach the sown it is hard 10 bdivs =
empty; you cannot help hopjng 20 -, ~ IS
some human being, if it be oplg n -, ~
Der But not soul was to be seen am
where. The houses are for the most ~.
unin1ured, aud likewise the paintinysF -.
the walls and the wooden Iatice-vorl- 20
the windows. Potshers and fragr,s,..
of articles of every coneeiyable tias
we're lying all about-ve vessels of iro,, -
clay of all sizes; a quantity of Gomez
coin strung OF string; dresses. cans
plaits of hair, shoes Of all sizss r.
clumsy shoes of Dnnghans and Cai
mucks side by side with the miniatn1,
slippers of Chinese women. NM
pair of extraordinary small SINNERS ~
my pocket as 3 memento.
But, above all, skulls are seen lvp,
about everywhere. The towns Ike aS
east tomb, and the whole impression il
produces is terrible. 1 wandered abo1t a
whole day in BIS company and then for
several days alone without being abia 10
accustom myself to this stiffness 40 of ibe
grave, and TO the sight of all these streets
chapels, theatres and squares standing
forever empty. The gate of the fortress
which the besiegers had bio IN in, is still
tolerably strong. Neae the gate 10 20 he
seen the entrance into the subterrauean
gallery by which the besiegers, after
long and tedious seige, made their way
into the fortress. Then came a mefci.
less hatchery, in which no one was
spared. Skulls and bones lie liter
ally in aeaps against the walls
here and oil around the fortress: at
many points, by several of the gates, the
skulls were piledup 20 great height In
the fields around the town, too lie skulls;
as fer as the eye can reach, skulls and
skulls, and again skulls.
The wolves and jsckals have already
done their work; the ravens are still en-
geged in picking the bones clean for the
sun and rain to bleach. One of the farms
in particular, which lies nearest the town
abounds in bones. A body of Camuoks,
$4,000 strong, came this way to help the
beseiged, but 70 rec Of only few hun.
dred Dughans fell upon them, drove
them back, asd killed them TO the last
man. What wonderful energy on the
Tart of the insurgent Mohammedans.
What cowardics IN the part of the China.
mep. l had enough TO occupy me.
From the governors palace to the sim-
pie little houses OF the common
people all the dwellings were habitable;
all were painted, all decorated with paint
ings, sculptures, bas-reliefs, hoVeT7,
dragons, etc. Theatres OF an Orlgina
construction, Buddhist temples in which
some colossal idols we're still intact
Though the Mohammedans evidently
showed great zeal in oyerthrowipg these
and breaking them to pieces, seemed al
most to be waiting for the people to
thronR in to their prayers and their
amusements.
For three weeks I lived with one Cos
sack and one Tartar in wretched cabin
outside me walls of The fortress, and
every day from morning till evening l
roamed about, looking at everything
drawing and painting. Occasionally a
wild goat would stray into the courtyard
where l was painting, stand transhxea
with establishment, and then rush OIL 81
full speed across the brows and desola's
stepPe.