The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-06-13

two branches; the nara NoE
Black) Kirghiz, who inhabit
the uplands of the Russo
Chinese frontier on the headwaters or
the Yenisei river, and the Kirghlz-ka-
zaks or Kirghiz-Riders. who live on
the steppes of the central Asiatic
plateau and extend as far west as the
VOlga. The Kirghlz-Kazaks are
Turko-Mongolian people, whose mp
pearance inclines to the MOngOlian
type, but whose language has pre-
served its primitive Tatar (Turkish)
form, writes E. Nelson Fell in Asia.
They number about two million souls
and are scattered over wide terri
tory Of about two million square miles
In extent.
Here is a people which neither
SOws nor reaps, and which takes no
thought of the morrow, but unthink-
ingly relies upon nature to provide for
its wants by natural increase; which
preserves its own integrity and con-
tinuity, not by restraints imposed
from the outside. but by restraints
imposed by the individuals upon them
selves; which cares for the stranger
by the divinely imposed duty Of hos
pitality, which provides for the IA
therless and the old and infirm by self
imposed rules and customs; which re-
spects its dead and raises monuments
to protect their remains and which
(probably since its adoption of Mo
hammedanism) believes in future
life. The Kirghiz have been MOham-
medans for three or four centuries
The essence Of their code is kindliness
and self-restraint; kindness to man an
beast and to the helpless and weak
and a self-control which arOuses the
sincere respect of our unbridled west
ern natures.
-., Their PatriarchaI Government.
They are a strictly nOmadic people
who have wandered over this semi
arid land for centuries and have &C
CURED a prescriptive title to 1t. with
out any centralized form of govern
ment to assert their rights to II
against intruders. Their form of pa
triarchal self-government is quite wei
defined to themselves but almost invis
ible to our centralized minds. Eacl
AooI "a settlement of Is or 20 tents.
Is in charge of a headman, sometime!
q Sultan" in whom all the propert!
of the AOOl Is considered to be vested
HyV-a IrHNf W
from father to son without friction
and the responsibility for the physica
well-being Of the AOOl rests with him
the rules for the care of the old ant
young are prescribed by ancient Gus
tom, and the harmony of the Aool Il
rarely disturbed.
1t is u gay life which the Kirghi
lead in their tents in the summer
Chattering an unceasing chatter, the
watch the sun slip across the sky an
night finds them chattering still. If
stranger comes in sight they jun
into their saddles and rush helteI
skelter to meet him. With loud erie
of "Amann! Amann, Bail" they we
come him and seize the reins of hi
horse, drag him at headlOng speed int
their AooI and lead him into the ten
suitable to his rank. The intensit
of the chatter increases; the -koumi
is whipped to a foam in the hug
skins which contain it and poured int
large bowl; from this it is serve
in smaller painted bowls, made
wood and holding about quart.
each person present.
The KIrghiz Tent. ~
1t is a gay, merry life, and in tn
tents of the rich patriarchs,, it is or
of considerable dignity. Their ten
are of snowy white felt with the edg'
gaily embroidered. The ropes passiI
over such tent are of camel's ha
whose strands are Of varied and "a
colOrs. Like all yurtas, it is circul'
In shape with a semi-circular dom
like top. A large one will be % fe
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