TASHKEND TO MARGELAN 
83 
place, Ispar-khan, which extended in front of the madrasa 
last named, was the rendezvous for the smiths and vendors 
of hardware. 
It was no easy matter to get out of Namangan. 
Through the frozen mud of the streets the wheels of 
a thousand arbas had cut two deep ruts, which we had 
no choice but to follow. We had to drive slowly all 
die way to the Naryn, the source proper of the Syr-daria, 
jolting and shaking the whole time. The Naryn was 
crossed, close to the confluence of its principal tributary, 
the Kara-daria, by a simple wooden bridge, which is 
destroyed every summer by the rising of the waters, and 
has to be rebuilt annually. From the village of Balikchi, 
on Its left bank, the driver took me to Min-bulak on the 
Syr-daria. Somewhat higher up, this river sends out 
a curious bifurcating arm, the Musulman-kul, and this 
again forms a reed-grown marsh, Sari-su, which was en- 
tirely frozen over, the ice being covered with snow. The 
landscape was still desolate, but somewhat diversified in 
places. Occasionally I saw a flock of grazing sheep, but 
what It was they were eating I could never quite make 
out. On February 4th, via Yaz-auan, I reached Marcre- 
an, the chief town of Fergana, where the governor. 
General Pavalo-Shveikovsky, received me with o-reat 
courtesy. _ During the twenty days I spent in his house 
occupied m completing the last preparations for mv 
journey across the Pamirs, he showed me the greatest 
•kindness, and gave me much valuable advice. 
