SANJU TO Y ARK AND. 
113 
Their argument was that as thieves, after two or tliree 
convictions, are almost certain to continue to steal 
and to breed a race of tliieves, the good of the public 
requires that they should be executed. They told us 
that in Yarkand, for a minor theft the rule was to 
admonish once, flog the second time, cut off one or 
both hands for the next offence, and cut the man's 
throat if again found stealing. I believe justice is 
administered in rather a capricious way in Yarkand, 
generally characterized by severity and very prompt 
disposal of the cases. The envoy told us that im- 
prisonment seldom lasted longer than three days ; 
but, as I have said before, Yarkandi statements are 
not very reliable. 
At this little oasis I caught a hedgehog {Erinaceus 
albiventris of Wagner.) 
We reached Koshtak in the afternoon, and were 
splendidly feasted there. As at Sanju, there is a belt 
of cultivation about two or three miles wide, along 
the banks of a series of small streams. 
Next morning, August 18th (minimum thermo- 
meter during the night 60° F.), we left Koshtak at 6 
a.m. to march fifteen miles to Oi Tograk. On starting 
I shot a number of swallows, which turned out to be 
Hirundo rustica — the common English swallow. They 
were collecting in large flocks, and had migrated 
before our return in September ; the Yarkandi name 
is kalder goch. The desert Podoces was again 
common, and I also got the Golden Oriole at Oi 
Tograk. I noticed to-day fields of carrots, peas, 
beans, and some very poor flax, which is only grown 
for the seed. 
To-day we crossed a great number of small streams, 
I 
