Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-11-15
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radiate an interminable series Of birch and fir
clad gules. The Tao river sharply divides this
type of country from the low, bare, cultivated
slopes where Taochow lies. From the summit of
the pass one drops down between narrow grass
covered corries to the little town-if such 1t can
be called-of Choni within few hundred yards
Of the river Incidentally, passes from
lackadaisical, inert China into an atmosphere of
border feuds medieval raids, pine-covered snow
capped peaks and a wild of Highlanders.
1t is quaint little place, like pigeons nest in
a cluster of red cliffs, dominated by a lamaserai
containing six hundred monks as dirty and evil
looking as most of their tribe. The capital OF
the Prince of Choni it is the only town within
his dominiors, which extend over a district half
as large Scotland half-caste Thibetan, aged
twentythree, he furnishes very pretty parallel
to Rehoboam His predecessor, who the
eighteenth of his line, popular and wise old
ruler adopted him. The prince. his death.
turned away the old who had hitherto helped
to govern the forty-eight wild tribes who owned
allegiance to their master and substituted his own
friends, spending his nights with them in gam
bling opium-smoking and other forms of dissipa-
ton. He Is dependent on China and under the
authority of the county official who in turn is
under the provincial governor who, again, is
subject to the viceroy OF Shensi and kansu This
parsonage resides at Lanchow. When we arrived
at the capital, the prince and about two hundred
men Che pays no tribute to China, but must sup
ply two thousand irregular cavalry If called
Spon) were away in the hills fighting the T'e-pu.
a wild aboriginal tribe who infest the country to
the south of the Mnshan mountains. These in
teresting people are divided into fourteen clans.
and are much dreaded by the Chinese, who only
venture through their country once year. They
then organize a big caravan Of merchants with
guards and get through quickly possible.
The T'e-pu are very hostile to strangers, and It
would probably be as much as ones possessions
were worth to venture into their territory alone.
A clan protects it's friends and the friends of
ifs chief, but not the friends of another clan who
are looked on legitimate prey. When they
hold a stranger in great affection and reverence.
they have a custom Of regarding him as their
adopted father. AS an illustration of their char
acter the prime minister of the late Prince OF
Shoni, being adopted as father by about forty
T'e-pu went alone among them to retrieve the
grandchildren of Christian convert whom they
had kidnapped All the kings horses and all the
kings men powerless; but this one man,
because he was their friend. safely entered their
country and returned with the children. They are
not agriculturists but live chiefly by barter. and
come into Choni occasionally for provisions. !
saw number of them later on, including lama
who performed monotonous and somewhat
senseless dance for edifcation. At times
they dash down in sudden raid as the Chon-
Ians are watering their horses and livestock at
lEs river and whSE than agay into the hills be-