130 YARKAND. 



Yarkand river to the Maralbashi, to hunt for 

 the maral stag in the forests which covered its 

 banks. On the morrow, when we called on the 

 Amban, we would explain that, though we had 

 hitherto travelled together, Bower wished to see 

 Kashgar and its neighbourhood, whilst I was 

 anxious to prosecute my search for natural his- 

 tory specimens, for which business, as my pass- 

 port showed, I had come to the country, and 

 that Bower would return and meet me at Maral- 

 bashi ; after which we could act as circumstances 

 required. 



The following day we put on our best clothes 

 to do honour to the governor. Mahomed Unis 

 suggested we should pass through the city and 

 bazaars, as it was market-day, and we should 

 see them in full swing. 



After riding about a mile we entered the 

 city by the west gate, and found ourselves sud- 

 denly plunged into a regular vortex : ponies 

 laden, ponies ridden, donkey-carts, men, women, 

 and children, filled the streets and lanes, people 

 selling and people buying, loafers and beggars ; 

 in one place a story-teller, telling tales of love 

 and war ; in another a Mullah holding forth at 

 the top of his voice, preaching the tenets of 



