370 On the U'sbek State of Kokan, [Aug. 



Kokan, and Yarkend. Among those who arrived during the present 

 year, 1 834, was a noble of high rank of Kokan ; his name was Khoja 

 Beha'dur Khan, who held the title of Khu'sh Be'gi, and was prime 

 minister to the prince of that country ; his son, said to be foster-brother 

 to the same prince, and a suite of about twenty followers, accompanied 

 him. 



On my hearing of the arrival of these illustrious strangers, I took the 

 first opportunity of forming an acquaintance with them, with the view 

 of obtaining information respecting the state of things in a country so 

 little known* to Europeans, and I collected the following particulars. 



In the first place, I shall endeavour to describe the geographical 

 situation of this country, as well as the information received will enable 

 me. 



The principality of Kokan appears to be situated between the parallels 

 of from thirty-nine degrees to fifty-five degrees of north latitude, and 

 to extend from the sixty-fifth to the seventy-fifth degree of east longi- 

 tude. 



On the east, it is bonded by the country of Kashgar, in Chinese 

 Tartary, the river Oxus or Amu is its limit ; to the south-east, Ba- 

 dakhshan, Kaviategin, and Derwaz ; west, it is bounded by the Bokhara 

 territory ; and north and north-west, by Russian Tartary, and the 

 Steppes occupied by the roving Cossacs, under the influence of Russia. 



This country, with the exception of the Steppes adjoining the Russian 

 frontiers, and the sandy deserts lying betwixt it and the Bokhara 

 territory, is said to be very populous and fertile, and being watered 

 by many streams and rivers, which have their source in the Ulugh 

 Tagh, and other mountains, and which mostly flow into the Sir or 

 Sihiin, the ancient Jaxartes, all the fruits of temperate climates are 

 produced in great abundance, especially apples. The melons are very 

 superior. Barley and wheat are also raised, the former in great quan- 

 tity. 



A few words will suffice to give the history of this country: — Tradition 

 states it to have been under the rule of Afrasia'b, king of Turan, 

 whose wars with the Persians are commemorated in the Shah-nama of 

 Firdousi. The present city of Turkistan is said to have been his capital. 

 It was overrunby the Arabs in the third century of the Hijra. Subse- 

 quently the Sultans of the Samani dynasty annexed it to their 

 empire. It then fell, in the thirteenth century, with the rest of Asia, 

 to the conquering armies of Chengiz Khan| ; afterwards, on the 



* It lias not been visited by Europeans, I believe, since the 14th century. 

 1* On the death of ChengIz, it became the portion of his eldest son Ja'ghata'i, 

 or Chaghatair. 



