162 FROM YARKAND TO AKSU. 



The country round was a sort of table - land 

 or steppe, which seemed to extend from the 

 lower slopes of the Tian Shan mountains. At 

 the base of the cliff which formed the side of 

 this steppe was the city of Aksu, and between 

 this and that was a tract of cultivated country, 

 rice-fields, and orchards, a rich alluvial plain, 

 evidently formed by the Aksu river, which no 

 doubt at one time had washed up to this cliff. 



The road led along the upper plain, dry and 

 barren, with dust a foot deep for five weary 

 miles, until, coming again to the edge of the 

 cliff, I found the city at my feet. It looked 

 a fine large place, and had once covered an 

 area of four square miles, but was now mostly 

 in ruins, having been destroyed by the Chinese. 

 They had done this, I was told, to clear a site 

 for their own New Town, but then thought 

 better of it, as this part was subject to inun- 

 dations from the river. A narrow winding road 

 cut out of the cliff, which was here about 300 

 feet high, took me through the ruins to the 

 city. 



The main streets were if anything better 

 built than those of Yarkand, being shaded with 

 matting, and having fine stalls on either side : 



