OF EASTERN TURKESTAN. 69 
were all common. Sughlok isa charming little country house . 
with capital grounds and fine trees about it; in the centre of 
the main courtyard there is a Masjid (or praying place for the 
faithful) of painted wood with inscriptions from the Koran on 
it in several places. The Ring Dove (Turtur Stoliczke) is flying 
about among the trees. 
16th.— Yepchan.—Short march again to-day, mostly over 
sandy soil overgrown with long grass; in many places, marshy 
ground with long weeds. I saw a Buzzard (Buteo sp.) hunting ¢ 
over amarsh, but failed to secure it. About half way’ passed a 
Jarge jheel, where there were hundreds of Ducks (Anas boschas) 
and Teal -(Q. crecca); the green Sandpiper (detit?s ochrophus) 
was also very numerous there and proved a great nuisance, 
warning all the other birds of one’s approach by its shrill ery, 
On asand bank near this swamp I saw a party of large birds— 
White Storks (Ciconia alba) apparently. Our house here is 
something like the one at Sughluk, but not so nice ; a couple of 
Kestrels (Zinnunculus alaudarius) seem to have taken up their 
abode here; they fly about from the rafters of the verandah 
to the poplar trees just outside my room. 
17th.— Kashghar.—At last we have reached the point towards 
which we have been so long travelling ; we are now comfortably 
installed in the Residency quarters at Kashghar, the capital of 
Eastern Turkestan. 
Cool fresh morning at starting from Yepchan, the Tian 
Shan Range—or celestial mountains—being clearly visible 
ahead of us, to the N.W. The length of our march to-day 
was only about 14 miles, but as we made several long 
halts on the way, we did not get in until after sun-set. 
The country we passed through was well cultivated, but there 
were many marshy tracts in places ; and we crossed a number of 
streams and canals. About four miles from here we got a good 
view of the Yangi Shahr or Fort, which seems to be larger than 
the one at Yarkand. The road led us up to the S.E. angle of 
the Fort, and then along its east side, through a small suburb 
or Bazar, where the people all seemed to have a decidedly 
Chinese type of countenance. Then we turned the N.E. 
angle of the Fort and found the Residency—a large oblong 
building—nearly opposite the north gate of the Yangi Shahr, 
and quite detached. 
The birds observed to-day were the following: Corvus 
culminatas, the Hooded Crow (C. cornix) and the Rook (C. 
frugilegus) often associated together, on the road-side and 
on bare fields; the Jackdaw (Coleus monedula), flying about 
in flocks; a few Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) ; Passer montanus 
and Galerita magna—both yery common. 
