YARKAND TO MARALBASHI 41 



the third day, after floating down for nine hours, we 

 began to fear that we had missed Alaghur altogether, 

 so we went ashore and walked up to a village to 

 make inquiries. Now, my knowledge of Turki is 

 not very great, and though I talked for some time, 

 and the people seemed to listen, it was without the 

 result I wanted. We were offered fire, milk, and 

 bread, as they appeared to think that we were 

 starving ; but the information sought for was not 

 forthcoming. After a bit, when the whole popula- 

 tion of the village had gathered round, and I was 

 beginning to despair of my task, it at last dawned 

 upon one more intelligent than the rest that I was 

 speaking (or trying to speak) a language which he 

 could understand. When he had once arrived at 

 that it was all right, and I found that so far from 

 having passed Alaghur we had still four or five miles 

 further to go. We saw very few geese or ducks, so 

 I suppose that at this time of the year they are all 

 out in the swamps. 



Not being sure whether the main branch of the 



o 



river went near Aksakmaral or not, we took to the 

 road again, and reached Maralbashi on August 25th. 

 The last march was rather a wet one, as an embank- 

 ment had given way and let the water out all over 

 the place ; but the local amban had heard of our 

 coming and had sent high-wheeled carts to assist 

 us, so we managed all right. In the worst place we 

 had to cross the water was quite clear, so it was 



