The Delta independent., 1889-06-04

A STRIKING CONTRAST.
kennan Crosses From the Russian
q to the Chinese Empire.
Tho following is from George Ken
mans illustrated paper In the May
Century:
On Friday, October 2, Mr.. Frost and
again visited Kiakhta and went with
the boundary commissioner, Mr.. Sui
kofski, to call upon the Chinese COVER
nor OF Miamachin. The Mongolian
tow n of Miamachin is separated from
Kiakhta by q hundred and fifty or two
hundred yards Of neutral ground.
through the middle OF which is sup
posed to run the boundary line between
! the two great empires. Maimachin is
further separated from Kiaktha by q
high plank wall and by screens, or
padoga- shaped buildings. that mask
tho entrances to the streets SO that the
outside barbarian cannot look into the
place without actually entering 1t, and
cannot see anything beyond its wooden
walls after he has entered it. It would
be hard to imagine more sudden and
startling change than that brought
about by walk OF two hundred yards
-on Kiakhta to Miamachin. One mo-
at you are in a Russian provincial
age with its characteristic shops,
< houses, golden-domed churches,
droshkies (drosh-lees), soldiers, and
miliar peasant faces; the next mo-
mt You pass behind the screen that
ceals the entrance to tho Mongolian
n and find yourself apparently in
middle OF the Chinese Empire.
Iou can hardly believe that you have
not been suddenly transported ON the
magical carpet of the arabian Nights"
over q distance Of thousand miles.
The town in which you find yourself is
no more like the town that you have Q
just left than Zuni pueblo is like a
village in New England, and for all
that appears to the contrary you might
suppose yourself to be separated from
the Russian Empire by the width of
whole continent The narrow, unpaved
streets are shut in by gray, one-story
houses, whose windowless walls are
made OF clay mixed with chopped straw,
and whose roofs, ornamented with
elaborate carving, show tendency to
turn up at the corners; clumsy two
wheel -ox-carts. loaded with boxes of
tca and guided by swarthy Mongol
drivers, have taken the place of the
I Russian horses and telegas; Chinese
traders in shull-caps, loose Tapping
gowns, and white-soled shoes appear
ut the doors Of the court-yards instead
of the Russian merchants in top-boots,
loose waistcoats. and shirts worn out
sida their trousers whom you have long
boon aacustomed to see; and wild-look-
Ing sunburned horsemen in deep orange
gowns and dishpan-shaped hats ride in
now and then from some remote en-
campment in the great desert Of Cobb.
followed, perhaps, by poor Mongol
from the immediate neighborhood,
mounted upon a slow-pacing OK.
Wherever you go, and in whatever
; direction you look, China has taken the
place OF Russia, and the scenes that
confront you are full of strange, un-
familiar details.
We drove with a Russo Chinese in
terpreter to the residence of the ..sur-
guhce" fsoor-goo-chay). or Chinese
governor. which was distinguished
9pgm all otr having two
high poles tipped with gilded balls
erected in front Of it.-and after being
introduced to his Excellency by Mr..
Sulkofski were invited to partake of
tea. sweetmeats. and .'maigclo'' (my-
-a-lo). or Chinese rice brandy. We
hanged whA .sa governor a num-
Ues Of ceremonies a..d not al all excit-'
ing inquiries and replies relative to
his and our health, affairs, and gem
eralt well-being, drank three or four
saki cups of maigalo, nibbled at some
candied fruits, and then, as the hour Of
his deyotions had arrived, went with
him by, invitation to, the temple and
saw him say his prayers before large
wooden idol to an accompaniment made
by the slow tolling Of big three-toned
bell The object Of the bell-ringing
seemed to be to notify the whole pop
ulation of the town that his Excellency.
the governor was communing with his
Jsss. When We returned to his house
Mr.. Frost. drew q portrait OF him as
with an amusing -aiFsus conscious mai
esty he ~ Npen . Tiger skin in his
chair Of staass- go th1as as we had no
excuse ~ sslng longer. we took
our leave, sGah cfsus re6sivin2 a neatly
tied pa1aG b whioh were the nuts.
swcetmeaas. nnd candied fruits that
had been set before us but had not
been eaten.
We wasted the rest Of the afternoon
in trying to get photographs Of some
of the strange types and groups that
werc to be seen in the Maimachin
streets. Again and again we were sur
rounded by forty or fifty Mongols,
Buriats, and nondescr1pt natives from
the great southern steppes, and again
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