Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-12-06

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 corrtes to the little town-if such II can
be called-of Choni within few hundred yards
Of the river. Incidentally. one passes from
lackadaisical inert China into an atmosphere OF
border feuds, medieval raids pine-covered, snow
capped peaks and wild race of Highlanders
It Is a 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 II is the only town within
his dominions which extend over district half
as large as Scotland. halfcaste Thibetan aged
twenty-three he furnishes a very pretty parallel
10 Rehoboam. His predecessor. who was the
eighteenth Of his line popular and wise old
ruler. adopted him. The prince, ON his death,
turned away the old men who had hitherto helped
10 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 dssipa-
ton. He rs 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 Shens and Kansu This
parsonage resides at Lanchow. When we arrived
at the capital, the prince and about two hundred
men Che pays tribute to China. but must sup
ply two thousand irregular cavalry caileu
upon) were away in the hills fighting the Te-pu
a wild aboriginal tribe who nfest the country to
the south OF the Minshan mountains. These in
teresting 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 big caravan OF merchants with
guards and get through as quickly as possible
The Te-pu very hostile to strangers, and II
would probably be much ones possessions
worth to venture into their territory alone
A clan protects its friends and the friends OF
fits chief, but not the friends of another clan who
are looked 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
Choni being adopted father by about forty
Te-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 were 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 a number Of them later on, including lama
who performed a monotonous and somewhat
senseless dance for our edihcation. At times
they dash down in a sudden raid. as the Chon
ians are watering their horses and livestock at
the river. and whirl them away into the htUs be