294 LEH AND LADAK. 



rumours to his prejudice should have been sifted and 

 refuted. He now holds up his head again, and is quite 

 ready to accompany me, but requires an advance of cash ; 

 so I gave him the sum he asked, twenty rupees. 



25th September. Bella Shah and his nephew and other 

 people came to see me, and we had a long and interesting 

 conversation on the circumstances connected with M. Schla- 

 gentweit's journey and death. Bella Shah's relative says, 

 that the Chinese authorities of Yarkand are not inimical 

 to the British, and would have treated M. Schlagentweit 

 hospitably and with honour. The borders of the country 

 of Andejan are three days' march from the city of 

 Yarkand. This territory contains eleven large cities, is 

 a month's journey in width, and joins its frontiers to the 

 provinces of Russia, which country has recently erected 

 and established a military cantonment on its frontier, 

 after some opposition and fighting. Peace now prevails, 

 and a large amount of trade is carried on. Even British 

 goods find their way by this route through Bokhara, 

 where only any duty is levied, and that light, computed 

 at two and a half per cent. I questioned Bella Shah as 

 to why he, an eminent merchant, did not introduce British 

 manufacturers by the Ladak route. He replied, that the 

 exactions were too heavy, and the difficulties of the route 

 caused heavy expenses. He did send calicoes and piece 

 goods, but sometimes found the market overstocked by 

 consignments from Russia. It was so at present : such 

 goods were selling in Yarkand for half their original 

 value. It seems unfortunate that the Indian government 

 did not support Moorcroft in his schemes for opening up 

 these vast regions to British commercial enterprise. 

 Russia has now established her influence here, and makes 

 a good thing of it. 



I have been purchasing some warm articles of felt 



