144 NARRATIVE 
an outlay of five pounds a mile would improve 
them so much that one would be able to ride 
at a canter the whole way from Le to Yarkand. 
Of course, to make a regular road, or what in 
India is considered a road, would cost millions of 
money, and more than the trade is worth. As to 
supplies, if the people between Le and Yarkand 
were let off paying for their land, and men of some 
capita] were encouraged to cultivate there, a very 
large quantity of grain and grass could be grown, 
and one or two depots for grain might be established. 
At Chagra and Gokra, for instance, there is plenty of 
culturable land, and plenty of water for irrigation. If 
the Yarkand authorities co-operated, fodder, and per- 
haps grain, could be grown in the Lower Karakash 
valley. The trade has more than quadrupled in four 
years, simply by the establishment of an agency at 
Le to prevent oppression by the Kashmir officials ; 
and the improvements I have suggested would, I am 
convinced, again quadruple it, provided that peace 
and good government continue in Yarkand. 
IX. THE RETURN JOURNEY. 
On the return journey, as will be seen from the 
map, the expedition passed over a slightly different 
line of country. This march was a very uneventful 
one, except from its discomfort. On the 5th September 
we left the city and crossed the Yarkand river, 
now reduced to half the size it was thirteen days 
before. 
Eosi Beg, a Mahomedan, accompanied us with a 
small escort ; at each halt we had dastarkhans pre- 
sented, and every mark of attention was shown us as 
