Note 4 — Chapter XXVIII · THE MONGOLIAN FRONTIER AT MAIMATCHIN.

Postal communication was established by treaty between the Russians and Chinese in 1858 and 1860. The Russian Government organized, at its own expense, a regular transmission of both light and heavy mails between Kiakhta, Peking, and Tien-tsin. The Mongols contract to carry the post as far as Kalgan, the Chinese the rest of the way. The Russians have opened post-offices at four places, Urga, Kalgan, Peking, and Tien-tsin. The light mails leave Kiakhta and Tien-tsin three times a month, the heavy mails only once a month. The heavy mails are carried on camels, escorted by two Cossacks from Kiakhta; while the light mails are accompanied only by Mongols, and are carried on horses. The light mails are taken from Kiakhta to Peking in two weeks, whilst the heavy mails take from 20 to 24 days; and the cost of all this to the Russian Government is about £2,400 a year, the receipts at the four offices amounting to about £430.