LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 378.-16 AUGUST, 1851. WHEN the clouds that hide the commencement of human history begin to roll away, and the strange shapes that loom so fantastically through the mists of its early dawn melt into clearer light, we see before us a scene, which in its principal features may still be witnessed, almost unchanged, in the vast prairies that occupy so large a portion of Central Asia-the land of grass, as it called by the Tartars. We see no towns, no buildings, no arts, no industry, no cultivation; but majestic rivers, mountains rolling away into immeasurable plains, camels, and tents, and flocks and herds, which carry the imagination back to the times when Abraham," very rich in cattle, and silver, and gold, went on his journeys from the south." Thousands of years sweep by, and the Mongolian steppes present the same scenes; but now the name of Tchingis Khan has become a word of fear, at which not only China, India, and Persia, but Poland, Hungary, and Austria, and even the reFoter West, have learned to tremble. The teeming population of Asia has burst its boundaries, and rolled like an incoming tide to Central Europe. These tremendous invasions have, from their suddenness, their vast extent, and their devastating force, been compared to the primitive convulsions of nature; but though they appeared in the first instance as entirely destructive in their effects, there is no doubt that the conquests of Tchingis Khan and his successors, by making the nations of Europe acquainted with the most distant countries of the East, opened the way to many important discoveries, (the compass, printing, and the more equivocal benefit of gunpowder,) created new channels for their industry and commercial activity, and made the finest and the most ancient regions of the earth tributary to their rising civilization. The ardor for geographical discovery, too, began from this time to be, and has ever since remained, a characteristic of the European mind; but this desire was strengthened and deepened by the hope of gaining, in those vast and populous countries, an accession to the dominions of the Church of Rome, by the conversion of their population to Christianity. It was the same motive that carried the author of the volume before us to the scene of the labors, the sufferings, and, in many instances, the martyrdom of his predecessors. The French Mission at Pekin, formerly in so flourishing a condition, (there were at one time no fewer than thirty Catholic churches in one province of China,) was towards the end of the last century almost destroyed by severe persecutions. Many of the Christian converts sought a refuge in the deserts of Tartary, and lived here and there in obscure corners, on patches of land which the Mongols allowed them to cultivate. Ten years ago, M. Huc (the author) and a companion, M. Gabet, two French Lazaristes, were sent to collect some of these scattered remnants; but not thinking CCCLXXVIII. LIVING AGE. VOL. XXX. 19 it prudent to endeavor to establish themselves, as their Jesuit brethren had formerly done, in the capital of the empire, they took up their abode in a little village situated beyond the Great Wall-in a valley called He-Chuy, which we are told signifies Valley of the Black Waters, and which is one day's journey from "Suen-Hoa-Tou." The journey described in the present work was undertaken with a view of studying the character and manners of the Tartars of Mongolia, and of determining, if possible, the limits of the apostolic vicarate of Mongolia established in 1844. The party consisted only of Messrs. Huc and Gabet, and a Thibetian convert named Samdadchiemba, who took charge of the loaded camels; but they were escorted for the first stage by a guard of honor of their Chinese disciples, who mingled their adieus with tears, besides giving other less sentimental marks of attachment to their "pères spirituels," in the shape of pieces of bacon, and such like contributions, to their scanty commissariat. The first part of their journey lay through Tchakar, a border country, bounded on the south by the Great Wall, and on the west by what is now called Western Toumet. The inhabitants of this country are all soldiers to the Emperor of China, and receive annually a certain amount of pay according to their rank. On this and the produce of their flocks they are compelled to live, being prohibited, under severe penalties, from cultivating the ground. Tehakar is divided into eight Banners; the White, Blue, Red, and Yellow; and the Whitish, Bluish, Reddish, and Yellowish. Each Banner has its separate territory, which is inalienable. In the pastures of this country graze the emperor's 360 immense flocks of camels, horses, oxen, and sheep. These are visited at certain intervals by inspectors, who, if they find the number deficient, compel the chief shepherd to make it up; but some of the Chinese subjects of his Celestial Majesty, nevertheless, carry on a snug little trade with this officer by exchanging any good-for-nothing beast they may happen to possess, for a healthy and good one out of the herds of their "Sacred Master." In this country there are still to be found a few rude and lonely inns, consisting of an immense square enclosure, formed with long poles interlacedi with brambles. In the middle of this square is a mud hut, ten feet high, containing one large apartment which serves for kitchen, banqueting-room, and dormitory, and a few little miserable chambers to the right and left. The place of honor for travellers is on a sort of raised platforın, called the kang, resembling the dais of the old Saxon rooms,. but covered with stone, and capable of being warmed from beneath; the kang, being, in fact, an extension of the hearth, as there are in front of it three immense kettles, fixed in clay, and in which the broth or tea of the travellers is boiled. Immediately on the arrival of a traveller, the innkeeper, or, in Chinese lofty style, the "Intendant of the Treasury," invites them to mount on the kang, and they seat themselves there with legs crossed, after the fashion of tailors round a large table, which is not more than five or six inches high. The lower part of the hall is reserved for the people of the inn, who come and go, keep up the fire under the kettles, boil |tions. The devout Tartars who pass by do not the tea, or knead barley-flour and buck-wheat, for the always content themselves with prostrations and solid part of the meal. burning incense, but throw in many offerings of The kang of these Tartar-Chinese hostelries pre-money. The Chinese have an eye to business in sents one of the most picturesque and animated scenes their devotions, and, after a few genuflections, go possible; it is there that the people eat, drink, smoke, round and slyly pick up the pious gifts which their play, bawl, and fight; and when night comes, it is transformed all on a sudden into a dormitory. simple Mongol brethren have deposited. The travellers unroll their coverings, if they have any, or Proceeding in the direction of the Mantchoo settle themselves side by side under their clothes, if Tartar country, the travellers came to a considerathey have not. When the guests are numerous, they ble town, called Tolon-Noor, (sometimes written in place themselves in two opposite rows, feet to feet; maps, Dolon-Nor,) which, with its numerous buildbut although everybody lies down, it by no means fol-ings, and the gilded roofs of two great Lama conlows that every one goes to sleep. Whilst some snore conscientiously, others smoke, drink tea, or abandon themselves to noisy gossip. This fantastic picture, half illuminated by the dull pale light of a lamp, (simply constructed with a wick swimming in dirty oil, in a broken tea-cup,) "fills the soul," says M. Huc, "with un vif sentiment d'horreur et de crainte." Why it should do so, or what anything here described has to do with “horreur et crainte," is what we can by no means discover. cemeteries. vents rising conspicuously above them, presents from the outside rather a stately appearance. Inside, however, the streets are narrow and crooked, with gutters in the midst, so deep that goods are often lost, and even animals suffocated in them. It is, however, a place of great trade; the Tartars bringing to it continually great herds of oxen, camels, and horses, and carrying away in exchange tobacco, cloth, and tea. But the great trade of Tolon-Noor is carried on in its foundries, where are cast magnificent statues of iron and brass; and Before leaving this inn, the missionaries resolved with these, as well as smaller idols, vases, clocks, to bring their outward men more into harmony and various articles used in the services of the with their inward spiritual graces, by the adoption Buddhist temples, it supplies all the country round. of a clerical dress; not, however, the lugubrious The environs of the town are barren and sandy, one which, over the greater part of Europe, asso- and it is surrounded to a great extent by immense ciates the idea of religion with that of mourning, but the gay costume which implies sanctity in Our entrance into the town was fatiguing and full Thibet, namely, a yellow robe fastened by a red of perplexity, for we had no idea where to alight. girdle, a red waistcoat with a velvet collar, the We wandered long, as in a labyrinth, through narrow whole surmounted by a red cap. This is the secu- winding streets, where our camels could hardly make lar dress of the Buddhist Lamas. Most of the their way through the perpetual encumbrances of men missionaries resident in China wear the ordinary and goods. At length we entered an inn and unChinese costume, and have nothing to distinguish loaded our camels, piled up our baggage in the little them from traders; but these worldly garments M. room that was assigned to us, went to the market, Huc considered an obstacle to their success, as, bought grass, and distributed it to the animals-alamong the Tartars, a black man," or one of the most without taking breath. The chief of the hostelry laity, is laughed at if he attempts to speak on a then came, according to custom, and presented us with a padlock; and after padlocking the door of our room, religious subject. Besides the outward change, we went out to get some dinner, for we were excessthe travellers determined for the future to abstain ively hungry. We were not long in discovering a from wine and tobacco, much to the distress of their triangular banner floating before a house, indicating Chinese disciples, who now took their leave mourn-a restaurant; and a long corridor led us into a spafully, in the persuasion that the pères spirituels were about to perish in the deserts of Tartary. The first bivouac in the wilderness was made in the imperial forest, which extends more than a hundred leagues from north to south, and above eighty from east to west. It is supposed to be saered to the emperor's sports; and though since he has ascended the throne he has never set foot in it, the punishment of perpetual exile is decreed against any one who shall be found within its precincts with arms in his hands. This does not, however, at all interfere with the operations of innumerable poachers, but only leads to an equitable arrangement with the imperial guards, with respect to the respective shares of the game. Besides countless troops of stags, the forest is tenanted by tigers, boars, bears, panthers, and wolves; and the wood-cutter or hunter who should venture alone into the vast labyrinth of the forest, would be very likely never to find his way out again. In the second day's journey, the travellers found themselves in the presence of the great Obo, at the foot of which the Tartars pay worship to the spirit of the nountain. This monument is merely an enormous heap of stones, piled together without any order, with a great granite urn at the base, in which incense is burnt, and ornamented at the summit with a number of dried branches fixed at random among the stones, and bearing scraps of parchment with sacred inscrip cious hall, where were distributed in a symmetrical As soon as you rise to go, the "steward of the table" appears again; and while you are crossing the room, he sings out the names of the dishes you have ordered, and finishes by proclaiming the total expense in a high and intelligible voice; and then you from the Buddhists; but it seems doubtful whether pass to the office and pay the sum mentioned. The perpetual going and coming of strangers gives to the population of Tolon-Noor a very lively aspect. The hawkers run through the streets, offering to the passers-by the various little articles they deal in. The tradesmen, from the back of their shops, call and entice purchasers, by courteous and flattering words. The Lamas, with their brilliant dresses of red and yellow, endeavor to excite admiration by the address with which they manage their fiery, unbroken horses. The merchants of the province of Chan-Si are in the greatest number here, but there are few who establish themselves definitively; but, after a few years, when their coffers are sufficiently filled, they return into their own country. The Chinese mostly make fortunes, but the Tartars ruin themselves; indeed, Tolon-Noor is like a monstrous pneumatic pump, which succeeds marvellously in creating a vacuum in Mongol purses. Shortly after leaving Tolon-Noor, M. Huc fell in with a Tartar, who appeared to have gained great glory among his comrades by having served, or at least intended to serve, in the war against "the rebels of the south," videlicet, the English, concerning whom he mentioned, by way of information, that they had the power of living in the water like fish; that, when you least expected it, they would suddenly rise to the surface, and launch at you gourds filled with flames; and then, no sooner had you bent your bow to send an arrow at them, than they were down again beneath the water. The valiant Tartars, however, had no fear of the monsters; for, before the departure of the eight banners, the grand Lamas had opened the "book of celestial secrets," and predicted a happy issue to the affair. The prediction was verified, for the rebels, terrified by the approach of the Tartars, had ultimately sued their holy master, the emperor, for peace, and he, in his immense mercy, had granted it to them. The Frenchmen also learned some other particulars concerning these same rebels, which are perhaps not generally known; for instance, that Queen Victoria has a great garden in which she shuts up her husband, who is allowed to walk in this as much as he pleases, but never to go out. it would have greatly facilitated the object of their mission, as it might be often difficult to make them see what the difference was, or what would be gained by exchanging the old for the new faith. There is a point of resemblance too, besides those mentioned by M. Huc. The fundamental tenets of Buddhism are pure and sublime; but these have been so overlaid by a mass of fantastic ceremonies and forgotten symbols, that their influence has been almost wholly neutralized. The greatest truths, thus lying dormant, are of little practical value; in the words of Coleridge," they lie bedridden in the soul, side by side with the most absurd errors, without having any tendency to disturb them." But this observation will apply, we cannot help thinking, in some degree, to the religious system of the Church of Rome, as well as to that of the Dalai-Lama. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month" the missionaries had an opportunity of joining in a great Chinese festival, called the "Feast of the Moon's Loaves," when all labor is suspended, workmen receive from their masters a pecuniary present, every one puts on his best clothes, and all is mirth and rejoicing. It is, according to M. Huc, of high antiquity, but has acquired a political character from an event of the fourteenth century. An extensive conspiracy was formed amongst the Chinese to shake off the yoke of the Tartar dynasty founded by Tchingis Khan, and it effected its object by means of a general massacre, for which the signal was given by notes concealed in the little cakes engraven with the image of the moon, which it is customary to interchange on this occasion. By this catastrophe the Tartar army, which was scattered through all the families of the kingdom, was completely annihilated, and an end put to the Mongol domination. The Tartars of the present day, however, join in the celebration of the festival with great bonhommie, and without the least idea of the signification given to it by their neighbors, though the Frenchmen, with more zeal than discretion, undertook, it seems, to enlighten them upon this point. 66 Whilst we were At about a gun-shot from the place where we had encamped, we saw suddenly rising several Mongol The great point of interest with the missionaries tents, whose magnitude and cleanliness testified the was the religion of Buddhism, whose overthrow easy circumstances of their inhabitants. This opinion was the secret object of their wishes and their was, besides, confirmed by the numerous flocks of prayers. M. Huc of course expresses great horror sheep, and the immense herds of horses and oxen of this idolatrous worship, but at the same time which were grazing in the environs. congratulates himself, with much naïveté, on the reciting our breviary in the interior of the tent, numerous points of resemblance between it and the and soon after we saw coming towards us an old man Samdadchiemba went to pay a visit to these Mongols, orthodox Catholic faith as taught at Rome. The with a long white beard, and who had the air of a immense multitude of Lamas devoted to a monastic person of distinction. He was accompanied by a life; the extreme asceticism of some, (he found young Lama, and a child whom he held by the hand. holy personages, devoted to what they called a My Lord Lamas," said the old man, addressing us, contemplative life, who lived in holes in the side all men are brothers, but those who dwell beneath of a mountain, and drew up their food by a string, the tents are united among themselves like flesh and emulating the performances of saints in the early blood. The fifteenth of the moon is a solemn epoch; ages of the church)-the devotion of the laity, their you are travellers and strangers, you cannot this deference to thei. spiritual masters, their fondness evening occupy a place at the hearth of your noble for pilgrimages and showy ceremonies, their liber- family. Come and rest yourselves for some days ality in contributing money for supposed pious amongst us; your presence will bring us peace and objects, cause him sometimes to cast a longing look happiness." We told the good old man that we could back towards the "good old times," and seem, after having said our prayers, we would go and take not entirely accept his offer, but that in the evening, speaking profanely, to make his mouth water. tea with him, and have a little talk about the Mongol The apparent coincidence between the worship of nation. *** On entering the Mongol tent we were Buddha and that which the "Lamas of Jehovah" surprised to find there a degree of cleanliness to which were endeavoring to introduce, may perhaps have one is little accustomed amongst the Tartars. There contributed to procure them respectful attention was no nearth in the centre, and the eye perceived nowhere the presence of those coarse cooking utensils | dripped from them. As for us, our embarrassment which usually encumber Tartar habitations. It was at first was considerable; in offering us this white easy to see that all had been arranged for a fête. We seated ourselves on a red carpet, and were soon served from the neighboring tent, the kitchen pro tempore, with tea with milk, and little rolls fried in butter, as well as cheese, dried grapes, and jujubes. we, After having made acquaintance with the numerous Mongol company in which we found ourselves, the conversation insensibly fell on the festival of the Moon's Loaves. 66 In our country of the West," said we, "we do not know of this festival. We worship only Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, of the sun and the moon, and all that exists." "Oh, the holy doctrine!" cried the old man, carrying his joined hands to his forehead. "But neither do the Tartars worship the moon. They have seen the Chinese celebrate this fête, and they follow the custom without well knowing why." "Yes," said you follow this custom without knowing why. That is a wise saying. But this is what we have heard about it in the country of the Ketat" (Chinese.) And thereupon we related all that we knew about the terrible day of the massacre. As our narrative concluded the faces of the Tartars appeared full of astonishment; the young men spoke together in a low voice, but the elder one kept a mournful silence; he held down his head, to hide the large tears that flowed from his eyes. "Brother, enriched with years," said we, "this tale appears not to surprise you, but it has filled your heart with emotion." "Holy personages," said the old man, after having raised his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "the terrible event, which causes so much astonishment to these young men, was not unknown to me; but I wish I had never known it, and I seek to drive it from my memory, for it makes a blush mount to the face of every Tartar, whose heart is not yet sold to the Ketat. One day, the day is known to our great Lamas, the blood of our forefathers, so shamefully spilled, shall be avenged. When the holy man who is to command us shall have appeared, we will rise to a man and follow him. Then we will go, and, in the face of day, demand of the Ketat an account of the Tartar blood which was shed in the darkness of their houses. The Mongols celebrate every year this fête, and the greater number see in it only an indifferent ceremony; but the Moon's Loaves' awaken in some hearts the remembrance of the perfidy of which we have been the victims, and the hope of a just vengeance After a moment's silence, the old man added, "Holy personages, however this may be, this day is truly a festival, since you have deigned to descend into our poor habitation. It is not well to occupy our hearts with sad thoughts. Child," he added to a young man who was sitting on the threshold, "if the mutton has boiled enough take away the milk." Whilst he cleared the interior of the tent, the eldest son of the family entered, bearing in his hands a little oblong table, upon which rose a sheep cut into four quarters, piled one upon another. Immediately, when the table was placed in the midst of the guests, the head of the family, arming himself with the knife that hung at his girdle, cut the tail off the sheep, divided it into two, and offered a half to each of us. Among the Tartars the tail is considered the most exquisite part of the sheep, and consequently the most honorable. It is, with these Tartar sheep, of a remarkable form and size, a thick broad oval of from six to eight pounds' weight. As soon as the head of the family had presented us knives to cut to pieces these formidable quarters of mutton; of course, in this Tartar festival we found neither plates nor forks; every one was obliged to place on his knees his piece of mutton, and tear it without ceremony with his two hands, wiping from time to time on the front of his waistcoat the fat that with this delicate morsel, the guests fell to with their sheep's tail, our friends had doubtless been influenced by the kindest intentions; but we were not yet sufficiently weaned from our European prejudices to dare to attack, without bread or salt, the lumps of fat that seemed to tremble and pant beneath our fingers. We took counsel together in our mother tongue, as to what was to be done in these difficult circumstances. To put back these dainties by stealth on the table seemed extremely imprudent; to speak frankly to our Amphitryon, and declare our repugnance to the favorite dish, would be shocking to Tartar etiquette. We hit, therefore, on the plan of cutting up the epicurean morsel into little slices, which we handed about to the guests, begging them to partake with us, on this festival day, of this rare and precious regale. At first we had to struggle against polite and disinterested refusals; but at length we got rid of the dreadful tail, and were permitted to attack the leg, the taste of which was more conformable to the recollections of our first education. After this Homeric repast was finished, there remained only in the middle of the tent a monstrous heap of white and polished mutton-bones; a child went and untied a violin with three strings, that hung suspended on a ram's-horn, and presented it to the chief of the family. He passed it to a young man, who held down his head modestly, but whose eyes became animated the moment he took the instrument in his hands. "Nobles and holy travellers," said the head of the family to us, "I have invited a Toolholos to embellish the evening with some tales ;" and while he spoke the minstrel was already preluding upon the chords. He soon began to sing with a strong voice and marked accent, and occasionally he stopped and mingled his song with animated and fiery recitation, while the Tartars bent towards him and accompanied his words by variations of their features. The toolholos sung of national and dramatic subjects, which excited a lively interest amongst the majority of the audience; but for us, little initiated as we were in the history of Tartary, we took a very slender interest in all the unknown personages whom the Mongol rhapsody brought by turns on the stage. When the singing had gone on a considerable time, the old man presented the minstrel with a large cup of the spirit made from milk. He laid down his violin on his knees, and moistened eagerly with the liquor the throat that must have been dry with the marvels he had been relating; and, as he finished drinking, and licked round the edges of the cup, the chief said, "Toolholos, in the songs that you have given us everything was fine and beautiful, but you have told us nothing yet of the immortal Tamerlane." "Yes! yes!" cried many voices at once, "sing to us the invocation to Timor." The singer paused a moment, and then, having collected his thoughts, sung in a vigorous and martial tone, to the following effect : "When the divine Timor dwelt beneath our tents, the Mongol nation was terrible and warlike; his movements made the earth shake; with a single glance of his eye he froze with terror the ten thousand nations whom the sun shines upon. Oh, divine Timor! when will thy great soul be born again? Come back! Come back! We are awaiting thee, O Timor!" After a few more stanzas, the minstrel departed with a profound salutation, to entertain other fami lies who were waiting for him on this festive oc casion; but as the missionaries had appeared to teered to produce a family virtuoso to supply his listen to him with interest, the chief politely volunplace. The performance of this personage was, however, of so overpowering a description, that they seized the earliest possible opportunity to make their escape. These "toolholos," or wandering minstrels, are, it seems, often met with in Tartary and Thibet. They are commonly poor; a violin "You wicked are always more numerous than the good? Let me say a word to you that comes from the bottom ard a flute hung to their girdles comprising their diately he began to walk alongside of us. whole possessions; but they are sure of a kind re- would hardly be able to find the inn that would suit ception in the Mongol families, and remain with you in this Blue Town. The men are innumerable each other often several days, never failing, on their here; but there are good, and there are bad men. departure, to be laden with provisions for their jour-Is it not as I say, my Lord Lamas? Men are not all ney-cheese, and bladders filled with wine and tea. of the same kind; and who does not know that the The fine countries situated to the north of Pekin, beyond the great wall, now bear the name of Eastern Toumet. They were bestowed at the time of the Mantchoo conquest of China on the King of Western Toumet, who had rendered considerable services to the conquerors; the two portions of his dominions are separated by the district called the Tchakar. The Mongols of Western Toumet no longer lead the nomadic life, but cultivate their lands and practise many useful arts. After about three days' journey through these countries the missionaries arrived at a town called Kouk-ou-Khoton, that is, "Blue Town." It is entered by a broad road, running between immense kitchen-gardens, which surround the town. The increase of the population has necessitated the breaking through the ramparts, and such extensive quarters have been built beyond them, that this part of the town is now of more importance than that within the walls. Viewed from without it is rather imposing, but does not improve on a closer acquaintanceship. of my heart. Whilst the young Chinese poured out all these fine "that We entered it by a broad street, in which is situated the celebrated Lama Convent of the Five Towers; but immediately after passing this the street comes to an end, and you have on the right and left two miserable narrow lanes. We chose the one that appeared the least dirty, and advanced at first easily enough, but the further we went the more muddy it became, and soon it was little better than a long quagmire filled with black mud, and exhaling a suffocating odor. We were in the Tanners' Street, and we advanced slowly, and stumbling perpetually, for the miry liquid sometimes concealed a great stone, over which we had to climb, and sometimes a deep hollow, into which we suddenly plunged. We had hardly "Wait for me one moment-in one moment I will gone fifty paces before our animals were covered with be with you again ;" and he darted like an arrow mud, and dripping with sweat. To complete our into a neighboring shop. He returned soon, with a misfortune, we heard before us loud cries uttered by thousand excuses for having made us wait. horsemen and drivers who were approaching through are very tired, are you not? One can easily suppose the windings of the lane, and shouting in this man-that-it is always so when one is travelling-it is not ner to deter others from entering it. To draw back like when one is in one's own family." Whilst he or to stand up appeared equally impossible, so we was speaking thus, we were accosted by another began to shout in our turn, and continued our march, Chinese; he had not the same joyous and full-blown expecting with some anxiety the conclusion of the countenance as the other, but was meagre, with thin, piece. A turn in the lane brought on the dénoue-pinched lips, and little black eyes, sunk deep in their ment. At the sight of our camels the horses took fright, and, making a sudden wheel, threw themselves one on the other, and rushed out by all the outlets they could find. In this manner, thanks to our beasts of burden! we continued our route without being obliged to give way, and arrived at last in a tolerably spacious street, bordered with fine shops. "You orbits, that gave him a remarkably sinister expression. " Signor Lamas," said he, "you have only just arrived? It is well-you have travelled in peace? Ah! that is well. Your camels are magnificent; you must have travelled quickly and happily. At length you are arrived. It is well. Se-Eul," said he to the one who had first seized upon us, 66 you are conductWe looked incessantly from side to side in the hope ing these noble Tartars to an inn. It is well! Take of discovering an inn, but always in vain. It is cus- care that it is a good one. You must take them to tomary in the great towns of China and Tartary for the Hotel of Eternal Equity." "It is exactly there every hostelry to lodge exclusively one sort of travel- we are going." "Indeed! the hotel-keeper is one of lers. One is for the corn merchants, another for the my best friends. It will not be useless for me to go horse-dealers, &c.; each has its particular customers, too. I will recommend these noble Tartars strongly and closes its doors to all others. There is only one Really, if I did not go, it would lie heavy on my kind of inn which affords lodging to travellers in gen-heart. When one has the happiness to meet with eral, and these called the Inns of Passing Guests. brothers, one must try and be useful to them. That was the kind of one which would suit us; but are all brothers; are we not, gentlemen? You see in vain we traversed the streets in search of such a us two,"-and he pointed to his young partnerrefuge; we could see no such thing. We stopped for "we are clerks in the same shop. We are accusa moment to beg a passer-by to point one out to us, tomed to manage the affairs of Tartars. Oh, it is a and immediately we saw coming towards us a young great advantage, in this miserable town, to have man, who rushed in a most zealous manner out of a some people you can trust to." shop. "You are looking for an inn?" said he. "Oh! perinit me to conduct you to one myself;" and imme We To see these two personages, with their inexhaustible professions of attachment, it might have been |