CHARWAGH. 157 



friend, whom I expected to meet, had it, who 

 would no doubt cast up in due time. This was 

 the date we had appointed to meet ; but as no 

 word came, I concluded that his business with 

 the Dotai at Kashgar had proved more trouble- 

 some than he expected. 



I had then a succession of visitors : they were 

 all very nice and civil, with the exception of a 

 party of Chinese soldiers that broke in upon me, 

 and whom I had to eject forcibly. 



Thinking it no use waiting, I went on to 

 Charwagh, and when about five miles from this 

 place, came upon the pugs of a large tiger, and 

 the imprints of his hind-quarters where he had 

 evidently sat up, the marks being quite fresh. 

 Every one in Charwagh was in a great state 

 of excitement about it : a man travelling ahead 

 of me had actually seen it sitting there in the 

 middle of the road, and, in a great fright, had 

 made a long dttour to avoid him. 



Beyond the grass jungle in this district was 

 a ridge of stony hills, which ran from the Tian 

 Shan mountains and crossed the Aksu road in 

 a southerly direction. This range, as far as I 

 could see, ran down for some distance towards 

 the Gobi Steppe. The hills were bare, rocky, 



