SULTAN BEG. 55 



port, he asked permission to depart, which we 

 graciously accorded, being in a hurry to be off 

 ourselves. We then presented the Usbashi who 

 had been so civil with a lungi or turban, and a 

 few odds and ends of cotton goods, and once 

 more were en route. 



We followed the valley for about fourteen miles, 

 throughout which cultivation and little hamlets 

 appeared at intervals all the way, and camped in 

 a grove of willows, whose shade we found very 

 grateful, as the sun, since we had got rid of the 

 mist, was powerfully hot. About nine miles 

 farther we turned up a tributary valley from the 

 west, which we followed for five miles ; then hear- 

 ing from our guide that we left it to ascend a 

 pretty high range, decided to camp, there being 

 water and other necessaries, and commence the 

 ascent the next day. 



Ascending a steepish narrow ravine for about 

 six miles, we came to a small village of yurts. 

 Here we found an intelligent man, Sultan Beg by 

 name, who had come from Wakhan by the road 

 we intended to follow. He offered to go back 

 and show us the road ; and as he spoke Hindo- 

 stani, we were delighted to have him. There 

 being no room for our camp near his yurt at the 



