DOWN THE YARKAND-DARIA 715 
be impossible to escape being clashed to pieces amongst 
the rocks and crags. 
After the baggage was all taken over, in four separate 
journeys, It came to my turn. I had waited impatiently, 
with something of the same feeling a youth has who 
wants to bathe and yet cannot swim. The raft oscillated 
unceasingly on its inflated skins ; and every moment 
threatened to capsize, especially when it got amongst 
the tossing eddies, but that the suchis were on the 
alert and maintained its balance. I preferred to dis- 
pense with the horse, and bade four of the men take 
hold of the four corners of the “ ferry-boat. The next 
moment we were in the grip of the torrent, and away 
went the raft like a mad thing. I was not accustomed 
to that mode of travelling, and everything seemed to be 
turned the contrary way on. The opposite cliffs seemed 
to be racing up the stream, and the perspective appeared 
to be constantly changing, like the views you get from 
the windows of an express train. Plying their arms and 
legs with well -practised skill, the swimming ferrymen 
forced the raft out of the sweep of the current, and at 
length we made the comparatively smooth water of the 
bay, and landed. 
On the return journey, back to the left bank, the 
ferrv-boat ” was driven some distance down the stream, 
and had to be dragged back to the point of embarkation 
by a horse. I he other horses that still remained were 
swum across, each with a suchi to help him. Islam Bai 
preferred to cross in the same way ; but he turned giddy 
and confused, lost his bearings, spun round two or three 
tirnes in the middle of the river, and forgot which way 
he was going ; and very nearly drowned his horse through 
forcing his head down too low in the water. He drifted 
down the river, and I was on tenter-hooks lest he should 
be swept amongst the rapids. But luckily he managed 
to reach the bank. I was thankful to have all the 
caravan, horse and man, safe and sound on the right 
bank of the Yarkand-daria ! I paid the suchi one 
hundred tengeh (22^. 6 rtC), besides a present of a cap 
