The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-11-15

7zcfa-e N i..etmiaable series OF birch and fir
clad giles. The Tao river sharply divides this
1vJe CT country from he low bare, cultivated
slopes where Taochow lies. From The summit Of
tie pas: one drops down between narrow grass
covered 2o-ries 20 the little town-it such Il can
De caued-of Chori within a few hundred yards
e the RIVER. Incidentally one passes from
lackadasical iner, China into an atmosphere OF
border feuds. medieval raids. p!necoyered. snow
capped peaks and q wild race o. HighlandeTs.
J, IS quaint lttle place, Ike pigeons nest in
s cluster CT ret cliffs dominated By q laEa2@-.i
containing six hundred monks. as dirty and evil
looking as most OF their tribe. The capital OF
ne Prince o; Choni & il the only town within
as domnious which extend over a district half
IS large as Scotland. A haitcaste Thibetau. aged
Jwenty-three, he furnishes a very pretty parallel
70 Rehoboam. His predecessor Who was the
eighteenth O. lis line. q popular and wise Ole
ruler adopted him. The prince, or his death.
turned away the old men who had hitherto helped
70 govern the forty-eigh5 Wild tribes who owned
allegiance 10 their master and substituted his own
friends spending his nights with them in gam
bling cpuu1.smokins and other forms Of dissipa-
son He is dependent on China and under the
authority OF the county official who in turn is
Under the provincial governor who. again. Is
sabteC- 10 the viceroy Of Sheusi and Kansu. This
parsonage resides at Lanchow. When We arrived
at the capital, the prince and about Two hundred
men The pays no tribute TO China, buc must sup
uIy TWO thousand irregular cavalry il called
1-or1 were away in thu hills Sighting the T'e-pu.
& Wild aboriginal tribe who iufest the country TO
the south Of be Ninsh5G mountains These In
terest,ag people are divided into fourteen clans.
and are much dreaded by the Chinese who only
venture through their country once a year. They
then organize a big caravan OF merchants with
guards and get through rs quickly possible.
The T'e.pu are very hostile 20 strangers and it
would probably be as much as ones possessions
were worth TO venture into their territory alone
clan protects its own friends and the friends OF
Its 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 TIE prime minister OF the late Prince Of
Choni being adopted father by about forty
T'epu, went alone among them 20 retrieve the
grandchildren Of a Christian convert whom they
had kidnapped All the kings horses and all the
Kings men were powerless; but this one man.
because he was their friend. safely entered their
country and returned with the children They are
not agricuturists, but live chiefly ~ barter and
come into Choni occasionally for provisions. !
saw q number OF them later on, including a lama
who performed a monotonous and somewhat
sepseless dance for edifcatior At times
they dash down in sudden raid, as the Chon-
ians are watering their horses and livestock at
she river, and whirl them away into the hills be