are content with these tales, that is all the
Chinese authorities care about.

For several days the Houng-Mao-Eul were perfectly furious. They ran
about the streets like madmen, flourishing their sabres and vociferating
a thousand imprecations against the brigands. All the townspeople got
carefully out of their way, respecting their anger with entire
veneration. The appearance of these fellows even at their very best,
when they are perfectly calm and good humoured, is sufficiently alarming.
They are clothed at all seasons of the year in a great sheepskin robe,
rudely drawn up round the waist by a thick camel-hair rope. Left to
itself this robe would drag along the ground, so that when raised by the
cord above the knees it communicates to the chest a most rotund, stuffed,
and awkward appearance. They have great leather boots, which come up to
just below the knee, so that, as they wear no trousers, their legs are
always half bare. Their hair, black and greasy, hangs in long matted
locks down their shoulders, and, in fact, falling over the brow, half
conceals the face. The right arm is always bare, the sleeve being thrown
quite back. A long, broad sabre is passed through their girdle just
below the chest, and the right hand scarcely ever quits its hilt. The
manners and movements of these inhabitants of the desert are abrupt and
jerking, their speech brief and energetic. The tones of their voice have
something about them metallic and deafening. Many of them are wealthy,
and with these display consists in decorating the sheath of the sword
with precious stones, and their own robes with borders of tiger-skin.
The horses which they bring to Tang-Keou-Eul are remarkably beautiful,
vigorous, well made, and of great grandeur in the step: in all respects
far superior to those of Tartary, and fully justifying the Chinese
phrase, _Sima_, _Toung-nieou_ (Western horses--eastern oxen.)

The Houng-Mao-Eul, being famous for their bravery and for an independence
which amounts to the ferocious, it is they who give the _ton_ to the
people of Tang-Keou-Eul, who all essay to catch their air and gait, and
to acquire a reputation for valour and devil-may-carishness. The result
is, that Tang-Keou-Eul bears a strong family resemblance to a great den
of thieves. Everybody there makes it his business to have his hair and
clothes in utter disorder, everybody bawls at everybody, everybody pushes
against everybody, everybody fights every