THE KHOTAN-DARIA SHEPHERDS 623 
of the white camel, which still continued to be the 
strongest. Thanks to Islam, I was now in a position 
to carry out my journey as it was originally planned. 
Two and a half years later, after Islam Bai reached his 
native town of Osh in Fergana, King Oscar rewarded him 
with a gold medal. 
That evening round a big fire near the shepherds’ hut 
we celebrated our escape from the clutches of the desert 
in a “sumptuous” feast. After many “ifs” and “ buts ” 
Pasi Akhun allow'ed himself to be persuaded to sell us 
a sheep for thirty-two tengeh (about 15^.). It was at 
once slaughtered. I had a chesslik (steak) of kidneys, 
grilled over the glowing fire ; whilst the men boiled 
some of the choicer parts in a pot. By this my pulse 
had risen to sixty. But it was only three days later, 
when I had properly rested and recovered, that it got 
up to eighty-two. 
May nth. The grass in that locality being all finished, 
the shepherds proposed to move to “other pastures green,” 
about six miles down the river, and on the right bank. 
We loaded our belongings on Ak-tuya, and went with 
them. We pitched our camp on a little mound which 
stood beside the river, and was surrounded by thickets 
and kamish, and overhung by some ancient poplars. 
Between two of the poplars my attendants made me a 
forest hut ; its frame consisting of branches, whilst the 
walls and roof were formed of boughs twisted and laced 
together. It afforded splendid protection against the sun, 
and was further sheltered by the adjacent trees. The 
ground inside was levelled and spread with felt carpets. 
The sailcloth knapsacks, which contained the pieces of 
Chinese silver money, were my pillow ; a small wooden 
cigarette box servmd me for table. My instruments, map 
portfolios, drawing -books, and writing-materials lay in 
convenient disorder at the foot of one of the poplars. 
Considering our circumstances, I could not have wished 
things better. I was perfectly comfortable and cosy in 
my forest-hut, quite as comfortable as if I had been in 
my own study in Stockholm. 
