The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-08-08

large flap of felt. Inside there Is nc
furniture, but the ground, which con
stitutes the floor, is covered with the
finest embroidered felts and rugs from
Samarkand. The sides are hung with
gorgeous silks and large silk cushions
are profusely distributed.
When guests are expected, the fam
lily hangs their brightest clothes anc
richest furs on ropes which stretJ
across the tent. and the whole effer
is beautiful and extremely luxurious
Everyone sits on the ground or re-
clines on cushions and, when food "a
served (Which is a continuous per
formance), a small round table Is
brought in, about six inches high
The only discontinued thing in the
tent is the hunting eagle, which sits
In the background on his perch, sigh
ing for the return Of winter.
The Kirghiz are q short, thick-set
race, with coarse black hair on their
heads but with little hair on their
faces. Their complexion is a dark oil
i've brown and the young people have
pleasant rosy glow in their cheeks
their features have many of the Mon
golian characteristics. The race is
much mixed, however, and individuals
of Turkish and Semitic cast of fea
lures are not lacking. They are
neither ugly nor beautiful, but their
expression is kindly and gentle; theil
teeth are usually white and often en-
dure TO old age unblemiShed. They
never walk or perform any manual la
Dor, and their hands and feet are al
most invariably small.
They are perfect horsemen in theil
own peculiar style of riding: they sit
on tiny saddles with very short stir
rupS No man could ride on sucf
saddles if he were not encased, as
they are, in layer upon layer OF thicE
cotton-wadded clothes and furs (usu
ally sheepskins), and none Of our race
would consent to present the picture
which they do when they sit perched
high on their small ponies, stuffed out
twice or thrice their natural girth.
Winter Their Hard Time.
The winter Is a hard time for mar
and beast. It is seven months long
and the wind never tires of blowing
while the thermometer sinks to so anG
60 degrees below zero. When the biz
zard blows, the air is full of binding
snow, and when the sun shines, as Il
does sometimes, the snow become:
covered with a hard crust, and ther
the stock suffers cruelty. Not so much
the horses, for they are naturally
tough and can paw through the crust
but the cattle are more helpless ant
the sheep and goats entirely so, ant
they must be herded where the snow
is soft or where there is none, or they
must be fed from the small supply Of
wild hay which has been saved dur
ing the summer. Only the camel 1:
safe, with his long hair protecting hi:
uncouth body, and large soft eye!
which can look straight into the storm
and with his two Jumps of fat, or
which he can live till the stormy tim
passes and spring comes again.
The only relief which the people
have from the tedium of winter 1!
sport, of which they are very fond
They have few firearms and only use
them when they hunt the bighorr
sheep. Then they shoulder a muzzle
loading, smooth-bore, single-barre
rifle about four feet six inches long
whose barrel is so heavy that II mus
be supported by wooden crutch al
its muzzle end. The smaller animal:
they hunt with eagles. in the training
and handling Of which they are skill
full. and a good eagle will, in a season
catch sufficient hares and foxes ant
wolves to furnish enough pelts fol-
clothing all the jewellers in the 400
with the furs which are so necessar,
to them.
The Kirghiz practice a few arts OF
trades on a very small scale and FIRE
quently display a considerable sens,
Of artistic thoroughness. During tn,
winter the women spin thread both o.
camePs hair and sleeps wool. not Will
wheel, but with little spindle, which
can be compared to child's top. II
the summer they weave the thread in
to narrow strips. A stake is driver
into the ground outside one of the tent.
and here the weaving commences ant
proceeds across the Steppe indefinitely
until the diligence IF the weaver or the
supply of thread fails. Camel's hair I.
preferred for cloth and the result is 8
strip, about 10 inches wide. Of dull
brown cloth. rather heavy and eternal
~ wear-prOof.