Several years ugo there arose a squabble amongst the Tibetan priests in Labrang, the outcome of which was a border warfare between Mohammedan and Tibetan soldiers and the final subjugation of Amdo Province or Northeastern Tibet.
That stroke opened this particular part of the country to missionaries, travellers and traders. Moslems too have followed up their success with the mosque and ahung (Mohammedan priest) and by oppressing their foes.
Now again there has been a disturbance and while it was not so far-reaching as the trouble just mentioned, yet lives were sacrificed. This time the scene of action was in a region in which the new Mehuh monastery (or in Chinese Moh-uh Hsien Si) is located, the chief antagonists were the Mehuh Tibetan Official and his younger brother, a!- priest: by virtue of the officialdom being in the hands of the family, to the latter fell the control of the priests in the monastery, yet this did not seem to satisfy the brother who had aspirations for more authority.
An armed conflict ensued which cost the life of the latter: however, the case involved more than that for the one party made accusation to the Chensheosi (Taoyin) here in Hochow, the other before the Moslem General Ma in Sining.
This proved the silver opportunity for both the Chinese and Mohammedan military officials te bleed the poor Tibetans.
A third party has come in, viz., the Lan San Taotai from Lanchow, the capital, and he has got his fingers into the pie.
Sining is about six days' journey from Hochow in one direction while Mehuh is one and one half days in another, so strictly speaking, Gen. Ma would have no authority in this case, it being out of his do main; nevertheless, this situation is understandable when one realize: that the military power of Mohammedans in Kansu is great. even though there are only 3,000,000 of them as contrasted with 7.000.000 of their Chinese neighbours. Thus might spells right. The final issue is, therefore, still pending.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.