THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION 689 
knowledge, their scientific attainments, their high general 
culture. 
Shortly after my arrival amongst them, General Pavalo- 
Shveikovsky gave a grand evening entertainment. At 
nine o’clock the Englishmen came over wearing their 
handsome, yet serviceable, full-dress uniforms. In front 
of each of the Russian yurts was stationed a guard of 
Cossacks, holding lighted torches, which shed a wild and 
tremulous flood of light across the bank of the Ak-su. 
CHAKMAKDEN-KUL, LOOKING WEST 
The guests assembled in the large reception yurt of white 
felt. The interior was draped with Oriental cloth and 
variegated carpets from Kashgar. The table glittered 
with bottles and decanters of European wines and liqueurs ; 
whilst dotted about amongst them were dishes of solid 
silver, heaped with grapes, apples, and duchesse pears from 
the governor’s own garden in Margelan. We took our 
«eats in light and comfortable tent-chairs, lined with rugs 
and so forth. Whilst some of the company played cards, 
the majority kept up an animated conversation in different 
