HILL Y ARK AND. 
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the night to 28° F. To-day we marched twelve miles, 
keeping the right bank of the river the whole way. 
On arriving in camp we heard that some Kirghiz were 
approaching, and very soon two of these people visited 
our tents ; manifesting great delight at renewing their 
acquaintance with Mr. Shaw. They had been sent 
back from Balakchi, two marches beyond this, by Mirza 
Shadi, and had brought several yak-loads of grain, 
which was most acceptable to us, for our store was all 
but expended and our horses were dying in numbers. 
These Kirghiz might be taken as typical specimens of 
their tribe. They were almost as fair in complexion as 
Europeans, and had rosy cheeks. They were remark- 
ably clean in their persons and clothing ; the latter 
consisting of a neat sheepskin cap, with fur inside (the 
edge of the cap being turned up all round so as to show 
the fur), and a loose robe of coarse cotton cloth, some- 
times lined with sheepskin or padded with cotton- wool, 
which was fastened round the waist by a belt. The belt 
answered all the purposes of pockets, having dependent 
from it a sheath-knife, flint and steel, Chinese perforated 
copper money on a string, a powder-horn, bullet-mould, 
bullets, and all the other requisites for a sportsman. 
We afterwards saw their fire-arms, which are short 
poly-grooved rifles, all match-locks, with a very small 
bore about the size of a pea ; although plain, they have 
a very neat appearance. I never saw a flint-lock in 
Yarkand. For the next few days Mr. Shaw's tent was 
the rendezvous for the Kirghiz ; he was able to con- 
verse with them tolerably well. They talk Turki with 
a very guttural accent. The teapot was in constant 
requisition to entertain them ; and every man on 
entering or leaving the tent stroked his beard, or 
