KUCHA TO KHOTAN 183 



western desert comes right up to the river, and 

 where Dr. Sven Hedin emerged after his terrible 

 and nearly fatal journey across the Takkla Makhan 

 in 1896. Next day we camped about three miles 

 short of Mazar Tagh, which, though only a low, 

 rocky, and absolutely barren range of hills, was a 

 landmark at last, and showed that we had made 

 some progress. The country is otherwise so 

 monotonous that one feels as though one would 

 never arrive anywhere at all. 



Near the foot of the Mazar Tagh is a trophy of 

 Chinese justice in the shape of two human heads. 

 Their history is as follows. Two years ago, as six 

 Khotan merchants were camping by the Tarim 

 River on their way to Aksu, they were attacked by 

 five robbers, determined ones too ; for after begin- 

 ning the affray with guns they completed their work 

 with hatchets, with a due regard for the old saying 

 that dead men tell no tales. The booty they 

 obtained does not appear to have been very great ; 

 but such as it was they decided to go on the spree 

 with it, and with this intention went to Khotan, of 

 all places in the world to select. For a few days 

 all went well, but one of the robbers was foolish 

 enough to wear a coat taken from one of the victims, 

 and this the murdered man's wife recognised one 

 day in the bazaar. The game was now up ; she 

 went to the authorities and the robbers took to 

 flight, but were all caught, so now two of their 



