ITS RESOURCES. 



351 



tharkhanah, delightfully cool; generally the rooms are small, coated 

 with a pretty sort of stucco. The remaining sides of the square are 

 occupied by offices ; small rooms opening into the garden by lattice- 

 work evidently denote a portion of the zenana. Altogether the Khan 

 must be a man of taste. 



The bazars of the city are well thronged, but the shops are by 

 no means equal to those of Buhawulpoor, and the manufactures, ex- 

 cept those of earthenware, are utterly insignificant. 



Tobacco, atta, musallahs, dried fruits, aloo-bokhara, figs, apricots, 

 raisins, salt, sugar, a green fruit something between a plum and green- 

 gage, meat, onions, salads, dhie, sherbets, kubabs, wicker-work, sing- 

 ing birds, are offered for sale : also abundance of Lucerne and some 

 bhoosee. Altogether it is a busy place, but not so busy as the road 

 near the gate, which is thronged by followers, and dismounted Euro- 

 peans, who are forbidden access to the city without a pass. Tea from 

 Khiva of good quality is procurable in small quantities. No women 

 but old ones to be seen. The dress of the inhabitants very often, and 

 in some cases very completely, approximates to that of the Chinese. 

 The features too of most are evidently of Tartar cast, and some wear 

 two tails of plaited hair. Blue seems to be a favourite colour of dress. 



The chief trees about the city are mulberry, a few Khunjucks, 

 which is the Xanthoxylon of Bootan and the Kojhlak passes, occur 

 outside ; willows are frequent, and generally appear to be cultivated, 

 among these a weeping species here and there occurs. 



May 3rd. — The resources of the city are evidently small, the only 

 things indeed that appear plentiful are earthenware and milk : grain 

 is excessively dear, but is reported to exist in considerable quantities. 

 Khoondil Khan having ordered all those out of the city, who had not 

 provided themselves with six months' provisions. Atta or flour 

 is now selling at two seers a rupee, or 6d per pound, and every thing is 

 proportionally dear: wood excessively so, the chief fuel is derived 

 from the Santonica, which in some form or other appears to con- 

 stitute a principal feature of the vegetation of Central Asia, and there 

 is some other wood apparently derived from some tree I have not 

 yet seen. 



Some discontent prevails in the town owing to the high price of pro- 

 visions, which is, no doubt, severely felt. The established price of 

 grain is at the rate of eight seers the rupee, a rate established by 

 the king, but on occasions like the present there can be no rule. 

 Water is very abundant, it is to be found within four feet of the sur- 



