KASHGAR TO KARGALIK 
729 
LI DARIN, THE AMBAN (GOVERNOR) OF KARGALIK 
cultivated districts, and a long string of villages (all of 
which I entered on my map), we reached the town of 
Kargalik on Christmas Eve ; but there was neither snow 
nor fir to recall the significance of the day. The people 
however showed us all the good-will that we are wont to 
associate with the holy season. We put up at the house 
of a merchant from Kokand in Fergana, and in the 
evening he entertained me to a first-rate dastarkhan, 
embracing apples, pears, raisins, almonds, and divers kinds 
of sweetmeats, presented on a dozen dishes. It was like 
a Christmas table, except that everything was placed on 
the floor. A little later on the ten begs of the town 
came in Chinese holiday attire and pigtails to bid me 
II--5 
