THROUGH ASIA 
478 
ally seen a few tamarisks, and In some places had obtained 
water after digging. My informant, besides many others, 
was in the habit of going out every year into the desert 
to look for gold, but as yet had found nothing. They 
called the desert Takla-makan; and the general con- 
sensus of opinion was, that given strong camels we ought 
to be able to cross right over it to the Khotan-daria. 
In the evening I held a levee. Niaz Beg and the 
on-bashi of Anghetlik, Togda Khodia, each presented 
me with a sheep; while the Hindus gave me a goodly 
supply of potatoes and butter, both exceedingly welcome. 
Afterwards we were entertained for a long time with the 
music of a setar (zither) and a ghalin (small harp), which, 
played in a slow time, sounded very well together, although 
the music was rather melancholy. 
March 20th. Togda Khodia was a thorough gentle- 
man. He often came to see me, and would sit talking- 
in my room by the hour together. When I began to 
grow impatient at receiving no news of the camels, he 
always exhorted me to patience, saying with unruffled 
composure, and with a conviction which allowed of no 
demur, '' Kelladi ! kelladi!" (They will come! They 
will come !). But nothing was heard of them ; and 
precious time was being wasted. I felt that we were 
heaping glowing coals on our heads ; for spring was 
upon us, and during the hot season of the year the 
desert is simply a furnace. 
Meanwhile Togda Khodia gave me much valuable 
information. To-day, for example, he told me that the 
inhabitants of Merket are Dolons, and that in their own 
opinion they are in no wise different from the people 
of Kashgar. They possess a few .slight dialectical 
differences of .speech, that is all. But Togda Khodia 
himself considered them very different from their neigh- 
bours. Their natures were hard and cold, and they 
were .so unforgiving that trifling disputes would linger 
on for years. 
The observances of Islam were jealously kept at 
Merket. On the last bazaar-day, in the middle of the 
