1856.] Narrative of the Travels of Khwajah Ahmud Shah. 353 



On the occasion of great festivals, the Sowars amuse themselves 

 at a game called " Koke Boree," a goat is killed and taken outside 

 the city to a plain and a goal is marked off at some distance, the 

 Sowars make a rush and there is a regular scramble for the goat, or 

 for parts of it, which are immediately carried off to the goal, on 

 arriving at which the flesh becomes the property of the carrier of 

 it. There is sometimes such a resolute struggle for the pieces that 

 men frequently get killed. The king himself sometimes joins in 

 this pastime. They are fond of horse-racing, but practise it (by their 

 own account) to enable them by their fleetness to escape from pur- 

 suing enemies ; they all wear boots with large iron spikes on the 

 heels of them ; as also small caps (a sort of fez bent to one side) 

 which out-of-doors they cover over with a pagree. 



Ak Musjid is forty days' march from Kokan. In the Kokan 

 bazars, Eussian goods and merchandize of all descriptions are com- 

 mon, the principal of which are nanka, (common cotton cloth,) 

 chintzes, turbans, and fine cloths, fur, trays, boxes, &c. The 

 principal road is by Ak Musjid. The tax upon these articles is col- 

 lected at Tashkund, distant five days' journey from Kokan. 



The exports of the country are Kokan chintzes, which are here 

 manufactured of a very fine quality ; the goods are sold to Badra- 

 nashar merchants who carry them on camels, which are numerous ; 

 no Russians ever come themselves, there are only two in the country, 

 and these were prisoners captured by Kasim at Ak Musjid. These 

 unfortunates are now slaves. I saw them and, upon seeing their 

 circumstances, it struck me that they might be the Europeans 

 of whom I was in search, but I was soon undeceived. At Kokan I 

 made every enquiry after Mr. Wyburd in all the bazars and seraies, 

 and from the people of influence. I also sent a servant by name 

 Abdoolla to Tashkund, he returned without being able to procure 

 auy information. The only intelligence I received of any Europeans 

 ever having been here were of Messrs. Martin and Allen,* who 



* The Syud shewed me a scrap of paper which he got, and I found it was a good 

 character given to a servant by Dr. Martin Honigberger, now in Cashmere, who 

 formerly traversed *these countries. The other name, Allen, is I suspect meant 

 for that of Lieut. Conolly still called by the natives of Kokan " Khan Ali." 



3 A 



