CHAPTER VI.
ALA-SHAN.
The Eleuths — Extent and character of Ala-shan — Sandy tracts of Ala-shan — Flour of the Sulhir grass — Flora and Fauna of Ala-shan — Birds of Ala-shan — Population of Ala-shan — Mongols of Ala-shan — Lake Tsagan-nor — Route to Din-yuan-ing — Arrival there — Din-yuan-ing and the Prince — The Prince of Ala-shan and his family — The Gigen — Lama Baldin-Sordji — Curiosity of the people — Intercourse with the younger Princes — Questions about Europe — Openings for trade — Stories about the Dalai Lama — 'Shambaling,' the Promised Land — The Promised Land of 'Shambaling' — State visit to the Prince — Interview with Prince of Ala-shan — Views of the Anglo-French wаг — We proceed to the mountains — Mountains of Ala-shan — Birds of Ala-shan mountains — Birds and Mammals of Ala-shan — The kuku-yamans or mountain sheep — Shooting them in the mountains — A frightened herd — Desperate leap — Return to Din-yuan-ing — Obliged to retrace our steps.
The southern part of the high plateau of the Gobi, to the west of the middle course of the Hoang-ho, is a wild and barren desert, inhabited by Oliut (Eleuth) Mongols,[1] and known by the name of Ala-
- ↑ The Oliut, Eleuth, or Öloth Mongols are sometimes alleged to have derived their name from Oliutai, one of the princes of the Yuen or Chinghizid dynasty after its expulsion from China, and this would be quite consistent with Tartar practice (e.g. the Chagatais and the Uzbeks). But a more probable signification seems to be 'the Separated.' The title has been applied for some centuries to the western hordes, extending from the sources of the Selenga and the Orkhon, to the Thian-Shan and the Upper Irtish. They were divided into four great bodies or clans, Dzungar, Turgut, Khoshod, and Turbet (whence also called Durban-oirad or the Four Allies); and connected with them are also those further west, known to the Mahommedans as Kal-
