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TRAVELS
in
TARTARY, THIBET, AND CHINA,
during the years 1844–5–6.
BY M. HUC.
translated from the french by w. hazlitt.
VOL. I.
illustrated with fifty engravings on wood.
london:
office of the national illustrated library,
227 strand.
london:
vizetelly and company, printers and engravers,
peterborough court, fleet street.
PREFACE.
The Pope having, about the year 1844, been pleased to establish an Apostolic Vicariat of Mongolia, it was considered expedient, with a view to further operations, to ascertain the nature and extent of the diocese thus created, and MM. Gabet and Huc, two Lazarists attached to the petty mission of Si-Wang, were accordingly deputed to collect the necessary information. They made their way through difficulties which nothing but religious enthusiasm in combination with French elasticity could have overcome, to Lha-Ssa, the capital of Thibet, and in this seat of Lamanism were becoming comfortably settled, with lively hopes and expectations of converting the Talé-Lama into a branch-Pope, when the Chinese Minister, the noted Ke-Shen, interposed on political grounds, and had them deported to China. M. Gabet was directed by his superiors to proceed to France, and lay a complaint before his Government, of the arbitrary treatment which he and his fellow Missionary had experienced. In the steamer which conveyed him from Hong Kong to Ceylon, he found Mr. Alexander Johnstone, secretary to Her Majesty’s
Plenipotentiary in China; and this gentleman perceived so much, not merely of entertainment, but of important information in the conversations he had with M. Gabet, that he committed to paper the leading features of the Reverend Missionary’s statements, and on his return to his official post, gave his manuscripts to Sir John Davis, who, in his turn, considered their contents so interesting, that he embodied a copy of them in a dispatch to Lord Palmerston. Subsequently the two volumes, here translated, were prepared by M. Huc, and published in Paris. Thus it is, that to Papal aggression in the East, the Western World is indebted for a work exhibiting, for the first time, a complete representation of countries previously almost unknown to Europeans, and indeed considered practically inaccessible; and of a religion which, followed by no fewer than 170,000,000 persons, presents the most singular analogies in its leading features with the Catholicism of Rome.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
| Page |
Preface |
|
Contents | |
List of Illustrations | |
CHAPTER I. | |
French Mission of Peking—Glance at the Kingdom ofOuniot—Preparations for Departure—Tartar-ChineseInn—Change of Costume—Portrait and Character ofSamdadchiemba—Sain-Oula (the Good Mountain)—TheFrosts on Sain-Oula, and its Robbers—First Encampment inthe Desert—Great Imperial Forest—Buddhist Monumentson the summit of the Mountains—Topography of the Kingdom ofGechekten—Character of its Inhabitants—Tragicalworking of a Mine—Two Mongols desire to have theirhoroscope taken—Adventure of Samdadchiemba—Environsof the town of Tolon-Noor | |
CHAPTER II. | |
Inn at Tolon-Noor—Aspect of the City—GreatFoundries of Bells and Idols—Conversation with the Lamas ofTolon-Noor—Encampment—Tea Bricks—Meeting withQueen Mourguevan—Taste of the Mongols forPilgrimages—Violent Storm—Account from a Mongol Chiefof the War of the English against China—Topography of theEight Banners of the Tchakar—The Imperial Herds—Formand Interior of the Tents—Tartar Manners andCustoms—Encampment at the Three Lakes—NocturnalApparitions—Samdadchiemba relates the Adventures of hisYouth—Grey Squirrels of Tartary—Arrival atChaborté | |
Festival of the Loaves of the Moon—Entertainment ina Mongol Tent—Toolholos, or Rhapsodists ofTartary—Invocation to Timour—TartarEducation—Industry of the Women—Mongols in quest ofmissing Animals—Remains of an abandoned City—Roadfrom Peking to Kiaktha—Commerce between China andRussia—Russian Convent at Peking—A Tartar solicits usto cure his Mother from a dangerous Illness—TartarPhysicians—The Intermittent Fever Devil—Various formsof Sepulture in use among the Mongols—Lamasery of the FiveTowers—Obsequies of the Tartar Kings—Origin of thekingdom of Efe—Gymnastic Exercises of theTartars—Encounter with three Wolves—Mongol Carts | |
CHAPTER IV. | |
Young Lama converted to Christianity—Lamasery ofTchortchi—Alms for the Construction of ReligiousHouses—Aspect of the Buddhist Temples—Recitation ofLama Prayers—Decorations, Paintings, and Sculptures of theBuddhist Temples—Topography of the Great Kouren in thecountry of the Khalkhas—Journey of the Guison-Tamba toPeking—The Kouren of the Thousand Lamas—Suit betweenthe Lama-King and his Ministers—Purchase of aKid—Eagles of Tartary—WesternToumet—Agricultural Tartars—Arrival at the BlueTown—Glance at the Mantchou Nation—MantchouLiterature—State of Christianity inMantchouria—Topography and productions of EasternTartary—Skill of the Mantchous with the Bow | |
CHAPTER V. | |
The Old Blue Town—Quarter of theTanners—Knavery of the Chinese Traders—Hotel of theThree Perfections—Spoliation of the Tartars by theChinese—Money Changer’s Office—TartarCoiner—Purchase of two Sheep-skin Robes—CamelMarket—Customs of the Cameleers—Assassination of aGrand Lama of the Blue Town—Insurrection of theLamaseries—Negociation between the Court of Peking and thatof Lha-Ssa—Domestic Lamas—Wandering Lamas—Lamasin Community—Policy of the Mantchou Dynasty with referenceto the Lamaseries—Interview with a ThibetianLama—Departure from the Blue Town | |
A Tartar-eater—Loss of Arsalan—Great Caravanof Camels—Night Arrival at Tchagan-Kouren—We arerefused Admission into the Inns—We take up our abode with aShepherd—Overflow of the Yellow River-Aspect ofTchagan-Kouren—Departure across the Marshes—Hiring aBark—Arrival on the Banks of the YellowRiver—Encampment under the Portico of aPagoda—Embarkation of the Camels—Passage of theYellow River—Laborious Journey across the InundatedCountry—Encampment on the Banks of the River | |
CHAPTER VII. | |
Mercurial Preparation for the Destruction ofLice—Dirtiness of the Mongols—Lama Notions about theMetempsychosis—Washing—Regulations of NomadicLife—Aquatic and Passage Birds—TheYuen-Yang—The Dragon’s Foot—Fishermen of thePaga-Gol—Fishing Party—Fisherman Bit by aDog—Kou-Kouo, or St. Ignatius’sBean—Preparations for Departure—Passage of thePaga-Gol—Dangers of the Voyage—Devotion ofSamdadchiemba—The Prime Minister of the King of theOrtous—Encampment | |
CHAPTER VIII. | |
Glance at the Country of the Ortous—CultivatedLands—Sterile, sandy steppes of the Ortous—Form ofthe Tartar-Mongol Government—Nobility—Slavery—Asmall Lamasery—Election and Enthronization of a LivingBuddha—Discipline of the Lamaseries—LamaStudies—Violent Storm—Shelter in some ArtificialGrottoes—Tartar concealed in a Cavern—Tartaro-ChineseAnecdote—Ceremonies of TartarMarriages—Polygamy—Divorce—Character andCostume of the Mongol Women | |
CHAPTER IX. | |
Departure of the Caravan—Encampment in a fertileValley—Intensity of the Cold—Meeting with numerousPilgrims—Barbarous and Diabolical Ceremonies ofLamanism—Project for the Lamasery ofRache-Tchurin—Dispersion and rallying of the littleCaravan—Anger of Samdadchiemba—Aspect of the Lamaseryof Rache-Tchurin—Different Kinds of Pilgrimages around theLamaseries—Turning Prayers—Quarrel between twoLamas—Similarity of the Soil—Description of theTabsoun-Noor or Salt Sea—Remarks on the Camels ofTartary | |
Purchase of a Sheep—A Mongol Butcher—GreatFeast à la Tartare—Tartar VeterinarySurgeons—Strange Cure of a Cow—Depth of the Wells ofthe Ortous—Manner of Watering the Animals—Encampmentat the Hundred Wells—Meeting with the King of theAlechan—Annual Embassies of the Tartar Sovereigns toPeking—Grand Ceremony in the Temple of theAncestors—The Emperor gives Counterfeit Money to the MongolKings—Inspection of our Geographical Map—The DevilsCistern—Purification of the Water—A LameDog—Curious Aspect of the Mountains—Passage of theYellow River | |
CHAPTER XI. | |
Sketch of the Tartar Nations | |
CHAPTER XII. | |
Hotel of Justice and Mercy—Province ofKan-Sou—Agriculture—Great Works for the Irrigation ofthe Fields—Manner of Living in Inns—Great Confusionin a Town caused by our Camels—ChineseLifeguard—Mandarin Inspector of the PublicWorks—Ning-Hia—Historical and TopographicalDetails—Inn of the Five Felicities—Contest with aMandarin, Tchong-Wei—Immense Mountains of Sand—Roadto Ili—Unfavourable aspect of Kao-Tan-Dze—Glance atthe Great Wall—Inquiry after the Passports—Tartarstravelling in China—Dreadful Hurricane—Origin andManners of the Inhabitants of Kan-Sou—TheDchiahours—Interview with a Living Buddha—Hotel ofthe Temperate Climates—Family ofSamdadchiemba—Mountain of Ping-Keou—Fight between anInnkeeper and hisWife—Water-mills—Knitting—Sí-Ning-Fou—Houseof Rest—Arrival at Tang-Keou-Eul | |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| page | |
| Frontispiece, Chinese and Tartar Costumes | |
| Title-page, Portraits of MM. Gabet and Huc | |
| View of the City of Peking | [9] |
| The Travellers setting out on their Journey | [15] |
| Kang of a Tartar-Chinese Inn | [17] |
| The Missionaries in their Lamanesque Costumes | [19] |
| Portrait of Samdadchiemba | [20] |
| Mountain of Sain-Oula | [21] |
| First Encampment | [23] |
| Buddhist Monuments | [25] |
| Military Mandarin | [28] |
| Chinese Idol | [32] |
| View of the City of Tolon-Noor | [33] |
| Bell and Idol Foundry | [36] |
| The Queen of Mourguevan | [40] |
| The Emperor Tao-Kouang | [44] |
| Tartar Encampment | [48] |
| Interior of a Tartar Tent | [50] |
| Russian Convent at Peking | [61] |
| Lamasery of the Five Towers | [79] |
| Lamasery of Tchortchi | [85] |
| Buddhist Temple | [87] |
| Interior of Buddhist Temple | [89] |
| Tartar Agriculturist | [98] |
| Chinese Soldier | [100] |
| Chinese Money-changers | [109] |
| The Camel Market | [121] |
| Vagabond Lamas | [124] |
| View of Tchagan-Kouren | [128] |
| Caravan crossing the Desert | [132] |
| Navigation of the Yellow River | [139] |
| Camel of Tartary | [146] |
| Water-fowl and Birds of Passage | [147] |
| A Fishing Party | [155] |
| Election of a Living Buddha | [165] |
| The Steppes of Ortous | [168] |
| Caves of the Ortous | [180] |
| Barbarous Lamanesque Ceremony | [188] |
| Lamasery of Rache-Tchurin | [201] |
| Turning Prayers | [203] |
| Mongol Butcher | [210] |
| Encampment at the Hundred Wells | [222] |
| Grand Ceremony at the Ancestral Temple | [227] |
| Chinese Idol | [236] |
| Chinese and Tartar Arms | [237] |
| Chinese Princess | [253] |
| Chinese Caricature | [261] |
| Irrigation of the Fields | [262] |
| Root of the Jin-Seng | [293] |
