Adventure, sport and travel on the Tibetan steppes . f the ChineseEmpire. They have, however, been gradually surroundedand hemmed in by the Chinese, until nowadays we find themconfined to the track of country above mentioned. Although thus surrounded they prove a veritable thornin the flesh to the Chinese who have to five near them, aswell as to the Chinese Government, and they have been themeans of disgracing more officials and showing up the weak-ness and rottenness of Chinese officialdom more than all theCensors in the kingdom. 293 Sport and Travel on the Tibetan Steppes. The Chinese attemp
Adventure, sport and travel on the Tibetan steppes . f the ChineseEmpire. They have, however, been gradually surroundedand hemmed in by the Chinese, until nowadays we find themconfined to the track of country above mentioned. Although thus surrounded they prove a veritable thornin the flesh to the Chinese who have to five near them, aswell as to the Chinese Government, and they have been themeans of disgracing more officials and showing up the weak-ness and rottenness of Chinese officialdom more than all theCensors in the kingdom. 293 Sport and Travel on the Tibetan Steppes. The Chinese attempts to subdue the Lolos, especiallyduring the last twenty years, have been a farce ; there has beenno organised plan, no united effort. True, officials havebeen appointed to the task; much money has been squan-dered, and many lives lost, but every attempt has been anutter failure, its only result to line pockets of officials in chargeof the operations, to discourage the Chinese Militia, and toencourage the Lolos in their raiding and [.OLO CHIEF S HOSTAGES. To explain all this I will give a rough idea of how theseChinese expeditions are conducted. In the first place the Chinese Government sends in officialswho know nothing about the Lolos or their comitr}^ ; afterall these years of warfare they have not even a map. Theorders are to subdue these disturbers of the peace. Theofficial takes over his seal, collects the Militia, consisting oflocal farmers who have to supply their own weapons, which 294 Independent Lololand. consist of antiquated muzzle-loading fuse guns, bamboopoles with iron heads which they call lances, and old swordscovered with the rust of years. With these untrained menand useless weapons he marches against the Lolos, to beardthe lion in his den. The Lolos, who are as well or better armed, have the ad-vantage of knowing their country. Their very existencedepends on their defence of the small track of territory whichthey call their own, and in def
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