460 
THROUGH ASIA 
unusually comfortable caravanserai. On the wall was 
posted a large yellow placard, in Chinese and Turki 
characters, conveying the following paternal announce- 
ment : “ Whereas I (the Emperor of China) have heard 
that certain begs have imposed unlawful taxes on my 
people, and have furthermore monopolized their rights 
of fishing, it is my will and desire that all such infringe- 
ments be forthwith reported to the nearest Uao Tai, 
and if the latter will not listen to and remedy the same, 
the people shall address themselves direct to me. — 
Kwang Tsu.” Poor Kwang Tsu! He has never even 
heard of the village of Meynet ; and what cares he for the 
fishing in the Yarkand-daria Meynet boasts of fifteen 
Dolon households. The belt of river-forest was at that 
point only a few miles broad, and soon thinned and died 
away in the desert. Wolves were common, and preyed 
upon the flocks. On the other hand, there have been 
no tigers for many years, except that a couple of years 
ago a single tiger showed himself at Ala-ayghir. 
March 6th. The first few miles ran through luxuriant 
poplar woods, until we came to the river. It was there 
divided into two principal branches and many smaller 
one.s, still sheeted with soft ice, except that there was a 
belt of open water close under the banks. 
Our stopping-place for the day was Lailik (the Dirty 
Clayey Place), the last village in this direction subject 
to the amban of Maral-bashi. On the south it adjoined 
the Yarkand district. Its population consisted of fifteen 
Dolon families. Fishing was carried on in the river, 
the maximum height of which at the season of high flood 
was said to approximate the added statures of five men. 
The velocity of the current was pretty considerable, 
though not so swift as the pace of a mounted man. It 
takes a man on horseback four days to reach Maral-bashi, 
whereas the river wants as much as ten days to do the 
distance. 
March 7th. Lailik was for some time our head- 
quarters, as considerable preparations had to be made 
for our expedition across the desert. The most important 
