Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/189

 in the extreme cold, and contenting themselves with the scanty herbage, or, if there be none, with budarhana and bushes, the food of camels. In winter the snow serves them for water; in fact, they will live where other horses would perish in a month's time. They roam almost at liberty over the pasture lands of Northern Khalka and the country of the Chakhars. The larger herds are usually broken up into smaller troops of ten to thirty mares, led by a stallion who guards them with the greatest jealousy, and never lets them out of his sight. The leaders often have pitched battles with one another in spring.

Mongols are passionately fond of horses, and will tell you their good points at a glance; their favourite amusement is horse-racing, and every summer they meet at some of the principal temples to indulge in this sport. The great race-meeting is held at Urga, attracting competitors for many hundreds of miles. The prizes are distributed by the Kutukhtu in person; the winner of the first prize receiving a quantity of cattle, clothes, or money.

The Imperial pasture lands are mostly in the principality (aimak) of the Chakhars, whose territory extends upwards of 330 miles to the west of Keshik-ten till it touches that of the Durbutes. The Chakhars or Chinese-Mongols are divided into eight take it in turn to do military service. We have already remarked how completely they have lost the character and appearance of the true Mongols.