INTRODUCTORY. 
8 
geography of their route ; collecting a vast amount 
of most interesting information regarding the climate, 
and the manners and customs of the people. Mr. 
Shaw brought back a few skins of animals, some of 
which were new to science ; but no extensive collec- 
tion of either animals or plants had ever been brought 
from Yarkand, nor in fact from beyond the Karakoram 
watershed. My friend Mr. Drew, geologist to H.H. 
the Maharajah of Kashmir, has, I believe, examined 
the geology of all the country up to the southern face 
of the Kuen Lun range, and it is to be hoped he will 
some day publish the result of his explorations. 
Under these circumstances, it seemed to me that I 
could most usefully occupy my time, on the march, in 
investigating the botany of the regions we were about 
to traverse ; as, however, the flora of Yarkand promised 
to be extremely scanty, I decided to divide my atten- 
tion between the plants and animals. 
I provided myself with instruments to observe the 
meteorology ; but as these instruments had to be ob- 
tained in a great hurry, and I had to content myself 
with such as were most readily available, many of 
them were not well suited for carrjdng over a dijQBcult 
country, and in consequence ray losses by breakage 
were considerable. 
I also took with me a small but complete photo- 
graphic outfit, all in duplicate, and in case Mr. Shaw 
should not succeed in joining us, I took a few sur- 
veying instruments — a pocket sextant, prismatic com- 
pass, and nautical almanacs for 1870, 71, and 72. I 
thought it well to have several strings to my bow, 
and to be able to direct my attention to one or 
other branch of inquiry as opportunity should offer. 
B 2 
