The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-25

living. showing the advantage tndt a piop-
erly ordered spirit here enjoys over his
earthly compatriots.
THEY KEEP SLAVES.
Slavery is more or less a settled institu-
ton among all the Mongol tribes. and dur
ing recent years it has spread with Won
derful rapidity into all this region from
eastern Thibet. where the practice has long
been in existence. These slaves are seldom
bought. but are either taken as prisoners
from the barbarous mountain tribes, when
they can be o~vertaken and captured. or
common malefactors. In fact, indebtedness
is a terrible crime among the Mongols and
in this may be read the main reason for
the enslavement Of those Of their own kind
The wealth Of the country is. to a great
extent, In the hands of the powerful chiefs;
therefore, when a poor man is In straits
for money he visits his chief. makes appli-
cation for a loan. and in return pledges his
own body as security. If at the end or a
stated time the loan is not repaid the chief
swoops down upon the property of the
debtor, turns him and his family out OF
doors. and if the whole amount cannot be
secured in this manner by right of the
power vested in him he seizes the man as
a slave, which generally means servitude
for life. The unfortunate victim is not paid
for his labors; therefore. he is unable TO
buy his freedom, and unless his friends are
sufficiently numerous and powerful a slave
he must remain until the end of his days.
Here at Ta-Kou, for instance, the head
man had three slaves in his family, all OF
whom had been deprived of their liberty
by getting in his debt. When we expressed
our surprise that such an enlightened and
kindhearted chief could find 1t in his heart
to treat his own kin thus vigorously and
harshly. he exclaimed with the most un-
mistakable accents Of horror: but they
were unable to pay the debts which they
contracted with me-" as If the human un-
Gerstanding was unable to grasp the idea
of criminal infamy greater than this
Women and children, however, cannot be
seized as slaves. although parents are per-
mitted to hire out their children until they
are of marriagesble age. and any able
bodied member OF the community may be-
come a voluntary slave to another men,
Der. the latter contracting to provide him
with food, clothing and a roof for his head
i'm return for his labor. In times of plenty
this form is seldom heard of. but when a
famine overtakes the district, whole fami-
lies. goaded by the pangs of starvation.
sell their freedom TO the powerful chiefs,
some OF the latter having gained in this
way as many as thirty or forty retainers.
The rights of the master over his slaves
are absolute; he can kill, sell or otherwise
dispose of them; he may require that the
women shall serve as concubines and, the
saddest feature Of all. children born while
either one of their parents is in servitude
become slaves through hereditary right.
The evil is not without its compensations,
however. The chiefs are in most cases
kind and considerate masters and never
punish their slaves excepting for some
enormous offence, and it is to be consid-
cred that many of those in servitude.
were they to ENJOY their freedom, being
miserably poor and owning neither herds
nor tillable land, must inevitably starve
TO death or tecome an incubus on the
thrift and prosperity of the community. In
fact, from the standpoint of public econ
| omy the practice has nothing revolving or
cruel about it. since the slave is housed,
clothed and fed. which, in general. forms
the sum total of the Mongol idea of perfect
earthly existence.
IN THE LAND OF THE GOLOK.
We left Ta-Kou on the morning of Feb A..
the small caravan road. instead of clinging
CiOStlN u tHt Ill VI Nv Aa-CAAN e1 ~
had done hitherto, now leading slightly TO
the south across an undulating slope, ris-
ing into hill and dale. with some magnifi-
cent rocky mounts. perched on heights
composed of blocks of sandstone and clay
ironstone, the soil being a red clay and
gravel. After crossing the ~Tchang-Gol the
valley broadened considerably. and to the
light rugged mountains rose before us in
-. III hi -r@-@
covered with a loose covering of snow from
base to summit, bleak and bare. excepting
in some rocky nook or sheltered ravine
where solitary juniper trees peeped timor-
ousIy forth, but no shrub or flower. no sing
ing bird or anything TO relieve the gloomy
stiffness and dreariness of the scene. We
were now entering the country of the Co
lok, and, Notwithstanding the optimism of
our entertainer at Ta-Kou, henceforth our
marches were made more cautiously and
guardedly.
Pressing rapidly forward, by noontime we
had gone over a distance of fifteen miles.
and despite the fact that the valley offered
more favorable opportunities for human
habitation than the bleak mountain country
surrounding, during all this time we did
not see signs Of villages or encampments,
dltnOuSn occasionally d SOLITARY noTccnldn
would halt for a moment in the distance
and after regarding us curiously dash off
into the hills. The sky was overcast and
space to pitch the tents. 1t was fortunate
the road itself remained good until 3
o'clock, when we came TO a rocky ledge,
formed like a wall, through which a narrow
gully, Uttered with powders and other OBJ
structions, led to the other side. In fear
and trepidation we plunged into its
cavernous gloom, the sides rising
sheer and straight to a height OF
sixty to a hundred feet on either side. We
had rot progressed far when huge bowl
ders began to crash down from either side.
falling with numbering echoes on the hard
bed of the ravine, and although not once
did we catch sight Of human beings, and
though these showers of stones might
have resulted from perfectly natural
causes, as they continued with alarming
frequency, we had little doubt OF their
having been propelled by human agencies.
decided TO encamp. as the ravine had ex-
| banded into an extensive amphitheatric
hollow, and, although ii was not all that
could be desired as a camping place, IT
was infinitely preferable to continuing.
| with the dubious prospect of being obliged
to encamp in the ravine itself.
We found here the ruins of a small vii
lage, and inside the courtyard sufficient
the weather bitterly cold. but fortunately