Congenial Company. 



guidance of M. Bohlein. a Swedish missionary speaking Chinese 

 fluently and acquainted with the wiles of the Celestial, an 

 experience of much value in dealing with John Chinaman. 



Time passed pleasantly enough during my stay in Kashgar, 

 the Russians doing much to make it congenial. We entertained 

 them to dinner one evening, the company including the Consul, 

 the Manager of the Russo-Chinese Bank, of which there is a 

 branch here, the two Cossack officers of the Consular escort, and 



THE MARKET PLACE IN KASHGAR. 



the Postmaster, the latter rather an important individual in 

 Russian eyes, dressed in a white uniform and carrying a sword. 

 The dinner was a cheery affair and passed off remarkably well, 

 the guests enjoying themselves immensely, especially the Post- 

 master, who was very entertaining. 



A detachment of sixty Cossacks forms the escort of the Russian 

 Consul, so I had an opportunity of seeing these much-vaunted 

 troops. The annual reliefs had just taken place, a fresh troop 



149 



