A Fresh Advance in Prospect—Survey Expedition Preparing—Sighing From Our Own Siningfu, Kan., June 18.
Years ago it was rumoured that; the province of Amdo Kokonor and the Prefecture of Siningfuj would be made into a new Province with the City of Siningfu as its capital. Last year, three new districts were opened, two in Kokonor and one at Jykundo in Amdo, and soldiers were sent in to build the cities. In each of these districts magistrates have been appointed, and soldiers are! stationed, and in the two districts) of the Kokonor, farmers have been! encouraged to open up new ground) under the protection of the/ soldiers.
The winter time is the most dangerous—when the unruly Goloks make their daring incursions into the district. The districts can never be self supporting as long as it is- necessary to keep soldiers stationed there, and they will not] be able to retire until the wild Golok tribes are brought under control, which will not be in this! generation, for they are too wild to' be tamed, loving their romantic roving life too keenly.
A Pisce oF History.
In the Sung Dynasty these two districts "of the Kokonor were under cultivation, and ruined walls: mark the places where the little cities stood. Then at the close of the dynasty, the Tibetans rose up against their conquerors, drove them out, destroyed their cities, sweeping over the Kansu Province, some reaching as far as Sian, Under the brave commanders of the Ming Dynasty, during the reign of that enterprising Emperor! Hung Wu the soldiers drove them back once more over the borders and constructed a fort 17 miles S.E. of the lake wherein was built the official residence of the ambassador, and there once a year the Mongolian princes and the Tibetan chieftains gathered together to pay, homage to His Excellency.
The Manchu officials found the: spot too lonely after the feasting of Peking, so unknown to the emperor they had the yamen pulled down and transferred to Sining, and took up their residence in this city, During the Moslem rebellion in the reign of Tung Chih, the city was! destroyed and lies in ruins till this! day. Just outside of the walls al new temple has been built to make a home for the god of the sea, and there year by year in the 7th moon the High Commissioner goes meet the princes and chieftains.
The rebuilding of these cities can never be expected to be a financial success, so the object must be to secure a firmer hold upon this vast region. The Ohinese declare that! the Mongolians and Tibetans are incapable of ruling themselves, so it rests with them to undertake the responsibility. The Japanese might! almost say the same about the!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.