C H A P T E R XV.
TH E E T H N O L O G Y A N D E TH N O G R A PH Y OF THE
I L I V A L L E Y .
The Hi Valley, midway between Turanian and Chinese races.— The
T aran chis : their dress, habitations, and amusements— The Dun-
g a n s : their origin, number, features, and customs. Solons and
Sibos. Visit to a Sibo encampment.— Their household gods, and
s i c k people.— The Kalmuks : their physical and mental characteristics.—
Administration under Geluns and Zangs. Clerical functions
of the Gelun.— Duties of the Zang.— Kalmuk religion, family life,
and marriage.— Foreign influence and superstitions.
TH E Ili valley may be regarded as a half-way house
between the Turanian races of Central Asia and
the Mongol races of China. Here meet the settled
Mussulman Taranchi and Uungan, with the Buddhist
Sibo, Manchu, and Chinese; as well as the nomad
Muhammadan Kirghese, and the Lamaist Kalmuk.
This variety of races and religions cannot but be
interesting to the ethnologist and ethnographer generally,
and a brief description of some of them will also
render more intelligible my future narrative. The
most numerous of the populations are the Taranchis, of
Turkish race, who formerly lived in Kashgaria, and
who, after rebellion in 1756, were transported by their
Chinese rulers to the Ili valley. They occupy the
valley north and south of the river, from the confluence
of the Kungess and Tekess, to Kuldja, in about
a dozen villages ; and in 1877 numbered 28,000 males
and 24,000 females, or about 40 per cent, of the population
of the province.
The Taranchis call themselves Sarts, but to the
Chinese they became known by their present name
from their occupation as agriculturists or millet sowers,
from taran, meaning millet, or, according to some, a
ploughed field.” Mr. Ujfalvy calls them a mixture of
Turco Tatar peoples strongly impregnated with Iranian
blood ; but, though Turks and Muhammadans, long
contact with the Chinese has modified some of their
customs. Their dress consists of a full shirt, drawers
of leather or cotton, and a khalat, with a shub added
in winter. Except the mullahs, the men do not wear
turbans, but fur caps ; whilst women and girls adorn
their heads with stiff, low, gaudy, cylindrical hats, having
conical tops. We saw ordinary patterns displayed in
large numbers up to 20s. each, but wives of sultans
have their caps adorned with jewels, sometimes to the
value of upwards of ^100.
A pair of Kashgar ladies’ boots (Ma&Asa) I bought
are about xo inches high, of red shiny leather, gorgeously
embroidered, and fitting close, but without a second
sole or heel. They do well for house wear, but for
the street a golosh is worn over them. Now and then
one sees among the women a pleasant face, but they
are all browned, being accustomed from childhood to
work in the fields ; a striking contrast to their T ashkend
sisters, who remain shut up in the house. The males
shave their heads. One of our curious sights in the
bazaar was a baby boy squalling under this operation.
Married women braid their hair in two, maidens in
three, long plaits, and both blacken their eyebrows, but
do not paint. The women wear rings in the ears