248 SUGHEIT. 



had ; so, enquiring of Moosa the distance to this man's 

 residence, I resolved to fulfil my hunting plans, then to 

 return, bringing the patriarch with me ' nolens volens/ 

 and, so accompanied, proceed to his village, and there 

 obtain supplies by force, if needs must: the constraint 

 put upon the old man would secure him from harm. I then 

 bethought me of ascertaining what stock should remain, 

 and found by my account that there should be twenty 

 days' rations for men, but very little for horses. Thus 

 there would be enough for ten days shikar, and ten days 

 to Panamik, and then corn might be procured from some 

 kafila. I now directed an order to be written to the 

 gopal of Panamik to send out a horse-load of flour and 

 corn to the foot of Sassar, on this side ; which note was 

 despatched to the merchants just starting for delivery, 

 and I hope we shall have enough without adopting my 

 scheme of violence and rapine. 



Murad joined my party with his brother and three horses, 

 and, to my dismay, has brought with him neither atta nor 

 corn. I have directed him to obtain stock from some of 

 the passing travellers who are yet expected in numbers 

 crowds of hajis now proceeding to Mecca, their pious pil- 

 grimage having been checked these last three years by the 

 mutinies, perhaps. This he promises to do. He brought a 

 German book, a volume of scientific geography, having no 

 owner's name in it, but being purchased, he said, in the 

 bazaar of Andejan, doubtless poor Schlagentweit's pro- 

 perty. He brought the pillow containing the head, and 

 was proceeding to open it, but I desired him to desist. 



The bunderbus is complete for a move to-morrow, the 

 old Yarkandi expressing the utmost willingness to shew 

 me the hunting grounds. I take provisions for four days, 

 and look for sport ere my return; until when, I must 

 leave this my diary. 



