LEH TO YARKAND 29 



turned up, and with unusual modesty gazed upon us 

 from a respectful distance. 



The weather had been cold and everything was 

 backward, so the only fruit to be got was some 

 rather unripe apricots, of which we ate as many as 

 we dared. Camp was in an orchard, and it was 

 pleasant to see trees again. Next day we crossed 

 the Kilyan River for the last time by a very intricate 

 ford, requiring a guide to show us the way, and 

 began our march across the plateau on level ground 

 again at last. Two marches took us to Borah, the 

 last twelve miles being across a sandy desert. 

 Borah is a pretty little place in a deep hollow, 

 which one cannot see till almost into it, and appears 

 to be a very fertile spot. Here we got melons and 

 grapes, though neither of them were properly ripe 

 yet, so it must be a warmer place than Kilyan. 



The people here had a tame eagle, with which 

 they informed us they intended to hawk gazelle 

 (Gazella subgutturosa), locally called jeron, of which 

 they said there were a few about very few, I 

 should think, though I believe there are some west 

 of Kukiar, a small town at the foot of the hills to 

 the west of Kilyan. 



On August 9th we reached Kargalik which is a 

 considerable place, as the road from Khotan also 

 comes in here and camped in a very pleasant 

 orchard, just outside the town ; it is nearly always 

 possible to do so in these parts, and is much 



