and saw the idols. Against the wall was a large dais,
with various eatables arranged thereon, and lamps and
vessels for incense. Representations of dragons are
displayed, as well as suspended banners and bells. I
did not see any adoration performed, but Kostenko
says that a dirty and ragged individual, with a bundle
of lighted joss-sticks in his hands, advances and recedes
from the altar with endless bowings and striking of
the bells. On important occasions, instead of verbal
prayers, papers with petitions written thereon are burnt,
in the belief that the petitions thus dealt with will
ascend to God more quickly. I did not observe any
prayer-wheel such as I saw at a Buddhist monastery
near Kiakhta in 1879 ; but the temple at Kuldja was
exceedingly dingy, dark, and dirty. Here, however,
I disposed of some Mongol and Chinese Scriptures,
the priest, as I supposed him to be, or attendant,
thankfully accepting a Bible, and two other men,
apparently poor, each purchasing a copy for £ 2.
It is strange that the Hindus who penetrate throughout
Turkistan as money-lenders do not appear to have
reached Kuldja, so that we had no Hindu temple to
v is it ; but I may mention two other religious buildings
we saw the following day. One is the Dungan mosque
near the Chinese bazaar, with a high and handsome
minaret, and the other the Taranchi Jumma (or Friday)
mosque in the citadel. The latter is the larger and
older huilding, restored and ornamented under the
last Taranchi sultan, Abil Ogu. Both these principal
mosques are built in Chinese style, with roofs turned
up at the corners, and are the most remarkable buildings
in the town. With regard to educational buildings,
there was, in 1873, a “ Kuldja people’s school,” with
7 Russian, 1 Tatar, 1 Chinese, and 25 Taranchi pupils
There were likewise 13 Taranchi elementary schools
and 2 medresses, in which were educated 314 male and
140 female scholars ; also 1 Dungan school, with 20
boys and 9 girls, and 2 Chinese schools with 20 boys.
These last are intellectually the best, for whereas in
the Muhammadan schools nothing is taught but the
Koran and Shariat, the Chinese teach arts and an
extensive literature.
MINARET OF THE TARANCHI MOSQUE AT KULDJA.
The . total population of Kuldja, according to my
MS. statistics in 1878, was 7,200 males and 5>3° °
females. I have not their classification at that date
according to religious professiqns, but in 1873 they
existed in the following ascending order : Protestants,
Romanists, Orthodox Pagans, and Muhammadans,
whilst the various races at the same date prevailed