The journey from Tsitsihar Hailar takes some 18 hours and owing to numerous stop is 2 tedious one, Chinese soldiers who are now to be found in considerable numbers along the whole stretch of the line jump on and off the train at every station and make themselves a general nuisance by blocking up the corridors and sitting down in any seat they can find irrespective of class, a thing that never occurred when the Russian guards were doing duty.
The quantity of Japanese troops to be now is considerably less than it was some little time ago, ior most of the garrisons with the exception of those essential for maintaining lines of communication and transportation have been transferred to Transbaikalia.
At several of the stations are 10 be seen Russian officers still wearing their uniforms but now "'resting." Some of these formerly ba-longed to the railway guar] and gendarmerie whilst others have served in some White unit or ig} other. They are all waiting for developments. not having any great desire to go to Chita and throw their lot in with Simionov. They live along the line for reasons of economy. for without a doubt since the yen has usurped the place of the rouble at Harbin, that town has become more expensive to li in than any other in the Far East.
Tue Gateway or Moncorta.
Hailar is a growing and prosperous town for it is the gateway into Outer Mongolia. It consists of a large railway settlement that is being rapidly built over and the former Mongolian walled city now administered by the Chinese authorities. It is actually in Mon. golian territory upon which Chinese settlers have encroached, the Chinese authorities following in their wake. a As a trading centre Hailar is quite important for it is to this town that the Mongols bring their cattle, hides, wool, skins and furs to sell, taking back with them Piece goods, hardware and other Mongolian requirements. Daily the streets are crowded with camels loaded with wool, light Mongolian carts with high wheels drawn by oxen and loaded wit firewood, droves of cattle and mobs of Mongol ponies. In former years ti sole buyers besides the Chinese, who are often the agents of compradores of foreign firms residing in Northern China, were the Russians, but now several Japanese competitors have appeared on the scene. Simionov. too, has: been 2. large buyer paying in ammugitioa and rifles, gold and silver.
The Mongols still accept Romanoff notes but will have nothing to do with yen notes. The medium of exchange in addition to ¢ilver dollars is what is known as the Eailar note. These notes are issued by a Sino-Mongolian Bank founded by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce jointly with certain Mongol princes. This currency is not accepted in any of the other towns situated along the railway except Hailar, their local value being about equal to to a Romanoff rouble.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.