SUGHEIT. 247 



and talked over the story of Murad, and canvassed its 

 merits. Many doubts were expressed as to his veracity 

 and complete innocence. I now sent for the Yarkandi, 

 thinking it advisable to lose no time in sending for 

 additional supplies, as some twelve days must elapse ere 

 their arrival. The old man came, and took up a berth 

 among the others, and negociations went on rapidly. He 

 entered into our views with alacrity, and promised to 

 procure the flour and corn we required, some rice, and 

 a quantity of fruit, apples, grapes, apricots, and melons, 

 as a present for me. He said, this stock should be laden 

 on horses which I might purchase, if I pleased. He 

 was to receive six rupees in advance, for which I went to 

 my tent, and on my rejoining the group he had withdrawn 

 to give directions to one of his servants to start on this 

 business in the morning. Everything now seemed to 

 work smoothly, and promise success. 



26th August. Sunday. I slept well, and waited to 

 gain a glimpse of sunshine under the tent ere turning out. 

 There had been a sharp frost during the night, and it 

 was a beautiful, clear, fresh morning. I sat in my chair 

 idly sunning myself, when a sense of the sanctity of the 

 day, and an imperative impulse to express it, took hold 

 of me ; and I made my way through the thick bushes to 

 the river, where its divided waters poured noisily over 

 many boulders, and, selecting a stone for a seat, gave 

 myself up to devotion. 



Coming back to camp, I was met by Abdoolah who 

 told me that the old man, who had promised to do so 

 much, now declared that he dared not venture to send for 

 any supplies for me, lest the Yarkand authorities, hearing 

 of it, might wreak their vengeance upon him. He had 

 come to this conclusion on consulting his servants. This 

 was most unexpected. Food for man and beast must be 



