174 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



natural barrier against the desert being thus 

 removed, the sand soon encroaches on the cultiva- 

 tion, which is sometimes entirely overwhelmed, so 

 that the villages cease to exist. Then the stream 

 gets another chance, and gradually pushes out 

 again, when the jungle may in course of time again 

 grow on its banks ; but this process of recuperation 

 must take a very long time. 



Yangi Shahr is a good-sized place, with a bazaar 

 and a Beg to keep things in order. He came to 

 pay his respects to us, and expressed the usual hope 

 that we had had a pleasant journey. The Karashahr 

 'amban had sent two of his men with us, and very 

 useful they were, as they used to go on in front 

 to find a camping-place, and generally get things 

 straight. 



Burgu is another big place, nearly as big as Korla ; 

 the road to it is over a plain mostly covered with 

 tamarisk and khamish, but near Burgu very strongly 

 impregnated with salt, and consequently barren. 

 From Burgu the first half of the march is through 

 a pleasant populated country, after which desert 

 again supervenes till Arbat comes in view a small 

 green patch which, owing to the lie of the ground, 

 is visible from a most exasperating distance. After 

 that, desert again, which, broken only by one house, 

 a few trees, and a field or two about half-way, lasts 

 to Yakka a fair-sized place with a bazaar. 



On June loth, after a march the last half of 



