52 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



interfering with us, had let the caravan go again, 

 but retained the head man as a hostage for the 

 production of our passports. It was distinctly 

 annoying, as he could have had the passports for 

 the asking when we were there. We felt that we 

 would like a little conversation with him, only it was 

 rather a long way to go back for it. Finally, the 

 caravan arrived, and as by then we were calmer, we 

 concluded to send the passports by a native who had 

 come up. Away he went, but before he got half- 

 way he met our head man coming up. He said 

 that upon consideration the commandant had become 

 a little nervous and let him go, explaining that he 

 never would have interfered, only he had once got 

 into trouble for letting two Russians through from 

 the north. His dull mind was apparently unable to 

 see that, whereas the Russians were practically just 

 entering Chinese territory, we must have travelled 

 hundreds of miles in it, and must be well accredited 

 to have been able to do so. 



There were pine trees close above us, willows 

 and poplars on the bank of the Muzart River, and 

 good grazing on the whole, a nice place. There 

 was a fair serai, too, but we preferred our tents. 

 On the way we shot chikor, partridges, and hares. 

 The partridge is very much like the English one ; 

 its call is nearly the same, but it is rather smaller 

 and darker, the horseshoe on the cock's breast 

 being almost black. We also saw one solitary 



